July 22, 2025 • 39 mins
Welcome to Spark & Ignite Your Marketing, the podcast where real conversations meet real strategies. I'm your host, Beverly Cornell, founder and fairy godmother of brand clarity at Wickedly Branded. With over 25 years of experience, I’ve helped hundreds of entrepreneurs awaken their brand magic, attract the right people, and build businesses that light them up.
In this episode, I’m joined by ADHD coach and speaker Cindy Baker, who shares her journey from educator to entrepreneur and how her ADHD diagnosis became the catalyst for building a purpose-driven business. We talk about overcoming procrastination, ditching perfectionism, and the importance of structure, support, and strategy for busy-brained business owners. If you’re an overwhelmed entrepreneur who’s ready to work with your brain instead of against it, this episode will inspire and empower you to step into your zone of genius and find real momentum.
Three Key Marketing Topics Discussed:
- How Authenticity is Your Best Marketing Strategy: Cindy emphasizes that being authentic, consistent, and transparent helps her stand out in a crowded market. Through weekly Facebook Live sessions and sharing her honest experiences, she shows that heartfelt marketing is still effective.
- The Power of Personal Stories and Live Content: Cindy explains how her live challenges and masterclasses build genuine connections and drive conversions. She highlights the need to establish trust with potential clients before making a pitch. Learn more about the power of Storytelling here!
- Marketing Strategies That Align with Your Brain: We discuss the importance of aligning marketing systems with how your brain works. Cindy shares techniques for ADHD entrepreneurs, such as the 90-Minute Sprint, to create momentum without burnout.
Follow Cindy:
Cindy Baker Coaching | Website
Cindy Baker | LinkedIn
Cindy Baker | Facebook
Cindy Baker | Instagram
P.S. Take the first step (will only take you 3 minutes) to awaken your brand magic with our personalized Brand Clarity Quiz
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Beverly (00:00):
Did you know that adults with ADHD are 60% more
(00:03):
likely to become entrepreneurs,yet 80% say they constantly
battle procrastination andoverwhelm.
It's not about laziness.
It's about learning how to workwith your brain, not against it.
And today's guest is here toshow you how to do that.
I'm your host, Beverly Cornell,founder and fairy godmother of
brand clarity here at WickedlyBranded.
And with over 25 years ofexperience, I've helped hundreds
(00:25):
of purpose driven entrepreneursawaken their brand magic and
boldly bring it to life so thatthey can magnify their impact on
the world.
And today's guest is proof thatproductivity isn't about
perfection.
It's about learning to work withyour brain instead of against
it.
Cindy Baker is a speaker, acoach, and the founder of CBC,
Cindy Baker Coaching with notone but two master's degrees, 19
(00:48):
years as a teacher and her ownadult, ADHD diagnosis.
She turned her experience.
Into a movement.
And now she helps entrepreneursovercome overwhelm, beat that
really pesky procrastination andbecome what she calls profitable
and productive.
Cindy, welcome to the show.
Cindy (01:05):
Thank you for having me.
Good to be here.
Beverly (01:07):
I am so excited for this conversation for a couple
of reasons.
Very selfish.
I was recently diagnosed at 49with ADHD during menopause.
Everything that I had togetherall of a sudden wasn't together.
But what I found over the pastyear or so through therapy and
reading and learning.
Is that I really was able tofind a business and a model and
(01:28):
creativity in my work that isperfect for ADHD.
But I do know that so many otherpeople are struggling with that.
I think it is a superpower ifyou understand it.
So I'm so excited to hear aboutyour journey, how you got to
your diagnosis, talk about howyou went from a middle school
teacher, and actually we talkedbefore that you were actually in
Germany teaching military brats,which is near and dear to my
(01:51):
heart.
But then you went to a full-timeentrepreneur.
What was the spark that madethat shift for you?
Cindy (01:56):
I've always been entrepreneurial.
When I was a kid I had a littlebusiness where I painted
barrettes, and I would put themall displayed on a little ribbon
with numbers next to eachdesign, and my dad would drive
me around to beauty shops andhairdresser places and I would
put them there and they wouldtry to take orders for me and
(02:16):
collect the money, and then Iwould paint the barrettes.
So it's always been somethingwhere I've always had these
ideas where I could have alittle side hustle or whatever.
The catalyst for me was when myprincipal moved me into a
position that I didn't reallywanna be in.
It was a subject and a positionthat I wasn't trained for and I
thought I was ill suited for.
(02:37):
And I thought, you know what?
I don't like just being at thewhim of a boss and whatever they
need that I have to do, and Idon't have a problem with
authority.
It was just more of a, this isnot a good fit for me.
And I thought, I just wanna bemy own boss.
And so part of it was just I'vealways been in helping
professions.
I love helping people.
I wanted to do something where Icould have a little bit more
(02:59):
freedom.
And call the shots more, butalso still help people.
And about that same time I wasfiguring out that I had ADHD and
I was working with.
A lot of adolescents that hadit.
And I thought, I think I reallyrecognize these symptoms.
And at that time I didn't, thatwas pretty common knowledge that
you can get diagnosed as anadult.
But at that time, for me, it wasa new concept.
(03:20):
I only was familiar with peoplewho'd been diagnosed in
childhood.
Once I learned, that you couldbe diagnosed as an adult, I was
like, oh, I wanna go see if Ihave this.
It all just kinda came together.
But I did start it on the sidewhile I was still teaching and
have only been a full-timeentrepreneur for one year.
Beverly (03:37):
Congratulations on the first year.
So how did the ADHD diagnosis,impact your identity and how you
show up in the world?
Cindy (03:45):
I don't remember exactly how old I was.
But it was after 40 and justhaving the label, I think as I
looked back on my life throughthat lens, I was like, wow.
Things started to make sense.
I was like, oh, that's why I didthis.
Or that's why I bounced aroundand changed jobs a million times
or had no stability in my life.
(04:05):
Things like that.
In some ways that was good, butthen I really just wanted to
learn everything I could aboutadult ADHD, because it does
manifest differently.
It manifests differently inwomen.
And I'm in the age bracket thatwhen I was growing up, nobody
talked about ADHD, and when theydid, it was only in reference to
boys
Beverly (04:23):
for sure.
Cindy (04:24):
So a quiet, smart girl was just not on anybody's radar.
so it did change my identity, ina way because I thought, this is
something that I could helpother people with.
I looked back and I thought,when was I really organized and
productive?
And I tried to take what I waslearning about ADHD and what I
saw about myself and the timesthat I was successful.
I started really practicing andperfecting and finally put
(04:46):
together a framework of routinesand habits and strategies and
became really successful.
And then other people startedasking me for advice, and it
just kinda evolved from there.
Beverly (04:55):
That is where, you found your niche right?
When people have started Cindywhat is your secret?
What's the secret recipe thatyou're using?
Give me an example of how you'vehelped another entrepreneur beat
the overwhelm of ADHD and thetransformation that really stuck
with you.
That is like affirmation.
You're doing the right thing,Cindy.
Cindy (05:15):
Getting started is hard for a lot of people and so you
mentioned procrastination earlyon and, I had one lady in
particular, she wanted to launchan online course.
She was an entrepreneur and adigital marketer.
And she'd just been putting itoff because she was intimidated
by, it just seemed like a bigproject.
And she procrastinated.
(05:36):
And a little bit ofperfectionism was coming in
there.
And when we worked together tobreak it down into tiny bite
sized pieces, what is the nextstep where I'm assured of a win,
and we just broke it down likethat.
And then I helped her to workwith her energy levels.
So she wasn't trying to do thethings that required deep
(05:57):
concentration.
At the time of day that shewasn't at her peak energy wise.
And when that all came togetherI also teach something called
the 90 minute Sprint method.
So we implemented timed sprintswith little breaks in between
where she just gave a hundredpercent of her attention on one
high impact task.
And when those all just cametogether and she had my
(06:17):
accountability and support shedidn't just start, she got it
finished in a month, somethingthat she'd been putting off for
many months.
Things like that happen all thetime.
It just takes a few tweaks hereand there.
Beverly (06:29):
I'm a high performer and understanding your peak
performance.
Tips, tricks, tactics to reallymaximize my focus.
My thing is I can get veryhyper-focused and forget.
All sense of time and pleasedon't interrupt me when I'm in
my flow, because I will get verycranky and all the things, and
I'm in this space of just, Icall it magic.
(06:50):
What I've learned over theyears, and I'm sure other
entrepreneurs as well, is Ireally focus into the things
that drive me versus drain me.
The things that I procrastinatehistorically, probably I need to
hire someone to help me so thatI can be accountable for that.
So the first thing I did wasbook a bookkeeper.
I gotta make sure my books aregood.
I gotta make sure I pay mytaxes.
I can't procrastinate that.
(07:11):
Or there'll be huge penalties onthat.
Another thing that's reallyhelped me and maybe this is part
of your system, is AI to breakthose tasks down.
So we have quarterly goals orrocks within my company, and we
will take that rock.
We have 12 weeks and whateverthe task is, let's say it's to
do a Pinterest audit on all ofour Pinterest boards, and we'll
(07:32):
ask AI to break it down into 10week tasks so that it is more
bite-sized.
