February 20, 2025 • 56 mins
In this episode of Differently, host Carla Reeves sits down with two close friends and business colleagues, Kelly (founder of TerraCare Financial) and Erin (founder of Matchbox Women and the True You Brand Method). They dive into candid conversations about:
- Entrepreneurship & Business Growth – The challenges and joys of running a business.
- Motherhood & Leadership – Balancing personal and professional responsibilities.
- Personal Development & Learning – The importance of lifelong learning and consistency.
- Building a Brand & Money Mindset – Navigating financial and marketing strategies in 2024.
- The Power of Connection – How personal outreach and relationship-building are key in business.
Key Takeaways & Topics Discussed
✔ Consistency Over Time – The importance of sticking with actions even when results aren’t immediate.
✔ Trusting the Process – Learning when to take control and when to let things unfold.
✔ The Power of Personal Connection – Why direct outreach (DMs, texts, emails) can be more impactful than broad marketing strategies.
✔ Navigating Business & Family Life – How Kelly and Erin integrate work and home life while maintaining boundaries.
✔ CEO Scorecards & Vision Planning – The role of structured planning in business success.
✔ Money & Branding in 2025 – Key financial and marketing insights to stay ahead this year.
Check out Kelly's past episodes: Empowered Spending &
Differently with Money & Creative Money Mindset & Cultivating Joy When Dealing with Money
Check out Erin's past episode: From Burnout to Brand Brilliance
Connect with Erin & Subscribe to Her Newsletter – https://matchboxwomen.com/thematchbox Learn More About Kelly &
Learn more about Carla:
Website: https:/www.carlareeves.com/
Connect on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reevescarla/
Connect on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@differentlythepodcast
Go to https://carlareeves.com/freeclass to get The Class schedule, sign up, and/or pass it on to a friend. Each month is a new topic. Come hang out and learn with us for FREE!
Get your copy of 5 Ways to Manage Your Mind
Go to https://www.carlareeves.com/getunstuck.com to download Carla's on demand journaling workshop + exercise to help you stop spinning and start moving forward.
Explore Coaching with Carla: https://bookme.name/carlareeves/lite/explore-coaching
- If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to share it with a friend.
- A free way to support our show is by leaving a five-star rating and review on your favorite podcast player. It’s a chance to tell us
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
I'm Carla Reeves, and this is Differently.
Whether you feel stuck insurvival, navigating a change,
or seeking more for your life,may this podcast be your weekly
nudge to take a risk to build alife that is uniquely bold,
authentic and in alignment withyour deepest values.
What if you worried less aboutthe bumps in the road and
(00:23):
instead got equipped for thejourney?
Get ready to rethink what'spossible.
You are in for a treat today.
I've invited two of my friendsand business colleagues to join
me for a coffee and conversationabout all the things
entrepreneurship, finding ourgrowth edges, motherhood, vision
planning, being a leader and somuch more.
(00:46):
I hope you enjoy this as muchas we did.
Just real, honest connectionand conversation about things
that matter to us and, I believe, matter to you too.
May this inspire and stir yourheart and mind.
Meet Kelly.
So, if you've been listening awhile, kelly has been on the
podcast a number of times andI'll link all the episodes in
(01:08):
the show notes.
She's the founder of TerraCareFinancial.
She helps consciousentrepreneurs take charge of
their finances, ease their moneyworries and grow healthy and
profitable businesses.
And I want you to meet Erin.
She has actually been on theshow too, and I'll link that
episode in the show notes.
She's the founder of MatchboxWomen, the Matchbox Newsletter
(01:29):
and the True you Brand Method,and she's passionate about
helping female entrepreneursbuild brands that feel authentic
and help grow their businesssustainably.
This conversation today isbehind the scenes and, don't be
alarmed.
I hit record right when westarted talking, so there's no
professional transition here.
(01:50):
Grab a cup of coffee and a seat, enjoy, because because Aaron
and I have already been talkingand I'm like, oh, I should have
already hit record.
So have you and Kelly met inperson?
No, no, no, that's the best.
And Kelly and I haven't met inperson either no, and we've been
(02:12):
working together since what?
Speaker 2 (02:14):
2018?
Speaker 3 (02:16):
oh, wow, yes, well then, I feel so honored to feel
so connected to you guys and ourconnection is so much younger.
But I just feel like you're mybosom friends.
I just love that's what I wassaying about technology.
I feel like it's a take back oftechnology, where everyone
thinks that technology is, youknow, more divisive or
(02:39):
distracting, um, but I thinkthis is such a cool example of
like how opposite it it can be,that's so true.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Yeah, and not to not to jump ahead of, like, what we
want to talk about.
But that's one thing with, like, if we talk about motherhood in
business, like I don't want tobe at a happy hour after hours,
I don't want to be at a happyhour after hours, I don't want
to be, you know, getting up atseven, 30 in the morning to go
to a BNI meeting and to havethat connection.
And you need that connection asan entrepreneur.
(03:13):
But I get it all day long withmy clients and you know and my
team and things.
But my clients it's like somuch of this connection is so
real and it's all beenelectronic.
Yeah, it's.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I could not agree more.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And then you can finish your work day and like,
go be with your family and likeyou've, you've filled a lot of
those other places of friendshipand business and growth and
learning, and yeah, it's prettyamazing.
Well, we're just so.
(03:50):
This is, this is what we'redoing.
We're changing things up todayon the podcast and I have
invited two dear friends to justcome and have coffee and
conversation and, um, there isno agenda other than, like,
motherhood and entrepreneurshipand family and goals and dreams
and whatever is on your heart.
So that's what we're doingtoday and I, even though it's
(04:14):
I'm the host of this podcast.
Like I want you guys to imagineyou're the host today too, like
it's just an interactiveconversation and we just get to
talk about whatever is kind ofbubbling up in our lives right
now.
Love it, yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
I have one right off the bat.
That's kind of spurred bysomething you just said.
Where you're talking about,where we fill a lot of the I
don't.
You didn't say buckets, but Iuse buckets for everything but
like you were saying how we geta lot of those needs met during
the day.
And then one of them youmentioned was learning, and I
that has been one of the bestthings that's come out of
(04:53):
entrepreneurship for me, that Idon't even I didn't know going
in, that that was something likehow much of a lifelong learner
I am and that that is sofulfilled through this Cause.
Every day is something new.
I'm learning as a businessowner, as somebody who, if I'm
not interested in something, canpivot and go do something else
and like um and or learnsomething else or change
(05:15):
something or go deeper withsomething.
So the the learning piece ofthis has become my favorite part
, like that personal developmentthrough professional
development kind of thing.
And so when you said that, I'mlike, oh, I want to make sure we
talk about that because that'ssuper important for me, I
(05:35):
imagine it is for you both aswell.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
I don't know how it like couldn't be, I mean because
you're kind of forced to do itregardless.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, as an entrepreneur right, whether it's
learning how to do somethingthat you didn't know how to do,
that you know can feel sodaunting before you start, or
bumping up against somethingthat is a limit in you and
you've got to work through it,or you're not going to get past
it and like that piece of thedevelopment.
Yeah, there's a lot ofdifferent components to it.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Yeah.
So I feel like the idea of likeclassroom.
Like you know, you're allworking on a project and you all
have different parts andeveryone's good at something
different or slightly differentthan you are, and you can just
kind of nudge each other asyou're working, like oh hey, how
do you do that?
Or like who do you know thatdoes that well?
And I think we've all eitherlearned about each other's work
(06:31):
and gleaned another expert, orwe directly shared an expert
with one another or just sharedour insight.
And it's like we're all kind ofworking together in this
virtual classroom and you know,doing our purpose, and but we're
like alongside each other andlearning from each other.
(06:51):
And I like that kind of likethe school day or the business
hours where we're getting to dothis.
It doesn't have to be long, itdoesn't have to be an hour long
podcast conversation, but it'sthat like connection and we can
just keep learning on the flyfrom each other and go deeper
when it makes sense.
And I couldn't agree more.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
I just I'm laughing a little bit, cause I imagine,
like whenever we're on a call asthis group I've been with you
in other groups where this hashappened and a book comes up and
like everybody's like what wasit?
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Well you know what is it you?
Speaker 2 (07:26):
can see people.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Why is it?
Why are we so like, needy ofthat?
It's like we don't want to missout.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
It must've been a good one.
It came up.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Hey, you know what I'll take FOMO on a book any day
, like something else, and Ijust have.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I always have a stack of books Like it's never, I'm
just reading one book, I'mreading like three or five and I
I've tried to change that, butit's just the way I do it and
it's just the way it is.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
I could not agree more.
I I'm always like I need tolike start something and finish
it.
I'm like, why, like, whose ruleam I following?
Like I like to do that.
I enjoy it.
Like when I feel like, oh, youknow what, that's the genre I'm
looking for.
Like I'll pick it up and Itypically finish them all, just
maybe not in the timeframe orthe style.
(08:22):
I'm like who cares?
Like who says I have to read it?
Like that.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
I can read them in order or not.
And then every now and again doyou just like devour a book,
Like as fast as you can.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
So funny Okay.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
So I have a question based on.
What Kelly was talking about islike what's the?
What's the hardest or edgiestthing that you're having to
learn right now, right now.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
I, I have one that's kind of been throughout my
business, but I do have a rightnow.
So I'm debating, I'm going to,I can go with.
My right now is really myleadership, and that's very
present to me this year of likeI'm working on getting out of
the way so that the team theincredible team that I have can
(09:22):
support the business more, sothat we can keep growing and to
match the vision I have for us,but also for their own, all the
things that we love about it.
You know people, I have loveabout that too, and it gives
them that opportunity toexperience that too.
And so mine is about leadershipand it's an edge because I like
(09:43):
I'm very careful with thedelivery of the client services
and like there's a lot of thingsthat are very important to me
about this.
But the more I stay in the way,the less people get the impact
of what we do.
So finding that way to like letgo while still maintaining that
level of service that is arequirement for me, um is
(10:05):
challenging.
It's got an edge and I bumpinto it from time to time and
then we work on it.
Yeah, that's a big one.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Well, um, I, what comes up for me, and actually,
kelly and I have talked aboutthis recently and you and I, um,
carla, talked before we hitrecord.
Um, I am in a really differentseason of my business evolution.
I have been an entrepreneurpretty much my entire
(10:35):
professional career.
Um and uh, my first business,um, very successful from a
financial and client standpoint,very referral based.
I did not work hard to getclients or to grow.
I helped my clients grow, butit was not something that I had
(10:59):
to necessarily engage in for myown growth.
Two and a half years ago I justfelt the call in my heart to
shift where my business wasgoing, um, not a ton of clarity,
but it was just I don't know.
I had a gut feeling, a call inmy heart and I did it and um, so
I feel like the it's probablynot edgy or like sexy sounding
(11:22):
or anything but really leaninginto small, consistent action
and not giving up on thatconsistent action to to see the
long-term goal or um levelrealized is where I'm at.
Um and kind of along the linesof the conversation you and I
(11:43):
were having, kelly.
This not chasing the shinything but finding that thing,
that is, that base, foundationlevel, that, whether it's zone
of genius or just what you knowis good or know is right, really
(12:07):
allowing that to be, um, andbeing consistent there and not
chasing the shiny or not, um,learning something new and going
oh, maybe that's it, but justbeing really consistent, um, and
trusting that consistency iskind of you know, maybe for me
that edgy kind of thing and Ifeel like it goes for all of my
life.
