Ollie Ollerton: ‘I locked myself in the home for 3 months to alter who I used to be’

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Ollie Ollerton podcast transcript

Please be aware that this podcast incorporates discussions of suicide.

Good day and welcome to Small Enterprise Snippets, the podcast from SmallBusiness.co.uk. I’m your host, Anna Jordan.

Our visitor at this time is Ollie Ollerton – entrepreneur, former Particular Forces solider and directing employees on the hit present, SAS: Who Dares Wins.

He joined the Royal Marine Commandos on the age of 18, touring Northern Eire and Operation Desert Storm in Iraq. After returning residence he was really useful for Particular Forces Choice. Following the six-month course of, Ollie was certainly one of 5 candidates to cross the choice out of an preliminary 250 who signed up for the course.

Lately, Ollie is the CEO of BreakPoint, a agency giving purchasers efficiency instruments and insights based mostly on Particular Forces experience together with protein complement, Battle Prepared Gasoline and health app, Battle Prepared 360. He left SAS: Who Dares Wins UK in 2020 and now fronts the Australian model of the programme.

We’re going to be speaking aim setting in addition to variety and inclusion in enterprise.

Anna: Hello Ollie, the way you doing?

Ollie: I’m doing rather well, Anna. How are you?

Anna: Yeah, not unhealthy. Not unhealthy.

I need to soar proper in right here at this time and simply ask you a bit about your small business life. Inform us extra about what a typical enterprise day seems like for you.

Ollie: Yeah, typical enterprise day for me. Let’s simply go on at this time. I imply, what time is it now? It’s 9:30 within the morning.

My day begins at 5 o’clock. Between 5 o’clock, and I’d say about eight o’clock, there’s just one individual concerned with that course of and that’s me, it’s all about me. It’s centered on me. That basically is the time the place I put money into myself. I don’t want to enter the an excessive amount of element concerning the routine, however that entails my health. So, I’ve been for a 7k run this morning with the canine. I’ve acquired a sauna, which I am going and meditate in for 20 minutes.

Earlier than I try this, I come downstairs, I am going by my objectives, my predominant aim, which is what I name a C-type aim, hopefully, we’ll go on to what which means. I write that out and visualise what that appears like, what it seems like, what it appears like, actually vital. I then have six factors of gratitude. That’s my first preliminary course of. As quickly as I get up, along with a scorching lemon, after all not only a scorching lemon, it’s in water. I don’t chew on a scorching lemon.

Now, that is my excellent day – I don’t do it every single day. I don’t beat myself up after I can’t do it, or I’ll simply give myself a bit little bit of flexibility on some days. So long as I’ve performed that, no matter how my day goes, I’ve gained every single day. It’s actually vital for me to having performed that course of, particularly on a college day.

For me at this time, it will likely be then going and dealing on my enterprise. I imply, I’m identified for TV, I’m identified for SAS: Who Dares Wins. Not too lengthy earlier than it, as a result of it’s fairly a narrative in itself, that was my sole focus. It was all about BreakPoint, beginning my enterprise to assist different individuals by my expertise of issues that I’ve realized – not simply within the Particular Forces, however extra so, what I realized from after I broke down – my disaster in life. It was my largest battle, however my best discovery. BreakPoint is all about serving to individuals to know how we are able to change, how we will be the very best model of ourselves.

We’ve acquired a number of adjustments for the time being with our enterprise, we’re beginning to construct up extra on-line platforms, we’re letting go of extra bodily property. In order that’s taking place for the time being, so we’re actually beginning to consolidate and to build up, if that is sensible.

What you’ve talked about there’s additionally loads across the challenges of working a enterprise. You touched on it earlier, that round 2014 you had a interval the place you couldn’t discover your goal. Inform us about that, and the way you went about discovering your goal from there.

Ollie: Yeah, it was. It was an epiphany for me. As a result of I didn’t even perceive that phrase: goal. After I joined the navy, I didn’t perceive what goal meant – I wasn’t there. I didn’t be part of the navy at 18 years outdated, going ‘I’ve lastly discovered my goal,’ after which blah, blah.

