From Burnout to Balance: Creating a Business That Honors Your Life W/ Kelly Leardon

What if growing your business didn’t mean working around the clock or burning yourself out?

 

In this episode of Creative Minds Smart Money, I’m joined by the incredible Kelly from Walk Like Warriors, who shares how she grew a $110K business in under a year with less than 1,000 followers all while honoring her time, her brain, and her values.

 

If you’ve ever felt like your business was running you instead of the other way around, this episode is the reset you need.

 

In this episode, we cover:

✅ Kelly’s story: from corporate burnout to six-figure coaching

✅How ADHD-friendly systems helped her reclaim her time

✅The biggest lie about success and long hours

✅Why “working more” ≠ making more

✅Her daily and weekly structure that saves 8+ hours per week

✅What to do when your business starts feeling heavy

✅How to delegate with confidence (and without guilt)

✅What it really means to show up online and sell authentically

✅Why your values not the algorithm should shape your business

 

This isn’t your typical “build your biz” convo. This is real talk, real strategy, and real permission to build in a way that actually feels good.

 

🎧 Hit play now

 

Connect with Samantha:

Website: https://www.firestormfinance.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firestormfinance/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@firestormfinance?hl=en

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-e-8796b6176/

Newsletter: https://firestormfinance.myflodesk.com/ajmiv1kyt1

 

Connect with Kelly:

Website: https://walklikewarriors.com/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/Walk_Like_Warriors

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@walk_like_warriors

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Walk_Like_Warriors

 

📢 Love this episode? Share it with a friend and leave a review to help more business owners get smart about their finances.

 

Have a suggestion for something or someone you'd like to see on this podcast? Fill out this form here.

Episode Transcript

samantha-eck_2_02-20-2025_120206: Welcome to the Creative Minds Smart (00:01):
undefined
Money Podcast, where we turn financialconfusion into creative confidence.
I'm Samantha Eck, bookkeeper andfractional CFO for creative entrepreneurs.
Each week I'm sharing myfinancial expertise and actionable
strategies to help you builda thriving creative business.
Plus, you'll hear from industry expertswho bring fresh perspectives on growing

(00:23):
your business beyond the numbers.
Because building a successfulcreative business starts with
strong financial foundations.
Your next chapter starts now.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (00:34):
You are listening to the Creative Minds
Smart Money Podcast and today I havea special guest, Kelly with us from
burned out nine to five corporategirl who literally worked on her
daughter's wedding day on the driveto the chapel, to getting time freedom
and money freedom with her business.
She hit 110 K in less than a yearwith less than a thousand followers.

(00:55):
She has a DHD, which most creatives do,and have come up with ways to manage
her business without working 24 7.
How are you today, Kelly?
It's so good to have you here.
Thank you.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: you for having me. (01:06):
undefined
I'm

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (01:08):
I'm,

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: How are you? (01:08):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: I'm good. (01:09):
undefined
It's this beautiful sunnyday in Texas as always.
So why don't you introduceyourself and tell us a little bit
more about you and what you do.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: Absolutely. (01:21):
undefined
So you're a femalebusiness owner, so you know

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (01:25):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: business owners we are like trying to (01:25):
undefined
build these businesses, spinning a millionplates, keeping the household running.
Everything tends to fall on ourshoulders from figuring out birthdays,
to organizing holidays, to runningthese big businesses of ours.
And we feel overwhelmed,like 47 tabs open.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (01:43):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: of unread emails. (01:43):
undefined
We're having bills paid late, likewe just are having such a struggle
to just keep all of the platesspinning all at the same time.
So I basically help female entrepreneurs.
Build the business of their dreamswithout sacrificing their personal life.
So having this beautiful balance betweenbuilding and scaling, but also living in
alignment with what we say is important.

(02:04):
So I'm a business coach.
I have a DHD, like you said, and I realizethat I. Our brains work very differently
than men's brains, and so we'renever just doing one thing at a time.
We're doing one thing,but also distracted by 57.
Other

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (02:18):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: we tend to ping pong a lot, and I (02:19):
undefined
knew pretty quickly that the normalcorporate systems for businesses don't
work very well for female entrepreneurs.
So I was a certifieddirector of operations.
I worked as a fraction fractional directorof ops inside of lots of small businesses.
They had teams.
So even though they were smallbusinesses, we're talking at least

(02:41):
seven figures a year in revenueand teams of five at minimum.
And when I, so I started walk likeWarriors as a faith-based page.
It was just a creative outlet.
I don't really know whatmy intention was with it.
I just realized.
all these people scale their businesses,and I don't even have an online presence.
I mean, I had a website, but itwas like a landing page website.
So I just started to kind ofplay and dabble, and one thing

(03:02):
led to another and someone slidinto my dms, will you coach me?
And I said, you're gonna die.
I was like, no, I don't do that.
And then the next day someone else waslike, Hey, will you be my business coach?
I was like, I, I mean, I wascoaching small business owners, but I

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (03:15):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: it had scaled pretty large and had teams. (03:16):
undefined
And so after the third orfourth person, my mentor said
to me, why are you saying no?
You should just try it.
And so then the business just exploded.
December 31st, 2023, I closed the directorof ops business and went all in on being
a business coach to female entrepreneurswho are on the struggle bus with their

(03:36):
business and balancing all the things.
It's not like we're not capable, we're

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (03:40):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: we're capable, but we're (03:40):
undefined
doing so many things.
We're overwhelmed and we're not totallysure how to scale without working 24 7.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (03:49):
Yeah.
Yeah, I feel that 110% and I feelthat's so common because you're right.
We do have so much that's goingon within our minds and I can tell
you from experience, my husband hasa lot less on his mind than I do.
That doesn't mean he doesn't care.
It's just that we think of everythingat once instead of focusing
on just one thing at a time.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: Exactly. (04:11):
undefined
I like to say when your husband is, forexample, if he was gonna be paying his
quarter, his estimated quarterly taxes,

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (04:19):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: is paying his estimated (04:19):
undefined
quarterly taxes when you do it.
The cat is crying.
So you open the door forthe cat, the school calls.
So you're like trying, oh mygosh, I forgot to pack the lunch.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (04:29):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: fair is next week. (04:30):
undefined
I forgot to put that in the target order.
I need it.
So like you are doing the one thing,but you're also thinking of 57 things.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (04:37):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: doesn't mean we're smarter. (04:37):
undefined
It doesn't mean men are smarter.
It's sort of like the wholespaghetti or waffle brains.
So women have spaghetti brains.
Everything is.
Tangled up together, very

