Episode #41 – Dr Katie Gillett – Postpartum Meets Perimenopause: Coaching Midlife Mothers

Podcast Introduction and Mission 0:00

Welcome to the Startup Support Surgery podcast, where we light the entrepreneurial spark in medics and healthcare professionals. Join me, Dr. Jo Watkins, GP, business coach and co-founder of The How People, on a journey to discover where your medical know-how meets the business world. This will help you find some clarity on how to balance work, passions and family so that you can gain more freedom and control over your life but also continue to help people, which is actually why most of us went into medicine to start with.

Embarking on this entrepreneurial adventure is not easy. It is a roller coaster of emotions, but it's hugely rewarding and exciting in the process. Drawing in on my 20 years of blending medicine and business as a GP, I am here to share experiences, insights and lessons. Expect lively chats, expert interviews and real-life stories from medics who have taken their own path. Let's break free from traditional healthcare norms and explore more innovative ways of making a real difference to people's health and wellbeing, along with paving the way for a brighter future for us as healthcare professionals.

Oh, don't miss my free PDF called From Stethoscope to Startup, which is an 11-page guide in the show notes full of practical help and advice. This is your roadmap to kickstarting your journey with us. Enjoy the show. I'm delighted to welcome Dr. Katie Gillette to the podcast today. Katy is a doctor. She's been a general practitioner, sessional GP, and she's a specialty doctor in palliative medicine, who is now training to be a health coach, supporting and helping women in their forties thrive beyond their postpartum period.

As somebody that had children later on in life, she noticed the challenges that can be balancing the postpartum recovery, perimenopause, along with the demands of family and work. And as somebody that's had children into their 40s, I totally resonate with this and can't wait to hear what she is able to get out there into the world. Katie, as I said, became a client relatively recently and she has done something incredibly brave. I had this harebrained idea that I would interview somebody from the Clarity course this summer.

And I wanted somebody that really knew what they were doing and had kind of moved through the stages sequentially. And Katie was somebody who used to voice notes me about having Weetabix stuck on the wall when she's trying to feed her toddler and trying do some of the modules in the course. We always used such lovely voice-notes. I just thought, what a lovely opportunity for her if she was up for it. She was super brave and she said, yeah, let's do it! I would love to and so that is the conversation that I'm bringing you today.

She is in the early stages of her business but this podcast is as applicable to you wherever you are on that journey and I think it's really important to see that everybody has to start somewhere and all these people that you see later on down the line have all started somewhere too. So good on you Katie for saying yes. Thank you for coming along and for a great conversation. We talk kids, we talk life, We talked all sorts of things. So welcome to the podcast, Katie. And Katie's random fact is that despite growing up on a farm, she is terrified of cows.

Is that correct, Katie? That is correct. Yeah. If there's something between me and the cows, I'm fine, you know, a wall or something like that. But in terms of walking through a field of cows I have been on some embarrassingly long detours to make sure that I don't have to get anywhere near a herd

Katie's Background and Business Spark 3:43

of cow. That's hilarious. And you live in the countryside in The Lake District, so cows are an issue I would imagine. Exactly. My dad's a farmer, he's very disappointed by that, in my achievements in life that's definitely the thing that he doesn't really talk about. doesn't mention that at all to his friends in the pub. I know my daughter's scared of cows. Well, thank you so much for being here. Well, I am excited. And just to put this into perspective, we've worked together over the last couple of months and you've been part of my Clarity Starter Kit, which I've run twice.

If you're listening to this in 2025, We ran it in February, ran in June, and now you come into the main membership. I knew you have really got some momentum and are really excited about what you are doing. You started posting on Instagram, you started showing up and doing all the things. Let's jump on a call with somebody that's at this early stage, because it's easy to listen to the podcast, isn't it? And hear these people. I've just been chatting with Alice Thompson. Have done several interviews with people that are quite far down.

Is it a bit daunting sometimes listening to people at that stage? Yeah, I think it can be, especially when you're right at the beginning of that journey. But I actually think with your podcast, Jo, it's one of those things that, yes, these people can much further down the line. And honestly, some of the women you have on this podcast. I have no idea how they spin all the plates that they do because they're doing all this incredible stuff. wow. But at the same time, if you listen to a lot of other business podcasts, it's really hard to relate to those people because, you know, they're dedicating their whole life to their business or they don't have kids, then maybe not doing a job on the side.

