Saying No, Setting Boundaries, And Building Confidence One Small Step At A Time

A near-empty office during COVID. A new cleaner with no plan beyond doing good work. Five years later, Dallas is coordinating facilities, leading the team she started in, and proving that progression can thrive alongside type 1 diabetes when health comes first and effort stays steady.

We walk through the exact moments that moved her forward: volunteering for unglamorous jobs, accepting a trial in facilities, and practising “Barbie steps” to build skills in IT and operations without burning out. Dallas gets candid about the pressure to be endlessly available, the fear of being judged for hospital appointments, and the turning point where she learned to say, “I’ll help after I take my insulin.” That single boundary didn’t slow her career; it powered it. By pairing compassionate self-talk with tangible routines—like five-senses grounding to defuse stress—she created sustainable consistency that leaders noticed.

As a supervisor, Dallas challenges the “just cleaners” stereotype, explaining why cleaning teams are a vital cog that keeps workplaces safe and human. She shares how lived experience builds trust, how to advocate without friction, and why saying no can make you a better teammate. We also dig into educating colleagues about invisible illnesses, transforming curiosity into understanding, and replacing self-doubt with evidence of progress. If you’re in an entry-level role, learning new tools from scratch, or juggling health while trying to move up, you’ll find a practical roadmap: start small, ask for more, set boundaries, and let competence compound.

Ready to rethink confidence as the outcome of action, not the prerequisite? Press play, subscribe for more real career stories, and leave a review with the one boundary you’ll set this week.

Transcript

From Cleaner To Coordinator

SPEAKER_00 0:11

Today's guest is a story that I think will resonate with a lot of listeners. Not because it's dramatic, but because it's real. Five years ago, Dallas started as a cleaner. Today she's a facilities coordinator, supervising three people, including cleaners, doing the job she once did. That progression didn't happen through one big break. It happened through consistently showing up, proving herself, and building confidence one step at a time, all while managing type 1 diabetes and other health conditions that made some days much harder than others. This is what confidence actually looks like when your life doesn't give you ideal conditions. Welcome, Dallas. It's great to have you here.

SPEAKER_01 0:53

Thank you. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00 0:55

So Dallas, would you mind taking me back five years ago when you started working as a cleaner here? What was that like and what you think about where you might go from there?

SPEAKER_01 1:04

Um so when I first started here, it was it was really daunting. Um I'd I'd moved away for this specific job, um, and when I came here, um the place was pretty empty. You know, it was COVID times, people were still working from home. Um so it was a little bit strange actually from where the sort of environment I'd come from before where it was always busy. So I was struggling a little bit thinking, oh my god, is this it? Um but I think eventually once things started sort of getting back to normal, um, was getting more and more people in the office and things, it became uh a lot easier uh to do. Um and I think at the time uh as well, you know, I was just so focused on coming here, being a cleaner, getting the job done. Um honestly, I didn't have a thought process of where I want to be in a few years, you know. It was just sort of the here and now, I've got this job, I really need to prove myself in in this role, you know. Um but I'd sort of known in the back of my mind that I would eventually want a small team. Um I wasn't sure how I'd make that happen, to be honest. Um and I wasn't sure if it would would ever happen being in that position. Um so yeah, it was it it was a strange start um to to work in here actually. But here we are.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

Here we are. And when you looked at people that were to say coordinator roles back then, did you think well that could be me or did it feel out of reach or um personally in a in a coordinates position, no.

SPEAKER_01 2:48

I didn't think I'd ever have this sort of job to be honest. I thought it's just gonna be little old me, pottering around by myself, you know, the the cleaning team of one. Um and eventually I'd I'd I'd hope, like I said, I'd like to have a couple of people that I could maybe supervise, um, but my job role sort of turned on its head, um, you know, so so going from the cleaning side uh to then working up to facilities, um, even though it's involved with each other, um, it was quite different. Um, but no, coordinated position was not not in the picture for me at all. Yeah, so uh it it's definitely a big jump.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

Yeah. But there was that little thought in there of you would like to manage a team of people.

SPEAKER_01 3:38

Yep. Yeah, yeah, that's it.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

What about so you mentioned that the the facility side of it? How how did you go about moving from you know the cleaning role to the facilities to the coordinator? How did how did you progress?

