A day in the life of an Enterprise Nation member: Abigail Barnes

Abigail Barnes is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, global speaker, business trainer, qualified coach, founder of Success by Design Training and creator of the 888 Formula.

The Enterprise Nation member was inspired to start a business after suffering a life-threatening stroke aged just 32. In a new series looking at how entrepreneurs structure their day, she shares some insights.

My alarm goes off…

If I've had my necessary seven hours and 35 minutes of sleep, I don't need an alarm clock and I wake up naturally (that's how I know this is how much sleep my body needs). If that's not the case then my alarm goes off at 6.30am.

My morning rituals are…

In no particular order I meditate, journal and do some yoga stretches for an hour to wake up my body and my mind, I drink a pint of water with half a lemon squeezed into it and have my first of 2 coffees.

I don't tend to eat until 10 am and then it's either fruit or two eggs. Lunch is my main meal of the day and has to include spinach, and the rest of the day is protein snacks or fruit like apples or watermelon. I started intuitive eating last year and love it…so sometimes I have a sandwich, it depends. I don't obsess about food like I used to, nowadays I see it as fuel.

My morning commute is…

A dream. We run the business from a co-working space in central London and if I don't have calls or client sessions I travel outside of rush hour. I use my commute to listen to Audible books or podcasts. One of my top recommendations would be The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks.

My typical day…

There is no typical day for me! One day can be preparing to speak at an event or running a training workshop, the next day delivering a talk or workshop, working 1:1 with consulting clients or individuals, or the next attending events, networking and following up on business opportunities and collaborations. I love the variation, it keeps work fresh and interesting.

My responsibilities are…

As we scale and grow our core business, Success by Design Training and bring to market our new 888 Training Programs, around 60% of my time is spent servicing our current clients, fast-growing start-ups and scale-ups that want to be more productive, less reactive and create strategy led business growth plans.

30% of my time is spent speaking at or running workshops and training sessions and the rest dedicated to sharing the 888 Formula with the world, our target is to reach one  million people by 2025.

My most memorable moment is…

The first time I shared my wake up call story with 300 people for WOW Talks. My mum and sister were in the audience crying in the back row both grateful that I had not died and was able to use what happened to inspire others to make the most of the time they have. Luckily I didn't see them otherwise I might have cried too!

I love my business because…

It is a vehicle that allows us to share our message with the world. That we all have the same 24 hours, the clock is ticking, don't wait for the perfect time to try something new. We use the 888 Formula to show people how to identify which areas of their lives are out of balance and give them tips, tools and strategies for how to change the things that are not adding value, for things that will.

I love the fact that what we do changes lives, and that when one life changes, it has the potential to impact the lives of 10 people around that person.

Everyone who attends a talk, workshop, event, reads my book, a post or watches one of our videos is a catalyst for change. We are changing lives, communities and leaving a legacy for future generations and that in turn is my life purpose.

The most challenging task is…

To stop working! We teach the 888 Formula and so must practice what we preach, but when you love what you do and do what you love sometimes it can be hard to switch off and boundary business and life.

After work…

This area of my life has become my greatest project. For the past 12 months, I have focused on my health and now my attention is on my wellbeing outside of work.

Last month we started something called the 888 Hobbies Challenge to investigate new things and along with three others, I attended a beginners swing dancing class. I am using the 888 Online Community to keep me accountable, and together we are all exploring how to bring more fun into our lives.

When growing up, I wanted to be…

A businesswoman. One summer holiday when I was about eight my family visited The Bank of England and Royal Exchange in London.

After seeing all of the busy people dashing by and feeling the powerful energy I told my mum that I had I decided I wanted to be one of them. I had no idea what they did I just knew they were busy, and I loved their shoes and clothes!

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