At this age I need to beconsistent with the way I move
(12:29):
my body, how I eat, thesupplements that I take um, the
spiritual activities that I havein my, in my daily like I have
to be consistent in all of thosethings.
And I think before this age,like I could be more hit or miss
or, like you know, it was justdifferent, and now, like,
consistency is, yeah, that's thename of my, that's the name of
(12:54):
my game.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
So good I expand on that thought of like the not
chasing a shiny object.
And then, carla, I don't wantto lose that question because I
want to hear your answer to ittoo.
But I find this a lot, and thismay not be exactly what you're
referring to, aaron, so I'm notputting this on you at all, but
people can feel like something'snot working.
(13:18):
They've got a little successwith it, but it's not what they
had really envisioned, so it'snot working.
So it's like, okay, scrap thatand create something new.
And that happens a lot, a lot.
And what it?
What it really often is, is itit just hasn't caught yet.
(13:39):
Like there takes that time oflike people knowing you're out
there and building thatreputation and the word of mouth
to get out, and so for peopleto have results from what you've
done, and then they're kind ofa walking testimonial.
Like all that takes time, andI'm.
This story may not be particularto the listeners, but I'm going
to share it.
But there was, there was a guyI met.
It was over, it was about ayear and a quarter ago and he
(14:00):
actually ended up helping uswith some outsourced bookkeeping
.
But I knew this guy had it likehe was.
He was hit.
Everything you need, like you,easy to talk to, knew his stuff.
Um had his system set up, likehe, he was ready to just blow up
and he was at this timeline inhis business that I just I
(14:21):
remember being at in mine andI'm like you just keep doing it,
keep doing it.
I was just like in his ear andI would.
We were just friends and he hadat in mine and I'm like you
just keep doing it, keep doingit, and I was just like in his
ear and I would.
We were just friends and he hadhelped me a little bit.
So we were just kind of talkingon Facebook Messenger.
I'm like, just do it, just doit.
I think it was two weeks ago.
I saw him post in the Facebookgroup looking for somebody to
subcontract for him, like he didfor me, because he was too busy
, and I was like, oh my God, andthat's like that.
(14:43):
Like sometimes I can even senseit, like somebody's just about
to get there.
It's like that that the cartoonthey show where the person's
digging for gold and they startwalking away and they're like
right there where the gold wasjust going to.
If they hit the wall a few moretimes they're gonna be at the
gold.
That's where he was.
And I can feel that sometimeswith my clients and or with
things I see, or this, thisfriend slash former contractor,
(15:09):
and that crushes me.
When people walk away too fastfrom that, I'm like you're right
there and I'm not always right,but I sometimes I have that
sense of it and it's just thatmoment where we want to give up,
when it's just about to work.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
I love that.
I'll take it.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
You can place that on me.
Well, I think that my growthedge, or the edge we were
talking about, is both like acombination of both of what you
talked about and your story,kelly, is like.
Just the other day I journaledand I was like talking to God in
(15:50):
my journal and I'm like like Ijust I'll just hit those moments
where I just I want to likethrow in the towel and just turn
the other way and just, and Idon't really, but it's like,
it's like this part of me thatdoes right, it's not the whole
of me.
And like what I heard backwas's like it's like this part
of me that does right, it's notthe whole of me.
And like what I heard back wasjust like it's just getting good
(16:13):
, Like don't stop.
And it's exactly what you weresaying, and I think this last
year has been so much like faithto just show up and not have it
all figured out and not knowthe next step until I know the
next step.
And I just have had to be soconsistent to your word, aaron,
of just showing up and trustingthat the next step will get
(16:34):
revealed.
And like things haven't turnedout like I thought they would,
the new year hasn't exactlystarted like I thought it would,
and there is.
It's just like I know that Ijust have to keep stepping.
And then the other edge is theleadership piece.
Like that's I think I've so forso many years like wanted
(16:59):
permission and approval and likego do this, carla, and like I
just need to do that for myself.
I need to double down on that,and that's what this year is all
about is just doubling down onthe vision that's been in my
heart forever.
You guys like talk about thethrough line in our lives and
our businesses like it's neverchanged, and so, yes, I can
(17:21):
totally relate to both and thegetting out of the way so that
other people can support andcontribute and play in this
arena that we are creating.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Two little things came to mind as you were just
sharing that in my own likesometimes wanting to walk away,
like I remember when I waspretty new and every once in a
while I get frustrated like howam I going to find the next
client, and I would go look atIndeed, at a job posting and be
like nope, I am unemployable nowthe no is clear.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Oh, me too yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
And then the other thing would be like, you know,
as it grew, sometimes I'm like Icould just have a little book
of business and be doing itmyself and be you know, and then
and that's not really what Iwant and how I want to serve,
you know, my clients, or youknow I love having this team,
but it's like you have to havethose reality checks once in a
while to be like, no, that'sjust the frustration or the you
(18:18):
know that whatever is coming upin that moment, that feeling you
have.
But sometimes a little kick inthe butt reminder doesn't hurt
either.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
A little bad indeed posting.
I feel like it's the tensionbetween taking control and
taking action and like allowingand letting and, you know,
releasing control, and that'sjust kind of like the I don't
know the purpose of our lives,like how much can we, you know,
dig in and take control of whatwe're doing and where we're
going and the actions that wetake, and how much can we both
(18:54):
allow, like at the same time?
And for me, what comes up is youknow, I help my clients build a
brand and that is articulatedand it turns out it's in a
document and it becomes kind ofthis third party decision maker,
where you can help yourself getout of the emotional part of it
(19:15):
and decide I did these things,I said these things.
That's where I'm going to leanmy actions.
I know where I'm going.
I've decided that this is, thisis the path, the tack that I'm
taking, um, but you're incontrol to also allow that to
evolve.
It's not like a static thing,um, but it does create this.
(19:38):
When you don't maybe havecommunity or you haven't built a
team, it's a wonderful,wonderful, like third party that
goes no, my decision's beenmade, like I already know what
we're, what we're doing and I'mgoing to keep keep going, um so.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
That is so true.
I mean the accountability pieceand the like I I've been
practicing this year, likestarting my day with looking at
my vision and my goals for thisyear and then doing a little bit
of at my vision and my goalsfor this year and then doing a
little bit of writing, and thatis so powerful for me to
remember what I've declared andwhat I'm up to, like it's not.
I'm such a feeling based personthat my I have to really watch
(20:18):
my feelings because they can beall over the place, and that
vision and those goals are what,like help me align and stay
consistent every day.
What is it for for you guys?
What does that look like?
Speaker 3 (20:35):
um, um, I have to do like all three things for me.
I have to like I have to moveand I have to like allow like
none of the like thought part tobe there.
I have to like create space,Like Kelly and I actually talk
(20:56):
about this a lot like kind ofthe creativity part.
I'm not necessarily doing likean like a artistic, creative
part, but I'm I'm getting at thelike the release of the maybe
the more linear or logical orlike ruminating on thought part
by moving.
Um, that's kind of a newerthing for me.
(21:22):
Um, I have to do that every dayor my mind gets really
cluttered.
Um, and I have to feed myspirit, Um, and for me,
specifically, that you know,prayer and um, with all my
exposure and relationship withCarla, like I'm doing so much
more writing with Carla, likeI'm doing so much more writing
(21:43):
Um, and that's just like justmakes so much of a difference.
I watched this like I don't knowif I don't know what you call
it, like a reel or something,with Mel Robbins and she was
interviewing I don't know someimportant doctor and they were
talking about like therealization of your goals and
achievement and such and um, hetalked about these very simple,
like you need to use your senses, you need to write it, you need
(22:05):
to say it out loud, you need todo that consistently.
You could get creative with it.
But it was all these likeroutine acts, both physical and
mental, like visualizing,meditating on it, that helped
something come to fruition.
That helped something come tofruition, and so for me that
(22:26):
looks like I'm absolutelythinking and planning and, but
in a physical way I'm, I'mwriting things out and I'm
moving, so that I can kind ofdetach and let my mind both rest
and make its own connections.
So I don't know if that totallyanswered the question, but that
what it came up for me yeahthat's so good.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
I'm so glad you guys both shared this first, because
I'm like what do I do?
But I know what you really do Ido.
I have a lot of things in place.
So it took a little bit of likeum, hearing you reflect that.
That helped me recognize thethings I do.
Like I have my income trackerthat's you guys know about that.
Where it's got, I can color itin and I can make it.
(23:07):
There's something about um, theenvironment for me, like having
that pretty environment andhaving like a pretty piece of
paper, like even though I'm solinear in what I do, like that
piece is just so critical for me, like that piece is just so
critical for me.
So I have a lot of practiceslike that.
I have my daily kind of to-dotype thing.
(23:31):
But there's even in thatthere's some opportunity.
Like I have little icons I drawin every day and just certain
things that kind of help metouch that more creative side.
But when I think back, like atthe different stages of my
business, there's always been adecision, sometimes also with a
vision, mission, purpose kind ofupdate, and there's some.
There's some choices we'remaking now or like some work I'm
(23:51):
doing where we're planning intothe future and we're kind of at
a, a choice point where we cango one direction and keep the
bit like the, the future visionof the firm, looking kind of
like mom and pop, just kind ofus running this until we maybe
sell it eventually, or a muchdifferent vision for it.
And I didn't even realize I wasup against that until I was
working with somebody yesterdayand that came up.
(24:13):
And so I think we we encounterthose points where we have to
make choices and decisions andthen it's how do we stay present
to them after that?
So those other pieces of thevisiting it daily or having your
goal list or having my trackers, those are all ways that we
stay present to that decision.
And I, what I'm recognizingright like live in this moment,
(24:36):
is that I've habitualized somany of them that I don't that
they are just my true practiceat this point.
There's others I want, there'sother things I want to bring in,
but I'm going to celebrate thatin this moment that those it's
just what I do, so I don't evenrecognize it, as you know, it's
just part of the habits, yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
Yeah, I love that too .
I'm going to celebrate it.
I do want to say last year westarted one.
It's a CEO scorecard and myhusband works in the business
with me, as you guys both know,and for a while it was just me
kind of creating it and keepingit up.
And then he took over on that afew months ago and we didn't
keep up with it in Januarybecause we were in 1099 land and
(25:23):
it was just so busy and yearend.
And we got back to it this weekand I recognize what a
difference maker that process isand we measure certain
marketing things on there, wemeasure revenue goals on there,
we measure things with the teamon there, and so having kind of
whatever you want to call it, ascorecard or a dashboard or I
(25:43):
don't care what some type oftracker I think can be important
too, so that you're it takesthe feelings out of that too,
like it allows you to kind ofcheck in and get a different
perspective than just what it'sa structure for like revisiting
those things, especially ifyou're doing it with someone
else, like that is so incrediblyhelpful for me.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Yeah, yeah, me too.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Because, if it's just on my calendar and I'm just
showing up.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
I don't always show up.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Right.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
You know, yeah, so powerful, yeah, so some.
A question came up, like whenyou were talking about vision is
one thing that I like and Iimagine you guys are this way
too that, like I am naturallyout like 10, 20, 50 steps in the
(26:31):
future, like imagining thingsand seeing where things are
headed.
