Welcome to the Join Up Dots business coaching podcast iInterview with Edward Pike
To subscribe to the podcast, please use the links below:
Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes
Click Here to Subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes feed)
If you like the show, we would be so grateful if would consider leaving the show a review in iTunes as well as Stitcher Radio. A couple minutes of your time can help the show immensely! Thank YOU!
Introducing Edward Pike
Edward Pike is my guest today, on the Steve Jobs inspired Join Up Dots business coaching podcast interview.
He is a man with an amazing story of finding his thing, starting from a point that would have seemed the end just a decade or so before.
Starting his professional journey after leaving the University of Bath, with a degree in International Management and Spanish, he first steps seem almost usual.
He gained his qualification and then started working for a huge organisation, in this case The Hilton, where he worked on their online presence, increasing sales by over 100%
Then, it seems to me the first dot appeared and he started focusing in on other peoples development, this time in the health industry as a Personal Trainer for LA Fitness.
Did this spark the fires of his later entrepreneurial ventures, who knows. but one thing for sure the mind and body vibe started to become more and more evident.
How The Dots Joined For Edward
Leading to him in 2013 starting his own Life & Health Mentor Programme, run from his home base in Crete, and performed over skype and in person across the world.
As he says “I’ve experienced loneliness, pain and destructiveness – in fact I still do at times. I’m far from perfect: I’ve tried to deny my negativity, shame, fear and anger, but have learnt that true strength and power lie in deep vulnerability. After my diagnosis with HIV in 2009, I even felt life closing in on me. But, through all of the pain, I stayed true to my inner voice. And so I pulled through, faced my demons and aligned with the authentic and creative spirit within – and rediscovered the magical adventure that is life!
And that is what he brings to the world, the ability to understand that its the dark times, that make the light seem brighter than ever.
Its the hardships that give us the coping skills to build a future better than we could ever hope for?
So when he was diagnosed with HIV, did he think it was a life sentence that he had been given, or just something else to add to his story?
And where do people go wrong, living in the past, the future, or simply not truly living at all?
Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Mr Ed Pike
Show Highlights
During the show we discussed such weighty topics with Edward Pike such as:
Ed shares how feelings are such a powerful way of directing your future to where it was born to be. Be quiet and get directed by whats inside of you.
How we all have a calling to adventure, and why sometimes we need a jolt from the blue to really make us take notice.
Edward Pike shares how he landed his first clients, and the work he took to get his business off the ground, through word of mouth referrals.
and lastly….
Why the barter system of the exchange of services is such an amazing way to begin a business. Its not always about the money.
How To Connect With Edward Pike
Return To The Top Of Edward Pike
If you enjoyed this episode with Edward Pike why not check out other inspirational chat with Jerry Hyde, Roz Savage and the amazing Alfie Best
You can also check our extensive podcast archive by clicking here – enjoy
Audio Transcription Of Edward Pike Interview
Intro [0:00]
When we’re young, we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling join up dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here’s your host live from the back of his garden in the UK David Ralph
David Ralph [0:24]
Yes. Hello there. Good morning, everybody. Good morning to anyone who is lending me where is today we have got a good show. We’ve always got a good show. And we really don’t, don’t you think now we’re really hitting our stride and every show delivers. But I think today is going to be a particularly good one, because he’s a man with an amazing story of finding each thing, starting from a point that would have seen the end just a decade or so before now starting his professional journey after leaving the University of Bath with a degree in International Management and Spanish, his first step, same, almost usual, he gained his qualification and Ben stars working for a huge organization, in this case, the Hilton, where we worked on their online presence increasing sales by over 100% Yes, go him. Man. It seems to me that the first doctor period and he started focusing in on other people’s development, this time in the health industry as a personal trainer by LA Fitness. Now did this part the fires of these later entrepreneurial ventures who knows, but for one thing for sure, the mind and body vibe started to become more and more evident, leading to him in 2013, starting his own life and health Mentor Program, run from his home base in Crete and performed over Skype and in person across the world. As he says, I’ve experienced loneliness, pain and destructiveness. In fact, I still do at times, I’m far from perfect. I’ve tried to deny my negativity, shame, fear and anger. But I’ve learned that true strength and power lies in deep vulnerability. Now, after my diagnosis with HIV in 2009, I even felt life closing in on me, but through all the pain, I stay true to my end voice. And so I pulled through face my demons, and aligned with the authentic and creative spirit within and rediscovered the magical adventure that is life. And that is what he brings to the world the ability to understand, but it’s the dark times that might be like to seem brighter than ever. It’s the hardships that give us the coping skills to build a future better than we could ever hope for. So when he was diagnosed with HIV, did he think it was a life sentence that he’d been given? Or just something else to add to the story? And where do people go wrong living in the past the future, or simply not truly living at all? Well, let’s find out as we bring onto the show, to start joining up with the one and only Mr. Edward Pike. How are you sir?
Edward Pike [2:42]
Hi, I’m good. Thank you. Brilliant introduction. Thank you.
David Ralph [2:46]
Hey, it kind of covered it, and we can just talk about anything we want now. Can’t wait.
Edward Pike [2:50]
Yeah, yes. Great.
David Ralph [2:52]
So So where are you in the world? Are you in? Are you in the sunshine states of the Mediterranean? Yes, I am. I mean, you swine, You swine. I mean, I’m in the UK. It’s not too bad today in the UK, but we’ve had some cold days. Do you not miss that getting up in shorts and sign on your head and just walking around the beaches and stuff? Sure. Surely you want a bit of a sort of miserable time every now and again, don’t you?
