Smart Business Growth with Nicky & Ness

Mastering Energy for Peak Performance

• Nicky & Ness • Season 2 • Episode 23

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In this episode, Nicky and Ness dive into the essential topic of managing your energy. They explore how different work styles and energy rhythms impact performance, especially for those with neurodivergent brains. They discuss the importance of understanding energy gainers and drainers, and how behavioural profiling, like DISC, can help. Nicky shares her journey of embracing her natural energy rhythm, while Ness highlights the benefits of flexible work environments.

Episode Highlights:

  • Identifying energy gainers and drainers
  • The impact of DISC profiling on energy management
  • Nicky's ADHD diagnosis and energy realisation
  • The role of flexibility in healthy hustle

Learn more about Nicky and Ness https://businesstogether.com.au

Buy a copy of Healthy Hustle: The New Blueprint to Thrive in Business & Life www.healthyhustle.com.au

Follow us on socials
Instagram - @b2businesstogether
Facebook - @B2BusinessTogether

Connect on LinkedIn
Nicky LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/connectwithnicky/
Ness LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessamedling/

Give us a call
Nicky Miklos-Woodley 0403 191 404
Vanessa (Ness) Medling 0400 226 875

Or send us an email hello@businesstogether.com.au

Music by Jules Miklos-Woodley

Nicky:

Welcome to the Smart Business Growth Podcast with N and. Ness.

Ness:

We would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of country, the Turrbal and Bunurong people of Brisbane and Melbourne respectively, where N and I both work and live both work and live.

Nicky:

Managing your energy oh my goodness, this is an important conversation to have. Not only is it an essential ingredient for healthy hustle, it's kind of a no brainer in terms of how we move through our day. We all work differently. So, again, what works for one person is going to be different to another, and I know for me personally, back in the 10, 12 years ago, part of my problem was that I was trying to fit into the norm ways of working this nine to five, which was actually eight to seven or whatever it might've been. And I know one thing in terms of understanding managing energy finding out that I had a neurodivergent brain at 43 years old, or young 43 years young it actually made more sense as to why I couldn't nail or get this managing energy thing right, because I was trying to fit into a structure that didn't support my natural rhythm and way of working. Now, so you know, sometimes I have such bursts of energy whether this is fact or not but I feel like I can do the work of 10 people in one hour. That's what it feels like. I don't know if that is a fact and then sometimes I need to pull back and I need to recharge and I have the flexibility to be able to do that, and a lot of work environments now are also supporting and promoting those flexible working environments which are so important in terms of managing energy. Managing energy means understanding your energy gainers the things that give you energy and your energy drainers the things that drain your energy. So if you, as a business owner, are creating an environment where you can support your team in terms of how each individual needs to manage their energy and, as a business owner leader yourself, you understand what you need and what you need to ask for and how people can support you and you can support them, then you are in a much better position to be able to manage energy of not just yourself, but the people around you, and this is also an interesting dynamic because you manage your energy different to me.

Nicky:

So this goes so far beyond things like just the essentials. The essentials are important sleep, water, exercise. Yes, we need to have those things in place, but today what we're talking about is the next layer, the next level. It's things like the time of day that we work, the type of work that we do. How do we recharge our batteries? What type of movement for exercise is right for each of us, for our unique bodies. So I think a great place to start here would be delving a little bit into things like the type of work we do, how we communicate, what recharges our batteries, and I know we're both very passionate about behavioural profiling. So what do you think is a key consideration when we're talking about these aspects?

Ness:

I think that we probably have alluded to this over time that when we look at DISC profiling, so we love DISC as a behavioural profiling model and it's just a model. It isn't saying that this is your whole identity, this is who you are as a person. I love to talk about it as a predictor of human behavior and it is about energy. So some things come really naturally to us and other things require more energy. It's as simple as that, and what we love for us and our business is that we have all four styles. So we are very different Between the two of us, between the two of us.

Nicky:

Yes, thank you.