But it's a constant, I guess,practice or tension of like
being out there and being backhere I think you said something
like that, erin, but it's likestaying in the present moment
and what we're doing today andalso sort of knowing where
(26:53):
things are headed and graduallysteering the ship in that
direction.
Do you experience that?
What does that look like inyour life and business?
Speaker 3 (27:09):
I have kind of overarching life goals that my
business is a vehicle for andthat it encompasses everything.
I think I'm a really like kindof holistic thinker.
I'm never just in my business.
My business is, like I said,it's really a vehicle for, for
(27:32):
other things.
I think it's a vehicle formoney, I think it's a vehicle
for time freedom.
Um, it's a vehicle to be mybest self for my children and my
husband, and so my goals alwaysencompass all of it.
I can't separate them.
(27:53):
I guess my actions though thatlead there is where the
separating kind of comes for me,and maybe that is normal or
everyone looks at it that way.
But I my daily, weekly, monthlyactivities are I'm sometimes I
probably spend too much timethere and can get bogged down in
(28:14):
the minutiae of that, but thoseroutine things are.
I spend a lot of time likemaking sure that I'm kind of
making the tweaks that get tothat place.
But it's from a daily, a weekly, a monthly and quarterly um
adjustments I guess, um alongthe way.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
So good.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
That's a good question.
Um, we'll just see where I gowith this, because I have a
couple thoughts bubbling up butI don't really know that they're
going to be cohesive.
So I'm, um, we'll see how thisgoes.
But, um, I feel like I'vealways been a daydreamer, like
I'm always like living in somevision and it's very easy for me
to access that.
Or there might be somethingthat's sometimes a little
(29:03):
judgment coming in this.
Sometimes it's in um for me toaccess that, or there might be
something that's a littlejudgment coming in.
Sometimes it's in, like, if I'mexperiencing, so let's say, I
go to a place, I'm getting aservice of some kind and like
the service isn't what I thinkit should be, or I see an
opportunity.
It's so funny how the daydreamI can create that I've recreated
that whole business like inthat moment and I walk around
life kind of thinking that way,which is kind of funny.
(29:23):
But for my own I I thinksometimes I don't always connect
them.
Um, and this is the part I wantto talk about, something that
shifted last year, but like evenjust that conversation this
week of like some decisions I'mtrying to make and I wasn't able
to make it and it's because Ihaven't decided the the decision
today I couldn't make because Iwasn't able to make it.
And it's because I haven'tdecided the decision today I
(29:44):
couldn't make because I haven'tmade that decision about where I
really want our future to go inthis pivot point.
So that's an opportunity whereI think I've got my vision down.
But, like, this is veryspecific to the business and
what decisions we make now thatare going to get us to where we
want to be.
So to get us to where we wantto be, so we need to decide
(30:04):
where we want to be.
So I'm very much in real timeexperiencing that this week.
Where I didn't have thatperspective, on the other hand,
I started along with the CEO ofScorecard last year.
I started doing the quarterlyplanning and I've been really
resistant to taking the amountof time you need when you're
really doing that type of work,like I tend to be, like get the
(30:28):
work, get the.
You know just working on thework and you really, as a CEO in
your business, you have to takethat time to get out of the
work, make the plan, and whenI'm doing the quarterly planning
, it starts with a visionprocess.
So, and when I'm doing thequarterly planning.
It starts with a vision process, so that's helped me a lot to
get more in touch with thatquarterly.
(30:49):
I don't know why this thing haspopped up.
I don't know Like I reallycouldn't even tell you why this
popped up this week, except Ithink we got we hit some goals
faster than we expected to andso some decisions are coming up
faster and I haven't done myquarterly plan for what I
thought I'd be making thisdecision.
So I feel like that's helped mea lot and it's, you know,
(31:09):
probably a six hour process on aFriday every quarter.
I'm trying to bring that moreinto monthly and weekly and
daily planning.
I do it a little bit, but it'smore in the abstract than it is
in like a real process.
So that'll be what I'm workingon this year, but I don't know.
So I don't know if thatanswered it, but I've got pieces
of it.
But I think every once in awhile, like that, bigger vision
(31:30):
can change, and I don't.
I think things changed fasterthan I was caught up with it and
so I have to have someconversations and do a little
work around that to in order tomake my next decisions and make
my next plan.
Does that make any sense?
Speaker 1 (31:45):
Yeah, totally yeah.
Is is your quarterly planning.
Is that a solo process orsomething you?
Speaker 2 (31:52):
bring your team into, oh I don't bring my team, it's
me and another group of otherpeople.
That's a good thought, though Ilike that idea of bringing the
team into it more, or at least afew people.
I discuss it after becausethere's projects that come out
of it, but I haven't reallybrought them into the planning.
(32:16):
But we do.
Sometimes the project is thento make the plan so like.
It's more of a like.
I know this is a system I wantto fix for next time.
So I've got that as a project.
But the first step in thatproject is the team working on
that together, like an offsitetype thing.
We did that a lot last year tomove big projects through where
they wouldn't have happened.
(32:37):
But that's a good thought.
There's an opportunity therethat they could come into that.
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
I love that.
I think what comes up for methere is that and maybe this is
some judgment on myself, likeyou kind of mentioned.
But I think sometimes maybe myvision is could be so far out
and so maybe big that it's notmaybe distinct or defined enough
.
I'm very good at the daily,weekly, monthly, like quarterly,
(33:13):
like this is what I'm gonna do,um, but it's almost like you
know, kind of as we're havingthis conversation, there's a,
the disconnect might be too far,Um, and something in there
might be like you know well, youknow I can.
If I don't achieve it um, thenit w it was too far anyway,
Right, Um.
And so while I can be good atthe consistent um and the
(33:38):
showing up um, if I can refinethat vision or bring it a little
bit closer, I can maybe keepmyself a little bit more
accountable.
So just a little bit likehonestly.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
I think that's a huge piece of it for me and I don't
know that you're going there,but I always go here for part of
it for me is getting real withmy numbers, and even though I'm
a numbers person and I do it allthe time, there was like a
little bit of magical thinkinggoing on, and since I've gotten
more real with that and leavingroom for magical thinking,
because I really like magicalthinking.
(34:14):
But in getting a little morereal, it makes it so that I can
actually hit them instead of itbeing abstract and too big and
too far out in the future.
So I think you're landing on animportant piece right now.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
Yeah, speaking of that, kelly, like are there any
um from your line of work likethings that are bubbling up this
year is important that weshould be paying attention to
when it comes to money.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
How many more hours do we have?
And actually, even then, whoknows?
There's a lot bubbling up,Carla, but I don't know how much
of that you want me to sharehere.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Maybe just a few highlights we can be thinking
about.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Yeah, I think, as business owners, I think the
most important thing, because Ithink there's a lot of unknown
right now and there's a lot ofpossibility to go into fear and
I know that, no matter what,that fear won't serve us.
So that's not where we need togo.
What we need to focus on isconnection, service, rapport,
(35:20):
community and doing our bestwork, you know, and staying out
of the fear and the what canhappen and like just focusing on
what we do, what we do well,build connections, stay in touch
with people, make sure youunderstand what they want and
need.
That's going to be the answer,you know, to work our way
through it there's a lot ofthings out of our control and so
(35:43):
we can't try to control them.
We can control the things wecan control and that's a big
part of it the connection, thecommunity, the services we're
providing.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
Yeah, okay, anything from your clients, aaron, like
from your perspective of brandand marketing that feels extra
important this year.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Um, well, I think, just echoing what, um, what
Kelly's saying, and decidingwhat your modes of doing those
are like what is the path, whatis the action, the tactic, the
strategy that you're taking tomake that connection to be more
visible, so that somebody isaware of you?
Um, uh, deciding what those twoto three things are and just
(36:32):
doubling down, um, cause I thinkthere are a lot of unknowns and
there I don't you know, knowwhat?
I don't care what's happening.
There's unknowns and so, um, uh, I think that you can always
win with relationship and, um,you can, what find your ways to
do that best.
(36:53):
Um, I think personal,one-to-one outreach is such an
incredible way to makeconnections and I think we use
these bigger platforms, whetherit's an email newsletter or
social media or even going to alocal event or doing group
(37:13):
coaching.
These are group kind of wideraudience spreads.
These are group kind of wideraudience spreads.
And there is, I think this isthe time to keep that one-to-one
outreach and connection,whether it's a DM, whether it's
an old school phone call,whether it's a text message,
whether it's a direct email.
I've recently been working witha client who has a retail
(37:36):
business and we kind of testedout like how can we move from?
Everything she does is on anaudience basis, and I think
that's true for a lot of us, andin the retail space it's even
more maybe bizarre to think of aone-to-one action.
And so we started working onone-to-one DMs, one-to-one email
(37:57):
outreaches, and she hadwonderful traction, wonderful
sales increases, and it was someof it, I think, was about that
unexpectedness and I think thatwe all can benefit from going.
How do I want to connect andbuild on that in a one-to-one,
like a real way, instead of anaudience basis?
(38:19):
I just had somebody reach outto me, um, at a DM, and again
somebody I've never met inperson, um on on social media
and asked me if she wouldn'thave asked me and she just made
a post about it and saidsomething was an opportunity.
I probably wouldn't havethought twice about it, um,
because there was a personaloutreach, like we're going to
talk, and I think that thatpersonal outreach is maybe more
(38:47):
important now than ever.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
I love that so much.
I think yesterday I just feltlike a nudge to like reach out
to a past client.
Like she just came to mind andI thought I'm just going to send
her a little text and we haddone some really important work
around her elderly father and Isent her a text and just said,
like how are you and how is yourdad?
(39:12):
And she sent a text back likehe had passed like last week,
and I was just so glad that Ilistened to that nudge to like
touch base with her right thenyou know, like so there's I
think there's so much to whatyou're saying.
Like it's so easy for me to getcaught up in like oh, I should
be doing that or this or that,and the one to ones are always
(39:33):
the most impactful.
I had a lady talking.
We were talking about like theway all three of us got
connected, and there was a ladythat reached out to me I think
it was like last year, maybe theyear before, and she did, she
did a video email and she likehad clearly listened to the
podcast and like shared exactlylike what she would love to talk
(39:59):
about and how it fit, and itwas so personal, you guys, and
now she's come on like twiceI've been on her to speak to her
audience Like we are building arelationship too, and it's all
because of that personal reachout that you talk about.
So I think I want to justhighlight, like always, trust
the nudge to.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
Like you know, Carla, we don't mean to make this long
.
I think we've shared on thepodcast before.
But, like Carla and I metbecause we were both on a call,
I said something that she wantedto learn more about and then
she was like I want to connectwith that person.
And then we got connected afterand I mean, here we are and.
(40:43):
I mean, here we are.
So going on seven years later,like you know, over six years
later, and you know, and shejust she trusted that like gut
reaction and spoke up and madethe connection and then it went
from there and I think you knowthat that's I always hear when
people are like somebody poppedinto my head and I just
connected with them and it'salways because that was they
were meant to.
You know, and always trust thatnudge and take action on it.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
So true, so true.
So I'm curious.
I want to hear a little bitabout, like family, marriage,
parenting, like business, likehow does this all integrate with
your business right now?