Edward Pike [3:19]
Yeah, that does help. But it does get miserable. Hey, we’ve just had like seven days of brain get most of the rain in the west of the island. And so we just had so there’s a tropical rain, so sometimes some blue skies and sun again.
David Ralph [3:30]
So you obviously haven’t got a Crete accident. You’re on you’re not Mediterranean, you sound kind of like, well, I like to say sexy. And that means that you must come from UK where all the sexy people come from. And what was great part of the plan, did you just sort of stumble across it and think okay, I quite like it. I will. I will stay there. How did you go from the UK? Living a life like most people in UK do going to retail industries going to offices and end up sitting in shorts in?
Edward Pike [4:01]
Hmm, well, it was really good call it luck or incidents, or, you know, synchronicity or anything. It was my heart leading me here like I Ramsey two years ago, discovered it three years ago, when my ex ex, ex boyfriend ex partner who is Greek, we met in London, but we came in for like a few weeks. And we ended up living on this island in the south degree for two weeks, basically living nearly naked, eating out of 10s of ETFs and cans, and just living the beach life for like a week. And my heart was like, wow, this is something that I have never experienced before. But I have such a connection to this place, this island, the people that I want to come back. So that’s triggered kind of the whole change of life, it was really following this little thing inside of me that was feeling really excited to really, and joyful and blissful when I was here. So like, next year, we came back for two months. And we ended up doing some work here. And our first retreat. And then we ended up kind of just staying and renting a house and we def London and then me and my partner split up but my, my inner being was like this is exactly this is my home, I have to stay here. And it’s been really, really amazing to find a place I really feel at home and it’s called something economy explain with my mind. It’s more like a sense of inner inner peace in holiness. Yeah, I’ve been here for two years now to two and a half years or so. And is really, you know, I can tell that every fiber of my being this is how, and I never really had that before. I kind of grew up in England in France. And I was always like the, the English man in France and then went to England university, I was a freshman in England. So I was always a bit all over the place really felt like, yeah, I found the place that my heart and soul kind of cool home. I know
David Ralph [5:55]
that feeling. I totally understand that feeling. But for me, it was America. Now only United Kingdom, I stayed there. But first time I landed in America, and got onto the big three ways. And the big cause I just felt like I’d come home somehow. And I just felt that Mike, my universe was going to be dragged that way ever since. And I couldn’t explain it. So he’s our feelings. A big part of what drives you to where you should be, is that what people miss out on? They don’t really discover the feelings because they don’t allow themselves to just sort of be quiet for a while.
Edward Pike [6:32]
Yeah, yeah, that’s really good way of putting it. Because of you know, we live in a in a in a world where we expect control and pain and humiliation and all these things that we experience as children. And that creates so much what quote unquote, negative feelings. They like to use that word, but kind of the uncomfortable, denser feelings. And so we avoid those. But then what we don’t realize is by avoiding the those dents of feelings, we also avoid the other feelings, the feelings of joy, the feelings, bliss, the feelings, the feeling of actually being in alignment with our deeper intuitive self, which is that resonance of, let’s call it the resonance of truth. Wherever you feel like this, this is siloed of expansiveness of joy, of sometimes enthusiasm, excitement that comes with when we really connecting to know our heart to that deeper part of ourselves. But because we’re, you know, we don’t want to feel all the uncomfortable stuff, we kind of often live in our heads, we avoid both those aspects of ourselves. Yeah. MySpace, a massive part of how I how I live my life, and how I have actually intuitively led myself to where I am today to the work that I do is when you’ve been following like those breadcrumbs. You mentioned the doctors, there, the breadcrumbs or the dots of joy, the party, the choices that made me feel better, you know, in terms of my work, in terms of living in terms of relationships, I was always kind of followed the feeling of expansiveness of joy, I guess, in the that’s kind of how I’ve been navigating
David Ralph [8:03]
so so you, you follow the feelings of bliss. So if it feels really, really good, that’s where you’re going to go. Because a lot of people say that you should go, where the Scaredy bit comes along. Because that’s, that means that you’re growing and you’re getting out of your comfort zone. But you know, you should go for what makes you feel good.
Edward Pike [8:21]
And they both come hand in hand, like, often, when we stretch ourselves and follow our joy, follow our bliss, we do bring up the fears, we do bring up the one comfortable layers of ourselves. So as they come hand in hand, like it’s, for example, new integrated, next out really exciting, really expensive as an initial first thought, the first kind of impulse. And then as I moved it, and of course, important, but lots of other subject, what’s up, you know, whatever the beginning feelings of not belonging, and what fear brought up, so much kind of density, but that, for me, is part of also the process. And there’s, that’s part of our part of the journey, you know. And we, as we expand as we grow, as we follow our hearts and follow our bliss, I really, I really do see and believe that it does, it’s designed or says a way to bring up us bring up all our identity or that all those fears or those feelings, and we can grow by moving through them. Yeah, anyway,
David Ralph [9:20]
he’s a strange how we have these beings, that sort of routers to us. But I’ll give you an example. If you put me on a microphone, I totally feel relaxed, no problem at all. Put a webcam in front of me exactly the same. I can get up on stage no problem at all. Tomorrow, I’ve got to go and have a lot of professional photos done. We’re having a rebranding of my platform. I’m dreading it. I am dreading having a photograph taken and myself, and I can’t actually explain it. I just don’t know why. And I’m really having to push myself through that feeling of, oh, let’s just let’s just pull back. Let’s just keep away from that. And I’m going there. Well, why could you your main of feelings, your man of it understanding you, coach people, why do you think I’m feeling that when I’m so comfortable being out there and putting myself out there? photographs? I hate them?
