Our guest, Adele Spraggon, who is the CEO of Shaped Within, struggled with a lot of subconscious patterns.
She quit 3 viable businesses, business partners, and sponsors. She even attended personal development programs to help her but didn't work out.
Adele started to journal and created a highly effective 4 step technique that removes unwanted patterns.
She created her own solution and it completely changed her life.
Today, she speaks to hundreds of people about how to recognize when they are sabotaging their dreams.
She also shows women entrepreneurs how to break through their limiting blocks and step into leadership roles in all areas of life.
During this interview, you'll discover...
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The importance of embracing being uncomfortable
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How the 4 step technique works
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The guides that will help you take on leadership roles
To learn more about Adele, visit here.
For her LinkedIn page, click here.
For her Facebook, check this out.
For her Twitter, discover here.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION
Michael Palmer: 01:07 Welcome back to The Successful Bookkeeper podcast. I'm your host, Michael Palmer, and today's show is going to be a terrific one. Our guest believes in you mastering your genius. She's really a guide in your life that helps you take on leadership roles with ease, communicate confidently, improve your relationships, and transform anything negative in your past, into an empowering future. Adele Spraggon, Welcome to the podcast.
Adele Spraggon: 01:36 Thank you, Michael. Terrific to be here.
MP: 01:39 Well, thank you so much on behalf of, of the listener for being here and giving us your time today. Now before we get into the brilliant work you do, I absolutely love reading. I've started reading your book. I absolutely love it. I've known you for a long time and I love your message and the work that you do is just literally a gift to the planet. So before we do get into all of that, Adele, please share with our listener a bit of your backstory and how you became an Adele Spraggon today.
AS: 02:12 Well, that's an awesome question. Um, you know, whenever somebody says to me, why do you do what you do? I always say, do I have a choice? Or maybe listeners can relate, like entrepreneurship is more like a calling, right? But how I got to be here is, um, I really struggled with it. A lot of subconscious patterns which were preventing me from feeling powerful. Um, I actually started three highly successful businesses and quit them. As soon as I started to get up to a level of success, I just turned tail and I just ran away. And so I'd walked away from three business partners. I'd walked away from three sponsors who had paid for all my initiatives and I was just beside myself frankly. And so I also struggled with panic attacks. I've, I had at the time, I had about 10 years of daily panic attacks every morning at 2:00 AM I would wake up in a panic.
AS: 03:06 So at this point, and I tried everything Michael, like a lot of your listeners may have as they struggle with things, but it keeping them stuck. I tried every personal development program on the market that I could find and nothing seemed to be really working. So anyway, I reflected and by myself, I actually started to use my journal and I came up with this four-step re-patterning technique, which completely changed my life. And because of that I thought, okay, I don't have a choice. I have to go and teach this to people. And so I started teaching it and boy, like lives all over the, all over the planet really are being transformed through this technique. So it's extremely powerful and yeah.
MP: 03:53 Wow. It is a, I mean that is a calling. I love that you called it that and you discovered it and created it. How did you come about this actual solution? And I've read a little a bit about your book and I think it's, it's, it's an interesting take on like you went and looked all over the place for the solution, but yet you ended up creating your own solution, which I think is incredible.
AS: 04:17 Yeah. Yeah. I, well, the night I quit, but they asked him that I quit my third business and I took my, my business partner held for dinner and I looked in her eyes and I told her, you know, I'm quitting. And I looked in her eyes and I just saw this look of disappointment. Just come over her face. And before my other two business partners had been angry. But this look of disappointment really woke me up. It was like, Whoa, what am I doing? And so that night, you know, like many people do when they have a problem, I was tossing and I was turning and I just could not sleep. And about two o'clock in the morning I got up and I grabbed my journal and I just started writing and mostly I was just writing a word and I just kept on underlining it.
AS: 05:01 I was crying like, why am I doing this? Why, why, why? And believe it or not, my pen started writing and I started reading the words that were written there and what was being written there was just making the Harris on the back of my neck stand up because here was my pen telling me the, the reason I was quitting has nothing to do with the situation out there. You know, I was blaming everything and everybody and myself and it was saying no. The real reason Adele is because you have pattern of quitting, change the pattern and you'll never quit again. Well that was profound. I didn't even know what a pattern was at the time. And so I kept writing and it this entire new philosophy, this new perspective started to unfold on those pages, and it's one that so empowering, so affirming and liberating.
