June 17, 2025 • 45 mins
This week, Aideen's guest is branding and website designer Liz Ellery, who shares her intuitive approach to helping business owners create authentic brands that reflect their true selves.
They chat about:
• Using intuition as a guide for both business decisions and design work
• Learning to trust your "gut feeling" instead of following others' formulas
• The physical body as an "early warning system" for when something isn't aligned
• How personal development work directly impacts professional authenticity
• Creating brand visuals and websites that capture a client's genuine energy
• The importance of stepping into who you're becoming through small daily choices
• Cultivating self-compassion and gratitude as foundations for authentic branding
For anyone struggling with their business identity or personal brand, Liz offers practical wisdom: make small, intuitive choices daily, embrace incremental upgrades that align with who you're becoming, and practice self-compassion throughout the process. These seemingly minor shifts—like finally buying those white towels she'd always associated with "rich ladies"—become symbolic steps toward embracing your authentic self and reflecting that in your brand.
Check out Liz's beautiful design work and feel the energy for yourself by visiting her website.
Connect with Liz
Website: elizabethellery.com
Website2: shessointentional.com
Thanks for listening! To book a free consultation with Aideen visit https://www.confidenceinsinging.com/contact/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Aideen Ni Riada (00:02):
Welcome to the Resonate podcast with Aideen.
I'm Aideen Ni Riada, and myguest today is Liz Ellery, and
she is a good friend of mine.
I'm so excited to be chattingwith her today.
You guys are going to enjoy areally interesting conversation,
and Liz is a branding andwebsite designer with over 15
years experience.
(00:22):
Her sole aim is to make herclients fall in love with their
online presence.
She's helped over 100 businessowners shine online by creating
truly soul, deep, authenticbrands using her intuitive
design skills, and it's theintuitive piece that, I think,
is one of the amazing thingsabout you, Liz, that I really
(00:44):
want to let people hear about,because how many people really
do trust their intuition?
I'm not sure that that many do.
Liz Ellery (00:54):
I know and thank you , thank you so much for having
me.
I, yeah, I think more and morewe're hearing about intuition
and a lot when you listen towhich which I do a lot of
business podcasts and when youever have these entrepreneurs on
, they always say, wheneverthey've done something in
business and they've goneagainst their gut which is what
(01:17):
you know, everybody says whenit's your intuition, when you go
against your gut, then you kindof make a wrong decision.
Against your gut, then you kindof make a wrong decision.
So you need to follow thatfeeling a lot more, which is how
I design and it's very emotiveand I listen to.
You know how I feel inside.
(01:39):
It's quite a visceral,body-like thing for me when I'm
designing for somebody and andalso like in the heart and do, I
feel that this is my client'sauthentic self that I'm
designing, and it's allenergy-based as well.
Have you always trusted yourintuition?
Yeah, it's just been somethingquite innate within me that, oh,
(02:07):
and I've done it a lotthroughout my life, especially
my 30s, um, and even actuallyfrom a very young age I I
remember knowing exactly what Iwanted to do and I never
deviated from that, and from theage of 13 to 30,.
You know, I had a career that Iwanted to do since that young
(02:31):
age and I just followed thatintuition.
And then, when something didn'tstart feeling right again,
that's when I made a change andyeah, I've always been this way.
Wow, yeah, I've always beenthis way.
Aideen Ni Riada (02:43):
Wow, I mean that's such a blessing, I guess,
because I know for myself I dotend to veer off track.
You know, you start to look atsomebody else and what they're
doing and I have a strongself-doubt.
That can kind of come in andthen I can get a little bit off
track.
But the intuitive part is whereall the good stuff has happened
(03:04):
, for my business as well.
So I really understand howbeneficial it is.
Liz Ellery (03:10):
I think, when you just said that, that actually I
say that I always follow myintuition and I do with big
decisions so, and I am gettingbetter at fine-tuning it more in
in the smaller things.
So when I remember feeling veryunhappy in towards the end of my
(03:32):
20s, early 30s, with my job andyou know, I loved my job and I
liked who I worked with but, um,something didn't feel right and
I think it was like there'ssurely there's more to life than
this, and I didn't know what itwas, and I actually ended up in
hospital with a really severepain in my stomach and the first
(03:54):
thing the doctor said to me washe felt my stomach and then he
said are you happy?
And then I burst into tears andI think that was such, um, that
was such a turning point for meto be like, okay, this is
actually my body is like, that'sa visceral thing.
(04:16):
If you need to do somethingdifferent and um, so I did I
started following my intuitions,doing different things and
being okay with that not beingthe exact path.
Maybe that I wanted.
I had such a clear vision.
I always wanted to be a fashiondesigner.
Um, and that's what I wanted todo from the age of 13.
I went to college, university,got a job in London, was doing
(04:38):
it for 10 years, um, and then,when you don't know what you
want to do.
That is where your intuition,you just sort of follow these
little paths and keep goingalong them.
And because it wasn't this big,almighty like thing that I
wanted to do, like the fashionsign, I just followed those
(05:01):
intuitively.
And then, when I landed on whatI'm doing now, which is being a
personal branding and websitedesigner, and I'm also starting
to do some other other morespiritual law of attraction
things as well in my businessnow, um was how you just said
(05:22):
there, how you sort of veer offcourse, like I know, like the
main path I want to be on, butit is.
The comparison does come inwhen I think my business I was
up and down for five years, likeyou know, like massive, you
know feast and famine, like hugemonths, and then very quiet
(05:44):
months.
And, um, that's where I startfollowing these other people and
thinking I should be doing itlike that, should be doing it
like this.
And it was only when I I did acouple of things.
I spoke to another websitedesigner who designed like me,
who was an intuitive designer,because I only know a few at the
(06:05):
time and she said to me thathow she gets her business and
she's very successfulfinancially was all from
referrals and I thought, well,that's not okay, it can't just
be for referrals.
But when she said that it kindof gave me permission and I just
let that be okay and, um, thatthat was how I could get my um,
(06:31):
get my clients in and all ofthese, I started seeing how all
these other people were doingthings in business and it was
all like these very technicalclient relation management
systems like CRMs and verytechie, and I just use Google
Docs and I think what I realizedthat my clients didn't care
(06:54):
because they just loved that.
I got to know them and theirenergy and that was the special
thing.
It wasn't really thedeliverable of them going
through a tech platform.
Yes, and I think it's.
It's those things, like youjust said, how in your business
it's kind of gone a bit.
It's not maybe gone how you'dwanted it to when you start
(07:16):
doing that.
So that's as soon as I startedmaking those decisions.
It was like five years in forthe small things.
That's when I started seeinghow incredible it was, when I
started listening more to thesmall, intuitive hits that good,
huge results happened amazing?
Aideen Ni Riada (07:39):
yeah, because I think what we find
uncomfortable is not knowing,and I've been through a phase of
rebranding that's, you know,why you're on the show today is
because I grabbed the chance towork with you on my new website,
which is basically tweakingwhat I used to do.
I started my business teachingsinging in order to gain
(08:02):
confidence, and now it's moreabout voice in general.
But that phase of not knowingis so uncomfortable and you can
just feel it.
I mean having your body, likein terms of your health, tell
you something like I'm justfascinated that the doctor would
say are you happy?
Liz Ellery (08:21):
well, yes, so he was , um, I think he was, you know,
practicing from like easternmedicine and it was, I'm talking
about maybe nine years ago andthat was like before.
All you know, I think peopleunderstood this a lot more and,
(08:42):
um, and I thought it wasincredible when he said that to
me and and I do know that I canfeel things in my body when I'm
not in a great place and stuff,and it is very potent when you,
you know, I've got friends thathave got like one of my friends
has got repeatedly had problemsin her hip, and you can look
(09:03):
into all the eastern medicineand they will say that there's,
you know, or if you've gotsomething in your throat that
it's like your voice isn't beingable to be heard, yes, it's
like a my teacher, my meditationteacher, calls it an early
warning system.
Aideen Ni Riada (09:21):
Like that, we get these early warning signs of
things we're being asked to payattention in some way, and if
we don't understand that, ourbody is trying to speak to us
about everything going on in ourlives, it's not just the
physical.
It's like your body's reactingto your relationships, to your
(09:41):
work, to your lifestyle and yourbody wants you to be happy.
It like just that idea of that.
It's good to be happy.
I love that it's.
Liz Ellery (09:52):
Isn't that funny that nine years later you know,
I'll always remember him sayingthat to me are you happy?
And it was actually what'sreally interesting how we met.