Edward Pike [10:09]
Yeah. So I guess I’ll try to explain it in like a short and easy way, there’s been my experience that understanding and research and training, we are part of nature, we’re part of life. So we’re like little acorn, we come at birth with everything we need inside of us to turn into this grand beautiful oak tree. And there’s this force in us like anything outside, you know, nature, trees, flowers, plants, that kind of has a natural movement towards growth, towards creation towards even being of service to others and helping and supporting others around us. And there’s this this kind of expansive self, then, maybe it’s like what we could call that I guess, to like, which is the part of us that’s connected to life that’s intuitive, that’s new, compassionate, and joyful and blissful. And you look at children very much, you know, there’s that essence of innocence that they that they have that because we live in this world where this essence and this force is met with no control, humiliation, rejection, abandonment, all of those beautiful things that we experience as children, and that that energy actually gets transformed. And it’s all energies, it’s all vibration. So from this kind of higher vibrational state it is slows down, it goes into a lower form into lower and denser form. And so it goes on this yes to life to actually go No. And it’s it becomes a part of us that wants to hide that wants to separate that is destructive that, you know, we experience all our all those negative feelings, like our rage on terror, all those kind of lovely things that we have inside of us. And that often, you know, we try and move away to the side. And that’s what we tend to do, we then put on masks and we, we block things in our bodies, we armor the body against all those feelings, but the positive and the negative. And so we end up living in ways of doing was it being ways of thinking ways of acting, that are really about others about avoiding these deeper feelings about avoiding those aspects of ourselves. So we kind of times live in boxes, and living and living get trapped a certain way of thinking and also certain way of moving because it’s all energetically happening in our bodies as feelings and we avoid those feelings. We go into our heads and we end up living in these boxes. And so there’s always this Yes. And the know. And this marks that we’re kind of dancing with saving this. There’s a big like, yesterday, for example, due to having your photos done, you know, it’s like part of your part. And I Oh, yes and moving to create. And there’s also going to be a part of you, that’s going to be no, no, I want to avoid that. There’s also going to be the layer that’s like, I’m not going to go there. And it’s it’s really important for us today to work with those two things. But the as we follow that, yes, which is the expansive and joyful feeling, it does bring up no more no as well. So that’s the part that’s important to work with. So, and it’s not like one or the other. They’re both part of us. You know, it’s like the envy any electric charge has positive and negative and the same thing within us we work with those two things. So yeah, yeah, that’s, in essence, I guess what what happens to us as human beings, we have these inner knowing that we know we need to do this, or we get a feeling that we need to go there or I know it could be anything that you’re going to receive in guidance in a dream or whatever, you know. And then there’s a yes, there’s a first perhaps, you know, energy of creation or equal the germination energy, like when you’re seeding, seeding a plant, I guess there’s something there’s an energy of newness. And then as we start to kind of move forward into creating into manifesting into acting, then we bring up more of the unconscious that we start bringing up the know, we start to bring up that the child in us that resists actually stepping out there, because it’s rooted in all of those wounds of abandonment of humiliation of rejection. So it triggers those things instead of us. Now, we try to avoid those things, trying to avoid those triggers. So often, we’re kind of not put up out there will not you know, step out into the world will not do things I might actually risk triggering those that know of us. But by doing that we also are going against,
David Ralph [14:12]
it’s fascinating, really, isn’t it? Well, we all want what we want. We all want the tree of life, we will all look at adverts and go oh, wouldn’t it be nice if we win the lottery, oh, the lottery would be brilliant. But effectively, we’ve already won the lottery by being on this planet. If you look at the sort of the odds that two people come together, by me, they fall in love, or they get drunk or whatever. And then we actually, you know, just the fact that we have born is an absolute miracle. And if you look at the odds of it, it shouldn’t really happen. And then we grow up and we have all our life experiences. I’m really focused at the moment aid on this fact. But not one person on this planet, ever, or coming up, would have had the same life as me, that had the same experiences as me. And the fact that so many people out there listening to this show will be doing jobs that are kind of forced on them, they will be doing jobs that aren’t actually true to themselves, where I’m now thinking to myself, be yourself, just be yourself. Be authentic. It’s the biggest gift you’ve ever been given on this planet, and your life good or bad getting to this point as giving you experiences ready to rock. That’s what we need to do. Now with yourself. I’m not going to dwell on it too much, because it’s not a medical show. But the HIV many, many years ago, it was like death sentence soon as you got it. You know? Yeah, we remember Freddie Mercury, we remember. Yeah. Well, I suppose he was the classic one. Now, is it something that actually has defined your positive life going forward? Was that a moment where you actually has changed you for the better where beforehand it might have set you into but Doom monger?
Edward Pike [15:55]
Yeah, yeah, that’s good question.