Like what season are you in?
What does that look like?
Like I I'm just curious Cause Iknow it's such an important
(41:27):
part of all of our lives.
And, like Kelly, your husbandis integrated in your business,
my husband is integrated in mybusiness.
I'm not sure about you, aaron,but like yeah, I want to hear
about that part.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
My husband and I are um 100% opposite, um personality
types, and so actually thatcould be like a really good mix
in our business or in mybusiness, um uh, and he's got a
lot of education and brand andmarketing and um culture
building.
Um, he's phenomenal, but hedoes not work in my business.
(42:01):
Um, I'm going to call you out.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
He doesn't work in your business, but he has like
read through your course andgiven you feedback and stuff, so
there are ways that he has beenintegrated.
Speaker 3 (42:13):
Yeah, I, and you know he deserves um that credit too.
He has been not only reallysupportive of this transition
that I've made, so essentiallyjust for the readers at a fist,
like I'm doing the exact samework that I've always done.
I'm just focusing, kind ofhoned in on a specific audience.
So I'm very interested inhelping women be able to realize
(42:37):
what it is that they want torealize in their life through
their business and helping thembuild brands and so that they
can market those well and umfeel good about it and have it
be in alignment with their life.
That's that's where my heart is, um now, and so, anyways, he's
been really supportive of thattransition.
Um, and he's been right therealongside of me.
(42:57):
You know, reading my materialsfrom that outside perspective
and making sure that the thingsthat I'm creating and the ways
that I'm talking about themaren't too small, I guess is the
only way I can say it's notjust only from my head and what
I think people need.
(43:17):
But you know how, where doesthis land?
And and actually that personalconnection component, going
backwards a little bit, thatreally by reaching out
personally, you really learn andhear what people need and where
they're at and what servicesactually will meet them where
they're at.
Because I think we can all gothis is my zone of genius, or
(43:39):
this is what I'm good at, orthis is what I feel confident in
.
But it may not match up exactlyand for me, that work in what
your brand is really hones inwhat those services are, and
it's it's a mutual thing.
I just had a conversation withsomebody over coffee yesterday
and she's growing a business.
That initial place, I think,can really come from what am I
(44:03):
good at, and while that isabsolutely valuable and it
really needs to be part of thesauce, that second part is and
what is needed and how do they,how, how does that person I want
to serve, how are they going toreceive it?
And so it's aligning those twothings up.
Not just this is what I'm goodat, so Chad's been very good at
(44:23):
helping me with that and I'mtotally like lost train of what
am I?
What am I talking about?
Really helpful Family andmarriage.
Yeah, and I think so forsomebody who I would say I'm not
the best at boundaries in a lotof ways, but when it comes to
work and home, and home I'llcall it like kids and husband
(44:44):
and family relationships I havevery strong boundaries on my
work day and when that beginsand ends, and um, I kind of turn
that off and, um, you know,focus on, you know, my kids and
my relationship with my husbandand we um help with his parents
(45:05):
and um, so I am not a goodmultitasker and so, somewhat
forced like I, just I have toturn one thing off so that I can
be present and address theother.
So, um, I guess that kind ofboundary business hours is like
a really big thing for me.
Um, business hours, I'mbusiness, and then when that's
(45:27):
over, then I, I shift gears.
Speaker 2 (45:32):
Love that.
Yeah, it's kind of aninteresting evolution for me.
Um, I'm not as well boundariedwith my time as Aaron, is that's
for sure, but it's funnybecause, like it does, because
Justin's here, it's interestingto see how that navigates into
our life too, and I think we do.
(45:53):
So he and I worked together.
We met at work, then we workedat different places, places and
then we had a little businesstogether.
We used to have this um, like aflipping bit, like furniture
and antiques and stuff.
We had this flipping business,um, which was very fun and
although I was like, like wantedto build because I'm just built
(46:15):
this way I wanted to build itin a big thing.
He's like remember, when thiswas just fun and we went to, we
sold a couple things, everythingto way, I wanted to build it in
a big thing.
He's like, remember, when thiswas just fun and we went to it,
we sold a couple things.
Everything to me is like how tobuild it and be this big
business, but we had fun with it.
But we navigated things a fewtimes and we know that that
works for us.
Like this was not like a bigguess when we were working
towards him coming into thebusiness.
(46:36):
We knew how that relationshipworked and so we moved pretty
effortlessly into that.
Every once in a while, you know, there'll be a little like
something we have to workthrough.
That's extra because of that.
But I think that's just like wewould if you were working with
any coworker, you know.
So we navigate that very well,but we also know it's a formula
that works for us.
(46:57):
But I was thinking about, likethe transitions we've been in.
I mean my business.
We've hit seven years in thisform.
I had a we'll just say hitseven years, and a lot of that
was because of Lily.
Like that was the catalyst.
She was the catalyst for for mekind of making the decision to
to do this, and I was working atanother small business.
(47:18):
I love small business, that'sfor sure, but it was an odd
hours and there and I wasworking at another small
business I love small business,that's for sure, but it was an
odd hours and there were times Iwas getting home and kissing
her Good night and that that waslike I just couldn't keep doing
that.
I knew I didn't like that andso she was a big catalyst for
this.
And then she's grown up as thebusiness.
She's 12 now and so she's grownup as the business has been
created and there's been up asthe business.
(47:39):
She's 12 now and so she's grownup as the business has been
created and there's been timeswhere the business was 100% in
our home.
And the last several yearswe've had I've had an office too
, and she likes to come hang outat the office.
She says it has a goodaesthetic and that she likes to
do her homework here, so shecomes and hangs out with me here
so it's like totally.
Speaker 1 (47:55):
I love it, but it's like totally she also digs, like
she tries to find all thesnacks we have in the office and
raise the snacks.
Speaker 2 (48:04):
We have a very good like.
It's very much integrated inour lives and I love that and I
feel like we we have it balanced, not necessarily always from a
time perspective, but from arelationship perspective.
It's very well balanced and itdoesn't overtake all the
relationships and I love that.
She's kind of growing up in itand kind of seeing how that
(48:24):
forms things for her, like shedid.
I don't know if this is good orbad, but she made a comment
yesterday.
We were talking about collegeand different things.
She was just asking thesequestions and something came up.
I don't even know how we gotthere, but she said oh I, I
really don't have to worry aboutit.
If I don't find anything, I canjust get a job with you.
I think I need to process it,but of course she could you know
(48:47):
, I never she really for a longtime was saying that she never
wanted to do an account, be anaccountant or do any of that,
and I don't necessarily have avision for her doing that, but
she, I think in some times inher mind it's like she has that
thought that that might be whatshe does.
So it'll be very interesting tosee how that plays out.
But I love that.
I guess it's super integrated.
(49:07):
We balance it well.
We take our time off, we havefun, we play um.
I would like to do more of thatthis year.
That's really my theme for thisyear, um but it's it's
integrated, for sure.
Speaker 1 (49:21):
Yeah, yeah, I mean you said it's been an evolution
like, oh my gosh, like I startedmy first business in 2002, when
my oldest son was born, and soit's just been part of their
life always and it's been in somany different iterations of,
(49:42):
like you know, having officehours and not having office
hours, and today it looks likejust one big blend because
Quentin's so integrated and heoh my gosh shout out to our
husbands right like he's justheard all the things for all the
years.
I mean that's why thesefriendships like with you guys
(50:05):
are so important, because therewas a time where I realized,
like whoa, he's hearing way toomuch of my stuff.
Speaker 2 (50:13):
But, today.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
Like the evolution of that is that like I genuinely
feel like he now loves to talkabout it and it's so integrated
with how we live life and whatwe teach and how we do our own
life and marriage that it's justliterally all one big, big, big
piece and I don't have reallyboundaries around work hours
(50:37):
anymore.
It's all like I sort of followmy energy more now, but I
definitely have like very strongintentions and commitments
around making sure that like mybrain rests and turns off and
like learning to do that's beena huge thing, and that I have
time for my marriage and time tohave fun.
And if Shane walks in my officeduring the day, if it all
(51:01):
possible, I can stop everything.
Or he wants to go to thegrocery store.
Like those are my priorities,like I don't know how long he's
gonna be here, you know.
So, yeah, it's been anevolution for sure.
Ladies, this has been so rich.
I love you girl.
Speaker 2 (51:20):
How does that time go by so fast?
I?
Speaker 3 (51:22):
know, I feel like we just started.
Speaker 1 (51:25):
I know I do too.
So before we close, share alittle bit about something about
I don't know.
I will introduce you both havebeen on the potty house before
and I will make sure I shareabout what you do when we start,
so you don't have to do that.
But is there anything in yourbusiness you'd like to share or
(51:47):
something you're up to, or justanything in closing that you
didn't get to say, that you'rewanting to say.
Speaker 3 (52:08):
I have a weekly newsletter and I love that.
I love that space.
That's where a lot of personalconnection happens for me.
I communicate with a lot of mypeople that way.
So anybody listening that wantsmore connection, um, sign up
for my newsletter.
Speaker 1 (52:23):
Um and through that you can find us.
Speaker 3 (52:25):
Oh, thank you.
I love writing it.
It is like it's it's both umbusiness and passion project at
the same time.
I um writing is just somethingI've always loved doing and so,
yeah, I love it Every week.
Every week I'm, I'm there, yeah, and through that you can see
(52:48):
my services and I have a course,and then I have some done for
you options, and I love what Ido.
Speaker 1 (52:58):
It's clear that was kind of an awkward transition,
you guys.
But I just want to make surethat people know about what all
the amazing work that you'redoing, because that's the whole
goal, like we're all on islandsdoing this thing by ourself, and
I want to amplify what you'redoing, and so sorry about the
awkward transition.
Speaker 3 (53:16):
That's okay.
I was like um transition,that's okay.
Speaker 2 (53:25):
I was like um, I'm going to continue the awkward
transition and just say that, um, I too love Aaron's newsletter
and my newsletter wouldn't existwithout hers, cause she helps
me with mine.
So I'm very grateful for her.
Um, but I just kind of want toput like an exclamation mark on
the things that came up aboutconnection.
We didn't say the wordauthenticity, but I know that's
an important one for all of us.
And but just meaning be real,like there's no highlight reel
(53:47):
here, we're all very real in, um, in our lives and what we share
and with each other, and, um, Ithink that's really a key piece
of it and you know I'm I'm sograteful for the relationships.
Like it's the the thing that Ithink there was a little part of
me that hoped for it, cause Iknew I wanted to work with
people I loved and cared aboutand that were doing things I
(54:08):
cared about.
That was intentional.
But I mean I get to end callswith love using bone kisses and
you know like who.
I never dreamt that and it's soimportant to me to have that.
And so you know we've, we'vecreated this community one
relationship at a time, and soif anybody else is out there
(54:28):
listening and they're anentrepreneur and doesn't have
that like find your people,don't?
There's no need to be in abubble.
There's lots of ways to findyour people and reach out.
Put that time into it and reachout.
Speaker 3 (54:39):
Yeah, and reach out, send an email, make the text,
make the DM do it.
Speaker 1 (54:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (54:45):
Do it.
Speaker 1 (54:45):
Yeah, follow the nudge, follow the nudge.