Volunteering For More And The Pivot

SPEAKER_01 3:53

Um I think with that, um obviously I'd been doing uh the cleaning for about six months or so and I was getting really on top of it, you know, had my routine in place, I was doing what I needed to do. Um and there was some times, you know, where I'd go up to the the HRM facilities team at the time going, is there anything extra, you know, you need me to do? I can pick up anything. Um and um the the facilities manager at the time was saying, Oh, you know, just little bits, little things like, can you take the recycling truck out, you know, that was a sort of a facilities job, and little things like that started to pick up into a few more bigger things, you know, um, and just going, Oh, you know, Dallas, could you could you do this? And I'm like, Yeah, absolutely, you know, I've got time, let me do it. Um and then it it sort of went from that to one of the HR managers actually pulling me to the side, and and funnily enough, at the time I thought, oh no, what have I done? You know, I was panicking. Um, and she said, No, Dallas, you know, you've you've really been showing some willingness. Uh, we love your work ethic. How would you feel about sort of joining us on on the facilities side of things and just sort of helping a little bit with HR? And I was a bit like, you know, I've I've I've never done this sort of job before. I've always been in sort of cleaning or retail. And I thought, I said, can I have some time? I don't need to decide now, no. Um, so I went home and I had about a week where I was a bit like, oh God, am I really ready for this? Am I just comfortable in what I'm doing? Do I need to make that push? Which I did. I needed to get myself out of that comfort zone. Um, so I I just went for it, yeah. Just went for it. And and that's sort of how it started, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:37

What do you think it was about the comfort zone that made you go, uh, I want to push myself out of it? Some people stay their whole life in the comfort zone, don't they?

Leaving The Comfort Zone

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Yeah, yeah, they certainly do. And I think I had done for a long time, but I think I'd realised being here, it what an amazing opportunity it was. Um, the the company that we were subcontracted to is an amazing company. And I thought, wow, you know, I've been asked by one of the higher up people in that company to do this. And I thought, I'm not going to get this opportunity again. They're never if I turn this down, they're not going to ask me anymore. Um, so I thought I've just got to go for it.

unknown 6:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:16

Um, and give it a try. And I remember saying, like, can I just test it for six months?

SPEAKER_02 6:21

Wow. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

See how I get on. And they were like, Yeah, absolutely, see how you settle in, um, see what skills you can develop and all that sort of stuff. Um, but I'm I'm really glad I'd done it. I'm really glad I did, because I have sort of been quite a comfort level type of person, you know, stick at the same thing, what you know. And this time something must have just switched in my head and I just went straight for it. Yeah.

Living And Working With Type 1

SPEAKER_00 6:44

She's brilliant. It's it's great that you took, you saw the opportunity and you took it, which I think is is is amazing. So again, I think what helps people is that sometimes they it's nice to stay in your comfort zone. Because you're not challenged, you're not as comfortable in it. Yeah. No point of it. Whereas you felt you needed to push yourself beyond it, which I think is is fantastic. And you mentioned that you live with type type 1 diabetes and some additional conditions. I'd love to talk about how that's affected the career journey. Because I think a lot of listeners will be managing their own health challenges while trying to progress.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

Yeah. Um as you can imagine, i it's a it's a difficult condition to deal with anyway, uh, to be fair. I think it's it's definitely um something that a lot of people live with. Um, but again, because you can't see it, it's it's easy to forget that that person is maybe struggling. Um so I had a lot of struggles actually in in the last five years of being here, and I've had some really tough times, um, and it impacted my work life quite a lot in the early stages. Um so obviously you've got the pressure of I need to be here, I need to show up, I need to give it my all because I've been given this opportunity. But you're also fighting to um make sure health is the top of your top of your list as well. Um and I think uh getting them to hand in hand was very difficult. Luckily now, um managing everything, okay, I think.

unknown 8:32

Yeah.

Reframing Priorities And Self‑Talk

SPEAKER_01 8:32

Um but it's taken a long time, yeah, and uh it's it's been a stressful journey actually to try and to to balance both of them things out. Um actually.

SPEAKER_00 8:41

So How did you balance would do you do if you got routines or things you do to help you manage that?