So as much as it can be a bit intimidating sometimes, is really refreshing to actually listen, to people that you can relate too. And it is actually your podcast that introduced me to you, Jo. um listening to people on your podcast and then suddenly instead of business being other people and it being a really distant dream i said hang on a minute they're a bit like me maybe i could do this um so i found a lot of benefit from doing a podcast so it's really surreal to be sat here and actually be doing the podcast um it''s a little bit of a full circle moment very very early Yeah, that's brilliant.

I didn't realize that that was where we first met. Did somebody suggest you listened? Tell us about how that came about and at what stage you were at. Let's go from the beginning and you tell us in your own words how you've got to this point and then we'll fit the other bits in around it. Okay. So I've thought a few times through my existence that I'd quite like to start a business. I never really got far with it. Bought a domain names, picked a brand colours, but nothing has ever got off the ground.

And in hindsight, that's because I didn't know what I was doing and didn' really have a clear vision. But I recently gone back to work after having my second little one. And I was really lucky. I had a lovely year-long maternity leave. As the time was approaching to go back work, that voice of doing something else started coming into my head. My older one has just started school yesterday. So if you can hear a tinge of inner turmoil in my voice, that's what it is to do with you Joe, it's that. He's fine, I'm not.

But with that sort of coming towards the end of maternity leave and working out the logistics around getting him to school and getting my little one to nursery and me going to work. And I am lucky I only part time and I really like my job, but looking to the future, it's certainly not something I would want to increase my hours in medicine or anything like that. So this again, this kind of fire of a business possibly within me was lit. Also, I've always been really passionate about lifestyle medicine and creating health rather than just treating disease.

And when I had more time and space on maternity to think about that, it really became something that I knew I wanted to pursue in some way or another. So looking into that. I stumbled upon health coaching. thought it sounded really good right up my street. And then as I was kind of looking into that and health coaching and Health Coaching for Medics, I stumbled upon your podcast and then started listening to that. By that I mean I totally binged it. I got well into it, listened to all these people.

As I said before, suddenly this business thought that someone else does I could certainly relate to these people, but actually, you know what, maybe I. I couldn't maybe just try that and do it. And I was listening to your podcast with Alice Thompson. You say you just spoken to her, she did a podcast quite early on, I think. Um, and she was a former dentist and then she's doing this fantastic sounding lifestyle medicine coaching business. That's all very outdoorsy. She lives on a farm and has this incredible Instagram and I'm listening.

And it was like a light switch on or something. I was, I want to do it right now. Okay. This is it. And yeah. So I think it's that podcast or one that you'd done in like the many that I'd listened to before that in my binging, um, that he said, just send the email. Yeah. send the email. And I did, I looked you up, saw that you did this clarity program and I read about it and that is exactly what I need right now. That is completely up my street. I think if you kind of put a prompt into chat GPT about your ideal client, my name and address would probably pop up.

But I was like, that's perfect. It's just what i need. So I emailed you and you email me back and here we are. I'm doing it. These things happen. I haven't spoken to Alice since June and I've literally just come off a call with her and we were just at the end of this call talking about doing a collaborative event next year in the Lake District. Literally. There you are. It's like all the stars are aligning. Yeah, they are. But yeah, I remember that podcast vividly because I think she's just got so much energy, hasn't she?

And she has really, really followed what's true to her. She's doing incredible stuff outdoors with entrepreneurial women and well-being and wellness. And everything she does is about her unique take on things.

Finding a Niche in Midlife Postpartum Support 10:43

I agree. That was a really lovely episode that inspired a lot of people. That's amazing. Brilliant. Love it. You mentioned health coaching. Did you go and get a qualification in health, coaching at that point then? Or is that something you've kind of done since? I'm currently doing one. So yeah, and listening through your podcast, listening to your podcasts and looking online. Tom Dillon and Helen Leathers, who I know you speak about and you've done one of their courses. They do a transformational coaching for lifestyle medicine course or qualification.

So I'm right in the middle of doing that now. And it's so good. It's really, really good, humbling, because I thought, you know, oh, doctor, 15 years, I've got communication skills. This is a whole new set of communication, skills are really really interesting. It is absolutely brilliant. So you're doing these things alongside each other. And this is, again, a really lovely point to discuss this because I think a lot of the time, as medics or people who have had to go through professional exams or certain accreditations to be able to call ourselves things, what we do is tend to collect the things before we start doing and you know you talked about getting scrappy getting out there doing things.

