After what was only supposed to be a weeks break, the Platespinning Academy Podcast is back after eight months.

This raw and humble episode shows the reality of living life after burnout and simply not being able to spin all of the plates, no matter how badly you want to make things work.

I discuss outsourcing and the gap between desperately needing to do it, but not quite having the finances being a muddy middle ground that a lot of business owners find themselves stuck in, and being able to break through with just one area of outsourcing can then start to release some pressure and headspace for other things. Think of life and business as a whole machine system which is jammed and unproductive, and we just need to work on getting that one part cleared and moving again for the rest of it to kick back into flow.

When consistency is difficult for whatever reason, we can often burden ourselves with feelings of guilt and shame. Feeling like we've failed which then compounds all the other emotions around not seeing the projects through that we've initially put our heart and soul into.

When everything we do is stripped back to its bare parts, our health and wellbeing is priority. Always. We can pick things back up again when we're ready, and it's also okay to set them down again if needed.

About Nic:

I'm Nic Davies, The Mental Load Mentor. I help business owners get life organised at home, so they can reclaim their headspace, time and energy needed to grow and run a successful business.

I've navigated through adverse times with hard-hitting curveballs that have forced me to re-assess the importance of self-care and having firm boundaries in place, as well as becoming more organised in the day-to-day running of home, business, and life in general.

My mission is to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to create a business they love, without feeling held back by household obligations, or adversity. Drawing upon a diverse range of life experience, I'm building an online community that supports anyone who is struggling to balance home life and business together.

Platespinning Academy Facebook Group

Get Life Organised Book

Nics North West Business Network

Building and running a business is often a lonely activity if you're a Solopreneur. Unless you are highly self-motivated, laser focused and super committed, it can be demoralising when curveballs hit, or when sales aren’t coming in quickly enough. Business is tough for everyone! There are no quick wins – it’s a marathon not a sprint.

Having moral support whilst you’re on your business journey is an important part of the puzzle. This kind of support isn’t always available from our close family and friends however, so finding likeminded business owners to share the journey with is a key part of reaching your goals.

Comparing your business journey to running a marathon in isolation with no other participants or spectators cheering you on from the roadside is the perfect analogy of what it would feel like, and it helps to visualise how difficult completing the race would be under those conditions. As well as that, not knowing how far you’ve come or how far you have to go would also add to the despair. So having people offer motivation and cheer leading isn’t just a nice to have – it’s essential for business success.

Joining an accountability group is one solution, and the Platespinning Academy Accountability Club does just that. Offering weekly check ins and online co-working sessions, alongside daily prompts and communication to help you stay on track and reach your goals is now available for less than one of your favourite drive thru coffees each week. 

We kick things off for Quarter 2 on Monday 31st March – will you be joining? The link is below for more details and sign up

mp.platespinningacademy.co.uk/sp-sales-page-3297

About Nic:

I'm Nic Davies, The Mental Load Mentor. I help business owners get life organised at home, so they can reclaim their headspace, time and energy needed to grow and run a successful business.

I've navigated through adverse times with hard-hitting curveballs that have forced me to re-assess the importance of self-care and having firm boundaries in place, as well as becoming more organised in the day-to-day running of home, business, and life in general.

My mission is to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to create a business they love, without feeling held back by household obligations, or adversity. Drawing upon a diverse range of life experience, I'm building an online community that supports anyone who is struggling to balance home life and business together.

Platespinning Academy Facebook Group

Get Life Organised Book

Nics North West Business Network

Many people have an overwhelming desire to contribute and make the world a better place, and some choose to do that work by building a business that supports that purpose. Building a legacy is more than just running a business however. Whilst we still need to make enough money to live off, building a legacy through business is so much more than just an income. It becomes a way of life and is interwoven into everything you do.

One of the ways to help commit to your legacy and to also let others know what you are doing is by creating a mission statement for your business. This helps to clarify your passion, and also helps you to stay focused for the times when business and life can become difficult, and you wonder whether you’re doing the right thing. Or for when you have difficult decisions to make, you can refer to your mission statement to keep you on track.