SPEAKER_01 8:48

Um I think for for me, um to start with, like I say, I couldn't balance anything. The trouble is I think what people forget a lot of the time is your health is so important. But on the other hand, people are also worried that that work is so important. It's our life, it's what gets us by, you know. Um so it tends to be, and for me anyway, health falls back of the list of priorities. Um when actually it it needs to be front of your mind. Yeah, your health needs to be a hundred percent before you can give a hundred percent at work. Um so I think a lot of things that I actually had to do was take a step back, yeah. Um try and stop the stress, stop uh internally telling myself, you know, they're all thinking really bad of you. That's what I'd have all the time of they're thinking how much time you're having off and how many appointments you're having at the doctors and hospitals and things like that. When actually they they weren't, um they're very supportive, the guys here. Um but in your own head that's what you think, and I think you have to try and somehow squash that and get rid of that so you can move on and do what you need to do. Um, but I do think it's important for people to take the time that they need um and realise how important looking after themselves is. Um, and like I say, you you you can't come into work and want or try and give you all if your mind and your body is isn't at that same level.

unknown 10:24

Yeah.

Educating Colleagues About Invisible Illness

SPEAKER_01 10:25

Um so I think yeah, for me it was just sort of I guess it's looking as an outsider actually, you have to have sort of like this out-of-body experience of of and as well a lot of it was, and I'd learnt a lot through my diabetic teams and things were how would you talk to somebody else in this position?

SPEAKER_02 10:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:45

Um, and I'm a really compassionate person, and I always saying to them, I'd say this and I'd say that. So why can't you say it to yourself? And I did. I started doing that, um, and that's sort of that's what I had to do, yeah. Um, to get where I needed to be, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 11:02

That's brilliant. Yeah. It's fantastic.

Proving Yourself Without Burning Out

SPEAKER_01 11:06

Um, if there was anything you wish employers or colleagues understood better about working with an invisible health condition, is there anything you would sort of recommend or um I definitely uh think you know it it's one of them when you say invisible, it it is what it what it says on the tin, you know, you can't see the struggles that somebody's having. Um and like for me, I'm always like this happy, cheerful person. And when you come into work and you're not feeling a hundred percent, people are always, oh god, you know, what's wrong with you now? You know, and because you look semi-normal from the outside, inside you're like you you're struggling so much. Um and I think sometimes the trouble is not everybody's educated, yeah, and that is the thing, not everyone's educated on a certain thing. Um and I've found working here that when you start talking to people and you're very open, they start to learn a little bit more about you and what's happening, not just oh, she's ill again, you know. If you if you're open with people, not too much, you know, sort of detail and things like that, but just go, this is what it's about. For me, um, you know, I've got insulin pumps and sensors that are where, and people are curious. Um, and I love the fact that they are, yeah. Um, and I like that they ask questions and things and I can answer them and tell them because they get a better understanding. And I think I've had to do that with a lot of my colleagues actually here to because you know, there's sometimes they must look at me and think, Oh god, she's just being lazy. It's not being lazy, you know, we're exhausted. We've we're fighting mentally, physically, you know, and for conditions like type one, it's staying alive, you know, it's not just I've got a headache or I'm feeling a bit sick. Our life is making sure we're doing what we can to keep keep ourselves going. Yeah, so you're mentally battling with that all the time and physically, because there's a lot of implications that come along with it. Um, and again, people just sort of have that, I guess, stereotype of oh, she's just sitting there lazy again. Or it might be things like I get it all the time, it's quite funny actually. Somebody's birthday in the office, there's cake in the kitchen. Are you sure you can have that? You know, it's quite funny, I get it a lot. Um, and it's it doesn't offend me, it's because people don't know. But I think um I think teaching people and giving knowledge to managers and team members is is key, to be honest, to getting through to them a little bit.

unknown 13:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

And getting them to understand, you know, that we're we're as capable as everybody else. Yeah. But there are times where it's a little bit tougher. Yeah. Um, but we will we get there. We we do what we need to do, and we pull ourselves together and we and we do it. It just takes a bit more time, yeah. That's all.

SPEAKER_00 14:18

So And have you ever felt sort of building on that that you've had to work harder than others just to be seen as equal because of the time or maybe the energy that your health managing your health takes?

