It Starts With Heart
It Starts With Heart is a relatable straight talking podcast, brought to you by Mindset Mastery Online Founder Rebecca Sonuga.
Rebecca is on a mission to empower women to be the best version of themselves, for them to know their worth and to have the self-belief that they can be and do whatever they wish.
Anytime you feel inspired, share this with your friends and tag @rebeccasonuga on social media!
It Starts With Heart
193 - From Grief to Growth: Laura's Inspirational Journey of overcoming loss to building Financial Freedom in the Travel Industry
Have you ever craved the intoxicating mix of travel, freedom, and entrepreneurship? Have you ever had a passion but where lost in grief and thought you couldn't find a way out?
Listen in as I am joined by Growth and Hustle Network co-founder Laura Hutchinson sharing her inspirational transition of grief to growth and how her incredible travel business has helped her regain her confidence and empower her to create time and financial freedom for herself and for others.
Laura's story brings home the power of mentorship and the beauty of a community that champions each other's milestones.
If you're considering a leap into the entrepreneurial world, let this episode be your parachute, offering guidance and support as you discover a world where success is not just a destination, but a journey we take together!
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Lots of love!
Rebecca xx
Hello everyone, I hope you are well. My name is Rebecca and this is the first live that I'm doing on this page, which I'm so excited about. And, for those of you who do not know me, you might not have spoken to me personally before, you might have spoken to someone else who's in the travel business, or you might have been sent this page by someone else. Whatever, I am one of the co-founders of the Rove and Hustle Network. I've been part of the travel business now for just over four years, so when I started, I was working a really demanding corporate job working 50 to 60 hours a week, solo, parenting, studying cut a long story short found this opportunity on social media. It was everything that I'd been looking for, which was an opportunity for me to build additional income streams into my household and to eventually become time free, which I achieved in a couple of years ago, and I now work this business on my own terms around my kids, flexibly, because of the work that I put in and the residual income that this business has created. And I've also now created a willable income, meaning that when I'm gone whether it be this year, next year, 10 years, 30 years time or whatever my business is going to outlast me. It's going to get passed on to my daughters and my nephew, who are going to continue to get paid my residual income, um, after I'm gone, and there's so many people within this business who are benefiting from it too.
Speaker 1:Now we sometimes we do meet the agents calls where you can get on zoom, you can hear people's stories, but I thought you know what what I'm going to do is over the next few weeks. I'm going to be sharing with you some nuggets, some inspiration and also some insights into the lives of some of our agents, and I am going to be interviewing some of our team. Now I don't know the ins and outs of all the responses that people are going to give. Obviously, some of these people I know personally. Some of them might be in the team and I don't know as well because they've been brought in by someone else. And, just to put in picture, at the date of this video, there is currently almost 300 people within the Growth and Hustle Network who are benefiting from Travelling, smarter Earning Commissions, building Residual Income and some of those which are time free, and people also who have created the residual and willable income streams, like I mentioned before, and this is going to give you an insight into some of those people's lives.
Speaker 1:So the first person who I'm going to be going live with this week and interviewing today is an incredible person in the team. She was actually my first business partner. She was the first person who joined the business after I joined. She is someone who is really, really committed. She's also a co-founder of the Growth and Hustle Network. She is one of the core leaders in the organization. She's now a top travel booker as well within the team. She's so knowledgeable, so helpful and she's literally everything that someone could possibly want in a business partner, and I have the privilege to be bringing her onto the live. I know that she's requested and I'm going to accept her.
Speaker 1:So I know that I have given you a little bit of an insight into Laura already. However, I'm going to make sure that she is able to share some bits. You are looking amazing, laura. How are you doing? Hi, I'm good, it's been a minute. It has. Um. So, yeah, I'm loving the fact that we've decided to do these lives on here, but I know I've given you given, like the followers a little bit of an insight into who you are, but just tell us a little bit more, so a little bit about you where you're from, your background, hobbies, interests, anything like that yeah, so I'm laura, based in the uk.