Whilst creating a legacy through business takes a huge commitment, it is also an extremely rewarding activity. Being able to help and influence others in a truly positive way is something you cannot put a monetary value on. But being able to run a profitable business whilst also building your legacy in and around that work is a highly coveted sweet spot that many business owners strive for.

About Nic:

I'm Nic Davies, The Mental Load Mentor. I help business owners get life organised at home, so they can reclaim their headspace, time and energy needed to grow and run a successful business.

I've navigated through adverse times with hard-hitting curveballs that have forced me to re-assess the importance of self-care and having firm boundaries in place, as well as becoming more organised in the day-to-day running of home, business, and life in general.

My mission is to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to create a business they love, without feeling held back by household obligations, or adversity. Drawing upon a diverse range of life experience, I'm building an online community that supports anyone who is struggling to balance home life and business together.

Platespinning Academy Facebook Group

Get Life Organised Book

Nics North West Business Network

Managing and prioritising our own wellbeing whilst already feeling overwhelmed and at capacity can be a tough one to manage alongside our general day to day stresses. Add in the current weight of the world on our shoulders which is unbearably heavy for many people right now, and it can feel an almost impossible task.

With our own personal wellbeing ultimately being OUR responsibility and no one else’s, it’s up to us to put boundaries in place so we don’t feel overwhelmed with world crises, political events, and various breaking news stories that are designed for maximum shock impact. Having found myself swept up in some of this recently, I’ve seen how easy these scroll holes can be to fall in to. And then when you’ve finally pulled yourself away from doomscrolling, you’re left with a heavy feeling of helplessness, overwhelm and impending doom.

I talk a bit about stealing snippets of time from your current busy routine in order to build a better future, and how I manage to feel accomplished and that I’m working towards something positive, whilst also acknowledging life doesn’t feel great right now. It can feel like psychological warfare at times, and our personal resilience to this is something we all need to build up and reinforce, as I doubt this global situation is going to suddenly go away any time soon.

About Nic:

I'm Nic Davies, The Mental Load Mentor. I help business owners get life organised at home, so they can reclaim their headspace, time and energy needed to grow and run a successful business.

I've navigated through adverse times with hard-hitting curveballs that have forced me to re-assess the importance of self-care and having firm boundaries in place, as well as becoming more organised in the day-to-day running of home, business, and life in general.

My mission is to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to create a business they love, without feeling held back by household obligations, or adversity. Drawing upon a diverse range of life experience, I'm building an online community that supports anyone who is struggling to balance home life and business together.

Platespinning Academy Facebook Group

Get Life Organised Book

Nics North West Business Network

With annual World Book Day celebrations upon us again, many schools will be participating in one way or another. The pressure for kids to dress up can often be too much for already overwhelmed parents and caregivers, and if we don’t make it happen we may be left with feelings of guilt, and feel like we’re failing for not making more of an effort.

Having raised my bio kids during the 1990’s and 2000’s, comparing the pace of parenting then to more recently when I’ve raised my step-children, the difference is overwhelming. I used to have time, energy and headspace to fully immerse myself in the enjoyment of making costumes for the kids, and unfortunately more recently it has become all but impossible to keep up with those same expectations.

With the pace of life we live right now constantly gaining traction and speed, is it any wonder we are too stressed to create and make with/for our children? Spending money on a ready-made costume isn’t quite what World Book Day was supposed to be about – but what’s the alternative? I talk about the fact we chose to step out of that particular pressure, and also discuss other aspects of extra-curricular stress for both children and parents/carers alike.

Having to ringfence any time we want to spend slowing down the pace a little, means it doesn’t seem to happen naturally any more. Because we have to make an extra effort to protect this time, activities such as making costumes for themed days like World Book Day can fall by the wayside because they’re simply not a priority if we’re living in constant survival mode. It’s a kicker. Life shouldn’t be like this. But here we are. This is a frank discussion on the comparisons of 1990’s parenting compared to the last few years. I find myself in a privileged position to have done both – and maybe that’s why I find it so unjust that we can’t just press pause so easily now.