I something that I call is known as a call, like a call to adventure, or called alignment that we receive our lives that we get a sense of, there’s more to life, we get a sense that there’s something else. And actually like the most of my diagnosis, one, it was one of those moments and it was I just remember being told I was living in that just at the time and I was in a phase where I was unhappy and you know, I left University going to work for like a lifetime of kind of moving around the world and work in different hotels. And I was really faced with the, with the knowledge that I was not at all where I was resonating on to what I wanted in an office working in the world working just really wasn’t aligned with my was that I was sitting down happy. And I remember sitting in the nurses, this woman her family and I knew nothing about at the time, like wouldn’t second blood test ever. The only images I had was from a comic book in my family doctors waiting on which is obviously a beautiful blonde girl who sadly contracts HIV and dies alone in this squad, it was like Google Images. But the moment she told me it was like, I remember this really lady It was like one of those moments where everything slows down. And about time panic stops. And there was this real sense in the center of my chest, which is by no prep now from working in for studying whether the intuition comes from the heart chakra in the center of the chest and it was like this, this the energy center. And it was like this, this inner knowing that it will be fine that I will be okay that was this real, like, in a sense of warm to glow. It’s knowing that it would be okay. And yeah, and then she’s then she said those words said nowadays it’s fine. It’s like diabetes, that you manage it with a pill a day is really hardly anyone dies, middle has complications, if you catch it early, like you do. And it really, it was one of those moments that kind of triggered a lot of things and of course, it triggered also caught up over the years no shame, the fear, the beliefs, the Yeah, the isolation of a lot of stuff. In the setup, I kind of danced around for years with this and alone that it was okay. And also with all the all that that yes, I guess I’ve talked about before the yeses, okay. And also the know, which is all the the deeper stuff that was triggered at the same time. So it was really an awakening, I guess for, for change in, in, in a kind of negative waves of what I’ve always stuck there then spent years trying to deny or avoid or numb out and you know, in many ways, but it also kind of awoken this little sense of presence that everything was okay, and I was safe, I was held that, that yeah, that I was connected to something greater than myself. And that’s having those two dances, you know, dancing together, the s and the local water, really, I feel led me down this path. And let me also work with people living with HIV. In this context, I run a charity in London called the five foundation. And we do this we do, you know, this kind of realistic book for people living with HIV, whatever stage of diagnosis, whatever age, whether it was equality, whatever gender, and I know that, you know, that has really transformed, I guess, me in my teaching and who I am with people in my connection in my way of being able to be of service to people who are going through similar fears or experiences. So it’s, it’s been one of it was really one of those, yeah, a one of the biggest things in my life, HIV and not maybe not cured, not the medical side of it, as you say, because I’m a healthy, you know, nowadays, it’s one one pill a day, and just as if you don’t have it at all, and you do kind of pass it on to anyone. And what comes with it is all the fears or the unconscious stuff, all the shame, guilt, fear, all that negativity that gets really triggered through the diagnosis. And if we’re not, if people aren’t given the space, to explore that in that moment, then it triggers a spiral of destructive this negativity of isolation, this rates of suicide, that increases all the statistics that show that people are very vulnerable after the diagnosis. Because, you know, not everyone reaches them support in terms of their mental and emotional states and what what my experience was, and and what we often thrive now is, is a space to explore those things as follows deeper feelings that arise from a diagnosis. So things like that, you know, and I work with many, many people who aren’t HIV positive. And, you know, I recognize the exact same thing within all of us that feelings or beliefs that we don’t belong, that we’re going to die that will never find a partner or nice of a human. Yeah, the beliefs and emotions that really get triggered with an HIV diagnosis. As we kind of use those, I think, as I say, we use as a catalyst for change, because we give people the tools to understand to work through those things. And and through that, it’s like a deep transformation and deep even, I would call it healing that happens because those things are ingrained in in people from a very early young age. And so by using the diagnosis, actually a platform and using those emotions, and those believes that it rises, there’s an acceleration that happens with people, there’s real change and transformation. That’s what I experienced in my life, as I was dancing with that, yes. And that no, and all is, is this darker, denser feelings, my kind of, you know, listening more and more to my intuition to the yes to that part of me that was being evolved into more joy and relationships and work and, you know, places that I loved. Being able to happen to someone more with denser know stuff, but I kind of learned the tools and the practices and and I sought the support to work it, and to actually to kind of help transform it into more light into more joy into more energy.
David Ralph [22:08]
Well, let’s play some words now. And let’s sort of Delve back into how you vent transition from that kind of that dark moment into actually building a business because most businesses, if not all, businesses, it’s all about providing value backwards. Now, here is rocky
Rocky Balboa [22:24]
You, me and nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward, how much you can take it keep moving forward. That’s how winnig is done.
David Ralph [22:40]
Now that obviously, is a fail metaphor. But it is true, isn’t it at those moments when you, you really feel miserable, you really feel in pain, you really feel in despair. Normally, that is the moment when you look around and go, I’m not putting up with this anymore, and you start taking action, where so many people are just in that sort comfort zone or just floating along, not too bad, not too good. I can put up with this. Do you think that we all have to get to that point, when we’re really miserable, and we’re looking around going, I’m not putting up with this anymore. That’s why that’s how winners are made. As rocky said.
Edward Pike [23:17]
I don’t think we all have to know I think there’s always like a whisper inside of us of perhaps there’s more to life, there’s more to ourselves. And if when if we really don’t listen to it, then that can become more of a scream and more of a slap in the face and, and life as a way that as, as beings of nature, life has a way of balancing us out as always trying to find harmony and balance in ourselves. So there’s a lot of you know, stuff within us that we’re not observing that we’re running away from, if we you know, we’ve got this kind of comfortable life, but it’s really not in alignment with this, this Yes, within us that force of nature, which is creation and growth and service, then, you know, life might orchestrate situations to trigger that. And there’s like, there’s the call to going deeper. So it can be through the depths of suffering that you know these things get awoken, get get get opened up. But it doesn’t have to be that way for sure. If there’s people, you know, are open from a perhaps opened and stay open from an early age to that connection to lie to their sense of adventure, that sense of innocence and sense of wonder. And, yeah, I really feel we can, you know, grow through that. And it doesn’t have to be through the darkest depths of suffering. But at the same time, as a pastor rocky said that, you know, when we do go through this dark depths of suffering, and we can learn from them and do the work on them actually here, you know, and yet follow, find that light within and then Wow, transformation is really powerful.
