The Ikonns

Welcome back to The Ikonns, That’s right we dropped the word ‘Experience’ but this episode will only be dropping one thing - Deep and thoughtful answers to your deep and thoughtful questions.

Here’s what we get into:

• How to overcome the dark period of the life and find positivity
• Why the 5-minute journal should become the part of your life
• The real meaning of failures
• What does it mean to belong somewhere
• How to make parents with difference values and culture to support
• How to get your authentic voice and create authentic content

If you heard your voice on this today’s show - wooohooo! We appreciate you so much. Glad we had a chance to chat with you. If you’d like to have your question in our next Q&A’s please head over to https://www.ikonns.com and press the red recording button on the home page. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Hope you enjoyed this week’s episode, you can find out more about Alex and Mimi here:

https://www.ikonns.com/

http://www.mimiikonn.com/

http://www.alexikonn.com/

Mimi’s Instagram

Alex’s Instagram

https://www.youtube.com/mimiikonn

https://www.youtube.com/alexikonn

And here’s where you can find 5-minute journal by Intelligent Change

Full Show notes at https://www.ikonns.com/podcast/episode11 Produced by Jason Sanderson - Podcast Tech

In today’s episode Alex & Mimi share the mic with London’s most exclusive real estate agent, Daniel Daggers. Who recently sold “The most expensive terrace house in UK” for a breathtaking 130 million US dollars.

Alex and Mimi talk to Daniel about his journey from childhood, having a dream to be a professional football (soccer) player, up to current days where he only works with clients wishing to buy luxury properties over £10 million pounds.

Daniel’s dream was to become a professional football player. Growing up in a council house, his parents gave him a secure environment and saved up, sending him to a private school in Maida Vale. This was where Daniel soaked up the multicultural environment he was surrounded by, giving him a foundation to get on with everyone. An important step in becoming a ‘people person’ he would have to become later in life.

Daniel started his carrier when he was 17, while studying GNVQ in business. His school required 2 weeks experience in properties. Unfortunately at the time, and due to a broken collar bone, he had to seek other opportunities outside of football, so he started to work in a real estate company.

He started to develop his knowledge, experience and assets everyday. After 11 years in the company he realised he was dominating and doing things no-one else was doing. In 2007 when the credit crunch hit, he realised the target market that he needed to be working with in order to survive the market crash. During this year he joined Knight Frank real estate, where he chose to focus on 4-10 million pound properties.  

He understands that business is much more than selling, and shares the importance to engage and create a bond with the customers through the right communication, emotions, trust and a personalised approach.

His success did not come automatically – he had to work hard and learn the ability to listen and observe. During his journey he took baby steps, built his confidence and created a business environment, where people want to do business with him.

“I love the journey more than the result. Do everything to the best of your ability.”- Daniel Daggers

Daniel also shares the importance of social media in real estate. Via his Instagram account @daniel_daggers, he tries to engage young people showing both the ups and down in business.

You’ll also learn:

• How your upbringing can influence your future assets
• How to define your clients
• What are the patterns of ultra successful people
• The importance of social media in business
• How to become a better more genuine sales person
• How to incorporate storytelling when selling properties
• Daniel’s top negotiation tricks
• How your environment influences your business
• How his clients value efficiency and time.

Connect with Daniel Daggers online here:

Twitter

Instagram

Hope you enjoyed this week’s episode, you can find out more about Alex and Mimi here:

https://www.ikonns.com/

http://www.mimiikonn.com/

http://www.alexikonn.com/

Mimi’s Instagram

Alex’s Instagram

https://www.youtube.com/mimiikonn

https://www.youtube.com/alexikonn

Produced by Jason Sanderson - Podcast Tech

Show Notes

In this Episode Mimi and Alex revisit the golden vault with this special audio version of a very popular video, originally published on YouTube.

We had great feedback from you, a much loved episode by all, and since longer in-depth conversations are best suited to the podcast format - here it is, as requested, our Ikonn Couple Assumptions tag - In audio!

Alex and Mimi comment on all the regular assumptions that people have about their relationship together. Even an assumption about a new baby, that makes for a new discovery for at least one them. Super fun and exciting.

Here’s the assumptions and what you’ll hear;

• Alex and Mimi don’t fight - The couple share how arguments can actually be a healthy thing in a relationship. They discuss the necessity to find a place on the same page as one another.

• Alex does everything Mimi says - Mimi’s book Bingo Theory sheds some light on the importance of male / female dynamics and gender roles. Alex explains his respect for his own boundaries.

