The AMPLIFY Show

When this episode goes live, I'll be in the middle of my longest "unplugged" vacation yet. Unplugged for me means not traveling with a laptop or having to work more than a few check-ins here & there. While I do keep an eye on emails, I don't feel the need to respond to anything that is not urgent. Other than checking in with my team occasionally, I don't have any obligations other than enjoying time with my family, resting, reading, and giving my mind space to freely think without an agenda. So, I suppose it's not 100 percent unplugged, but I don't really strive to have zero digital connection, more to limit any unnecessary connection.

It has taken me 8 years to take a 10-day unplugged vacation and I truly think I could have done it a lot sooner, but I was missing one crucial element: the absolute desire to just do it!

If I'm honest with myself, my ego and false belief that I "needed" to be working and my desire to be in control and constantly striving were probably holding me back most. Another element that needed to change was my personal digital attachment. What good is unplugging from work only to mindlessly scroll Instagram or refresh my apps multiple times an hour? I didn't want the temptation to get ahead on work or to get too productive, so I deleted the apps off my phone & left my computer behind.

In today's episode, I'm sharing three books that have helped me recognize my unhealthy habits and detox from social media (even when I was kidding myself that it was "all for work"), over-working, and under-resting!

I also talk a bit about how I'm managing to still stay visible online without doing much personal social media, including how I utilize a "social media phone" and have limited batched times when I go online.

I am always searching for ways to create more ease and freedom while juggling motherhood and business. What better time than a vacation to put some of these mindful strategies to the test? Be sure to check back as I'll share next week more about what worked and what didn't as I venture into this digital minimalism journey.

Resources Mentioned:

• Break the Twitch: A Practical Guide To Minimalism, Intentional Living & Doing More Of What Matters by Anthony Ongaro
• Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport
• Hands Free Life: Nine Habits for Overcoming Distraction, Living Better, and Loving More by Rachel Macy Stafford

Connect with me:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

This episode first appeared at emilyrichett.com/episode-36.

We're finishing up the first month of the new year, which is always a great time to reflect on annual goals or resolutions. But today, I'm going to take a micro-approach to goal setting. It's great to keep your big annual goals in mind, but these get far more attention and glory than small habits and changes. I'm believing more and more that it's the daily stresses and joys that ultimately impact our lives, even more than the big, lofty goals.

I created a monthly review process last year- really from a place of desperation. It ended up giving me so much clarity and made such a profound impact in my life and I'm excited to share it with you today. It involves asking yourself 3 questions. The magic is in tackling each month and figuring out the things that truly bring stress and happiness to your days and how to let go of one (stress), to create more space for the other (happiness). It creates a clear roadmap forward for the next month.

Unlike assessing your annual goal that may not really change much over the course of a year, this will help you re-assess your life and all those little factors that DO change month to month. Heck, when the weather changes, the amount of stress and happiness in my life changes (if you've lived through a brutal Michigan winter or the beauty of a Michigan summer, you know what I mean!). So it only makes sense to tackle this monthly instead of only focusing on those big, annual goals.

If you try my monthly review strategy, I'd love to hear about how it goes! Just tag me on Instagram @EmilyRichett.

Topics discussed:

• [1:45] How I came up with my monthly review strategy
• [2:40] The three questions to ask yourself to clear mental roadblocks and build momentum
• [10:15] How to get actionable
• [13:40] Bonus monthly review tip - the fourth question to ask yourself

Connect with me:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

This episode first appeared at emilyrichett.com/episode-35.

If you're looking for a more efficient way to get all of your ideas and to-dos out of your head and into a streamlined plan, then today's podcast is for you.

I'm interviewing Lauren Cash, the co-founder of "Monday Hour One." I first learned about this planning strategy from the Life Coach School with Brooke Castillo, and I'm always interested in trying new ways to develop efficiencies in my daily and weekly planning to better juggle all the things in business, motherhood, and life.

What I love most about Monday Hour One is that it forces you to get everything out of your head and into your calendar. Once you do that, I find it's really freeing to not have to worry about it again because you know you've already carved out time for it.