David Ralph [24:50]
So everybody’s sitting there, and they’re thinking, I don’t want this anymore. I want more. I don’t know how to do it, you’ve actually created a business, but is transport portable, you can take it around the world, which is I suppose what most people want? How did you go about sitting there on your bed thinking, I want to help people I want to support I want to coach, get a client? How did you get that first client? Because I think that is a big stumbling block for so many people out there.
Edward Pike [25:19]
Yeah. There was two things, I guess it was really kind of blindly following that. Yes. So and I was a personal trainer. And then there was this, I got this sense that I was coaching kind of people anyway, in a more realistic sense, I was always talking about new connection with the body looking after ourselves. And then of course, in thing about muscle training is very much results focused so much looking better. So I was trying to go with deep with people. So after a while, I kind of follow my intuition to kind of see myself as the gym environment. And to start doing more holistic mentoring, I discovered working it up more with intuition I did some was thinking of course an intuitive mentor. And so I kind of decided to develop this kind of other approach to fitness, I actually created this thing called love fitness years ago, which was about you know, connecting to our intuition and our hearts, and at the same time working with the body. So it’s kind of like a succession of steps of dots, you know, just following that next breadcrumbs of who, you know, this is where the most the most obvious thing to do next. And then the next breadcrumb that’s appearing in front of me is, for example, to leave the gym environment. And so what makes the exciting things yeah, stick now is to do this course, or to you know, open up to working in this kind of voice, adding, for example, the, into the intuition part to the fitness and then then eventually wants to let go the fitness all together, but stay with a stay with the body and the movement. And then it was this and it was to move to create and there was like, so the kind of following into that, that that that intuitive sense of myself and following the year that is breadcrumbs of what, why was like the most obvious and authentic and aligned thing to do.
David Ralph [27:06]
But how did you get the first client know it? How did did you do on Facebook? Did you speak to colleagues? Did you say I’m creating this, this business? The first one, obviously, when you deliver? And hopefully you get a referral or a testimonial, and then you start throwing out? But how did you get the first one?
Edward Pike [27:23]
The first clients came from the Personal Training, so they kind of evolved from my basic personal training clients. So then and then invited some to follow me into the more holistic side. And then, you know, kind of carried on through that. And then it’s been through photos, and maybe through photos 95% of people I work with come to knowing someone who’s experienced that work and teach and help. Yeah, this is really being like very organically grow kind of step by step.
David Ralph [27:52]
Yeah. And was it a surprise, we’re no better way of saying it. When a client came through to first of all, I think most people that I’ve spoken to, it’s like, brilliant, I’ve got a client, oh, my God, I’m not really sure what I’m going to be delivering to this person. And so they throw the kitchen sink at it. And then through the process, they realize that actually the person is not asking for that much. There, there’s a stripping back that is needed. But then that key thing, when did you find out what your key thing was? And did you go down that same route? Where you threw everything at it? And it was a bit messy?
Edward Pike [28:29]
Yes. And I still do you know, I still make those make those column mistakes. Yeah, I guess I always happens as the world keeps evolving in X has really been this evolution, step by step. And you know, even happened like the past couple of months, I started this program called the the path of the conscious era and, and working with a group of people online. And the first online workshop I had it like, you know, kind of mapped out in my head was going to say, and kind of videos, you say throwing everything at them. And then after those videos, I wasn’t feeling completely in alignment with myself. And I was saying I was doing my flower wasn’t 100% there. So the next one was a few days ago, I highly prepared and I did what I did best, which is being in the flow being in the moments kind of listening to the move to what the needs are. And then sharing what comes to me in that in that moment is that of planning it. So constantly making making those mistakes, especially when I’m starting something new. Like the first clients. Yeah, for sure. Kind of, you know, had the first few clients even had like, a process planned out in my head for the for the session. I used to do like two hour sessions to make sure I had time to do this and do this and do this and do this with them. And over time I was that my my my flow. My gift is actually being in the moment with people and I spent like an hour with most people and somehow magically it unfolds from that space. Instead of it being pre planned in my head.
David Ralph [29:54]
I’m so has it become easier. Is it effortless for you now? Or are you still hustling? Are you still getting out there connecting building your network? And explain your day?
Edward Pike [30:08]
Yeah, so days are very, very different. They change every day. So my you know, my main practice is following that flow following that, yes, following the part of me that kind of guides me through life. So I often start the day with practices, to be center myself to be in that space of listening to maybe some movement and some meditation and let me just go to the beach. And I’ve been many different things. And then the days are split between, I guess clients, conversations with people, and also doing the computer working or getting the events or nine, connecting to people or sharing on social media, all that kind of stuff. So we’ll make sure that I try and the best I can dance will see all of them and try and be in the flow with all of them. They do find. I find the computer work the hardest bit. Yeah, yeah.