About Nic:

I'm Nic Davies, The Mental Load Mentor. I help business owners get life organised at home, so they can reclaim their headspace, time and energy needed to grow and run a successful business.

I've navigated through adverse times with hard-hitting curveballs that have forced me to re-assess the importance of self-care and having firm boundaries in place, as well as becoming more organised in the day-to-day running of home, business, and life in general.

My mission is to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to create a business they love, without feeling held back by household obligations, or adversity. Drawing upon a diverse range of life experience, I'm building an online community that supports anyone who is struggling to balance home life and business together.

Platespinning Academy Facebook Group

Get Life Organised Book

Nics North West Business Network

Many Entrepreneurs find themselves more prone to burnout than the average person. There is always work to do, and being natural high achievers, we always want to do our best and succeed. But at what cost to our physical, mental and emotional health?

Some Neurodiverse traits can also bring with them unhealthy patterns of boom and bust when it comes to productivity, accomplishment, and pacing (or lack of). The constant chase for the dopamine hit means that there is always just a bit more work to be done, or there's always an extra goal to hit. Whatever work you do, it can feel like it's never enough. This constant chase for reward can turns your dreams into nightmares if it creates a perpetual burnout cycle that ends up on rinse and repeat.

Recognising your early warning signs is vital, along with building your own burnout safety net. So that should you find yourself heading towards burnout (or you’ve already hit it), that you have your own personal toolkit in place ready to start rebuilding your health and wellbeing. I share my burnout cycles over the last 25 years, as well as the foundational systems and plans that I use to rebuild from the ground up, whenever I find myself in or teetering on burnout. Which unfortunately seems to be a regular thing.

Acknowledging your personality and character traits is a huge step towards managing the self-sabotage cycle. And then having these systems in place in advance, is a great way to catch yourself should you fall.

About Nic:

I'm Nic Davies, The Mental Load Mentor. I help business owners get life organised at home, so they can reclaim their headspace, time and energy needed to grow and run a successful business.

I've navigated through adverse times with hard-hitting curveballs that have forced me to re-assess the importance of self-care and having firm boundaries in place, as well as becoming more organised in the day-to-day running of home, business, and life in general.

My mission is to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to create a business they love, without feeling held back by household obligations, or adversity. Drawing upon a diverse range of life experience, I'm building an online community that supports anyone who is struggling to balance home life and business together.

Platespinning Academy Facebook Group

Get Life Organised Book

Nics North West Business Network

As a parent/carer, running a business during the half term and end of term school holidays can feel impossible at times. With so many distractions going on, is it any wonder a lot of entrepreneur parents feel disillusioned at the thought of keeping things going, knowing that income and visibility will be affected should they decide to take time out when the kids are off.

Because a lot of parents/carers have chosen a self-employed path to work around the lack of support and childcare available, it’s important to recognise just what a fantastic job is being done. Parenting is hard, and running a business is hard – both in their own rights. Doing them together? It’s a major challenge but an extremely rewarding one too when we get it right. And even when we don’t, we should still be celebrating our achievements.

Acknowledging that holiday clubs aren’t suitable for everyone, and that not all business owners have supportive extended families that can help out, many entrepreneurs who are still in build mode simply don’t have the support network to keep things going. So taking time out or slowing down during the school holidays becomes a mandatory part of business strategy and planning, whether we like it or not.

In an ever-demanding world, and one where school holidays are still an essential part of the academic year, is it time to reassess and reframe the time off? There are still lots of positives in not having to do the school run, and reclaiming some time and headspace can be beneficial in getting through what can feel like a chaotic week or two.

About Nic:

I'm Nic Davies, The Mental Load Mentor. I help business owners get life organised at home, so they can reclaim their headspace, time and energy needed to grow and run a successful business.

I've navigated through adverse times with hard-hitting curveballs that have forced me to re-assess the importance of self-care and having firm boundaries in place, as well as becoming more organised in the day-to-day running of home, business, and life in general.

My mission is to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to create a business they love, without feeling held back by household obligations, or adversity. Drawing upon a diverse range of life experience, I'm building an online community that supports anyone who is struggling to balance home life and business together.