So when I was at the hospital Iwas waiting to be seen and it
was in, you know, the A&E placebecause I thought I had like
kidney stones.
I mean, you know, I think whenyou have that, you really are
(10:14):
hobbled over and I was in a lotof pain and I was outside
talking because the weekend sothis is happening on the Monday
or the Tuesday, and the weekendbefore I'd just been to a lunch
in Somerset with an author ofthis book that I'd read and it
was her second book and thefirst one I'd read was the book
(10:36):
that changed my life andbasically changed the course of
everything that to where I amtoday and it was Jen Sincero's
you Are a Badass.
And she wrote a second one youAre a Badass at Making Money.
And just that weekend I'd beento a lunch where her coaching
friend was hosting this lunchand I asked Jen.
(11:00):
I said you know I've beenreading your books and you talk
about getting coaching and Iwant to get a coach.
I wonder if you know I've beenreading your books and you talk
about getting coaching and Iwant to get a coach.
I wonder if you can recommendany or if you ever do it.
And she said I don't do it, butKat, who's hosting this lunch?
She is a really good friend ofmine and she's a great coach.
And then I decided I think Iwant to work with her.
(11:21):
I think I want to work with her, and I was on a sales call or I
was in touch with someone thatwas working on her sales team
that would take her discoverycalls, and I was in touch with
her outside the A&E department.
Aideen Ni Riada (11:37):
So that's the new coach.
Liz Ellery (11:40):
No, it was the saleswoman for the coach, okay.
It was the saleswoman for thecouch, okay.
And because Kat was busy andshe like has other people that
were taking these calls for herat the time, and I just remember
speaking to her before I wentin and then I had the, the coach
(12:02):
and the doctor say are youhappy?
And I was like no, and then Iwent back outside and I called
up um, her name was Rachel and Icalled her up and I said I want
to work with Kat and it was avery, you know, it was a very um
high investment for me,especially at the time with my
(12:23):
fashion design salary and, and Ithink we have these moments in
our lives that are catalysts.
One was the book.
Then it was working with Kat,and from that I quit my job and
just sort of trusted that thenet would catch me, and it did
and then um and then I met you acouple of years later through
(12:46):
cat.
That's where a program she did.
Aideen Ni Riada (12:49):
Yeah, it's so interesting because I have Jen
Sinceros and I have some of herpost-it notes and you know um
fridge magnets and I have onehere in front of me says be
grateful for all that you areand all that you are becoming.
Liz Ellery (13:06):
Oh, she's, she's so good and the becoming thing is
very interesting.
If you'll allow me to talkabout this a little bit.
Aideen Ni Riada (13:19):
Yes, encourage you to talk about it please.
Liz Ellery (13:22):
I have.
I have been on a real personaldevelopment journey, the last
since reading that book and whenI left that my job, um, within
six months after working withKat um and doing a course with
her and I think it was thecourse that I met you on um,
(13:43):
after we did our one-to-one work, I had been single for a very
long time and I went to thedoctor, said I'm not feeling
very great, I'm feeling a littlebit depressed, I feel like
there's, you know, somethingwrong with me and I ended up
getting some therapy through theNHS and it was really wonderful
(14:04):
and it you explore a lot ofstuff from your childhood and
you go through all of thesethings and what came across was
that I was a very confidentperson but I had low self-esteem
and I didn't know what thatmeant and that confidence and
self-esteem were different atthe time.
(14:25):
All of this was new to me and Ithink I've been on a journey
and the self-esteem is how Ifeel very confident in my skills
as a web designer and as acreative and with my friends.
But when it came to romantic umfeelings, my and and how I felt
about myself and looks and allof that sort of stuff or like
(14:47):
how I was eating and all thehealth stuff, and I've just been
on a journey with that.
I've done hypnotherapy and doneall of the work that they say to
do and like be kind and be kindto yourself, and I always
remember thinking, you know, thewoman that I want to be is this
, and the woman that I want tobe is that.
(15:08):
And I just had an epiphanyabout a week or so ago and all
of these things, that I wantedthis, that I imagined this woman
to be, and I have a visionboard and I have like visuals of
, you know, maybe, the healthy,nutritious food she's eating and
she's looking after her bodyand she's exercising and she's
taking care of herself andloving herself and saying all
(15:31):
these nice things to herself.
And I've really just been doingthat.
And then I just, yeah, I hadthis thing where I was like I'm
the woman that I wanted to be, Iam her, and I know it's a case
of you know, we've always beenthat person, but I think it's
until we realize it ourselves.
Aideen Ni Riada (15:51):
Then that's the aha moment yeah, and it's the
journey as well, because five,ten years ago there were so many
gaps that you weren't fully inthat identity yet.
And you've filled in so many ofthose gaps and you've you've
been so brave, it's.
(16:12):
It takes a lot of courage toface ourselves yeah yeah, it's
been been hard yeah, it is thething I think a lot of people
feel like if they are in any waynot right or if they are um,
(16:33):
you know, if they're not perfectin some way, that they should
be hard on themselves.
But there's a case for lovingyourself, no matter where you
are at in your journey or howany mistake that you've made,
like love yourself when you'rebroke, love yourself when you're
rich, love yourself when you'refat, when you're skinny, when
(16:53):
you're with a guy, when youdon't have a guy to be able to
accept yourself, even whenyou're it's an uncomfortable
moment, that's.
It takes some work, it takessome, it takes a lot of kindness
.
So I I remember reading a greatbook called self-compassion by
Kirsten Neff and I loved thatbook because she was really just
(17:16):
saying you deserve to becompassionate to yourself and a
lot of us are too hard onourselves definitely yeah, I
think we are and I think it'sfunny.
Liz Ellery (17:27):
Quite a bit of my journey is around, probably
about self-image and also foodand, um, I read two really
incredible books, um, at the endof last year or the year before
and it was a bit.
Sometimes it's these books thatreally changed my life.
Um, I'm hugely into likedeveloping yourself, like that,
(17:51):
and one of them was from ShuruAzadi and it was called the Last
Diet and it's all about, um,you know, eating to nurture
yourself and not having all ofthese, um, you know, eating to
nurture yourself and not havingall of these weird feelings that
we can have around food.
And then the other one wasDavinia Taylor and that was
(18:13):
called it's Not a Diet and shetalks about not calorie counting
but counting chemicals and, youknow, just eating nourishing
food that feels good.
And it was those books reallythat have just helped me calm
down the chatter in my brainaround food and around how I see
(18:38):
myself, and it was just, it'sjust been such a nice process to
just be like I feel really goodabout myself because I'm eating
well and it is, you know, andknowing that if I do have foods
that are generally comfort foodslike that maybe are a bit more
ultra processed or something,then that's okay, but I think in
(19:02):
the past, when I would do that,it just left me feeling not
great and a bit groggy and um,yeah, like when you're eating
like that all the time.
So, anyway, it's just, I feellike that's one of the final
pieces in like me just feelingmuch better about myself because
I feel like eating lots ofvegetables or your protein or
(19:26):
however you take your protein in, whether that's beans or meat,
and and drinking well, and youknow, I stopped drinking things
like pepsi max all the time,which I was drinking a lot of
and um, starting to eat darkchocolate instead of other
things.
And I can't believe I'm evengoing into the food thing here
on this podcast.
Aideen Ni Riada (19:43):
I didn't expect this, but it has been
definitely a final jigsaw puzzlefor me well, it's part of this
self-kindness, this, yeah,looking after yourself and it's
we're a whole person like it's.
It's a holistic thing to beable to look after yourself in
that way.
(20:05):
Um, I think it's a reallyimportant message and I'm really
happy you opened up a bit aboutit yeah thank you, yeah, but
let's talk a little more aboutbranding and you know this
stepping into your power andbeing able to be seen by others
(20:25):
for the gifts that we have,because that's really what you
help people to do.
Your clients are falling inlove with their online presence
because it matches who they areright.
Liz Ellery (20:39):
So the reason why I started this was because when I
was looking for a coach startedthis was because when I was
looking for a coach I was, youknow, just googling ones locally
to me.
When I was in London, inNotting Hill, I was.
I was typing coaches in NottingHill and I just didn't
emotionally connect with any ofthem.
And that's when I knew I've gotthis superpower or my zone of
(21:03):
genius with the intuition.
But also I could.
I do photography as well.
I don't do that as much, but Iknew that I could really capture
somebody's essence withphotographs and make them feel
at ease and comfortable, and Ithink having good imagery on a
website is really important.
But then when I was talkingwith my clients and this is
(21:28):
something, a skill I've, I thinkI've always had I've been
always been very empathetic,like an empath.