Speaker 2:Um, I'm a woman of two, so I've got a four year old currently and a nine week old. So, yeah, it's a bit hectic in the household at the moment. Um, I do work a corporate job, but obviously at the moment I'm on maternity leave. So my corporate background is in the digital marketing world, but I specialize in user behavior and optimization, mainly for retail companies, but I have worked with service led businesses in the past and on the side, outside of work, it's very busy and hectic, but I do love cooking, so I make quite a lot of home cooked meals. I like making cakes, cheesecakes I mean Becky's nodding her head, because that's like a bonus to being friends with me and outside that, I just like spending time with friends, family, people, I care about making memories and things like that. So that's a little bit about me.
Speaker 1:Thank you, thanks so much for sharing it. And, yeah, just going to say as well, before I just talk about the cheesecake situation, let me just say hi to some of the amazing people who've joined us live. So we've got amanda hi, amanda, johanna and melissa. We've got chelsea, we've got laura, we've got nat, we've got emma. So many of you, everyone who said hello, hello everyone.
Speaker 1:Um, but yeah, guys, I know I mentioned how amazing laura is in the travel business, but having her as an actual friend as well is very good, but it's not very good for your waistline when she comes down to your door with all of these like cheesecakes and stuff. Um. So when I started the business and it's funny enough because I've just been having this conversation with the team, haven't I and a call that we've just both been on together um, and I was sharing that before I started I had no idea what this business could do and anything about this business really, but I did know that people could join the business. I didn't know about the residual income and stuff, but the only reason why I knew that is because I joined through someone who was posting about it. Now I was really lucky with you because I wasn't in the thing of like building a team. I was brand new myself.
Speaker 1:You actually approached me about the business, didn't you? Which was so interesting. So what was it that made you reach out? What was it that intrigued you about the business, didn't you? Which was so interesting? So what was it that made you reach out? What was it that intrigued you about the business initially?
Speaker 2:I was actually looking for opportunities.
Speaker 2:I just didn't really know what I wanted to do or what it was that I wanted to do, um, like at the time, and obviously I reached out to you where you was doing it.
Speaker 2:I was on maternity leave, believe it or not, um, and I don't know what it is on social media, but as soon as you go on maternity leave, you're like a scapegoat to like people busting you about opportunities and, honestly, my inbox was like inundated with different things and nothing really took my interest, um at all.
Speaker 2:But then when, obviously seeing you post about this travel opportunity, obviously there's nothing that I would not want to reach out about like, obviously I travel not as much as I probably would have wanted to at the time um, everybody does it around me and also, like I knew how busy you was as a friend and like knew what you was like day to day. So the fact that you was doing something additional to obviously working a nine-to-five corporate job, which you was really successful at and very high up, so it was super demanding, whilst obviously doing your business degree at the time and obviously your solo parenting and doing other things. I was like this must be something if Rebecca's doing it, because she wouldn't be doing it otherwise, because she literally don't, doesn't have the time, sort of thing.
Speaker 1:So that's kind of why I was intrigued and reached out yeah, cool and yeah, thank you for sharing that, because that's a similar reason why it was with me as well. So I actually approached the person who enrolled me into the business. Similar to you, I'd been getting like loads of messages and stuff and nothing really popped out, probably because I wasn't really like I was looking for something. But I wasn't looking for something. I was quite comfortable, um. But then I was. I I wanted my own business, but there was just I just didn't know what I wanted to do.
Speaker 1:And, very similar to you, the person who I saw doing it was successful in corporate director in a company, already like earning the income, already had the lifestyle in terms of corporate world, what that gives you. And I was like, if she's doing this, there must be some some like literally exactly the same thing. Well, what would you say is, like your reason. So what was the reason that you actually wanted to start your own thing? Like what is your why and the purpose behind why you started well, I was on maternity leave at the time.