Yeah, it is more doable.
And with tools like AI now, thatwasn't a thing when I was a kid
to break a task down into 10steps.
There wasn't the ability to dothat.
But that is a really great wayto use AI to help you as an
assistant to break those tasksdown When I focus, I can get so
(07:53):
much stuff done, Cindy, like Iam.
A machine and my team all jokeabout it.
But it's because I'm sittingmore in my zone of genius and
understanding when I sit there,like in the mornings is my time.
In the afternoon.
I need to do like more justrepetitive kind of tasks, not so
much brain power tasks.
So I know that about myself andit's like such a self-awareness
of your strengths and reallyleaning into your strengths.
(08:16):
There's days when I just don'tfeel it, Cindy.
And actually giving myself somepermission to not force myself
to do something if I don't haveto on those days.
I have learned that I can createthe exact business I need.
ADHD to me has been like ajourney of understanding just
how my brain works and when andwhere I am the most productive
(08:37):
and where I have my mostchallenges.
And if I have challenges ordrainers.
Who can I have asaccountability?
The bookkeeper, my assistant, acoach.
I have a coach and I have atherapist too.
So all the people to help me beas high performing as possible
so that I can reach the goalsthat I want for my life.
So I think that's awesomebecause people need you.
Because there's so many of usthat are even undiagnosed, that
(08:59):
are high performers and strugglewith perfectionism and time
management and all the things wetalked about.
Cindy (09:04):
If your listeners can relate to you you're like my
perfect client because I do workwith high performing people
who've been recently diagnosedwith ADHD.
And you're doing a lot of theright things, but I think the
mistake a lot of people make isthey think I just need to learn
more.
I need more information.
I need to learn what ADHD is.
(09:24):
'cause this is new to me and Ineed to, figure out how to work
with my brain and all that'sgreat.
But strategies alone are notenough.
You have to have somebody helpyou take those strategies and
create a structure that fitsyour particular situation.
Yes.
And that's why I have a groupcoaching program.
(09:44):
I do help individuals too, but Inever let my group get very big
because I like to individualizethings for people.
And so I always say they needthree S's.
You need the strategy, you needthe structure, but you also need
the support.
And it's more than justaccountability, but it's also
somebody coming alongside andgiving you feedback as you go.
(10:06):
So for instance, if I were toteach somebody how to swim,
let's say, I could explain it.
I could give you all theinformation.
I could even show you a video ofsomebody else doing it.
But what you really need tolearn how to swim is to swim
while there's an instructorthere telling you.
Okay.
You need to turn your head more,reach your arm out further.
(10:27):
Because you need that feedbackas you go.
And I think that's the mistake alot of people make is they think
I don't wanna invest incoaching.
Or they think I just need abusiness coach.
'cause that's the mostimportant.
I wanna make money.
But the thing is, if you don'tknow how to manage your ADHD
symptoms, you're gonna wasteyour money on a business
coaching program because you'renot gonna keep up.
(10:48):
You'll miss the calls, you won'tdo the work, and so I do a
little bit of both.
I do a little bit of businesscoaching, but it's more about
helping the person manage theirfocus, which I think is more
important than managing yourtime.
Because people say I just wish Ihad more hours in the day.
You don't need more hours in theday.
'cause if you had more hours inthe day, you'd spend them
exactly like you spending thehours you have now.
(11:10):
You just need to do what reallymatters with the hours that you
do have.
Yes.
And I think that's the key ishelping people identify
priorities, and how to move pastperfectionism and
procrastination.
And, you mentioned sometimes I'mjust not feeling it and that's
fine.
And I'm the same way.
But some people think they haveto feel it all the time in order
(11:33):
to take any action I always saywaiting for motivation is never
a good strategy because ifyou're relying on an emotion,
you're never gonna get anythingdone.
You have to be able to take anaction before you feel
motivated.
And then the interesting thingis the motivation comes later.
The momentum kicks in and thedopamine hits.
(11:53):
And you start to get in yourflow.
But that's what I help peoplewith because you can read all
about ADHD for free online,there's tons of information, but
if you want to really get thingsdone faster and easier you need
a coach.
Beverly (12:09):
You said I'm the perfect client.
Some of my listeners probablyare, most of my clients are very
similar to me, and that's onpurpose.
I've been on a journey.
I find people who have been on asimilar journey and I'm a guide
for them just like you are.
I help them see themselves inways they didn't see themselves
before.
And I give them systems andstructure and simplify what
they're doing And really leaninto who they are and their
(12:30):
magic to be able to focus, onmarketing.
It's very similar and I thinkcomes from my personal journey.
I was an accidentalentrepreneur.
I was a VP of marketing.
I married my active dutyhusband, and now I had to have
my career be as mobile as myhusband's job.
So I had to take my show on theroad.
And when I did that, I learnedlike the structure of not going
(12:50):
to work every day, not having anactual time start, not having a
commute.
Like all these things I had tore-figure out as an entrepreneur
and I didn't have a plan.
And what happened was, is mycustomer started building my
business, great money's comingin, referrals, all the things.
But before you know it, mybusiness was not even like what
(13:10):
I anticipated it would be.
And it was like draining thelife force out of me.
But I had to take a step back.
Then I was able to grow.
Now I have a team.
There's just so much more that'shappened since I made those
decisions.
But it really was all aboutfocus.
And that's what we really helpour entrepreneurs do, is get
really focused into the zone ofgenius, into their most
passionate place, into the placethat has joy.
(13:33):
The work that we're doing isactually helping so many more
entrepreneurs magnify theirimpact in a way that they didn't
even know is possible.
If you're listening right nowand this is all feeling like
you, like you're just stressedout, burnt out, overwhelmed.
I call'em the monkeys ofdistraction, the flying monkeys
of fear and doubt andperfectionism and overwhelm.
And the burnout.
back in the day when I wasfeeling this way, I was talking
(13:54):
about the exact same things tomy other entrepreneur friends.
Share this episode with thembecause we're all in it to get
better and evolve and all thethings.
Your sharing this episode is agift to them and may give them
the golden nugget or the rightcontact.
Maybe Cindy's the perfect personto help them, or she has a
perfect person to help them.
This is an opportunity to givethat gift of focus and
(14:17):
motivation and living more inthe zone of genius and what I
call is joy.
Just joy in the work that you'redoing.
And I think we have such a shortlife on this planet that the
more you can sit in your joy,the better we're gonna be, the
better your business will be.
So I love that you wanna helppeople in that respect because
it's so frustrating when you'reworking against your gifts as
(14:39):
opposed to in your gifts and youhave the structures and system
and the coach to help you.
Cindy (14:44):
And you know, what's fulfilling to me is when I see
the hope in somebody's eyes,when they realize there's
another way to live.
And I believe we were created onpurpose.
And I believe that we were notmeant to live all stressed out
all the time.
Beverly (15:00):
No.
Cindy (15:01):
And some people have just accepted that as their fate.
Beverly (15:04):
Hustle culture is like a thing.
Cindy (15:06):
I have ADHD I've always struggled and just because
you've always struggled doesn'tmean you're broken.
You're not broken.
Your listeners, they're notbroken.
They just have been using abroken system, one that does not
work for their brain
Beverly (15:22):
say it Louder for the kids in the back
Cindy (15:23):
You're not broken.
You are just using a system thatis not working for your brain.
And, there's another way,there's another way to live.
There's a way where you canactually not just survive with
ADHD, but Thrive and likeBeverly said, actually channel
some of those positive traits asyour superpower, like hyper
(15:44):
focus and creativity and problemsolving.
And there are tons of supersuccessful entrepreneurs that
actually attribute their successto having ADHD, I think of like
Sir Richard Branson.
He's been interviewed a lotwhere he says my ADHD brain is
what has caused the success.
In my coaching I help peoplemanage the challenges because
(16:06):
they can be managed, theirlearned skills, but I also help
them find their strengths.
And we have a saying calledthree P power, positive,
prepared, productive.
And the positive is huge.
I'm in some of these.
ADHD support groups, Facebookgroups or whatever, and they're
just big wine fests.
People complaining, oh my gosh,my life is a train wreck because
(16:29):
I have ADHD.
And I'm like, no, your life is atrain wreck because you made
stupid choices.
Beverly (16:34):
They have a choice of the next step of what they're
gonna do.
Yeah.
If you want more control, if youwant to harness the superpower
that you have to make it do themost good in the world for
yourself and for the world, thenyou have to make an intentional
choice.
And it doesn't have to be thisrevolutionary change, like you
said, small steps.
Yeah.
Little steps, little tweaks thatcan get you to a whole different
(16:57):
place that you don't even knowit's possible right now because
I call it the tornado ofoverwhelm.
But you have to create clarityfor yourself, which means you
have to step out of the tornadointentionally.
And create that for yourself.
It doesn't just come to you.
It is created and that issomething that you have the
power to do if you're willing todo that and invest in that in
(17:18):
time, a little bit of moneyprobably with Cindy.
But those are the things thatcan really help you get your
life to a place where you'reproud of the work you're doing.
I felt an incredible amount ofshame.
Because I knew I was smart.
