If These Heels Could Talk

We’re in a pandemic. We’re feeling stuck and it’s difficult to keep our spirits up. Part of the challenge we’re facing is a disconnect between what we expect our lives and businesses to look like and what they actually look like. The dissatisfaction of unmet expectations is combining with our fears of the unknown to create a swirl of emotions that is keeping us from moving forward, professionally and personally.

Michelle and JoyGenea discuss what happens when our expectations DON’T meet our realities in this episode of “If These Heels Could Talk.”

When change is our choice, it’s daunting. When change isn’t our choice, it’s overwhelming and scary. The feelings we have about change being thrust upon us can stop us from accepting and embracing the change. Personally and professionally, these feelings can be disastrous - worse than the change itself.

There are things you can do and elements of your business that you have total control over, even now. Listen in as Michelle and JoyGenea discuss how to stay mentally strong, embrace change, and focus on what they can control in their own lives and businesses. 

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Thank you to the government workers who are making so many things happen quickly and the banking employees and our legislative bodies

We’re mad. We just don’t know what we’re mad at. But we can sure tell who we’re taking it out on. People making myopic social media comments, people with a lack of empathy, our husbands - all are in our crossfires this week. And all because we can’t get mad at a virus.

Listen in as JoyGenea and Michelle talk about what they’re doing with their anger and frustration around COVID-19. How do we sort out the justifiable anger at people’s behaviors from the ill-defined anger at our situations? How do we deal with that anger in a constructive way instead of allowing it to leak out at the wrong time and with the wrong people? And how do we successfully run businesses when our employees and clients are going through the same things?

Anxiety, concern, fear, grief - call it like you see it. We’re all mourning normal in one way or another. Those of us who own businesses are feeling all those things too. And we’re making decisions about our businesses every day. How do we know if we’re acting in the best interest of our customers, our employees, and ourselves? 

The short answer is that we don’t know. And many of us are facing problems without win-win solutions. All we can do is attend to our own mental health so we can find some sort of equilibrium and make decisions in a clear-headed way. JoyGenea and Michelle discuss how they’re addressing their own mental health during the longer days of isolation, from online classes to radical self-acceptance, and how the unknown is affecting their businesses.

How do we do this for the long haul?  Especially when we don’t know how long the haul will be.

It’s not just that we’re inside and missing some vitamin D. It’s not just that we’re not getting to hug or touch or be in the same room as friends and extended family. It’s the unknown - the shifting timeframes and the loss of comforting routines.

On March 28, JoyGenea and Michelle chatted, from their respective homes, about how they’re holding up and where to find hope, happiness, and joy. Because we’re all grieving the loss of normal. And small business owners are facing a larger and more unknowable future than most ever have. There’s a new way of thinking about business emerging. And we’re just starting to have words for it. Listen in.

It’s not fun to think about. And it’s really easy to think that your whole business could change just by turning off a few lights more often and ordering fewer K-cups from Amazon. But a business budget is just like a household budget. When disaster strikes, it takes more than a quick belt-tightening to keep it afloat. A crisis like a fire, a flood, a storm, or a global pandemic, for example, will test your business acumen. 

Both JoyGenea and Michelle are in the same metaphorical boat as every other small business owner in the world right now. Asking the big question: How is my business going to survive this? This episode of If These Heels Could Talk is about asking yourself this question and how Michelle and JoyGenea have answered it for themselves. No one knows what tomorrow will bring, but planning today is essential to having a tomorrow.

Don’t Panic. Not only is this emblazoned on the cover of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, it should also be your small business rallying cry during the current coronavirus pandemic. But don’t panic doesn’t mean don’t plan. In fact, planning is the best way to hold off feelings of panic, fear, and anxiety.  

From employees to customers to your own health, there’s a lot to think about right now. And a lot of unknowns. Reasonable precautions and planning for your small business will get you through the current health crisis. JoyGenea and Michelle talk about their own plans, how they’re discussing coronavirus with their own staff, and how to keep calm and carry on. With or without toilet paper.

Entrepreneurs take risks. It’s in the job description. In fact, it might be the whole job description. 

In this episode of “If These Heels Could Talk,” JoyGenea and Michelle discuss risk. Not the board game, but the actual scary stuff that business is made of. When to hire, buy a building, add a product or service line, even sell your biggest customer - all are huge risks that can make or break your business. So how do you know when to take a risk? And how do you protect your life and loved ones from your choices in business? (Hint: you can’t.) This episode is not for the risk-averse! 

How to separate personal from professional on social media? It’s not something that occurs to most entrepreneurs early on, but having a strategy for how to manage your online persona is essential to a small business owner. And helping your staff manage their time and online personas is also essential. 

How do you create boundaries in a world where lack of boundaries are rewarded? And how do you create a boundary between personal and business on social media when you are your small business?

Covering the social media policy and employee expectations as well as owner expectations. What if an employee posts something inappropriate? How deep is the representation for your business?

With ideas and experiences, Michelle and JoyGenea share their thoughts on the boundaries between personal and business online.

Starting something new takes a ton of courage. It’s easier with an amazing friend by your side.

Michelle and JoyGenea, a platonic love story to end all love stories. First comes love, then comes co-working, then comes the podcast in the Apple feed.

Learn about Michelle and JoyGenea’s journey to podcasting - how they met, how they started, and where they got the audacity to think anyone would want to listen in on their conversations. This is just the beginning of a long podcast journey toward inspiration, enrichment, and even, at times, the best kind of failure.