Speaker 2:So, for people who obviously don't know me and my story, um, I was on maternity leave and a couple of months before, I gave birth to my little boy, kai, who's now four. Um, I unfortunately lost my mum, so I was going through a really difficult personal circumstance. Um, I was extremely like lost. I was like broken, at a really low point in my life and obviously I had quite a lot of time on my hands on that leave and I just wanted something that would bring my spark back and occupy my time and but something that was in my own time, that was flexible, that I would enjoy, that I could basically dip in out of as and when I pleased. Um, and, essentially, when you were sharing the information with me and I was asking all the questions that I was wanting to find out about, um, there was no reason in my mind why I wouldn't want to do it. It tipped all the boxes.
Speaker 2:Obviously, travel was something I wanted to do more of.
Speaker 2:This opportunity would allow me, allow me to do that. Um, it would also allow me to earn an additional income, which, at the time, wasn't really one of the things that I was looking for to begin with, from being completely honest, but nobody can really turn down an opportunity that was going to bring you more income streams. I don't know what anybody says and always welcome more money. Um, and obviously I've got quite a big family in terms of brothers and sisters and siblings and stuff and they always come to me when they want to go on holiday. So from an income perspective, I was like I was already doing it and when I found out commission was built into bookings that I was um booking anyway online um and it was going to third parties and websites I was using. It was just an easy way for me to be able to earn a bit of money back on something that I would be helping people with anyway and like basically doing when people come to me anyway. So yeah, would you say it met your expectations, yeah.
Speaker 2:So it ticked all the boxes that I was looking for. So in my mind when I'm, when I set myself down to doing something, so for me, I was looking for something that would bring my spark back, that would, um, give me the ump back that I was looking for. Because, without going into it in too much depth, I was at an extremely low point and I think, saying it now, people would think, oh, she's just saying it, but I was like really, really bad, like the grief was extremely overwhelming for me and I was at a really, really, really bad stage and I had to get myself out of that. There was no way I could have continued in the way that I was going.
Speaker 2:Um, and that's why I was basically open to opportunities, really, because I needed something to like get me out of this rut that I was in. Um, and that is why I've done it, because I knew that this was going to be it. Um, and basically I I had no option. The only option would be that I was talking myself out of something that I knew was going to help me.
Speaker 1:So, um, it was a no-brainer for me yeah, and you've been in the business now for quite some time. Obviously you started like pretty much just after I started, which was just over four years ago. So would you say that your why and your reason for doing the business has changed in any way, or has it always been like really prominent from the start and been the same, or has it changed? Have any of your goals changed or any of the underlying reasons why you continue to do what you do?
Speaker 2:yeah, massively. I think when you go through a journey as well like I was, um like 25 around the time that I started this business I think when you go through your 20s, you go through quite a lot of change, um, and like your life changes quite a lot. So I definitely think that my well, I know that my life's changed quite a few times um, just obviously, like up until you're 20, really, you go through the same things, like you're going through education, like nothing really changes in your life. But I think in your 20s you go through so much and obviously at the age of 25, I lost my mum, which is a something that when you're younger, you just would never think is going to happen to you.
Speaker 2:So obviously, I started the business for one reason, which I've just explained, but then, as I've been into it more and as I've had a child myself and now another child, my why has definitely changed. So I'm doing this business to give myself options for the future, so being able to leave the corporate world behind. If it's something that I want to do in the future, I can do that because of this business. It also is going to enable me to generate a willable income that I'm working towards, which now I've got two children. That's something that I would never be able to provide them in the corporate world or in any other thing that I've seen. But with this business, anything that I earn and will outlive me and I will be passing it on to Kai and Leo, which is something that, like now, I know is possible it's never something I'm ever going to stop doing because, like, why would I not want to give my children that legacy?