I was always told this, she's sosmart, but she doesn't focus.
She's so smart.
But she rushes through her work.
Cindy (17:38):
And that shame is huge because there's this sense that
we're always letting somebodydown and that person a lot of
times is yourself
Beverly (17:46):
and the expectations of the world around us of how we
should be.
You end up shooting all overyourself, Cindy.
Cindy (17:52):
Yeah.
And if we break promises, it'snot because we meant to, it's
because we forgot something, andso there's a lot of that I work
on with my clients because thatexpectation that the world puts
on you and that you put onyourself is huge.
Beverly (18:05):
And it goes hand in hand with perfectionism, the
expectation, the perfectionism.
So what do you think is thebiggest aspect of your approach
to business as a business ownerhas evolved the most and what
has inspired the change asyou've evolved?
Cindy (18:19):
The pandemic has affected online businesses.
There's different things likethat I had to learn to pivot and
adapt to.
When I started, nobody reallyheard of ADHD coaches.
Now, ADHD is trendy.
You got all these people onTikTok trying to act like they
know what they're talking aboutand they really don't.
So that's made it a little moredifficult.
What I've learned, and one ofthe things that I'm continuing
(18:42):
to grow into is focusing onthose high impact tasks.
Not everything.
You can't work off a giant to-dolist.
Not everything is equallyimportant.
If you're an entrepreneur, 80%or more of your activities need
to be revenue producing in someway, whether directly or leading
to that.
And if you're spending two hourson Canva trying to get the
(19:04):
perfect font and color for asocial media post, that is not a
good use of your time And theother thing is just learning to
manage distractions.
I have a keynote speech where Ikind of joke, I say, I'm just
gonna check my phone and beforeyou know it, 30 minutes have
passed and I've, all I've doneis watch puppy yoga videos, and
it's so easy to put off what weneed to do.
(19:25):
And that's why I help peoplematch their energy levels to
their high impact tasks andtheir focus.
If you're trying to do your mostimportant work when you're tired
or hungry it's not gonna beeffective.
And the opposite's true too.
If you're the most alert, mostmotivated, and then you're using
that time to check email, that'slike using a bulldozer to pull
(19:48):
up weeds from your garden.
It's a total mismatch of thetool, to the task.
That's one of the things thatI've learned to help people
with.
At first it was more just timemanagement.
Now it's more focus management.
Beverly (20:01):
It just resonates so highly with me.
And how I can structure my dayand how I focus.
Cindy (20:06):
And there may be other ADHD coaches that disagree with
me, but I do not feel like theworld owes it to us to
understand us.
A lot of people feel likeeverybody needs to understand
ADHD and accommodate completely.
And I'm more of a, I wouldrather help people adjust to the
world as it is and realize thatunless somebody else has ADHD,
(20:31):
they're probably never gonnacompletely 100% get it.
And to learn to be okay withthat.
Because everybody's different.
Everybody has things and peoplewho don't have ADHD, you
probably don't understand whatthey're dealing with either,
Beverly (20:43):
yeah.
I'll actually joke with myhusband, oh, you neurotypicals,
you don't get it.
He takes it pretty well, butit's a gentle joking, but they
do, they have differentsuperpowers, right?
Cindy (20:51):
Yeah.
And I think that's like sayingevery husband should understand
100% what it's like to be awoman.
It's just not gonna happen,instead of getting all bent
outta shape, I think learningskills and social skills, ways
to handle being misunderstood.
And learning how to be okay.
And that's why we really focuson strengths in my coaching
(21:13):
because when you're really goodat something, then that boosts
that self-esteem.
Beverly (21:18):
One of the things that I have found, Cindy, is that I
used to be like, my work shouldspeak for itself and not have to
I say anything or ask for atestimonial or anything like
that.
One thing we've done recently isask for testimonials and
feedback from clients andthey're glowing and they're on
video.
And it's one of the mostaffirming things, like I did it
for social proof for marketing,I didn't do it for myself.
(21:39):
But when we have access to thaton a regular basis the magic
that we actually are creating inthe world, it is so incredibly
affirming to your strengths andwhat you're supposed to be
doing.
Cindy (21:51):
And I think that's another thing I hear my clients
say.
That they like about my coachingis that I have ADHD, so I get
it.
Yeah.
So I'm not gonna beat them upfor things that I know are
because of their ADHD.
Beverly (22:04):
Yes.
Cindy (22:05):
And that's refreshing, to them.
Beverly (22:07):
What has been the thing that's been the most successful
for you with marketing?
Cindy (22:10):
I haven't done this recently, but when I first
started I used to do livechallenges.
And I think the reason that'shelpful is that people need to
get to know me before they wantto, hire me as their coach.
And I think that's good.
I think they should do that.
I think that's more and moreimportant now than ever.
I think with AI and deep fakesand all this stuff Yeah.
(22:32):
And all the scam artists outthere I'm always trying my
hardest to be authentic.
And people have commented thatthey really appreciate that.
I let them know a little bitabout my personal life.
I explain where I'm struggling.
I don't share strategies that Ijust read in a book somewhere.
These are, proven strategiesthat have worked for me.
(22:53):
Worked for my clients.
And if I ever share somethingthat i'm not doing, I'll say I
have not tried this, but I'veread that this is really helpful
for ADHD.
And so you might wanna try it.
I'm just so honest in some waysit probably holds me back
financially, but I just feellike my integrity, that's all I
have, I think that doing thingslike a live challenge where,
(23:13):
they see me live every day forthree to five days is helpful.
But I do a live free masterclassalmost every week.
And I have a Facebook group, Ihave a newsletter.
So I I give a lot ofinformation.
And I think that helps becausethen peoples think, she's
already provided value, so howmuch more if I paid her, which
is true.
(23:34):
I do hold back the very best forthe people who are investing
financially.
And the other thing too is thatI have testimonials as well, and
I think that helps My coachingis affordable and I think that
surprises some people.
I could probably charge more,maybe I'll up my prices
eventually.
But I have different levels andI have courses and workshops.
Like I have a workshop next weekthat's just a hundred bucks so
(23:56):
there are things a hundreddollars or less that and then
there are things a thousand ormore.
Everybody can find their place.
I don't love being on video.
I'm not like a movie star, butit helps.
People get to know me, and theyappreciate that.
So I think that helps withmarketing for sure.
Beverly (24:11):
What do you think is the biggest mistake you've made
in marketing?
Cindy (24:14):
I wasted a bunch of money on Facebook ads that didn't
work.
Beverly (24:17):
You are not alone.
Cindy (24:18):
I'm not saying all of'em didn't work, and I'm not saying
that you shouldn't buy Facebookads, but if you don't have them
set up correctly you don't havethe right audience to target,
then it's like flushing moneydown the toilet.
Beverly (24:30):
Indeed.
So this is such incredibleinsight and I love the honesty
and vulnerability of talkingabout the mistakes and also the
things that are so important.
That's just, from anentrepreneurial aspect is so
powerful.
I'm sure many people out therewho've spent money on ads that
just didn't work because itdidn't have the right system or
process in place.
And I think authenticity ishuge.
I think everybody needs to bethemselves and have high
(24:52):
integrity, but also consistency,like showing up time and again,
being visible in front of yourbrand and being authentic,
consistently.
Having a brand promise andreally showing up in that brand
promise again and again is keyin the space.
It's noisy.
It's so noisy out there.
All the stuff that's going on.
How have you stuck out from thenoise?
Cindy (25:11):
You never really know exactly what other people are
thinking.
But what I think is that one ofthe things that you said,
consistency.
I have gone live in my Facebookgroup every week for about four
years, and most people don't dothat.
I've, done things that haveprovided free value
consistently.
And I think that helps.
(25:32):
And I'm not gimmicky.
You would think that would makeme not stand out, but in some
ways it's different than otherpeople.
And so it does make me standout, maybe people who are older
and they're not really into,dancing on TikTok and stuff like
that.
They relate to me just beingstraightforward and real.
Beverly (25:50):
Be yourself.
Always We have this season's bigquestion.
What does confidence look likefor you as a business owner?
And can you share a moment whenyou realized you were truly
showing up with confidence?
Cindy (26:01):
Yeah, I think just knowing that you're making a
difference.
That's kind of part of my bigwhy.
I want to, at the end of mylife, look back and know that I
made a positive difference, thatI didn't just waste my time.
And when you get thosetestimonials, when you see the
aha moments people are havingthen you feel good.
You feel like, okay I'm doingsomething.
You only have to be a few stepsahead of the person you're
(26:23):
helping.
You don't have to be an expert.
Although I do have someexpertise in a lot of things,
but I like to know that I'm aperson who's walked the path and
found a way out.
Beverly (26:33):
Have you read Donald Miller's StoryBrand?
Cindy (26:35):
Yes.
Beverly (26:35):
That is exactly the way that we work off of when we do
marketing for other people isthis idea of the client is the
hero and you are the guide andyou've been down the path and
you know what to expect.
You can anticipate some of thechallenges.
You have some systems andsolutions for some of those
challenges because you'veliterally done it.
And I love that you said earlierthat.
(26:58):
Hey, I've tried this, it worked,and hey, I've read this and it's
worked for others.