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (04:46):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: that serves us really well. (04:46):
undefined
Men, waffle brain, when heis in his paying the taxes
box, that's the box he's in.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (04:53):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: tend to say, can't you hear the doorbell? (04:54):
undefined
And they're like, no, because they

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (04:58):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: the doorbell. (04:59):
undefined
We hear everything and see everythingand feel everything and like
are thinking about everything.
And so it doesn't makeone better or worse.
But when it comes torunning a small business,

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (05:08):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: it can be our superpower. (05:08):
undefined
But quite often it's.
like to say it's a lot morelike our kryptonite, and so our

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (05:15):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: isn't growing we're holding so much (05:15):
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stuff in our head at all times,and that usually leads to ping
ponging between activities all day.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (05:25):
Yes.
Yes.
I love that.
Well, most entrepreneurs believe thatworking longer hours does equal more
success, but why is this a trap and what'sthe reality behind true profitability?
I.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: I love this (05:38):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: Love this question because (05:39):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: It's sort of (05:41):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: sort of like how we all say, (05:42):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: number of followers on (05:44):
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Instagram doesn't equal income.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (05:47):
yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: We say it, we do tend to think that (05:48):
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person with 3 million followers has moreincome than someone with 3000 followers.
So we say it, we know that that'snot true, but we act like it is true.
And so the same exact principle applies.
We say we know that busynessdoes not equal success.

(06:08):
We don't actually live our life like that.
And we're doing a lot.
And a marker of this isare busy flipping day.
Like, just like literally justmoving as fast as we possibly can.
Cross three things off theto-do list, add 10 more.
But at the end of the day when ourhead hits the pillow, we're like,

(06:29):
okay, I know I was busy all day.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (06:33):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: When I'm trying to think of all the stuff (06:34):
undefined
I was doing, I really can't categorize it.
I don't even know how toexplain all the things.
I don't even remember some ofthe stuff I was doing, and so are
so many things that we're doing.
I. That it, I, I don't like

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (06:49):
Don't

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: are like, just work on (06:50):
undefined
income producing activities.
Well, that must be nice for you.
The rest of us, we're runningbusinesses and not everything

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: everything. (06:55):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: producing. (06:55):
undefined
Okay.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (06:56):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: I don't like that is the mark of like (06:57):
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the demarcation because like that doesn'tactually apply especially to solopreneurs.
Or as like a one person show who'sgot like a VA or a social media
manager or a bookkeeper, you arestill doing a lot of stuff that's not
income producing and that's not bad.
What I

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (07:16):
I.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: doing is the stuff that matters, and (07:16):
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I. Because of the ping ponging and the,I open up Instagram to answer dms, but
then I realized I didn't send my email.
Then I realized I never paid myquarterly taxes and then I real,
and so like we're doing that all daylong, so there's so much cognitive
load there, which slows us down.
But also it's estimated that we lose17 minutes every time we task switch.

(07:40):
So we're busy, but a lot of that busyness.
Is we don't realize it.
It's not like you would say, oh yeah,I wasted approximately three and a
half hours today because I was goingback and forth between activities.
But when you can't recall what youdid that day, that's actually what's
happening is you don't realize thatthere's a lot of wasted time in there.
And so that's where I reallylike to get female entrepreneurs.

(08:03):
Thinking in terms of like buckets.
Like I theme my day, so Monday is adminday, and Tuesday is content creation day.
Or for

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (08:09):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: it would be like podcast day. (08:10):
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And so instead of like, most peopleare like, oh, I batch my tasks.
I don't do that.
I actually batch my whole day.
And it allows us to operate in our zoneof genius, our spaghetti brain, but
still stay inside of the right bucket.
So we're playing in the samesandbox all day instead of

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (08:26):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: And then we can't remember (08:27):
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all the places we went, so.
when women start to build their businesslike that, my average graduate reports
saving eight hours and 15 minutes a week.
A week.
Like

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: That's crazy. (08:40):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: so much less. (08:41):
undefined
And you know, people are like,well, how did you do that?
It must be magic.
No, when she sits down to work,she's got an ordered list.
This is getting done.
And it also, the really cool thing,this is what makes my heart happy.
They're like, I'm morepresent with my kids now.
Because you're not thinking about work.
The problem with entrepreneurshipis we never feel done, right?
Like we

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (09:00):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: feel done. (09:01):
undefined
It's just like brain is just going.
And so by, by our days, not ourtasks, it's actually like, whew.
How well done Samantha,you're done for the day.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (09:13):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: off that CEO hat and now you're with (09:13):
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the kids and you don't have to bethinking about all the other things.
'cause it's sort of like my grandmaused to say , a place for everything
and everything in its place.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (09:22):
So

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: I like (09:23):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: I like to say (09:23):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: day for (09:24):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: for everything. (09:24):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: inside. (09:25):
undefined
Its day.
And it's just, it's really powerful.
So it really gets us evaluating whatneeds to be shed, because there's a lot
of stuff we do that doesn't actually needto be done and what needs to be added.
The stuff that, and I have a wholesoapbox about a lot of female
entrepreneurs are not taught, whatneeds to be done to build the business.
And so they resort to, whichcrushes me, just endless content

(09:49):
creation, which is such a time

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (09:51):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: and. (09:51):
undefined
I just, I, I mean, I

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (09:53):
I mean,

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: on for five hours just about that, (09:54):
undefined
but I, I'm sure you have other

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: you have other questions to ask, (09:56):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: it's sort of (09:57):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: sort of like, (09:58):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: Shop of Horrors, (09:59):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (10:00):
yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: Feed me See more. (10:01):
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That's how I view Instagramand content creation.
It's just like, feed me.
I'm

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (10:05):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: full. (10:06):
undefined
And it's like, if we're not careful,we're spending a ton of time on something.
That's very, like, we're notgetting leverage from it, but

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (10:15):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: weren't taught anything else to (10:15):
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do, so we keep falling back on theone thing that's not working and
it's taking up most of our time.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (10:22):
Yes.
No, I a hundred percent agree and Ilove that you stated that you have
like specific days because like forme, in my business I have a specific
CEO day and that's where I work onlike the really high level stuff, the
content creation, things like that.
And that's the day that I work on thatstuff so that I don't get distracted
throughout the week because I think.