AS: 05:56 It was just remarkable to me. Like I said, the hairs on the back of my neck just stood up. My background, Michael is and meditation. I'm a meditation facilitator. I've been meditating 25 years and what this journal was showing me was that I could have those results that I was looking for through meditation inside of a two minute technique done inside the privacy of my own head. At first I didn't believe it, but as I started to apply it, it was like, wow, holy crap. That's true. I'm actually getting where I where I would hope to have been after 25 years inside of months. So it was just remarkable.
AS: 06:36 It is
AS: 06:37 people, and they get those results too at that, at that speed of transformation. So it is a very, very powerful way of doing life.
MP: 06:47 It's, it's remarkable. And you know, it's just, Eh, I'm used the word magic before. It's, it's magical in terms of the knowledge. Where did that knowledge come from? How did it get there? You know, it took what to get there. You know, maybe it was 25 years of you doing this work on yourself to be ready to receive a message like that. But it really is magical. And, and you've mentioned results. What I, you know, some of the people, what, how have you worked with them? They come to you and they say, you know, I'm, I'm dealing with this problem. What kind of problems are you helping solve?
AS: 07:23 Well, really I do work with a wide variety of people, but one of my primary group of clients that I work with is entrepreneurs because in my eyes, if I can help one entrepreneur, then I can help hundreds of people. Because entrepreneurs, the gifts that they bring to the planet is tremendous. So your people working with bookkeepers base support, other entrepreneurs who are doing fantastic stuff and that support is amazing right there. They're there back a hand, know the right hand for everybody to go forward. So I love working with entrepreneurs and helping them to get on Spec and to be fulfilled. I also work with capital that if I can start with some entrepreneurial stories from no one at one of the woman I worked with, she uh, oh wait, I just did a workshop this weekend and she was struggling with money for a long time and she just came into this workshop just to review and you know, I said, how's it going?
AS: 08:26 I hadn't seen her for a couple of months and she said to me, Adele, do you know I have more money today sitting in my bank account than I made in an entire year before working with you? And I went, wow. Like you know, she's just has this freedom around making money and she just walks up to people in her for money and she has no qualms about it whatsoever. So that's just one result and it's just this complete liberation on, can I, can I make, can I reach out there? Can I take risks, ride those waves. Do what you need to do and the honor to make your business flow and just get the money that you need in order to flourish and succeed. So I work with people around sales. I work with people around standing on a stage and presenting anything really that's in their way of being successful.
MP: 09:21 Wow. So, so essentially, I mean, it's remarkable results and this, this person essentially had something in their way and you work with people's patterns and they, you help them identify those patterns and turn those patterns, rewire those patterns, if you will, into patterns at work and get them what they want.
AS: 09:43 Yeah, yeah, yeah. One of the things that really bugged me out there in the market is this one stop shop kind of approach right here. Let me tell you what the solution is for you. But everybody is unique and so whatever somebody is stuck, it's not a one stop solution. It's not a bandaid. It's like we've got to dig in there. We got to figure out what the problem is, figure out which patterns are unworkable and then work to remove.
AS: 10:10 And that's always unique to every individual.
MP: 10:21 I can imagine. I am refreshing to hear it. So we've tackled one for entrepreneurs. What about relationships? How have you been able to impact people in relationship?
AS: 10:31 So a couple of come to me who are on the verge of divorce and they are, this is usually they're okay and we're, we're either gonna split up or are we going to give it one more try? Right. And so I again, I work with them each individually. We look at what are their patterns individually that are preventing them from having that happy, healthy relationship that they want. And then each person removes their individual patterns and as they do that, the other person shows a brand new. You know, there's one thing Michael, that I always say the biggest gift you can give another person is to allow that person to show up brand new every time you see them. And that's the gift that the couple of gives each other. And when they give them each other about gifts, it's like, oh that conflict, all of that negativity just melts away. And the empathy and the closeness, the connection is incredible. I mean, I worked with one couple, they went from being on the verge of divorce to being newlyweds again within eight weeks, then now building a business together. Believe it or not, we all know how much conflict that creates and yet they're just failing through happily and really supporting each other. So it's amazing to watch.
MP: 11:45 That's fantastic. It's beautiful. And so you say that again. So the way they're showing up each other is they are being, was it a new version or say that again?
AS: 11:58 Yeah. So the biggest gift that you can give another person is to allow that person to show up brand new every time you see them.
MP: 12:06 Got It. So it's the, it's me giving them the gift of like they're brand new. When I see them, like my wife for instance, she walks in the door and it's like the first time I've ever seen her.
AS: 12:17 Yeah, yeah.
MP: 12:18 That's powerful.