I wasn’t, if you wish to name it, ‘spiritually related’ at that stage. Now, 2014 is after I got here again to the UK, however 2011-2012 is the place I had that actual battle. That for me was the place I principally hit my lowest ebb.

Now for me at that time, I’d been considering that happiness, success, this, that and the opposite. It an exterior repair, it’s one thing on the market that’s going to make us completely satisfied, make us really feel fulfilled. After I hit all-time low, I used to be ready to be liable for the place I used to be in life. I used to be ready to cease blaming my surroundings, I used to be ready to cease blaming different individuals for the place I used to be, I used to be ready to take full duty for whom I used to be, the place I used to be – and to be fairly trustworthy and brutal about that.

That was such a tremendous factor for me, as a result of that then pressured me to look inside. However the factor is, the best way we’re wired, we’re programmed to suppose that every thing is exterior.

If we don’t get the grounding of who we’re and create that sturdy basis of who we’re, create that root system that may maintain any storm, then we’re not going to evolve in life. We would make sure sorts of adjustments and evolve slowly, however whenever you truly begin to look inside and perceive that’s the place the solutions are, that’s whenever you begin to make these quantum leaps. That was that was it for me in 2011. I used to be like, ‘This isn’t what occurs.’ Suicide was on my thoughts – I didn’t try suicide, however generally I began to consider all of it too usually. That was a wake-up name for me to say, ‘No, it doesn’t finish like this.’ I truly keep in mind listening to that voice: ‘It doesn’t finish like this, Ollie.’

That was sufficient for me to go, ‘Proper, I’m doing one thing about this.’ That for me was what BreakPoint is all about, I used to be ready to not settle for the best way I used to be. I used to be not ready to simply accept the patterns of behaviour that had been conserving me locked within the repeat behavior loop of monotony.

With BreakPoint I used to be ready to step into that discomfort, which I knew was short-term, offered I had a vacation spot in thoughts.

For me, the primary a part of that was to remove all of the destructive issues that may be simply identifiable destructive habits that had been holding me again. It’s that straightforward, isn’t it? Make a listing of all of the stuff you’ve acquired happening in your life or issues that you simply spend your time on a social foundation, work foundation, relationship foundation. Write all of them out after which make a listing and put a put a tick subsequent to them, in the event that they’re optimistic or destructive.

That was straightforward for me at that stage in 2014: my relationship was poisonous, my relationship with alcohol was poisonous. They had been the principle issues that had stopped working – my relationship with funds was poisonous too. It was all these issues that I needed to begin engaged on. That’s straightforward to make a listing of, so long as you’re ready to determine with your self, be trustworthy and take duty. Duty is such a key phrase that, so long as you’re ready to be liable for happiness. I see so many individuals on the market who simply should not genuine. I see them mendacity to themselves each day they usually’re telling lies to themselves, however they, so far as they’re involved, they’re conserving face to the surface world, they’re pleasing the viewers, however they’re mendacity to themselves.

“In 2014, my relationship was poisonous, my relationship with alcohol was poisonous, my relationship with funds was poisonous”

That, to me, was 2014. That was that change, the place we all know, it wasn’t an in a single day repair. It was one thing for me the place I needed to begin chipping away at it – tiny, tiny steps. Inside six months, I made a lot progress, began to get a lot readability that I wished to share that. That’s after I got here up with the idea of BreakPoint.

Now, once more, simply round that, lots of people, in the case of enterprise and stuff, individuals need to begin their very own enterprise, they need that independence, they need that management over their lives. Some individuals are caught happening, ‘I simply don’t know what I do.’ However the factor is, neglect what you do, neglect the product, neglect the service – you’ve acquired to give attention to you. As a result of when you give attention to you and also you get your self grounded, the services or products or factor you need to provide the world will come. You may’t try this from a spot the place you’re damaged.