Ness:

Between the two of us, we cover all four different styles, which means that there are sometimes, you know, something that really energizes you. N is an energy drainer to me and, until I understood, you know, in the context of something that made sense to me around. Oh, that's why I do what I do and I don't do the things that I know I should do and that I continue to avoid because they feel harder, they feel like, oh, it's more draining. It's that whole thing about. It's not sustainable to be constantly using your energy in a way that doesn't come naturally to you. So probably the best example that I have in our business is that difference between the extroversion and the introversion, and we talk about extroversion and introversion not just in that people who are more bubbly are extroverted and people who are really shy are introverted. Not at that level, but more around. Where do you draw your energy from? So for me, as an introvert, I draw my energy from within. For you, more on the extroverted scale, you draw your energy from other people around you, and so in a work context, the way this plays out for me is I love facilitating and delivering to big teams and, you know, doing a full day workshop for clients is just love facilitating and delivering to big teams and doing a full day workshop for clients is just such a buzz. But then I'm drained because it's not where I external like people external to me isn't where I draw my energy from. I draw it from space and time alone. And so the flip of that is when I have back-to-back-to-back coaching sessions one-on-one coaching sessions that energizes me. I can finish the end of the day and feel like I could just start the day all over again because I'm all good energy-wise. But I know for you we've talked about that that's more energy draining for you because of the one-on-one contact. So just something as simple as that is really really important to know. And I remember back into my previous business is a really really important to know. And I remember back into my previous business.

Ness:

There was one particular Thursday. I had a regular fortnightly client that I was on site for them every second Thursday intending one of their meetings and I had done back-to-back external facilitation events and I was pretty exhausted by the time. Thursday rolled around and one of the clients in the room just looked at me and went you look really tired today, like I didn't even open my mouth, and it was just a reminder that to manage my energy, I can't do that and expect to turn up fully energized and with it. So in a work situation, it's around looking at how can my clients get the best out of me, how can I be at my peak for them, and I have to really manage the energy. And, as you said, yes, sleep, yes, food, yes, yes to all of that. That's really important. But understanding this driver around, what comes naturally to me is different to what comes naturally to you and we both have to honor that.

Ness:

And I think about what you said earlier around you can do the work of 10 people.

Ness:

I would say you could do the work of 10 Nickies.

Ness:

When you're in that mode and I used to, I remember, you know, prior to the ADHD diagnosis I used to perhaps be a little bit more of the tough cop around.

Ness:

N, I don't think you should be working late and we run this business and we talk about healthy household and blah, blah, blah, and then over time I've come to realize that actually that is something that works really well for you, because you're very good at then making sure at some point you get that downtime and that you do everything you need to do to recharge and you're really focused on that. So there's no right or wrong, it's what's right or wrong for us as an individual. And I think that is so important when we look at energy, when we look at healthy hustle, because it's not fair for me to say to you you're hustling and that's just not okay. And you know, have a real go at you when you go, because I know in those hyper fixation kind of moments, but you can actually do the work of 10 of you in that hour and then you compensate for that in other ways Would you agree with that.

Nicky:

Absolutely, and this is why I think as well, like if I look at trying to fit into showing up consistently same amount of energy every single day that works for some people and it doesn't work for other people, or you're not going to get the best out of people, like that's the thing. So, and even in my personal experience, that for sure is a part of what led to the burnout and all the repeat patterns. So if we can create environments where there's that flexibility but the thing about this as well is the support and understanding.

Nicky:

So I don't feel judged by you, I feel supported by you and I trust vice versa as well because I'm not then going to go well, hang on, why are you doing a different way of working on different like it's? We're working towards outcomes and we're getting to know ourselves better and better and better. And I mean, you know, again, I'm in my forties, you're in your fifties, we're figuring this stuff out now, so imagine if we could have figured this out 20 years ago. How amazing is that? And even around what you're talking about, yeah, like what drains our energy? Is it being around people? Is it being on our own, the type of work, like?