You calendar everything- not just your important appointments. You literally carve out time for everything that matters to you, including your free time and self-care. It can feel tedious at first, but it does really give you a lot of freedom. I'm still tweaking this process for myself a bit, but overall, I'm liking it.

Listen for more from Lauren on how to structure your calendar and plan your life. And like always, if you enjoy this interview, please screenshot, share, and tag me on Instagram!

"Slow down to strategize, to then eventually speed up and be more effective and get the results that you want to get in your life." -Lauren Cash

Resources Mentioned:

• Life Coach School with Brooke Castillo
• Monday Hour One
• The Effective Entrepreneur Podcast
• Cal Newport's Deep Work

Topics discussed:

• [2:40] Coming up with Monday Hour One
• [4:55] How it works
• [6:30] "The anatomy of a calendar"
• [9:00] The benefits of digital planning
• [11:30] Shifting your mindset around your calendar
• [15:45] How to plan for the unexpected
• [18:15] Finding the calendar strategy that works best for you

Connect with Lauren:

• Website
• Instagram
• Podcast

Connect with me:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

This episode first appeared at emilyrichett.com/episode-34

It's going on three weeks into the new year, and I want to remind you that no matter what you started the year with, it's not too late to start over or hop back on the train. This is your little new year's pep talk because statistically, this is where people start falling off those goals and start letting the mundane of a new year settle in. So that's your reminder. Keep at it; keep pursuing your goals!

Today, to help you keep going, I have an interview with Michelle Cederberg, professional speaker and best-selling author of The Success-Energy Equation. Michelle has a background in psychology and kinesiology, and her book is all about finding clarity among distractions and the science behind common sense success strategies.

Take a listen, and find Michelle's new book at Successenergybook.com.

"Reframe to what's possible. Instead of saying it can't be done, ask, 'how might it?'" -Michelle Cederberg

Topics discussed in this episode:

• [1:00] My thoughts on staying "on track" and getting clarity in the new year
• [4:15] How energy relates to success (1.5 mins after interview starts)
• [5:45] Steps to finding your energy
• [9:20] How autopilot gets in the way of what you want
• [13:30] Rethink how you pursue your goals
• [15:15] The four Rs

Connect with Michelle:

• Website
• Book
• Twitter

Connect with me:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

This episode first appeared at emilyrichett.com/episode-33.

Happy New Year!

I don't know about you, but there is something about a fresh start that really motivates me.

Typically I'm a big "January 1" starter of new goals or resolutions, but this year feels different. Mid-last year in 2020 I started focusing on creating habits- daily routines and tasks that challenged me and made me a stronger person- both mentally and physically.

I started tracking these habits on a daily basis and it had a profound impact on my life. So this year, as January 1 approached, I didn't feel a big need to proclaim a major goal or resolution. Instead, I felt a strong desire to double down on my habit tracking and to renew a few routines that fell to the wayside over the holidays.

A looming due date with another baby is also keeping me motivated! The only real "goal setting" I'm doing has to do with strategy planning and overall business goals for 2021.

Today, I'm going to share how I tackle goals, habits, and journaling that has brought me a lot of freedom and clarity this past year. These sound like simple techniques- and they are. But the magic is in doing them consistently.

I've had some periods of time over the past 8 months where I've slacked and started to feel so good that I decided I didn't need to necessarily track my habits daily or do the daily "Big 3" or monthly clarity journaling prompts. And every time, I've felt the pressure or stress start to come back.

So, let's get to it!

Have a happy, healthy & habit-rich new year, friends!

PS- If you found this advice valuable, I'd appreciate so much if you screenshot the episode and share it on social (tag me @emilyrichett) - it's the only way I can really spread the word to more people and to help the show grow.

Resources Mentioned:

• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Monday Hour One
• The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod
• High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard

Topics discussed:

• [0:50] How I started implementing habits instead of resolutions
• [3:40] Specific healthy habits I started doing and tracking before the new year
• [7:35] The daily planning strategy that makes a difference for me
• [10:50] Setting intentions with focus words

Connect with me:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

This episode first appeared at emilyrichett.com/episode-32

Happy almost new year!

