Will this help? A Summer Accountability Program

If you’re anything like me (and so many of the people in my audience are a lot like me!) there are many things that you find difficult to get done.

I’m easily distracted. I don’t respect my own deadlines. I get frustrated with myself regularly and then beat myself up for not being “better” at business.

Over the years (I’m almost 13 years in as a business owner!) I’ve learned a few “hacks.”

1) Get support

Seriously - instead of beating yourself up for needing support to get things done, be excited you figured out that support helps you get things done.

Things work really well for me in this regard. My assistant and being in programs where people expect me to show up and give them updates on what I am working on help me start and finish things.

2) Pay for it

I wish that it didn’t make sure a big difference, but when I pay for something then I am more committed to it. I know this is true for other people because the people who pay to do things that I’ve previously done for free get more results - there’s just a different level of internal commitment from people when they’ve paid to get value out of something (even if the value would have been the same for free).

Summer Accountability Program

So, I’ve created something that would work for me and that I know works for my current clients.

• Eight accountability sessions over three months.

• A full-day planning day in September to get ready for the final quarter of 2020.

• A weekly email from me asking you how things are going and asking you to reflect on the week.

The price is low - $297 including tax (for the whole summer, not per month).

I hope you’ll join me. I’m going to be working on my new opt-in, on creating content and videos. What will you work on? Come join me and let me know - the first session in on Monday, July 6th from 1-3:30pm EDT.

What’s included:

Accountability Sessions:

July 6th from 1- 3:30 pm EDT
July 15th from 9 -11:30 am EDT
July 20th from 1-3:30 pm EDT
August 5th from 9-11:30 am EDT
August 10th from 1-3:30 pm EDT
August 24th from 1-3:30 pm EDT
September 9th from 9-11:30 am EDT
September 28th from 1-3:30 pm EDT

A Planning Day on September 18th from 10 am - 4 pm EDT.

Weekly Check-In Emails: You will receive an email every Friday from me asking how the week went and send Lara an update on how you've been doing and what you've been accomplishing.

Cost: $297 CDN

Sign up now! :)

Stop Trying To Do It All

If you’re responsible for everything in your business and you’re the only one who can handle tasks, you’re creating a low ceiling on how much your business can grow.

Do you what you’re great at

You’re not amazing at everything, but you’re amazing at many things. What are you REALLY good at? What is your zone of excellence? (Have you read The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks?)

Focus on that work.

You’ll enjoy it the most and it will make you the most money.

(Truth: you can’t outsource everything you don’t like, but plan to work towards that instead of thinking the more you do yourself, the better.)

Create systems so others can do things the way you would

When you outline how you want things to run in your business you’re creating a business that is:

• Consistent

• A business others can help you with

• Scalable

There’s only so much of you to go around. Start figuring out how you do things and get it documented (Clockwork by Michael Michalowicz has some great tips on how to create these systems) so that you can guide others to do it the way you do.

(Truth: You don’t need to write down EVERYTHING that you do and the first time you create the system might not actually be the best version of that system. Start with some of the things you do most often in your business and document the process as you’re doing it.)

Delegate the stuff other people are better at

I know other people are better and faster at getting regular content scheduled, emails sent, contracts updates, and sales pages and automations built. It’s not only a much better use of my time to do the things I’m good at, but when I try to take some of that stuff on myself I occasionally make things worse instead of better anyways! Instead, I can focus on writing, recording videos, networking, having sales calls, and supporting my clients.

By delegating I have more time to make more money and support more people instead of being distracted on the stuff that isn’t my genius work (even though I am perfectly capable of doing it!) And a bonus - I’m supporting someone else’s business/career at the same time!

(Truth: People won’t necessarily get it right the first time they try to do what you do. Don’t have that expectation and know that your job is to mentor them and guide them so that they CAN start to do it the way you would. It is worth the effort.)

How do you take action on this?

Keep a running list of what you’re doing on a day-to-day basis and rate the work.

• What do you love?

• What do you wish you didn’t have to do?

• What do you procrastinate to avoid?

• What do you do that you KNOW someone else should be doing but you’d rather save the money of paying someone else to do it and just do it yourself?

The things you’ll keep doing are the things that help bring in more money, run the business, and manage the team.

The things you’ll delegate are the things that you know other people are better at and that you know isn’t reliant on YOUR brain and skillset.

Start thinking about how big your company can grow if you’re not responsible for everything.

This is one of the ways you can stop feeling trapped in a world where the only way you can more more money is to work harder and longer. That doesn’t have to be the case.

Start believing that the less you are personally responsible for, the more your business can grow and the bigger the impact you can have on the world!

The Biz Podcast Season Two 2019 Recap

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!

Interested in learning more?