Nicky:

You've touched on so many different examples there, and it doesn't mean that we don't do the type of work that maybe drains our energy. We you and I still love that work, so we're really aware of. Well, how do we re-energize? And for those people that are listening and you know viewing, then the questions that I want you to reflect around this as we're talking through this is my work, fuel me, is in the enjoyment, yeah, and does it drain my energy? They can be two separate things fuel my soul and drain my energy, hopefully, because I mean, that's that's kind of what we also were just talking about what hopefully it's not draining and doesn't fuel your soul, you know. But then if you refer to another podcast episode we did around direction and knowing your true north, if that's the, maybe it's because it feeds into a personal vision Like there has to be a reason for it to be the healthy hustle of why you keep getting up and keeping on going.

Ness:

So I trust that also makes sense to add on to yeah, and I think what I'd add to that is for everybody that I have come across in business and in workplace. There are tasks you need to do that don't light you up, that's just reality, right, and it's about managing your energy in a way that allows you to still get done what you have to get done, but choosing the appropriate scenario that's going to work for you. And I remember one of my clients previously who was learning about discs. She was like somebody who was more big picture, really liked variety and adventure and fun, and then she would have to do her GST statements each quarter.

Nicky:

Yeah, that's exactly what she looked like. Are you talking about me here? I don't know, I don't do that.

Ness:

I remember her saying to me it's like oh, I have that whole like three days blocked out and I just have to lock myself away and I have to do it, and she goes.

Ness:

I don't understand it. Like I've got a deadline, I keep putting it off and I don't do it and I never get around to it because I'm dreading it, and you know. The conversation then became about don't do, don't torture yourself with that. How can you do you know a chunk of time on that and then reward yourself with going out for coffee with someone or doing something that's quite get out in the farm, whatever it takes for you to chunk it down so that you are honoring your energy over the day and yet still focusing on the things that don't come naturally, that you must get done in order to be able to run your business. So I think that there's so much depth. You know how much I and we love disk profiling, but it's one component. It goes such a long way to understanding your energy levels, particularly when you are just drained of all energy because you are constantly doing things that aren't honoring what comes naturally. But that's just one. What's another one, nick?

Nicky:

When I think about managing energy. So we've got our foundational basics, we've got all of these behavioral type of ways that we can manage our energy. Another big one that's had a profound impact on me personally and I think I'm sure some people have heard about this is epigenetics. So epigenetics is a body of research that basically looks at your body type. It's really fascinating actually, and I know when I did my epigenetics report with a health coach, what I realized and what I learned is that, dependent on our body type, it's kind of like disc but for the body actually, and it does incorporate some things from behavioral profiling. But again, it's more the physical and the physical environment. So it takes you through the fact that we have different schedules and routines around things like food, sleep, types of exercise, when to eat, when to exercise, when to start work these kinds of things we all have depending on the type of body we have.

Nicky:

There's uniqueness there.

Nicky:

It talks about physical environments, things that will affect us in physical environments and help us feel motivated and energized or depleted, or energy gainers and energy drainers, the type of careers that we have that will benefit us social requirements.

Nicky:

So again, there is some overlap there as well the terminology they use, which I love, is that focusing on these different areas can give you smooth energy throughout the day, smooth energy and it really encourages humans to look at what is uniquely right for me. So I love this combination of looking at behavior, looking at mindset, looking at our body, and when we can combine these aspects around mindset and empowered truth that we've talked about and we'll talk about previously, when we combine that with our natural behavioral styles that we talked about with DISC, and then our physical requirements and needs that are dependent on our body type, this is actually where we get the unique blueprint for the individual to live that healthy, happy life. And if we can then apply that to the work environment, to the business, to our relationships, to the way that we focus on health and wellbeing, to the way we have fun, I mean, that's what it's about, right.

Ness:

And it's so true, and I think we come back to that definition of healthy hustle. It is dependent on the things that are important to you, that give you energy, where you understand the layers of yourself, whether it be through profiling tools like DISC, like epigenetics, and I think that you know that is what we want to say in relation to we can talk about. We talk about that sweet spot right, finding the sweet spot between hustle and between you know, managing our health. So it really is about looking at each of these in relation to our energy levels and because our energy is going to determine what we do and how well we do it and where we focus our attention.