Speaker 1:yeah, and I think, just touching on that, what you said about the willable income, because I think sometimes you throw it around, like I said it before, just if it was like a normal thing oh, I've got a willable income now that I'm passing on to my daughters and my nephew when I'm gone. But then I'm thinking, like when you actually put it like that, it's like if something was to happen to me now this evening. They're going to continue to get paid forever. That the company's in existence for. So if the company stands the test of time, which it's travel like we've literally just had this conversation like who's not gonna like we're not gonna stop traveling either. Like even in covid, when the flights were grounded and no one was like traveling, people were still booking travel because they were reaching to get away and they couldn't wait to get away. Even when they didn't have an end in sight of when this lockdown was gonna end, um, they were still wanting to book things. So the fact that they're gonna continue to get paid and that income grows as you're continuing to build the business like this is why we continue to do it.
Speaker 1:I've created my freedom now, um, and I'm gonna get to continue to get paid regardless, even if I stop now, but it's growing that income as well and building a legacy for the like, the future generation, like, why would you not want to do it? It mind boggles me sometimes, but anyway, I can go on a massive rabbit hole about that. But I think one thing that I think will be really helpful for anyone who's on this live or who's watching it back can you tell us a little bit about your journey in the business? So what's, what was the timeline been like over the last four years? Any ups downs, challenges, successes, any accolades that you've got now like? Tell us about your journey in the actual business, basically yeah, I mean, it's a bit of a wild one.
Speaker 2:Um, I've had quite a lot of ups and downs, but, at the same time, this business has been there constantly for me throughout like personal situations, which I'm going to mention, um, because some of the things that I have been through like people will probably think to myself or think, like listening to this back, or people who are watching live, like oh my god can't even believe she's been through that and she's still been working the business, because it's not been plain sailing um, and the business has just helped me through quite a lot of things. So I started in February 2020, like I said, just giving birth to my little boy a couple of months before and, a few months before that, lost my mum, so I was dealing with intense grief. So for the first 12 months, I'd say I was learning the product, really learning the systems, um, and everything else, because we went into covid um and I didn't want to start booking travel around that time, and that was a decision that I made personally, as I found out about more about the business and like what it was and what you got access to, like I knew pretty early on, really within like a month or two of, like, really getting to grips with everything, that this was going to be a long-term thing and nothing would have stopped me from stopping this business. Um, and even through like the business up and down that I have and all the personal circumstances that I've been through, I have never once in my mind doubted the business or thought like I think I think this is it, now I'm gonna stop. Um, it's always been something that I have had that long-term vision with. So then once obviously Covid has started settling down a little bit, I started booking travel and, really successful at booking travel, I did over a hundred thousand pounds with the travel which I'm super proud about.
Speaker 2:I think when I initially started this business I did not think I would ever like get to that point of making travel bookings, not because I didn't see it in myself that it was possible, because I knew everybody around me traveled. But you just never, like you know, think like that far ahead and you think that's quite a lot of money. Like I'd never be able to do that sort of thing, and especially in the corporate world as well. Um, I probably set my limitations quite low and my expectations quite low and, yeah, I exceeded them, which is obviously amazing, but I think for anybody who's doing something like you can do whatever you want and you can achieve whatever you want if you put your mind to it.
Speaker 2:And then, because I started booking travel and was doing really well and obviously earning the commissions back and seeing how much commission was built into bookings, I wanted to help other people because this opportunity started changing my life in more ways than I can imagine financially, from a like community point of view, from a personal development point of view and everything else. That why wouldn't I not want to help other people do the same? Like they might not have started this business in a low point in life, like I did, um, but they're wanting to do something because they want change, whether that's a better lifestyle, whether it's something to call their own, whether it's for more income, whatever it is, um, people are wanting change and I can help them achieve what they want and help somebody change the current circumstances, which is super, super powerful. Um, and I've been able to connect with people around the world and I've got an international organization now, which is super, super, um grateful. Like I've got people in the US, in various Caribbean islands, I help people in the UK and Ireland, um, and we're growing into more markets as well, and the more people I help, the more like reward I get.
Speaker 2:I've got to a point now where everything I do personally in the business like obviously it's rewarding and I'm like really lucky and I'm thankful, but I find myself more wanting to help more people and I find that a lot more rewarding than, like, my personal achievements.
