Business Blasphemy: Success, Ambition & Other Things Women Question After 40

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Learn more about planning for 2024 with the Growth Navigator Workshop HERE.

Diving into my nerdiness to find business strategy lessons? Absolutely! 

I received an unexpected perspective shift direct from the hallowed halls of Hogwarts, which tied directly to business strategy -- and it was a lesson I absolutely had to share.

We all know the struggles of business in the online space -- the shiny object syndrome (that I refer to as SOS), the FOMO (fear of missing out), all the distractions...

The dreaded but incredibly tantalizing "side quests".

This week I explore how to maintain a laser focus on your "main quests" to avoid being derailed by the "side quests". I share my thoughts on conducting a thorough audit of experiences and knowledge, the power of engaging conversations with coaches, and the need to fill any knowledge gaps. 

I also touch on the essential elements of planning a year of intentional focus on our primary business mission. Strap in and prepare to level up your business game.

Love what you heard? Let’s stay connected!

Subscribe to Business Blasphemy for honest, provocative conversations about women in midlife, entrepreneurship, ambition, identity, and creating a next chapter that reflects who you've become, and not simply who you've always been.

Follow me on LinkedIn for more no-nonsense advice on leading with power and purpose.

And if you’re ready to dive even deeper, grab a copy of my book Bite-Sized Blasphemy and ignite your inner fire to do life and business your way.

The Business Blasphemy Podcast is sponsored by Purple Ember Consulting + Training and Sarah Khan Out Loud.

Business Blasphemy is hosted by TEDx speaker and leadership strategist Sarah Khan, explores success, ambition, identity, entrepreneurship, and the questions accomplished women start asking after 40.

Send me a direct message!

Learn more about planning for 2024 with the Growth Navigator Workshop HERE.

I carry on from last week and offer an intimate insight into my practice of year-end reflection. I reveal my 10 thought-provoking questions for self-reflection and discuss how it fuels my intentional planning. This year, I've chosen to fully embrace the holiday spirit by pausing all client work in December, gifting myself some time for rest and rejuvenation.

In preparation for planning in the new year, these questions -- I feel -- should be part of your reflective process as you introspect on the year gone by and think about what has to change for the upcoming one. These questions will guide you to spot areas of resistance and define what you're prepared to welcome or bid farewell to in 2024. 

As I share the questions, I give context and elaborate as best I can, so here are the questions in their entirety in case you are listening without a notebook in the moment!

1. What are 3 things I'm proud of having accomplished this year?
2. What have I learned that I can continue to work on next year?
3. What am I willing to fight for / stop fighting against? (or Where have I been throwing up resistance in my life or business?)
4. What am I willing to show up for in 2024 / leave behind in 2023?
5. Who am I going to be? What am I going to do?
6. How do I want to live each day going forward?
7. What is it important for me to do with my time each day / week?
8. Who deserves space in my life? Who doesn't?
9. Whose opinion of it all do I care about?
10. What characteristics of the next version of myself do I want to cultivate next year?

Love what you heard? Let’s stay connected!

Subscribe to Business Blasphemy for honest, provocative conversations about women in midlife, entrepreneurship, ambition, identity, and creating a next chapter that reflects who you've become, and not simply who you've always been.

Follow me on LinkedIn for more no-nonsense advice on leading with power and purpose.

And if you’re ready to dive even deeper, grab a copy of my book Bite-Sized Blasphemy and ignite your inner fire to do life and business your way.

The Business Blasphemy Podcast is sponsored by Purple Ember Consulting + Training and Sarah Khan Out Loud.

Business Blasphemy is hosted by TEDx speaker and leadership strategist Sarah Khan, explores success, ambition, identity, entrepreneurship, and the questions accomplished women start asking after 40.

Send me a direct message!

Are you feeling the pressure to lay out your plans for 2024? I'm gonna share a secret with you -- I've discovered the magic of kicking off my planning in mid-January. And before I even get to that point, -- I prep.

You have no idea how much more effective planning in your business can be if you take the time to reflect on your journey so far before deciding where it goes next. Join me as I unpack the process and share how it can set the stage for a more balanced, fulfilling year ahead both professionally and personally.

