The FITSPRO Podcast

QUARTER REVIEW + GOAL PLANNING.

This is early - and I clearly haven’t recapped my entire first quarter. But I have gathered all data thus far and started planning quarter 2. I really hate waiting to plan a quarter until I’m in it. If you’re new here or I haven’t mentioned it, I prefer to be a month or two ahead of schedule with as much as I can. That way I’m only doing real time work with things that have to be done real time.

For instance during a launch, all the emails and posts and Canva images are done. The emails are pre-scheduled and all I’m doing is showing up in real time on social media and viewing my numbers.

Therefore we’re here, discussing quarter one and two while still in quarter one.

If you don’t use quarterly planning and you’re an entrepreneur, I highly suggest it. This is something I wish I would have started way earlier in business. You don’t need a complex business to benefit from quarterly planning.

I use Amber McCue's Fresh Start planner for my more tactical biz planning. And then Hilary Rushford's Elegant Excellence journal for the life/emotional/dreaming aspect of business. I think emotional health and awareness + aligning your life and biz are very important.

So that’s where I do my actual quarterly, and monthly planning.

As for quarter one of 2020 - we must discuss my annual goals because that’s where the quarterly goals and markers come from.

In quarter one so far, I’m am on track for my annual revenue goal which is lovely.

This is the joy in tracking numbers and doing quarterly goals. Because if I wasn’t on track for that goal, or any goal, I’d need to either change the goal, or determine how I’m going to reach the goal in the coming quarters.

So we’re on track for the annual revenue goal. If you don’t have revenue goals, I also encourage you to make that. And then look at how that might happen - how much does your offer cost? How many would you need to sell? How many launches or pushes does that mean? And so on. It’s a good practice to get into even if you’re just starting out.

In quarter one I also had a FitsPRO Foundations launch and a Built by Annie push, as well as down-sells from each of those.

That simply means that I had an enrollment period for those main programs and then a promo of some kind for another supporting offer right after those bigger enrollment periods.

Both of those launches went great and I want to dive into the context of those. Because it’s important to look at going forward. I have launches coming in quarter two and the numbers and data from quarter one are useful to me in planning those Q2 launches.

I straight up nailed the FitsPRO launch and down-sell to Instagram 101. It was my fourth or fifth launch of FitsPRO. Therefore I have data from 4-5 launches. I felt that I’d found the timing of what information to deliver when. But it was also the first week of the new year and that means people are ready to start something new. They’re inspired to take action and sign up for things. Therefore I take that context into consideration. That’s part of the process in business. You learn your seasons. When are people most willing and ready to buy? To invest? And to start a program?

In tracking my numbers from that launch I was able to plan the next launch which will be this month. Emails have already started going out to the waitlist. I realize it’s still quarter one but this launch will cross over into quarter two.

TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG?

I purposely have this following the episode where I say if you’re in the online space you need to be better at writing. Because in some aspects, yes, I think blogging is dead, or is slowly dying. Perhaps it’s just a phase.

It’s not dead in A LOT of places, which is where I have decided to spend my time and shift my focus over the the last year or so.

I will say, I am not a wildly successful blogger. I enjoy writing and providing content for my audience, that’s why I do it. A goal of mine is to monetize my blog, as a lifestyle blog including personal content, travel, fitness, entrepreneurship and my fav brands/products.

With all of that background/disclaimer out of the way, let’s discuss if blogging is dead, and whether or not you should have one.

First off, if blogging is what you want your full time gig to be, you need to take Julie Solomon’s Pitch It Perfect course. I took it, it’s great. Also made clear to me that blogging is indeed a full time job, and it’s not my #1 passion even though I enjoy doing it.

So just keeping it real, if you want to be blogger, where your income is strictly from brand deals and sponsorships, then Julie Solomon is your guru. And welcome to a full time job.

As far as the Google algorithm and statistics go, yes, blogging is dying. I have several friends whose blog traffic has plummeted in the last year or so. We’re talking like 500% less daily traffic to their blog.

Now, that matters if you depend on SEO or search engine optimization for new leads to come to your blog. Which likely matters if you are indeed a full time blogger.

With that, I don’t have world wide or US stats on blog traffic across the board. I just know that something similar to the decrease in Instagram exposure seems to be happening to humans in the blogging world as well.

True for some, not true for others I’m sure.

That brings me to my thoughts on blogging and whether you should do it or not.

