Courage & Clarity

What kind of success are you chasing in your business right now?  To finally make x amount of income, or hit a certain number of subscribers on your email list?  Maybe it’s to sell out your course or coaching program.The hope is: hit your external goals and everything will be great.  Your worries will go away. Stress will disappear!If this sounds about right, it’s time for a reality check.Steph and Megan are back on Courage and Clarity, spilling all of their truths.  They take an honest look back on the highs and lows they’ve experienced in 2018. While this year has brought on multitudes of outward success for them both, you’ll hear how that didn’t magically make their struggles go away.It’s important as entrepreneurs that you hear the other side of the story.In Megan’s Courage Story You’ll Hear:Why 2018 was one of the most vulnerable and difficult years of her lifeHow she lead her largest group of women yet in Wild and Holy, with her husband deployed and two children under two at homeThat despite her business hitting financial goals, she struggled personally How she found her way back into the flowIn Steph’s Courage Story You’ll Hear How She:Experienced huge success in only ten short months which brought up a fear of rising stakesHit all of her “best” revenue goals, but fear still crept inBattles with the story line that you have to work really hard and really long to see success  Worries that all of a sudden her “beginner’s luck” is going to run outBoth Megan and Steph share what inner work they focus on to meet these struggles and challenges and how you can too. Plus learn why good, better, best goals are essential in your business and how you can join Megan’s free training to master them. 

If you’re like me and most entrepreneurs, you dream of success and living a happy life on your own terms.  But how do you achieve this if every step of your journey you have to battle your own old programming? You started your business because you wanted to feel good, right?Maybe success will fix everything.  After my business took off this year,  I know this isn’t the case.So today Jessica Eley is back on the show! She’s a mindset coach for high achievers (did I mention she’s also my coach?) with an abundance of wisdom that I know you’re going to love. You’ll  hear about my specific challenges when it comes to mindset and how I’m working through them (no secrets here!)Today we’re diving into Jessica’s four quadrants theory to find out what fear is holding us back from the life and biz we want.Once you know where you land, this episode explains how to address your triggered reactions in a mindful and productive way.Plus we discuss why all entrepreneurs need to master the skills of detachment and ownership in order to not only succeed, but to enjoy their success!You can head over to Jessica’s site and take her quiz here. 

Cailen Ascher is a business and lifestyle coach whose name and work have become synonymous with the 3 Day Work Week. Imagine growing your business, making more money while working less hours. Sound impossible? Cailen will show you it’s completely do-able with her powerhouse community anchor. Today we’re chatting about where the idea for her 3 Day Work Week came from and how she leveraged it to build her incredible brand.*IN CAILEN’S COURAGE STORY YOU’LL HEAR:** Why she designed the 3 Day Work Week in her own business model before turning it into a wildly successful community anchor* * How she doubled her income while working half the hours. (seriously, do the math on that, it’s a business owners dream!)IN THE CLARITY HALF OF THE EPISODE YOU’LL HEAR:Why working less hours doesn’t automatically mean a pay cutA/B Weeks and how they benefit not only you but your clientsHow she developed a course and program around her community anchorToday’s episode will show you how to listen to your audience and build something they actually want. Then double down on it and watch it produce results! 

My secret’s out. There’s a practice from my corporate days that I stole. I think it’s so good, you should try it too!Companies hold retreats for their employees all the time. It’s a thing, right? Yet as entrepreneurs, it’s easy to think it’s too expensive, it’s a waste of time or it’s too indulgent.But what happens when you change your environment, focus on treating yourself and give you and your business the time and love it deserves? I’ve just wrapped up my own business staycation, and the response from my community was so strong, that this episode is devoted to sharing what exactly I was up to in my hotel room with my multi colored poster boards and markers!You’ll hear why it’s integral for, when and where it should happen and who should be involved.I also outline what exactly went down in mine, right down to the four poster boards I created: dreams, what’s working and what’s not, revenue goals and content plan.After this brainstorming session and a good night’s sleep, I woke up refreshed and ready to create my implementation plan. Out came my calendar and I plugged in how to best make my plans come to life.It’s normal to have a little voice in the back of your mind telling you this is a waste of time, that you don’t really need to have a business staycation. But that voice wants you to play safe, and knows that devoting time like this to your business is a chance to be bold and dream big. This is a chance to combine self-care with business strategy. If that’s not balancing the head and the heart of business, I don’t know what is!

When you’re starting a business from scratch, it’s easy to look ahead to the next milestone or achievement and think “once I get there, then I’ll be happy”.Once I have 10,000 followers… my business will feel important and legit.After I start making over six figures… all my money worries will go away.If I can build my business to the size of needing staff… then I’ll have really made it!Today’s guests, Emylee Williams and Abagail Pumphrey from Think Creative Collective have surpassed all of those milestones and then some. They’re back for a second time on Courage and Clarity with a heavy dose of reality of what it’s like to run an incredibly successful online biz.*Think it’s all rainbows and unicorns once you’ve “made it”? Think again.*In this episode we’ll explore what it really takes to feel satisfied as an entrepreneur. Because depending on outside vanity metrics or monetary milestones just doesn’t cut it. Emylee and Abagail had reached a point to where every hopeful entrepreneur wants to be. They had solid products, a large and engaged audience and steady income. Yet even though they were successful, they were both still unhappy and stressed. They just weren’t excited about what they were doing anymore.Something else was out there that they needed to be doing. They knew they needed to listen to their guts, follow their instincts and do something that felt fun and fresh again.*Enter the Boss Project Summit.*These ladies were so in tune with this new idea, that within two weeks of even thinking of it, doors were open for registration. Over the course of 4 days, 40+ speakers (myself included!) are going to absolutely shake things up in the attendees’ businesses. Whether it’s branding help, messaging tweaks, funnels set up, social media strategy in place, financial planning, mindset shifts, or more, they’ve got you covered.And if you’re reading this before November 6 2018 - you can still snag your free ticket here. (bit.ly/stephboss)This summit is such a great example of doing what feels right in your business vs doing what you think you should be doing. I think this episode has something for all of my listeners, those just starting out and the more seasoned of the bunch. Have a listen and then head over the Courage and Clarity Community on Facebook and tell me what your biggest takeaway was! 

