Real Women Tracy Cartland-Ward & Dawn Willock

Dawn's community of business owners are hitting their 40’s and 50’s. As they are all self employed or business owners, they are starting to worry about life after work, from a financial perspective. A lot of them are considering investing in property, so Dawn has decided to interview an expert in this field…Tracy. In this episode, Tracy breaks down the reality of property investment, the many routes to entry, the multiple ways in which you can make extra income, and, if done right, how it can provide a nest egg for your future.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 


Becoming involved in the property business is a great way to make money to secure your future, but it’s not as easy as most make out. Tracy lays out the reality of becoming a property manager.
Buying property and selling it on at a profit is one way to make an income, but the more popular, and economical, approach is ‘buy to let’. Tracy walks you through how this process works and how to get the best out of it.
What if you don’t have the cash in the bank to go out and buy a property? You’re not alone, most people don’t. But, there are many strategies to raise finance, as Tracy explains.
Once the money starts coming in, it’s just as important to manage it as it is to keep making it. Tracy outlines all the best ways to make sure you’re money is safe, to reduce your tax bill and how to keep making it grow.

 

BEST MOMENTS

“Make sure you get professional advice. Do you really want to build your future based on the opinions of the guy down the pub?”

“Before you do anything, ask yourself the most important question “What do I want out of this?””

“Property isn’t 100% passive, and anyone that tells you it is, is lying. Make sure you understand this before you jump in.”

 

EPISODE RESOURCES

Real Women on Instagram

Real Women Website

 

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Dawn and Tracy are real women who are fed up of all the “noise” out there in the real world. Life isn’t simply rainbows and unicorns, it's broken relationships, hard work, hot sweats and never ending laundry baskets.  But life as a real woman is also about being honest, having good gossip and speaking our truths. Whether it’s peeling yourself into your spandex for a night out, or running a business meeting barefoot because the heel has fallen off your stilettos, there is always something to laugh about in life.

Dawn is mid 50’s mid menopause straight talking business maverick.  Four kids, three grandchildren, two businesses, one husband and a self proclaimed “hottie”.

Tracy is a mid 50’s awesome mum, business and property mentor. Proud of her raw, honest nature, “bonkers” sense of humour and good old-fashioned northern humility.

 

PODCAST DESCRIPTION

The business of being a real woman juggling life, love and work for many of us is pure sweat, grit & hustle. This podcast is for those of you who are tired of the “noise” and just want real down-to-earth gossip with no filters or fluff.  Dawn and Tracy bring heartfelt humour, raw honesty, spandex, stilettos, and intelligent conversion on being a real woman in today's world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dawn and Tracy, who both run successful businesses, are getting overwhelmed with the number of options available to them when it comes to marketing. This past year, Dawn has decided to “chuck the book” at a number of marketing options in an attempt to find the one that works best for her. But, what she’s discovered is that it’s not as simple as just commissioning a marketing agency. From branding, to messaging, to understating your business and yourself, the ladies are here to walk you through the fundamental aspects you have to get right first before any adventures in marketing can begin and the dangers you’ll face if you don’t do the hard work first. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS


Marketing is more than Facebook and Google ads, but a lot of new businesses don’t understand this. Dawn explains how marketing hasn’t really changed since the 50’s and recaps some of the lessons you can learn from the ‘old boys.’ 
The foundations are key to any form of marketing, such as a logo, slogan and strong branding. Dawn and Tracy share their tips on getting these foundations right so that the marketing you do, does not fail.
Even the best marketing idea in the world will fail if it doesn’t reach the right people. Tracy talks about the importance of understanding your perfect customers to make sure you get your message in front of the people that matter most. 
There are thousands of marketing companies out there, but how do you know which one is right for you? Dawn and Tracy share their ‘red flags’ to look for when commissioning a marketing company. 

BEST MOMENTS

“In order to win certain deals, it’s not just about marketing your company, but marketing who you are.”

“If you don’t understand who your perfect client is, you’re doomed before you start.”

“What do you do, what problems can you solve, what is special about what you do, who are your clients? - if you can nail those four things, you’ll have strong, focused marketing.”

 

EPISODE RESOURCES

Real Women on Instagram

Real Women Website

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Dawn and Tracy are real women who are fed up of all the “noise” out there in the real world. Life isn’t simply rainbows and unicorns, it's broken relationships, hard work, hot sweats and never ending laundry baskets.  But life as a real woman is also about being honest, having good gossip and speaking our truths. Whether it’s peeling yourself into your spandex for a night out, or running a business meeting barefoot because the heel has fallen off your stilettos, there is always something to laugh about in life. 

Dawn is mid 50’s mid menopause straight talking business maverick.  Four kids, three grandchildren, two businesses, one husband and a self proclaimed “hottie”.

Tracy is a mid 50’s awesome mum, business and property mentor. Proud of her raw, honest nature, “bonkers” sense of humour and good old-fashioned northern humility.