Just because Instagram views are down does not mean you stop posting all together or that your main squeeze humans are not interacting with your posts.

I believe the same is true for blogging.

I view blogging as a deeper dive into the topics I cover on IG, and with a wider span.

It’s also where my podcasts are hosted via show notes, so keep that in mind.

Via the blog and podcast, I can dive much deeper into program design, coaching, business, travel, personal experiences and my favorite brands and resources. And I can do it in a manner that is not annoying to those who don’t want to hear or read about those things.

A blog gives you a space to narrow your funnel from places like Instagram. It gets them off the social media platform and onto YOUR PLATFORM...onto your site. From there, hopefully they join a mailing list of some kind. This is like hitting the follow button on Instagram, or the subscribe button on YouTube or your podcast app.

Do you have to have a blog to build an email list or loyal audience? No. 100% No.

But it’s a great place to serve your audience on a deeper level and expand your reach at the same time. If Instagram is your first step in the funnel, your blog would be the next.

So no, I don’t think blogging is DEAD. I think that’s a bit dramatic. But I think we have to shift with the times.

Again, I don’t have stats, but I imagine less people are cooking from home...

THE ONE THING I SUGGEST YOU WORK ON AS AN ONLINE BIZ OWNER.

This episode is really two things I think online entrepreneurs should always be working on, but even if you know one...it doesn’t do you any good if you can’t do the other.

We communicate in the online world, MOSTLY via writing.

Now there is a caveat here. And that is if you solely use video or some other medium to communicate in the online space. Say you have a YouTube Channel or you only make videos for Instagram and then your product or service doesn’t have a sales page with writing, rather people have to apply to get on a call with you and that’s where you make the sale.

IF THAT IS YOU, then this mostly doesn’t apply to you.

But if you’re like most other sole preneuers in the online world, and write captions for Instagram or emails or blog posts and have a sales page on your site or landing page where someone will decide to enroll in your program or not... well then, I’m talking to you.

You need to, and will likely forever need to get good at writing.

This does not mean you need to be an author, or have perfect grammar. What I really mean when I say “get good at writing” is spend time improving your ability to communicate through the written word.

It makes sense doesn’t it?

If how most of your humans hear about you, your offer, and what you do is through reading...it makes sense that you’d want to get better and better at writing to your audience, yes?

So, when I say that writing is the #1 thing I think entrepreneurs should work on, it’s really a two part deal.

If you get better at communicating through the written word, that’s great...but you also need to be clear on what it is that you’re communicating and who you’re speaking to.

That’s where part 1, or 2 if you want to call it that, comes in. You forever need to know your ideal client and be working on how to communicate to her or him effectively. In a way that makes them feel as though you already know them, yet you’ve never met.

So I suppose part 1 is knowing your ideal client, and part 2 is the writing piece. How good are you at communicating with your ideal client? We are forever improving on both of these through our entrepreneurial journey.

That’s in part because you should be writing to him or her in most of your free content on social media, on your sales page, and day to day if you actually have clients already.

You’re always learning, getting feedback and diving deeper into who it is you’re here to serve in this world.

And if you’re on Instagram or want to have an expert presence on Instagram...congratulations, you’re now a writer.

Any area you provide free content to your audience is an opportunity for you to practice your writing. How you communicate to your dream client. To your human of choice.

It’s a chance to use new verbiage, new examples, see what sticks and how people react.

You might not think you’re writer and you might resist it still, as you listen to this. But it would behoove you to embrace the idea that you ARE in fact a writer. That you have the space and ability to improve. And that if you do improve, you will see growth in your audience, interaction and inquiries to work with you.

It is no secret that in the comment section of my posts and in my DMs you can find comments like “woah I’ve never felt so seen in my entire life.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST EXERCISES.

There are infinite exercises in the world. And if an exercise is any form of movement, then the choices are, quite LITERALLY, infinite.

The issue with this is that it can be overwhelming when you need to choose only 5-6 exercises for a lift and there are HUNDREDS to choose from. I get it.

The other issue I see with this is that coaches, trainers and trainees often just choose 6-8 exercises from under the sun and run their clients or themselves into the ground thinking that they are being effective, when that is likely the furthest thing from the truth.

It’s more likely that if they continue down this “any asshole can write a hard workout” path of programming, imbalance and injury will set it. Also, constant confusion is not how you get results. So there’s that.

We’re here now to discuss how to select exercises that are NOT from the “any asshole can write a hard workout” playbook.