David Ralph [31:02]
Yeah. And do you delegate that out? Because one of the things that I do a lot of coaching with is saying to people, if you’re not naturally good at something, get somebody else to do it. focus in on your maybe one or two key things that you can just do really easily. And I think we do all spend time messing around with WordPress and building base and building. But you don’t you don’t get in a car and think, Okay, I’m going to build one before I drive it. You look around and you buy something, don’t you? So why do we all think that we have to be experts online? Yes.
Edward Pike [31:34]
Very good analogy. Yeah.
David Ralph [31:37]
So Edward Pike do you have things that you now delegate? Or are you a solo printer, do you do everything yourself,
Edward Pike [31:43]
I used to be a solo printer. But now I have like a beautiful group of people that are supporting. So I’ve got a book coming out the next few months is someone that’s helping me kind of with the legal side of that, and the distribution, I have someone helped me with putting all the events online and all tweaking up now on Facebook, that kind of stuff. So steady, steady, steady, being a team of people, you know, several people that are really, really supportive of the work and have the vision that they have made, which is really, really beautiful. And the five example with with this is called the circle of leadership circled for us kind of money. So start up as many myself and my friend Rob. And then over the years, we kind of opened up to a lot more people a lot more support. And it was, yeah, it’s a different challenge. But I find it to not know where we really get things done in a beautiful way as a team, something quite lazy, working as a circle.
David Ralph [32:42]
I think now, when I started join up dots and we’re coming up to what 980 shows or something. And I’ve literally done everything myself and that to this point. And until probably I don’t know, about three months ago, I was proud of the solo pioneer badge, that I created it and I can run everything. And now I’m starting to think to myself, actually, I don’t think the solo printer is the right way of going. I think it gets you to a certain point. But the scalable aspect of it, I think you need a team. And I do. But I know so many people think I don’t want to spend, I don’t want to pay someone because I can do this anyway, it just takes time, it was a mindset thing that you had to shift through did you have to go through the gears when you think, actually, I know I’m paying this person, but ultimately, I’m going to get back more anyway. So it’s a win win.
Edward Pike [33:33]
Yeah, and I’m also going to be open to other forms like forms of exchange. So for example, in this group, I’m running right now I have three people on exchange one is happening with some PR, when it’s happening was in graphic design was on is helping me with the part of the book publication, the distribution, so kind of similar to us in the past few months, actually, that this has kind of come to me. And I was busy kind of sharing that program and and I realized this month will be down the right people for example that I work with, and then then you know, we kind of meet into to get into what the exchange can be. And often it’s it’s money, of course it takes shape. But I’ve also discovered that as many other forms of exchange, and time is one. So I’ve video conduct working with people, and it’s in a more effortless this way with actually, of course, some things some things are painful. But in this context, I’m also very open to exchange. And it’s been quite a big opening for me, because it also invites the right people because and then you know, got the people that really want to be on the course and you really want to be doing the work for me. So there’s another connection that’s happening there.
David Ralph [34:42]
I think that’s brilliant. And yeah, that the barter system is is the earliest form of transaction. Exactly,
Edward Pike [34:48]
exactly. Exactly.
David Ralph [34:50]
It makes me wonder why aid actually just jumping in there why all business has been dealt with constructed performed right from the early days, where you would look at ways of finding commonality that might I might have a goat and you might have a pig and legs swap the goat and pig. And you were doing it face to face and you would going to a market you was going there. But now everyone seems to be forgetting but businesses operated on a one Pisces but thousands and thousands of years. And now we’re all sitting behind Facebook ads, trying to think of you know, ways of doing it. Well, I think, don’t don’t reinvent the wheel. That’s how you do it, get out there, meet people, take your peak, get there go, boom.
Edward Pike [35:35]
It was all about the intention. When I had my intention, I just my intention to the person which was filled the program to actually work with amazing people, it changed and then like the house kind of changed. But it was the first one was I was kind of trying to control the outcome by only having paying clients on the program. And then my my intention change to having amazing people that I would love to work with. And then suddenly all these other options to work people opened up. So that was really important to
David Ralph [36:05]
be open to opportunities and get off from your computer. Really, that’s what we’re saying, isn’t it? Yeah, yeah. And one of the things that always fascinates me with people like yourself here in Crete, it’s lovely, it’s sunny out, you really get any work done. I always think to myself, I’m in the United Kingdom at the moment, it’s pretty miserable. I mean, my recording studio, I’ve got the blinds down, I don’t actually want to be anywhere else. But if I was in Florida, or if I was in, you know, some lovely warm place that you’ve got to struggle to get any work done.
Edward Pike [36:39]
There are days when the SS that’s just show the energy here. So a slow, you know, it’s a different vibe, especially when the sun’s out like August is near right off the mountain. So so far that is it, sometimes impossible to get anything done except in the evenings. But I also find that I work I work very differently. Like before, where be I would think of a as I have to be on my computer for six hours or eight hours. And otherwise, I’m not being productive. As I find out, my lot of my work is actually happening, it happens or my inspiration, my ideas happen when I’m on the beach, and I’m relaxing and walking around, then, you know, jump on my laptop for two hours and kind of follow that energy of that inspiration that came to me in that moment. And, and it flows. So before you know, and I still kind of dance with those things I still find part of me that neatly wants me to be sat on my computer and slaving away for eight hours. Otherwise, I’m not being a productive member of society. Versus the part of me that is more in this in this flow state. Kind of allowing, you know it to be a whole dance of life. And I know especially for my work, when I’m holding space in a session, you know, every single aspect of my life is work. Because it’s really how I how I show up and the same thing, you know how how you show up in that moment of actually working with that person? You know, if I’ve been eight hours in the community before that it’s not, you know, it’s not going to be a good time. But yeah, I’ve had, you know, I give myself the space to explore, to study to be with myself, then I can really be with that person in a new way.