Nicky:

Totally, and our energy is what like. It can help us feel energized, but it also gets us ready to face whatever is thrown at us in the day. Because when we're focusing on healthy hustle, that doesn't mean that we don't have to work hard, it's just we're working hard, resourcefully. That doesn't mean that we don't have adversity. That doesn't mean we don't have crap days. That doesn't mean, you know, we still have those. But when we're focusing on and actually the combination of beliefs, energy and direction, and particularly this energy piece we're talking about now, it means that we are like, okay, we can do this, we can get through this, instead of whatever is thrown at us. It tips us over the edge and we're a melting pot on the floor, or that might still happen, but we get up a little bit quicker.

Ness:

Well, it's about resilience, isn't it? It's about the resilience that we have to bounce back from adversity, and that means that we need to know what's going to work for us, because what works for me and what works for you are different. We've learned that over the years, that my way to recharge is very different to your way to recharge. As we know, when I come up and visit you and we do facilitation together and I get home and go, okay, bye-bye, and I go off to my room into my bedroom and then I'm like oh Jules, this happened and this happened oh my gosh, yeah, totally.

Ness:

I'm like oh Jules, this happened and this happened. Oh my gosh, yeah, totally.

Nicky:

I really like. There's this analogy in epigenetics that I'll kind of close out on before I throw to you. For the actionable action. There's different. I only know two of them. I only remember two of them, but I remember I was likened to and I was very upset about this. It challenged all my identity beliefs when I was told by the health coach that I was like a cruise ship.

Ness:

A cruise ship. Where's this going?

Nicky:

Like a big heavy cruise ship people. I was like what A cruise ship is. Slow to get started. Slower in the morning, it takes a little while, but then once a cruise ship gets started I actually haven't been on a cruise ship, but this is what I hear it's powerful, like when it's out on the open waters, good luck stopping it. It is a force of nature. It is powerful. Other people are like a jet ski and this is where the identity crisis happened to me.

Nicky:

But I want to be a jet ski, jet ski types of body. They get up, they're up straight away, they're boom, let's go, and they're out on the water like zero to to 100k in less than five seconds. Now I went through so much of my life thinking that I was a jet ski, but really I am a cruise ship. What do you think that did to my energy? I was getting up and doing the exercise classes at 6am in the morning. I literally would go to bed some days at 6 30 pm because I couldn't handle my handle the energy of it. Like I thought I was a jet ski, but really I was a cruise ship. When I embraced that, that's when I started to do exercise later in the day.

Nicky:

Don't start work till 10. Definitely, just don't talk to me for the first hour, although that's dependent on who you talk to. But you know like. So all of a sudden I could embrace that energy and I want to leave people with this thought, because are you really a cruise ship and you think you're a jet ski or the other way around, and there's all these other types? But it's really looking at, you will know what fuels your energy, because you'll feel it. And so, ness, on that note. What do we want to close out on? What do we want to get people to do in the next 24 hours? Well, look.

Ness:

I would say that if you are connecting with hustle at the moment, if you're feeling like you're in this constant grind around hustle, the question then is you know, how do I feel in my body right now? Does this feel right to me? Because, as you said, getting up and doing a 5am gym class when you're a cruise ship is not feeling good in your body right now. So I think that's really important for those feeling caught in hustle and for those who perhaps aren't feeling caught in hustle and are more in the healthy hustle, then the question is similar, like what are you doing that feels good in your body right now?

Ness:

And do more of that.

Nicky:

Love that. What a great conversation. Thank you everybody for joining us.

Ness:

We'll talk to you again next week. Bye, thanks for listening to today's ep. If you loved what you heard, connect with us over on LinkedIn and let's continue the conversation over there. N and I are obsessed with helping businesses install smart business growth strategies and leveraging people leadership for peak performance. We bring two business minds and two perspectives into your business, and our number one goal is to make sure that your business is thriving, your team are thriving and you are thriving. We offer a 30-day business diagnostic, taking you from chaos to clarity in just 30 days. Are you curious to find out more? Send us an email or go old school and give us a call. Until next time, happy listening and here's to thriving in business and in life.