PODCAST DESCRIPTION

The business of being a real woman juggling life, love and work for many of us is pure sweat, grit & hustle. This podcast is for those of you who are tired of the “noise” and just want real down-to-earth gossip with no filters or fluff.  Dawn and Tracy bring heartfelt humour, raw honesty, spandex, stilettos, and intelligent conversion on being a real woman in today's world.

It’s the anniversary of Tracy’s fathers death and that has got her thinking about grief, how we cope with it and the impact it has on our lives, both personally and professionally. But, is grief always a bad thing, is there any comfort to be found in suffering? Both Dawn and Tracy have been through periods of prolonged grief, in this episode, they look back on them, the strategies they used to overcome the grief, the lessons they have learned and how it shaped them into the woman they are today. And finally, come to a surprising conclusion about the inevitability of death.

KEY TAKEAWAYS


Tracy talks about how grief affects her both emotionally and in other aspects of her life, such as her business, and shares the strategies she has developed to cope when it comes along. 
Dawn recounts the story of losing her sister in law at a relatively young age, and how this led her and her husband to take stock of their life and rethink their relationship with death.
The ladies both discuss the deaths of their grandparents and how, even many years later, it still affects them, but also, how they both eventually came to peace with the loss. 
While it’s important to grief, it’s also important to move past it. The ladies discuss how ‘picking yourself up’ after a period of grief can only make you stronger. 

BEST MOMENTS

“Grief is like a tennis ball in a shoebox. Everytime the ball bounces against the edge, you get a wave of grief, but, after time, you learn to put it in a bigger box.”

“Nobody dies as long as somebody remembers them.”

“The creed of the warrior is 7 times down, 8 times up.”

 

EPISODE RESOURCES

Real Women on Instagram

Real Women Website

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Dawn and Tracy are real women who are fed up of all the “noise” out there in the real world. Life isn’t simply rainbows and unicorns, it's broken relationships, hard work, hot sweats and never ending laundry baskets.  But life as a real woman is also about being honest, having good gossip and speaking our truths. Whether it’s peeling yourself into your spandex for a night out, or running a business meeting barefoot because the heel has fallen off your stilettos, there is always something to laugh about in life. 

Dawn is mid 50’s mid menopause straight talking business maverick.  Four kids, three grandchildren, two businesses, one husband and a self proclaimed “hottie”.

Tracy is a mid 50’s awesome mum, business and property mentor. Proud of her raw, honest nature, “bonkers” sense of humour and good old-fashioned northern humility.

PODCAST DESCRIPTION

The business of being a real woman juggling life, love and work for many of us is pure sweat, grit & hustle. This podcast is for those of you who are tired of the “noise” and just want real down-to-earth gossip with no filters or fluff.  Dawn and Tracy bring heartfelt humour, raw honesty, spandex, stilettos, and intelligent conversion on being a real woman in today's world.

The ladies are back this week for another ‘Quick One’, in a clip taken from episode 94, which featured Jeremey Bailey, Dawn’s ‘Freedom Friend’, owner of multiple businesses and eligible bachelor. Talking about online dating, the trio discuss what they think is good and bad about it, why it might be more tailored to men and not women and why it will never compete with a good, old fashioned, romantic encounter. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS


Jeremy sparks the conversation by giving his thoughts on online dating, how he thinks the science behind it is sound, but why he prefers to talk to someone instead of just ‘swiping right’.
Tracy bemoans the fact that online dating has reduced initial romantic interactions to looking at photos and a list of likes and how this will never allow you to judge someone's personality. 
Jeremy explains his theory that men are competing with all other men for a woman's attention, but women are not competing with other women, then uses Tracy’s experiences to prove his point. 
Dawn shares her thoughts on what men are attracted to in women and what women are attracted to in men and why this makes online dating a platform that men prefer. 

BEST MOMENTS

“From my experience, most ladies have made up their mind in minutes  whether they are interested or not.”

“Men require physical attraction, women require an emotional connection to be attracted .”

“I went on a date with a man and he turned out to be shorter than me, so that was no straight away.”

 

EPISODE RESOURCES

Original Episode

Jeremy’s Instagram

Real Women on Instagram

Real Women Website

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Dawn and Tracy are real women who are fed up of all the “noise” out there in the real world. Life isn’t simply rainbows and unicorns, it's broken relationships, hard work, hot sweats and never ending laundry baskets.  But life as a real woman is also about being honest, having good gossip and speaking our truths. Whether it’s peeling yourself into your spandex for a night out, or running a business meeting barefoot because the heel has fallen off your stilettos, there is always something to laugh about in life. 

Dawn is mid 50’s mid menopause straight talking business maverick.  Four kids, three grandchildren, two businesses, one husband and a self proclaimed “hottie”.

Tracy is a mid 50’s awesome mum, business and property mentor. Proud of her raw, honest nature, “bonkers” sense of humour and good old-fashioned northern humility.

PODCAST DESCRIPTION

The business of being a real woman juggling life, love and work for many of us is pure sweat, grit & hustle. This podcast is for those of you who are tired of the “noise” and just want real down-to-earth gossip with no filters or fluff.  Dawn and Tracy bring heartfelt humour, raw honesty, spandex, stilettos, and intelligent conversion on being a real woman in today's world.

