Founder@ Interview
Interview with Angie Simmons
“To work harder on themselves than they do their job/business. Your success will never exceed your own personal growth..” – Angie Simmons
Today we feature Angie Simmons, the founder at Growth Development Foundation. We hear their story in their own words, their successes, their challenges and their insights.
Let’s start by getting to know you. Can you please tell us a little bit about you and what you do?
I am a single mum from a mining town called Mansfield and I am a mental wellness mentor. I support busy business owners in gaining more clarity and connection with both the inner and outer world.
A great introduction and start to this interview. Can you please tell us, how did you start, from what age, and what made you decide to change direction and start?
I struggled with depression and anxiety for over twenty years, I was popping antidepressants like smarties and drinking like a fish, just to quiet my mind, to now not using any tablets or drinking to quieten the mind by working from within.
My mental health problems started with work-related stress, then in 2007, my younger brother was killed on the road in a motorcycle accident. I blamed myself because it was me who had introduced him to motorbikes, but unfortunately, other family members also blamed me too, this is when a smashed the self-destruct button for over 5 years.
I became a single mum and wracked up over £20,000 in debt, I was working a full-time job, building a dog grooming business part-time and I never saw my daughter. It’s fair to say I was angry with the world and everyone in it.
Thankfully I found personal development in 2014 which has led me on an amazing path of self-discovery and recovery. I didn’t see who the personal development would enable me to become, I definitely didn’t see what it would enable me to overcome.
In January 2018, my mother suddenly passed from cancer. The hateful words and actions of those that I used to call family started all over again, but this time I was stronger.
I am now using what I have learned and used over the past 7 years, to support others who suffer from depression and anxiety, by turning my mental mess into my message to inspire others to develop and grow to achieve what they want out of life.
Thank you for that insight. So can you tell us…What does your business do and where is your company based?
I am based in Nottingham and help others gain more clarity about their lives, gain more connection with the inner and outer world, improve mindset, self-care, and personal growth with my 7-week mentoring program that teaches the science behind the mind-body and soul connection.
I also help my clients monitor their daily thoughts, feelings, and action with my unique, year-long, undated journal.
What’s the story behind your success? What led to your aha moment? how did you get to where you are now?
I have continuously worked on my mindset and personal growth for just over seven years, by listening and reading inspirational and mindset material, I have also been in therapy.
I have invested more into myself than anything else and walked away from people who didn’t elevate or support my newfound mindset.
Thank you for sharing that. What’s been your life’s biggest lesson so far?
My biggest lesson when setting up my new business was to ask for help. I was brought up to think that asking for help or sharing your feeling was a weakness. I have since learnt that it’s not a weakness, in fact, it has given me more strength and connection.
that we all have inner strength.
If you were to go back in time, what piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
If I was to speak to my younger self, I would tell myself that I am stronger than I think. becoming an entrepreneur isn’t easy but so worth it. To those that doubted me, I would thank them because if they had not done what they did, I would not be where I am today.
We’re nearly halfway through our interview so it’s a great time to ask how does your business run. What three tools make your business run better?
Zoom has been a great tool for me, so I can deliver my 7-weeks mentoring course anywhere.
What do you know now that you wished you had known before?
That we all have inner strength.
What has been your greatest or proudest achievement or moment?
Sacking the boss and becoming an entrepreneur.
What future life goals do you want to achieve and why?
I want to become an international public speaker so I can share my message to inspire more people.
To finish our inspire questions…”We believe that sharing inspiring words can inspire others.” If there was one positive thing you would say to someone to inspire and empower them what would it be and why?
To work harder on themselves than they do their job/business. Your success will never exceed your own personal growth.
“Thank you it has been great learning more about your founder story and Growth Development Foundation”
To learn more about Growth Development Foundation Visit www.growthdevelopmentfoundation.co.uk
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