I am such a massive advocate of starting before you're ready because actually what holds people back hugely is this slight perfectionism or judgment of what other people are going to think or people looking at what we're doing and in some way frowning upon us. How easy have you found it showing up on social media? Because I know you've started posting recently. Has that been something you have found easy to do? Absolutely not. And before starting Clarity, I had absolutely no intention of really doing anything before I'd completed the health coaching course and then maybe got a couple of years down the line and my kids are at school.

I was going to wait, wait until the time was perfect because I'm definitely, like many medics, a perfectionist. Not particularly self-confident, especially in terms of putting myself out there. So even putting myself out there within the clarity group initially was quite nerve wracking, but it's been a really supportive environment. And then as you say throughout the charity program, you just need to get started. I'm really bad at that in general, I am not a complete finisher. Lots of ideas, lots of thoughts, actually that pushed to do something.

So no, it wasn't easy at all. Still cringe every time I press post. But it has been really nice to have some feedback and actually at the end of the day, people just are happy that you're doing something you are passionate about. They don't really care that your taking a selfie or putting it on social media. So yeah, I still struggle with that and it's definitely something that I will need to continue to work on. But yes, it is good to have that support and that slight nudge to be like, go on! Go on, but you've posted on Instagram, are you posting on LinkedIn as well?

I'm not, but I was very brave and this week I actually changed my, I don't know whether it's headline or bio, whatever, and took it off specialty doctor in palliative medicine and put doctor and health coaching training and kind of the niche that I am focusing on and, put something in my bio or my about section, which I've never done before. So at the moment, because I like many medics with kids and other things that they're spinning, time poor. So I'm just trying to focus on getting started on Instagram and building kind of a basic website, doing the course and sticking to that really at the moment is what I think I can probably do.

Great. And I think this is really honest reflections of how much, you know, how many things there are out there that can kind of distract you and take your time, aren't they? You've got to focus on what you're going to do to get going, get out that, start building up your audience and start telling people who, the type of people that you are going help, who are you looking for. You're kind doing your research and getting out all at the same time. Aren't you really? And I think it's taking one step at a time.

For a lot of people, Ithink LinkedIn is a kind of safe space to start with, but then a lots ofpeople feel more comfortable with Instagram. It doesn't matter, whatever. But I thing, interestingly enough, your clients are likely to be on Instagram, and I'd love you to talk a little bit about what we went through in the one-to-one and the kindof people that you might be starting to help. Because I've noticed that your posting really specifically,and I love that. You know, I think that's one of the many things that I learned through clarity is this idea of a niche.

Because as you say, like my idea when I first started clarity, is I'm going to be a health coach for women. And that was great, but there's a lot of women out there and there, you know there is a of noise in the online space and the coaching space in terms of that. So part of, the clarity process you go through all these exercises of thinking about who you might want to help. And I'm one of those exercises for thinking about what makes you slightly different or what make you have a lived experience that you might be able to share with people that your passionate about and went through various things with that.

And then it all kind of came together. And again, it was like, oh, that is exactly what I want to do. I wanna help those people. So I'm focusing my support on women who have had a baby in their 40s. Um, I am currently researching through lived experience myself. But what realized is when I had my second child in my 40's, the kind of aftermath and postpartum recovery and beyond of that has been really different to having a child a bit earlier on. And I was looking for people who've had a similar experience and why is this so different and challenging in so many ways?

Beautiful in any ways, don't get me wrong, but there's definitely elements of it that have been a little bit of a journey. I really had to dig to find specific stuff for the postpartum recovery in midlife women, because, you know, earlier in life, your aim is to get back to that hormonal baseline of pre-pregnancy. Whereas actually later in your life you're unlikely to be going back that baseline because while you've been busy being pregnant and post partum and breastfeeding or whatever, underneath the surface, you're probably cruising towards perimenopause.

And then you've got postpartum and perimanopausal colliding along with all the other stuff in life like work and aging parents and young kids and all that sort of stuff. So I think there's a real need for that cohort of women to have a bit more specific support. And I'm really passionate about that. And it brings together all the things that I love. It brings like my lived experience as well. I am on this journey aswell, so I learning all of the time. There's so many more women now who are having babies later in life.