In this episode, I share insights on how to ensure your values steer your business in the right direction, how my mission and vision are at the epicentre of my business, and how you too can create a roadmap that aligns your personal and professional goals.

Remember, planning isn't about checking boxes off a to-do list; it's about carving out the life you dream of. So, ditch the clichéd nonsense and take an intentional approach to embrace the new year.

Love what you heard? Let’s stay connected!

Subscribe to Business Blasphemy for honest, provocative conversations about women in midlife, entrepreneurship, ambition, identity, and creating a next chapter that reflects who you've become, and not simply who you've always been.

Follow me on LinkedIn for more no-nonsense advice on leading with power and purpose.

And if you’re ready to dive even deeper, grab a copy of my book Bite-Sized Blasphemy and ignite your inner fire to do life and business your way.

The Business Blasphemy Podcast is sponsored by Purple Ember Consulting + Training and Sarah Khan Out Loud.

Business Blasphemy is hosted by TEDx speaker and leadership strategist Sarah Khan, explores success, ambition, identity, entrepreneurship, and the questions accomplished women start asking after 40.

Send me a direct message!

Get ready for a no-nonsense dive into the world of email marketing with the ever-delightful Elaine Jardon. 

Having swapped out her teacher's hat for an entrepreneur's cap, Elaine delivers the lessons of the day with the kind of no-nonsense truth-telling former teachers are really good at.

Elaine isn't just another voice in the crowd. She's breaking the mold with her fresh take on email marketing tactics. She understands that speaking your client’s language and maintaining solid relationships are the real game-changers in business. Listen in as she unpacks the secrets to nailing the frequency of your emails and the art of keeping your content spot-on for your audience.

And it gets better. Elaine brings lessons from her teaching days to the table, showing us how straight-shooting feedback can make all the difference. Her Standout Intro Generator isn't just a tool; it's your new best friend for writing emails that get read. 

So, if you're ready for strategies that cut through the fluff and advice that sticks, listen in this week and get your email ish sorted.

Guest Bio: 
Elaine Jardon is a website marketing expert and email marketing strategist for standout service providers. She works with small businesses to clarify and simplify their messaging so more website visitors become leads and more leads become clients.

Connect with Elaine:
elainejardon.com
@thejardongroup on all the socials
Download her Standout Intro Generator: elainejardon.com/intro

Love what you heard? Let’s stay connected!

Subscribe to Business Blasphemy for honest, provocative conversations about women in midlife, entrepreneurship, ambition, identity, and creating a next chapter that reflects who you've become, and not simply who you've always been.

Follow me on LinkedIn for more no-nonsense advice on leading with power and purpose.

And if you’re ready to dive even deeper, grab a copy of my book Bite-Sized Blasphemy and ignite your inner fire to do life and business your way.

The Business Blasphemy Podcast is sponsored by Purple Ember Consulting + Training and Sarah Khan Out Loud.

Business Blasphemy is hosted by TEDx speaker and leadership strategist Sarah Khan, explores success, ambition, identity, entrepreneurship, and the questions accomplished women start asking after 40.

Send me a direct message!

Ready for some goose-bumpy adventures with Business Blasphemy? 

This week we steer away from business as usual and cross over to the realm of the unexplained. We're bringing you a Halloween special filled with eerie and weird stories shared by our community. From haunted office spaces to unsettling vacation experiences, we promise this episode will leave you with goosebumps!

From ghost stories to UFO sightings to being lead by something from the beyond...the question isn’t if you believe in the unknown, but how much you’re willing to be swayed by the inexplicable.

Whatever your stance on the supernatural, this episode guarantees to challenge your beliefs and keep you riveted! So get comfy, stay alert, and let's traverse the spooky unknown together in our blasphemous Halloween special!

Love what you heard? Let’s stay connected!

Subscribe to Business Blasphemy for honest, provocative conversations about women in midlife, entrepreneurship, ambition, identity, and creating a next chapter that reflects who you've become, and not simply who you've always been.

Follow me on LinkedIn for more no-nonsense advice on leading with power and purpose.

And if you’re ready to dive even deeper, grab a copy of my book Bite-Sized Blasphemy and ignite your inner fire to do life and business your way.