David Ralph [38:10]
Yeah, no, I agree with that. I do all my recordings on a Thursday, and January, I start at eight o’clock in the morning, and I finish about eight o’clock at night. And by the time I get to about five in the afternoon, I can really feel myself going through the pain barrier, I really hope it doesn’t come out on the interviews, I find if you if you listen to the shows where there’s less of me, then that’s when my energy is really dipping. And I’m trying to force my way in hobbies. It’s difficult. But do you batch it all? Or do you have to do it every single day, you know, is it better to do all your energy on one task, and then move on to something else or scatter it around, I think it’s better to just batch it, get it out of the way, and then move on to something else. Or hey, I’m glad you do because otherwise you wouldn’t hear what I’m going to be saying now. And this is the part of the show that we’re going to bring Steve Jobs on, he created the whole format of it back in 2005. When he stood up and said these words, let’s hear them again Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs [39:10]
Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards 10 years later. Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leaves you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference.
David Ralph [39:44]
Did you feel like you’re on the path that is off the path? Or do you think that this was the path that was always waiting for you?
Edward Pike [39:53]
Good question. both at the same time I actually saw the part that was always waiting for will be and it was very much in the darkness very much off the other part, you know choosing to leave like Hilton and you know Jim environment then do this kind of a new realistic mentoring thing was always, you know, following something in the darkness following those dots on the breadcrumbs on the next thing. So yeah, and at the same time in our as Steve Jobs said, you know, looking back at the dots, seeing how they align, I could see the part I can see the reasons for you know, the everything that I’ve done and how they connected and it brought me to where I am today and to be able to do the work that I do with the people that need it. Yeah. So that i think that you know it when you’re in the park when you’re when I’ve been stepping from bed coming to breadcrumb. It has felt like what what am I doing, you know, I have this sense in my heart that I need to be doing this, but we know when I first moved to Korea, and sometimes when I fly back just before I fly back, I still go Why do I live here? And then I arrived and I’m like, I know, I know. Okay, you know, because I feel in my heart This is the perfect thing to do. But you know, it’s like a dance between the inner knowing of the high No, I’m here. I’m not sure entirely why yet. And then, of course taken out of the heart by dance the fears know the conditioning the part I should be doing this I should be, you know, working this way or doing this. So yeah, I think we kind of danced between knowing the park and also getting the partners part of it. Maybe you
David Ralph [41:24]
do a lot of dancing. You use that word? A lot, don’t you? Is that how you sense life? is a kind of a gentle movement? Or is it? Are you dancing a waltz? Are you doing this or member? What what? What kind of dance are you doing?
Edward Pike [41:40]
That’s good question. Have you heard of something called the five rhythms No. Five rhythms is a movement practices of dance practice created by a lady called abl both in the States. And it’s about following the system. There are five main rhythms in life that we we move through and the dance back is actually kind of a session where you teacher lead you into those different five rhythms in your body and is so there’s one which is flow, Mr. Carter, and there’s chaos and there’s lyrical and then there’s stillness. And I feel like I dance a lot between nowadays flow and stillness. But there’s still chaos. You know, at times, of course, there’s the kind of the five natural rhythms so yeah, make them dance with all of those five min Oh, this five.
David Ralph [42:24]
I think I’m gonna do a salsa. I think that’s gonna, that’s gonna be my dance today. And if you’ve ever seen me do a dance, you’re saying no, you’re just doing a dead dance. You’re not you’re not doing salsa at all. So what was your big head when when you look at where you are? Now, I suppose it’d be too easy to say it was your diagnosis. But what what actually would be the moment when you look back? And you think Yeah, I think that’s really when it started to become clear to me what I should be doing.
Edward Pike [42:55]
Question, the diagnosis is an obvious one, but I get a sense of the movie, something else. And the other one that comes to mind now is actually the first the first time I came to Crete. And I’d have a transformative two weeks at the time, and a lot of things kind of kind of a work in me like a connection to nature that I’d found out that hadn’t experienced or couldn’t remember, because I’ve been living in London for so long, even though I grew up on a farm. And I’m witnessing new connection to nature work this new said, so I had some time. No, I had the opportunity to kind of support people while I was there. And those first like two weeks, and I think just just those experiences were like, wow, that was a really powerful realignment. Are we kind of awakening of something within me at that point in time? Starting to that is another big.hd. It’s like my, those two weeks, and I first experienced myself here in pre? And then yeah, yeah, if I were to choose one dot that say that I will be the victim.
David Ralph [43:56]
So basically, what you’re saying is you reconnected with the person that you were meant to be that the small because we always saying we say at the end, that by join up dots and connecting our paths is the best way to build our futures, we actually align ourselves to who we were right in the very beginning. And I certainly know that’s the case with me. And the more that I’m aligning myself with my, my original spirit. It’s it’s the success is coming to me easier. It’s, it’s bizarre, because it goes totally against everything that I believe in, really, but you get out and you work hard. And you you know, you do things in a hard way, and you put effort in. And at the beginning of join up dots I always used to talk about hustle muscle, flexing that muscle muscle and becoming stronger. And now don’t think I believe that I think I didn’t believe that you’ve got to get back in Be yourself somehow.