The goal of today’s episode is to help you, whether a coach or trainee, to experience more ease, logic and confidence when choosing what exercises to do and when.

As you know, I believe knowledge is power, and EMPOWERING. I think when we feel informed and educated on a topic, we gain confidence and take more action in that area of life. This case - in the gym or in your programming.

Today should also help you understand why your coach might have chosen a certain exercise for you. Maybe you hate it, but since you can at least grasp the purpose of the exercise, you’re more willing to do it.

Now, let’s define what I mean when I say exercise selection:

It is the decision to choose a given exercise and the REASON for choosing it.

The reason you might choose an exercise typically revolves around strengthening an area, improving mobility in an area, gaining power through certain muscle groups, the functional aspect of the exercise, or to build muscle in a given muscle or muscle group.

Which means we first need to determine the goal at hand. Then we choose the most appropriate exercise.

If you want to increase power output, doing no dynamic work is not going to be very effective, right?

You can also choose one exercise for very different reasons.

Maybe one person squats to strictly gain strength while another does it for a physique goal - to have a balanced lower half.

We must consider the goal.

The goal for the majority of my programming combines these, and then leans more heavily towards some than others depending on the client:

* Improve mobility* Increase strength* Increase work capacity

* And we’re always improving movement patterns.

But the REAL goal within all of those remains:

* To create balanced work for the joints (push, pull, vertical/horizontal push pull, squatting vs. hinging etc etc)

This is also why I encourage coaches to use an assessment of some kind. If you don’t know where your client is starting from, at least for 1:1, how can you program in a manner that will yield results?

My two week assessment lets me know all mobility restrictions + if my client is squat dominant, right or left leg dominant, right or left arm dominant, push or pull dominant, if they have a grip strength discrepancy, if they are strength vs. capacity dominant and so on.

THAT is what I base my 1:1 programming off of. If you have no clue what I am talking about,

ARE YOU REALLY HEALTHY?

Today will challenge your view of health and it might just ruffle a few feathers but what’s new? I am not here to make you feel good. Or for us to agree on everything. I am here to challenge you and raise the standard.

So here we are.

This topic came to me in 2018 when we started traveling and continued to intensify as we made our way around the globe.

Here’s the pressing question…

Are you “healthy” if you can’t travel without 16 powders, teas, remedies and pills? Would you survive without your kombucha and collagen?

I ask that on the premise that my view and definition of health has changed from perfection and stability to ADAPTABILITY.

Now, this was in fact me before we left for round one of travels. I took the same all natural pre-workout from silver fern, drank my collagen in my coffee every morning, took all my vitamins and the same protein after every workout. And finished up my day with some calm magnesium and home-frozen siggi’s yogurt. All the products may or may not still be linked on my amazon page.

But, traveling put things into perspective for me and that’s what I am sharing with you in today’s episode.

Not to take you away from all your supplements. But to perhaps help you see how amazing and resilient your body is...even WITHOUT all of the things.

And maybe to challenge your current definition or view of health.

I also don’t think there is ONE definition of health.

My picture of health before traveling the world was much more structured than it is now.

It was more extreme - eating almost the same thing daily for at least two of my meals, getting eight hours of sleep, lifting heavy weights, taking all my supplements, focusing on nutrient timing and so on.

I wouldn’t say I had a social life, or walked at all outside of my exercise.

Now, clearly what I just stated CAN be healthy. But it can also be extreme, and rarely are extremes healthy.

The goal was near perfection.

Now, the goal is much looser.

Like I stated, my version of health is now adaptability.

Are you so married to one type of exercise that you’re unwilling to move your body in another way just for the sake of taking care of yourself?

Because that’s not healthy.

Does your gut freak out if you’re not on a perfect diet?

While I realize that can be SO REAL, that is not healthy. Many in the health space in the states are working to restore their gut. My question is, once restored, can your gut adapt to and tolerate different cuisines and variance in your diet?

I just found myself thinking SO OFTEN during our travels “so many people wouldn’t, or couldn’t do this because of their “healthy” lifestyle.”

I don’t mean to offend. And I really don’t feel like I’m articulating this well. But I’m hoping it lands somewhere on the board and you get what I’m trying to say.

I guess I see health now as more well rounded, and more grey. We walk so much more than we used to and I hated that when we got home we stopped walking.