• Having a Child has affected their relationship - A behind the scenes look at the hardest year in the couple’s relationship and the growth that came from it.

• Mimi interrupts Alex a lot - Mimi’s battle to get a word in as Alex doesn’t stop talking.

• Mimi is the boss - Alex’s way to present Mimi with options to decide upon, collaborative partners make the best partners.

• They are still as in love as the day they met - They share how they are glad that they aren’t in the same place has when they met.

• They are in their own little bubble - How living on bubble island has allowed them to expand without negative influence.

• It must have been love at first sight - Being friends first created a healthy foundation for this relationship to blossom.

• Mimi is a strict parent - bringing up a child with the same boundaries as you’d expect from anyone.

• Divorce or separation thoughts - The importance of feeling like you’ve been heard and giving your partner the same opportunity.

• Fighting in front of Alexa - The importance of pausing the conversation for a more appropriate moment.

• You guys are perfect - Everyone has dirty laundry and uses the bathroom.

• Mimi doesn’t snap at Alex - But does Alex snap at Mimi?

• You’re only in it for the money - Is Mimi only into Alex for his money?

• Alex wants a second child -  They maybe a SURPRISE in store!

• Alex isn’t allowed to go to the pub with his mates - What else isn’t he allowed to do?

• Alex is possessive over Mimi - Mimi’s lessons on trust and respect.

• You are kombucha both lovers - who isn’t!

• You fight over the bed sheets - Alex gets lost in a king size bed.

• Mimi Planned Alex’s proposal - How a budget European trip just felt like the right moment.

• You love your followers - “Hello, my friends”

• You have a lot of sex - Toooo SPICY!

Hope you enjoyed this week’s episode, you can find out more about Alex and Mimi here:

https://www.ikonns.com/

http://www.mimiikonn.com/

http://www.alexikonn.com/

Mimi’s Instagram

Alex’s Instagram

https://www.youtube.com/mimiikonn

https://www.youtube.com/alexikonn

Find Bingo Theory here: A revolutionary guide to love, life, and relationships.

Mimi’s Youtube channel: How To Have a Great Relationship

Produced by Jason Sanderson - Podcast Tech

In today’s episode Alex & Mimi are talking to their good friend Stephen Shanly, who believes that pushing your limits and trying new things are the key to seeing the world through a different lens.

Alex met Stephen a few years ago while competing in the Big Change Strive Challenge. Stephen’s level of endurance is off the charts.

He’s truly inspirational and it’s why we had to interview him!

Not many people would purposely choose to be stranded alone, in a one-man row boat, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. HE DID! And he climbed Mount Matterhorn with little previous climbing experience, along with paragliding down Mont Blanc whilst suffering a fear of heights.

“People will want to jump in your boat and go along for the ride, if they know you’re going to paddle like crazy to get where you’re going” - Stephen Shanly

We’ll hear Stephen’s story of how his failed App business lead him to crossing the Atlantic Ocean alone, in a small boat, setting a record crossing time of 41 days while risking his life. Currently his next challenge is to write a children’s book, even though he is dyslexic.

In this podcast, we explore what can drive a person to take on these remarkable challenges. What makes Stephen push so hard to achieve things, that seem almost impossible.  After working to achieve his goals by the age of 30 and shouldering the disappointment of solely focusing on his career and material things. He realised a need to refocus his life.

He tells us that his main drivers are the new things he has never tried before. He is pushing himself over his limit by focusing on the very next steps in front of him. This mental direction helps him to win his challenges, continue and go further.

“Its amazing how much more you can do if you just re-calibrate or just say go again. There is almost no limit what we can achieve mentally.” – Steven Shelley

You’ll also learn

• Where to find inspiration and how to focus on positive things
• How focusing on the next step helps to reach your goal
• Stephen’s climbing story of Matterhorn without previous experience
• How is it to jump from Mont Blanc
• Crossing the Atlantic ocean with a limited water supply and a broken seat.
• How Stephen survived in the middle of ocean
• How trying different things shape you as a person

Find Books and resources mentioned here:

• Big Magic - Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Eeyore The Donkey - Winnie The Pooh Bear -  Walt Disney characters

Follow Stephen Shanly on Instagram and Twitter

https://www.ikonns.com/podcast/episode8

Produced by Jason Sanderson - Podcast Tech

Today’s episode is a very special one, because Alex & Mimi are taking turns to share the mic, while interviewing their very good friend and favourite Yoga teacher - Celest Pereira.

