Interview: Tara Punter on Podcast Realisation and Mindset Coaching

This month we were thrilled to be given the opportunity to interview Tara Punter to discuss her latest business launch; the Tara Punter Podcast. Firing on all barrels, Tara has already recorded over 30 podcasts that help business owners, and individuals work on mindset, whether it be to smash goals in business or for morning routines to set yourself up for the day ahead.

Here we talk to Tara about how and why the podcast came about, business and personal goals, how she enjoys helping people with mindset coaching to realise their dreams before taking a sneak peek into her world as an Equestrian.

Top Tip: Don’t miss out on Tara’s top five takeaways towards the end of the interview.

What was the primary motivator to start the Tara Punter Podcast, and what do you enjoy most about it?

To be honest, I’ve been asked so many times over the years that I felt it was just time. I love creating content and offering value and advice (and I equally love the DMs I get from people letting me know how my content has changed their life), so this seemed like a natural progression to be able to support and advise on another level. I create bite-sized episodes that are generally 10 – 15 minutes each, and I focus on giving a few actionable points that people can easily implement. My favourite thing is hearing from people who have taken action and are seeing results so quickly. That keeps driving me on!

Which podcast has been your favourite/most beneficial so far, and why?

Gosh, I adore them all! I’ve had such amazing guests from the UK, US and Canada, and they all share such amazing messages. But I think episode 4 is my fave – my interview with Helena, a money mindset coach I previously worked with. Our conversation was SO raw and honest. She and I have both overcome serious money mindset issues to be where we’re at today, and I loved how open that conversation was. She also gave some amazing tips and words of wisdom in terms of actually having a positive, happy relationship with money.

How many additional hours does it take to fit in your podcast – including your prep?

It’s not actually too many! I do one per week on a Monday, alternating between a solo episode and a guest episode. I don’t write out a script, I just know what I want to talk about and I record it all in one go so there is minimal editing. So I would say it’s about 2 hours per month for the solo episodes, then probably an additional 3 hours per month for my guests. I have two guests per month, and those episodes are generally 30 – 60 minutes.

What would you say to someone keen to learn more and run their own?

Ask for help! I tried to figure it all out myself, and as someone who greatly dislikes tech, I found it very infuriating! So I asked my Instagram followers and had a close business contact offer advice. So ask for help. Have a bit of a plan in terms of what you want to talk about – most podcasts fail to get past ten episodes so make sure you’ve got at least ten episodes worth of content to start with. Also take the pressure off yourself – just do your best, share your message authentically and DON’T just sell your products or services on there. That’s not what they’re for. I’ve heard so many podcasts that are just sales pitches. People will be turned off and not listen again. Just give value and share your story authentically.

What has been your greatest achievement born from pushing yourself out of your comfort zone?

Being interviewed live on TV while in Los Angeles! I was asked, and I said yes before I even had a chance to think about the ‘what if’s’ and let the fear creep in! That has opened up some doors and was an amazing experience. I just love sharing my story in the hope that it will inspire someone to just say yes and take action on their dream.

We are continually learning more about the law of attraction – it seems to be everywhere at the moment – can you tell us what was the turning point for you, what it was that made you realise it does work?

I remember in July 2019, I had lots of bills coming in, a VAT bill, tax bill and sales had dried up a little. My mind was constantly focusing on the lack of sales coming in and in fact, focusing on the bills I had piling up. So from the law of attraction perspective, I was actually creating more of that! So as soon as I had the realisation, I started focusing on all that was coming IN to my life, I started tracking every single penny that came into my existence, I tracked every good moment, positive review, happy client email, so that my mind was focusing on abundance and positivity. The next month was (up to that point) my best ever. Simple mindset change = epic goal smashing! Your mind is more powerful than you even realise, you’ve got to use it so wisely! Just remember: like attracts like. You want more good, you gotta see more good!

“Your mind is more powerful than you even realise, you’ve got to use it so wisely! Just remember: like attracts like. You want more good, you gotta see more good!”

Can you tell us more about neuro-linguistic programming coaching and how it can help business owners fulfil their goals?