I'm very interested in gettingto know my clients and general
passion and curiosity for whothey are and why they're doing
what they do.
So when you some of my otherfriends that are web designers,
(21:48):
you know they enjoy the designpart of it, so they will stack
lots of projects.
They'll maybe do like fiveprojects to ten at one time and
it will be very hands-off withthe client.
They will fill in theirdocuments and, you know, not
have much call time with oneanother because that's not what
(22:10):
they enjoy, whereas for me, Ienjoy the people aspect.
So when I get to know who theyare and their energy and stuff
and they're, it's a veryvulnerable thing.
I think when you're, when you'reeither beginning a business or
you're up-leveling in yourbusiness like you are, or like a
(22:31):
change of direction, I oftenfind that you kind of know what
you want to do, but sometimesyou get a little bit lost with
how to articulate that visuallyand in the written word.
And I know that, after so manyyears of doing this and working
(22:54):
with so many service-basedbusinesses that are also, you
know, very heart-led, um, thatI'm able to listen to their
stories and just get theirenergy and their aura a little
bit, so that when they'll alwaysdo a Pinterest board for me and
I can really pinpoint the exactimagery that I really like,
(23:17):
that I feel like matches you,and that's what we did with
yours.
But, it's also and this is likereally in the later years,
because the more I've done, thisis like really being able to
tap into what it is that you'retrying to say, and I think it's
very difficult for us asindividuals to.
(23:38):
I think we all notice that wecan give advice to somebody else
very easily, but it's verydifficult for us to take our own
advice or give it to ourselves.
So when you're writing yourwebsite copy or deciding what
you want to do in your businessor how to put this messaging
across, it can be quite tricky.
And because I've heard all ofthe the nuances between what
(24:00):
you're trying to say and likemaybe find the golden thread
that when I get the copy backgenerally from the client, I can
look at it and be like, hmm, Ifeel like this is not quite
getting across who you are, oryou said that you wanted to do
this and like we were actually,say, for my clients that are
(24:22):
transitioning, um, I was workingwith a guy recently and he's a
coach, but he's such anincredible speaker and he wants
to do more speaking at likefestivals and in corporate
environments and um, and also atschools and stuff to like help
(24:42):
the younger generation dealingwith their emotions.
But he kept on the copy, kepton going to coaching land and
when we were talking on a callhe kept on saying, well, with my
one-to-one clients and I'm like, yes, but we're trying to do
the speaker thing and it's abouthelping you position the
(25:03):
authority that you want to bemoving into.
So I would say some advice.
Aideen Ni Riada (25:09):
Sorry if I'm rambling here, but this is so
useful, though, so I don't wantto stop you okay.
Liz Ellery (25:16):
So I would say to anybody that is starting a
business or also you know, whenyou're doing a personal brand at
work and stuff, how you want toget yourself across.
I really would like get a bigpiece of paper and just sort of
say what are the objectives ofwhat I'm trying to do?
And so, for instance, with my,my previous client, his
(25:37):
objective was that he wanted tobe a speaker and show his
authority in this, and he's gotlots of great testimonials as
well.
So when you keep on going backto what you know or what you did
, you've got to keep on lookingback at that objective of like
what you're doing.
Aideen Ni Riada (25:58):
The becoming part.
Liz Ellery (26:00):
The becoming part.
Yes, exactly, and so for you,when we were doing your website,
you know you had the singingwas what you used to do, but you
would when we would have ourchats and you would say all of
the different ways that youwould help people, you know I
was like, well, we really needto make sure that we're getting
(26:22):
that across in your copy.
And a lot of the time myclients might have lots of
different um skill sets thatthey've accumulated over the
years.
You know, for instance, likewith my more spiritual client,
she is an artist, she's anauthor, she's a reiki master.
(26:44):
She is, like, really works alot with crystals and expert in
that, but she's not going toteach you, you know, how to do
one of those things or say thisis how I'm going to help.
What she's helping with is atransformation and maybe
becoming a spiritual mentor forsomebody that's struggling, and
(27:07):
she'll use all of thesedifferent um tools, toolkits.
But I think sometimes we canget, as you know, business
owners, we can get so um stuckin the minutiae or miniature.
Aideen Ni Riada (27:22):
I can never say that word no, but I know what
you're talking abouttransformation, you know yeah
and it's like the whole isgreater than all the parts.
But we, especially like I mean I, my whole thing has always been
about confidence.
Like I use singing to helppeople to find their confidence.
But then, as the journey wentalong, I was using all of my
(27:45):
other tools to help them withconfidence.
I was doing mantra meditationwith them, I was doing
affirmations, I was doing, likeyou know, guided meditations,
whatever it was they needed,because that was the way I
worked.
I would just relate to thatperson on that day and I would
be guided how to move that themalong.
But my website didn't.
(28:05):
It didn't hint to that enough.
And so the new website, withyour help, I think it represents
me more, and I actually got agreat um, um testimonial for it
from some someone that myhusband knows.
He was like the minute you openthe website, it just makes you
feel like you can step intoconfidence.
Or he just said it was soinspirational that just the way
(28:29):
that it looked straight away andthat's an energy like I've.
I feel like this, like there'san.
There's something that I'd loveto talk a little bit to you
about, which is the energy thatcomes through once you do have
the right visual and the rightcopy.
There's some feeling ofalignment and this is the reason
I picked you to do my website.
(28:50):
When I looked at other websitesyou'd done I, I could feel an
energy from them.
I could feel a warmth.
I could sense that the personthat I was, that I was reading
about, you know, was a realperson.
It didn't have that blandcorporate.
It's like a brochure withservices, you know, coaching, uh
(29:11):
, whatever it is it.
It wasn't cold.
There was, as such, an energycoming through it and I think
that that's why my like someoneelse, could put together a nice
website.
But having you help me at mywebsite, I think, really helped
me capture an energy that peoplecan feel then when they look at
it yeah, I agree, I thinkthat's.
Liz Ellery (29:34):
I think energy is really important and I think you
can absolutely do that withdesign, website design and you
know I I was talking with um.
I signed a new client yesterdayand she showed me she just
bought a course that was umhelping her with.
(29:55):
She was.
The course was about onlinebusiness manager course and um,
I looked at the website and Iimmediately felt, you know and I
, and it wasn't the mostwell-designed website, but I
felt such a nice energy from it.
She, she just looked nice andfriendly and the colors were
(30:18):
soft and that really resonatedwith me and I just felt a warmth
to her, whereas there might besomebody that's got like a
really bold, vibrant, spicy,passionate sort of personality
and it's like they might bequite blunt and to the point,
(30:39):
and that energy will attractsomebody else.
Aideen Ni Riada (30:43):
That's like, really like they need someone's
wavelength, yeah it needssomebody direct, which is not my
style.
I'm quite blunt, actuallymyself I'm quite direct, but you
say it in such a kind way thatnobody can take it badly but
it's, but it's in a differentway and I think.
Liz Ellery (31:04):
But that energy really does matter and it needs
to match your frequency of howyou are in person, because
that's when somebody lands onyour site and they're like I
like this person, um, and thereare some people that I'm just
find jarring, and that's okay,because what that does is it?
(31:26):
It filters through the peoplethat aren't meant for you and um
, and that's why I you know alot of my stuff is referral
based, to be honest.
Aideen Ni Riada (31:35):
But so what would you say?
My website, yeah, I mean, Ijust think I can understand why
people would recommend you,because it's it's a real.
It's a lovely thing to haveyour authentic truth and your
self reflected back.
That's what you do, is.
You helped me to see myselfvery clearly, which allowed me
(31:58):
to make the right decisions forthe website.
Um, but I'm curious what youwould say to someone who hasn't
tuned into that energy part yetand maybe isn't trusting that
you know.
You know because we can makeour minds up right or we can
trust that heart, or we cantrust that intuition.
(32:20):
So what advice would you giveto someone maybe that's starting
to learn to lean into intuitionmore?
Liz Ellery (32:29):
I.
This is interesting because,you know, the first four years
of my career or business, Ididn't like my own website and I
think that was probably largelydue to the fact that I didn't
know who I was and I was on ahuge journey.
(32:50):
I spoke about it with thepersonal development and my
self-esteem and stuff like that,and I think that's okay and
it's just part of where you'reat and you know.
You know we're talking aboutwebsites at the moment, but,
like, when you are just goingthrough those phases, you know I
(33:11):
and to do, you know I don'tmean to be bringing it back to
the weight thing, but you know I, at the beginning of lockdown,
so gosh, like over four yearsago, I lost a lot of weight and
I lost identity of self.