(10:42):
It's so true.
Like when you just have a millionthings on your task list and you don't
dedicate the time to it, you justend up getting lost in a bunch of
different things that are going on.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: Yes, precisely. (10:54):
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You definitely hit thenail on the head there.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: So now you said your system helps (10:58):
undefined
business owners reclaim at leastan extra eight plus hours a week.
Can you give us like a peek into howthat works, which I think you already
explained a little bit about it.
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: Yeah. (11:09):
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So, i, so on Monday I call it admin day.
So it's like

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (11:13):
yep.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: you would give an (11:13):
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administrative assistant.
Usually it's like moretactical type of tasks.
It's sending out agreements,it's getting to inbox zero, it's.
Answering messages.
It can be filing receipts.
It's all those really tactical tasksthat some people might be like,
well, that system sounds stupid.
The whole thing is, is when we don'tnip those in the bud at the beginning
of the week, they tend to bleed intothe rest of the week, which bleeds

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (11:35):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: We're just like, oh my (11:35):
undefined
gosh, there's so much stuff.
You know what?
Why don't we just tackle all thatstuff, tie up all those loose threads
into a pretty pink bow on Monday.
Then Tuesday through Friday, wecan really drill down and focus
on the stuff that's super crucialand critical for the business.
When we don't get all those tasksdone, all those like miscellaneous
tasks, they tend to just suck upso much time throughout the week.

(11:56):
So I just like to get it outta myhead, get it all done on Monday, and
then Tuesday, content creation day ormeeting day, depending on the business.
So I'm a business coach,so my Tuesday is meetings.
All day, like I'm coaching all day.
And then Wednesday is yoursales and marketing day.
So what I find is most women are really,and I don't know if your like target
demographic listener is female, I wouldassume it maybe skews a little bit

(12:17):
female And Wednesday's 20% of your week.
So if you will spend an entire daydoing nothing but sales and marketing
efforts, your business will grow.
Like most people think thatposting on Instagram is their
sales and marketing efforts.
So we do that all day, which leads topretty explosive growth if you'll do that
for just one quarter and then Thursdays.

(12:38):
A day to pick a project,a big hairy project.
All the ones

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (12:41):
Yep.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: the can down the road. (12:41):
undefined
Onboarding sequence, offboarding sequence.
A referral program, affiliate program,all these big projects, we could
pick one and do it on Thursday.
That day is inspired by CalNewport's book Deep Work.
I love having like a big juicy,deep work session to just
knock out a crucial project.
It's how I've done everything I'vedone on my business in the last 12
months and then Friday, CEO day.
So measuring metrics.

(13:02):
I love that you're sobig on this, on threads.
I'm like, praise the

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: Praise the Lord. (13:05):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: besides me is saying this is, you have (13:06):
undefined
to know the state of your business and

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (13:10):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: know it if you're not measuring anything? (13:10):
undefined
And most, self-made multimillionaireswho own small businesses have said
that their success was tied toone thing, and that was measuring
their numbers at regular intervalsand developing strategy around it.
So it, the, the whole bedrockof your CEO day should be.
Measuring those important numbers.
So KPI is short for keyperformance indicator.

(13:32):
It's a

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (13:32):
Yep.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: snobbish person's way of (13:33):
undefined
saying the important numbers.
Like some people are like, what's that?
Well, I don't know.
People make up stupid namesso that they sound smart.
But it's just that importantnumbers in your business.
You measure 'em, you dostrategy around them.
I pay my team.
I look at my financials, Ilook at how profitable I am.
I see what's

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (13:47):
Yep.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: It's just a day to basically, I like (13:48):
undefined
to say it's like rising up above likea bird, looking down on my business.
happening, and that's the daythat prevents me from getting
in the weeds in my business.
Most like, you know, a fancy way of sayingit is like it's where you can work on
your business, not just in your business.
Well, to me, I'm like,what does that even mean?
So I just like to say it's like risingup and looking at a bird's eye view.

(14:09):
What's happening are thesenumbers, I like to say your KPI
dashboard, like whispering screams.
They are telling you like,alert, alert, this is dangerous.
You need to fix this.
Or they're like, keep Good job Samantha.
Keep going.
This is going great.
They're fortune tellers for your business.
And so how can we runa successful business?
How can we even know what contentto produce we have no clue?

(14:31):
What's happening in our business?
I don't, I actually don't understandhow people are running businesses
without measuring their numbers becausehow do you, well, this will speak to
you sweet One is they just open theirbank account and they think that's
whether or not they're successful.
And it's like your,

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (14:46):
Yes,

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: account has nothing to do. (14:47):
undefined
If you're doing a good job as a businessowner, it actually doesn't even tell you
how much money you have as a business

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: it doesn't. (14:53):
undefined
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: of the week. (14:56):
undefined
And so basically by chunking withinthat, and that doesn't mean, so
someone might be listening and they'relike, well, I'm a health coach.
What do I do the rest of the day?
No, that's just what you're, you'rechunking your day like that for the
beginning of the day to really strengthenyour business, not just make more content
all the time, and then the rest of the daydo whatever the heck you feel like doing.
Whatever your businessrequires is what you're doing.
But by following that routine,that ritual, our business is

(15:17):
getting holistically healthy.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (15:20):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: I see that are failing. (15:21):
undefined
One or all five of those pieces ismissing in a really big way, and all
they're doing is posting on threads,YouTube, Instagram, praying to God.
They go viral and make $700,000like their guru they look up to,
and it's like that ship has sailed.
It is not 2021 anymore.
We're not in post COD.
Everybody's home on their phone.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (15:42):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: you (15:42):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: figure out. (15:43):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: figure out a different way to grow (15:43):
undefined
your business, you're just gonna keepbanging your head against the wall.
Going viral in this day and age.
And I know, 'cause I'vecoached plenty of them.
often than not people say,I wish it never happened.
'cause you end

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (15:55):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: misaligned followers, tons of dms (15:55):
undefined
from people who want free stuff.
They're not planning on buying.
And so to me, I like tosay walk like Warrior's.
The brand is like hard work.
Good old fashioned business principles.
They had a baby.
That baby has walked.
Like, we're, that's it.
I got nothing fancy.
I can't help you go viral.
I still have never gone viral.
But, you know, I've had threeback to back multi five figure

(16:18):
launches with 1200 followers.
So it's like, I don't reallycare about the viral game.
I care

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (16:24):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: business owners actually build, like, (16:24):
undefined
build an algorithm proof business.
That freaking lights meup like nothing else.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (16:32):
Yes.
And I love that because I, I, I feelit, I feel the burnout with social media
and I'm just like, I'm so done with it.
Like, I don't wanna look at it.
And it just feels like you constantlyhave to be a certain way in order to like,
get people to like really look at you.