There's two kind of sides of it,right?
So was there a moment that yourealized that you had the
confidence?
Cindy (27:08):
Last year I won a speaking contest.
I won first place and that was aboost for my confidence because
I'm trying to get more and morespeaking opportunities.
And I figure if I can stand infront of my room full of 12 year
olds every day, all day I couldtalk to adults, and I have a
sense of humor and I'll let thatcome out.
And, that boosted my confidence.
I also wrote my first book, andthat was something I'd always
(27:32):
wanted to do, so that boosted myconfidence.
Beverly (27:34):
When you were about ready to do your speech, were
you scared?
Cindy (27:36):
Yeah, a little bit.
Beverly (27:37):
So, I say confidence is built little steps at a time and
overcoming some of those fears,a step at a time.
It's okay, I'm gonna sign up forthis thing and then I have to do
this thing.
Whatever the thing is for you isthe speech.
It might be doing the live forsomebody else And doing it again
and doing it again.
And then it's not so scarybecause you've done it.
Even to get to that speechwinning contest, I'm assuming
(27:58):
that you did other things beforethat, like you did little
speeches, it wasn't like thisone speech and you just killed
it, which would be great if youdid, but I'm sure there was
other things you did to preparesmaller things to get you to
there.
What were some of those smallerthings that got you there?
Cindy (28:11):
It wasn't my first speaking contest, I just won
that one.
And each time I would getfeedback and make improvements.
And when I look back on oldcourses that I recorded or
things like that, I was terribleon video and I'm still not as
good as I need to be.
But definitely you do improve asyou learn,
Beverly (28:31):
yes.
Just keep doing it.
If you do it a hundred times,gosh the transformation will be
amazing.
Nobody started off perfect, Italk about Mr.
Beast, he's one of the mostpopular YouTubers.
He did a thousand videos beforehe hit.
And by the end of the a thousandvideos, who was an expert on
YouTube videos, he was becausehe did a thousand videos and now
his million dollar challengesand all kinds of things he has
(28:54):
because of sponsors.
That is because he wasconsistent, persistent, and
willing to take the steps.
I use the example, Cindy, of theLion and Wizard of Oz.
So I have a lot of Wizard of Oz.
So the tornado overwhelm, theflying Monkeys of Distractions.
But the lion, he said he neededcourage.
Confidence and courage.
He was scared, but yet all alongthe journey, who was the one
(29:15):
that was being brave and sayingwe should do this thing And he
was the one that was protectinghis friends.
And.
It was all those little momentsthat showed that he had the
courage.
It wasn't some big moment.
It's all the little steps alongthe way that get you there.
That's the building of theconfidence.
And I think it's so powerful andimportant when you have some of
those milestones, like you wannacontest that you sit in your win
(29:37):
a little bit.
So congratulations on your win.
And I hope that you sat in itbecause it's important to sit in
those wins and to understand howfar you've come.
So if you're enjoying thisconversation with Cindy and
myself, about confidence andbusy brains, I would love for
you to hit that follow button sothat you never miss another
episode.
And if you're loving thisconversation, please leave us a
(29:59):
review because it really helpsmore people discover the magic.
We know your time here on Earthis very important, and when you
spend it with us, we reallyappreciate it and we are so glad
that you are here and you'relistening with us today.
So the next segment that wehave, Cindy, is my magic hat
segment.
And in the hat there are tons ofquestions.
It's more of a rapid fire style.
(30:20):
So, do you have anunconventional tool or app that
has become your secret weapon?
Cindy (30:24):
My CRM that I use is built on go high level.
And it's amazing and it justdoes so many different things,
and if your listeners areinterested, I can give them more
information about it.
They can get in touch with me.
I don't know if I have a link,but, I could connect them with
the person who does.
Beverly (30:40):
How do you keep your entrepreneurial spirit alive?
Cindy (30:42):
I'm in a coaching program myself, and so I think that
accountability and meeting withpeople on Zoom and seeing what
they're doing and beingencouraged, that keeps me going.
Beverly (30:54):
Tell me about a time when you had to pivot.
What did you learn?
Cindy (30:57):
As I mentioned I think things are different now when it
comes to online marketing.
I think it takes longer to buildtrust with people.
So I'm really just trying tobuild relationships more than I
did in the past.
More Personal touch.
Even a phone call.
Beverly (31:14):
What's something in your business that brings you
pure joy?
Cindy (31:17):
Just helping people.
I love to be creative, but itdoesn't really bring me the joy
if it's not helping anybody.
So if I create something andthen somebody really finds
benefit from it that'sencouraging.
Beverly (31:29):
So tell me what exactly your coaching is and how it
helps others
Cindy (31:34):
It's based on my book Focus to Fortune.
The whole idea is that youmanage your focus, you're going
to make more money in yourbusiness, you're gonna reach
your personal goals.
So the coaching is a hybridprogram.
It's a combination ofself-paced, recorded videos,
live teaching, and.
Zoom calls.
On the Zoom calls we do threethings.
(31:55):
We share wins, challenges thatthey want me to troubleshoot
with them.
And goals things that they wannabe held accountable for.
And there's a lot more peoplewho are in the higher level of
coaching, they get anythingextra that I do.
They get that for free.
There's a VIP Facebook group,there's a lot more.
But those are the main things.
Beverly (32:13):
Wonderful.
have a wand For those listening.
It's pink and purpley and it hassparkles in it.
The magic wand has magicalpowers and it's gonna help us
time travel today.
And I'm going to wave the wandand it's gonna take us back to
the day that you graduated fromhigh school.
A very young Cindy who'sprobably trying to figure out
the world.
So what advice would you giveyour newly graduated self?
Cindy (32:33):
Don't waste your time trying to please people you
don't even like.
Beverly (32:37):
It's exhausting trying to do that.
If your younger self could seeyou now where you are today,
what would she say to you?
Cindy (32:44):
You go, girl! Nobody's life ever completely turns out
like they expected good or bad.
But I think I would be proud ofwhere I am today.
Beverly (32:53):
What would she be most proud about?
Cindy (32:54):
I guess just making a difference.
Beverly (32:56):
I love that.
Okay, I'm gonna wave the wand,I'm gonna take us way into the
future.
What is it that you want peopleto remember the most about
working with you?
Cindy (33:06):
There's a lot of choices, but my program is not like
anything else out there.
And I intentionally made itdifferent because I didn't wanna
try to compete with otherpeople.
And if you're looking for hightouch VIP mentorship with
somebody who gets it, I have amaster's in counseling.
I have years of counseling andteaching experience.
(33:26):
I know how to break things downinto understandable concepts.
And I know how to create acommunity that's super
supportive.
And that's what you'll find.
Love to help you love to empoweryou to help yourself.
I think that's the key.
Beverly (33:39):
So at your eulogy, what do you think will be your most
significant legacy or impact?
Cindy (33:44):
This is kinda strained away from business a little bit,
but I would hope that peoplewould be pointed to Jesus
Christ, and not because I'mperfect, but because I am not
perfect and have a personalrelationship with him.
And that people would see thatthat made a difference in my
life and that they would beencouraged and inspired by that.
Beverly (34:02):
Everyone needs a little bit of light and love, and
there's no question in that forsure.
So I'm gonna wave my wand, andwe're gonna come back to today,
and I would love for you to giveour listeners, as small business
owners, those aspiringentrepreneurs who are trying to
build their confidence in howthey show up and run their
business.
What is a tip that you couldgive to them today that they
could maybe even go do rightafter they listen to this
(34:24):
podcast?
Cindy (34:24):
One of the things that I tell people to do is a, write
down your top three high impacttasks that you need to do.
One to three.
No more than three.
You can have more than that onyour to-do list.
So if the rest of your day goesawry, you've already won because
you did your three mostimportant things.
And so you give those your 100%of your best focus time.
(34:47):
And that really helps because ifyou're just trying to do
everything, then you're gonnagrab for the low hanging fruit,
you're gonna do the easy stuffthat doesn't require a lot of
concentration, if there'ssomething big and complicated
and overwhelming, break it downinto tiny little steps and take
one of those steps, write itdown.
And that's what you do that day.
And what a little by little,you're chipping away at it so
(35:09):
you get it done
Beverly (35:10):
and before you know it, they'll have made so much
progress.
Which is amazing.
There's such great advice andsuch Great tip.
I really love that.
So please share with ourlisteners where they can learn
more about you and your businessand what's going on with your
coaching.
Cindy (35:24):
I would encourage your listeners to buy my book.
And I have a book bundle ofresources that go with the book.
So if they opt in for that theywill be on my email list and I
do not spam.
I give a once.
Every week, usually on Sunday.
Just a bunch of valuable tipsand hacks and encouragement.
And then I just let them knowabout things coming up.
(35:45):
There's a Facebook group theycould join for free, and I'll
give you all the links for that.
And my instagram is CBC CindyBaker coaching.
Beverly (35:55):
Perfect.
Thank you so much for beinghere.
This has been a really funconversation.
Something very near and dear tomy heart.
I'm so glad that were able toshare your information, share
your journey, share the wisdom,share your magic with us.