AS: 12:19 And then you, you wait for her to say something and then she, you get to know her based on how she's behaving and she's doing the same gift for you. And it's, it's truly, yeah, it's very, very powerful. And the beautiful part is, is as you do it for another, you start to do it for yourself. And that's really powerful because a lot of us struggle with past histories that bring, I'm not getting enough messages or shame or you know, all sorts of stuff. And when we allow ourselves to show up brand new and get to know ourselves in every situation, it's like, wow, like all of that in a conflict, all of that negativity, all of those not good enough voices, they just melt away.
MP: 13:04 Hmm. Magical. I absolutely love it. So you know, you could have just listening here, I could see how powerful this can be for people, not just in relationship, but yes, entrepreneurs, business people, staff of those businesses, everyone can benefit. Tell me a little bit more and help the listener understand what, what does, what is it a pattern?
AS: 13:26 Yeah, great question. So the easiest way to think about patterns is think of yourself as an iceberg. And at the top of the surface of the water is everything that you do, all your actions that you take, all of your beliefs and all of your behaviors. Both conscious and subconscious. Under the water is where the patterns lie. And so a pattern is simply an intertwined, super cold sensation. Emotion under thought. When all three aspects about being comes together, it creates a particular action. So patterns are there in order for you to take an action or to hold a belief or to have a behavior and those live under the water. So all that we do is we go in and we identify those patterns first of all, and then there's a four step technique to just remove it. So it's really a method of subtraction versus a method of addition is the easiest way to say it. So most people try to co, most programs try to correct something that is perceived to wrong. It's about fixing something that's broken. This is about just removing what isn't working. So patterns aren't good or bad. They either work or they don't work. And we just look for the ones that don't work. And then just remove them. And then that action, that behavior, that belief, just to just go the way this disappears.
MP: 14:46 Remarkable. So our listener listening right now, they've maybe never heard of something like this. What would be the first thing, not likely, not a, and some remarkable results? I, I mean, I'd be surprised if there weren't a listener listening or thinking I'd like some of that. Uh, what's the, what would be one step that they could take today while listening or after they've listened that would, would help them start to move towards some of the wonderful results you're speaking about?
AS: 15:20 Yeah, great question. So, um, well I would say one is the not working. That is the first question that you need to ask. So let's, let's give some examples, right? Let's say that they are not getting the clients that they need in order to take their business to the next level. So the first question to ask is not what do I need to do, but where am I trying to get to? And then what's in the way of me getting there? So for example, let's say that they, that your listeners says, I need to bring in a hundred clients over the next three months. What is preventing them from bringing in those three, those hundred clients? Is it that they're not picking up the phone and making phone call? Is it that they're not generating leads? Is it that they're not, uh, they're afraid to get on the stage and speak about what they do?
AS: 16:13 Right? So the first thing that they need to ask is what is in the way of me accomplishing that goal? And then that's the top of the iceberg. So that's the action behavior belief. Then you want to close your eyes, look inside yourself and identify the physical sensation, emotion and thought that is preventing you from taking that action. So is it fear? Is there some, you know, and it can be anything like we never know. We have to start digging in there and find out. But what is it that's preventing that action from taking place? I mean, emotion always speaks louder than our logic. We can tell ourselves, yes, I need to phone 10 clients today. But if the emotion is fear, the odds of you being able to push past that boundary and you can phone those 10 clients or potential clients, it's cute. Very, very, very, very likely chance you won't unless you have a pattern for commitment, which allows you to do that. Hopefully that makes sense.
MP: 17:21Kind of. It's like, it's like you're, you're removing some pieces and inserting certain pieces, which is, it's very interesting because if you think about it, it's, if, if we simply try and remove something, I mean in most situations, you know, you know, like we're fixing a car, right? And I'm sorry I use these analogies in my car just in the last couple of episodes. But if we're taking our car to get the car fixed and just roll, the tires are broken, we take the tires off, it's like, well, that doesn't fix anything. We need to replace it with something that actually will support it, like new tires or, uh, something along those lines. So this is very interesting in that often I think for myself, just in terms of my own performance, I'm often, oh, if only I wasn't doing it that way or could do something differently, it would be better. And really it's, it's, it's, it's a combination or a formula that needs to be rewired to actually create the lasting change that you're talking about.
AS: 18:24 Yeah. So we tend to think only about solution without first removing the problem. So like you're saying, you have to take out off the old tire that's broken before you can put a new one on. Most people just try and pick a new one on top and that actually creates another problem. So the solution that we come up with inside an an unworkable pattern often just creates the next problem. Does that make sense?
