Meet our Sponsor: Louise Squires Inspired to Change
Meet Louise
I’m Louise Squires, a Clinical Hypnotherapist based in Bromsgrove in Worcestershire. I offer face to face and online hypnotherapy sessions, as well as delivering workshops to businesses, wanting to help their employees to recognise and manage stress. Having suffered with anxiety in the past, working in high pressure sales roles, whilst managing the demands of two young children – I understand how stress can impact every aspect of our lives, leading to weight gain, panic attacks, insomnia and negative self-talk. I am passionate about helping people to realise their potential and become the best version of themselves.
Prior to qualifying as a hypnotherapist, I worked in sales for 20 years. Sales is a tough gig, you are only ever as good as you last month’s figures and then the slate is wiped clean and the pressure is on again from the start of the month. As I learned about how our brains work during my hypnotherapy studies, I started to realise what a negative impact this was having on my mental health. I used to hate Sunday nights, as soon as it got to 5pm in the evening, the dread of Monday would start to hit me. I’d be panicking about turning on my work phone to messages from customers who didn’t respect my boundaries of not answering my phone outside of work hours. Monthly appraisals would also fill me with anxiety, even though I always achieved and smashed my targets, there would always be something where I ‘could do better’.
The journey to hypnotherapy
As a woman in a very male dominated industry, I often felt like the ‘odd one out’. There would be sales meetings all over the country and the expectation would be to stay over in the evenings and I was always the one not drinking and leaving early to get home to put my children to bed. I felt like I was always carrying guilt for being a mother and working full time. Guilt when I couldn’t be all over the country for work and guilt when I wasn’t around for my children, or constantly on the laptop, completing reports that had to be in that evening.
I educate my clients on the ‘3 P’s’ (Positive Interaction, Positive Activity and Positive Thought) and I soon realised that I wasn’t fulfilling my own 3 P’s, so I took the bold move of leaving my job in 2020 to go full time into my hypnotherapy business, which had been building steadily.
Being a hypnotherapist is by far the most rewarding job I have ever had! I always say I never see the same person twice. What I mean is, one week a client can come in for an initial consultation, in a really bad place, lack of eye contact, head dropped, shoulders hunched. Then over the following weeks I see the transformation, head held high, smiling face and a spring in their step. I start every session by asking ‘What’s been good this week?’ I love to hear about the amazing progress my clients make week by week, by just focusing on the small steps that lead to that bigger change. I’ll never tire of hearing the words ‘you’ve changed my life’.
solution focused hypnotherapy
I specialise in solution-focused hypnotherapy based on modern, clinically proven, neuroscience based techniques. I help my clients to understand how our brains work and why they get us stuck sometimes, and I teach my clients how to get their brain working better for them so they can achieve the outcomes they want. I guide them to find their own solutions to getting their lives on track feeling positive, confident, motivated and focused.
The best bit about solution-focused hypnotherapy is that I do all of this without any need to revisit the past or unpick old problems! I see a lot of clients with anxiety and stress. Solution-focused hypnotherapy gives them the ability to cope in different situations in a calm and effective way. By speaking to the subconscious, during hypnosis, I help my clients control their anxiety levels and have a calmer, more confident approach to all situations. Success can be aided by the use of a relaxation audio (which I send to every client) recreating the calm state experienced during the hypnotherapy session.
A woman in business
For me, to be a woman leading a business it means I am fiercely independent, this has helped me to take action, where I’ve needed to, without any hesitation. I’ve taken charge of my career, no longer is a promotion based on someone’s opinion of me. I have a passion for learning and developing myself, I now attend regular CPDs, I can diversify into new areas, when I choose to. My home/life balance is now healthy, if I need time off to attend the nativity play or sports day, I can be there, without any apologies, without feeling that I’m doing something that inconveniences someone else.
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Here are some of my words of advice as a female business owner:
Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t
There are plenty of people in our lives that I call ‘red lighters’ People that have stayed in their comfort zone. These are the people that will try to put doubt in your mind. Remember, their words are a reflection of their own insecurities, they have never pushed themselves to achieve and can’t see from the perspective of someone that is willing to.
Take advice from people that have already achieved what it is that you desire
The people that will give you the best advice are the people that have walked the walk, got the T Shirt and been through the highs and lows. Choose a mentor that is aligned with your core values, they will be invaluable to aid in your success. Remember, if they can do it, so can you!
Network, network, network!
Never miss an opportunity to talk to people about what you do. I attend networking events every week, but I’m also networking wherever I go. That includes the school run, shopping, socialising. You will be amazed at how many opportunities present themselves when you least expect it.
Keep showing up
We all have days where we don’t feel 100% The importance in showing up and being consistent is paramount. We don’t always see instant results in everything we do, but consistency is key. Imagine an empty jar and you want to fill it with money. Putting a penny in the jar for one day won’t make you rich, but by consistently putting a penny in the jar, day upon day your jar will fill up.
To do lists
So there are a couple of benefits of To Do lists. The first being, they help you to focus and prioritise tasks that need to be completed. The second one is the lovely release of dopamine, the brain’s reward neurotransmitter. Notice how good you feel when you complete a task?
Don’t be afraid to invest in yourself and your business
This is all about mindset, when we resist making an investment, our mindset is in a place of scarcity. We need to think with an abundance mindset in order to achieve success. This is not about making uninformed financial decisions, it’s about looking at what it is we need to spend money on to get us closer to our ultimate goal. If you need to invest in education, qualifications, marketing, business premises don’t be afraid to, with the correct mindset, vision and focus, that money will be returned to you over and over again.
Don’t concern yourself with competition
One of the key things I have learned in launching my hypnotherapy practice is not to worry about competition. I am one of the most expensive hypnotherapists in my area, I get new clients every day of the week. It’s easy to get caught up in looking at someone else’s business and comparing yourself to them. You run your business the way you want to run it, don’t undervalue your services.
Women Who, Worcestershire
I am delighted to be sponsoring Women Who Worcestershire in 2022, Carrie and Lisa have built such a supportive networking community for female business owners. The networking meetings are very insightful and I love being part of such a collaborative, supportive group.
Find me online here: South Birmingham Hypnotherapy – Louise Squires (inspiredtochange.biz)
Creating opportunities through networking, events and peer support for female business owners and company directors in Worcestershire.
Surround yourself with a positive, supportive and inspiring network.