I know that our listeners aregonna walk away with feeling
inspired and ready to take someimportant action they need to
take.
I'm so grateful, Cindy, for yourtime and for the impact that
(36:15):
you're making on the world.
Cindy (36:16):
Thank you for having me.
I enjoyed it.
Beverly (36:18):
Such an incredible conversation.
I hope today's episode lit alittle bit of a fire under you
and gave you some new ideas, andmost of all, inspired you to
take the most important actionsand steps so you can have real
progress in your business.
But here is the thing.
Your message matters.
Your work matters, and the worldneeds to hear what you have to
say.
(36:38):
Marketing isn't just aboutvisibility.
It's also about all those small,consistent steps to make the
impact.
It's about connecting with theright people in a way that feels
so true to you, authentic toyou, like Cindy said.
So keep showing up.
Keep sharing your brilliance andkeep making magic in the world.
And hey, if you ever feel stuck,know that you don't have to do
(36:59):
this alone.
We're here to help you turn thatspark into a wildfire.
But until next time, I want youto keep sparking and igniting.
Did you know that adults with ADHD are 60% more
(00:03):
likely to become entrepreneurs,yet 80% say they constantly
battle procrastination andoverwhelm.
It's not about laziness.
It's about learning how to workwith your brain, not against it.
And today's guest is here toshow you how to do that.
I'm your host, Beverly Cornell,founder and fairy godmother of
brand clarity here at WickedlyBranded.
And with over 25 years ofexperience, I've helped hundreds
(00:25):
of purpose driven entrepreneursawaken their brand magic and
boldly bring it to life so thatthey can magnify their impact on
the world.
And today's guest is proof thatproductivity isn't about
perfection.
It's about learning to work withyour brain instead of against
it.
Cindy Baker is a speaker, acoach, and the founder of CBC,
Cindy Baker Coaching with notone but two master's degrees, 19
(00:48):
years as a teacher and her ownadult, ADHD diagnosis.
She turned her experience.
Into a movement.
And now she helps entrepreneursovercome overwhelm, beat that
really pesky procrastination andbecome what she calls profitable
and productive.
Cindy, welcome to the show.
Cindy (01:05):
Thank you for having me.
Good to be here.
Beverly (01:07):
I am so excited for this conversation for a couple
of reasons.
Very selfish.
I was recently diagnosed at 49with ADHD during menopause.
Everything that I had togetherall of a sudden wasn't together.
But what I found over the pastyear or so through therapy and
reading and learning.
Is that I really was able tofind a business and a model and
(01:28):
creativity in my work that isperfect for ADHD.
But I do know that so many otherpeople are struggling with that.
I think it is a superpower ifyou understand it.
So I'm so excited to hear aboutyour journey, how you got to
your diagnosis, talk about howyou went from a middle school
teacher, and actually we talkedbefore that you were actually in
Germany teaching military brats,which is near and dear to my
(01:51):
heart.
But then you went to a full-timeentrepreneur.
What was the spark that madethat shift for you?
Cindy (01:56):
I've always been entrepreneurial.
When I was a kid I had a littlebusiness where I painted
barrettes, and I would put themall displayed on a little ribbon
with numbers next to eachdesign, and my dad would drive
me around to beauty shops andhairdresser places and I would
put them there and they wouldtry to take orders for me and
(02:16):
collect the money, and then Iwould paint the barrettes.
So it's always been somethingwhere I've always had these
ideas where I could have alittle side hustle or whatever.
The catalyst for me was when myprincipal moved me into a
position that I didn't reallywanna be in.
It was a subject and a positionthat I wasn't trained for and I
thought I was ill suited for.
(02:37):
And I thought, you know what?
I don't like just being at thewhim of a boss and whatever they
need that I have to do, and Idon't have a problem with
authority.
It was just more of a, this isnot a good fit for me.
And I thought, I just wanna bemy own boss.
And so part of it was just I'vealways been in helping
professions.
I love helping people.
I wanted to do something where Icould have a little bit more
(02:59):
freedom.
And call the shots more, butalso still help people.
And about that same time I wasfiguring out that I had ADHD and
I was working with.
A lot of adolescents that hadit.
And I thought, I think I reallyrecognize these symptoms.
And at that time I didn't, thatwas pretty common knowledge that
you can get diagnosed as anadult.
But at that time, for me, it wasa new concept.
(03:20):
I only was familiar with peoplewho'd been diagnosed in
childhood.
Once I learned, that you couldbe diagnosed as an adult, I was
like, oh, I wanna go see if Ihave this.
It all just kinda came together.
But I did start it on the sidewhile I was still teaching and
have only been a full-timeentrepreneur for one year.
Beverly (03:37):
Congratulations on the first year.
So how did the ADHD diagnosis,impact your identity and how you
show up in the world?
Cindy (03:45):
I don't remember exactly how old I was.
But it was after 40 and justhaving the label, I think as I
looked back on my life throughthat lens, I was like, wow.
Things started to make sense.
I was like, oh, that's why I didthis.
Or that's why I bounced aroundand changed jobs a million times
or had no stability in my life.
(04:05):
Things like that.
In some ways that was good, butthen I really just wanted to
learn everything I could aboutadult ADHD, because it does
manifest differently.
It manifests differently inwomen.
And I'm in the age bracket thatwhen I was growing up, nobody
talked about ADHD, and when theydid, it was only in reference to
boys
Beverly (04:23):
for sure.
Cindy (04:24):
So a quiet, smart girl was just not on anybody's radar.
so it did change my identity, ina way because I thought, this is
something that I could helpother people with.
I looked back and I thought,when was I really organized and
productive?
And I tried to take what I waslearning about ADHD and what I
saw about myself and the timesthat I was successful.
I started really practicing andperfecting and finally put
(04:46):
together a framework of routinesand habits and strategies and
became really successful.
And then other people startedasking me for advice, and it
just kinda evolved from there.
Beverly (04:55):
That is where, you found your niche right?
When people have started Cindywhat is your secret?
What's the secret recipe thatyou're using?
Give me an example of how you'vehelped another entrepreneur beat
the overwhelm of ADHD and thetransformation that really stuck
with you.
That is like affirmation.
You're doing the right thing,Cindy.
Cindy (05:15):
Getting started is hard for a lot of people and so you
mentioned procrastination earlyon and, I had one lady in
particular, she wanted to launchan online course.
She was an entrepreneur and adigital marketer.
And she'd just been putting itoff because she was intimidated
by, it just seemed like a bigproject.
And she procrastinated.
(05:36):
And a little bit ofperfectionism was coming in
there.
And when we worked together tobreak it down into tiny bite
sized pieces, what is the nextstep where I'm assured of a win,
and we just broke it down likethat.
And then I helped her to workwith her energy levels.
So she wasn't trying to do thethings that required deep
(05:57):
concentration.
At the time of day that shewasn't at her peak energy wise.
And when that all came togetherI also teach something called
the 90 minute Sprint method.
So we implemented timed sprintswith little breaks in between
where she just gave a hundredpercent of her attention on one
high impact task.
And when those all just cametogether and she had my
(06:17):
accountability and support shedidn't just start, she got it
finished in a month, somethingthat she'd been putting off for
many months.
Things like that happen all thetime.
It just takes a few tweaks hereand there.
Beverly (06:29):
I'm a high performer and understanding your peak
performance.
Tips, tricks, tactics to reallymaximize my focus.
My thing is I can get veryhyper-focused and forget.
All sense of time and pleasedon't interrupt me when I'm in
my flow, because I will get verycranky and all the things, and
I'm in this space of just, Icall it magic.
(06:50):
What I've learned over theyears, and I'm sure other
entrepreneurs as well, is Ireally focus into the things
that drive me versus drain me.
The things that I procrastinatehistorically, probably I need to
hire someone to help me so thatI can be accountable for that.
So the first thing I did wasbook a bookkeeper.
I gotta make sure my books aregood.
I gotta make sure I pay mytaxes.
I can't procrastinate that.
(07:11):
Or there'll be huge penalties onthat.
Another thing that's reallyhelped me and maybe this is part
of your system, is AI to breakthose tasks down.
So we have quarterly goals orrocks within my company, and we
will take that rock.
We have 12 weeks and whateverthe task is, let's say it's to
do a Pinterest audit on all ofour Pinterest boards, and we'll
(07:32):
ask AI to break it down into 10week tasks so that it is more
bite-sized.
Yeah, it is more doable.
And with tools like AI now, thatwasn't a thing when I was a kid
to break a task down into 10steps.
There wasn't the ability to dothat.
But that is a really great wayto use AI to help you as an
assistant to break those tasksdown When I focus, I can get so
(07:53):
much stuff done, Cindy, like Iam.
A machine and my team all jokeabout it.
But it's because I'm sittingmore in my zone of genius and
understanding when I sit there,like in the mornings is my time.
In the afternoon.
I need to do like more justrepetitive kind of tasks, not so
much brain power tasks.
So I know that about myself andit's like such a self-awareness
of your strengths and reallyleaning into your strengths.
(08:16):
There's days when I just don'tfeel it, Cindy.
And actually giving myself somepermission to not force myself
to do something if I don't haveto on those days.