In today's episode, I'm taking a look back at the epic year of 2020 and all the twists, turns, failures, and achievements.

The first 10 minutes or so, I share a look back at the year that started with earning a "2 Comma Club" award at Funnel Hacking Live for earning more than one million dollars in one of our funnels. And then, spoiler alert, just a couple months later, our monthly recurring revenue was wiped out 80% during COVID shutdowns. I talk about the breakdown and rebuild of my agency as well as a lot of personal challenges and growth that happened throughout the year.

"This was supposed to be a milestone year and one I worked hard for, but at the end of the day, none of the reward or success is owed to me. If I wanted to have something left, I knew I needed to let it go."

Then, I share 10 of the authors, podcasters, and resources that were invaluable to me and my business during 2020.

I hope some of these books, podcasts, resources, and strategies are helpful. If you find one that makes a positive impact for you in the new year, I'd love to know about it.

Thanks for listening to today's episode. I'm really grateful you're here and I'm looking forward to the new year.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Momentum Podcast - Alex Charfen
• High Performance Habits - Brendon Burchard
• 2 week free trial - ClickFunnels
• Traffic Secrets Book - Russell Brunson
• Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
• The Art Of Living - Epictetus
• The Daily Stoic Podcast - Ryan Holiday
• A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy - William Irvine
• On Desire - Why We Want What We Want - William Irvine
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck - Mark Manson
• Habit Tracking Journal
• Erin Condren Planners

Honorable mention- I forgot to include this one in the podcast but it deserves a mention here: Tom Bilyeu's Podcast, Impact Theory. I saw Tom speak in January and was really inspired by his mindset. I binged this podcast early in the year and revisited it often.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• [1:15] Reflecting on the start of 2020
• [5:15] Why I struggled with balancing my business and my life (more about this is in the replay of my interview on the Irie Lemon Podcast)
• [6:10] March, pandemic shutdowns, and clients in crisis
• [8:00] Breaking the thought cycle I get trapped in
• [11:15] The 10 strategies and resources that made the biggest impact this year
• [18:40] What to expect on the next episode

Connect with me:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

This episode first appeared at emilyrichett.com/episode-31

Use constraint and self-manufactured challenges as a way to create freedom, happiness, and resilience.

With the new year on the horizon, we can all probably use a little more mental fortitude, resilience, and strong habits. In this episode, I'm sharing the unique ways I've created more of these by using the concept of manufactured hardship or constraint -- and how it helped turn a challenging year (hello, 2020!) around for me in a really profound way.

Some of the resources I share include my deep dive into Stoic philosophy, starting the 75 Hard Challenge while pregnant, and how I found focus and routine where there wasn't any during the hardest months when my business was in crisis due to the pandemic shutdowns and I was thrown into homeschooling.

One thing I really learned this past year is just how much creating strong habits, boundaries, and some "self-induced suffering", if you will, helped me to find peace and overall ease.

I also have a guest on this podcast, Brent Gleeson, former Navy SEAL and author of the newly released book on this exact topic, Embrace the Suck.

The idea behind the title of Gleeson's book is that in SEAL training, instructors tell students to "embrace the suck," to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, because suffering truly does make you stronger. This book gives you a roadmap to use the idea of mental toughness to transform every area of your life.

I personally love reading anything by a SEAL (I even wrote about Fortitude by Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw in my Inc. column). I am fascinated with their thought process and the training they go through, and I always find really valuable takeaways. I think you'll find some great takeaways too, and be sure to check the links below and pre-order a copy of Embrace the Suck!

So jump in, give this episode and interview a listen, and I'd love if you screenshot and shared on social (tag me @emilyrichett) with your biggest takeaway. I love seeing what resonates with you and always respond.