I didn't know what clothes Iwanted to wear anymore or like
(33:33):
what would suit me, and thenthat was quite a bit of my
identity was weirdly wrappedaround that.
And then you know, the woman Iwanted to be or like was
becoming.
I just felt a bit of anidentity crisis, to be honest.
So, when it comes to intuition,I just kept on going, you know,
(33:56):
and just small steps on thepath and I would say again, I'm
going to use another client, arecent client I was speaking
with.
I feel like they're at the bigthey're still not at the end
point of their journey wherethey feel very settled and
comfortable in themselves maybe.
(34:19):
And when we were talking I feltlike there was um trying to be
like oh well, I, you know,sometimes I do this and I wear
this and it's a bit mad andwhatever.
But then when we're having theconversation I really felt that
she was very grounded and sheliked being outdoors and stuff
(34:39):
and she has like this fun,playful side.
But I felt like it was a bitmasking how she really felt and
that she was a bit more of asofter like get stuff done and
quite like bold, like that.
But I could sense in her thisother side and I would say, you
(35:01):
know, if she might come to herphoto shoot and like be wearing
all of this elaborate fancyclothes that actually weren't
integral to who she really was,so putting on more of a show,
and I think that that's becauseyou're doing what you think
(35:21):
other people might want and notlistening to your gut and who
you are, and I think you shouldalways try and do that.
And when I look back at thesephoto shoots that I had, I was
kind of maybe the me at the time, but none of it ever felt quite
(35:44):
right.
And then when I think I landedon my style and I don't mean to
put it around clothes, obviouslyyou know I was in fashion,
design and stuff.
Aideen Ni Riada (35:53):
No, but it's there's something to this,
because we're talking abouttrusting your intuition, we're
talking about finding your trueself, but it's the small choices
that we make every day, likewith like do you prefer
chamomile tea or do you prefercoffee?
And and really trusting yourdecision on that, I was chatting
to someone last night about doyou prefer coffee and really
trusting your decision on that.
I was chatting to someone lastnight about do you remember the
(36:15):
movie Runaway Bride?
Yeah, and Julia Roberts is init, and no matter which
relationship she's in, shealways prefers the type of eggs
that the partner likes.
So when she's with one guy, shelikes scrambled eggs, and when
she's with the other guy, shelikes omelets.
(36:49):
No-transcript.
That's where we're testing.
Well, maybe I like this styleand then you wear it and then
you're like maybe not anymore,or maybe I know some people are
chameleons as well and can havedifferent avatars that they use
but I like that.
You brought it back down toclothing and I would say,
perhaps some of the listeners ifyou're wearing the same thing
(37:13):
for a long time and you haven't,you know, swapped enough things
out, are you stepping in?
Have you allowed yourself tostep into a new version of
yourself?
Because we're evolvinginternally all the time and if
we don't allow our environmentand what we wear and what we do
to evolve with it, then we don'tsee the changes that want to
(37:37):
come as quickly as they could.
Liz Ellery (37:40):
That's actually so again, when I said I had this
identity crisis when I had lostthis weight and I looked at all
of the clothes that I had thatweren't quite right for me
anymore, but I was like God,this is like a different person.
It wasn't about the weight, itwas just like I've got this
wardrobe of clothes that justdon't feel like me anymore.
(38:02):
And you know, you always feellike you're wasteful.
You know like I can't get ridof this because it fits me.
You know it's, it's this, butyou just feel maybe a bit drab
or you just feel like this isnot my style anymore.
And we're in this.
You know we don't want to dowaste or anything, but there are
(38:25):
things in the UK I don't knowif, wherever your listeners are
you're in the US, like calledVinted, but then you've got eBay
and and stuff where you couldsell these things or give things
to charity and or flea markets.
Is it you guys have?
um and uh and then.
So what I ended up doing wasand this was like one of the
(38:47):
most empowering things for me isI knew I was having a photo
shoot around this time and it'sthe one that's on my website.
That feels so me, um, althoughI probably don't wear fancy
shirts all the time anymore, butI love that shirt on you.
What you had some sort of asilky shirt it was so, yeah,
luxurious, gorgeous yeah, and Istill like it for like my brand
(39:07):
and stuff, but I maybe don'twear it on the all the time in
the day, but I had thisopportunity to be like who do I
want to be like?
And I always had this imaginingof the sort of wardrobe I
really wanted to wear.
But I always thought, well,that's not for me and it was
like a weird thing, right?
So you and I are both into withour coach and stuff.
(39:29):
We've we've done a lot of moneymindset work right, and one of
the little things I really loveto do with money mindset to
improve my money mindset isincremental upgrades.
So one of them was I upgradedmy towels.
So my you know, my mum and dadhad bought my towels, like at
(39:51):
university or when I first movedto London, and I had these
towels and it was like 10 yearson but they were great quality
towels, ok.
And I remember thinking one daywhen I've made lots of money,
I'm going to buy my towels fromthe white company.
And I remember speaking to ourcoach.
Actually, kat said, kat, I'vejust gone in and they've got
(40:13):
like the basic range but thenthe extra, like the, the premium
range is so soft and fluffy andmy old towels were were purple
so and and I always had thisthing that I couldn't have white
towels because that was likerich lady towels and like that's
like I'm not the sort of personthat could have white, fluffy
(40:35):
white company towels.
And Kat was like, get thefucking towel.
And I was like I'm gonna getthe fucking towels and I did and
it's probably, that wasprobably one of my biggest
incremental upgrades.
So then when I had the clothingthing, I was like the woman
I've always wanted to be likeshe dresses like in beige and
(40:57):
camel and cream and white and Ialways wanted to like well, I
don't know, it's because I'd I'dworn so much color in my
twenties and I and I loved itand I still love color, but I
just wanted to get more basicslike that.
That made you know some kind ofrich, elegant yeah yeah, and I
just thought I never felt likethat was me.
(41:17):
But then I was like who says,who says these rules and stuff
and, um, you know, and I have myother stuff as well, and it's
not all that, but it just when Ire-got my wardrobe, it was like
I just felt good in my newclothes.
Aideen Ni Riada (41:33):
I love this.
I hope that the listenersappreciate this idea of can you
step into who you're becomingand can you make that becoming
something tangible, visible andreal in your everyday life?
I'm afraid we're getting closeto the end of our time together.
I'm really sad because I couldkeep talking to you forever.
(41:55):
Yeah, is there anything thatyou'd like to say to anyone
listening that you know, a pieceof advice or something you'd
like to reiterate from earlier?
Liz Ellery (42:08):
I think I've got two things that are really huge in
my life at the moment.
One is this sort of self-esteemissue and how good I feel and
stuff at the moment, and I thinka lot of that is down to just
(42:29):
for so I never felt good enoughand just realizing that really
we are good enough wherever weare, and I just wish I'd sort of
learned that or learned to bekinder to myself earlier on and
just change the language goingon inside of my head and just
trying to when I would say theseunkind words, I'm like that is
(42:51):
so not true that you are soloved and you are wonderful, and
just.
I wish I'd got that piece alittle bit earlier and really
done the work to work on that,if, if that was a problem.
And I think the other thing thatis a huge thing that I do and
that's having so much gratitudefor my life, and you know
(43:15):
gratitude that I've got myhealth, um, that I've taken the
bold leap and moved to an areaof the world that I love the
Cotswolds that I can go out forlovely walks and I often I'll,
more often than not, got quiteemotional when I'm out on a walk
and I'll just look and I'll belike, wow, look at where I am
(43:37):
and look at this life that I'vebuilt for myself and just I have
so much gratitude for mypresent moment and I think that
when we look to the past and thefuture, we can get you
depression and anxiety andoverwhelm.
But if you really groundyourself in gratitude and for
where you are now and justalways try and see the positive
(44:00):
somehow in your day, then thatjust raises your frequency and
makes you a lot of a happierperson.
Aideen Ni Riada (44:08):
Yeah and it isn't easy.
Yeah and it isn't easy.
I know my for myself.
Even this morning, I hadnegative talk going on in my
mind just as I was waking up andI was like, oh, please just
help, I need to remind myself tofeel good.
I need to remind myself what itis to feel good and I I think
I've always felt I've gotcomplete control over this and I
(44:29):
can get myself back on track.
But there are times when we'llfeel a little low and we need
help and we need support and weneed others.
I love that.
Those, those two things it'sthe kind self-talk and the
feeling gratitude for where youare that can bring you back back
to feeling better again veryquickly.