Feast or famine. The classic entrepreneurial problem. As a business owner you’ll no doubt have times when your energy (physical and creative) is low – and you start questioning it all. You’ll be scared that if you grant yourself a day in your pj’s watching This is Us on Netflix surrounded by crumpled up tissues – that somehow your business won’t survive.You built a business to have more time and freedom, but now taking a break is scary and it feels like you’ll never regain your momentum. How do I know all of this? Because I’ve been there. Not just last week – but this exact same time last year as well! October is a tricky month for me. After an interesting bout of déjà vu of a low energy, creativity lacking week, I’m sharing how to lean into a funk. Because as much as we always want to get “out” of it as quickly as possible, the only way out is through.The good news is if you take a step back and acknowledge your patterns, you can handle a much-needed break or a surprise funk with skill and ease instead of thinking your world and business is crashing and burning to an end. My greatest idea from last year, the 15 Minute Planner – even came from the tail end of a “funk”! The Clarity half of this episode includes four tips to navigate a break or funk:1. Strategic PauseHow to plan out a break on your calendar that makes sure you gain confidence in stepping away from your business knowing it will be there when you come back.2. OwnershipA necessary break in the flow of your business isn’t an excuse for a “woe is me” crisis. You’ve got to trust that you’ve got the creativity and skills to figure it out!3. TrustTrust that “future you” can handle it and course correct. In order to give yourself and your business the space you need, you’ve got to believe this!4. Cramming vs RestingDoubling your work so you can take a bit of time off isn’t a rest. It’s cramming. Instead, change the questions to – how do I work less? What can I Say no to? What ball can I drop? 

The Bizdom Retreat in Austin Texas is officially a wrap! Before Megan and I flew home and went our separate ways, we just had to record our first Bizdom episode live together in the same room. 

Meet Kalissa Scopes, an incredible student of mine with an inspiring entrepreneurial story to share. In this episode we discuss how her hard work in my course Crickets to Customers has paid off. She went from unsure if she even had a business idea to filling ten spots in her first small group program in under two months!Kalissa specializes in race equity and her new business can be found at www.unlearningeverydayracism.com She is committed to supporting fellow white people in their anti-racism work.In her Courage episode you'll hearThe challenges she faced after being laid off from her government job of 15 yearsThe long path of self-doubt she faced in her desire to build her own businessWhy she based her business on this incredibly important topicIn her Clarity episode she sharesWhy she chose Crickets to Customers even after being disappointed with other business courses How she followed the steps of the course like a recipe and refused to deviate from the lessonsHer transformation from uncertainty to running her first small group program with confidenceKalissa's story will really hit home for anyone hoping to build an online business but worried that their topic doesn't fit the mold. 

There’s some marketing gurus out there who insist you need to be everywhere across every possible platform. Instagram. Facebook. Pinterest. Twitter. And don’t forget about your email list! But when we spread ourselves too far and thin, the quality of work is diluted and we quite frankly end up feeling drained and uninspired.It can be all too easy to get pulled in multiple directions and think you need to show up everywhere for your audience. Plus there’s the stress of “what the heck should I create for them this week?”Well friends, today I’m going to share my super simple secret to creating engaging and trust building content for your audience, across multiple platforms.After listening to this episode, I want you to sit and take a good look at where you’re showing up. Why are you there? Define each platform’s purpose, and if you’re feeling pulled in too many directions, I’m giving you the golden permission slip to let some of them go.By using today’s simple secret, you’ll know what to post and where each week - without reinventing the wheel.As always we come back to the idea of “what would this look like if it were easy?”Today’s secret will allow you to show up, be visible and add value for your audience and potential customers. I share exactly how I make it work with my own content too! 

You believe in your dream and you’re ready to put in the work. But the fact remains - if you’re ever going to take your business full-time or leave your current job, you’re going to have to land paying customers!Today’s episode is the perfect follow up to last week’s “Is Your Dream Really Possible?” and another solo show where I answer a question that was posted in The Courage and Clarity Facebook Group.This question resonated with so many in our community. She believes in herself and her talent, but what’s her next step when it comes to finding her first three clients?This question was a great chance for me to look back on my career and now I’m sharing 5 actionable steps that will lead to real paying clients.These are tips that everyone can do - you don’t need a lot of money for ads or any special circumstances. And while I believe it’s the simplest path to paying clients, don’t mistake simple for easy!In this Clarity episode you’ll hear:Why I recommend going one-on-one with your services as your first stepHow crafting one core and simple offer will make business easier on you and your future clientsThe benefits of leveraging IRL opportunities (even if they make you uncomfortable at first)The power of your very own personal rolodexMy recommendation of going paid or offering free services when you’re brand new in your businessSome of these tips will put you out of your comfort zone, but this is where your unshakable belief in your dream is necessary. You may need to risk rejection, put the work in, cold call and do things that scare yourself.When you’re faced with uncomfortable challenges in your business, you’ve got to have the courage to see your vision come true. And if you stick with it, you'll be rewarded for your conviction and your steady action towards your dreams.