Links to books & resources mentioned in this podcast:

• Embrace the Suck
• The Daily Stoic - Ryan Holiday
• The Daily Stoic
• Fortitude by Dan Crenshaw
• My article in Inc. about Fortitude
• The Art of Living by Epictetus
• 75 Hard Challenge

Topics discussed in this episode:

• [0:30] Emily's intro
• [2:30] Emily's thoughts on Stoicism
• [4:40] Why Emily started the 75 Hard Challenge & how it works
• [11:00] Interview with Brent Gleeson, author of Embrace the Suck

Connect with Brent:

• Website
• Twitter
• Book

Connect with me:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

This episode first appeared at emilyrichett.com/episode-30

2020 has been a whirlwind of a year for many reasons- so much so, that I almost missed recognizing the eighth anniversary of when I launched my business!

Eight years ago in November, I quit my dream job as a TV news reporter and started a public relations agency, Richett Media, which I rebranded to HAPPY PR a couple of years ago.

You know the saying about how most people overestimate what they can accomplish in a year and underestimate what they can accomplish in 10 years? My eight years in business proves this to be so true! I can look back and see how there were times I was so rushed to achieve a certain level of success in just a year and fell short. But overall, I'm in awe of what I was able to accomplish with eight years.

I went from working nearly every holiday and waking up at 2:30 a.m. as an underpaid news reporter, to running a highly profitable business, that blesses not only my family but others- and best of all, on my own terms. I also…

• Learned how to start and scale a bootstrapping business
• Hired dozens of employees, contractors, and vendors over the years
• Earned a 2 Comma Club award from Clickfunnels for earning more than a million in revenue from one sales funnel
• Got married and had two babies (with another on the way)
• Traveled around the country speaking at conferences, representing clients on-air, and executing PR campaigns
• Launched a podcast, an online coaching program, a column in INC.com and a video column in Entrepreneur.com
• Did a rebrand and designed an office
• Interviewed dozens of top thought leaders, authors, and entrepreneurs like Gary Vee, Russell Brunson and Lewis Howes
• Worked with dream clients and some of the fastest growing businesses in the country
• Survived a pandemic that shut down nearly 80% of our business

I've also made a ton of mistakes and learned from (hopefully) all of them. I've grown as a person and have celebrated many milelstones along the way. The entrepreneurial roller coaster has been quite a fun ride and one I'm very grateful for!

It's hard to narrow down just eight lessons or takeaways over these years, but today I'm boiling down the ones I thought would be most helpful for others.

Here are my top eight lessons in eight years of business:

1- Give yourself permission to fail.

Ask yourself: What is the worst-case scenario? What do I have to lose? Chances are, your worst-case scenario is more manageable than you think, and weighing the possibilities may give you the confidence to risk failure.

Then, flip the question: What is the BEST-case scenario? What if I succeed?

2- Keep it simple.

You can try different services, products, and strategies but at the end of the day, success boils down to execution. The fanciest funnels and software won't help you if you aren't able to easily implement them. Find the path of least resistance to an outcome - this gets harder as your business grows, but still look for ways to keep it simple.

3- Process will set you free.

Freedom comes on the other side of removing yourself as the bottleneck in your business. Streamlined processes that others can replicate and follow are key to sustained growth.

4- What got you here won't get you there.

I said this on 'Entrepreneurs on Fire Podcast' with John Lee Dumas a couple years ago, and it's been true at every new milestone and mark I've hit in business since. In order to grow and thrive in business, you have to be okay with being uncomfortable.

5- The path is math.

Numbers are everything. Take emotion out of your decision-making by following the math. The math never lies. When my business lost 80% of its recurring revenue at the start of the pandemic, looking at the data helped me run my business when it felt like everything was up in flames.

6- Know when to hustle and when to slow down.

Entrepreneurial seasons matter. You can't go hard all the time without burning out. Figure out the best way to get yourself into momentum and follow it. I share more about this in this interview with my business coach Alex Charfen.

7- Seek Clarity.

Map out your perfect day, week, month, and year to make sure you're on track to building the life you want - not just the business you want. Revisit this clarity exercise often and be ruthless about pursuing it.

8- Protect and strengthen the most important asset in your business.

It's not your clients, products, team, or your revenue - it's you. Put your own mental and physical wellbeing first and don't stop investing in your personal growth.