Liz Ellery (44:54):
Yeah, yeah, and it does, it does and um yeah thank
you so much for being on theshow today.
Aideen Ni Riada (44:59):
I've really really appreciated it and thank
you for making my website lookso amazing well thank you for
being a wonderful client.
It was an absolute joy workingwith you well, I just, I just
knew it was a good match, soI'll be sharing some of your
contact details and your website.
Everyone needs to go on toLiz's website and see her
(45:21):
beautiful design and feel thatenergy as well, because you'll.
You'll recognize it now, havinglistened to the podcast.
And thank you again forlistening to the Resonate
podcast with A, with adine.
We'll see you again at the nextepisode, take care.
Bye.
Welcome to the Resonate podcast with Aideen.
I'm Aideen Ni Riada, and myguest today is Liz Ellery, and
she is a good friend of mine.
I'm so excited to be chattingwith her today.
You guys are going to enjoy areally interesting conversation,
and Liz is a branding andwebsite designer with over 15
years experience.
(00:22):
Her sole aim is to make herclients fall in love with their
online presence.
She's helped over 100 businessowners shine online by creating
truly soul, deep, authenticbrands using her intuitive
design skills, and it's theintuitive piece that, I think,
is one of the amazing thingsabout you, Liz, that I really
(00:44):
want to let people hear about,because how many people really
do trust their intuition?
I'm not sure that that many do.
Liz Ellery (00:54):
I know and thank you , thank you so much for having
me.
I, yeah, I think more and morewe're hearing about intuition
and a lot when you listen towhich which I do a lot of
business podcasts and when youever have these entrepreneurs on
, they always say, wheneverthey've done something in
business and they've goneagainst their gut which is what
(01:17):
you know, everybody says whenit's your intuition, when you go
against your gut, then you kindof make a wrong decision.
Against your gut, then you kindof make a wrong decision.
So you need to follow thatfeeling a lot more, which is how
I design and it's very emotiveand I listen to.
You know how I feel inside.
(01:39):
It's quite a visceral,body-like thing for me when I'm
designing for somebody and andalso like in the heart and do, I
feel that this is my client'sauthentic self that I'm
designing, and it's allenergy-based as well.
Have you always trusted yourintuition?
Yeah, it's just been somethingquite innate within me that, oh,
(02:07):
and I've done it a lotthroughout my life, especially
my 30s, um, and even actuallyfrom a very young age I I
remember knowing exactly what Iwanted to do and I never
deviated from that, and from theage of 13 to 30,.
You know, I had a career that Iwanted to do since that young
(02:31):
age and I just followed thatintuition.
And then, when something didn'tstart feeling right again,
that's when I made a change andyeah, I've always been this way.
Wow, yeah, I've always beenthis way.
Aideen Ni Riada (02:43):
Wow, I mean that's such a blessing, I guess,
because I know for myself I dotend to veer off track.
You know, you start to look atsomebody else and what they're
doing and I have a strongself-doubt.
That can kind of come in andthen I can get a little bit off
track.
But the intuitive part is whereall the good stuff has happened
(03:04):
, for my business as well.
So I really understand howbeneficial it is.
Liz Ellery (03:10):
I think, when you just said that, that actually I
say that I always follow myintuition and I do with big
decisions so, and I am gettingbetter at fine-tuning it more in
in the smaller things.
So when I remember feeling veryunhappy in towards the end of my
(03:32):
20s, early 30s, with my job andyou know, I loved my job and I
liked who I worked with but, um,something didn't feel right and
I think it was like there'ssurely there's more to life than
this, and I didn't know what itwas, and I actually ended up in
hospital with a really severepain in my stomach and the first
(03:54):
thing the doctor said to me washe felt my stomach and then he
said are you happy?
And then I burst into tears andI think that was such, um, that
was such a turning point for meto be like, okay, this is
actually my body is like, that'sa visceral thing.
(04:16):
If you need to do somethingdifferent and um, so I did I
started following my intuitions,doing different things and
being okay with that not beingthe exact path.
Maybe that I wanted.
I had such a clear vision.
I always wanted to be a fashiondesigner.
Um, and that's what I wanted todo from the age of 13.
I went to college, university,got a job in London, was doing
(04:38):
it for 10 years, um, and then,when you don't know what you
want to do.
That is where your intuition,you just sort of follow these
little paths and keep goingalong them.
And because it wasn't this big,almighty like thing that I
wanted to do, like the fashionsign, I just followed those
(05:01):
intuitively.
And then, when I landed on whatI'm doing now, which is being a
personal branding and websitedesigner, and I'm also starting
to do some other other morespiritual law of attraction
things as well in my businessnow, um was how you just said
(05:22):
there, how you sort of veer offcourse, like I know, like the
main path I want to be on, butit is.
The comparison does come inwhen I think my business I was
up and down for five years, likeyou know, like massive, you
know feast and famine, like hugemonths, and then very quiet
(05:44):
months.
And, um, that's where I startfollowing these other people and
thinking I should be doing itlike that, should be doing it
like this.
And it was only when I I did acouple of things.
I spoke to another websitedesigner who designed like me,
who was an intuitive designer,because I only know a few at the
(06:05):
time and she said to me thathow she gets her business and
she's very successfulfinancially was all from
referrals and I thought, well,that's not okay, it can't just
be for referrals.
But when she said that it kindof gave me permission and I just
let that be okay and, um, thatthat was how I could get my um,
(06:31):
get my clients in and all ofthese, I started seeing how all
these other people were doingthings in business and it was
all like these very technicalclient relation management
systems like CRMs and verytechie, and I just use Google
Docs and I think what I realizedthat my clients didn't care
(06:54):
because they just loved that.
I got to know them and theirenergy and that was the special
thing.
It wasn't really thedeliverable of them going
through a tech platform.
Yes, and I think it's.
It's those things, like youjust said, how in your business
it's kind of gone a bit.
It's not maybe gone how you'dwanted it to when you start
(07:16):
doing that.
So that's as soon as I startedmaking those decisions.
It was like five years in forthe small things.
That's when I started seeinghow incredible it was, when I
started listening more to thesmall, intuitive hits that good,
huge results happened amazing?
Aideen Ni Riada (07:39):
yeah, because I think what we find
uncomfortable is not knowing,and I've been through a phase of
rebranding that's, you know,why you're on the show today is
because I grabbed the chance towork with you on my new website,
which is basically tweakingwhat I used to do.
I started my business teachingsinging in order to gain
(08:02):
confidence, and now it's moreabout voice in general.
But that phase of not knowingis so uncomfortable and you can
just feel it.
I mean having your body, likein terms of your health, tell
you something like I'm justfascinated that the doctor would
say are you happy?
Liz Ellery (08:21):
well, yes, so he was , um, I think he was, you know,
practicing from like easternmedicine and it was, I'm talking
about maybe nine years ago andthat was like before.
All you know, I think peopleunderstood this a lot more and,
(08:42):
um, and I thought it wasincredible when he said that to
me and and I do know that I canfeel things in my body when I'm
not in a great place and stuff,and it is very potent when you,
you know, I've got friends thathave got like one of my friends
has got repeatedly had problemsin her hip, and you can look
(09:03):
into all the eastern medicineand they will say that there's,
you know, or if you've gotsomething in your throat that
it's like your voice isn't beingable to be heard, yes, it's
like a my teacher, my meditationteacher, calls it an early
warning system.
Aideen Ni Riada (09:21):
Like that, we get these early warning signs of
things we're being asked to payattention in some way, and if
we don't understand that, ourbody is trying to speak to us
about everything going on in ourlives, it's not just the
physical.
It's like your body's reactingto your relationships, to your
(09:41):
work, to your lifestyle and yourbody wants you to be happy.
It like just that idea of that.
It's good to be happy.
I love that it's.
Liz Ellery (09:52):
Isn't that funny that nine years later you know,
I'll always remember him sayingthat to me are you happy?
And it was actually what'sreally interesting how we met.
So when I was at the hospital Iwas waiting to be seen and it
was in, you know, the A&E placebecause I thought I had like
kidney stones.
I mean, you know, I think whenyou have that, you really are
(10:14):
hobbled over and I was in a lotof pain and I was outside
talking because the weekend sothis is happening on the Monday
or the Tuesday, and the weekendbefore I'd just been to a lunch
in Somerset with an author ofthis book that I'd read and it
was her second book and thefirst one I'd read was the book
(10:36):
that changed my life andbasically changed the course of
everything that to where I amtoday and it was Jen Sincero's
you Are a Badass.
And she wrote a second one youAre a Badass at Making Money.