Well, and I think, just inclosing, it just feels like I
don't know what I'm left with islike entrepreneurship,
motherhood, marriage, all of itis a journey and you can just
see like I just feel our youknow unfolding in our evolution.
Still, you know, even afterbeing years into this, it's just
(55:06):
, it's it's so full of so manyrich things and thank you so
much for coming and trying thisand doing something new, and I
just appreciate both of you somuch and I hope this was really
valuable for you listening, andI just hope we all you all have
a really, really amazing day.
(55:26):
So thanks for being here,ladies.
Speaker 3 (55:29):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (55:34):
Thank you for tuning in to this episode of
Differently.
It's been an honor to sharethis conversation with you.
You know, one of the keys toliving fully is to take action
when you're inspired to do so.
I hope you found that spark ofinspiration today and would you
help us spread the word.
Did someone you know come tomind while you were listening?
(55:55):
If this episode could impactsomeone you know, please share
it and pass it along.
New episodes drop weekly, sotap that subscribe button and
join us next time as we continueto challenge the status quo and
get equipped to live lifedifferently.
I'm Carla Reeves, and this is Differently.
Whether you feel stuck insurvival, navigating a change,
or seeking more for your life,may this podcast be your weekly
nudge to take a risk to build alife that is uniquely bold,
authentic and in alignment withyour deepest values.
What if you worried less aboutthe bumps in the road and
(00:23):
instead got equipped for thejourney?
Get ready to rethink what'spossible.
You are in for a treat today.
I've invited two of my friendsand business colleagues to join
me for a coffee and conversationabout all the things
entrepreneurship, finding ourgrowth edges, motherhood, vision
planning, being a leader and somuch more.
(00:46):
I hope you enjoy this as muchas we did.
Just real, honest connectionand conversation about things
that matter to us and, I believe, matter to you too.
May this inspire and stir yourheart and mind.
Meet Kelly.
So, if you've been listening awhile, kelly has been on the
podcast a number of times andI'll link all the episodes in
(01:08):
the show notes.
She's the founder of TerraCareFinancial.
She helps consciousentrepreneurs take charge of
their finances, ease their moneyworries and grow healthy and
profitable businesses.
And I want you to meet Erin.
She has actually been on theshow too, and I'll link that
episode in the show notes.
She's the founder of MatchboxWomen, the Matchbox Newsletter
(01:29):
and the True you Brand Method,and she's passionate about
helping female entrepreneursbuild brands that feel authentic
and help grow their businesssustainably.
This conversation today isbehind the scenes and, don't be
alarmed.
I hit record right when westarted talking, so there's no
professional transition here.
(01:50):
Grab a cup of coffee and a seat, enjoy, because because Aaron
and I have already been talkingand I'm like, oh, I should have
already hit record.
So have you and Kelly met inperson?
No, no, no, that's the best.
And Kelly and I haven't met inperson either no, and we've been
(02:12):
working together since what?
Speaker 2 (02:14):
2018?
Speaker 3 (02:16):
oh, wow, yes, well then, I feel so honored to feel
so connected to you guys and ourconnection is so much younger.
But I just feel like you're mybosom friends.
I just love that's what I wassaying about technology.
I feel like it's a take back oftechnology, where everyone
thinks that technology is, youknow, more divisive or
(02:39):
distracting, um, but I thinkthis is such a cool example of
like how opposite it it can be,that's so true.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Yeah, and not to not to jump ahead of, like, what we
want to talk about.
But that's one thing with, like, if we talk about motherhood in
business, like I don't want tobe at a happy hour after hours,
I don't want to be at a happyhour after hours, I don't want
to be, you know, getting up atseven, 30 in the morning to go
to a BNI meeting and to havethat connection.
And you need that connection asan entrepreneur.
(03:13):
But I get it all day long withmy clients and you know and my
team and things.
But my clients it's like somuch of this connection is so
real and it's all beenelectronic.
Yeah, it's.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I could not agree more.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
And then you can finish your work day and like,
go be with your family and likeyou've, you've filled a lot of
those other places of friendshipand business and growth and
learning, and yeah, it's prettyamazing.
Well, we're just so.
(03:50):
This is, this is what we'redoing.
We're changing things up todayon the podcast and I have
invited two dear friends to justcome and have coffee and
conversation and, um, there isno agenda other than, like,
motherhood and entrepreneurshipand family and goals and dreams
and whatever is on your heart.
So that's what we're doingtoday and I, even though it's
(04:14):
I'm the host of this podcast.
Like I want you guys to imagineyou're the host today too, like
it's just an interactiveconversation and we just get to
talk about whatever is kind ofbubbling up in our lives right
now.
Love it, yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
I have one right off the bat.
That's kind of spurred bysomething you just said.
Where you're talking about,where we fill a lot of the I
don't.
You didn't say buckets, but Iuse buckets for everything but
like you were saying how we geta lot of those needs met during
the day.
And then one of them youmentioned was learning, and I
that has been one of the bestthings that's come out of
(04:53):
entrepreneurship for me, that Idon't even I didn't know going
in, that that was something likehow much of a lifelong learner
I am and that that is sofulfilled through this Cause.
Every day is something new.
I'm learning as a businessowner, as somebody who, if I'm
not interested in something, canpivot and go do something else
and like um and or learnsomething else or change
(05:15):
something or go deeper withsomething.
So the the learning piece ofthis has become my favorite part
, like that personal developmentthrough professional
development kind of thing.
And so when you said that, I'mlike, oh, I want to make sure we
talk about that because that'ssuper important for me, I
(05:35):
imagine it is for you both aswell.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
I don't know how it like couldn't be, I mean because
you're kind of forced to do itregardless.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, as an entrepreneur right, whether it's
learning how to do somethingthat you didn't know how to do,
that you know can feel sodaunting before you start, or
bumping up against somethingthat is a limit in you and
you've got to work through it,or you're not going to get past
it and like that piece of thedevelopment.
Yeah, there's a lot ofdifferent components to it.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Yeah.
So I feel like the idea of likeclassroom.
Like you know, you're allworking on a project and you all
have different parts andeveryone's good at something
different or slightly differentthan you are, and you can just
kind of nudge each other asyou're working, like oh hey, how
do you do that?
Or like who do you know thatdoes that well?
And I think we've all eitherlearned about each other's work
(06:31):
and gleaned another expert, orwe directly shared an expert
with one another or just sharedour insight.
And it's like we're all kind ofworking together in this
virtual classroom and you know,doing our purpose, and but we're
like alongside each other andlearning from each other.
(06:51):
And I like that kind of likethe school day or the business
hours where we're getting to dothis.
It doesn't have to be long, itdoesn't have to be an hour long
podcast conversation, but it'sthat like connection and we can
just keep learning on the flyfrom each other and go deeper
when it makes sense.
And I couldn't agree more.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
I just I'm laughing a little bit, cause I imagine,
like whenever we're on a call asthis group I've been with you
in other groups where this hashappened and a book comes up and
like everybody's like what wasit?
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Well you know what is it you?
Speaker 2 (07:26):
can see people.
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Why is it?
Why are we so like, needy ofthat?
It's like we don't want to missout.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
It must've been a good one.
It came up.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Hey, you know what I'll take FOMO on a book any day
, like something else, and Ijust have.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
I always have a stack of books Like it's never, I'm
just reading one book, I'mreading like three or five and I
I've tried to change that, butit's just the way I do it and
it's just the way it is.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
I could not agree more.
I I'm always like I need tolike start something and finish
it.
I'm like, why, like, whose ruleam I following?
Like I like to do that.
I enjoy it.
Like when I feel like, oh, youknow what, that's the genre I'm
looking for.
Like I'll pick it up and Itypically finish them all, just
maybe not in the timeframe orthe style.
(08:22):
I'm like who cares?
Like who says I have to read it?
Like that.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
I can read them in order or not.
And then every now and again doyou just like devour a book,
Like as fast as you can.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
So funny Okay.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
So I have a question based on.
What Kelly was talking about islike what's the?
What's the hardest or edgiestthing that you're having to
learn right now, right now.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
I, I have one that's kind of been throughout my
business, but I do have a rightnow.
So I'm debating, I'm going to,I can go with.
My right now is really myleadership, and that's very
present to me this year of likeI'm working on getting out of
the way so that the team theincredible team that I have can
(09:22):
support the business more, sothat we can keep growing and to
match the vision I have for us,but also for their own, all the
things that we love about it.
You know people, I have loveabout that too, and it gives
them that opportunity toexperience that too.
And so mine is about leadershipand it's an edge because I like
(09:43):
I'm very careful with thedelivery of the client services
and like there's a lot of thingsthat are very important to me
about this.
But the more I stay in the way,the less people get the impact
of what we do.
So finding that way to like letgo while still maintaining that
level of service that is arequirement for me, um is
(10:05):
challenging.
It's got an edge and I bumpinto it from time to time and
then we work on it.
Yeah, that's a big one.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Well, um, I, what comes up for me, and actually,
kelly and I have talked aboutthis recently and you and I, um,
carla, talked before we hitrecord.
Um, I am in a really differentseason of my business evolution.
I have been an entrepreneurpretty much my entire
(10:35):
professional career.
Um and uh, my first business,um, very successful from a
financial and client standpoint,very referral based.
I did not work hard to getclients or to grow.
I helped my clients grow, butit was not something that I had
(10:59):
to necessarily engage in for myown growth.
Two and a half years ago I justfelt the call in my heart to
shift where my business wasgoing, um, not a ton of clarity,
but it was just I don't know.
I had a gut feeling, a call inmy heart and I did it and um, so
I feel like the it's probablynot edgy or like sexy sounding
(11:22):
or anything but really leaninginto small, consistent action
and not giving up on thatconsistent action to to see the
long-term goal or um levelrealized is where I'm at.
Um and kind of along the linesof the conversation you and I
(11:43):
were having, kelly.
This not chasing the shinything but finding that thing,
that is, that base, foundationlevel, that, whether it's zone
of genius or just what you knowis good or know is right, really
(12:07):
allowing that to be, um, andbeing consistent there and not
chasing the shiny or not, um,learning something new and going
oh, maybe that's it, but justbeing really consistent, um, and
trusting that consistency iskind of you know, maybe for me
that edgy kind of thing and Ifeel like it goes for all of my
life.
At this age I need to beconsistent with the way I move
(12:29):
my body, how I eat, thesupplements that I take um, the
spiritual activities that I havein my, in my daily like I have
to be consistent in all of thosethings.
And I think before this age,like I could be more hit or miss
or, like you know, it was justdifferent, and now, like,
consistency is, yeah, that's thename of my, that's the name of
(12:54):
my game.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
So good I expand on that thought of like the not
chasing a shiny object.
And then, carla, I don't wantto lose that question because I
want to hear your answer to ittoo.
But I find this a lot, and thismay not be exactly what you're
referring to, aaron, so I'm notputting this on you at all, but
people can feel like something'snot working.
(13:18):
They've got a little successwith it, but it's not what they
had really envisioned, so it'snot working.
So it's like, okay, scrap thatand create something new.
And that happens a lot, a lot.
And what it?
What it really often is, is itit just hasn't caught yet.
(13:39):
Like there takes that time oflike people knowing you're out
there and building thatreputation and the word of mouth
to get out, and so for peopleto have results from what you've
done, and then they're kind ofa walking testimonial.