I enjoy the diversity of foods we eat. Those experiences enhance my life. I am not restricted by foods - Nate definitely becomes more sensitive to dairy when his stress is higher. It’s realizing things like that. Is it the food? Or the stress?

IF YOU'RE HUMAN, YOU'VE EXPERIENCED A SLUMP.

I have wanted to speak on this topic for a long time. And I think that’s partially because sometimes I feel like people think I don’t experience slumps, or low motivation. Which is hilarious because motivation is NOT how people become successful in any area of life. Discipline and a strong why is how I believe people build success - in the gym, in life, in business, in relationships.

With that, I think we’ve all experienced a slump in life or biz or fitness. You just have no motivation or motivation for the wrong things.

Like you’re motivated to work on creative things but they’re really just busy work and have nothing to do with your essential task. Example - wakes up wanting to create new content for a project that isn’t on the table until 2021…but should really track numbers from your last launch…yes, this was me last month.

Or you go to the gym and just walk on the treadmill instead of getting your lift in (we’ll talk about this).

Or you’re just beside yourself. Not in an angry or upset way. But you’re observing your current state and not digging it? Have you ever been there? You’re not where you think you should be, you’re unsatisfied but not sure why? Something is just OFF.

Today I plan to give you three tools to pull yourself out of the slump and into the RIGHT ACTION - to get you feeling accomplished and proud of your decisions. In alignment if you will.

Before we dive into these tactics I want to make clear that this will take time and effort no matter which you choose. I may be helping you get out of a slump but it won’t be by snapping your fingers.

Also, mind you that these tips are coming from a very systematic, black and white human. So these may be different than what might be best for you. Either way, let’s get to it!

#1 - Revisit the year plan, month plan, big goal, or weekly tasks.

This tip assumes that you have already established a goal, some destination you’d like to reach this year or month or whatever. It assumes you have taken the time to set a new standard, and you’re feeling off track from the original route.

If you have not actually laid out your goal with an action plan…well that’s your new step one.

I’ll share my example because like I said, this literally happened to me a while back. I felt like I was twiddling my fingers and kind of wading in the water versus going to toward a goal with clarity.

It doesn’t take long for me to address this issue because wading in the water is not productive and I hate not being productive.

So, I used tool #1.

I found myself wanting to start a new project - a project I don’t plan to start until 2021 or while we’re home for three months in 2020. THAT is not what I needed to be doing. And it would not have been a wise use of my time. I was aware of that, yet I still felt lost as to how I SHOULD be spending my time.

Enter revisiting the year, month or week plan. Or all of those for that matter.

I plan three priorities for my week. This happens on Fridays, when I review my week - three wins, three lessons, three priorities for the upcoming week.

I learned this practice in my mastermind in 2019 and while it was overwhelming at first, it was SO EFFECTIVE for me. Therefore I’ve kept that habit rolling strong into 2020.

For the week we’re discussing, I’d laid out my three priorities in my journal. It just so happened that I’d already accomplished two of my three priorities - two tasks...

To offer FREE or not to offer FREE?

Before we dive into this episode I am officially starting to pick reviews of the week and reading them at the beginning of each episode! This is low key super exciting for me because it still baffles me that there are human beings who listen to me week after week. I’ll receive DM’s from people who find the podcast, binge listen to it and then tell me how much it’s helping their coaching, biz or life and I just can’t even with myself.

So, review of the week comes from Lindsey580

That means you have been entered to be the listener of the month, which will receive a non-membership program of choice for 50% off.

Noooowww for today’s topic.

This has been an ongoing conversation since the beginning of business I am sure.

To offer free things or not to offer free things

I’ll start out with a giant spoiler alert…YES. You need to offer things FO FREE. But we can’t say that without discussing the spectrum. Because there is definitely a spectrum.

What I mean by that, is that there are different types of free content and that free content does different things for your biz.

Lucky for you, we are diving into ALL of them today.

Free content to establish trust

Social media content - high volume + no upsell (typically).

This is not directly related to your offer. But still adds value to your audience. You’re providing tips, tricks and truths that your warmer leads will take, apply and see value in. These humans will likely purchase from you down the line.

Email newsletters - a step up from social media.

Again this content is free. But these people have done more than hit the follow button. You’re not just a part of their daily scroll, where they’re seeing hundreds of other accounts. The humans said, yes Tina, I want more from you. I never want to miss what you’re layin’ down. So Imma put my name on your email list. This human knows they are your people, and are likely interested in your offers.