Originally from Richards Bay in South Africa and immigrating to the UK 10+ years ago to study a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy. Celest is being labelled as one of the best Yoga teachers in London and is internationally recognised by big Activewear brands like lululemon.

Alex and Mimi investigate what makes this shy small town girl with packed out classes, so special.

“Celest is living proof of the concept of never judging a book by it’s cover, now I really know her, I can totally see how hard she must have worked to make this happen” - Mimi Ikonn

She applied for so many physiotherapy jobs on graduation but a bottleneck in the industry, with too little jobs and too many like minded graduates all scrambling for the same position, had he working 12 hour shifts at McDonalds. With massage therapy jobs available for her qualification, She was grateful for the odd substitute Yoga teaching job for a friends class.

After a month learning how to teach Yoga properly in India, she started gaining more interest in her own right and classes started to pick up in demand. But some people were not used to her own original take on the traditional dry boring Yoga class. Celest instead crafted her own fresh approach that has made for a much more enjoyable experience.

“The look on someone’s face when they get it, that smile, that connection. I love it, it’s like a drug” - Celest Pereira

She explains how it used to really upset her to see people leaving the class if they didn’t get it and found it easy to get caught up in the fuss, somethings that really didn’t matter. She soon found a change in her mindset after a long time trying to copy what other Yogi’s did. “All that chanting, sanskrit and chakras just never resonated with me”, she says. So she gave up the the focused, dry, quiet room for her favourite playlist and a more friendly, lively, relatable approach.

It was time for Celest to drop the ego that surrounds many Yoga instructors.

She is keen share the importance of ‘making students feel like you ACTUALLY CARE’. Also how she picked up some quick simple teaching tips from a martial arts class, siting other learning materials for developing her confidence too. She had real fear and anxiety about standing and speaking in front of a crowd, but the Tony Robbins course UPW (Unleash The Power Within) and Paul Mckenna hypnosis course Instant Confidence helped her on her way!

You’ll also learn

1. How a quick mirror visualisation trick can bring goosebump revelations
2. Why it’s important to be grateful for living in our time
3. How big cities can seem like the loneliest places
4. Why being desperate can fuel you
5. How important it is to accept every opportunity
6. Finding your own niche of people that give you energy
7. That don’t just step into authenticity
8. Take influences from outside of the usual
9. How darker clubland self kick started her need to always improve

Hope you enjoyed this week’s episode with Celest, you can find out more about her here:

Celestpereira.com/

Instagram

Youtube.com

Find Books and resources mentioned here:

• Unleash The Power Within - by Tony Robbins
• Instant Confidence - by Paul McKenna Ph.D.

Lululemon - Activewear

https://www.ikonns.com/podcast/episode7

The tables have turned and today it’s time for Alex to shine the spotlight on Mimi.  Behind all that public social media presence, Who is the real Mimi…? And is that even her real name?

Originally a Caspian Sea girl from the city of Baku in the country of Azerbaijan. Mimi tells her story of how watching American movies as a child with her sister Leyla, made her want to jump in front of a camera.

After finding a painting recently, that she had once painted, depicting that very same scenario, (maybe on subconscious level) the world would have it - that’s where Mimi would end up. But it wasn’t always that obvious.

Early ideas of becoming a dancer, a model or even a pianist (If her mom would have her own way) would soon be thrown out of the window. Instead, frequently looking up to the sky and watching planes pass by, she turned to visualising herself travelling everywhere in the world.

When her family decided to immigrate to Canada, she felt as if she was walking right into her dreams as she boarded her very first airplane. But the cold shock of Winter in Canada awoke Mimi to reality that her dreams were not always going to be 100% as she imagined.

At the same time dealing with the school bullies that pushed her for a F.O.B (fresh off the boat) reaction, she quickly realised it was best to ignore them and spend some time soul searching for her real self. Albeit a new one.

“You have to protect and defend yourself, you have to observe your reactions to other peoples messages. If you learn, fine! If you learn nothing, move on, don’t attach yourself to something that isn’t your problem.” - Mimi Ikonn

While saving up for weeks at her first Job she decided it was time to change her name legally to one both her family and friends had been calling her for most of her life. A new name - a new start!

From here she tried a few jobs and bared the responsibility helping towards paying her parents mortgage, bills and even saved to buying her first car. Her story then takes us to meeting Alex, dropping out of college, working a dream job in image consulting and founding Luxy Hair.

In the second half of this story; Mimi explains how she was so used to operating in survival mode. So much so, that when she finally arrived at financial well being, she only found herself becoming severely depressed at the thought of it. Again, not all being quite as she’d imagined.