Like all that takes time, andI'm.
This story may not be particularto the listeners, but I'm going
to share it.
But there was, there was a guyI met.
It was over, it was about ayear and a quarter ago and he
(14:00):
actually ended up helping uswith some outsourced bookkeeping
.
But I knew this guy had it likehe was.
He was hit.
Everything you need, like you,easy to talk to, knew his stuff.
Um had his system set up, likehe, he was ready to just blow up
and he was at this timeline inhis business that I just I
(14:21):
remember being at in mine andI'm like you just keep doing it,
keep doing it.
I was just like in his ear andI would.
We were just friends and he hadat in mine and I'm like you
just keep doing it, keep doingit, and I was just like in his
ear and I would.
We were just friends and he hadhelped me a little bit.
So we were just kind of talkingon Facebook Messenger.
I'm like, just do it, just doit.
I think it was two weeks ago.
I saw him post in the Facebookgroup looking for somebody to
subcontract for him, like he didfor me, because he was too busy
, and I was like, oh my God, andthat's like that.
(14:43):
Like sometimes I can even senseit, like somebody's just about
to get there.
It's like that that the cartoonthey show where the person's
digging for gold and they startwalking away and they're like
right there where the gold wasjust going to.
If they hit the wall a few moretimes they're gonna be at the
gold.
That's where he was.
And I can feel that sometimeswith my clients and or with
things I see, or this, thisfriend slash former contractor,
(15:09):
and that crushes me.
When people walk away too fastfrom that, I'm like you're right
there and I'm not always right,but I sometimes I have that
sense of it and it's just thatmoment where we want to give up,
when it's just about to work.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
I love that.
I'll take it.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
You can place that on me.
Well, I think that my growthedge, or the edge we were
talking about, is both like acombination of both of what you
talked about and your story,kelly, is like.
Just the other day I journaledand I was like talking to God in
(15:50):
my journal and I'm like like Ijust I'll just hit those moments
where I just I want to likethrow in the towel and just turn
the other way and just, and Idon't really, but it's like,
it's like this part of me thatdoes right, it's not the whole
of me.
And like what I heard backwas's like it's like this part
of me that does right, it's notthe whole of me.
And like what I heard back wasjust like it's just getting good
(16:13):
, Like don't stop.
And it's exactly what you weresaying, and I think this last
year has been so much like faithto just show up and not have it
all figured out and not knowthe next step until I know the
next step.
And I just have had to be soconsistent to your word, aaron,
of just showing up and trustingthat the next step will get
(16:34):
revealed.
And like things haven't turnedout like I thought they would,
the new year hasn't exactlystarted like I thought it would,
and there is.
It's just like I know that Ijust have to keep stepping.
And then the other edge is theleadership piece.
Like that's I think I've so forso many years like wanted
(16:59):
permission and approval and likego do this, carla, and like I
just need to do that for myself.
I need to double down on that,and that's what this year is all
about is just doubling down onthe vision that's been in my
heart forever.
You guys like talk about thethrough line in our lives and
our businesses like it's neverchanged, and so, yes, I can
(17:21):
totally relate to both and thegetting out of the way so that
other people can support andcontribute and play in this
arena that we are creating.
Speaker 2 (17:33):
Two little things came to mind as you were just
sharing that in my own likesometimes wanting to walk away,
like I remember when I waspretty new and every once in a
while I get frustrated like howam I going to find the next
client, and I would go look atIndeed, at a job posting and be
like nope, I am unemployable nowthe no is clear.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
Oh, me too yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
And then the other thing would be like, you know,
as it grew, sometimes I'm like Icould just have a little book
of business and be doing itmyself and be you know, and then
and that's not really what Iwant and how I want to serve,
you know, my clients, or youknow I love having this team,
but it's like you have to havethose reality checks once in a
while to be like, no, that'sjust the frustration or the you
(18:18):
know that whatever is coming upin that moment, that feeling you
have.
But sometimes a little kick inthe butt reminder doesn't hurt
either.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
A little bad indeed posting.
I feel like it's the tensionbetween taking control and
taking action and like allowingand letting and, you know,
releasing control, and that'sjust kind of like the I don't
know the purpose of our lives,like how much can we, you know,
dig in and take control of whatwe're doing and where we're
going and the actions that wetake, and how much can we both
(18:54):
allow, like at the same time?
And for me, what comes up is youknow, I help my clients build a
brand and that is articulatedand it turns out it's in a
document and it becomes kind ofthis third party decision maker,
where you can help yourself getout of the emotional part of it
(19:15):
and decide I did these things,I said these things.
That's where I'm going to leanmy actions.
I know where I'm going.
I've decided that this is, thisis the path, the tack that I'm
taking, um, but you're incontrol to also allow that to
evolve.
It's not like a static thing,um, but it does create this.
(19:38):
When you don't maybe havecommunity or you haven't built a
team, it's a wonderful,wonderful, like third party that
goes no, my decision's beenmade, like I already know what
we're, what we're doing and I'mgoing to keep keep going, um so.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
That is so true.
I mean the accountability pieceand the like I I've been
practicing this year, likestarting my day with looking at
my vision and my goals for thisyear and then doing a little bit
of at my vision and my goalsfor this year and then doing a
little bit of writing, and thatis so powerful for me to
remember what I've declared andwhat I'm up to, like it's not.
I'm such a feeling based personthat my I have to really watch
(20:18):
my feelings because they can beall over the place, and that
vision and those goals are what,like help me align and stay
consistent every day.
What is it for for you guys?
What does that look like?
Speaker 3 (20:35):
um, um, I have to do like all three things for me.
I have to like I have to moveand I have to like allow like
none of the like thought part tobe there.
I have to like create space,Like Kelly and I actually talk
(20:56):
about this a lot like kind ofthe creativity part.
I'm not necessarily doing likean like a artistic, creative
part, but I'm I'm getting at thelike the release of the maybe
the more linear or logical orlike ruminating on thought part
by moving.
Um, that's kind of a newerthing for me.
(21:22):
Um, I have to do that every dayor my mind gets really
cluttered.
Um, and I have to feed myspirit, Um, and for me,
specifically, that you know,prayer and um, with all my
exposure and relationship withCarla, like I'm doing so much
more writing with Carla, likeI'm doing so much more writing
(21:43):
Um, and that's just like justmakes so much of a difference.
I watched this like I don't knowif I don't know what you call
it, like a reel or something,with Mel Robbins and she was
interviewing I don't know someimportant doctor and they were
talking about like therealization of your goals and
achievement and such and um, hetalked about these very simple,
like you need to use your senses, you need to write it, you need
(22:05):
to say it out loud, you need todo that consistently.
You could get creative with it.
But it was all these likeroutine acts, both physical and
mental, like visualizing,meditating on it, that helped
something come to fruition.
That helped something come tofruition, and so for me that
(22:26):
looks like I'm absolutelythinking and planning and, but
in a physical way I'm, I'mwriting things out and I'm
moving, so that I can kind ofdetach and let my mind both rest
and make its own connections.
So I don't know if that totallyanswered the question, but that
what it came up for me yeahthat's so good.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
I'm so glad you guys both shared this first, because
I'm like what do I do?
But I know what you really do Ido.
I have a lot of things in place.
So it took a little bit of likeum, hearing you reflect that.
That helped me recognize thethings I do.
Like I have my income trackerthat's you guys know about that.
Where it's got, I can color itin and I can make it.
(23:07):
There's something about um, theenvironment for me, like having
that pretty environment andhaving like a pretty piece of
paper, like even though I'm solinear in what I do, like that
piece is just so critical for me, like that piece is just so
critical for me.
So I have a lot of practiceslike that.
I have my daily kind of to-dotype thing.
(23:31):
But there's even in thatthere's some opportunity.
Like I have little icons I drawin every day and just certain
things that kind of help metouch that more creative side.
But when I think back, like atthe different stages of my
business, there's always been adecision, sometimes also with a
vision, mission, purpose kind ofupdate, and there's some.
There's some choices we'remaking now or like some work I'm
(23:51):
doing where we're planning intothe future and we're kind of at
a, a choice point where we cango one direction and keep the
bit like the, the future visionof the firm, looking kind of
like mom and pop, just kind ofus running this until we maybe
sell it eventually, or a muchdifferent vision for it.
And I didn't even realize I wasup against that until I was
working with somebody yesterdayand that came up.
(24:13):
And so I think we we encounterthose points where we have to
make choices and decisions andthen it's how do we stay present
to them after that?
So those other pieces of thevisiting it daily or having your
goal list or having my trackers, those are all ways that we
stay present to that decision.
And I, what I'm recognizingright like live in this moment,
(24:36):
is that I've habitualized somany of them that I don't that
they are just my true practiceat this point.
There's others I want, there'sother things I want to bring in,
but I'm going to celebrate thatin this moment that those it's
just what I do, so I don't evenrecognize it, as you know, it's
just part of the habits, yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:58):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
Yeah, I love that too .
I'm going to celebrate it.
I do want to say last year westarted one.
It's a CEO scorecard and myhusband works in the business
with me, as you guys both know,and for a while it was just me
kind of creating it and keepingit up.
And then he took over on that afew months ago and we didn't
keep up with it in Januarybecause we were in 1099 land and
(25:23):
it was just so busy and yearend.
And we got back to it this weekand I recognize what a
difference maker that process isand we measure certain
marketing things on there, wemeasure revenue goals on there,
we measure things with the teamon there, and so having kind of
whatever you want to call it, ascorecard or a dashboard or I
(25:43):
don't care what some type oftracker I think can be important
too, so that you're it takesthe feelings out of that too,
like it allows you to kind ofcheck in and get a different
perspective than just what it'sa structure for like revisiting
those things, especially ifyou're doing it with someone
else, like that is so incrediblyhelpful for me.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Yeah, yeah, me too.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
Because, if it's just on my calendar and I'm just
showing up.
Speaker 1 (26:06):
I don't always show up.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Right.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
You know, yeah, so powerful, yeah, so some.
A question came up, like whenyou were talking about vision is
one thing that I like and Iimagine you guys are this way
too that, like I am naturallyout like 10, 20, 50 steps in the
(26:31):
future, like imagining thingsand seeing where things are
headed.
But it's a constant, I guess,practice or tension of like
being out there and being backhere I think you said something
like that, erin, but it's likestaying in the present moment
and what we're doing today andalso sort of knowing where
(26:53):
things are headed and graduallysteering the ship in that
direction.
Do you experience that?
What does that look like inyour life and business?
Speaker 3 (27:09):
I have kind of overarching life goals that my
business is a vehicle for andthat it encompasses everything.
I think I'm a really like kindof holistic thinker.
I'm never just in my business.
My business is, like I said,it's really a vehicle for, for
(27:32):
other things.
I think it's a vehicle formoney, I think it's a vehicle
for time freedom.
Um, it's a vehicle to be mybest self for my children and my
husband, and so my goals alwaysencompass all of it.
I can't separate them.
(27:53):
I guess my actions though thatlead there is where the
separating kind of comes for me,and maybe that is normal or
everyone looks at it that way.
But I my daily, weekly, monthlyactivities are I'm sometimes I
probably spend too much timethere and can get bogged down in
(28:14):
the minutiae of that, but thoseroutine things are.