And just that weekend I'd beento a lunch where her coaching
friend was hosting this lunchand I asked Jen.
(11:00):
I said you know I've beenreading your books and you talk
about getting coaching and Iwant to get a coach.
I wonder if you know I've beenreading your books and you talk
about getting coaching and Iwant to get a coach.
I wonder if you can recommendany or if you ever do it.
And she said I don't do it, butKat, who's hosting this lunch?
She is a really good friend ofmine and she's a great coach.
And then I decided I think Iwant to work with her.
(11:21):
I think I want to work with her, and I was on a sales call or I
was in touch with someone thatwas working on her sales team
that would take her discoverycalls, and I was in touch with
her outside the A&E department.
Aideen Ni Riada (11:37):
So that's the new coach.
Liz Ellery (11:40):
No, it was the saleswoman for the coach, okay.
It was the saleswoman for thecouch, okay.
And because Kat was busy andshe like has other people that
were taking these calls for herat the time, and I just remember
speaking to her before I wentin and then I had the, the coach
(12:02):
and the doctor say are youhappy?
And I was like no, and then Iwent back outside and I called
up um, her name was Rachel and Icalled her up and I said I want
to work with Kat and it was avery, you know, it was a very um
high investment for me,especially at the time with my
(12:23):
fashion design salary and, and Ithink we have these moments in
our lives that are catalysts.
One was the book.
Then it was working with Kat,and from that I quit my job and
just sort of trusted that thenet would catch me, and it did
and then um and then I met you acouple of years later through
(12:46):
cat.
That's where a program she did.
Aideen Ni Riada (12:49):
Yeah, it's so interesting because I have Jen
Sinceros and I have some of herpost-it notes and you know um
fridge magnets and I have onehere in front of me says be
grateful for all that you areand all that you are becoming.
Liz Ellery (13:06):
Oh, she's, she's so good and the becoming thing is
very interesting.
If you'll allow me to talkabout this a little bit.
Aideen Ni Riada (13:19):
Yes, encourage you to talk about it please.
Liz Ellery (13:22):
I have.
I have been on a real personaldevelopment journey, the last
since reading that book and whenI left that my job, um, within
six months after working withKat um and doing a course with
her and I think it was thecourse that I met you on um,
(13:43):
after we did our one-to-one work, I had been single for a very
long time and I went to thedoctor, said I'm not feeling
very great, I'm feeling a littlebit depressed, I feel like
there's, you know, somethingwrong with me and I ended up
getting some therapy through theNHS and it was really wonderful
(14:04):
and it you explore a lot ofstuff from your childhood and
you go through all of thesethings and what came across was
that I was a very confidentperson but I had low self-esteem
and I didn't know what thatmeant and that confidence and
self-esteem were different atthe time.
(14:25):
All of this was new to me and Ithink I've been on a journey
and the self-esteem is how Ifeel very confident in my skills
as a web designer and as acreative and with my friends.
But when it came to romantic umfeelings, my and and how I felt
about myself and looks and allof that sort of stuff or like
(14:47):
how I was eating and all thehealth stuff, and I've just been
on a journey with that.
I've done hypnotherapy and doneall of the work that they say to
do and like be kind and be kindto yourself, and I always
remember thinking, you know, thewoman that I want to be is this
, and the woman that I want tobe is that.
(15:08):
And I just had an epiphanyabout a week or so ago and all
of these things, that I wantedthis, that I imagined this woman
to be, and I have a visionboard and I have like visuals of
, you know, maybe, the healthy,nutritious food she's eating and
she's looking after her bodyand she's exercising and she's
taking care of herself andloving herself and saying all
(15:31):
these nice things to herself.
And I've really just been doingthat.
And then I just, yeah, I hadthis thing where I was like I'm
the woman that I wanted to be, Iam her, and I know it's a case
of you know, we've always beenthat person, but I think it's
until we realize it ourselves.
Aideen Ni Riada (15:51):
Then that's the aha moment yeah, and it's the
journey as well, because five,ten years ago there were so many
gaps that you weren't fully inthat identity yet.
And you've filled in so many ofthose gaps and you've you've
been so brave, it's.
(16:12):
It takes a lot of courage toface ourselves yeah yeah, it's
been been hard yeah, it is thething I think a lot of people
feel like if they are in any waynot right or if they are um,
(16:33):
you know, if they're not perfectin some way, that they should
be hard on themselves.
But there's a case for lovingyourself, no matter where you
are at in your journey or howany mistake that you've made,
like love yourself when you'rebroke, love yourself when you're
rich, love yourself when you'refat, when you're skinny, when
(16:53):
you're with a guy, when youdon't have a guy to be able to
accept yourself, even whenyou're it's an uncomfortable
moment, that's.
It takes some work, it takessome, it takes a lot of kindness
.
So I I remember reading a greatbook called self-compassion by
Kirsten Neff and I loved thatbook because she was really just
(17:16):
saying you deserve to becompassionate to yourself and a
lot of us are too hard onourselves definitely yeah, I
think we are and I think it'sfunny.
Liz Ellery (17:27):
Quite a bit of my journey is around, probably
about self-image and also foodand, um, I read two really
incredible books, um, at the endof last year or the year before
and it was a bit.
Sometimes it's these books thatreally changed my life.
Um, I'm hugely into likedeveloping yourself, like that,
(17:51):
and one of them was from ShuruAzadi and it was called the Last
Diet and it's all about, um,you know, eating to nurture
yourself and not having all ofthese, um, you know, eating to
nurture yourself and not havingall of these weird feelings that
we can have around food.
And then the other one wasDavinia Taylor and that was
(18:13):
called it's Not a Diet and shetalks about not calorie counting
but counting chemicals and, youknow, just eating nourishing
food that feels good.
And it was those books reallythat have just helped me calm
down the chatter in my brainaround food and around how I see
(18:38):
myself, and it was just, it'sjust been such a nice process to
just be like I feel really goodabout myself because I'm eating
well and it is, you know, andknowing that if I do have foods
that are generally comfort foodslike that maybe are a bit more
ultra processed or something,then that's okay, but I think in
(19:02):
the past, when I would do that,it just left me feeling not
great and a bit groggy and um,yeah, like when you're eating
like that all the time.
So, anyway, it's just, I feellike that's one of the final
pieces in like me just feelingmuch better about myself because
I feel like eating lots ofvegetables or your protein or
(19:26):
however you take your protein in, whether that's beans or meat,
and and drinking well, and youknow, I stopped drinking things
like pepsi max all the time,which I was drinking a lot of
and um, starting to eat darkchocolate instead of other
things.
And I can't believe I'm evengoing into the food thing here
on this podcast.
Aideen Ni Riada (19:43):
I didn't expect this, but it has been
definitely a final jigsaw puzzlefor me well, it's part of this
self-kindness, this, yeah,looking after yourself and it's
we're a whole person like it's.
It's a holistic thing to beable to look after yourself in
that way.
(20:05):
Um, I think it's a reallyimportant message and I'm really
happy you opened up a bit aboutit yeah thank you, yeah, but
let's talk a little more aboutbranding and you know this
stepping into your power andbeing able to be seen by others
(20:25):
for the gifts that we have,because that's really what you
help people to do.
Your clients are falling inlove with their online presence
because it matches who they areright.
Liz Ellery (20:39):
So the reason why I started this was because when I
was looking for a coach startedthis was because when I was
looking for a coach I was, youknow, just googling ones locally
to me.
When I was in London, inNotting Hill, I was.
I was typing coaches in NottingHill and I just didn't
emotionally connect with any ofthem.
And that's when I knew I've gotthis superpower or my zone of
(21:03):
genius with the intuition.
But also I could.
I do photography as well.
I don't do that as much, but Iknew that I could really capture
somebody's essence withphotographs and make them feel
at ease and comfortable, and Ithink having good imagery on a
website is really important.
But then when I was talkingwith my clients and this is
(21:28):
something, a skill I've, I thinkI've always had I've been
always been very empathetic,like an empath.
I'm very interested in gettingto know my clients and general
passion and curiosity for whothey are and why they're doing
what they do.
So when you some of my otherfriends that are web designers,
(21:48):
you know they enjoy the designpart of it, so they will stack
lots of projects.
They'll maybe do like fiveprojects to ten at one time and
it will be very hands-off withthe client.
They will fill in theirdocuments and, you know, not
have much call time with oneanother because that's not what
(22:10):
they enjoy, whereas for me, Ienjoy the people aspect.
So when I get to know who theyare and their energy and stuff
and they're, it's a veryvulnerable thing.