So it's not a particularly small niche, it is just not very well served niche I think. That's where I focusing on and I really excited about it. Well, I am one of your ideal clients, Ben. I had my fourth at 41. And I feel like a big hormonal change has happened over the last 10 years. You're right. It's not talked about. In fact, when I spoke to you about it, it was probably one of the second or third times I've ever really heard it even mentioned as a thing. And I think there are lots of people out there that need this support.

I remember you messaging me saying, have you got any links? Because lots my friends are asking about the perimenopause And I sent you some links, didn't I, of some people. I think that's... And it was almost when we discussed it. It was like, well, what do you... When we go through this process, like you say, What do people come to you for? What are you good at? Well, I'll just ask Katie about this. Give Katie a ring because she'll know about it, and we realized that actually a lot of the people that are asking you advice are in this cohort and needing this support.

So you've got ideal clients at the end of your fingertips, Yes, I definitely have some, definitely. And I think there is so much more talked about now in terms of perimenopause. It's a relatively recent thing, but it's become a more relevant topic of conversation to people right from their late 30s and into their 40s. So a lot more people are starting to recognise now that how they're feeling might actually be down to peri-menopaus. As I say, you're kind of mixing in pregnancy and postpartum with that.

it is an interesting time, humanly. It really is, it really. Well, I wish you all the best with that because it's very exciting. And hopefully by the time this podcast comes out, you might have, um, You know, we may have a landing page out there, signposting people.

Joining Clarity and Building Momentum 19:38

You may be looking for your first client. So this is the process that we go through in clarity, finding out exactly who you want to help, supporting you on that beginning of that journey. Then you've now entered into the main group. Um, and several of you from clarity over the from February and June have entered into the main group. What did you see in that that you felt like you needed and how's that sort of transition been? It's been a good transition and I'm really glad that I did it. I found Clarity, as I've said, really, very helpful.

It is a lot of thought processing to the foundations of what the business might look like. In fact, even sooner than that, it's working out, do you actually want to start a business? Because unless you know what business actually entails, you don't really know. And that's the phase I was at, I really didn't know, so clarity was great because it gave you permission to spend some time really thinking about things, but come out from that and say, actually, no, this really isn't for me. But that was not what happened for my.

I went through it, lots of thought, lot of reflection, really. felt like I was building the idea right from the foundations up. Because, you know, if you want a life first business, like you speak about, You really do need to build it with such intention so it doesn't turn into something that you don't want it to be. So I've kind of got to that point where I knew what I wanted it look like and was umming and ah-ing about whether or not to go into the main program. And then you had one of your Q&A sessions where evenings online and people ask questions and then there's a discussion and that one just happened to be lots of people from the main program had joined in and listening to the questions they had and the answers that they have instead of feeling intimidated and like they were there and I was here, I felt really inspired and excited and really that that was good for them.

But I feel like I'm now finally confident enough in the fact that I had a spark of an idea that one day that could happen as opposed to it putting me off. And that's the realisation that, you know what, actually the main program will be great because the clarity is the thinking bit and the foundations and then the Main Program is building on those ideas and actually the doing and creating of the business. And I was so excited by my idea that I felt like I really wanted to do that, but I know I need support through that.

need to learn. It's been such a learning journey. So having that, you know, online content to go through, which actually teaches you about business, what it is and what to do to build that business. But also having this wonderful group of people who are all at different stages. And if you can put your competitive medic side to one side, and not particularly competitive, but in a sort of sense of like, Oh, they're so good. And, you know, grownups, I'm not that imposter syndrome. If you can set that aside, then you've got this amazing community of people who are all different stages, who have tried things, have been successful, failed.

You can ask them questions. So it is a great space to take that idea into a thin and I am making for thin. It's good to be part of that route to get that started. and you're doing the thing. You're making the big and doing it at the same time. And I think... I love what you said there about being inspired, not intimidated, because I do think that people struggle when they, you know, everybody's on their own agenda. Everybody's got their different lives. Some people have got full-time jobs. And people who've got four kids, some people are retired.

everybody has got a different 24 hours and a difference goal and different passions. I think coming into a business space has to be with those open eyes of what is possible rather than the slightly green-eyed monster of other people are doing or achieving. So I love that idea that you've come into the group and received that. And we had a group call on Tuesday and I could palpably feel that and being able to say, especially to somebody, for example, at the moment, Ruth Machin, who this time last year was like, just was like, I don't know if I want to do this anymore.