I have learned that I can createthe exact business I need.
ADHD to me has been like ajourney of understanding just
how my brain works and when andwhere I am the most productive
(08:37):
and where I have my mostchallenges.
And if I have challenges ordrainers.
Who can I have asaccountability?
The bookkeeper, my assistant, acoach.
I have a coach and I have atherapist too.
So all the people to help me beas high performing as possible
so that I can reach the goalsthat I want for my life.
So I think that's awesomebecause people need you.
Because there's so many of usthat are even undiagnosed, that
(08:59):
are high performers and strugglewith perfectionism and time
management and all the things wetalked about.
Cindy (09:04):
If your listeners can relate to you you're like my
perfect client because I do workwith high performing people
who've been recently diagnosedwith ADHD.
And you're doing a lot of theright things, but I think the
mistake a lot of people make isthey think I just need to learn
more.
I need more information.
I need to learn what ADHD is.
(09:24):
'cause this is new to me and Ineed to, figure out how to work
with my brain and all that'sgreat.
But strategies alone are notenough.
You have to have somebody helpyou take those strategies and
create a structure that fitsyour particular situation.
Yes.
And that's why I have a groupcoaching program.
(09:44):
I do help individuals too, but Inever let my group get very big
because I like to individualizethings for people.
And so I always say they needthree S's.
You need the strategy, you needthe structure, but you also need
the support.
And it's more than justaccountability, but it's also
somebody coming alongside andgiving you feedback as you go.
(10:06):
So for instance, if I were toteach somebody how to swim,
let's say, I could explain it.
I could give you all theinformation.
I could even show you a video ofsomebody else doing it.
But what you really need tolearn how to swim is to swim
while there's an instructorthere telling you.
Okay.
You need to turn your head more,reach your arm out further.
(10:27):
Because you need that feedbackas you go.
And I think that's the mistake alot of people make is they think
I don't wanna invest incoaching.
Or they think I just need abusiness coach.
'cause that's the mostimportant.
I wanna make money.
But the thing is, if you don'tknow how to manage your ADHD
symptoms, you're gonna wasteyour money on a business
coaching program because you'renot gonna keep up.
(10:48):
You'll miss the calls, you won'tdo the work, and so I do a
little bit of both.
I do a little bit of businesscoaching, but it's more about
helping the person manage theirfocus, which I think is more
important than managing yourtime.
Because people say I just wish Ihad more hours in the day.
You don't need more hours in theday.
'cause if you had more hours inthe day, you'd spend them
exactly like you spending thehours you have now.
(11:10):
You just need to do what reallymatters with the hours that you
do have.
Yes.
And I think that's the key ishelping people identify
priorities, and how to move pastperfectionism and
procrastination.
And, you mentioned sometimes I'mjust not feeling it and that's
fine.
And I'm the same way.
But some people think they haveto feel it all the time in order
(11:33):
to take any action I always saywaiting for motivation is never
a good strategy because ifyou're relying on an emotion,
you're never gonna get anythingdone.
You have to be able to take anaction before you feel
motivated.
And then the interesting thingis the motivation comes later.
The momentum kicks in and thedopamine hits.
(11:53):
And you start to get in yourflow.
But that's what I help peoplewith because you can read all
about ADHD for free online,there's tons of information, but
if you want to really get thingsdone faster and easier you need
a coach.
Beverly (12:09):
You said I'm the perfect client.
Some of my listeners probablyare, most of my clients are very
similar to me, and that's onpurpose.
I've been on a journey.
I find people who have been on asimilar journey and I'm a guide
for them just like you are.
I help them see themselves inways they didn't see themselves
before.
And I give them systems andstructure and simplify what
they're doing And really leaninto who they are and their
(12:30):
magic to be able to focus, onmarketing.
It's very similar and I thinkcomes from my personal journey.
I was an accidentalentrepreneur.
I was a VP of marketing.
I married my active dutyhusband, and now I had to have
my career be as mobile as myhusband's job.
So I had to take my show on theroad.
And when I did that, I learnedlike the structure of not going
(12:50):
to work every day, not having anactual time start, not having a
commute.
Like all these things I had tore-figure out as an entrepreneur
and I didn't have a plan.
And what happened was, is mycustomer started building my
business, great money's comingin, referrals, all the things.
But before you know it, mybusiness was not even like what
(13:10):
I anticipated it would be.
And it was like draining thelife force out of me.
But I had to take a step back.
Then I was able to grow.
Now I have a team.
There's just so much more that'shappened since I made those
decisions.
But it really was all aboutfocus.
And that's what we really helpour entrepreneurs do, is get
really focused into the zone ofgenius, into their most
passionate place, into the placethat has joy.
(13:33):
The work that we're doing isactually helping so many more
entrepreneurs magnify theirimpact in a way that they didn't
even know is possible.
If you're listening right nowand this is all feeling like
you, like you're just stressedout, burnt out, overwhelmed.
I call'em the monkeys ofdistraction, the flying monkeys
of fear and doubt andperfectionism and overwhelm.
And the burnout.
back in the day when I wasfeeling this way, I was talking
(13:54):
about the exact same things tomy other entrepreneur friends.
Share this episode with thembecause we're all in it to get
better and evolve and all thethings.
Your sharing this episode is agift to them and may give them
the golden nugget or the rightcontact.
Maybe Cindy's the perfect personto help them, or she has a
perfect person to help them.
This is an opportunity to givethat gift of focus and
(14:17):
motivation and living more inthe zone of genius and what I
call is joy.
Just joy in the work that you'redoing.
And I think we have such a shortlife on this planet that the
more you can sit in your joy,the better we're gonna be, the
better your business will be.
So I love that you wanna helppeople in that respect because
it's so frustrating when you'reworking against your gifts as
(14:39):
opposed to in your gifts and youhave the structures and system
and the coach to help you.
Cindy (14:44):
And you know, what's fulfilling to me is when I see
the hope in somebody's eyes,when they realize there's
another way to live.
And I believe we were created onpurpose.
And I believe that we were notmeant to live all stressed out
all the time.
Beverly (15:00):
No.
Cindy (15:01):
And some people have just accepted that as their fate.
Beverly (15:04):
Hustle culture is like a thing.
Cindy (15:06):
I have ADHD I've always struggled and just because
you've always struggled doesn'tmean you're broken.
You're not broken.
Your listeners, they're notbroken.
They just have been using abroken system, one that does not
work for their brain
Beverly (15:22):
say it Louder for the kids in the back
Cindy (15:23):
You're not broken.
You are just using a system thatis not working for your brain.
And, there's another way,there's another way to live.
There's a way where you canactually not just survive with
ADHD, but Thrive and likeBeverly said, actually channel
some of those positive traits asyour superpower, like hyper
(15:44):
focus and creativity and problemsolving.
And there are tons of supersuccessful entrepreneurs that
actually attribute their successto having ADHD, I think of like
Sir Richard Branson.
He's been interviewed a lotwhere he says my ADHD brain is
what has caused the success.
In my coaching I help peoplemanage the challenges because
(16:06):
they can be managed, theirlearned skills, but I also help
them find their strengths.
And we have a saying calledthree P power, positive,
prepared, productive.
And the positive is huge.
I'm in some of these.
ADHD support groups, Facebookgroups or whatever, and they're
just big wine fests.
People complaining, oh my gosh,my life is a train wreck because
(16:29):
I have ADHD.
And I'm like, no, your life is atrain wreck because you made
stupid choices.
Beverly (16:34):
They have a choice of the next step of what they're
gonna do.
Yeah.
If you want more control, if youwant to harness the superpower
that you have to make it do themost good in the world for
yourself and for the world, thenyou have to make an intentional
choice.
And it doesn't have to be thisrevolutionary change, like you
said, small steps.
Yeah.
Little steps, little tweaks thatcan get you to a whole different
(16:57):
place that you don't even knowit's possible right now because
I call it the tornado ofoverwhelm.
But you have to create clarityfor yourself, which means you
have to step out of the tornadointentionally.
And create that for yourself.
It doesn't just come to you.
It is created and that issomething that you have the
power to do if you're willing todo that and invest in that in
(17:18):
time, a little bit of moneyprobably with Cindy.
But those are the things thatcan really help you get your
life to a place where you'reproud of the work you're doing.
I felt an incredible amount ofshame.
Because I knew I was smart.
I was always told this, she's sosmart, but she doesn't focus.
She's so smart.
But she rushes through her work.
Cindy (17:38):
And that shame is huge because there's this sense that
we're always letting somebodydown and that person a lot of
times is yourself
Beverly (17:46):
and the expectations of the world around us of how we
should be.
You end up shooting all overyourself, Cindy.
Cindy (17:52):
Yeah.
And if we break promises, it'snot because we meant to, it's
because we forgot something, andso there's a lot of that I work
on with my clients because thatexpectation that the world puts
on you and that you put onyourself is huge.
Beverly (18:05):
And it goes hand in hand with perfectionism, the
expectation, the perfectionism.
So what do you think is thebiggest aspect of your approach
to business as a business ownerhas evolved the most and what
has inspired the change asyou've evolved?
Cindy (18:19):
The pandemic has affected online businesses.