I spend a lot of time likemaking sure that I'm kind of
making the tweaks that get tothat place.
But it's from a daily, a weekly, a monthly and quarterly um
adjustments I guess, um alongthe way.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
So good.
Speaker 2 (28:43):
That's a good question.
Um, we'll just see where I gowith this, because I have a
couple thoughts bubbling up butI don't really know that they're
going to be cohesive.
So I'm, um, we'll see how thisgoes.
But, um, I feel like I'vealways been a daydreamer, like
I'm always like living in somevision and it's very easy for me
to access that.
Or there might be somethingthat's sometimes a little
(29:03):
judgment coming in this.
Sometimes it's in um for me toaccess that, or there might be
something that's a littlejudgment coming in.
Sometimes it's in, like, if I'mexperiencing, so let's say, I
go to a place, I'm getting aservice of some kind and like
the service isn't what I thinkit should be, or I see an
opportunity.
It's so funny how the daydreamI can create that I've recreated
that whole business like inthat moment and I walk around
life kind of thinking that way,which is kind of funny.
(29:23):
But for my own I I thinksometimes I don't always connect
them.
Um, and this is the part I wantto talk about, something that
shifted last year, but like evenjust that conversation this
week of like some decisions I'mtrying to make and I wasn't able
to make it and it's because Ihaven't decided the the decision
today I couldn't make because Iwasn't able to make it.
And it's because I haven'tdecided the decision today I
(29:44):
couldn't make because I haven'tmade that decision about where I
really want our future to go inthis pivot point.
So that's an opportunity whereI think I've got my vision down.
But, like, this is veryspecific to the business and
what decisions we make now thatare going to get us to where we
want to be.
So to get us to where we wantto be, so we need to decide
(30:04):
where we want to be.
So I'm very much in real timeexperiencing that this week.
Where I didn't have thatperspective, on the other hand,
I started along with the CEO ofScorecard last year.
I started doing the quarterlyplanning and I've been really
resistant to taking the amountof time you need when you're
really doing that type of work,like I tend to be, like get the
(30:28):
work, get the.
You know just working on thework and you really, as a CEO in
your business, you have to takethat time to get out of the
work, make the plan, and whenI'm doing the quarterly planning
, it starts with a visionprocess.
So, and when I'm doing thequarterly planning.
It starts with a vision process, so that's helped me a lot to
get more in touch with thatquarterly.
(30:49):
I don't know why this thing haspopped up.
I don't know Like I reallycouldn't even tell you why this
popped up this week, except Ithink we got we hit some goals
faster than we expected to andso some decisions are coming up
faster and I haven't done myquarterly plan for what I
thought I'd be making thisdecision.
So I feel like that's helped mea lot and it's, you know,
(31:09):
probably a six hour process on aFriday every quarter.
I'm trying to bring that moreinto monthly and weekly and
daily planning.
I do it a little bit, but it'smore in the abstract than it is
in like a real process.
So that'll be what I'm workingon this year, but I don't know.
So I don't know if thatanswered it, but I've got pieces
of it.
But I think every once in awhile, like that, bigger vision
(31:30):
can change, and I don't.
I think things changed fasterthan I was caught up with it and
so I have to have someconversations and do a little
work around that to in order tomake my next decisions and make
my next plan.
Does that make any sense?
Speaker 1 (31:45):
Yeah, totally yeah.
Is is your quarterly planning.
Is that a solo process orsomething you?
Speaker 2 (31:52):
bring your team into, oh I don't bring my team, it's
me and another group of otherpeople.
That's a good thought, though Ilike that idea of bringing the
team into it more, or at least afew people.
I discuss it after becausethere's projects that come out
of it, but I haven't reallybrought them into the planning.
(32:16):
But we do.
Sometimes the project is thento make the plan so like.
It's more of a like.
I know this is a system I wantto fix for next time.
So I've got that as a project.
But the first step in thatproject is the team working on
that together, like an offsitetype thing.
We did that a lot last year tomove big projects through where
they wouldn't have happened.
(32:37):
But that's a good thought.
There's an opportunity therethat they could come into that.
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
I love that.
I think what comes up for methere is that and maybe this is
some judgment on myself, likeyou kind of mentioned.
But I think sometimes maybe myvision is could be so far out
and so maybe big that it's notmaybe distinct or defined enough
.
I'm very good at the daily,weekly, monthly, like quarterly,
(33:13):
like this is what I'm gonna do,um, but it's almost like you
know, kind of as we're havingthis conversation, there's a,
the disconnect might be too far,Um, and something in there
might be like you know well, youknow I can.
If I don't achieve it um, thenit w it was too far anyway,
Right, Um.
And so while I can be good atthe consistent um and the
(33:38):
showing up um, if I can refinethat vision or bring it a little
bit closer, I can maybe keepmyself a little bit more
accountable.
So just a little bit likehonestly.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
I think that's a huge piece of it for me and I don't
know that you're going there,but I always go here for part of
it for me is getting real withmy numbers, and even though I'm
a numbers person and I do it allthe time, there was like a
little bit of magical thinkinggoing on, and since I've gotten
more real with that and leavingroom for magical thinking,
because I really like magicalthinking.
(34:14):
But in getting a little morereal, it makes it so that I can
actually hit them instead of itbeing abstract and too big and
too far out in the future.
So I think you're landing on animportant piece right now.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
Yeah, speaking of that, kelly, like are there any
um from your line of work likethings that are bubbling up this
year is important that weshould be paying attention to
when it comes to money.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
How many more hours do we have?
And actually, even then, whoknows?
There's a lot bubbling up,Carla, but I don't know how much
of that you want me to sharehere.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Maybe just a few highlights we can be thinking
about.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Yeah, I think, as business owners, I think the
most important thing, because Ithink there's a lot of unknown
right now and there's a lot ofpossibility to go into fear and
I know that, no matter what,that fear won't serve us.
So that's not where we need togo.
What we need to focus on isconnection, service, rapport,
(35:20):
community and doing our bestwork, you know, and staying out
of the fear and the what canhappen and like just focusing on
what we do, what we do well,build connections, stay in touch
with people, make sure youunderstand what they want and
need.
That's going to be the answer,you know, to work our way
through it there's a lot ofthings out of our control and so
(35:43):
we can't try to control them.
We can control the things wecan control and that's a big
part of it the connection, thecommunity, the services we're
providing.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
Yeah, okay, anything from your clients, aaron, like
from your perspective of brandand marketing that feels extra
important this year.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Um, well, I think, just echoing what, um, what
Kelly's saying, and decidingwhat your modes of doing those
are like what is the path, whatis the action, the tactic, the
strategy that you're taking tomake that connection to be more
visible, so that somebody isaware of you?
Um, uh, deciding what those twoto three things are and just
(36:32):
doubling down, um, cause I thinkthere are a lot of unknowns and
there I don't you know, knowwhat?
I don't care what's happening.
There's unknowns and so, um, uh, I think that you can always
win with relationship and, um,you can, what find your ways to
do that best.
(36:53):
Um, I think personal,one-to-one outreach is such an
incredible way to makeconnections and I think we use
these bigger platforms, whetherit's an email newsletter or
social media or even going to alocal event or doing group
(37:13):
coaching.
These are group kind of wideraudience spreads.
These are group kind of wideraudience spreads.
And there is, I think this isthe time to keep that one-to-one
outreach and connection,whether it's a DM, whether it's
an old school phone call,whether it's a text message,
whether it's a direct email.
I've recently been working witha client who has a retail
(37:36):
business and we kind of testedout like how can we move from?
Everything she does is on anaudience basis, and I think
that's true for a lot of us, andin the retail space it's even
more maybe bizarre to think of aone-to-one action.
And so we started working onone-to-one DMs, one-to-one email
(37:57):
outreaches, and she hadwonderful traction, wonderful
sales increases, and it was someof it, I think, was about that
unexpectedness and I think thatwe all can benefit from going.
How do I want to connect andbuild on that in a one-to-one,
like a real way, instead of anaudience basis?
(38:19):
I just had somebody reach outto me, um, at a DM, and again
somebody I've never met inperson, um on on social media
and asked me if she wouldn'thave asked me and she just made
a post about it and saidsomething was an opportunity.
I probably wouldn't havethought twice about it, um,
because there was a personaloutreach, like we're going to
talk, and I think that thatpersonal outreach is maybe more
(38:47):
important now than ever.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
I love that so much.
I think yesterday I just feltlike a nudge to like reach out
to a past client.
Like she just came to mind andI thought I'm just going to send
her a little text and we haddone some really important work
around her elderly father and Isent her a text and just said,
like how are you and how is yourdad?
(39:12):
And she sent a text back likehe had passed like last week,
and I was just so glad that Ilistened to that nudge to like
touch base with her right thenyou know, like so there's I
think there's so much to whatyou're saying.
Like it's so easy for me to getcaught up in like oh, I should
be doing that or this or that,and the one to ones are always
(39:33):
the most impactful.
I had a lady talking.
We were talking about like theway all three of us got
connected, and there was a ladythat reached out to me I think
it was like last year, maybe theyear before, and she did, she
did a video email and she likehad clearly listened to the
podcast and like shared exactlylike what she would love to talk
(39:59):
about and how it fit, and itwas so personal, you guys, and
now she's come on like twiceI've been on her to speak to her
audience Like we are building arelationship too, and it's all
because of that personal reachout that you talk about.
So I think I want to justhighlight, like always, trust
the nudge to.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
Like you know, Carla, we don't mean to make this long
.
I think we've shared on thepodcast before.
But, like Carla and I metbecause we were both on a call,
I said something that she wantedto learn more about and then
she was like I want to connectwith that person.
And then we got connected afterand I mean, here we are and.
(40:43):
I mean, here we are.
So going on seven years later,like you know, over six years
later, and you know, and shejust she trusted that like gut
reaction and spoke up and madethe connection and then it went
from there and I think you knowthat that's I always hear when
people are like somebody poppedinto my head and I just
connected with them and it'salways because that was they
were meant to.
You know, and always trust thatnudge and take action on it.
Speaker 1 (41:05):
So true, so true.
So I'm curious.
I want to hear a little bitabout, like family, marriage,
parenting, like business, likehow does this all integrate with
your business right now?
Like what season are you in?
What does that look like?
Like I I'm just curious Cause Iknow it's such an important
(41:27):
part of all of our lives.
And, like Kelly, your husbandis integrated in your business,
my husband is integrated in mybusiness.
I'm not sure about you, aaron,but like yeah, I want to hear
about that part.
Speaker 3 (41:41):
My husband and I are um 100% opposite, um personality
types, and so actually thatcould be like a really good mix
in our business or in mybusiness, um uh, and he's got a
lot of education and brand andmarketing and um culture
building.
Um, he's phenomenal, but hedoes not work in my business.
(42:01):
Um, I'm going to call you out.
Speaker 2 (42:05):
He doesn't work in your business, but he has like
read through your course andgiven you feedback and stuff, so
there are ways that he has beenintegrated.
Speaker 3 (42:13):
Yeah, I, and you know he deserves um that credit too.
He has been not only reallysupportive of this transition
that I've made, so essentiallyjust for the readers at a fist,
like I'm doing the exact samework that I've always done.
I'm just focusing, kind ofhoned in on a specific audience.