Speaker 2:But whilst going through all that as well, I've won a growth award, so that was really good when I won that, I think, being acknowledged for somebody who's been through quite a lot of personal growth in the business and going through quite a lot of personal circumstances so, obviously, having two kids and having a couple of miscarriages, dealing, dealing with grief and everything else alongside doing this business and never once like doubting the potential of this business and never once stopping Like obviously I've had to have a couple of breaks personally because it's been a tough time, but this business has always been there and it's always been paying me in the background for the work that I've previously done, and that's something that, yeah, just really great, and I'm glad that I've done it, because I wouldn't be in this position now without the business yeah, I love that.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for sharing it, for being so transparent as well, because it's just so powerful. I think sometimes, like you said before, if people was to look at you now and to see like you now compared to what your situation was like four years ago and how you felt like I wouldn't want to share it on here, like you know. But there's, there's so many like I've got some stories from like that I know of you where, like, do you mind if I share a couple? Is it going to be like?
Speaker 2:I don't want you to share, because I know you know too much about me. I don't know what you're gonna say.
Speaker 1:Right, for people who obviously don't know me when laura talks about anxiety and talks about how it was crippling her to the point where she's struggled to function day to life, that's what I'll say.
Speaker 1:Yeah, if anyone wants to know more, they can scroll through your social media or they can ask you, can't they? So is there anything within your journey, um, because it's such a such an amazing journey as well, like, obviously, like the fact that you've just stuck with the business and now you're reaping the rewards, despite all the challenges that you've had and yeah, darren in the chat, such an inspiration because you 100 are. Is there anything be completely transparent that you would do differently? Um, if you were to go back four years now, um, and start the business again, is there anything that you'd change, that you'd do different? More so, for people who are like, looking at the opportunity and thinking, um, like you know, like any mistakes that you might have made, or people who are in the team now, who are watching this and you think, don't do this because this is a mistake I made, is there anything you do different? I?
Speaker 2:think in the beginning is probably where I would do different. Just in the, the fact that I had quite a lot limiting beliefs and I made like they took over quite a bit and I didn't really believe in myself a lot. I felt like I had to be the person who was traveling a lot to make this business work and felt like I had to be that travel person. But in actual fact that's a load of nonsense. Like people can make business work from any walk of life. They don't have to travel to make this business work.
Speaker 2:And I've had to see that for myself, to understand that um, and to go through a few things and to like understand, like the types of people in this business, how they're making it work and to see for myself firsthand really that um, this business is literally for everyone, um, and it's ourselves, really, and what we tell ourselves that puts us off and makes us have doubts about our capabilities. And once I work through them, them, yeah, there was no obstacles, but from that point my journey's been exactly how it's supposed to be. There's nothing I would change after that, because I think with this business it works. If you put in the work, if you treat it like a business, it pays you like one. If you work it like a hobby, it pays you like a hobby. So, yeah, I wouldn't change anything from that aspect, because I'm where I'm supposed to be and I'm attracting the right people. Um, and yeah, I'm excited to see what the future holds love that.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much. I think people definitely took loads of value from that, especially like the mindset thing. And, like you said, the only way that you're not gonna make this business work is if you're talking yourself out of doing the work and oh, I can't do it because of this, and coming up with excuses um, due to your own limiting beliefs or whatever. So I think that's really really important to share. So have you got anything like what would you say your three most favorite things about the business? If you could just pick three things and I know you might have a list of more than three if you had to pick three right now, what are your three favorite things, or what are the three things that you're most proud of about the opportunity?
Speaker 2:I think the biggest thing for me is the helping people like change or supplement their income, the lifestyle, um. I don't think anything can top that, especially with me being a very yellow personality person. Um, seeing other people succeed and doing well or doing something that is helping them, um is far more rewarding than my personal like achievements, so that is definitely one of my favorite things. The second one is being able to book like unbelievable trips and help people create memories because they last a lifetime. So the fact that I can do people's flatland trips like it's a once in a lifetime thing that people do as a family, which, like, is really, really rewarding booking Disneyland, paris and things like that, um, as well as like the usual all-inclusive holidays. But yeah, it's the being that person, that go-to person that is um doing like bucket list, like vacations for people and getting paid to do that, like that's another thing that's super rewarding.
