You know how certain people come into your life for a reason and you just know you are meant to be friends? That’s what happened when I met Racheal Cook over 4 years ago. Racheal had recently launched The Yogipreneur and I was just starting to think about entrepreneurship. Actually, the idea scared the crap out of me. Racheal seemed to have it all together and I didn’t know how she did it. Turns out, she didn’t.
When I took Racheal’s program Conscious Business Design, I learned that Racheal works with a team of amazing people. “Wait!” I thought. “If she doesn’t do it all completely by herself then I don’t have to either!” Shortly after that, aspire&grow was born.
And while it’s been a few years and many re-focusing moments since, one thing is certain: Racheal is on a mission to help business owners find the joy in what they are doing and build businesses that love them back. And that whole “meant to be” feeling? Well, I’m on a mission to bring human connection back into online (and offline!) business. That’s The Humanpreneur.
So when Racheal launched RachealCook.com and asked me to join her Biz Love Blog Tour, I signed on the digital line immediately. She asked that each contributor share how we consciously design our businesses around our lifestyle. I know I often give you a behind the scenes peek at my business on this blog and this is certainly behind the scenes plus a little peek inside the heart of my biz.
My Biz. My Life. My Way.
There’s a lot of talk in the online business world about how quickly you can earn 6 or even 7 figures. $20,000 months. $12k days. And I’ve worked with business owners who have had that happen. It’s huge and worth every ounce of celebration!
You know why? Because they HUSTLED. Hustling isn’t bad. In fact, hustling is what some people are reaaaaaaly good at. And there’s another factor at play for almost all of these bankrollers: they’ve been at it for 3, 5, 7+ years. That’s right. The “overnight success” is never truly over one night. It’s years of hard work, study, hustle, and heartache.
Owning a business isn’t for the faint of heart.
And if you want to truly run a business on your own terms, you’ve gotta know what those terms are. What makes your business “big enough” for YOU?
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Financially, big enough for me means being able to take at least two family vacations a year. It means nothing (except maybe our house) is on credit. It means my team is paid well and they get bonuses.
But big enough also means I can relish in a morning off and enjoy breakfast out with a good friend. It means catching a matinee in the afternoon all by myself. It means baking cookies with the family after school instead of catching up on emails.
Building a business that is “big enough” allows me to stop and consider before plowing forward. It gives the Type A in me a chance to relax, slow down, and pace myself so I can continue down this path for the long haul instead of burning out quick.
Make Space For What Matters Most.
Ask my husband and he’ll tell you I say it almost weekly: “Why run a business to do a whole bunch of stuff I don’t want to do?!” While the actual running of a business (bookkeeping, taxes, contracts, expenses) sometimes add up to things I don’t want to be doing, the overarching work in my biz is work I want to be doing.
I truly love nothing more than geeking out about the best system or tool that will help you run your business smoothly. I get such a high seeing my clients develop amazing customer experiences that become referral funnels again and again. And, maybe most importantly, I love that I can do it all whenever and however I want.
One of the biggest benefits in how I built my business is that it’s built around my life. I do some of my best thinking when I’m out walking with the dog and baby or having brunch with one of my genius girlfriends. And my weekly schedule allows for actual life. Wanna see?
Racheal is the one who taught me the Model Calendar model (remember, biz builders, nothing you’re creating hasn’t been done before…. but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it!) and this method is one of my favorite ways to focus my priorities in my schedule. Nothing is scheduled on the weekends or after 5:30pm. Do I work during those times? Quite often, yes! And I do it knowing that it is a choice. After all, my Model Calendar is hard at work during the week keeping me on task so I don’t have to work in those off hours.
Live a Life You Love, Right Now
I recently chatted with Nicole Longstreath of The Wardrobe Code about my clothes. It’s easy for me (and probably most women who work from home) to stay in yoga pants and the same tshirts I’ve worn since the baby was born all day long. Throw a scarf and a little blush on and your Skype clients never know, right?!
Nicole helped me realize that when I invest in myself and my appearance, I connect that confidence to the work I do and the value I assign myself is raised. I put this to the test with a quickie wardrobe switch and, guess what…. she’s right! By investing in a few key pieces that really make me feel fantastic, I take myself a little more seriously and actually feel like the pro that I am.
Want to know how I did it without spending a dime? After talking to Nicole, I went thru my current wardrobe and pulled out everything I wasn’t wearing. I divided it into two categories: donate and sell. The donate piles went out of the house immediately and everything else went on eBay. Within 3 days I had enough eBay funds to cover a trip to the department store and some great new finds on the sale rack. Bam! Instant wardrobe (and outlook) upgrade.
The Art of Work-Life Balancing
Ooof. “Balance”. There’s that word, huh? The one that pops up as often as those 6 figure claims telling you how to “find it”.
The other day I was reading an interview with Jeni Britton Bauer, founder of Jeni’s Ice Cream. Jeni’s is artisan, incredible, well-thought out ice cream. It’s a full sensory experience to walk into one of her shops and Jeni works hard to make it so.
Jeni said that she is never not working. And it’s not in a bad way like she’s a workaholic or killing herself for her job. It’s quite the opposite. Jeni is passionate about her flavors, colors, and textures and the whole world inspires her. That’s what she means by always working. There’s inspiration in everything for Jeni and she lives and works her ultimate passion.
Hearing this from someone who is building a massive brand around the country was music to my ears. Balance is out. Blend is in. It’s never not working…. with a passion. It’s bringing elements of your life to your work and vice versa.
The Beauty of it All
It feels a bit like fate that Racheal and I became friends in life and business, and now our missions are so similar: connect with your SELF, be HUMAN, and LOVE your life.
But you know what? It wasn’t actually fate that brought me to Racheal’s Conscious Business Design program. It was Lauren Fritsch, my business coach at the time. And, in case you’re picking up on the blog tour right here or you missed Lauren’s post yesterday, you can catch up right here. Tomorrow the incredible Francesca Cervero is sharing her own take on designing a business that loves you back. And then 24 more incredible women will be sharing their stories. Are you signed up for the rest of the tour?
Get to know your business. Get to know yourself. Get a biz that loves you back.
As always, xo,