The Business Blasphemy Podcast is sponsored by Purple Ember Consulting + Training and Sarah Khan Out Loud.

Business Blasphemy is hosted by TEDx speaker and leadership strategist Sarah Khan, explores success, ambition, identity, entrepreneurship, and the questions accomplished women start asking after 40.

Send me a direct message!

Military service, legal work in DC, and then digital nomadism in Thailand -- Amber Monaco has never been shy to take on new challenges and carve her own path.

Founder of You Need An Amber LLC, Amber's journey is not only inspiring but also incredibly insightful for anyone looking to streamline their business operations.

In this week's episode, Amber lifts the veil on the realities of hitting big entrepreneurial milestones and underscores the necessity of solid operations, including clear communication, especially when onboarding new team members. You know we get gritty and talk about the fallacy of the six-figure success mentality, and she offers a fresh perspective on what true entrepreneurial success looks like.

We also tackle the often intimidating area of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), discussing their role in providing control and ease within business operations. She gives advice on how to strike a balance between providing structure and fostering creativity as well as the importance of money tracking, delivering on promises, and the evolving concept of professionalism in the online business arena.

Settle in for a ride through the nitty-gritty of business operations, and emerge with a new appreciation for the backbone of your business.

Guest Bio:
Amber Monaco is the owner of You Need An Amber, LLC - dedicated to backend operations and project management.  Her goal is to create efficiencies in businesses so owners can have more white space in their calendars. She lives her life and runs her business in a way that promotes feeling calm and at ease.  Amber lives in Kansas City, MO with her partner, Andrew, his two kids, one cat, some chickens, and more tomato plants to feed a small army.

Connect with Amber:
https://www.instagram.com/youneedanamber/
https://www.facebook.com/youneedanamber
www.youneedanamber.com

Love what you heard? Let’s stay connected!

Subscribe to Business Blasphemy for honest, provocative conversations about women in midlife, entrepreneurship, ambition, identity, and creating a next chapter that reflects who you've become, and not simply who you've always been.

Follow me on LinkedIn for more no-nonsense advice on leading with power and purpose.

And if you’re ready to dive even deeper, grab a copy of my book Bite-Sized Blasphemy and ignite your inner fire to do life and business your way.

The Business Blasphemy Podcast is sponsored by Purple Ember Consulting + Training and Sarah Khan Out Loud.

Business Blasphemy is hosted by TEDx speaker and leadership strategist Sarah Khan, explores success, ambition, identity, entrepreneurship, and the questions accomplished women start asking after 40.

Send me a direct message!

Love what you heard? Let’s stay connected!

Subscribe to Business Blasphemy for honest, provocative conversations about women in midlife, entrepreneurship, ambition, identity, and creating a next chapter that reflects who you've become, and not simply who you've always been.

Follow me on LinkedIn for more no-nonsense advice on leading with power and purpose.

And if you’re ready to dive even deeper, grab a copy of my book Bite-Sized Blasphemy and ignite your inner fire to do life and business your way.

The Business Blasphemy Podcast is sponsored by Purple Ember Consulting + Training and Sarah Khan Out Loud.

Business Blasphemy is hosted by TEDx speaker and leadership strategist Sarah Khan, explores success, ambition, identity, entrepreneurship, and the questions accomplished women start asking after 40.

Send me a direct message!

Easy money is the dream, right? And in the online space that means passive income, baby!

Prepare for a rude awakening as we call BS on the myth of passive income. Spoiler alert: it's not passive at all, or all that lucrative for the majority.

It’s a seductive idea, making money while you sleep, but passive income is in a lot of ways touted as a get-rich-quick type of tactic. 

This week, we unpack the challenges and realities associated with passive income including some stats (I did the research, y'all) that demonstrate how lucrative it actually is.

Link to the episode 32 on scaling your biz:
https://getcorporaterehab.com/ep32-truth-about-scaling/

Love what you heard? Let’s stay connected!

Subscribe to Business Blasphemy for honest, provocative conversations about women in midlife, entrepreneurship, ambition, identity, and creating a next chapter that reflects who you've become, and not simply who you've always been.

Follow me on LinkedIn for more no-nonsense advice on leading with power and purpose.