There's different things likethat I had to learn to pivot and
adapt to.
When I started, nobody reallyheard of ADHD coaches.
Now, ADHD is trendy.
You got all these people onTikTok trying to act like they
know what they're talking aboutand they really don't.
So that's made it a little moredifficult.
What I've learned, and one ofthe things that I'm continuing
(18:42):
to grow into is focusing onthose high impact tasks.
Not everything.
You can't work off a giant to-dolist.
Not everything is equallyimportant.
If you're an entrepreneur, 80%or more of your activities need
to be revenue producing in someway, whether directly or leading
to that.
And if you're spending two hourson Canva trying to get the
(19:04):
perfect font and color for asocial media post, that is not a
good use of your time And theother thing is just learning to
manage distractions.
I have a keynote speech where Ikind of joke, I say, I'm just
gonna check my phone and beforeyou know it, 30 minutes have
passed and I've, all I've doneis watch puppy yoga videos, and
it's so easy to put off what weneed to do.
(19:25):
And that's why I help peoplematch their energy levels to
their high impact tasks andtheir focus.
If you're trying to do your mostimportant work when you're tired
or hungry it's not gonna beeffective.
And the opposite's true too.
If you're the most alert, mostmotivated, and then you're using
that time to check email, that'slike using a bulldozer to pull
(19:48):
up weeds from your garden.
It's a total mismatch of thetool, to the task.
That's one of the things thatI've learned to help people
with.
At first it was more just timemanagement.
Now it's more focus management.
Beverly (20:01):
It just resonates so highly with me.
And how I can structure my dayand how I focus.
Cindy (20:06):
And there may be other ADHD coaches that disagree with
me, but I do not feel like theworld owes it to us to
understand us.
A lot of people feel likeeverybody needs to understand
ADHD and accommodate completely.
And I'm more of a, I wouldrather help people adjust to the
world as it is and realize thatunless somebody else has ADHD,
(20:31):
they're probably never gonnacompletely 100% get it.
And to learn to be okay withthat.
Because everybody's different.
Everybody has things and peoplewho don't have ADHD, you
probably don't understand whatthey're dealing with either,
Beverly (20:43):
yeah.
I'll actually joke with myhusband, oh, you neurotypicals,
you don't get it.
He takes it pretty well, butit's a gentle joking, but they
do, they have differentsuperpowers, right?
Cindy (20:51):
Yeah.
And I think that's like sayingevery husband should understand
100% what it's like to be awoman.
It's just not gonna happen,instead of getting all bent
outta shape, I think learningskills and social skills, ways
to handle being misunderstood.
And learning how to be okay.
And that's why we really focuson strengths in my coaching
(21:13):
because when you're really goodat something, then that boosts
that self-esteem.
Beverly (21:18):
One of the things that I have found, Cindy, is that I
used to be like, my work shouldspeak for itself and not have to
I say anything or ask for atestimonial or anything like
that.
One thing we've done recently isask for testimonials and
feedback from clients andthey're glowing and they're on
video.
And it's one of the mostaffirming things, like I did it
for social proof for marketing,I didn't do it for myself.
(21:39):
But when we have access to thaton a regular basis the magic
that we actually are creating inthe world, it is so incredibly
affirming to your strengths andwhat you're supposed to be
doing.
Cindy (21:51):
And I think that's another thing I hear my clients
say.
That they like about my coachingis that I have ADHD, so I get
it.
Yeah.
So I'm not gonna beat them upfor things that I know are
because of their ADHD.
Beverly (22:04):
Yes.
Cindy (22:05):
And that's refreshing, to them.
Beverly (22:07):
What has been the thing that's been the most successful
for you with marketing?
Cindy (22:10):
I haven't done this recently, but when I first
started I used to do livechallenges.
And I think the reason that'shelpful is that people need to
get to know me before they wantto, hire me as their coach.
And I think that's good.
I think they should do that.
I think that's more and moreimportant now than ever.
I think with AI and deep fakesand all this stuff Yeah.
(22:32):
And all the scam artists outthere I'm always trying my
hardest to be authentic.
And people have commented thatthey really appreciate that.
I let them know a little bitabout my personal life.
I explain where I'm struggling.
I don't share strategies that Ijust read in a book somewhere.
These are, proven strategiesthat have worked for me.
(22:53):
Worked for my clients.
And if I ever share somethingthat i'm not doing, I'll say I
have not tried this, but I'veread that this is really helpful
for ADHD.
And so you might wanna try it.
I'm just so honest in some waysit probably holds me back
financially, but I just feellike my integrity, that's all I
have, I think that doing thingslike a live challenge where,
(23:13):
they see me live every day forthree to five days is helpful.
But I do a live free masterclassalmost every week.
And I have a Facebook group, Ihave a newsletter.
So I I give a lot ofinformation.
And I think that helps becausethen peoples think, she's
already provided value, so howmuch more if I paid her, which
is true.
(23:34):
I do hold back the very best forthe people who are investing
financially.
And the other thing too is thatI have testimonials as well, and
I think that helps My coachingis affordable and I think that
surprises some people.
I could probably charge more,maybe I'll up my prices
eventually.
But I have different levels andI have courses and workshops.
Like I have a workshop next weekthat's just a hundred bucks so
(23:56):
there are things a hundreddollars or less that and then
there are things a thousand ormore.
Everybody can find their place.
I don't love being on video.
I'm not like a movie star, butit helps.
People get to know me, and theyappreciate that.
So I think that helps withmarketing for sure.
Beverly (24:11):
What do you think is the biggest mistake you've made
in marketing?
Cindy (24:14):
I wasted a bunch of money on Facebook ads that didn't
work.
Beverly (24:17):
You are not alone.
Cindy (24:18):
I'm not saying all of'em didn't work, and I'm not saying
that you shouldn't buy Facebookads, but if you don't have them
set up correctly you don't havethe right audience to target,
then it's like flushing moneydown the toilet.
Beverly (24:30):
Indeed.
So this is such incredibleinsight and I love the honesty
and vulnerability of talkingabout the mistakes and also the
things that are so important.
That's just, from anentrepreneurial aspect is so
powerful.
I'm sure many people out therewho've spent money on ads that
just didn't work because itdidn't have the right system or
process in place.
And I think authenticity ishuge.
I think everybody needs to bethemselves and have high
(24:52):
integrity, but also consistency,like showing up time and again,
being visible in front of yourbrand and being authentic,
consistently.
Having a brand promise andreally showing up in that brand
promise again and again is keyin the space.
It's noisy.
It's so noisy out there.
All the stuff that's going on.
How have you stuck out from thenoise?
Cindy (25:11):
You never really know exactly what other people are
thinking.
But what I think is that one ofthe things that you said,
consistency.
I have gone live in my Facebookgroup every week for about four
years, and most people don't dothat.
I've, done things that haveprovided free value
consistently.
And I think that helps.
(25:32):
And I'm not gimmicky.
You would think that would makeme not stand out, but in some
ways it's different than otherpeople.
And so it does make me standout, maybe people who are older
and they're not really into,dancing on TikTok and stuff like
that.
They relate to me just beingstraightforward and real.
Beverly (25:50):
Be yourself.
Always We have this season's bigquestion.
What does confidence look likefor you as a business owner?
And can you share a moment whenyou realized you were truly
showing up with confidence?
Cindy (26:01):
Yeah, I think just knowing that you're making a
difference.
That's kind of part of my bigwhy.
I want to, at the end of mylife, look back and know that I
made a positive difference, thatI didn't just waste my time.
And when you get thosetestimonials, when you see the
aha moments people are havingthen you feel good.
You feel like, okay I'm doingsomething.
You only have to be a few stepsahead of the person you're
(26:23):
helping.
You don't have to be an expert.
Although I do have someexpertise in a lot of things,
but I like to know that I'm aperson who's walked the path and
found a way out.
Beverly (26:33):
Have you read Donald Miller's StoryBrand?
Cindy (26:35):
Yes.
Beverly (26:35):
That is exactly the way that we work off of when we do
marketing for other people isthis idea of the client is the
hero and you are the guide andyou've been down the path and
you know what to expect.
You can anticipate some of thechallenges.
You have some systems andsolutions for some of those
challenges because you'veliterally done it.
And I love that you said earlierthat.
(26:58):
Hey, I've tried this, it worked,and hey, I've read this and it's
worked for others.
There's two kind of sides of it,right?
So was there a moment that yourealized that you had the
confidence?
Cindy (27:08):
Last year I won a speaking contest.
I won first place and that was aboost for my confidence because
I'm trying to get more and morespeaking opportunities.
And I figure if I can stand infront of my room full of 12 year
olds every day, all day I couldtalk to adults, and I have a
sense of humor and I'll let thatcome out.
And, that boosted my confidence.
I also wrote my first book, andthat was something I'd always
(27:32):
wanted to do, so that boosted myconfidence.
Beverly (27:34):
When you were about ready to do your speech, were
you scared?
Cindy (27:36):
Yeah, a little bit.
Beverly (27:37):
So, I say confidence is built little steps at a time and
overcoming some of those fears,a step at a time.
It's okay, I'm gonna sign up forthis thing and then I have to do
this thing.