(16:53):
In the way that makes sense.
So I'm like, I just wanna like bemyself and not have to worry about
what other people are thinking.
So I love that.
I love that.
And I think that, you know, obviouslycontent creation and sales and marketing
is an important part of business, but Ithink there's a time and a place for it.
And not necessarily like havingthis consumption in your life.
Like we so often see.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: A hundred percent. (17:15):
undefined
I think that, I don't know, youcan bleep this out of your podcast
if you don't like it, but I thinksome people feel like they have to
prostitute themselves for the algorithm.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (17:24):
Yeah, I.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: that. (17:24):
undefined
Like I'm not gonna literally do somethingthat I absolutely despise about myself and
I'm gonna think less of myself for doingin order to go viral or get a lot of use.
Now I'm not saying that good.
Social media strategy is not important.
But what I am saying is like I feellike what's being prioritized is
very like base level shareable stuff.

(17:45):
And I show up to serve baby.
Like I don't know whatelse people want from me.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (17:49):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: And if it never goes viral, so be it. (17:50):
undefined
Like my

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (17:52):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: where someone could follow (17:53):
undefined
walk like warriors and be like.
Holy crap, I'm getting so much businessstrategy and I didn't pay for it.
And that's kind of stufftypically is not gonna go viral.
It would go viral if I waslike, how to make six months
of content in four minutes.
Oh.
Like I wanna know that.
Like it's just, to me, I mean, come on,this stuff is, you know, the, the like
looping audio for three seconds and thenthe caption has no value whatsoever.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (18:18):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: no shade or hate to people (18:18):
undefined
that are doing that.
I'm just saying for mepersonally as a human being.
That doesn't feel authentic to me.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (18:26):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: feels fake and like I'm (18:27):
undefined
doing it for the follows.
I'm doing it for the shares, I don't wannabuild a business that five years from now.
I look back on, I'm like, who are you?
Like, why

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (18:37):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: are you, do I, I would rather (18:38):
undefined
just slow growth, but it feelslike me, you know what I'm saying?

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: Yeah, no, I a hundred percent agree, (18:42):
undefined
and I've always been told like, youknow, oh, you're giving too much value.
You're giving too much value.
And I'm like, I would rather give valueand have people come to me who value the
value that I'm providing, rather thanhaving people who are like, you're giving
too much value, like you need to giveless value and have them come to you.
I'm like.

(19:03):
Education is so limited, likeeducation is so limited around things
pertaining to business owners, andI don't wanna be a block to someone
else who just needs one little pieceof advice to further their business.
Like, yeah, absolutely.
I'm not gonna do their bookkeeping fora hundred percent free, but am I gonna
tell them, Hey, you should separateyour business and personal finances.

(19:25):
Hey, you shouldn't justlook at your bank account.
Absolutely.
I don't care how many times I say itbecause it's important that they know.
That kind of stuff.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: I will say. (19:34):
undefined
Someone had said to me about a yearago, I had like 40 followers, and
they were like, it's only a matter oftime before you blow up and go viral.
And I was like, you know, I didn'tknow why she said it, but she's like,
you pack so much value into this page.
Well, it still hasn't happened.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (19:48):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: think that about you on threads. (19:49):
undefined
I'm like, this is the most value I feellike of anybody spinning up content
is this, this account right here.
I'm not blowing smoke at you either.
Like legitimately, when I seesomeone like you showing up and
serving that actually has strategy.
Holy, holy smokes.
I'm like, she actually knowswhat she's doing, which is such a

(20:10):
refreshing, I feel like there's alot of inauthenticity on social and a
lot of people playing business owner.
Do you know what I'm

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (20:17):
Yeah.
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: it, I don't care if there's a business (20:18):
undefined
coach who never owned their own business.
You might still know a lot aboutbusiness, but you can tell in
someone's content do they actuallyknow what they're talking about?
Or are they just like a complete fraud?
And as soon as I saw your account, I waslike, okay, this person clearly knows.
A lot about what they're talking about,and I just wanna tell you, I seriously
wanna give you such a big shout out.

(20:38):
It was truly refreshing to seesomebody showing up and serving
with so much value on the daily.
It's not easy to do.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: Thank you. (20:46):
undefined
I really appreciate that.
And I mean that's, that'sone of my core things, right?
Like as a woman of faith as well,like I just feel like serving and
I feel like serving in a sense thatlike helps others because that's
what I feel very called to do.
So.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: it. (21:02):
undefined
I love it.
I think we, you know, when we've got thatas our, as our foundation, there's a part
of it that becomes not about business.
It becomes character.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (21:11):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: And maybe (21:12):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (21:12):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: again, and I'm not saying someone is (21:13):
undefined
wrong for trying to go viral, what I'msaying is I. know there are certain
topics I could touch on that would bemore likely to help me go viral, but
I'm like, this is not, just not me.
It's not, I

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (21:27):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: that's how I wanna show (21:28):
undefined
up and serve people.
And I, I, there's so much gatekeeping too.
It's like, well, if I give too much awayfor free, they're not gonna buy for me.
I have found the opposite to be

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: Yes, absolutely. (21:37):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: so I just wish. (21:38):
undefined
Again, there's, and now I don't knowif you've seen the whole trend, like
stop posting educational content.
It doesn't

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (21:45):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: I'm like, everything I've built has (21:46):
undefined
been based on educational content.
It won't help you be re-shared abajillion times and thus go viral
or end up on the explore page.
But I think that thepeople who vibe with that.
people who appreciate someone showingup consistently and pouring into them.
Those are the exact peoplethat will buy from you.