I have learned so much more in my eight years of business, but I hope these eight resonated with you. Keep an eye out for upcoming episodes about how different my business is now from earlier in 2020, where it's headed in the new year, and how I've gotten through some really difficult times this year.

Did you like this solo episode? It's something new for me! I hope you did and if you have one lesson that really resonated with you, I'd appreciate if you shared on social (Instagram is my jam! @emilyrichett) -- I read all my messages.

Thank you so much for following along on any part of my journey so far.

Cheers to the next eight years!

Connect with me:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

This episode first appeared at emilyrichett.com/episode-29

This is going to be a really different interview today with someone I deeply admire. He's been my business coach for a couple years, he's an author, and a mentor for fast-growth businesses.

My guest is Alex Charfen. I've had him on the show before but today will be a bit different. Alex ends up interviewing me more than I interview him, as we dive into the steps I took to transition my business during COVID and how I came out stronger on the other side.

I applied a lot of what I learned from Alex during this time of crisis - our operational cadence, our processes and systems, how to stay in momentum - and everything changed for the better. In this episode, Alex and I break down exactly what I did to shift my business and my mindset to find momentum in my business and freedom in my life.

If you enjoy Alex's insight in this episode, don't miss his free momentum master class next week. The three-day virtual event will consist of six different sessions of Alex's best content, each with a Q&A at the end. Sign up for free at momentummasterclass.com.

"The opportunity of being an entrepreneur is to design the life you actually want, not the life you have to react to, not the life you have to be frustrated with… Start with the destination and work backward." -Alex Charfen

Topics discussed in this episode:

• [3:00] How Emily grew her business but still felt trapped by it
• [4:20] "Crisis is an accelerator"
• [6:00] You can't expect things to go back to how they were
• [9:00] The process that made Emily's transition possible
• [11:45] How Emily shifted her mindset
• [13:30] Why process, structure, and routine are critical
• [19:00] Just because your business isn't growing doesn't mean you aren't growing
• [22:00] Recognizing momentum outside of money
• [27:00] What happens when your business no longer needs you
• [31:00] In order to grow your business, you have to learn to let go
• [33:00] Determine what you want first and build from there
• [35:00] Getting to your ideal day and the power of attraction
• [40:45] Entrepreneurs grow during crises
• [45:30] Alex's best advice for parents homeschooling their kids

Connect with Alex:

• Website
• Free Momentum Masterclass
• Podcast

Connect with me:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

This episode first appeared at emilyrichett.com/episode-28

In this episode of The AMPLIFY Show, I'm chatting with Allie Casazza, the Life Minimalist, host of the Purpose Show, and author of the upcoming book, Declutter Like a Mother.

I found Allie on Instagram, and her life mission to help moms find joy, simplicity, and ease in motherhood immediately resonated with me. Especially because she's running a fast-growth business and homeschooling her children at the same time.

In this episode, you'll learn about Allie's business, how she structures her team, how she organizes her schedule, and strategies for keeping your life intentional and simple, starting with your physical space.

And be sure to check out Allie's special page of decluttering resources just for the AMPLIFY Show listeners: alliecasazza.com/AMPLIFY.

"Infuse everything you do with purpose... Instead of maintaining your life, you'll be making space to actually live it." -Allie Casazza

Topics discussed in this episode:

• [4:45] Allie's purpose and story
• [6:30] Reactive state and mom culture
• [8:30] Clearing physical and mental space to find your purpose
• [11:00] Allie's top decluttering tips
• [13:40] Deciding what to keep and what to ditch
• [16:00] "What takes up space, takes up time"
• [19:00] Clearing your calendar and mental space
• [21:00] How Allie has structured her business
• [25:30] Allie's advice to moms trying to find time to find their purpose
• [28:30] Opening up to the spirituality, energy, and intuition side of things
• [30:45] Analytics vs. feeling

Connect with Allie:

• Website
• Instagram
• Podcast

Connect with me:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook

This episode first appeared at emilyrichett.com/episode-27