Speaker 2:And then the last thing is just the community, um, and yeah, I mean the growth and hustle network is something that I'm super proud of. Um really really proud to be a part of community where every single person celebrated, no matter how small or big of a win people have in this business, because we all know that each individual circumstance in this business is different. What they want to get out of it is different, and the fact that we can be really transparent with what this opportunity is and what people can do and get access to seeing people actually benefiting in whatever way that they want to benefit is a really rewarding thing and that's another favorite thing of mine. So that's three. I mean carry on.
Speaker 1:Yeah, a really rewarding thing, and that's another favorite thing of mine. So that's three, I mean, carry on, yeah, yeah. And then I've just got one final question for you, and this is more for the people who haven't joined the business yet and they're probably thinking right, okay, um, I'm still unsure, I'm still a bit undecided, um, because, you don't know what you don't know, basically do you like when people get in we always say, like, once people are in and they're in the community and they're doing it, it's a no-brainer.
Speaker 1:But sometimes, unless people can actually experience like being in there, um, sometimes it's hard for them to comprehend. But is there any advice that you would give anyone who is thinking about joining or anyone who's literally just took that little bit of like, dip the toe in and like, took the leap, signed up, but they don't really know anything about it yet, they've not really got started? What are the biggest bits of advice that you'd give to them?
Speaker 2:well, first of all for the people like looking into it. If you've been speaking to somebody and have a bit of information, there's obviously some interest there and there's something intriguing you about it. So to like owning on what's intriguing you and just to get the information that you want to get. But when you've got the information, if that thing there is still there. So, like, you're still interested in it. Like you've got a passion for travel, you want to travel more, you want to earn an income, you want to get involved in a community, whatever it is that is piquing your interest and it's still there. Don't let whatever's in your head or don't let whatever is like holding you back, be that thing that keeps holding you back because, like I said, nothing changes. If nothing changes, and if something is of interest to you, why would you stop yourself from seeing what it's all about? You're never going to know what it could do for you unless you give it a go. Um, and obviously, with the host agency that we're a part of and we've got two guarantees, so it's a completely risk-free opportunity. You've got a 30-day money back guarantee and you've got a 12-month profit guarantee. So, like, genuinely, there's no reason why you wouldn't want to like, like, give it a go.
Speaker 2:Um and like, because of what I know in the business and obviously I know the systems in and out I know what the opportunity is about. I know like everything about it because I've been in it that long and I've literally learned quite a lot um, I can honestly say that this business will work for everyone. The only time this business doesn't work is if you don't work it like but then again you wouldn't join something like this and do nothing with it. So, um, yeah, that would be my advice to those people is just literally go for it, because you've got the systems and the support and everything in place to like help you along the way.
Speaker 2:And and then, for people who have recently joined, um, just literally get stuck in straight away, like fully understand what it is you've got access to like. You don't need to know the ins and outs about the travel industry, about everything to do with the opportunity, but once you get the basics, that's literally enough for you to want to continue, because it's a powerful opportunity. It's really really great. Um, yeah, like, everybody travels, you don't have to sell the product. The product sells itself and there is no way that you cannot make this business work, whether it's personally, whether it's for people in your network, whether it's for a lifestyle upgrade, whether it's for community or whether it's for an income like it's yeah, it's amazing laura, thank you so much.
Speaker 1:I know that obviously you've got your little ones there like you've kept them up past the bedtime, get on this live and to share all of these nuggets when you really did not have to. So thank you so much for doing that. This is why you're such an incredible leader. This is why you're such an incredible person. You've literally taken half an hour out of your evening to answer all of these questions for these lovely people on the live, and I'm so, so grateful for you and I cannot wait to see um the more success that you bring from this opportunity enjoy the rest of the evening.
Speaker 1:I'll catch up with you soon. Thank you, bye, bye.