I did my NLP Coaching qualification in November 2019, at a time when I was starting to ramp up my coaching even more. I had witnessed first hand the power of your mindset and goal setting and wanted to be able to support clients in the same way. NLP basically translates to how your mind is wired and the language that we use. So it’s ensuring that you’re mindful with your words and knowing that you can re-wire your subconscious mind to get it more on your side!

Our beliefs were set when we were between birth age and 7 years old, so for many of us, we’re holding beliefs that we have grown up with and held on to for decades. Those subconscious beliefs can often hold people back from pushing themselves and going for their goals, or for actually setting goals properly. Every single one of us is more capable than we realise – we’ve just got to get our minds on our side! Success in any area of life or business is 80% mindset and only 20% strategy or skill. Mindset work is the one thing I wish I started learning sooner, so for me, it felt like a really natural transition to support my clients on a better, deeper level to help them achieve even more greatness.

How do you feel marketing will change in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic? Do you see digital marketing dominating trends?

I think digital marketing has been growing massively over the past few years anyway, but I absolutely do think that the pandemic has made business owners realise of its importance. Obviously so many brands often have stands at events and rely on that in-person presence, and with the cancellation of all of the shows this year, they’ve had to look into the digital sphere even more. I think many of those brands have been crushing it online so I do wonder if they’ll reassess their strategy for following years in terms of going to shows and whether they’ll just invest that money elsewhere.

How about TP PR, are you still focussing on Public Relations?

I have two avenues to the business now – the coaching side (where I help business owners with their business strategy, mindset, goals, marketing and creating the life and business they desire and deserve) and the PR and Marketing side. I have an amazing lady on my team called Victoria who now runs the PR side for me. She’s a godsend and has been part of the team for 3 years now and knows the industry and the clients as well as me! I love that she is able to run that whole side – it enables her to be focused on her work and enables me to focus on the coaching side. I also do a lot of speaking, which again, enables me to go off and do that. It really is a dream team!

What’s on your vision board at the moment – what’s your next big goal?

I’ve got a couple of things I’m really focusing on at the moment. I want an outdoor wooden hut office, as I have an office in the house at the moment. I can’t wait to have my own special space. I also have the Maldives on there as I can’t wait to go back and a bright blue Audi RS3 – the next step up from my S3. I adore cars and speed, and this is the next one!

TOP TAKEAWAYS … What are your five top tips for staying motivated in business?

1. 1. Stay focused on yourself. I never look at what my competitors are doing, I don’t look at their content, I don’t look at their pricing, I don’t look at their packages. I’m just focused on myself and what I’m doing.
2. 2. Do a morning routine. How you spend 1% of your day (which is just 14 minutes) impacts the other 99%. Get yourself into the right frame of mind at the start of your day. Episode 3 of my podcast, Tara Talks, is all about the morning routine.
3. 3. Always look for the positives. Yes, things will go wrong, that’s completely natural, but instead of getting hung up on it, try to look for the positives and see what you can learn from the situation.
4. 4. Stay connected to your why. Why do you what you do? What is your mission? Stay aligned with that – it’ll keep you focused and progressing at all times.
5. 5. Set goals. If you aren’t setting goals, how can you know what you’re working towards and if your month has been a success? Plus if you’ve set an income goal for the month, you’re much more likely to keep yourself motivated and intentional.

Tara as an Equestrian …

How many horses do you own?

Just one – a gorgeous 16.3hh ex-racehorse called Ollie (as he’s a wally!) I’ve had him for nearly five years now, and there’s nothing better than a nice early morning hack around the farm before I start my day!

Do you get much time to train and compete?

Unfortunately not as much as I would like! But I’m working on it. That was my goal for this year actually, yet obviously, coronavirus happened so I’m now re-setting goals for the second part of the year and over the winter.

What’s your favourite discipline?

Cross country! I used to be so super brave and would jump anything on my last ex-racehorse! I need to get back into the swing of things a bit as Ollie loves jumping too. I took him to Bicton to an ex-racehorse camp a few years ago and had a blast out on their cross country course! Its the best feeling being out on the course, just at one with your horse. It’s also my favourite discipline to watch.

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