MP: 18:51 It does, yeah.
AS: 18:52 We take away that that old pattern or one that's not working. Now that we have room for the new solution to come into play.
MP: 19:02 Excellent. Now what resistance do you have with clients like this is people start taking this on. Do you find people instantly succeed or do they, does it take a while for them too to get traction?
AS: 19:19 Uh, it takes six weeks in the beginning to learn the technique. And the reason is if you, if you think about how the brain is wired, so neuroscience is really catching up now to what the Buddha told us 2,500 years ago. Um, that we can, we can actually rewire our brain was basically what he was trying to say without the understanding of neuroscience. So if you think about how the brain is wired up, we have these channels that are knitted together that bring you the particular information or ways of seeing the world, our perspective, our worldview. And as you start applying this technique, you start to weaken those neurons but a Nessa together and as you apply it daily, over a six week process, those neurons weekends, the point where they pull apart and then they snap into different channels. And that's what brings us solution.
AS: 20:12 It's that pulling apart of the old and snapping into new channel where suddenly a whole new world view a whole new perspective comes into being. And that's, that's that magical element that you're hearing, right? That in the beginning it does take that six weeks of consistent application. Now as you keep applying it, as you keep going, this, this technique speeds up. The brain gets used to working with its own plasticity and it gets used to rewiring itself faster and faster and faster to the point where, you know, now I can do it in, but it doesn't take booths at all. Um, but in the beginning it does take something. Now this technique itself as simple, simple as heck, Michael, it's four steps, but it's so simple. Simple is not easy. And because the brain likes to complicate things, we like to try and understand things at a deep level when really if we just apply the four step, it would work so much more effective. But you know, human being, but human beings and, and complications come into play. So yeah, in the beginning it's like consistent application, learning something new. And then at six weeks you started to get those magical results and then things just start to roll from there.
MP: 21:27 Hmm. So how do you take people through this? I mean, it's sounding very interesting and you know, we think we were very much aware of software on computers in this day and age. I mean 25,000 years ago with the Buddha. Yeah. There were talk about apps and Ios and all this other stuff, but the idea of having some new software and having it running and once you get that software running better, yeah, we've all had the new phone where it's like, Ooh, this thing's awesome. Uh, you know, and then eventually it, it kind of degrades a bit because it needs another upgrade perhaps. So this process, what does it look like to upgrade the software? It's just doing these exercises in over the eight weeks
MP: 22:12 if it's done in the privacy of your own head. So it's just four steps that you learn. I can give you a step one if that would help.
AS: 22:20 I love stuff.
AS: 22:20 Step one is, okay, so step one is you would identify the pattern. So something in your life that's not working. So, no, I'm just going to make something up here. So let's say the two leadership issues and you've got an employee that's not working for you. Okay. Or not doing what you expect them to do. And so rather than going and speaking to the employee, you would turn in would and you would say, okay, so I've got this employee, you would think about this employee and then you would ask yourself, what's the emotion that's arising in my body? And then where do I feel that emotion? So where is it physically? And then what is the one thought that pops into my head when I think about the situation. So it might be anger for example, it might be a set jaw that you noticed and the thought might be they are not doing what I told them to do.
AS: 23:17 So that that is the pattern. Then. So you've just done step one against by the pattern and then the next two steps take, take the process of pulling that pattern apart and then the fourth step you would be able to create an pattern. So very simple done in the privacy of your own head. Something like I said, that as you get better at it, you can do on the fly, go walking up to the microphone to do a speech. You Notice, oh, I'm feeling uncomfortable here. You'd just be applying the four steps on the steps up to the microphone and boom, you arrive when you, you entire behavior is different as you hit that mic, right?
AS: 24:01 Did that answer your question?
MP: 24:03 Yeah, it did. It's exciting. I mean it's like, okay. It's a very simple, like you say, we try to, as a human being, we want to overcomplicate things. I never do that every day, but it's a very simple way to really rewire every set your, your, your software, your operating system to get the results that you want in life. And that's exciting and it's, and it's, and it's empowering and that this can be done just in your mind and, and over a period of time. Now I know that you have some brilliant free resources on your website about how our listener and, and people that they know and people in their lives, even anybody can use to get on stock and then stay on stock. Can you tell us a little bit about that because I think that's a great next step for everyone listening.