(22:07):
Those are the people whoare the most engaged.
You know, who doesn't buy from you.
You posted some hilarious reel that wassuper relatable, so they followed you
'cause they thought Samantha's so funny.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (22:18):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: I'm sorry, we, I, I don't (22:19):
undefined
buy a lot from comedians.
I don't think I've everspent a dollar on a comedian.
So it's like you don't wanthim getting whiplash either.
Like you went viral for thesuper funny, relatable thing.
Then you try to sell and then youend up with this massive following
that doesn't wanna buy from you,

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (22:34):
Yes.
Yeah, no, I a hundred percent agree.
'cause like that's what I do on my podcasttoo, is all I do is really talk about
value and education and things like that.
And I think that that's so important.
And I've had people before, likethe thing is, even if you give away
that much education, right, thatperson's brain is never gonna work
the same way that your brain does.

(22:56):
That's why you do what you do.
That's why people are drawn to you.
So the way I'm speaking, I can speakall the time and educate them about
everything that I can, but their brainjust isn't gonna work that same way.
Some will, most won't.
And the people that brain doesn't workthat way are gonna wanna work with you.
'cause they're like, I can't do that.
Help me.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: Yeah, a really interesting (23:16):
undefined
example of this.
So that's part of it is they'rebuying you, they're buying
your brain, they're buying your

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (23:22):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: Some of it also is (23:22):
undefined
maybe they can copy you.
Exactly.
They don't have the time to,and there, there's a whole
niche there where it's like

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (23:28):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: wanna hit the easy button and be (23:29):
undefined
like, well, I could do it myself.
But

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (23:31):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: I. It's just as smart as me. (23:32):
undefined
Maybe more so, so I'm gonna hire her.
And you see this with, I lovethe company StoryBrand, Donald
Miller's company called StoryBrand.
They

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (23:41):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: Tell you the entire system. (23:43):
undefined
And at the end they're like, you canhire one of our certified guides and
it's, you know, the bajillion dollars.
But the reason that they can giveeverything away for free and people
still hire the guide, is thatsomeone like me, I'm so close to
my own business that I can't alwayssee the forests for the trees.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (24:01):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: that's where too, there's a lot of (24:02):
undefined
service-based business providers.
Like I was coaching avirtual assistant last year.
I'm like, you could tell themyour entire organizational system.
They'll still hire you because so manyof them are like me, and I'm like,
I just wanna hit the easy button.
Where is that button?
I just

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (24:16):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: to do it for me. (24:16):
undefined
And so you also unlock a wholenew level of profitability in your
business, as you know, because thepeople who have more money than time,
they'll pay you really good moneyto hit the easy button for them.
Even though they could do whatyou do, they want you to do it
because you're clearly good at it.
You've shown up online, you'veshown that you know your stuff,
that this doesn't apply to everyone,but it's like I even tell health

(24:36):
coaches, why are you gatekeeping?
I'm not

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (24:39):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: coach 'cause you have some mysterious (24:40):
undefined
knowledge that's not clear.
I'm hiring you for the accountability.
So you could

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (24:45):
Yes.
School

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: program, but I'm not (24:46):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (24:48):
I'm not,

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: for the knowledge. (24:48):
undefined
I can get that on YouTubeor from chat GPT I'm

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (24:51):
yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: you to hold me accountable. (24:52):
undefined
And so this is where I think thegatekeeping people still do it.
And it blows my mind becauseI'm like, will only hire someone
that I think can help me.
And how do I

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: How do I, (25:03):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: me if you've never (25:04):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (25:05):
yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: of value with me? (25:05):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: Absolutely. (25:08):
undefined
I a hundred percent agree.
Now, to branch off of that, like alot of business owners struggle to
delegate or automate because they think,well, no one else can do it like me.
How do we help people shift that mindset?

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: that is a huge thing that I (25:22):
undefined
hear from business owners, andthere's a couple points here.
One is, is that none of us are thebest at every area of our business.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (25:32):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: an entrepreneur that thinks that every (25:33):
undefined
aspect of your business, you are theabsolute best at, I, I have a little
the talk to have with you about pridebecause no one is the best at everything

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (25:44):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: and part of growth and scalability is (25:45):
undefined
releasing control of what isn't goingto hurt the vision of the business.
So I believe mostpeople, their first hire.
It should be somewhere in thiscategory, is you, you need to
have a good virtual assistant.
You need to have a goodbookkeeper slash cpa.
So, so CFO in whatever, I mean, a $50,000a year business doesn't need a CFO, but

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (26:07):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: someone to help the inform their financial (26:08):
undefined
strategy and that at some point a socialmedia person to help take that content
creation monkey weight off of your back.
Those three roles willeventually need to be hired.
And what I have always found tobe true is when you're hiring for
someone who's in that zone of genius.
They do it better and they doit faster, those two things.
Another thing I would say

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: I would say. (26:27):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: you is, and if I call you sweet one, I'm (26:27):
undefined
sorry, that's just what I call people,but I really care about them, but.
I would trust that you are way more awareof software and tools and what's trending
and this new law that just got passed.
'cause like you lively breathe this stuffand to me I'm like, well I'm good at it.
I can do it myself.
But at some point it's like I either don'twant to 'cause I don't have the time or

(26:48):
bandwidth or this person is obsessed withthe industry that they operate within.
So they're gonna know way more thanyou the, they don't do it just like me.
One is the humility to say, yeah,but Samantha's way is probably
better 'cause this is her industry.
And if it's those things whereyou're like, I don't care,
it has to be done like this.
What I

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (27:06):
What I

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: owners to do is I share (27:06):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (27:08):
share.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: I have a Zoom meeting with (27:08):
undefined
one and that would be myself.
And I say, alright, so when you getto this page, you're gonna click on
the top left button and it's green.
And then, then you're, andyou literally can do it.
And then they watch the video and you knowwhat happens when, so you're, you onboard
someone, you give them the Zoom video.
do it just like you 'causethey do it alongside you.
And

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (27:27):
Yeah,

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: them use that Zoom video every (27:28):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: every time they do it. (27:30):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: it's quote unquote just like me. (27:31):
undefined
There's very few things in my businessthat need to be done just like me.
But those ones, it's likethat's how you can offload.
And the other thing I really love aboutbuilding a training manual with Zoom
videos of you teaching it, it's evergreen.
So if things don't work out with a socialmedia manager or a va, you don't have
to spend all that time retraining them.