I imply, it should be the case since you suppose that being within the navy and having a transparent mission, and that’s your factor to attain there, I believe there are parallels between that and being in enterprise, that you’ve your small business objectives. I believe this is a perfect time to deliver it again in. Speak to me about C-type objectives and what which means.

Ollie: Yeah, effectively, C-goals are so vital as a result of look, the best way we wired. Nicely, let me discuss first, there’s three sorts of objectives. We name them A-type objectives, that are their objectives, you are able to do now A-type objectives, that’s the language of the ego. The ego desires you to chase A-type objectives, as a result of the ego is aware of there’s most likely 100 per cent likelihood that you simply’re not going to fail. The ego just isn’t going to be offended whenever you fail, as a result of it’s terrified of failure. The ego is so terrified of failure. So, A-type objectives is what we’re inclined to chase as a result of we all know we are able to do it. It’s like me saying subsequent week, I’m going to run 100 metres. Now the viewers would possibly go, ‘Wow, that’s superb.’ I’m positive they wouldn’t truly. However the factor is we’ve performed that A-type aim, as a result of we all know we’re going to finish it. We’re pleasing the viewers, from the surface world wanting in, we’re an absolute success. Now, individuals don’t truly perceive that in case you’re not difficult your self, in case you’re not pushing your self, then there’s no progress, possibly the one individual you’re fooling is your self.

So, let’s go on to B-type objectives. B-type objectives are most likely what lots of people suppose is that’s the appropriate components. That could be a aim that we all know that with a bit bit stretch, a little bit of planning, we all know we are able to obtain it.

C-type objectives are objectives that on the face of it are simply pure fantasy. The issue is the thoughts. If it could possibly’t see the trail to the aim it negates that it may be performed. As quickly as you possibly can’t see that path, ‘Oh, no, I can’t do it.’ Your thoughts is concentrated on the how, not the why. Once you’re centered on the why the how turns into attainable, whenever you’re centered on the the way you’re going to search for each impediment there’s, earlier than you after which, particularly in case you don’t take motion shortly, as a result of the universe loves momentum, in case you don’t take motion fairly shortly, your thoughts will provide you with 100 the explanation why to not do it. Earlier than it, you’re so centered on why it could possibly’t be performed, you’ve truly misplaced what you’re even getting down to do within the first place.

“C-type objectives are objectives that on the face of it are simply pure fantasy”

C-type objectives – let me provide you with an instance there. After I got here again in 2014, I locked myself in the home for 3 months in Cornwall, as a result of I wanted to make these adjustments, I wanted to alter the blueprint of who I used to be. My C-type aim was BreakPoint, beginning an organization, a globally recognized model recognised for the optimistic progress and growth of others. I used to be nonetheless consuming and I used to be nonetheless abusing myself. Are you able to think about what my thoughts was saying? Yeah, you need to begin a enterprise serving to different individuals – take a look at the state of you. How are you going to assist anybody? You may’t even string a sentence collectively – now you possibly can’t shut me up. However at that stage, my thoughts was telling me, ‘You’re an fool.’ We predict we’ve acquired this 1000-person viewers spherical us laughing and critiquing this, however there’s nobody there. It’s simply your thoughts.

That is the most important battle. As soon as we recover from that and say no, that’s my C-type aim. I don’t have to know the trail. I don’t have to see the footprints. I’m the footprints. I’m going to create them as soon as we perceive that and simply head to that imaginative and prescient of what that appears like and, extra importantly, what that appears like as a result of we have to add the emotion. That’s the one factor that can pull us by right here. That’s precisely how I handed SAS choice. Wonderful, isn’t it?

I perceive that whenever you whenever you wished to arrange BreakPoint, your family and friends had been a bit involved about that. How do you overcome it when individuals who say they’ve your finest pursuits at coronary heart are limiting of their perception of what you are able to do?

