Startup Parent

#144 — Should You Take That Online Course? How To Get Your Money’s Worth When Doing Virtual Courses

You see a shiny new course offering on the Internet and then you visit the checkout page and you’re like, “Oh! This looks so good. I think I need this. I don’t know. Do I need this? Oh, my goodness! How do I decide whether or not to buy this? I just don't know. What should I learn next? I want to learn all the things.” But HOW DO YOU DECIDE?

If this sounds familiar to you, you’re just like me. Online courses and new projects and learning make me so excited and I LOVE finding new things to learn. I have so many books stored up on the wait list on my Libby app, I have a pile of things in my checkout carts, and I have a wait list of courses I want to take next after I finish my current ones.

So, let’s dig in. How should you decide what to take and what to skip? Do you have a method for evaluating when a course is a good fit and when to pass? There are so many awesome things out there to learn, to do, to grow. I often have shiny object syndrome when it comes to seeing all these beautiful online courses out there and digital opportunities for growth.

I go through this process all the time.

What I wanted to do today on this mini episode is talk to you about my decision-making process for how I decide what to learn next, how decide whether or not a course is valuable, and the tools you can use to know when you should take action on it.

I love education and I love learning. I am a loud out and proud geek and nerd, and that's where I stand on this issue. With that as my perspective, how do you decide which courses to take and how do you not get into the trap of trying to take them all and do them all and then end up with a library of 600 unread books and 60 unfinished courses?

That's the subject of today's episode, so let's get into it.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/144.

#143 — Overwhelmed, Scared, Exhausted—A Note For You

When we do things we’ve never done before, it can be crazy hard. Parenting made me feel overwhelmed, scared, and exhausted—all at the same time.

Today I want to offer a short note of perspective, alongside some encouragement. I know you’re probably in the thick of it, and what you’re doing isn’t easy. Keep going.

For me, whenever I get overwhelmed and bogged down by the magnitude of what I’m trying to do, I try to look back and remember how much I’ve grown already, and how much I’m actually expanding my capacity over time.

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/143.

Running masterminds is something I started doing about five years ago—and I've done them for groups of women in New York City, entrepreneurs, in-person retreats, online virtual events, and more. In 2018 I opened up The Wise Women's Council, a community and a mastermind program for women navigating parenting and entrepreneurship. In this episode of Ask Sarah, I dig deep into the Wise Women's Council, how I built it, the program components, and why I designed it the way that I did.

To listen to this episode and all episodes of Ask Sarah: The Podcast, become a backer on Patreon to get exclusive access to this listener-backed bonus episode. To get access to this episode and every episode of the bonus podcast, go to https://www.patreon.com/sarahkpeck to become a backer. You'll get every episode we've ever made, plus a brand-new episode every month. You'll also be able to ask me any question you'd like to know more about.

This is a teaser of what we talk about and why we have a bonus podcast series. 

FOR THE FULL EPISODE, BECOME A BACKER ON PATREON AND GET ACCESS TO EVERY EPISODE: https://www.patreon.com/sarahkpeck

Find all the past episodes at https://startupparent.com/ask-sarah-podcast/

#142 — Do you ever struggle with setting boundaries or saying no? Let’s talk about what to do when people ask you for things that you don’t want to do or you don’t have time to do. How do you handle the influx of requests in your inbox, or the deluge of “pick your brain” requests from family and friends? 

Boundaries are something I could talk about for so long, but the first thing I want to do is share my favorite phrase that works everywhere. I’ve got a script that you can use to say no to requests for your time, energy, or attention. Whether it’s family members, business owners, friends, colleagues, or any other unsolicited requests for your time, these magic words will help get you out of almost every situation. 

Today’s episode is just about ten minutes long, and it’s all about the two key phrases that you can use to say no. Because it’s important to learn how to say no. 

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/142

#141 — All your questions, answered.