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Podcast editing done by Eric Wellman

How to plan for business success

What do you need to plan for business success? Is it with a notebook and pen? An online course? A business coach? Recently, while getting ready for one of my workshops, I started thinking about everything needed to plan for business success. Here is what I came up with:

1. Know where you want to go
   
   Without a bit of a roadmap it can be easy to get distracted, start a million different things, and consequently not follow through and finish any of them. Instead, you will feel frustrated that things aren't moving forward. A plan really helps, and trust me, as a person who isn't big on planning, it took me a lot to come around to that.
   

2. Stop thinking you need to know it all
   
   You want to have a plan, but you don't have to plan everything forever. You can start with the next month if that's easiest! You can plan to keep things flexible enough to keep them interesting. You can make money without doing ALL THE THINGS you've heard will make more money. This is especially important for you over-planners out there. Some people keep jumping in with no idea what they're doing and others never jump in because they still aren't "ready." You don't need to have everything figured out to start moving forward.
   

3. Know how much money you want to make
   
   You may not be able to make it from the start but you need to know what kind of money is going to make sure you feel good about running this business. And also understand that running a business means YOU have to save for taxes and you have expenses that people who work for others don't. If you want to make $5000 you need to earn more than $5000 so make sure you know your numbers.
   
   Knowing these numbers will help you figure out what you're going to sell and how you're going to sell it too. They all tie together!
   

4. Do more of the things that feel good and that work well
   
   So many of us fight the stuff that's easy. So many of us feel guilty making money doing things that we enjoy, because "work is supposed to be hard." That is not true and I'll keep reminding you of that until I'm blue in the face.
   
   You're going to do the stuff you love with more heart. You're not going to procrastinate as much if you're selling things you love to do instead of things you know you can do but really wish you didn't have to do. Look for the things that light you up and look for the things that flow to you with ease and do more of those.
   

Take some time and think about how all of these play into your business. If you want ideas on how I can support you with any of them, let’s chat! I have a bunch of things coming up this summer that might be JUST the right fit.

What self-care looks like for me

This past weekend I ran away from home.

After months of pushing really hard in my business and personal life, I was hitting a massive wall.

It was hard to admit at first, after all - I just home from a week in Punta Cana with my family, and the weekend before that trip I was at an art retreat.

But as most parents know, a vacation with three children is not "relaxing."

I put a lot of pressure on that trip to help me unwind and relax. I should have known better, I've been on trips like that before. While the kids are now old enough to not require me to be ON the entire time, we still had to coordinate a lot of people to do a lot of things, and they're still kids with a lot of energy and a lot of feelings.

I was so tired on that trip that between activities I didn't even have the energy to read a book, and I came home even more tired than when I left.

Meeting these pirates was a super fun highlight of our trip to the Dominican Republic!

As an introvert, transitioning to homeschooling my son has meant that I don't have much alone time - and I had been alone for most of the week for the previous six years so this has been a big shift and change for me.

I felt tired ALL the time. I didn't feel like I was thinking clearly any more. I was not working well as a mom or as a business owner.

I was nearing burnout - but it was really hard to admit that when I felt like so many things were going so right. Can you burnout doing things you love? Have you heard people say, “do what you love and it never feels like work.” It’s not true. You can love what you do and still get really tired and burn out from it if you’re not careful.

So, I left Friday afternoon and headed up to the family cottage (which I'm grateful to have access to when needed, but happily would have rented one or an Airbnb for the weekend) and just stopped.

What self-care looks like for me

I took a three-hour nap that went right through dinner time.

I read a book.

I watched Netflix.

I slept whenever I felt tired.

I had meals whenever I felt like it - 11 am, 3 pm, 9 pm.

I ate what I felt like eating whenever I felt like it.

I painted.

I stared out the window at the trees and the water.

I didn't intend to work but I didn't intend to NOT work.

The more I sank into nothing, the more my brain woke up. New ideas popped into my head. I felt excited about things I haven't felt excited about in a while. I had the bandwidth to contemplate next steps instead of feeling required to do it.

What does self-care look like for you?

We don't all need the same things to take care of ourselves, but we all need to make sure that we stop and think about what works and what doesn't, and we need to make sure we’re not getting too caught up in how we think we SHOULD be feeling and operating.

I work better and smarter when I have more time by myself doing nothing. It's not being lazy or self-indulgent, it's being productive and poised to take on the world.

Moving forward I will guard time for myself even more. I blocked off time in my calendar years ago for quiet and down time but over the last couple of years I filled ALL of that time with parenting stuff and/or appointments for myself to work on my health. Important, but not actually the down and quiet rest time I need. So I'm re-jigging my schedule again, this time to accommodate for parenting time, health time, and ME time.

If I want to be productive and effective in my work, this is mandatory; even though it feels counterintuitive to work less to make more money. We've been taught that the only way to make more money and achieve more success is to work HARDER. As someone who has never worked effectively on a traditional timeline, I need to keep reminding myself that doesn’t work for me.

When's the last time you did something to help yourself this way?