This is just not working for me. And we had tears and she won't mind me saying, or near tears, not quite tears. Near tears And now, you know, she is absolutely flying and that's come about because she's shown up. She's done difficult things. proactive movements towards what you're trying to achieve. Like none of this is going to be handed to anyone on a plate, right? We are all working towards something. But making those deliberate steps towards, what do you want this to look like, has to supported, doesn't it?

You just can't do it on your own. You talked about previously having business ideas and I'd love to just talk about that a little bit. You mentioned domain names and brand colors, my favorite things. What sort of businesses were they and why do you think those never took off the ground? I think initially my first thought of starting something was when lifestyle medicine sort of first became a thing in the UK and the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine has just started. And I went to their first conference and I was like, this is amazing for the first time, you know, These are the people that aren't mopping up the water, they're turning off the taps.

And that's what I'm interested in in medicine. That's one passionate about. So I just started posting a bit on social media and through that started writing some blog posts and working with a couple of companies within that side of things. Just very ad hoc. But I had no direction. It wasn't really a business as such. I like lifestyle medicine. These people are saying, do you want to do this? I'm saying yes. They're like, you don't need to pay us. Oh, no, certainly not. No, I really liking this. So it wasn' really I just didn't know what I was doing.

And then I, life got in the way basically. I was a GP at that time and I just, I burnt out to be honest in GP. And then as anybody else who's burnt-out will understand, everything extra just goes out the window. You just kind of do what you're doing. Um, and, um, never really picked that up in a business sense, as much as my passion for lifestyle medicine was still there. That never, really got picked up again. Cause then I went for sort of a career change and that took over. um And, then also I.

I'm really interested in brain health and a proper neuroscience geek. I've got a background in neuroscience. Um, I work in palliative care, so dementia is quite a big thing. It's been a thing in my family. So I was thinking about brain, health, and dementia prevention. And again, kind of went into that, not really with any focus or direction. What ended up happening is I started becoming almost the kind, the go-to person for dementia, um, which is great work, but it's not what I wanted to be. doing, I wanted to kind of, again, do that upstream stuff.

And I found myself, talking at other events, but they were very much about the role of palliative care and dementia and that sort of thing, which wasn't really where I was going. So then again it kind just didn't turn into anything and I just let it fade away really. Yeah. That's why this time I knew that I needed to do something differently if I actually wanted move forward and gain momentum, which is why clarity was so perfect for me at that time because it gave me the structure that I need because I'm that sort of person who really likes to be spoon-fed a bit in terms of the information.

I like it to there in one place, otherwise I get distracted by shiny things and also having the things like the Q&A and the teaching sessions. kept me accountable in an indirect way because it kept it at the forefront of my mind that this is something I really want to be working on. So I think that's what the difference has really been between those other ideas that didn't really come to anything versus this, which I got something to move forward with. Yeah, and you're doing it, as you said, in a deliberate, intentional way.

And I think that the people that I tend to work with are in are a couple of camps. They've either had ideas like you have, like had these sort of entrepreneurial moments, have these times where they thought, oh, I could do this or I might do that. So I can look into this a little bit more, or they've stumbled across a problem that has become an immediate issue and then they found themselves creating something and not really realizing that this is actually about marketing and business. And it sounds like you're much more in the kind of the ideas and you've had lots of experience.

You mentioned burnout. I think it's very important that we recover from our own burnout journeys before we start helping others, which is what you have done naturally. Took yourself back from it and didn't continue with something which was the right thing to do because you wouldn't have been able to heal other people while you're still healing yourself, right? Absolutely. And now I'm lucky I am in a position, I m not doing this because I' m desperate to get out of my job. I really like my jobs. Um, and I, really enjoy doing it and am lucky to be able to say that.

But I''m very lucky again that I do it part time. And there's a point in the future where I have to, or I want to start doing more of both kids who are at school. I don't want be increasing my time in medicine. And I didn't wanted to increase my hours necessarily, but I. Want to stop thinking about and building something really slowly now so that. it complements what I'm doing. And then maybe in the far future, I might decide that I want to give this a whirl on its own. I don't know. But at the moment, it's intentionally building it very, very slowly with some direction, really.

Are there any aspects to doing this that you're struggling with at the moment? You said you've got two young kids, you are working part time. Are you finding it's kind of fitting or is there is any kind friction or difficulty? The main thing, as with so many people, is time and I just, there's a cohort of women who are really good at spinning loads of plates all at the same time, isn't one of your recent podcasts a program director of a master's course and has several children and five businesses and also, I don't know, rides horses, starts at a non-for-profit, you know.