SPEAKER_01 14:31

Yes, absolutely. Um I I'm a big worrier anyway, um, and I used to worry all the time and think, oh my god, what do what does people think of me? Um the the stress then caused of the overthinking, you know, of of all of this stuff, then takes a takes a massive toll. Um but you do sometimes have that internal voice of going, you're not put out for this. You know, this is way too much for you to manage with everything else, quit. But then you think of the reasons why you're doing it. Um, and for me, a lot of the time it is to prove to myself, and not necessarily to anybody else, but I want to be the the front of my sort of story, and I want to know that I've done it for me, um, and I've proved to myself uh that actually with all this other rubbish that's happening, I can still be good at my job, I can manage people, and I've got great skills with people, um, and I don't think that that that the illnesses and and things that people have should should um define anything like that. You know, we've all got something good that we're good at, and we can do it, you know, um but it it's definitely been tough. Like I say, just trying to um I guess get it in your own head as well that you're good enough, as well as trying to prove to everybody else I've got this, uh you know, so it again I guess everybody has it to a certain degree, we all sort of battle with ourselves. Yeah. Um and that that thought process doesn't just change overnight, it it does take a little bit of time, but you know, we'll get there.

SPEAKER_00 16:27

I think your example from earlier of looking at it from a third party, you know, when if you were if you were looking at someone in the same position you are, what would you say to them? Yeah. That really struck a chord with me, because I thought, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 16:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:42

We're probably kinder to other people than we are to ourselves.

SPEAKER_01 16:45

A hundred percent. Yeah, I think um our empathy towards other people is always very, very strong, and and we can be the nicest person to other people, but to ourselves, we really do criticise and drag ourselves down, don't we? And um we can never see the good in what we're doing. Yeah, but the nice thing, and and the things that I've learned along the way with the people that I work with, uh, and also like I say, the the help of my my team, my my my type one team, is people do actually see it and they do recognise it. Um and the nice thing is, is um I'm not one to to want thanks and praise, that's not what I do, what I do, but there are people out there that will give you that that little bit of a confidence boost of going, actually you're doing a really good job, you know, and you you don't need to stress, you're juggling a lot within life. Um so so keep doing what you're doing, you know, um, which is lovely. I think sometimes we all need to hear that a little bit. Definitely because we do doubt ourselves quite a lot, don't we, as humans? So everybody does. Yeah.

Managing The Team You Started In

SPEAKER_00 17:55

You mentioned there managing, you know, your team, etc. So the big thing for me is you know supervise the cleaners. The people are doing the job you started in. What's that like?

Sparking The Fire To Progress

SPEAKER_01 18:04

It's amazing. Um I'm really proud. I I feel really proud that I've got one a great team of ladies that that I get to work with um every day. Um, but also it's sort of a bit surreal because I always think I would never be in that position. I didn't know when that was gonna happen. Um so when it finally did, it was like I've got there, you know, I've I've done what I've been wanting to do, and it's crazy. We we we chat, and and obviously they know that I was in the position that they're doing now before them. Um, but I think it helps us have a mutual understanding of each other. I know their rules, and I know unfortunately, the the thought process of a lot of people is they're just cleaners, yeah. And it really annoys me when people say that because they're a they're a big cog in the words that keep the team going. Yeah. Um and it's quite sad to see a lot of the times that that that cleaners are just sort of brushed aside as that's all they do. Um but I'm quite grateful here because a lot of the team uh for the company that we that we work for are amazing, yeah. And they don't see it like that. We're all one team, um, and especially for for us because we're based on this site five days of the week. So we've sort of become part of the furniture now. I I know I have anyway, after five years. Um but yeah, it it's uh it's a crazy thing to manage people like that. But I absolutely love it. I love um what I do, and like I say, I love my team, and I think it does like I say help me understand when they're coming to me, you know, this is what's happening, I've got this problem, I can deal with it, yeah, and I know what it's like because I've been in that situation many times before. Um so yeah, I think that makes our team bond a lot a lot stronger. Yeah, and I'd hope that they feel like they could come to me for anything because unfortunately, with with previous companies that I've worked with, um I haven't always had that. And I always wanted to be in the position to go, I'm that manager or that supervisor, and I want people to warn to me and come to me. Yeah, I'd never want them to think, oh god, I'm dreading having to go and ask a question. I want to be open and I want to be honest. Um, and I think that's what it's all about. So, yeah, for me, for that question, I'm just super pleased and I'm super proud that I've got where I need to get and I'm I'm proud of my team. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:46

So if one of them came to you and said they wanted to progress like you, what would you tell them?