Blogs, YouTube videos, Podcasts - similar to social media. Free - not directly related to up-sell or specific offer of any kind.

Yes some blogs, emails or podcasts will be directly mentioning or offering something if someone joins your program, but that is not the purpose of the content most of the time.

These are just another way to provide deeper value than an Instagram post. Same topics you probably discuss on insta, but with more depth.

Everything above is free and you should at least be doing one of these on a consistent basis.

Those were free content not attached to any specific offer. Meaning there’s not a direct up-sell to your program.

Freebie to upsell

Now we get into your freebie, as I call it.

This is your intentional free content meant to give a potential client a taste of your offer, and then up-sell them. The goal is to get them to sign up for your program from the freebie.

Now, this could be anywhere from a PDF download to an hour long webinar or 5 day challenge.

You’ve got options here.

We can use a freebie from social media or your site such as my Free 3 Day Mobility + Core (this is pulled directly from BBA).

You get to choose how soon after the downloadable PDF you attempt to up-sell to your program.

[lack of humility and credentials amongst “health coaches”]

This is a short follow up episode to last week’s talk on the importance of training people in person before transitioning to the online space (focusing on the different types entitlement with coaches).

Even when I posted in my stories that I was going to touch on this topic, I was immediately flooded with DM’s from people looking forward to the conversation.

So here we are, with a deeper and more specific episode about what I see as entitlement in the online space of health and fitness.

Imma address this from two angles.

One being from newbs - trainers fresh out of certification or schooling and they want to live that financial freedom, work from anywhere, online coaching biz life…

Second being from coaches who have worked in person for five years or so, and expect to transition online, fill their client roster ASAP and be respected from the get go…

Both scenarios are REAL - I have seen and had conversations with both, and neither will lead to success. Which is why we’re here. To face facts, and do better.

Some fields and job forces require a “climb the ladder” approach.

I’d say fitness, personal training and coaching in a CrossFit box all fit into that category.

It is a field that requires experience in order to build trust - from your colleagues and potential clientele.

Who you associate with and learn from can be monumental for your success. But no matter what, YOU NEED EXPERIENCE.

And that experience might come at a cost to you - your time, FO FREE.

It’s called an internship, or apprenticeship. You gain invaluable experience, at the payment of resources, referrals, and references that do good for your name.

ENTITLEMENT SCENARIO #1 - THE NEWB

This - this is what is missing in the online space. We’re talking scenario one now. The newb baby coach who has little experience, resources, or a network but wants to live that online coach lifestyle.

And let’s not even get into the lack of business experience in this scenario as well. Like you’re trying to get clients with little to no actual hands on training experience and then also trying to build a business at the same time. GOOD. LUCK. It’s not wonder the lack of success is REAL.

The culture of fitness is changing and transitioning to the online space. It has been doing so for the last five years at least. You can find top notch programming and coaching services from people all over the world. It removes the ceiling for the trainers, and increases resources for the trainee.

So yes, it’s amazing.

But with this valuable online space, we must still hold a standard for new up-and-coming trainers.

The reality is, if you want TRUE success in this field, especially online, (and by “true” I mean sustainable results for your clients and income for you), you have to start at the bottom and work your way up.

Now that doesn’t need to take five years. But I do believe the more experience you get in person, working under coaches you look up to, the more success you’ll have online IF you can translate it well.

There is much to be learned after you get that certification. SO. MUCH. TO. BE. LEARNED.

And by all means, build your online platform WHILE WORKING IN PERSON! I am not saying you can’t have a voice in the online space until you’ve trained in person.

DO NOT COACH ONLINE BEFORE HAVING COACHED IN PERSON.

In the world of online health and fitness, it is becoming more and more common for people to want to be online coaches straight out of the gate instead of coaching in person first. I may even do another episode on that issue all together and how I see it as entitlement and a desire for quick success vs. client servanthood and changing this industry. I digress…

So, for today’s episode - someone either graduated college with their exercise and sports science, kinesiology, biomechanics degree AND/OR, they get their certification and want the freedom of coaching online before they have significant experience coaching in person.

It’s a thing. I know because I receive DM’s about it all the time from young coaches wanting to build an online business.

And I never encourage a coach to work online without first having worked in person. 

Just like I would never encourage someone to be an online client before having worked with a coach and received instruction IN PERSON.

It goes both ways in my opinion. There is too much value to be missed in the in person experience for both the client and the trainer when you jump straight to online training.