She takes us behind the mindset changes she needed to go through including visiting a 10 day meditation trip to a Vipassana Retreat. And how a specific incident with her guiding Monk changed her life forever!

“You can not run away from yourself, where are you gonna go? If there’s a problem we’ll call ambulance.” - The Real Voice of SANITY

You’ll learn:

• What keeps Mimi going

• Her passion for giving value to her audience

• Why social media is important - and it’s not about money

• Why she chooses to not post on her darker days

• How staying humble gives her energy

• How she can’t make a fake smile

• Why money isn’t a motivator

• Why she has to share everyday.

...And so much more.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s episode, you can find out more about Alex and Mimi here:

https://www.ikonns.com/

http://www.mimiikonn.com/

http://www.alexikonn.com/

Mimi’s Instagram

Alex’s Instagram

https://www.youtube.com/mimiikonn

https://www.youtube.com/alexikonn

You can find out more about Vipassana here: 10 Day Meditation Retreats

Produced by Jason Sanderson - Podcast Tech

In this episode Alex and Mimi do a deep dive into perfectionism. When is it good... or bad to be aiming for PERFECT.

Mimi finds that perfectionism, at least for creative people like herself, can hold her back. Forcing her to shelve projects she’s worked on, but are not good enough (...in her own mind)!

Alex argues the opposite. That it’s that very same desire to do better that spurs genuine excellence. The need to push through those moments when you wish to give in, often lead to a much better quality outcome. Mimi agrees. She even feels she’s had to work twice as hard because she didn’t feel exceptional at times.

“People say why are you improving on things that already work - Well, i completely respect those that do, because they are the ones pushing boundaries” - Alex Ikonn

Mimi explores her own past and looks into how labels imprinted on young people have an effect later in life, with a need to live up to those superimposed titles. She shares one of her favourite books on the subject of Fixed Vs. Growth Mindset By Carol Dweck.

They then go deeper with a concept from a favourite book - Linchpin by Seth Godin.

Perfectionism is a very ‘Lizzard-Brain’ part of our evolutionary biology. It’s one of our innate survival techniques, it’s imperative we avoid being ostracised or thrown out of our social group that we depend on. It’s this very concept the holds back from sharing when we feel things aren’t perfect.

“Screw it - Ship it - At some point you need to just get it out there” - Mimi Ikonn

There’s always going to be a gap between your starting skills and where you will end up, if you just keep creating. When you’re young your work isn’t the best. As you mature you grow taste and your work gets better. Alex shares a great video on the subject by Ira Glass. Instead of asking ‘does the publisher agree with this’, ‘what will people say?’ Just live by your own standard and then get it out there. The more you can move on to the next thing, the more you can develop taste and learn as you go.

“I built so many crap websites before i built a good one” - Alex Ikonn

Mimi shares one more book for your reading list Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, where a few choice words of what to spread on your sandwich... and then eating it, will surely get you pushing through your moments of doubt when perfectionism strikes.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s episode with Alex & Mimi

Mimiikonn.com

Alexikonn.com

Instagram.com/mimiikonn/

Find the inspirational books mentioned in this episode here:

Mindset - The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

Linchpin - Are You Indispensable? By Seth Godin

Big Magic - Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert

Video about ‘The Gap’ by Ira Glass

Produced by Jason Sanderson - Podcast Tech

Show notes @ https://www.ikonns.com/podcast/episode5

Lulu always had her life painted out for her, a product of tiger parents, she was going to be a Doctor. More specifically an optometrist. And failure wasn’t an option.

When a bad grade at school threw her a curveball, she swapped paths for pursuing a MBA instead. She worked as a business consultant for a brief moment and quickly realised this wasn’t her dream either.

After stumbling across Mimi’s Morning Routines video, Lulu was inspired.

Then she did what no one expected of her, she opted for a pay drop and applied to work with Alex and Mimi as a social media customer service assistant. This was a bold brave move!

Alex quickly saw potential in her and during a sit down meal, the principles and importance of prior preparation was proved. The spark in Lulu’s eyes was seen and she blew Alex and Mimi away with her ideas.  

Lulu tells us how she had an ambitious 3 month goal of excelling beyond her role, from operational assistant to manager, then to CEO without real prior experience of what she was getting herself into. And how her starting job title only made her push harder.

She shares techniques about;

• Breaking the permission seeking role for an extreme ownership model.

• Obsessive book reading and how Jack Canfield’s Success Principles shaped her the most.

• Adding value is the main indicator of her success.

• Not playing the victim card.

• Always coming up with the solution by creating a motion of next steps.