Ollie: Yeah, we’ve acquired to be actually cautious on this as a result of, your loved ones and it’s not at all times the case. Simply because they’re your loved ones doesn’t imply you’re keen on one another and get on that. I actually perceive that.

However actually, you take heed to them since you love them. They’re making an attempt that can assist you as finest as they will as a result of they don’t need to see you fail. That was actually it. For me, it was it was virtually like an intervention. It was like I used to be working out of money, I used to be in the home, I simply come again from my typical function of being abroad in a struggle zone incomes a fortune and my household would simply say no proper factor, actually. It did make sense to the surface wanting in, return to Iraq, return on the circuit, try this job earns a load of cash behind you within the financial institution, after which you can begin this firm referred to as BreakPoint. It does make a number of sense. To start with, I knew going again to a warzone was so poisonous for me. I didn’t truly inform my household what went on abroad. I don’t know, I by no means actually talked about what went on generally within the navy. However they didn’t perceive what went on and the way poisonous that was for me.

In a bit little bit of self-doubt. I got here again from there considering, I used to be preventing my thoughts once more. Then abruptly, I used to be like, ‘I’ve been doing this on this home for 3 months.’ I used to be meditating, goal- setting and doing every thing, all these items that I by no means considered or tried earlier than, as a result of I had nothing else. Then I can keep in mind getting again to the home after that, most likely the day after and shouting the highest of my voice, ‘Simply give me one thing!’ Give me a company shopper, telephone ringing or one thing, one thing taking place, as nothing was taking place.

Truthfully, two days after that, I get the telephone name from Cunning, certainly one of my finest mates. He mentioned, ‘Mate, you need to do an analogous factor that you simply’re taking a look at with BreakPoint, would you want to try this on TV?’ I used to be like, ‘Are you kidding me? That was like, ‘Oh, my God’ individuals don’t imagine within the universe and optimistic thought and visualisation. I’ve been visualising for all that three months about me and Cunning being on an enormous stage, influencing so many individuals. Then abruptly, we got the very best platform on the earth: the TV.

You had been on the UK model of SAS: Who Dares Wins for a while, however you had been let go from what I’ve learn, as a result of Channel 4 weren’t completely satisfied having 4 white males fronting the present? How has that affected your strategy to variety and inclusion in your companies, if in any respect?

Ollie: That was an attention-grabbing time for me, as a result of I can keep in mind that telephone name coming in. On the finish of the day, there have been lots of people being challenged with variety points and every thing else.

The factor is, as quickly as I acquired that data, I wasn’t ready to sit down there and begin blaming variety, blaming this, blaming that, blaming our ancestors, all this, for slavery, et cetera, et cetera. I simply checked out myself immediately. As quickly as I heard that message, it was like I acquired what I needed for.

After I began off in that home that I wished to create a world model. The extra I stepped into that world of TV, it was taking me additional and additional away from that. So, for me at the moment, after I acquired that decision, we’ve simply been given the chance for SAS Australia. Now, I used to be already being taken away from a enterprise for fairly intensive durations of time yearly with SAS: Who Dares Wins within the UK. To then negotiate a second one, I simply began to see my enterprise slip away. So actually it wasn’t time for me to depart that. And I’ve been kind of wishing that my soul was saying, ‘This isn’t the place you had been aiming to be.’ I didn’t got down to be a celeb, it’s very a lot a sideshow for me. However actually, for me, it was like I mentioned, as I’m listening to the phrases on the telephone from the exec, and in my head, I’m smiling. I’m going, ‘You bought what you wished for.’ It’s a tough tablet to swallow, isn’t it? As a result of I’ve by no means gone up and mentioned, ‘Right here’s my discover, you’re taking me away from a enterprise.’ As a result of it’s a pay test, it’s consolation, isn’t it?

Now, when it comes again to your query, Anna. I mentioned in The Solar paper, I don’t care what color, what dimension, what form, I don’t care who’s on my workforce. Everybody must be picked to do the job. So long as they will do the job to the very best of their skill and contribute to that workforce, it doesn’t matter who they’re.

