EPISODE 74
Thank you for tuning in to episode 74!
Today’s solo show is a recap of the big takeaways for the first half of the year. If you’re listening in real-time today’s June 30th.
Tomorrow brings a fresh second half of 2021, and as you might know, I looooove a fresh start! It’s also super exciting to see a slow shift back to life as we knew it!
Now let’s take a look back at some of the lessons learned and a few highlights!
One of my favorite topics was centered around taking a workation. I know it might have a slightly different meaning than what you might think, but I genuinely believe that taking the time away from your usual space can push you to find a focus that is not available to you when you’re at home.
The idea is to take a few days away from home to create the content you have been putting off. It can be a short 2 day hiatus, or you technically could have a workation at home, but you’ll need to plan for it as if you were away. I like to remove all distractions, pack my office with food, water, etc., and I get to work. Of course, this is a budget-friendly solution, but if you’re able to find it in the budget to get away from home, I guarantee you won’t be sorry. I found that it was easy to work a full day straight without interruptions. Maybe it’s that guilty feeling of “oh, I better actually work since I’m paying for this” that makes me focus on my tasks. Either way, if you’ve had a project that you have been putting off, this is definitely the way to complete it! As a bonus, you can write off the time away from home since it is a business expense!
I’m amazed at the vast number of opportunities and creativity that are all around us. The mix of business owners that I interviewed this first half of the year ranged from a grief expert, a soprano, a social media marketing guru, a side gig expert, an accountant, a watercolor artist, an author, attorney, and the list goes on! I love that even in a field like coaching, there are several different approaches that a coach can take. Kelli, in episode 70, has honed in her coaching skills through the high adventure life that she leads. Other coaches that I have interviewed take a more spiritual approach to finding balance. If you’ve ever felt that your area of interest is too saturated. I promise you that your life’s experiences have given you a unique take on life, and in return, your approach to whatever it is you are drawn to will be completely different.
Here’s a great lesson to remember from episode 63. Dilyana created a business devoted to creating felted dolls. Although her products were amazing, she wasn’t getting the results that she had expected. She had a proven concept, but the sales weren’t adding up. She worked through her frustration, and she found a Facebook group that focused on helping Etsy sellers. I love that Dilyana took the initiative to join the group, get coaching, and finally see results. It’s easy to quit when we feel like things aren’t working, but taking an honest look at your pitfalls can shine a light on the weakness you need to work on most.
In many cases, a creator is amazing at creating but not at marketing. If this is you, I recommend taking a look at the many social media marketing coaches available, several of which I have interviewed. If you still want to be hands-on, then consider a service like Rise-Up Creatives. This easy-to-follow system allows you to post regularly by giving you prompts, image suggestions, and an editing platform. I think the idea is to find where you struggle most and focus on finding the right community to help you achieve success. And if you’re a marketer…don’t forget to contact the smaller business owner looking to boost their views. It’s a win-win for everyone!
So as we head into the next half of the year, I will leave you with this question. Do you remember when? I love this question, and I’m confident you’ll be able to use it to find motivation. Let me explain. When we were in quarantine and did not know when things would open up again, many of us started realizing that we took many things for granted. We started making wish lists of things we would do if only we could go back to how things were.
What things did you put on your list? Did you say that you would travel more? Did you say that you would finally pursue that dream of yours? Did you say that you would change your business so that you’d be able to spend more time with family? Whatever was on your list of wishes will soon fade unless you capture those dreams and create goals out of them. It’s easy enough to make that list, put it on paper, and month by month start to tackle each wish until it becomes your new reality. Take each goal and assigning a specific time to it and further break it down into daily steps.
Another way you can use the question “do you remember when?” is to get a broad view of the progress that you’ve made. This is a great question to ask when you’re feeling a bit stuck or experiencing some growing pains.
A few years ago, when I had first opened up my Etsy shop, I remember looking forward to one day shipping out hundreds of orders a week. As my business started to grow and I slowly became overwhelmed, I took a look back and thought about my question. I asked, “do you remember when you wanted to get hundreds of orders a week?” We focus on the end goal in all that we do as business owners, and we miss the obvious. If I were to get hundreds of orders, I would clearly need help.
Somehow asking myself this question gave me the clarity to see that being swamped was a blessing, but one that I should tackle with help. It also gave me perspective on how far I have come. I love love love this question.
When Justen and I hit a few bumps in the road around year 7 or 8 of our marriage, I remember asking myself that question. I asked myself, “do you remember when all you wanted was to be married and live together?”
Somehow in life, we achieve significant milestones, and we forget to appreciate them. I don’t think that asking the question will solve anything, but I do think it will shine a light on where you’ve come from and where you can focus on next. Seriously…you can ask this question at any time and get amazing perspective or talk about a great conversation starter!
So as we kick off the second half of the year, I ask you…do you remember when quarantine started, and all you dreamt about was appreciating life more and making changes? Now make that list and start tackling your goals!
I’ll see you next time!
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