I think when you're, when you'reeither beginning a business or
you're up-leveling in yourbusiness like you are, or like a
(22:31):
change of direction, I oftenfind that you kind of know what
you want to do, but sometimesyou get a little bit lost with
how to articulate that visuallyand in the written word.
And I know that, after so manyyears of doing this and working
(22:54):
with so many service-basedbusinesses that are also, you
know, very heart-led, um, thatI'm able to listen to their
stories and just get theirenergy and their aura a little
bit, so that when they'll alwaysdo a Pinterest board for me and
I can really pinpoint the exactimagery that I really like,
(23:17):
that I feel like matches you,and that's what we did with
yours.
But, it's also and this is likereally in the later years,
because the more I've done, thisis like really being able to
tap into what it is that you'retrying to say, and I think it's
very difficult for us asindividuals to.
(23:38):
I think we all notice that wecan give advice to somebody else
very easily, but it's verydifficult for us to take our own
advice or give it to ourselves.
So when you're writing yourwebsite copy or deciding what
you want to do in your businessor how to put this messaging
across, it can be quite tricky.
And because I've heard all ofthe the nuances between what
(24:00):
you're trying to say and likemaybe find the golden thread
that when I get the copy backgenerally from the client, I can
look at it and be like, hmm, Ifeel like this is not quite
getting across who you are, oryou said that you wanted to do
this and like we were actually,say, for my clients that are
(24:22):
transitioning, um, I was workingwith a guy recently and he's a
coach, but he's such anincredible speaker and he wants
to do more speaking at likefestivals and in corporate
environments and um, and also atschools and stuff to like help
(24:42):
the younger generation dealingwith their emotions.
But he kept on the copy, kepton going to coaching land and
when we were talking on a callhe kept on saying, well, with my
one-to-one clients and I'm like, yes, but we're trying to do
the speaker thing and it's abouthelping you position the
(25:03):
authority that you want to bemoving into.
So I would say some advice.
Aideen Ni Riada (25:09):
Sorry if I'm rambling here, but this is so
useful, though, so I don't wantto stop you okay.
Liz Ellery (25:16):
So I would say to anybody that is starting a
business or also you know, whenyou're doing a personal brand at
work and stuff, how you want toget yourself across.
I really would like get a bigpiece of paper and just sort of
say what are the objectives ofwhat I'm trying to do?
And so, for instance, with my,my previous client, his
(25:37):
objective was that he wanted tobe a speaker and show his
authority in this, and he's gotlots of great testimonials as
well.
So when you keep on going backto what you know or what you did
, you've got to keep on lookingback at that objective of like
what you're doing.
Aideen Ni Riada (25:58):
The becoming part.
Liz Ellery (26:00):
The becoming part.
Yes, exactly, and so for you,when we were doing your website,
you know you had the singingwas what you used to do, but you
would when we would have ourchats and you would say all of
the different ways that youwould help people, you know I
was like, well, we really needto make sure that we're getting
(26:22):
that across in your copy.
And a lot of the time myclients might have lots of
different um skill sets thatthey've accumulated over the
years.
You know, for instance, likewith my more spiritual client,
she is an artist, she's anauthor, she's a reiki master.
(26:44):
She is, like, really works alot with crystals and expert in
that, but she's not going toteach you, you know, how to do
one of those things or say thisis how I'm going to help.
What she's helping with is atransformation and maybe
becoming a spiritual mentor forsomebody that's struggling, and
(27:07):
she'll use all of thesedifferent um tools, toolkits.
But I think sometimes we canget, as you know, business
owners, we can get so um stuckin the minutiae or miniature.
Aideen Ni Riada (27:22):
I can never say that word no, but I know what
you're talking abouttransformation, you know yeah
and it's like the whole isgreater than all the parts.
But we, especially like I mean I, my whole thing has always been
about confidence.
Like I use singing to helppeople to find their confidence.
But then, as the journey wentalong, I was using all of my
(27:45):
other tools to help them withconfidence.
I was doing mantra meditationwith them, I was doing
affirmations, I was doing, likeyou know, guided meditations,
whatever it was they needed,because that was the way I
worked.
I would just relate to thatperson on that day and I would
be guided how to move that themalong.
But my website didn't.
(28:05):
It didn't hint to that enough.
And so the new website, withyour help, I think it represents
me more, and I actually got agreat um, um testimonial for it
from some someone that myhusband knows.
He was like the minute you openthe website, it just makes you
feel like you can step intoconfidence.
Or he just said it was soinspirational that just the way
(28:29):
that it looked straight away andthat's an energy like I've.
I feel like this, like there'san.
There's something that I'd loveto talk a little bit to you
about, which is the energy thatcomes through once you do have
the right visual and the rightcopy.
There's some feeling ofalignment and this is the reason
I picked you to do my website.
(28:50):
When I looked at other websitesyou'd done I, I could feel an
energy from them.
I could feel a warmth.
I could sense that the personthat I was, that I was reading
about, you know, was a realperson.
It didn't have that blandcorporate.
It's like a brochure withservices, you know, coaching, uh
(29:11):
, whatever it is it.
It wasn't cold.
There was, as such, an energycoming through it and I think
that that's why my like someoneelse, could put together a nice
website.
But having you help me at mywebsite, I think, really helped
me capture an energy that peoplecan feel then when they look at
it yeah, I agree, I thinkthat's.
Liz Ellery (29:34):
I think energy is really important and I think you
can absolutely do that withdesign, website design and you
know I I was talking with um.
I signed a new client yesterdayand she showed me she just
bought a course that was umhelping her with.
(29:55):
She was.
The course was about onlinebusiness manager course and um,
I looked at the website and Iimmediately felt, you know and I
, and it wasn't the mostwell-designed website, but I
felt such a nice energy from it.
She, she just looked nice andfriendly and the colors were
(30:18):
soft and that really resonatedwith me and I just felt a warmth
to her, whereas there might besomebody that's got like a
really bold, vibrant, spicy,passionate sort of personality
and it's like they might bequite blunt and to the point,
(30:39):
and that energy will attractsomebody else.
Aideen Ni Riada (30:43):
That's like, really like they need someone's
wavelength, yeah it needssomebody direct, which is not my
style.
I'm quite blunt, actuallymyself I'm quite direct, but you
say it in such a kind way thatnobody can take it badly but
it's, but it's in a differentway and I think.
Liz Ellery (31:04):
But that energy really does matter and it needs
to match your frequency of howyou are in person, because
that's when somebody lands onyour site and they're like I
like this person, um, and thereare some people that I'm just
find jarring, and that's okay,because what that does is it?
(31:26):
It filters through the peoplethat aren't meant for you and um
, and that's why I you know alot of my stuff is referral
based, to be honest.
Aideen Ni Riada (31:35):
But so what would you say?
My website, yeah, I mean, Ijust think I can understand why
people would recommend you,because it's it's a real.
It's a lovely thing to haveyour authentic truth and your
self reflected back.
That's what you do, is.
You helped me to see myselfvery clearly, which allowed me
(31:58):
to make the right decisions forthe website.
Um, but I'm curious what youwould say to someone who hasn't
tuned into that energy part yetand maybe isn't trusting that
you know.
You know because we can makeour minds up right or we can
trust that heart, or we cantrust that intuition.
(32:20):
So what advice would you giveto someone maybe that's starting
to learn to lean into intuitionmore?
Liz Ellery (32:29):
I.
This is interesting because,you know, the first four years
of my career or business, Ididn't like my own website and I
think that was probably largelydue to the fact that I didn't
know who I was and I was on ahuge journey.
(32:50):
I spoke about it with thepersonal development and my
self-esteem and stuff like that,and I think that's okay and
it's just part of where you'reat and you know.
You know we're talking aboutwebsites at the moment, but,
like, when you are just goingthrough those phases, you know I
(33:11):
and to do, you know I don'tmean to be bringing it back to
the weight thing, but you know I, at the beginning of lockdown,
so gosh, like over four yearsago, I lost a lot of weight and
I lost identity of self.
I didn't know what clothes Iwanted to wear anymore or like
(33:33):
what would suit me, and thenthat was quite a bit of my
identity was weirdly wrappedaround that.
And then you know, the woman Iwanted to be or like was
becoming.
I just felt a bit of anidentity crisis, to be honest.
So, when it comes to intuition,I just kept on going, you know,
(33:56):
and just small steps on thepath and I would say again, I'm
going to use another client, arecent client I was speaking
with.
I feel like they're at the bigthey're still not at the end
point of their journey wherethey feel very settled and
comfortable in themselves maybe.