That is just not me at all. I get overwhelmed very easily in terms of things. And also, good for them, but that's not what I want. My main thing is I just want to be present with my children. Slow life, spending time with my kids. So working out the pockets of time to work on the business without going head first into it and then at the expense of other stuff is a really new territory to make. And also being at peace with that, which I'm not yet because, you know, I want to do stuff.

Advice for Starting Before You're Ready 30:38

I really want work on it. And I wanted to be doing more than one Instagram post a week or whatever. Um, and constantly reminding myself that this is okay for me. You know? This is a real slow burner. Now I just going to build it slowly as an aside to my family life and work at the moment. That's a really journey where I am still learning. And I think this is one of the disadvantages of creating a business about something you're really passionate about and love is that it doesn't really feel like work.

So you kind of want to do it all the time. And, you know, I've definitely, that's something I'm constantly working on because you don't want something that takes over your waking thoughts and you're constantly distracted. You are going to have times where you all going need to do some work or you are following up on something when the kids are around. As they get older, I don't really think that's massively a problem. I think for them to see you as a professional working your two days a week, but also building a business that you were really passionate about around school hours so that your around to pick them up.

That's an amazing thing as role model and a mom to be doing. But yeah, it is that intentional walking away from something. A business is always going to need your attention. It's like the neediest friend or child. Like it always needs you to be inputting, because no one else is going to do it for you. So if you walk away from it, for a month, nothing happens. And that balance is a real struggle for everybody. Just be reassured that you're in good company. Most people find that pretty hard. Thank you.

My youngest is 16 months at the moment, so she's at that proper toddler phase, which is absolutely gorgeous, but she is a nutcase. You need to watch them all the time. When we were voice noting about this podcast, for example, I was like, oh, this is great. I'm nervous about it, what a great opportunity, and started voice-noting you and then heard a bang from behind me. And she'd managed to get one of those sticky bowls off the table, which was full of porridge, and overarm throw it towards the wall where it like ricocheted off.

So there was just porridge everywhere. She was covered in it, standing in the high chair. And it was a really humbling reminder that actually, you know what, first of all, I'm a mum and I need to look after her and clear out that porridge. Then after that, i will do the voice note about the business thing. It's that kind of constant juggle of Orange versus business. That's a book, I'm sure. In my tagline for my business, there you go. Yes, you couldn't have put it better. It was absolutely brilliant.

Okay, so we have... heard your story from, you know, listening to the podcast, thinking, this is what I want to do, bringing an idea. And actually at the time you didn't necessarily have a firm idea, but coming into Clarity, really firming down your niche, deciding you want do this and then committing to something that's going to support you as you go on this journey. What would you say to somebody? Because I haven't done a podcast with somebody like this before, and I think it's really, it is obviously really nice for me to hear you.

And I thing it was when you sent me a really message about how this had really helped you that I was like, God, I wish I need to get Katie to write my sales page for because she's a lot better at this than I am. But, you know, what would say, because I'll put this on the page, for clarity, just so that people can see somebody that's gone through it. What you would to say at the beginning of their journey? You know, who's maybe sitting there doubting themselves, wondering what to do, constantly distracted by an idea.

What would you say to them about getting across that line, whether it's with me or anyone else? I think what got me across the line in the first place was just send the email. And it is, it s doing that first step that is really simple, but feels like quite a big commitment. But you're not actually committing to anything. You're just, you know you re just committing yourself really and saying that you want to make this into something. And what I would say about clarity is one of the beautiful things about it is that you don't have to be sure that, you definitely want to start a business.

This is not necessarily you investing your money and time in business creation. It's a step before that and a really important step for that of finding out enough to make a better informed decision about whether you actually want start this business in the first place. And it's fine to say you don't, or you might find that actually you didn't think that you could. I mean, I really, if you'd asked me if I was going to go into the main program after clarity, when I started clarity I'd be like, absolutely not.

But then as you go on that voyage of self-discovery, which you have to, you know, if you want to make a life-first business, You have know what that life you wanted to look like, and you to know more about yourself. And that was the thing that surprised me about Clarity Island, loads about myself, nevermind business. Which actually are really important if your gonna create this business and, it's a really helpful process to firstly find out, do you wanna do this? And then, If you do shaping that idea in a way and giving it structure to make it something that you can move forward with.