(27:52):
It's

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (27:53):
Yep.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: and you just share the (27:53):
undefined
video with the next person.
It ensures that it is done just like you.
For those, it's a small amount of tasks,but I'm sure there are things that all
of us want done a very specific way.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (28:04):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: but the other (28:04):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: Other thing is no (28:05):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: training can capture all that (28:06):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (28:08):
one.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: live. (28:09):
undefined
It's much more helpful for them tobe able to follow along to a video
until they get the hang of it.
So that is, to me, the best wayto offload things to other people.
But I think that, especially withVAs and bookkeepers, like those two
things, when you hire the right person,there's so much faster than you and
they see things in your blind spot.

(28:30):
And by definition.
It's your blind spot, so you

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (28:34):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: like, I don't have blind spots. (28:34):
undefined
Well, the by very definition, you don'tknow that it's there and adding a fresh
set of eyes to your business, ooh, it islike that rainbow sprinkles on the sundae.
It's that extra like oomph that yourbusiness needs, but you don't know

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (28:47):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: it. (28:48):
undefined
So like quote unquote even,and I hate that word for VAs.
I started out as anadministrative assistant.
I love that role and I think the rightperson, they actually, that is one of
the most important roles of all timefor a business owner to hire for.
But.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (29:01):
Yep.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: They, they help me see blind spots (29:02):
undefined
in my business that it's like gettinghit in the head with a baseball bat.
I'm like, I didn't even realize that.
I didn't even realizethat that was happening.
So that's another thing is I heara lot of business owners like, I'm
an island and I just wish I had, iswhy you help have people help you

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (29:19):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: collaboration. (29:20):
undefined
So, and I, that's when I, Isee that a lot with your posts.
I'm like, see, this is somebodywho's like a strategic partner.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (29:26):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: and if there's one area that's (29:27):
undefined
super weak, for the women,at least in my circle it is.
Metrics and financials is just like.
Popping open stripe andthat's how much money we have.
And I'm like, no,

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (29:38):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: please stop doing that. (29:38):
undefined
That has nothing to do with anythingor, you know, they'll overspend because
they had one good month in theirbusiness and then the next month they're
laying off their va. I'm just like,

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (29:47):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: we, we need to do better. (29:47):
undefined
We need to operate a little bit morelike CEOs in less like hobbyists.
And that does start with thosekey hires when you're profitable
enough for that to make sense.
I don't think someone making $50 amonth should be hiring a team member,
but there are certainly some benchmarksand least in my mind where, yeah, this
is a good point at which you need to be

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (30:06):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: somebody to take this off your plate. (30:07):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: Yeah, no, I 110% agree. (30:09):
undefined
Now, again, to branch off of that, likewhat are some of the common mistakes
that you see that keep business ownersstuck working those nights and weekends?

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: The biggest mistake that leads to (30:21):
undefined
working nights and weekends is nothaving a workflow or a, you pop
open the laptop and it's Monday, andthis is what I do and this is the

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (30:32):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: do it in. (30:32):
undefined
And when you can begin to formulate.
A workflow for your week that strengthensevery side of the business, you
actually can turn off your work brain.
So for me, and so like it's, it'sbasically like kind of in a, a Google
sheet with little, like done or not done.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (30:49):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: I finish that, doesn't matter if (30:49):
undefined
it's 11 in the morning on a Monday, Ican, with full confidence and feeling
good about myself, say I'm done.
There's always more.
It's kind of like you know, if you go tocollege, one of the things I think that's
really cool about going to college islike the scales fall off your eyes and for
the first time in your life, maybe you'relike, there's so much more to learn.
That's where being a business owner,there's so much more to do, but the

(31:11):
way that when you can structure yourdays where you've got that, and so
I'm not, so I wanna just be clear.
I'm not trying

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (31:17):
I'm.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: somebody into my program. (31:17):
undefined
You can literally dothis with an index card.
That says Monday and just this stuffthat's strategic that you know is gonna
actually move your business forward.
And you work that every single day.
And what happens is after aboutfive or six Mondays, you get faster,
you get more efficient, you'reable to do it in half the time,
and you start feeling really good.
Like you know that becauseof our spaghetti brains,

(31:39):
Samantha, you didn't do this.
You didn't do that.
Yeah, but I do that on Wednesday.
So that's fine.
It's all fine.
It's Monday.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (31:44):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: to do that because I'm gonna do that, (31:44):
undefined
and all of a sudden we start to havemargin and breathing room in our week.
So that's really the biggestmistake I see people making is, is
the ping ponging, and I don't knowa better word, somebody said it.
I feel like I'm playingdodgeball with my to-do list.
That's another way to view it.
basically just waking up every day andflying by the seat of your pants is the
absolute worst way to run a business.

(32:06):
It costs you

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (32:07):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: costs you money, and it leads to (32:07):
undefined
burnout because you're working nightsand weekends to stay caught up.
And I want you watching the Disneymovie without creating a reel.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (32:17):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: you out on a date with your husband (32:18):
undefined
without checking dms like a maniac.
Like that's not the way to live.
Balanced.
And what happens is, our first yearin business, anyone can do that.
This is why I like papers.
I don't care.
Business coaches will criticizeme on, Instagram threads.
Like, oh, well, I like working weekends.
Everybody likes workingweekends until they burn out.

(32:38):
And your first 12 months inbusiness, 24 months maybe.
There's so much dopamine.
You are flooding your systemwith happy endorphins.
Like everything is exciting and itfeels good, and you get the ping
like you just made a sale and like,

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (32:50):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: but after a while, it's kind of like (32:51):
undefined
when you're dating someone, right?
You don't realize that he chews superloud and he leaves his shoes everywhere
and you're tripping over his socks like.
Because you are so floodedwith happy hormones, you don't
actually see it for what it is.
And I'm not saying that's bad, buteventually the scales fall outta
your eyes and you're like, oh,He's not literally the most perfect
human being that God ever created.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (33:12):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: happens with our businesses, (33:12):
undefined
and that's why I'm so passionateabout this topic, because anyone
can do anything for 12 months.
once those endorphins calm down.
All of a sudden I see so manywomen quitting their business,
and it's almost always fromburnout, exhaustion, or overwhelm.
And that's why I'm really passionateabout fence posts around our work time.

