I am so glad I brought back The Biz Podcast this year. I’m even happier that I decided to focus on the theme of rules and beliefs - two things that affect entrepreneurs more than most realize. I talk to business owners every day and every day we uncover beliefs that are holding us all back in business.

Here’s a recap of the episodes so far in 2019 as I rebooted my podcast. We uncovered beliefs that I think all business owners need to look at, but even more than that, I loved having this authentic and genuine conversations where business women shared their stories and how they’ve overcome belief blocks and what that has meant for their businesses!

Rules & Beliefs

I started the season in Episode Two discussing how we are taught to be happy with what we have and that there is a fear of looking greedy if we strive for more. The messages that we hear tell us we should be happier with less, we should declutter, we should be moving into tiny homes even! That means we start feeling guilty about wanting more. Episode Two broke down those beliefs and encourages business owners to always strive for more.

In Episode Three, Core Belief Engineer, Megan O’Neill joined me to define rules and beliefs, how to recognize them, and how to change them. We also discussed outdated beliefs, where those beliefs come from and how to question rules. If you have ever been confused about what rules and beliefs are and how they may be holding you back, Episode Three is a must-listen.

Who will give you permission?

Episode Four with the creator of World-Changing Kids, Lindsey Barr and I dug into the belief that many women have that they need to be given permission to do things. We dug into what felt like she needed permission meant for Lindsey as an entrepreneur, and why talking about permission is so important. If you’re waiting to take the next big step in your business, then you need to listen to this episode.

Permission is a tricky belief that can stop business owners from really growing. In Episode Five, Michelle Weger of Venture Creative Collective, joined me to discuss a similar belief I hear often: that it's hard to think of yourself as a business owner, that's supposed to be working hard and making money if you also have a chronic health concern, illness or disorder. When it comes to your life and your business, do you fall into the belief that you can’t be successful or are you going to allow yourself to have the success you deserve?

Doing “The Right Things” in your business

Just as giving yourself permission to succeed and grow your business is a belief many of us need to change, there is also a belief among many business owners that things have to be done “the right way.” In Episode Six, Stephanie Rainey, owner of The Swimologist, joined me to discuss this topic and why this is a haunting belief and how it can hold business owners back. We discussed how not knowing something can stop business owners from growing or doing something and how when something is really hard in your business that it’s important to talk to people and to keep learning… and that’s okay to make mistakes along the way!

There is no right time to start something in your business and waiting until you know all there is to know means you will never start! In Episode 11 with Susan Diaz, founder and CEO of c+p digital, we discussed the idea that sometimes we get stuck because we believe something is just not going to work. And how, because you’re stuck on that thought, you won’t be able to move past it. We discuss how to talk yourself out of that belief and get things done in your business!

Sales

Another thing many people find really hard is sales. In Episode Seven, expert sales coach, Laura Wright, joined me to share how business owners can overcome their fear of sales so they can find success in their businesses. If you’re looking to get more comfortable with sales and let’s face it, selling is vital to being a successful business owner, then Episode Seven is a must listen!

Money

Sales and money go hand-in-hand - you can’t have one without the other! Yet many business owners do not have control over their money! In Episode 15, financial literacy coach and credit counsellor, Pamela George, joined me to discuss money mistakes, how to improve your relationship with money, and why it’s important to never ignore debt and why it’s important to empower and educate yourself on all things money! People tend to try to bury their heads in the sand and pretend money problems aren't happening. Meanwhile, it gets worse and worse. Money doesn’t have to be hard!

In Episode Eight, Sara Yamtich, CEO of Resonate with Sara, talk about a belief that stops many mission-driven business owners from making more money. That belief is: if you’re doing good in the world then you shouldn’t want to make money from that. But, as Sara says in this episode, this belief does not serve us or our abilities when it comes to making an impact on the world. If you have a mission-driven business, it’s okay to make money!

As you may be able to tell by now, one big takeaway so far this season is that making money can feel great! Erin Marshall, owner of a digital marketing agency, confirmed this and shares her journey into realizing this in Episode 16.

In Episode 14, Amanda Jetté Knox, writer, speaker and LGBTQ advocate, shares how she is now making money doing work she loves! Amanda does a lot of advocacy work, a lot of writing, and she and I have had many conversations over the years about what you can do or how what you do works in terms of making money. For a long time, Amanda did not think she could make money doing what she is doing, but by believing herself, surrounding herself with supportive people, and through hard work and determination, Amanda’s advocacy work and writing are paying the bills. It’s an amazing success story that you will want to listen to again and again!

Vulnerability

One thing Amanda’s learned through her work is that to connect with her audience, she needed to be her authentic self and be vulnerable. Many people fear being their real selves! One of the beliefs people have around being vulnerable is the idea that they think they’re supposed to be a certain way, they're supposed to be strong or perfect. And because of this, we’re all trying to live up to this perfection all the time and that can hold us back from actually connecting with our people. Master storyteller, Marsha Shandur from Yes Yes Marsha, joined me in Episode 12 to discuss the art of storytelling and how it can help business owners connect with their audience - a key skill to making sales!

Self-Care

In Episode Nine, Marie Shinmoto, a physiotherapist and the owner of M.A.P. Physiotherapy, joined me to talk about a belief I know a lot of people struggle with, including myself. The belief is that “real” people work at least five days a week and that if you're not working a lot, you're lazy. One thing Marie has learned most since owning her business is to put her own oxygen mask on first. She realized that if she burns out and can’t work that she certainly can't help her clients, let alone help her family. If you struggle to take time for yourself, then you need to take the time to listen to this episode.

Healer consultant, Jessica Keats, used to struggle with taking time for herself, but in Episode 13 she shares how putting herself first opened her up to new opportunities. When we talk about putting ourselves first, listening to what we need, what we want or what we desire, many of us immediately jump to either feel like we're going to neglect everybody or that it's going to be seen as selfish. Jessica shares how we can set boundaries and work toward carving out more time for ourselves AND be kickass business women - without the guilt!

FOMO

Many people fear taking time for themselves because they fear they will miss out on something important in their business. Do you ever feel the need to keep track of what everyone around you is doing and make sure you are doing what they are doing? Do you ever suffer from fear of missing out (FOMO)? Rebecca Stanisic, a seasoned blogger at Bit of Momsense, joined me in Episode Ten to talk about how business owners can stop trying to keep up with “The Joneses” and focus on what makes them happy and what their definition of success is.

Are there any topics you’d love to see covered on the podcast in 2020? I want to hear!

The Biz Podcast Season Two 2019 Recap