SPEAKER_01 20:52

Absolutely go for it. Wow. Um I think it it's the old saying, I guess life's too short, and it really is, you know, to be worrying about well, what if I don't get it, what if I'm not good at it? Um how are you ever gonna know until you make that jump? Um I was in the same position of going, oh my god, can I can I actually do this? Uh I've been a cleaner for so many years, I don't know, I don't know any IT skills, I don't know this, I don't know that. Um but you learn, and it's all part of it. I think if you're if you're a person that's willing, um, and you've got just a bit of fire in you somewhere, you can do it. Um and I would support them all the way. And honestly, if it came to it, I'd be super pleased with them working on the team with me. Um, you know, th it's just it's just a great thing. It really is.

SPEAKER_00 21:50

But that fire, that was fascinating. So that you mentioned, you know, if you've got the fire within you, would you think what created that fire for you? Spark the ignition spark when you think back.

SPEAKER_01 22:03

When I think back, I think it was sort of going back to some of our first questions was the the whole comfort zone. I think I just kept thinking about how long I've been in my comfort zone. And you know, um a a big thing for me is time, and I know a lot of people think that's crazy, but I think it is just because of uh the diabetes side of things, just life in general. I just kept thinking, even though I'm classed as young uh to a lot of people, I was thinking, is this something I want to be doing till I die? Or do I want to make the jump while I can and I can still learn and I can still do these things, you know, time is actually on my side instead of against me. Um so I think for me that was the thing that was like Dallas, just do it. Yeah you know, like I said earlier, who knows if I'd have got that chance again, and I don't feel like if I was in another company that I'll that I would have been offered that actually. It's just because these guys here are really good. Yeah. Um so yeah, I think that fire just came from feeling like I needed to do it, I needed to progress. Um I needed to stop the fear that I had as well behind um all behind that sort of oh comfort zone sort of stuff. Um so yeah, made made the jump uh and the best thing that I did actually. Wow. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:38

If you compare your confidence now, say, to five years ago, not just the job but to to yourself, to everything, what's different?

SPEAKER_01 23:47

Oh my god, it's worlds apart, actually, yeah. Um I've still always been a very sort of bubbly person, can chat to a door, honestly. Um that's just my nature, but um I think back then I had a lot of self-doubt around um probably more like jobs and pushing that. I think I think a lot of people have a fear behind, you know, starting a new job or interviews in particular, things like that, which I think had always been a massive fear for me of going, I'm so anxious about doing that stuff that I'm now I'm just in this shell and sticking at what I know. Um so back then, yeah, I was such a nervous person to just push and go for the goals that I wanted to get. Once I think you're over that mark. I think once I took that first step of actually accepting the job, I knew it wasn't gonna be easy because there were things that I didn't know and there were things that I'm like, oh my god, I'm gonna have to start again. Um but it was amazing, it was a great, it was a great learning experience. Um it's extra feathers in my cap, you know, you just keep learning. Um but yeah, I think the main thing as well is um are the skills that I've actually learned doing this role. My biggest thing, and I always laugh, is learning to say no. Wow a lot, which weirdly makes your confidence go through the roof because I've always been a very soft person. Yes, I'll do this, I'll help you out with that, and I still am. Um, but being in facilities and sort of health and safety, there's got to be a point now where you say no to people. Yeah, you know, Dallas, can you do this? I haven't got time, no, that's gonna be something you need to find with another team or do yourself. Um and I've really struggled with that to start with. Um, but once I'd sort of done that first little step, you know, of actually no, I've got a job now and I want to do my best at it, and the only way I'm gonna do it is if, you know, I am doing these and putting these things in place. So the confidence around people and communication now has improved massively.

SPEAKER_00 26:02

So it's all really good insight that. Really good insight. Because I think a lot of people think maybe I just find it hard to say no, think it will work the opposite effect. But for you it was building I think you're you're absolutely spot on. It helps people build confidence because it's part of setting a boundary, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 26:21