Last week, we hosted an Open House in our Facebook Group, and I’m sharing the replay here on the podcast. If you haven't requested access yet, we have an amazing group of women gathered together and we chat about work, family, parenting, and all the things — go to the Startup Pregnant: Conversations group on Facebook to request access to join us.

I was joined by Michelle Florendo, one of our coaches for this year's group of women. We chat about The Wise Women's Council, the impact it has, the reason she joined for two years in a row (and why she's back for a third). Together, we answered common questions people have about the program and the process.

Take a listen—and make sure to get your application in by February 20th if you're considering joining us. We're wrapping up enrollments for the year, and once we start in March, we won't be back until next year—2021!

Baby sleep can be so hard. The Nanit Plus Smart Baby Monitor tracks your baby’s breathing, and has special sleepwear so that you can see that they are safe and know that they are breathing throughout their sleep. If you’ve ever been stressed out overnight or worried about your baby sleeping, this can put your mind at ease, this is a baby monitor that can help you adjust to your new sleep life once you bring that kiddo home. They also provide sleep coaching, training, and a baby monitor all in one. Visit Nanit.com today to learn more about this amazing baby monitor, why people are raving about it, and how it can help you and your little one have a better night’s rest. Startup Pregnant listeners can use code STARTUP at Nanit.com to save 10%.

Want to be part of the magic that is gathering together with smart, talented, wise business women? The 2020 Wise Women’s Council is now open for enrollment. Apply by February 20th to be considered for our year-long program. We kick off in March. Yes, we want you—all of you in your messy, imperfect, parenting-business-what-am-I-doing-madness. Apply here.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/141.

#140 — How to design and facilitate group programs.

In today’s episode, we talk all about the ways I think about building mastermind programs, facilitating community, and bringing people together. Yes, I’ve overthought all of it—to the tiniest degree.

In this episode, we have a really fun question I am excited to geek out about. We are going to dig into the Wise Women's Council and the year-long membership that I created, how I designed it, why I designed it the way that I did, and how I thought about the membership model.

This specific question that I got is: “How did you decide on the model for your membership and have you been in other programs like this structured in the same way?” I’m excited to talk about this because I like to overthink things like this. I get really geeky about community design and creating really good containers for people and then testing them. I have been hosting mastermind programs for last five or six years, and one of the things that I like to do is to figure out and really test and tweak each year to make it better and better. Today, we’ll talk about the pieces that make it work, the components that make a mastermind or community program great, and how to setup the right infrastructure.

I have been in things that have worked amazingly well and I have been in things that have fallen flat on their face. Each time, I observe and I take notes and I think about it and I say, “Okay. What worked really well there and what didn't work really well and how can we combine these elements to create the next container?”

I hope you enjoy my iterative approach and hearing about all of the lessons I’ve learned so far in building mastermind programs. Take this, build your own, join one, or find a community space (or three!) to call home.

This is a full-length preview of our new podcast: Ask Sarah.

Many of you know that we just launched a second podcast last Fall — Ask Sarah: The Podcast — a show where I go deep into your life, my life, and everything in between. This podcast isn’t just about my life, although you are welcome to ask me anything you’d like. This show is a place where you can ask me for my feedback, my opinion, and my strategy on whatever challenge or puzzle you’re currently facing.

We’re sharing one of our latest Ask Sarah Episodes here as a preview on The Startup Pregnant Podcast so you can listen in. 

FULL SHOW NOTES

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/140.

Marie Forleo is a powerhouse—she's a #1 NYT Bestselling author, one of Oprah's Super-Soul Sunday picks, and the founder of B-School, an online marketing and business training program. She has taught B-School for over a decade and has more than 55,000 graduates from her flagship program.

When I signed up for B-School, I was pregnant with my second kid and in the very early stages of growing Startup Pregnant. This wasn't my first business,  and I wanted to make sure I was more streamlined, efficient, and focused in my business this time around. With a kid at home and another on the way, I didn't have time to waste! So, I signed up for Marie Forleo's B-School program, and I loved it. So much of what you see at Startup Pregnant and across my work is in part because of the lesson's I've learned from her programs.