So I'm very interested inhelping women be able to realize
(42:37):
what it is that they want torealize in their life through
their business and helping thembuild brands and so that they
can market those well and umfeel good about it and have it
be in alignment with their life.
That's that's where my heart is, um now, and so, anyways, he's
been really supportive of thattransition.
Um, and he's been right therealongside of me.
(42:57):
You know, reading my materialsfrom that outside perspective
and making sure that the thingsthat I'm creating and the ways
that I'm talking about themaren't too small, I guess is the
only way I can say it's notjust only from my head and what
I think people need.
(43:17):
But you know how, where doesthis land?
And and actually that personalconnection component, going
backwards a little bit, thatreally by reaching out
personally, you really learn andhear what people need and where
they're at and what servicesactually will meet them where
they're at.
Because I think we can all gothis is my zone of genius, or
(43:39):
this is what I'm good at, orthis is what I feel confident in
.
But it may not match up exactlyand for me, that work in what
your brand is really hones inwhat those services are, and
it's it's a mutual thing.
I just had a conversation withsomebody over coffee yesterday
and she's growing a business.
That initial place, I think,can really come from what am I
(44:03):
good at, and while that isabsolutely valuable and it
really needs to be part of thesauce, that second part is and
what is needed and how do they,how, how does that person I want
to serve, how are they going toreceive it?
And so it's aligning those twothings up.
Not just this is what I'm goodat, so Chad's been very good at
(44:23):
helping me with that and I'mtotally like lost train of what
am I?
What am I talking about?
Really helpful Family andmarriage.
Yeah, and I think so forsomebody who I would say I'm not
the best at boundaries in a lotof ways, but when it comes to
work and home, and home I'llcall it like kids and husband
(44:44):
and family relationships I havevery strong boundaries on my
work day and when that beginsand ends, and um, I kind of turn
that off and, um, you know,focus on, you know, my kids and
my relationship with my husbandand we um help with his parents
(45:05):
and um, so I am not a goodmultitasker and so, somewhat
forced like I, just I have toturn one thing off so that I can
be present and address theother.
So, um, I guess that kind ofboundary business hours is like
a really big thing for me.
Um, business hours, I'mbusiness, and then when that's
(45:27):
over, then I, I shift gears.
Speaker 2 (45:32):
Love that.
Yeah, it's kind of aninteresting evolution for me.
Um, I'm not as well boundariedwith my time as Aaron, is that's
for sure, but it's funnybecause, like it does, because
Justin's here, it's interestingto see how that navigates into
our life too, and I think we do.
(45:53):
So he and I worked together.
We met at work, then we workedat different places, places and
then we had a little businesstogether.
We used to have this um, like aflipping bit, like furniture
and antiques and stuff.
We had this flipping business,um, which was very fun and
although I was like, like wantedto build because I'm just built
(46:15):
this way I wanted to build itin a big thing.
He's like remember, when thiswas just fun and we went to, we
sold a couple things, everythingto way, I wanted to build it in
a big thing.
He's like, remember, when thiswas just fun and we went to it,
we sold a couple things.
Everything to me is like how tobuild it and be this big
business, but we had fun with it.
But we navigated things a fewtimes and we know that that
works for us.
Like this was not like a bigguess when we were working
towards him coming into thebusiness.
(46:36):
We knew how that relationshipworked and so we moved pretty
effortlessly into that.
Every once in a while, you know, there'll be a little like
something we have to workthrough.
That's extra because of that.
But I think that's just like wewould if you were working with
any coworker, you know.
So we navigate that very well,but we also know it's a formula
that works for us.
(46:57):
But I was thinking about, likethe transitions we've been in.
I mean my business.
We've hit seven years in thisform.
I had a we'll just say hitseven years, and a lot of that
was because of Lily.
Like that was the catalyst.
She was the catalyst for for mekind of making the decision to
to do this, and I was working atanother small business.
(47:18):
I love small business, that'sfor sure, but it was an odd
hours and there and I wasworking at another small
business I love small business,that's for sure, but it was an
odd hours and there were times Iwas getting home and kissing
her Good night and that that waslike I just couldn't keep doing
that.
I knew I didn't like that andso she was a big catalyst for
this.
And then she's grown up as thebusiness.
She's 12 now and so she's grownup as the business has been
created and there's been up asthe business.
(47:39):
She's 12 now and so she's grownup as the business has been
created and there's been timeswhere the business was 100% in
our home.
And the last several yearswe've had I've had an office too
, and she likes to come hang outat the office.
She says it has a goodaesthetic and that she likes to
do her homework here, so shecomes and hangs out with me here
so it's like totally.
Speaker 1 (47:55):
I love it, but it's like totally she also digs, like
she tries to find all thesnacks we have in the office and
raise the snacks.
Speaker 2 (48:04):
We have a very good like.
It's very much integrated inour lives and I love that and I
feel like we we have it balanced, not necessarily always from a
time perspective, but from arelationship perspective.
It's very well balanced and itdoesn't overtake all the
relationships and I love that.
She's kind of growing up in itand kind of seeing how that
(48:24):
forms things for her, like shedid.
I don't know if this is good orbad, but she made a comment
yesterday.
We were talking about collegeand different things.
She was just asking thesequestions and something came up.
I don't even know how we gotthere, but she said oh I, I
really don't have to worry aboutit.
If I don't find anything, I canjust get a job with you.
I think I need to process it,but of course she could you know
(48:47):
, I never she really for a longtime was saying that she never
wanted to do an account, be anaccountant or do any of that,
and I don't necessarily have avision for her doing that, but
she, I think in some times inher mind it's like she has that
thought that that might be whatshe does.
So it'll be very interesting tosee how that plays out.
But I love that.
I guess it's super integrated.
(49:07):
We balance it well.
We take our time off, we havefun, we play um.
I would like to do more of thatthis year.
That's really my theme for thisyear, um but it's it's
integrated, for sure.
Speaker 1 (49:21):
Yeah, yeah, I mean you said it's been an evolution
like, oh my gosh, like I startedmy first business in 2002, when
my oldest son was born, and soit's just been part of their
life always and it's been in somany different iterations of,
(49:42):
like you know, having officehours and not having office
hours, and today it looks likejust one big blend because
Quentin's so integrated and heoh my gosh shout out to our
husbands right like he's justheard all the things for all the
years.
I mean that's why thesefriendships like with you guys
(50:05):
are so important, because therewas a time where I realized,
like whoa, he's hearing way toomuch of my stuff.
Speaker 2 (50:13):
But, today.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
Like the evolution of that is that like I genuinely
feel like he now loves to talkabout it and it's so integrated
with how we live life and whatwe teach and how we do our own
life and marriage that it's justliterally all one big, big, big
piece and I don't have reallyboundaries around work hours
(50:37):
anymore.
It's all like I sort of followmy energy more now, but I
definitely have like very strongintentions and commitments
around making sure that like mybrain rests and turns off and
like learning to do that's beena huge thing, and that I have
time for my marriage and time tohave fun.
And if Shane walks in my officeduring the day, if it all
(51:01):
possible, I can stop everything.
Or he wants to go to thegrocery store.
Like those are my priorities,like I don't know how long he's
gonna be here, you know.
So, yeah, it's been anevolution for sure.
Ladies, this has been so rich.
I love you girl.
Speaker 2 (51:20):
How does that time go by so fast?
I?
Speaker 3 (51:22):
know, I feel like we just started.
Speaker 1 (51:25):
I know I do too.
So before we close, share alittle bit about something about
I don't know.
I will introduce you both havebeen on the potty house before
and I will make sure I shareabout what you do when we start,
so you don't have to do that.
But is there anything in yourbusiness you'd like to share or
(51:47):
something you're up to, or justanything in closing that you
didn't get to say, that you'rewanting to say.
Speaker 3 (52:08):
I have a weekly newsletter and I love that.
I love that space.
That's where a lot of personalconnection happens for me.
I communicate with a lot of mypeople that way.
So anybody listening that wantsmore connection, um, sign up
for my newsletter.
Speaker 1 (52:23):
Um and through that you can find us.
Speaker 3 (52:25):
Oh, thank you.
I love writing it.
It is like it's it's both umbusiness and passion project at
the same time.
I um writing is just somethingI've always loved doing and so,
yeah, I love it Every week.
Every week I'm, I'm there, yeah, and through that you can see
(52:48):
my services and I have a course,and then I have some done for
you options, and I love what Ido.
Speaker 1 (52:58):
It's clear that was kind of an awkward transition,
you guys.
But I just want to make surethat people know about what all
the amazing work that you'redoing, because that's the whole
goal, like we're all on islandsdoing this thing by ourself, and
I want to amplify what you'redoing, and so sorry about the
awkward transition.
Speaker 3 (53:16):
That's okay.
I was like um transition,that's okay.
Speaker 2 (53:25):
I was like um, I'm going to continue the awkward
transition and just say that, um, I too love Aaron's newsletter
and my newsletter wouldn't existwithout hers, cause she helps
me with mine.
So I'm very grateful for her.
Um, but I just kind of want toput like an exclamation mark on
the things that came up aboutconnection.
We didn't say the wordauthenticity, but I know that's
an important one for all of us.
And but just meaning be real,like there's no highlight reel
(53:47):
here, we're all very real in, um, in our lives and what we share
and with each other, and, um, Ithink that's really a key piece
of it and you know I'm I'm sograteful for the relationships.
Like it's the the thing that Ithink there was a little part of
me that hoped for it, cause Iknew I wanted to work with
people I loved and cared aboutand that were doing things I
(54:08):
cared about.
That was intentional.
But I mean I get to end callswith love using bone kisses and
you know like who.
I never dreamt that and it's soimportant to me to have that.
And so you know we've, we'vecreated this community one
relationship at a time, and soif anybody else is out there
(54:28):
listening and they're anentrepreneur and doesn't have
that like find your people,don't?
There's no need to be in abubble.
There's lots of ways to findyour people and reach out.
Put that time into it and reachout.
Speaker 3 (54:39):
Yeah, and reach out, send an email, make the text,
make the DM do it.
Speaker 1 (54:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (54:45):
Do it.
Speaker 1 (54:45):
Yeah, follow the nudge, follow the nudge.
Well, and I think, just inclosing, it just feels like I
don't know what I'm left with islike entrepreneurship,
motherhood, marriage, all of itis a journey and you can just
see like I just feel our youknow unfolding in our evolution.
Still, you know, even afterbeing years into this, it's just
(55:06):
, it's it's so full of so manyrich things and thank you so
much for coming and trying thisand doing something new, and I
just appreciate both of you somuch and I hope this was really
valuable for you listening, andI just hope we all you all have
a really, really amazing day.
(55:26):
So thanks for being here,ladies.
Speaker 3 (55:29):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (55:34):
Thank you for tuning in to this episode of
Differently.
It's been an honor to sharethis conversation with you.
You know, one of the keys toliving fully is to take action
when you're inspired to do so.
I hope you found that spark ofinspiration today and would you
help us spread the word.
Did someone you know come tomind while you were listening?
(55:55):
If this episode could impactsomeone you know, please share
it and pass it along.
New episodes drop weekly, sotap that subscribe button and
join us next time as we continueto challenge the status quo and
get equipped to live lifedifferently.
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