Yeah, a hundred percent. And I think um when you work in a in a place like here, you know, we've got up to 200 staff, um, and you'll get all sorts of people try all sorts of different things to get what what they want or or get where they need to be. Um and it is difficult sometimes, you know, especially with people in work because you build bonds with these people, you don't want to upset people, um, you don't want to step on anybody's toes. But unfortunately, like I say to a lot of people now, if they say to me, Oh Dallas, you've changed, but my role has changed with that as well. I'm not just the sort of happy, smiley, chatty cleaner that I was, I still am that Dallas. Yeah, but I've also got a duty of looking after people and making sure things in the workplace are safe and are working as they need to. With that, you have to become a little bit stronger in yourself, um, which I think has helped me discipline myself in life as well. Yeah, you know, um, massive example of of that was uh with my diabetic team, and they sort of said, you know, are you doing the right things at the right time taking your insulin? And I'll be like, No, I'm not doing that because I'm so worried about looking after these people and not looking after myself.

unknown 27:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:37

And that was one big step for me was if somebody came up to me, oh damn, I need this right now, yeah. I'd say, no, I can't do it right now. I'm looking after myself first, take my insulin, da da da da, then I will go and do it. And that's when I thought, actually, you know, I I can do this, I can say no. So, you know, after that was a bit of a turning, turning point for me, I think.

SPEAKER_00 27:59

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 28:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:00

It's a great example it is. If there was say you were you were someone was listening that was in an entry-level role, maybe dealing with their own health challenges, and wondering if progression's realistic for them, what would you what would you say to them?

SPEAKER_01 28:18

I would say if you want to do it, it's a hundred percent a goal that you can you can reach. Um the trouble is we like I said before, we have so much self-doubt. Um and it's natural to have that. We all sort of question if we can do things and whatnot. But I do find with people that are maybe in um what society sees as lower jobs or in a position where our health isn't great, that doubt creeps in a little bit more than than somebody else's would. Um but I think um I I think anybody can can do what they want to do. And again, it goes back to having that bit of fire in your belly. Um I didn't feel like I had that fire to start with, and you really do have to dig deep um to try and find it. But I think if you've got an inkling of of desire to do something there, you can do it. Um and like I said before, it just it just sometimes takes a little bit longer because you have to work harder, you do, and it's not easy. Even just things like, like I say, for me, going from a cleaner, and I've not used any IT since I was in school, so you know, coming into this job, having to use a laptop and and all these different things, I I felt useless to start with, I really did. Um, but it comes with time, and that's what you've got to remind yourself, you know, you've got to give yourself time to learn these things and to do these things, it doesn't happen overnight, and you've got to set yourself realistic goals. You can't do something that's too far out of reach because you'll never get there then. Um me and my my one of my doctors at my clinic always laugh and we say, baby, Barbie steps, take Barbie steps and you'll get there. And it is right, you know, them them little Barbie steps, that's great. They will get you there.

SPEAKER_00 30:19

Brilliant.

SPEAKER_01 30:20

Yeah, so just keep pushing at it.

SPEAKER_00 30:23

Is if there was one thing you'd encourage others to try, uh all the things you've spoken of, what's the what's I don't have maybe to choose one, but what's one of the things you would say? Try this and see what happens.

Challenging Misconceptions On Disability

SPEAKER_01 30:35

Um if it if it's around sort of um the anxiety and the stress of work and health, one main thing, and I know some people be like, oh that's crazy, but grounding. Um and when when some people think of grounding things, standing in mud and it's a little bit strange, it's not that at all. What I've learned the last few years, especially um trying to handle stress and health and work um are the the five tips of of grounding, which is uh your sight, what you can smell, what you can taste, um gone out now, uh what you can feel, yeah, all of that sort of stuff and what you can hear. Um and when you're getting into stress mode, um remembering all of them, take yourself off to a quiet place, focus on what you can hear, if you can hear anything, what you can taste, you know, what you can see around you, um, and bring yourself back down before you start getting too stressed. Yeah, and I think the the main thing is about learning to cope before you get into that sort of stress level. And for me, it doesn't work for everybody, but for for me that has been a massive help and trying to do that. And I and I remember my my team, I can I know I keep mentioning, but my my team kept saying Dallas, you know, just try this. And I had a little poster printed out near my desk that had them five senses on, and I would do it, you know. If I felt you know, this anxiety is coming on, or this this email stressed me out, I'd take myself and I'd think, right, you know, and um like I say, a lot of people think, oh god, that's a a load of rubbish. But I think it's definitely something people should try and do, and it and it's hard to do it in the moment. So I think taking yourself, you know, even outside of work, practicing them skills and and and really bringing yourself back down before you get into that mode is really important, and I've learnt that a lot the last couple of years, you know. So I'd say to anybody, try that out.