And if you’re ready to dive even deeper, grab a copy of my book Bite-Sized Blasphemy and ignite your inner fire to do life and business your way.

The Business Blasphemy Podcast is sponsored by Purple Ember Consulting + Training and Sarah Khan Out Loud.

Business Blasphemy is hosted by TEDx speaker and leadership strategist Sarah Khan, explores success, ambition, identity, entrepreneurship, and the questions accomplished women start asking after 40.

Send me a direct message!

Ever thought about how the relentless pursuit of profits often devalues people in the business world? I've been there, and I'm here to share my journey. From being a shining star in the corporate arena to feeling tossed aside as a new mother, I've seen the dark underbelly of business ethics gone wrong. 

This week, I recount one of my many experiences, and how it (in part) inspired me to break free and create my own business... but what ended up happening was something else.

As an entrepreneur, I've witnessed the struggle many women face in the online business sphere. Still jacked up by corporate programming, we equate value with productivity and hours spent, and success through the lens of financial gain. But what if we redefined these outdated beliefs? Let's unpack the concept of Corporate Rehab as a tool to help women build successful businesses that honour their autonomy and individuality -- and aren't just clones of their corporate experience, only this time, with them at the helm.

I want to challenge the traditional business paradigm because so many of us are feeling trapped and tired of the hustle. Let's explore ways to create a business environment that celebrates authenticity and freedom, and not just superficial standards, while still honouring the importance of building sustainable business models. I'm on a mission to disrupt the norms and create a business landscape that changes the way it's been done. Join me and let's redefine what business success looks like, together.

Love what you heard? Let’s stay connected!

Subscribe to Business Blasphemy for honest, provocative conversations about women in midlife, entrepreneurship, ambition, identity, and creating a next chapter that reflects who you've become, and not simply who you've always been.

Follow me on LinkedIn for more no-nonsense advice on leading with power and purpose.

And if you’re ready to dive even deeper, grab a copy of my book Bite-Sized Blasphemy and ignite your inner fire to do life and business your way.

The Business Blasphemy Podcast is sponsored by Purple Ember Consulting + Training and Sarah Khan Out Loud.

Business Blasphemy is hosted by TEDx speaker and leadership strategist Sarah Khan, explores success, ambition, identity, entrepreneurship, and the questions accomplished women start asking after 40.

Send me a direct message!

Have you ever found yourself in a busy networking event, feeling drained and disconnected as you attempt to navigate the sea of pitches and self-promotion?

That's where I found myself recently, moderating a panel for a local Women's Enterprise Centre event. As an introvert, I was anticipating the usual energy suck. But instead, I found myself energized, and it set off a light bulb moment. Networking (aka connection) events aren't the problem: WE are.

We've all been there - the dreaded 'pitchslap', where, without even a ‘how do you do’, someone is smacking you in the virtual face with their latest offer. (It's no wonder so many people are in their feelings about sales and lead generation.)

Connection in business has traditionally been more about transactions than genuine human connection, and it's taking a toll. Instead of feeling compelled to sell or to be sold to, I wanna share a different approach: create authentic connections, cultivate trust, and personalize your interactions. Sales are important, of course, but they shouldn't overshadow making real connections because you took time to see the human behind the dollar signs. 

In the cut-throat world of business, maintaining honesty and transparency may seem like a tall order. But instead of the usual BS, it's time we focus on building enduring  relationships. After all, it's through these genuine connections that we lay the foundations of lasting success. 

Love what you heard? Let’s stay connected!

Subscribe to Business Blasphemy for honest, provocative conversations about women in midlife, entrepreneurship, ambition, identity, and creating a next chapter that reflects who you've become, and not simply who you've always been.

Follow me on LinkedIn for more no-nonsense advice on leading with power and purpose.

And if you’re ready to dive even deeper, grab a copy of my book Bite-Sized Blasphemy and ignite your inner fire to do life and business your way.

The Business Blasphemy Podcast is sponsored by Purple Ember Consulting + Training and Sarah Khan Out Loud.

Business Blasphemy is hosted by TEDx speaker and leadership strategist Sarah Khan, explores success, ambition, identity, entrepreneurship, and the questions accomplished women start asking after 40.