(33:35):
It doesn't

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: It doesn't matter that you like it. (33:35):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: it all day every day. (33:36):
undefined
I did

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: I do too. (33:38):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: that eventually fades and it (33:38):
undefined
starts to feel more like a grind,which is why it's so important
to have these systems in place.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (33:45):
Yes.
And I love that.
And I think that's so true because ifyou start working just hours, and I think
I've started to feel that too, whereI'm like in my second year of business
and sometimes I'm like working pastthat 5:00 PM mark and I'm like, Hmm, I
don't really wanna be working right now.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: Yes. (34:02):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: I'm like, I love it, but I don't (34:03):
undefined
wanna be working right now.
And that's where that setting upthat boundary, being like, okay, I'm
stopping at five, I'm not doing anythingelse, is gonna become so, so helpful.
For sure.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: yes, for sure. (34:13):
undefined
And another tip, 'cause like Idon't want anyone to feel like they
have to hire me as their coach, but

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (34:18):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: those things that always happen as, so (34:19):
undefined
behind me I have these bookcases, right?
Like as bookends.
So what in your Monday happensat the same time every day?
Is it the bus pulls upin front of your house?
And the door's open and your

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (34:30):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: That's your bookmark. (34:31):
undefined
That's when it's like, I'mshutting down at this time.
Or you drive the kids to schooland you get home and maybe you put
on Netflix or you go this or that.
Well, instead, it's kind oflike Atomic Habits talks about,
it's like that habit stacking isno, you pull into the driveway.
You stop the car, you start theKeurig, you make your cup, and
then your butt is in your seat,like that's the marker of your day.

(34:54):
And so these bookendscan really be powerful.
Those things that are recurring canfunction as like, these are checkpoints
in my day, and at this time thishappens, and at this time I'm done.
I'm a huge fan of having fenceposts around our work blocks
because now this is different.
Like if someone's got a1-year-old and a baby.
get that you're trying to feel,you are trying to put your

(35:15):
business in the cracks of your day.
That's not my target demographic.
So if someone's listening and they'relike, well, most of you, nice for her.
I have four kids.
But yeah, in full transparency, myoldest two are married, so I have, I
treat this like a full-time business.
If someone's got lots of little kids,that's not my tar target demographic.
You'd be better off listeningto a business coach who
teaches you like building yourbusiness in the cracks of the

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (35:33):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: But it's really (35:34):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: It's really hard to feel that way. (35:35):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: be completely exhausted all (35:36):
undefined
the time because you can never.
Put it in the off switch position,and I think that long term, that's
a pretty unhealthy way to live.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: Yeah, yeah. (35:46):
undefined
No, I, completely agree.
Now, pivoting to sales and marketing,selling confidently without
feeling salesy is such a hugechallenge for many entrepreneurs.
What's your approach to making salesfeel more natural and effective?

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: Do you have an hour? (36:03):
undefined
let me try to make, I'm gonna tryto just distill this down to its
simplest points and keep it short.
One is, is there's two ways to parent.
Your kid is afraid of water.
One is go inch by inch into thewater until they're comfortable.
The other parent is the one thatjust throws them in the deep end
and like, ah, they'll figure it out.
So I'm going to leave the deep endstuff and I can coach people that

(36:26):
way if they're more comfortable,like, Hey, just throw me into it.
But sometimes baby steppinginto selling with confidence.
And so like social proof, screenshots.
With a link to buy is like theultimate way to sell without selling.
Like I don't wanna show my face.
Just do that, but do it consistently.
So like, let's pretend, so Itold you Wednesday's growth day.

(36:47):
What if every Wednesday you gotinto Instagram stories or you went
on threads or whatever in youremail that you send to your list?
'cause everyone should be doing that.
you just post a screenshot with like, buynow or This is me, Samantha, I want this.
Like, that's a good wayto baby stop into selling

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (37:04):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: Um, another thing is, is just do like (37:05):
undefined
a tap through story where every timesomeone taps the next thing appears,
kind of warming yourself up to

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (37:13):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: to actually talk about what you have. (37:14):
undefined
I will say that when women come tome for coaching and they say, I'm
not making any sales, and I say,well, how often are you selling?
How often are you asking for the sale?
Well, I mean, the link is in my bioand I say, comment the word no, no, no.
Like how often are you

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (37:31):
Are.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: You're forcing sales, like you're going (37:32):
undefined
in there with the intention and usuallyit's like, well, once every 12 weeks,
so anyone listening, you can reallyincrease your sales by just twice a week.
You make a point that you're gonnaget into Instagram stories and sell.
You're gonna sell in everysingle email that you send.
People will unfollow.
Well, I'm sorry.
Is your account to be promqueen or is it to make sales?

(37:52):
'cause mine's to make sales.
Like I want a business.
If I wanted to be popular, Iwould be doing the little three
second reel with how to make 27.
Months of content in oneminute with Chad, GPT.
Like

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (38:02):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: make sales, you have to sell. (38:03):
undefined
But baby stepping your way there.
So first you could juststart with screenshots.
Then you could start withjust like text on screen.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (38:11):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: you can move on to B roll like (38:11):
undefined
you're typing away and the wordsare over top with a link to buy.
And then maybe after five or sixweeks, maybe you're getting some
interest in the dms or what have you.
Then you force yourself to get instories and actually talk about it.
'cause nothing sells like enthusiasm.
Like enthusiasm is it?
And so if you need a babystep, I love Shannon McKinstry.
She's an Instagram coach.

(38:31):
I. She talks about like, toget comfortable showing your
face is, you know, wear big oldsunglasses and have like a big

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: A big Starbucks drink. (38:37):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: of hide, but just make these checkpoints, (38:39):
undefined
make a list on a, on a post-it note

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (38:44):
Yep.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: just like week one, I'm gonna do this. (38:44):
undefined
Week two, I'm gonna do thisbaby step your way into selling.
But nothing builds confidence likea result you get for a customer.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (38:53):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: where a lot of people go wrong (38:53):
undefined
is they roll out all this crapand it's not getting any results.
So no one's in their dms.
Like, I'm not bragging, I'm justsaying like this morning when I woke
up, I had three dms from my Successsquad girls about wins they're having.
So like that's the ultimateconfidence boost is you're
literally changing someone's life.
And so I don't have tofake it till I make it.
It's like help more women.