I’ve labored with all types of various races and, sexes and style. So long as individuals can do the job, it doesn’t make any distinction. It actually doesn’t make any distinction. It’s so vital that you simply don’t go the other manner and say, effectively, due to that individual’s race, we have to have that individual within the within the workforce, that’s poisonous.

What’s the most rewarding a part of working your companies?

Ollie: My service to others. Life modified for me massively after I left the navy. All I used to be fascinated by, and one of many predominant causes I left the navy, was cash. I simply didn’t perceive. I’ve at all times had costly style and again in my navy days, I did prefer to occasion. I truly thought working was only a only a means to pay to your social life, which was most likely the fallacious manner to take a look at it. So, after I left, I used to be simply chasing cash, cash, cash, cash, cash. Cash was within the driving seat. I went out to Iraq and I went all around the world to struggle zones and acquired paid a fortune.

Trying again, there was no distinction. There was completely no distinction. I acquired paid a fortune, however I used to be nonetheless had this mindset of lack as a result of cash was within the driving seat.

The time that modified me is after I went over to Southeast Asia and was concerned in an operation to rescue youngsters from youngster prostitution and slavery. I didn’t know the present that was going to provide me. I wasn’t paid for that. I paid to do the operation with my cash I earned from Iraq. That was simply unbelievable, as a result of it’s the very best funding I’ve ever made with the very best return on funding. That’s after I understood the facility of serving to different individuals.

Nowadays, I’d say nearly all of individuals are extra considering about what number of followers they’ve acquired on Instagram. Even in a close-knit workforce, individuals are utilizing one another as a ladder to get to place, we’ve misplaced the flexibility to collaborate over compete. Once you work for a similar organisation, we must be actually trying to collaborate. You take a look at two waves out within the ocean. After they crash collectively, they cancel out. Once you see two waves be part of, they create one formidable power transferring ahead, unstoppable. It’s actually vital that we be taught to collaborate. However that actually modified every thing for me, as a result of abruptly cash was pushed to the aspect.

“You take a look at two waves out within the ocean. After they crash collectively, they cancel out. Once you see two waves be part of, they create one formidable power transferring ahead, unstoppable”

My focus then turned as a result of that was the DNA that was the heartbeat of BreakPoint, what was created there in Southeast Asia. That was serving to different individuals my life in service of others that then turned the eagerness, the mission, the driving power – the cash turned a by-product. That modified every thing.

To anybody that’s in enterprise, I’d 100 per cent counsel, sure we now have to have our monetary objectives, however what must be within the driving seat is the way you’re serving others, as a result of each enterprise is serving somebody, how we’re serving to different individuals. I believe it’s innate to be ok with serving to our fellow man, fellow girl, to evolve on this life, isn’t it?

Anna: I believe it’s nice to see the main focus, particularly for smaller companies, in the direction of having a goal and giving again to communities nowadays. That’s actually encouraging to see.

Ollie: I believe, actually, on the finish of the day, you’ve acquired to be sure that that mission assertion is your goal assertion, your values. It’s so vital, you must by no means overlook that considering, ‘I have to earn X, Y, Z to pay for X, Y, Z.’

After I got here up with a BreakPoint I stored saying my mission assertion. As quickly as I’ve any sort of stress or duress and I discussed that mission assertion to myself, it offers me a way of goal, a way of enthusiasm and a cause for being.

Anna: I can’t comply with that, so I believe we’ll finish there! Thanks ever a lot for approaching the podcast, Ollie.

Ollie: Likewise. Thanks very a lot, Anna.

Yow will discover out extra about Ollie at ollieollerton.com. You too can go to SmallBusiness.co.uk for extra on imaginative and prescient and goal for your small business. Bear in mind to love us on Fb @SmallBusinessExperts, comply with us on Twitter @smallbusinessuk (all lowercase) and subscribe to our YouTube channel, linked within the description. Till subsequent time, thanks for listening.