AS: 24:54 If there's something in their way, and you've mentioned a few things that I actually think that the a hundred I mean, I know our listeners, many of them want clients, right? Not just any clients and want great clients and they want to be paid more. They want to earn more and to get there, they have to do things that they're uncomfortable doing. I mean, one of our mattress in our community is to embrace being uncomfortable and doing things that are new, uh, because that's where you find new results in new, new, uh, opportunities. And so we know that there's all sorts of results. Now, a hundred clients is going to be overwhelming for every listener to like a hundred. So let's call it five. But whether it's new clients or hiring some staff or you know, there's just things in your way, I think this will be a great next step for them to go and start actually rewiring their thinking for greater success.
AS: 25:45 Then can I, can I add one thing in there, Michael?
AS: 25:50 I always advise people never push past your comfort zone. Um, believe it or not. Now as I say that, I am aware that everything that somebody wants is outside the current comfort zone. But when we push up against the boundaries, patterns are designed to keep us safe and those patterns start pushing back. And that's why it's a somewhat uncomfortable and B, why it's oftentimes the case that you can only push so far before you retreat back. Right? Like I did. So I was pushing, pushing, pushing to get my business into existence. I want those three businesses and so existence. But eventually, those pushing those patterns just push me back into the safety of where, who I used to be and said, no, you're not going any further. We're quitting. Right? And that, that's what tends to happen though. I always advise, please don't past your whole thing is to look for where you're uncomfortable and remove the pattern and then you're just stepping forward with it. There is no,
MP: 26:51 I love it.
AS: 26:52 I actually, I really liked that and I think it's an opportunity for us to upgrade our thinking around being uncomfortable and so what language could we use that would be empowering us to embrace the being uncomfortable. I don't know what the language might be, but how would you, you know there is this the waves.
MP: 27:13 Right, right, right.
AS: 27:15 Then the bigger the waves, the more excitement the better they become because once you've got this tool in your pocket, it's like, yeah, bring it on, bring it on. There is nothing that's going to stop me.
MP: 27:25 Beautiful. So ride the wave is to just ride the wave and explore. I'm going to talk to you offline about that because I really, I like the energy of that.
AS: 27:38 And I think I want to have our mantra because we have a manager that we, we talk about every month around success and we, we sorta set the stage and I'd love to upgrade that with empowering, empowering language that works with the wiring of your brain, which you're an expert in. And I think if we add some improvement, there will be naturally moving people forward to, to break through these different areas in their life.
MP: 28:03 Beautiful.
AS: 28:04 Yes, of course. I'd love that.
MP: 28:06 That's great. Okay, well tell us about these, these resources where they can go and find them on your website and what they should expect.
AS: 28:15 Yeah. So go to www.Adelespraggon.com so my full name and A, d, e, l, e, just like the singer s, p, r, a double g o n.com. And there you'll find lots of free resources. There's a three part video series, which will really teach you how to get unstuck. There is a free strategy call they can book. So yeah, start there, Adelespraggon.com grab that three part video series and you'll be on your way.
MP: 28:48 Beautiful. Well that, that's awesome. We're going to have the links literally right there on your phone. If you're listening or you're on the computer, just look down and you'll find the link where you can go right to Adele's website and get those free resources and begin your journey of riding the wave. I love that. I'm wearing my shirt today. Again, I wear this shirt very often every day California. It's like I'm going to have to get a couple of pairs of it cause for me it's all about riding the wave and chilling out and just literally having fun with whatever we're doing in the day.
AS: 29:21 Yes. Whooping and hollering all the way to success.
MP: 29:24 Exactly. I think we're going to, I'm working the brand for the people that, uh, so I've mentioned this shirt a few episodes. Going to be like, Michael, you wear that shirt every day. We're going to have to send you some new shirts. Adele, this has been fantastic. I thank you much for being so generous with the work that you're doing and thank you for the work that you're, the results are creating in the world, but as well coming, taking your time to help our listener, you know, challenge, deal with the challenges in their life. You know, there, there are people out there that every day are working hard to help small business owners like you and like the people that so many people, you know, that make our communities great. So they thank you. I know. And hopefully, they can get the work that you're doing and take it further in their life.
AS: 30:09 Yeah, no, I don't know where I'd be without my bookkeepers. So you guys are amazing.
MP: 30:14 Yes they are. Yes they are. You're all amazing. Give yourselves a big hug from Adel and for me and Adel. I know we're going to have you back on the show in the future to tackle more of this and see what else you're up to creating in the world.
AS: 30:30 Thank you. Thanks, Michael. Awesome to be here.
MP: 30:34 Thank you. That wraps another episode of The Successful Bookkeeper podcast. To learn more about today's fabulous guest and to get access to all sorts of valuable free business-building resources. You can go to Thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com until next time, goodbye.