• Being humble and not expecting that she deserves everything handed to her, allows her to grow.

• How having a curious mind and becoming an infinite learner keeps her in the game.

Her words of wisdom are beyond her age. We’ve loved chatting with her and learning how she’s developed processes that allowed Luxy to grow beyond our expectations, filling in the gaps we never knew that need filling. She’s an exceptional young woman.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s episode with Lulu, you can find out more about her and Luxy Hair here:

Luxyhair.com

Lululiang.com

LinkedIn

Instagram

Find the inspirational books Lulu mentioned here:

• Success Principles - How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield

• Scaling Up - How a Few Companies Make It...and Why the Rest Don't by Verne Harnish

• Traction - Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman

Also the tools she likes use that gets her ahead:

Trello.com - Trello’s boards, lists, and cards enable you to organize and prioritize your projects in a fun, flexible and rewarding way.

Slack.com - Slack is a collaboration hub, where the right people and the right information come together, helping everyone get work done.

Zoom.us - The next generation enterprise phone system

Intelligentchange.com - The Five Minute Journal

Produced by Jason Sanderson - Podcast Tech

Show notes @ https://www.ikonns.com/podcast/episode4

It’s easy to paint a picture of someone living their dream life and imagine it must have come easy, on a plate.

In this GIANT MUST LISTEN episode we find out the TRUE JOURNEY of what it takes to build a multi-million dollar business and then hand it over to someone else.

Alex and Mimi takes us behind the scenes and share their humble beginnings, ups, downs and everything in between. This is the journey you’re going to hear;

• Meeting each other while working in a bank in Toronto, Canada.
• Living together at Alex’s mom’s house.
• Alex studying Business school at nights while working full-time at the bank
• Mimi working many jobs and helping her family.
• Mimi dropping out of College.
• Alex getting fired and Mimi quitting the bank.
• Building a credit score, using debt as an advantage.
• How a near wedding disaster brought them a market opportunity.
• Soaking up knowledge from working in other businesses.
• Hiring the right employees and management that make business easier.
• Living in other countries and becoming location independent.
• Making money in your sleep.
• How the 4 hour work week made sense... and when it didn’t.
• Passion, growth and a founding members departure.
• Depression, happiness and when realities start hitting.
• Moving to London and operating a company from across the ocean.
• Finally Living their dream life after persistence.  
• Building your company into an asset.
• The decision to sell Luxy Hair.

All this and so much more.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s episode, you can find out more about Alex and Mimi here:

http://www.mimiikonn.com/

http://www.alexikonn.com/

Instagram

YouTube

Produced by Jason Sanderson - Podcast Tech

Show notes @ https://www.ikonns.com/podcast/episode3

Alex is one of the most positive people we know, it’s well known that POSITIVITY is the Ikonn way.

Surrounding yourself with positivity can have a huge dramatic impact on your life, whether that be in your mental health, in relationships, how others see you... to striking the business deal you always dreamed of.  

In this episode Mimi shines the spotlight on Alex to get to the root of why he’s so positive. We go deep and uncover 3 really important secrets that will put a smile on your face everyday.

• Gratitude - We practice gratitude everyday. Writing down what we are thankful for gives us no end of positivity. We’ve all heard of singing in the shower, but how about trying out a shower of thankfulness?
• Visualization - Because we journal everyday, we see exactly where we were before and we see exactly where we are going. The road map of our dreams. And this truly puts a smile on our faces.
• Persistence - pushing through hard times and dealing with the odds that are stacked against you is like a building a muscle. And just like when you’ve had a workout, you feel really great once you’re done. The more you overcome life hardships, the more life doesn’t phase your emotional well being - leaving plenty of headspace for positivity

Here is some of the books that was mentioned in the show and have brought us great insights. Hope you get the chance to check these out.

Biology of Belief -  Bruce Lipton - https://amzn.to/2GpCFVc 

Success Principles by Jack Canfield - https://amzn.to/2tate4a  

Get the Edge by Tony Robbins 

Subtle art of not giving a Fck - Mark Manson

How do you measure your life? Article by Mark Manson - https://markmanson.net/measure-your-life

The Five Minute Journal by Intelligent Change - https://www.intelligentchange.com/products/the-five-minute-journal

Hope you enjoyed this week’s episode, you can find out more about Alex and Mimi here:

http://www.mimiikonn.com/

http://www.alexikonn.com/

Instagram

YouTube

Produced by Jason Sanderson - Podcast Tech

Show notes @ https://www.ikonns.com/podcast/episode2