(34:19):
And when we were talking I feltlike there was um trying to be
like oh well, I, you know,sometimes I do this and I wear
this and it's a bit mad andwhatever.
But then when we're having theconversation I really felt that
she was very grounded and sheliked being outdoors and stuff
(34:39):
and she has like this fun,playful side.
But I felt like it was a bitmasking how she really felt and
that she was a bit more of asofter like get stuff done and
quite like bold, like that.
But I could sense in her thisother side and I would say, you
(35:01):
know, if she might come to herphoto shoot and like be wearing
all of this elaborate fancyclothes that actually weren't
integral to who she really was,so putting on more of a show,
and I think that that's becauseyou're doing what you think
(35:21):
other people might want and notlistening to your gut and who
you are, and I think you shouldalways try and do that.
And when I look back at thesephoto shoots that I had, I was
kind of maybe the me at the time, but none of it ever felt quite
(35:44):
right.
And then when I think I landedon my style and I don't mean to
put it around clothes, obviouslyyou know I was in fashion,
design and stuff.
Aideen Ni Riada (35:53):
No, but it's there's something to this,
because we're talking abouttrusting your intuition, we're
talking about finding your trueself, but it's the small choices
that we make every day, likewith like do you prefer
chamomile tea or do you prefercoffee?
And and really trusting yourdecision on that, I was chatting
to someone last night about doyou prefer coffee and really
trusting your decision on that.
I was chatting to someone lastnight about do you remember the
(36:15):
movie Runaway Bride?
Yeah, and Julia Roberts is init, and no matter which
relationship she's in, shealways prefers the type of eggs
that the partner likes.
So when she's with one guy, shelikes scrambled eggs, and when
she's with the other guy, shelikes omelets.
(36:49):
No-transcript.
That's where we're testing.
Well, maybe I like this styleand then you wear it and then
you're like maybe not anymore,or maybe I know some people are
chameleons as well and can havedifferent avatars that they use
but I like that.
You brought it back down toclothing and I would say,
perhaps some of the listeners ifyou're wearing the same thing
(37:13):
for a long time and you haven't,you know, swapped enough things
out, are you stepping in?
Have you allowed yourself tostep into a new version of
yourself?
Because we're evolvinginternally all the time and if
we don't allow our environmentand what we wear and what we do
to evolve with it, then we don'tsee the changes that want to
(37:37):
come as quickly as they could.
Liz Ellery (37:40):
That's actually so again, when I said I had this
identity crisis when I had lostthis weight and I looked at all
of the clothes that I had thatweren't quite right for me
anymore, but I was like God,this is like a different person.
It wasn't about the weight, itwas just like I've got this
wardrobe of clothes that justdon't feel like me anymore.
(38:02):
And you know, you always feellike you're wasteful.
You know like I can't get ridof this because it fits me.
You know it's, it's this, butyou just feel maybe a bit drab
or you just feel like this isnot my style anymore.
And we're in this.
You know we don't want to dowaste or anything, but there are
(38:25):
things in the UK I don't knowif, wherever your listeners are
you're in the US, like calledVinted, but then you've got eBay
and and stuff where you couldsell these things or give things
to charity and or flea markets.
Is it you guys have?
um and uh and then.
So what I ended up doing wasand this was like one of the
(38:47):
most empowering things for me isI knew I was having a photo
shoot around this time and it'sthe one that's on my website.
That feels so me, um, althoughI probably don't wear fancy
shirts all the time anymore, butI love that shirt on you.
What you had some sort of asilky shirt it was so, yeah,
luxurious, gorgeous yeah, and Istill like it for like my brand
(39:07):
and stuff, but I maybe don'twear it on the all the time in
the day, but I had thisopportunity to be like who do I
want to be like?
And I always had this imaginingof the sort of wardrobe I
really wanted to wear.
But I always thought, well,that's not for me and it was
like a weird thing, right?
So you and I are both into withour coach and stuff.
(39:29):
We've we've done a lot of moneymindset work right, and one of
the little things I really loveto do with money mindset to
improve my money mindset isincremental upgrades.
So one of them was I upgradedmy towels.
So my you know, my mum and dadhad bought my towels, like at
(39:51):
university or when I first movedto London, and I had these
towels and it was like 10 yearson but they were great quality
towels, ok.
And I remember thinking one daywhen I've made lots of money,
I'm going to buy my towels fromthe white company.
And I remember speaking to ourcoach.
Actually, kat said, kat, I'vejust gone in and they've got
(40:13):
like the basic range but thenthe extra, like the, the premium
range is so soft and fluffy andmy old towels were were purple
so and and I always had thisthing that I couldn't have white
towels because that was likerich lady towels and like that's
like I'm not the sort of personthat could have white, fluffy
(40:35):
white company towels.
And Kat was like, get thefucking towel.
And I was like I'm gonna getthe fucking towels and I did and
it's probably, that wasprobably one of my biggest
incremental upgrades.
So then when I had the clothingthing, I was like the woman
I've always wanted to be likeshe dresses like in beige and
(40:57):
camel and cream and white and Ialways wanted to like well, I
don't know, it's because I'd I'dworn so much color in my
twenties and I and I loved itand I still love color, but I
just wanted to get more basicslike that.
That made you know some kind ofrich, elegant yeah yeah, and I
just thought I never felt likethat was me.
(41:17):
But then I was like who says,who says these rules and stuff
and, um, you know, and I have myother stuff as well, and it's
not all that, but it just when Ire-got my wardrobe, it was like
I just felt good in my newclothes.
Aideen Ni Riada (41:33):
I love this.
I hope that the listenersappreciate this idea of can you
step into who you're becomingand can you make that becoming
something tangible, visible andreal in your everyday life?
I'm afraid we're getting closeto the end of our time together.
I'm really sad because I couldkeep talking to you forever.
(41:55):
Yeah, is there anything thatyou'd like to say to anyone
listening that you know, a pieceof advice or something you'd
like to reiterate from earlier?
Liz Ellery (42:08):
I think I've got two things that are really huge in
my life at the moment.
One is this sort of self-esteemissue and how good I feel and
stuff at the moment, and I thinka lot of that is down to just
(42:29):
for so I never felt good enoughand just realizing that really
we are good enough wherever weare, and I just wish I'd sort of
learned that or learned to bekinder to myself earlier on and
just change the language goingon inside of my head and just
trying to when I would say theseunkind words, I'm like that is
(42:51):
so not true that you are soloved and you are wonderful, and
just.
I wish I'd got that piece alittle bit earlier and really
done the work to work on that,if, if that was a problem.
And I think the other thing thatis a huge thing that I do and
that's having so much gratitudefor my life, and you know
(43:15):
gratitude that I've got myhealth, um, that I've taken the
bold leap and moved to an areaof the world that I love the
Cotswolds that I can go out forlovely walks and I often I'll,
more often than not, got quiteemotional when I'm out on a walk
and I'll just look and I'll belike, wow, look at where I am
(43:37):
and look at this life that I'vebuilt for myself and just I have
so much gratitude for mypresent moment and I think that
when we look to the past and thefuture, we can get you
depression and anxiety andoverwhelm.
But if you really groundyourself in gratitude and for
where you are now and justalways try and see the positive
(44:00):
somehow in your day, then thatjust raises your frequency and
makes you a lot of a happierperson.
Aideen Ni Riada (44:08):
Yeah and it isn't easy.
Yeah and it isn't easy.
I know my for myself.
Even this morning, I hadnegative talk going on in my
mind just as I was waking up andI was like, oh, please just
help, I need to remind myself tofeel good.
I need to remind myself what itis to feel good and I I think
I've always felt I've gotcomplete control over this and I
(44:29):
can get myself back on track.
But there are times when we'llfeel a little low and we need
help and we need support and weneed others.
I love that.
Those, those two things it'sthe kind self-talk and the
feeling gratitude for where youare that can bring you back back
to feeling better again veryquickly.
Liz Ellery (44:54):
Yeah, yeah, and it does, it does and um yeah thank
you so much for being on theshow today.
Aideen Ni Riada (44:59):
I've really really appreciated it and thank
you for making my website lookso amazing well thank you for
being a wonderful client.
It was an absolute joy workingwith you well, I just, I just
knew it was a good match, soI'll be sharing some of your
contact details and your website.
Everyone needs to go on toLiz's website and see her
(45:21):
beautiful design and feel thatenergy as well, because you'll.
You'll recognize it now, havinglistened to the podcast.
And thank you again forlistening to the Resonate
podcast with A, with adine.
We'll see you again at the nextepisode, take care.
Bye.
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