Platespinning Academy Facebook Group

Get Life Organised Book

Nics North West Business Network

This episode is a special one, I’m joined by the brilliant Dawn Baxter, a multi-passionate entrepreneur, single mother, and someone who truly understands the highs and lows of carving out a life on your own terms.

We get into the big conversations around living in the present, building a meaningful legacy, and the impact of empathy, especially when navigating the challenges of being neurodiverse in a fast-moving, often overwhelming world. This is a deep, honest, and powerful discussion about redefining success, making space for what truly matters, and learning to enjoy the journey along the way.

About Nic:

I'm Nic Davies, The Mental Load Mentor. I help business owners get life organised at home, so they can reclaim their headspace, time and energy needed to grow and run a successful business.

I've navigated through adverse times with hard-hitting curveballs that have forced me to re-assess the importance of self-care and having firm boundaries in place, as well as becoming more organised in the day-to-day running of home, business, and life in general.

My mission is to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to create a business they love, without feeling held back by household obligations, or adversity. Drawing upon a diverse range of life experience, I'm building an online community that supports anyone who is struggling to balance home life and business together.

Platespinning Academy Facebook Group

Get Life Organised Book

Nics North West Business Network

They say, “It takes a village,” but what happens when your village doesn’t quite understand your self-employment journey? I explore what “the village” looks like when you’re your own boss and why finding the right support system is absolutely vital.

When I transitioned from traditional employment to self-employment, I quickly realised that not everyone in my immediate circle could relate. The lack of understanding from friends and family was isolating, and it became clear that I needed to find a new kind of village—one that could support, motivate, and keep me accountable.

I share how I built my own network through online communities, especially on platforms like Facebook. These groups have been game-changers for me, offering connection and encouragement from like-minded people who truly get the challenges of running your own business.

Whether you’re just starting out or feeling the weight of going it alone, this episode will inspire you to seek out your own “village” and remind you that you don’t have to do it all by yourself. 

About Nic:

I'm Nic Davies, The Mental Load Mentor. I help business owners get life organised at home, so they can reclaim their headspace, time and energy needed to grow and run a successful business.

I've navigated through adverse times with hard-hitting curveballs that have forced me to re-assess the importance of self-care and having firm boundaries in place, as well as becoming more organised in the day-to-day running of home, business, and life in general.

My mission is to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to create a business they love, without feeling held back by household obligations, or adversity. Drawing upon a diverse range of life experience, I'm building an online community that supports anyone who is struggling to balance home life and business together.

Platespinning Academy Facebook Group

Get Life Organised Book

Nics North West Business Network

Time blocking - it’s a productivity tool that can transform your day, but only if it’s done right. I share how time blocking has shaped my approach to balancing business and life, and how it can do the same for you.

I compare it to the structured school timetables we all grew up with and talk about why discipline is still crucial, even when self-employment offers the freedom to set your own schedule. I also open up about my personal journey, from struggling with postnatal depression to using time blocking as a way to regain control and avoid relapses.

But here’s the catch: while time blocking can be life-changing, doing it without balance can lead to burnout - I’ve been there. That’s why I now prioritise rest and self-care activities, scheduling them first in my digital calendar to ensure they’re non-negotiable. Adding buffer times between tasks has also been a game-changer, giving me the flexibility to handle the unexpected without feeling overloaded.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make time blocking work for you, or how to strike the right balance between structure and flexibility, this episode is packed with practical advice and hard-earned lessons. Let’s create a schedule that supports your goals and your well-being.

About Nic:

I'm Nic Davies, The Mental Load Mentor. I help business owners get life organised at home, so they can reclaim their headspace, time and energy needed to grow and run a successful business.

I've navigated through adverse times with hard-hitting curveballs that have forced me to re-assess the importance of self-care and having firm boundaries in place, as well as becoming more organised in the day-to-day running of home, business, and life in general.

My mission is to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to create a business they love, without feeling held back by household obligations, or adversity. Drawing upon a diverse range of life experience, I'm building an online community that supports anyone who is struggling to balance home life and business together.

Platespinning Academy Facebook Group

Get Life Organised Book

Nics North West Business Network