I believe there is invaluable experience when working with clients and other coaches in a real, face to face setting. Your certification or education is nothing without job force experience.

Do you know how to apply that knowledge to a human being?

Do you understand the different ways a person can squat?

Have you coached a human through the bench press or pull up?

Have you helped someone move around their injuries? Had hard conversations with clients who are hyper focused on their physical image?

Direct translations from in person to online

Things I learned from working as an in person trainer, strength coach and performance coach in the private, college and physical therapy sector include, but are not limited to:

* Customer service - how you greet a client. The importance of the client experience.* Time management on the floor and off the floor - how to time a 45 minute or hour session appropriately including a full warm up.* Boundaries - what happens when a client no shows? Calls the morning of? How is that dealt with? You might be thinking that has no carryover to the online world but it 100% does. Coaches do not consider all scenarios before having contracts written up.* Programming - this is a topic I get asked about maybe more than anything by fellow coaches. I’ve said someday I’ll create a programming course, because I know there is such a high demand for people who want to understand the ins and outs of programming + feel confident in their ability to assess & program efficiently. So, no surprise here...working in person is a freaking gem for programming.

You get to see first hand different limitations people have, commonalities in the assessment process. You’ll find your go-to back up exercises and quick on the spot alterations to certain movement patterns. You weave creativity with efficient purposeful programming. So, you’re gaining experience actually writing the programming ahead of time, and then you get the on the spot trial and error + direct feedback from the client.

I’m also going to add grit to this conversation. In person schedule and online schedule are polar opposites. In person you’ll likely work a split shift, 5 or 6am start time to about 10 or 11am. Break from 11 or noon to 4pm. Get your lift in, some lunch and programming,

MY VIEW OF MANTRAS + FAV MANTRAS TO DATE.

I actually used to think mantras were kind of woo woo and stupid. But when you learn more, you know more and you can then make decisions based on that knowledge.

Now, I didn’t look up, nor do I know the definition of a mantra. But I know I was thinking of them in a restricted manner before. So I’ll share my journey to embracing mantras and then walk you through my four favs over the last two years or so.

Looking back, I’ve used “mantras” pretty heavily throughout my life whether it was in sports or religion. Many uses of positive self talk are in a mantra-like form. I’ve certainly used them by default with lifting weights - repeating the same word or phrase before a lift or even during a lift in order to get me through it with a positive and successful mindset.

I personally think of mantras as a word or phrase we repeat with the intent of changing our current reality into one we desire more than our current state. Often, if not always, mantras are things we either believe, or want to believe.

So, when I started thinking of mantras as a simple mental practice to better myself, it opened doors of possibility. Because like, I said, I had previously thought of mantras as something that happened with a shaman in a cave with smoke and ancestors. Which may also be true, but not the practice i was looking for. To each his own.

Okay, let’s get into my fav mantras that I have used and seen growth from over the past two years or so.

The first one comes from an entrepreneurial standpoint FOR SURE. I don’t remember if Allison Tenney or my Mastermind said it first, but it was def from one of those humans.

Mantra #1 is:

THIS CAN BE EASY

It is so common to feel overwhelm and mild panic in the work of entrepreneurship. Shit hits the fan more often than not, especially when you’re just starting out. Obviously with the more experience you have, the more confidence you gain in your ability to solve problems and roll with the punches.

But even then, it’s never fun to have the wrong email link go out to thousands of people, or the internet to crash during your live call, or just...doing your taxes, in general.

So when we got home, I was pretty stressed and had given myself some rather unrealistic deadlines for producing and launching the Big Lift Audit with an update to Built By Annie. It was a lot. There were tears. And Nate and I had also planned a two week road trip during this period of time for his birthday, so the pressure was on to get a nauseating amount of work done in a VERY short time.

And so I started repeating “this can be easy” “this can be easy” - and I kid you not, just verbalizing that possibility into reality brought a sense of calmness and confidence in myself. It went from complete and utter chaotic overwhelm to “We can do this. People need this. What needs to happen first?”

That was the first time I REALLY put this mantra to work and I have used it countless times since, in order to keep my cool and accomplish something that seems overwhelming, unrealistic, or just down right frustrating.

In the process of hiring my virtual assistant, contacting the state, and creating and terminating accounts for two months, you better believe “this can be easy” kept me from physically reaching through the phone to rip off the heads of state employment officials.

So, give it a try in literally ANY area of life when you need something to feel more...