(39:15):
Build these businesses of theirdreams without sacrificing their
families or themselves to do it.
And so the ultimate, ultimate endgoal is build something really
awesome that's getting results andthen let those results like spur

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (39:28):
Speak.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: to share it with more people. (39:28):
undefined
Sorry, I said that was gonna be

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (39:31):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: I can't do anything like that, but. (39:31):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: No, that's totally fine. (39:33):
undefined
I mean, while we're on thesetangents, you're answering a lot
of the questions, so that's greatfor someone feeling overwhelmed.
It's buried in work, and unsure whereto start, what's the first step they
need to take to reclaim their time?

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: Oh man, this is a good one. (39:50):
undefined
So this will be a little outside thebox, but it doesn't serve a woman well
for me to help her cram more activity.
Into a cram schedule.
So I like to have people zoom outand make open a digital calendar
or paper calendar works too.

(40:11):
if I was doing this with you, Samantha, Iwould say, all right, first things first.
Forget about work.
Forget about everything.
What are the most importantthings in your life to you?
So you might say, it's my marriage,it's my faith, it's my kids.
I like to serve at a soup

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (40:24):
Okay.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: All right, don't do anything else. (40:25):
undefined
Put those in first.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (40:29):
Yep.
Okay.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: All right. (40:30):
undefined
Next.
If you've got a nine to fivejob and you're side hustling,
put the nine to five like next.
Put your immovable commitments that youhave, whether it's work or whatever.
Okay.
I know.
It's like, what are we doing right now?
The white space left is thespot you have for your business,

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (40:46):
Yep.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: and until people do that and rise (40:46):
undefined
above their schedule and look at itvery cold and calculating, not with
emotion, we can't build anythingbecause usually just that exercise.
Women have a lot of aha moments.
They either have way more time thanthey thought they had, and they

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (41:04):
Yep.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: they're really wasting a lot by not being (41:04):
undefined
strategic they have hardly any time.
And that's why they feel so overwhelmedis they're trying to do a 40 hour
a week business and they've gotthree and a half hours a week.
That's

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (41:18):
Yep.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: an important aha moment. (41:18):
undefined
So we would start

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: Start there. (41:21):
undefined
Um,

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: what I (41:23):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: what I found is, (41:23):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: It doesn't (41:26):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (41:26):
doesn't

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: if (41:27):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: matter, I (41:27):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: build the business of your dreams. (41:29):
undefined
If your personal life isin the toilet a year from

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: I hear from now (41:35):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: a very unhappy person. (41:35):
undefined
So

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (41:38):
yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: why I start there because I can say (41:38):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (41:40):
Say

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: marriage to Keith is the (41:40):
undefined
most important thing to me.
Well, my faith and then my marriage.
But if I build a week where I'mnot spending any time on any of
my faith practices, and Keith and

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (41:50):
Keith.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: have not had a date in six months. (41:51):
undefined
I know that a year from now mybusiness could be a multi seven
figure business, and I'm stillnot going to feel a lot of joy.
Or fulfillment it no amount of money.
That's why you look at, I mean it's, Ihate to say this 'cause it's so dark, but
you look at all of the rich and famouspeople that commit suicide or are addicts,

(42:13):
it's because money is not enough to

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (42:16):
Yeah.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: our human urges. (42:16):
undefined
And so I always start womenthere is, I want them to
really build their ideal week.
They're like, they're values driven weekfirst and see what kind of time we're
looking at, and then we work backwardand say, okay, with this amount of hours,
this is what you can do to optimizewhat you're doing in your business.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (42:33):
Yeah.
Yeah.
No, I love that, and Ithink that's so true.
I do.
But Kelly, this has been such an amazinginterview and I think you've given so much
value in education, and I just wanna knowwhere my audience can find you and connect
with you so that they can learn moreabout you and potentially work with you.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: I appreciate (42:51):
undefined

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055: appreciate that so. (42:52):
undefined

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: is walk like warriors.com. (42:53):
undefined
The name Kelly means Warrior Woman,which is like a very apt name for me.
So the company is named after that.
It's like a riff on, I want women.
To feel like warriors, to feellike they are strong and can and
can build what they want to buildwithout sacrificing anything.
Now Instagram, that handle wastaken, so there's underscores, it's

(43:13):
walk like warriors, but there'sunderscores in between each word and
it's, my favorite color is yellow.
So if you see my profilephoto with yellow behind me.
You found the right place.
I coach for free everyday in Instagram stories.
I'm sure you've seen.
So I'm really all about pouringinto my Instagram followers.
Even if they

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (43:29):
Yes.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: a penny with me is if you follow (43:30):
undefined
me on Instagram, you're gonna startto get a ritual to your week that's
gonna help you feel a lot more peace.

samantha-eck_1_03-18-2025_140055 (43:39):
Yeah.
I love that.
Well, thank you so much again, Kelly.
I really appreciate it, and I can'twait for this episode to come out.
Thank.

kelly---walk-like-warriors_1_03-18-2025_150057: Thank you. (43:45):
undefined
Appreciate you.
Freedom in business isn't built byrunning yourself into the ground.
It's built by slowing down enough toget clear on what actually matters.
You don't need 10,000 followers.
You don't need to go viral.
You just need systems that workwith your brain, not against it.
You need the right offers, the rightrhythms, and the right kind of support.

(44:06):
And most of all, you need to believethat building slow, sustainable, soul
aligned success is more than enough.
Kelly's story is such a powerful reminderthat profit doesn't require pressure
and peace doesn't mean playing small.
So if you're ready to reclaim yourtime and lead with intention, I'm
cheering you on every step of the way.
I. As always, if this episode spoketo you, please share it with a friend.
Leave a review, submit a topic usingthe form in the description box below,

(44:29):
and of course, come say hi on Instagram.
I'm here to make sure you neverfeel alone in this until next week.
As always, I wish you the best weekever and we'll see you next time.
Farewell fellow Travelers.