So if you're sat at home, like I was thinking that, you might want to start a business. You don't really know much about business, your passionate about something, you really like helping people, but you're not really sure what format would take. Then do check out Clarity, do send the email, because it may well be something that could really help you just go on to that next step. And again, is it going to get you to your multinational six figure coaching empire in a month? No, no, it's not supposed to.

And a lot of the things on Instagram tell you that's possible and I'm not sure actually that it is certainly not when you've got kids and a job and various other things. But it will get you to that next step of having a foundation of your idea. So that kind of, yeah. Yeah. And it's hard, isn't it? When you're seeing those comments on Instagram, everybody making it seem so easy and look so easily, and it just isn t. You're starting from nothing. We're all starting form zero. Zero followers, zero audience.

A lot of these people have got huge followings already before they start their coaching business or they've done something else or got a huge amount of money and time behind them and teams. We're all exploring this generally as medics. from a beginning point and I think I look now at what I'm doing and i just wish that I'd had clarity when I was sitting there as a you know I remember as GP partner I love my practice I loved my partners I still very good friends with them I actually really enjoyed my job I tried to create the new practice website I try to shape the away days I've become a trainer you now I done as much as I possibly could to kind of grow within my practices And I just kept having business ideas, but not really knowing what to do with them until I had one that just literally got legs and I ran with it.

And, I didn't think anything about the future, what that was going to look like, how I was gonna possibly make enough granola from the house with two children, a dog and pregnant, and then who I'm gonna outsource it to and how was I gonna supply supermarkets and what was to happen and all of this. Didn't give it a second thought. And it was a passing comment from one of my mum and dad's friends at my dad 70th. So that was coming up to 15 years ago when I told him what I was doing. And It was right at the beginning of producing it properly, the granola.

He said to me, nobody's ever made money out of a food business by making it themselves at home. That was the sentence that I should have picked up on and I said to him, and Joe now would say to them, that's really interesting, I need you to tell me more about this because he's got a massive amount of experience with food production. I didn't send the email, or I did not ask the question, but I just went on my merry way of thinking that was going to be able to do it. And I wish I'd had that sounding board, second brain looking at my idea.

And I think it's important to learn from people that have been in your shoes before. And when you described you going back to work after your second child and how you were feeling, I was kind of like I with you. That's exactly how I felt. So I think even if it's not clarity and it is not me, go and find yourself a mentor or somebody. Go and have a conversation with somebody that's interested in either your area of business or business generally because people like to help. Other people will go out for a coffee with you or whatever.

Just thrash that idea around with someone other than yourself. because you've got to build a business intentionally when you have children, otherwise it's just carnage. From personal experience, it becomes carnaged very quickly. Weetabix on the walls, granola in the oven, whatever it looks like. But yeah, Katie, it's been a real pleasure to have you. And I really appreciate your honesty and your kind words. I'm really excited to find out how you get on over the next year or a couple of years. But how do people find a little bit more about you if they listen to this podcast in November or next, how would they find you at the moment?

Thanks very much, Jo. I've loved being on the podcast. So I have started an Instagram account. That's at Dr. Katie Gillett. It's got a weird spelling, so it might be in the show notes. Have a look at that. And also by the time this podcast comes out, I will have a very basic website up where people can put in their email address. and that's drkatigillett dot com. so I put space on there that people things evolve through the business and I start offering coaching or if anything else becomes available, then I will keep them posted.

Brilliant. So if anyone out there is pregnant in their 40s or has had a baby in the 40's and entering this sort of post-pregnancy perimenopausal decade, then you are there to offer support and help. So if that's you or if you know anyone that is going to be in that sort of cohort of people or that might be interested, please signpost them to Katie and keep in touch with everything that she's doing. Thank you so much for coming along and I'll see you soon. Thanks so Transitioning from medicine to business is not easy.

It's about adapting our skills while embracing the unknowns of entrepreneurship. for support. And don't forget to grab the free PDF from the show notes from Slethoscope to start up, which is your go-to guide and resource for diving into entrepreneurship. Many thanks for tuning in. I will see you next time. Thanks for spending your precious time with me. This has been a Monkey Pants Productions Podcast. Space means tackling the stuff that stresses you out? Well, for me, that's money. Finances can weigh heavy on your mental health.

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