Edward Pike [44:49]
Yeah, exactly. I like to say that the most intuitive parts of ourselves are the youngest parts of ourselves. And we can, you know, within the first few years of our life, we’re so connected life itself, like even energetically, we’re so connected to you know that whatever you want to call it, life, field of consciousness, whatever world people have. And then as we kind of as we grow up, we actually experience more of a separation. And then because of all these these things that happened to us and the nodes life, and then we kind of separate more and more than there’s always this part of us that knows it’s connected that those is something more to experience. And that is, as you say, it’s there was a younger part of us is that the innocent part of us is there. You know, the heart and there’s, I’m a post in my my room that says don’t grow up. It’s a trap. And I think that’s the answer is yes, surveys like growing up in the sense of, you know, becoming this image of the responsible adult of this productive member of society that we hold in our hands that to their collective image, or family or conditioning, or based on many, many things. And actually, the work is really simple as having to let go of that image of what we think we should be actually allow what as you said, what is already here within us will always be presence from an early young age, sense of innocence and joy, and a known kind of Goddess.
David Ralph [46:06]
And to mention him again Steve Jobs he famously said, stay young Stay Foolish or something along those lines. Yeah, it’s just keeping that playful element. Well, we have played we have danced, you have mumbled, I have so sit. And we’re now at the part of the show that we call the Sermon on the mic, when we’re going to send you back in time to connect with your younger self. And if you could walk into a room and see the young age, what age would you choose? And what advice would you give him? Well, we’re going to find out because we’re going to play the theme. And when it Phaedra, this is the Sermon on the mic.
Ed Pike [47:02]
So I would speak to the myself at the age of six, seven or eight. And I would say to you keep breathing, keep breathing, you’re going to experience quite a few things. As you grow, you’re going to experience perhaps a sense of separation from others from, from life, from your family, from yourself. And just a little bit that there’s a part of us always connected, that you always have this spark inside you. And that is there that you can trust that sense, you can trust this innocence and this knowing that you have within you within your heart that everything is okay. And that you’re here on this on this earth for something quite beautiful. And you might have to experience some suffering and some pain in order to find that that gentleman to find that seed and to allow it to flourish and beautiful on strong tree. But just know that it’s there and you can always come back to it and see. And that she can then alignment with it as you Bry your way through life. You’re going to experience some feelings, you can experience no rejection, you’re going to feel very separate from the world, you’re going to feel very separate even from yourself, you’re going to feel very separate from others and really feel like you don’t belong, you’re going to have you know, some some, some darker times when you might not understand what’s happening within you or outside of you. And just in those darker times, just find and feel this inner knowing that say in your heart that everything is okay, that there is a stillness of peace inside deep inside you even when it’s all chaotic around you. And and all of this chaos is actually happening for a reason. And you can learn to listen to this chaos, you can learn to look at what’s showing up outside of you. And then ask yourself, why is this showing up? In my experience? What is it about me? What is it that’s held in my subconscious in my unconscious self that I need to observe and look at and work on and move through? And you got to be dancing with this? Yes. And with this? No, you may be your entire life. And just know that the know isn’t that say isn’t the truth, the whole truth of the UI might feel very real, all the feelings or the anger or the sense of not belonging, disconnection, like you’re very, very real. But just know, that’s not the whole truth of who you are. There’s really a deeper true inner being. That is compassion. That is not that is joy, that is creativity. That is pleasure. That is expansion and growth and service. And that’s always there guiding you. And that is the part that will guide you all the times. And it will support you in moving through stuff that you need to move. So keep following that path.
David Ralph [50:03]
powerful stuff. And for the people listening today, Edward Pike, what’s the number one best way that our audience can connect with you?
Edward Pike [50:10]
best way is with my website and would pipe.net. And through there, they can find links to my Facebook, my YouTube channel, for example. Yeah, and there’s a bunch of free resources they can look at on the website and a few things you can start to explore
David Ralph [50:24]
brilliant stuff. And of course, if they want a free holiday and create your man as well, yeah,
Edward Pike [50:29]
yeah, yes, of course they can go. Perfect stuff.
David Ralph [50:33]
Well, thank you so much for spending time with us joining those dots. And please come back again, when you got more dots to join up. Because I do believe as I said earlier, that by joining up those dots and connecting our past is the best way to build our futures. Mr. Mike, thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you, Mr. Edward Pike, so easing crate is sitting there, he’s got sunshine outside, he’s, and he just follows these feelings. He follows these bliss. And do we do that? Do we do that? Generally? I don’t know if I do. I think I go for the scary thing and point towards that. Maybe I should be going the other way. Maybe that’s what life is telling us to go for the things that make us happy more than the things that make us scared. Or maybe we should dance as he says and do a bit of both. Who knows but if you’ve got some more ideas on how you actually proceed with life, then connect with us at join up dots@gmail.com and tennis or if you want to come over to our free coaching group at dream starters Academy just go over to our Facebook page join up dots click on the link, answer free very short questions to prove that you deserve to be in there. And we’ll meet you in there and say hello and start pushing you on to the dream life. But until next time, thank you so much for listening to this episode of join up dots wherever you are in the world. And we’ll see you again soon. Cheers. See
Outro [51:51]
David doesn’t want you to become a faded version of the brilliant self you are wants to become so he’s put together an amazing guide for you called the eight pieces of advice that every successful entrepreneur practices, including the two that changed his life. Head over to join up dots.com to download this amazing guide for free and we’ll see you tomorrow on join up dots.