SPEAKER_00 32:52

Yeah, ground yourself. That sounds a useful, really super useful tip, I think. Jake, is there is there a misconception about career progression or about working with health conditions that you'd want to challenge?

SPEAKER_01 33:05

Um I think so. I I think um and not even necessarily disabilities that you can't see, disabilities that you can see. I think people see it as um a reason that they can't do something. And I I don't think that's true at all. You know, we're all we've all got different strengths and capabilities. Um and just because somebody's struggling doesn't mean they can't do the job as well as their peers. Um, and I think that is quite a blurred line, if you say, you know, where people are a bit like, oh um, they probably should be working with us, or is there something else we can get them to do because of this? Well no, you know, if they want to do that, they can. Yeah. And again, it's that whole sort of going back to if you're really willing and you really want to do something, you will do it, whether you've got different, you know, things going on or impairments that get in the way, you can still do what you want to do, I believe, anyway. You know, it shouldn't it shouldn't be that you're not allowed to do anything or live your life or do a job that you love doing because of something that's wrong with you. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:21

So true. So what's next for you, Dallas? Where do you see yourself going from here? What's the next challenge? Oh god, um gets you out of your comfort zone next.

SPEAKER_01 34:31

Um my plan is I guess still stick to um the coordination side. You know, I'm currently doing some courses, um, so I'm trying to work hard on my progression. I think now that that I'm ready physically, mentally, you know, to take a jump, um, I will do that. I'm not quite 100% sure in what direction yet. I know I still love the facilities side of things, which I never thought, you know. I I was always a person that never knew what they wanted to do in their life. Even when I started here and I was doing the cleaning, I thought, God, is this is this really what I want? Do I want to progress? Uh and I've noticed now that facilities is probably a bit more of my calling than any other job that I've had. Um, so I definitely want to stick in this sort of area. Um, but but doing what who who knows, you know, and I'd love to stay with this company, uh well, my company and and the company that we work for as long as I can, actually. Um, so yeah, I think we'll we'll just see, but I'm still always working towards trying to better myself um as much as I can. So I think if I ever starts dying down, that's when I take the next jump um and go for something different. So we'll see. We'll see.

SPEAKER_00 35:54

Thank you so much, Dallas. I think it's you know, amazing the story that you've the journey, I guess, this confidence journey you've done in the last five years of coming into a job when COVID's rife and there's not many people about, and you know, and you're and to be fair, it was a fairly newish setup as well in this building. Yeah. And you know, you then progress through it and to the stage where you're challenging yourself, you're grounding, which you thought was great, you're saying no. Yes. No. All these things, all the you know, even the things that you're saying the last time you touched IT was at scrap.

SPEAKER_02 36:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:28

And all of a sudden, facilities, you're having to do that and that all of this learning, all this. Every one of them's like a it's almost like a micro challenge, isn't it?

SPEAKER_01 36:37

Yes, it definitely was.

SPEAKER_00 36:40

And each one you take just I guess it makes you realise you can take the next one. Which is important. I guess what I take from the conversation is this idea that you you decided to challenge yourself. You you you wanted to get out of that comfort zone, you you behave consistently when asked to do more, in fact, you volunteered to do more things. You put yourself out there saying, I'm gonna do this. And the fact you you know you're working with your health team, listening to their advice, a lot of people won't listen, really.

SPEAKER_01 37:12

Believe me, it's taken me a long time to listen to them. I'm sure they're pulling their hair out, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:16

And I like that. There's two flips that that really stood out to me. One flip was the one where you go, No, I'm not good at it right now, I'll be with you in five minutes, I'll take my insulin first. Whereas previous to that you would have gone and done the job first and known that your health would deteriorate a bit because you hadn't taken it on the right time. So that that felt um that felt really quite inspiring, if I'm honest, that you know, because a lot of people they do put the job, the family, the whatever first. Whereas without the health, it's nothing's possible. No. But I think what you've done is brought that really that's really, really real. I think for anybody listening who's in a similar position, maybe a role that feels invisible, maybe managing health challenges that take that extra energy. This is proof that progression's possible. It's not easy, it's definitely not guaranteed, but it's possible. And thank you so much for sharing so openly and telling your story to folks. I really appreciate it.