Today, I'm a proud affiliate partner—I share her program with people who are interested, and I create a series of bonuses and perks for people who sign up using my link. If you want to know more about B-School, who it's for, and what my bonuses are, take a look at sarahkpeck.com/b-school for all the details. Feel free to poke around and browse, too—it took me four years to finally sign up for her program, and I was glad when I did. Enrollment is open every February and the program runs March and April (although to be honest, I do it much more slowly and usually study a little bit each month rather than all at once).

Go to sarahkpeck.com/b-school for all the details.

Do you need some social accountability this year? I have the group for you. I have a 10-month accountability group. We gather together once a month to check in on our goals, stay focused, and keep ourselves accountable to the work we want to be doing. If you have a project you want to get started on, a goal or a dream that needs attention, or a habit you want to build this year, come check out The 2020 Accountability Group.

www.sarahkpeck.com/2020

In addition to the monthly check-ins, I also have a 10-part video series on goal setting, kindness, and compassion to keep you going, plus I drop monthly audio love notes to keep you encouraged and inspired throughout the year. Come join us — all the details are here: www.sarahkpeck.com/2020

How do you prioritize what to do when it comes to online marketing? From social media to content creation to newsletters—it's a mad, mad world. Today I do a case study and deep dive into one specific business challenge. Meghan asked me all about content marketing and social media marketing, and I do an in-depth walkthrough of her business and how to prioritize where to spend time.

Did you know we have a brand-new podcast? Ask Sarah: The Podcast is a place for you to ask anything you'd like—about your life, my life, business, parenting, or whatever is on your mind. This is a teaser of our brand new show.

To listen to this episode and all episodes of Ask Sarah: The Podcast, become a backer on Patreon to get exclusive access to this listener-backed bonus episode. To get access to this episode and every episode of the bonus podcast, go to https://www.patreon.com/sarahkpeck to become a backer. You'll get every episode we've ever made, plus a brand-new episode every month. You'll also be able to ask me any question you'd like to know more about. This is a teaser of what we talk about and why we have a bonus podcast series.

FOR THE FULL EPISODE, BECOME A BACKER ON PATREON AND GET ACCESS TO EVERY EPISODE: https://www.patreon.com/sarahkpeck

This is a private bonus podcast for podcast supporters that we record every month. Your support helps us keep this show and all of our work going, and we deeply appreciate the listeners who take the time to back our show. By becoming a listener-backed show, we can keep the quality of the show high and the sponsorship segments to a minimum and continue to bring you great stories, guests, and episodes to come. Find all the past episodes at https://startupparent.com/ask-sarah-podcast/

Got a question you want me to take a look at, or just want to know my opinion on something? Go to startupparent.com/question and record a question and I'll answer it on an upcoming episode of Ask Sarah: The Podcast.

#139 — Lately I’ve been fielding a lot of questions from people about what to expect in the shift from non-parenting to the parenting world.

Personally, I find it really challenging when people smile at you and say things like, “Wait and see,” or “You’ll get it when you become a parent.” No, thanks—please tell me now!

So for this episode, I decided to dive straight into the daily tangle that is the parenting logistics required of managing small humans. It is in these daily nuances—and the morning pitter patter of tiny feet—that our work lives and our careers begin to explode.

But I don’t think it’s parenting that’s the problem. I think that we’re suffering from an urban design problem, from a lack of steady and consistent child care options, from a radical change in the makeup of what families look like, and from a work world that has slowly encroached to take up nearly all of our available hours yet pay us less over time.

No wonder it’s not working.

If you feel like parenting is driving you insane, or the commute to schools are making you cross-eyed, or if you hear another snide remark from a colleague about how you’re not devoted enough to your job, this episode is for you.

Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at http://www.startuppregnant.com/139.