It’s Tracy's birthday this week and, as she becomes another year older, it prompts a question from Dawn “Is it the journey or the destination that’s important?” As the ladies try to break down this age old question, one thing becomes clear - that the answer really isn’t that simple. Looking at the difference between personal and career journeys, how their perception of the destination has changed over the years, and how the journey might pass you by, the ladies leave no stone unturned when trying to solve this riddle, but what they do decide, is that the answer to this question may be neither the journey or the destination.

KEY TAKEAWAYS


Dawn says that we live in a world where we are conditioned to think that ‘specific outcomes’ are what is important, but as she has discovered in life, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Tracy muses on the idea that even though the journey is important, it’s more important to recognise that you’re on a journey and to “smell the roses along the way.”
Tracy talks about the idea of the ‘gap and the gain’. Should you measure your success on how far you fell short, the gap, or what you achieved that you never thought you would, the gain. 
Tracy looks back on how her perception of what her destination is has changed over the years and how those destinations have turned from material items into more personal desires. 

BEST MOMENTS

“Where we’re going is important, but by the time we get there we want change.”

“We are all on multiple journeys with multiple destinations.”

“Remember to live life for the moment, because we don’t know how many moments we have left.”

EPISODE RESOURCES

Real Women on Instagram

Real Women Website

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Dawn and Tracy are real women who are fed up of all the “noise” out there in the real world. Life isn’t simply rainbows and unicorns, it's broken relationships, hard work, hot sweats and never ending laundry baskets.  But life as a real woman is also about being honest, having good gossip and speaking our truths. Whether it’s peeling yourself into your spandex for a night out, or running a business meeting barefoot because the heel has fallen off your stilettos, there is always something to laugh about in life. 

Dawn is mid 50’s mid menopause straight talking business maverick.  Four kids, three grandchildren, two businesses, one husband and a self proclaimed “hottie”.

Tracy is a mid 50’s awesome mum, business and property mentor. Proud of her raw, honest nature, “bonkers” sense of humour and good old-fashioned northern humility.

PODCAST DESCRIPTION

The business of being a real woman juggling life, love and work for many of us is pure sweat, grit & hustle. This podcast is for those of you who are tired of the “noise” and just want real down-to-earth gossip with no filters or fluff.  Dawn and Tracy bring heartfelt humour, raw honesty, spandex, stilettos, and intelligent conversion on being a real woman in today's world.

Dawn and Tracy are here with a quick caffeine cast. After waking up at 4:10am this week and deciding to just get out of bed, something that has been happening more and more recently, Tracy wants to talk about why, as we get older, do we wake up earlier and earlier in the mornings. 

From the science that Dawn can’t remember, to Tracy just wanting to be lazy and the all important topic of afternoon naps, the ladies are covering everything you want to know about early rising, lying in and the morning after the night before. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS


Dawn was listening to a podcast about the science behind sleeping times, but she can’t remember all the details. Luckily Tracy is here to fill her in. 
Tracy has been experimenting with her circadian rhythm when sleeping. She explains the method to Dawn and the benefits she is seeing. 
Dawn finds that her most productive days are the ones when she gets up early, but she muses on why she is naturally waking up earlier now that she has nothing to do in the mornings.
Dawn and Tracy discuss the idea of afternoon naps. Tracy isn’t a fan, but Dawn might be able to convince to start taking them more seriously. 

BEST MOMENTS

“Why is it that when the kids finally leave home your body decides it wants to wake up early?”

“I was listening to something, I can’t remember what it was and they were talking about something, but I can’t remember the name of it. But, apparently, it helps you sleep.”

“I do find that the days I get up early are my most productive days, but, parking that, it really pisses me off.”

EPISODE RESOURCES

Real Women on Instagram

Real Women Website

ABOUT THE HOSTS

Dawn and Tracy are real women who are fed up of all the “noise” out there in the real world. Life isn’t simply rainbows and unicorns, it's broken relationships, hard work, hot sweats and never ending laundry baskets.  But life as a real woman is also about being honest, having good gossip and speaking our truths. Whether it’s peeling yourself into your spandex for a night out, or running a business meeting barefoot because the heel has fallen off your stilettos, there is always something to laugh about in life. 

Dawn is mid 50’s mid menopause straight talking business maverick.  Four kids, three grandchildren, two businesses, one husband and a self proclaimed “hottie”.

Tracy is a mid 50’s awesome mum, business and property mentor. Proud of her raw, honest nature, “bonkers” sense of humour and good old-fashioned northern humility.

PODCAST DESCRIPTION

The business of being a real woman juggling life, love and work for many of us is pure sweat, grit & hustle. This podcast is for those of you who are tired of the “noise” and just want real down-to-earth gossip with no filters or fluff.  Dawn and Tracy bring heartfelt humour, raw honesty, spandex, stilettos, and intelligent conversion on being a real woman in today's world.