Whatever the thing is for you isthe speech.
It might be doing the live forsomebody else And doing it again
and doing it again.
And then it's not so scarybecause you've done it.
Even to get to that speechwinning contest, I'm assuming
(27:58):
that you did other things beforethat, like you did little
speeches, it wasn't like thisone speech and you just killed
it, which would be great if youdid, but I'm sure there was
other things you did to preparesmaller things to get you to
there.
What were some of those smallerthings that got you there?
Cindy (28:11):
It wasn't my first speaking contest, I just won
that one.
And each time I would getfeedback and make improvements.
And when I look back on oldcourses that I recorded or
things like that, I was terribleon video and I'm still not as
good as I need to be.
But definitely you do improve asyou learn,
Beverly (28:31):
yes.
Just keep doing it.
If you do it a hundred times,gosh the transformation will be
amazing.
Nobody started off perfect, Italk about Mr.
Beast, he's one of the mostpopular YouTubers.
He did a thousand videos beforehe hit.
And by the end of the a thousandvideos, who was an expert on
YouTube videos, he was becausehe did a thousand videos and now
his million dollar challengesand all kinds of things he has
(28:54):
because of sponsors.
That is because he wasconsistent, persistent, and
willing to take the steps.
I use the example, Cindy, of theLion and Wizard of Oz.
So I have a lot of Wizard of Oz.
So the tornado overwhelm, theflying Monkeys of Distractions.
But the lion, he said he neededcourage.
Confidence and courage.
He was scared, but yet all alongthe journey, who was the one
(29:15):
that was being brave and sayingwe should do this thing And he
was the one that was protectinghis friends.
And.
It was all those little momentsthat showed that he had the
courage.
It wasn't some big moment.
It's all the little steps alongthe way that get you there.
That's the building of theconfidence.
And I think it's so powerful andimportant when you have some of
those milestones, like you wannacontest that you sit in your win
(29:37):
a little bit.
So congratulations on your win.
And I hope that you sat in itbecause it's important to sit in
those wins and to understand howfar you've come.
So if you're enjoying thisconversation with Cindy and
myself, about confidence andbusy brains, I would love for
you to hit that follow button sothat you never miss another
episode.
And if you're loving thisconversation, please leave us a
(29:59):
review because it really helpsmore people discover the magic.
We know your time here on Earthis very important, and when you
spend it with us, we reallyappreciate it and we are so glad
that you are here and you'relistening with us today.
So the next segment that wehave, Cindy, is my magic hat
segment.
And in the hat there are tons ofquestions.
It's more of a rapid fire style.
(30:20):
So, do you have anunconventional tool or app that
has become your secret weapon?
Cindy (30:24):
My CRM that I use is built on go high level.
And it's amazing and it justdoes so many different things,
and if your listeners areinterested, I can give them more
information about it.
They can get in touch with me.
I don't know if I have a link,but, I could connect them with
the person who does.
Beverly (30:40):
How do you keep your entrepreneurial spirit alive?
Cindy (30:42):
I'm in a coaching program myself, and so I think that
accountability and meeting withpeople on Zoom and seeing what
they're doing and beingencouraged, that keeps me going.
Beverly (30:54):
Tell me about a time when you had to pivot.
What did you learn?
Cindy (30:57):
As I mentioned I think things are different now when it
comes to online marketing.
I think it takes longer to buildtrust with people.
So I'm really just trying tobuild relationships more than I
did in the past.
More Personal touch.
Even a phone call.
Beverly (31:14):
What's something in your business that brings you
pure joy?
Cindy (31:17):
Just helping people.
I love to be creative, but itdoesn't really bring me the joy
if it's not helping anybody.
So if I create something andthen somebody really finds
benefit from it that'sencouraging.
Beverly (31:29):
So tell me what exactly your coaching is and how it
helps others
Cindy (31:34):
It's based on my book Focus to Fortune.
The whole idea is that youmanage your focus, you're going
to make more money in yourbusiness, you're gonna reach
your personal goals.
So the coaching is a hybridprogram.
It's a combination ofself-paced, recorded videos,
live teaching, and.
Zoom calls.
On the Zoom calls we do threethings.
(31:55):
We share wins, challenges thatthey want me to troubleshoot
with them.
And goals things that they wannabe held accountable for.
And there's a lot more peoplewho are in the higher level of
coaching, they get anythingextra that I do.
They get that for free.
There's a VIP Facebook group,there's a lot more.
But those are the main things.
Beverly (32:13):
Wonderful.
have a wand For those listening.
It's pink and purpley and it hassparkles in it.
The magic wand has magicalpowers and it's gonna help us
time travel today.
And I'm going to wave the wandand it's gonna take us back to
the day that you graduated fromhigh school.
A very young Cindy who'sprobably trying to figure out
the world.
So what advice would you giveyour newly graduated self?
Cindy (32:33):
Don't waste your time trying to please people you
don't even like.
Beverly (32:37):
It's exhausting trying to do that.
If your younger self could seeyou now where you are today,
what would she say to you?
Cindy (32:44):
You go, girl! Nobody's life ever completely turns out
like they expected good or bad.
But I think I would be proud ofwhere I am today.
Beverly (32:53):
What would she be most proud about?
Cindy (32:54):
I guess just making a difference.
Beverly (32:56):
I love that.
Okay, I'm gonna wave the wand,I'm gonna take us way into the
future.
What is it that you want peopleto remember the most about
working with you?
Cindy (33:06):
There's a lot of choices, but my program is not like
anything else out there.
And I intentionally made itdifferent because I didn't wanna
try to compete with otherpeople.
And if you're looking for hightouch VIP mentorship with
somebody who gets it, I have amaster's in counseling.
I have years of counseling andteaching experience.
(33:26):
I know how to break things downinto understandable concepts.
And I know how to create acommunity that's super
supportive.
And that's what you'll find.
Love to help you love to empoweryou to help yourself.
I think that's the key.
Beverly (33:39):
So at your eulogy, what do you think will be your most
significant legacy or impact?
Cindy (33:44):
This is kinda strained away from business a little bit,
but I would hope that peoplewould be pointed to Jesus
Christ, and not because I'mperfect, but because I am not
perfect and have a personalrelationship with him.
And that people would see thatthat made a difference in my
life and that they would beencouraged and inspired by that.
Beverly (34:02):
Everyone needs a little bit of light and love, and
there's no question in that forsure.
So I'm gonna wave my wand, andwe're gonna come back to today,
and I would love for you to giveour listeners, as small business
owners, those aspiringentrepreneurs who are trying to
build their confidence in howthey show up and run their
business.
What is a tip that you couldgive to them today that they
could maybe even go do rightafter they listen to this
(34:24):
podcast?
Cindy (34:24):
One of the things that I tell people to do is a, write
down your top three high impacttasks that you need to do.
One to three.
No more than three.
You can have more than that onyour to-do list.
So if the rest of your day goesawry, you've already won because
you did your three mostimportant things.
And so you give those your 100%of your best focus time.
(34:47):
And that really helps because ifyou're just trying to do
everything, then you're gonnagrab for the low hanging fruit,
you're gonna do the easy stuffthat doesn't require a lot of
concentration, if there'ssomething big and complicated
and overwhelming, break it downinto tiny little steps and take
one of those steps, write itdown.
And that's what you do that day.
And what a little by little,you're chipping away at it so
(35:09):
you get it done
Beverly (35:10):
and before you know it, they'll have made so much
progress.
Which is amazing.
There's such great advice andsuch Great tip.
I really love that.
So please share with ourlisteners where they can learn
more about you and your businessand what's going on with your
coaching.
Cindy (35:24):
I would encourage your listeners to buy my book.
And I have a book bundle ofresources that go with the book.
So if they opt in for that theywill be on my email list and I
do not spam.
I give a once.
Every week, usually on Sunday.
Just a bunch of valuable tipsand hacks and encouragement.
And then I just let them knowabout things coming up.
(35:45):
There's a Facebook group theycould join for free, and I'll
give you all the links for that.
And my instagram is CBC CindyBaker coaching.
Beverly (35:55):
Perfect.
Thank you so much for beinghere.
This has been a really funconversation.
Something very near and dear tomy heart.
I'm so glad that were able toshare your information, share
your journey, share the wisdom,share your magic with us.
I know that our listeners aregonna walk away with feeling
inspired and ready to take someimportant action they need to
take.
I'm so grateful, Cindy, for yourtime and for the impact that
(36:15):
you're making on the world.
Cindy (36:16):
Thank you for having me.
I enjoyed it.
Beverly (36:18):
Such an incredible conversation.
I hope today's episode lit alittle bit of a fire under you
and gave you some new ideas, andmost of all, inspired you to
take the most important actionsand steps so you can have real
progress in your business.
But here is the thing.
Your message matters.
Your work matters, and the worldneeds to hear what you have to
say.
(36:38):
Marketing isn't just aboutvisibility.
It's also about all those small,consistent steps to make the
impact.
It's about connecting with theright people in a way that feels
so true to you, authentic toyou, like Cindy said.
So keep showing up.
Keep sharing your brilliance andkeep making magic in the world.
And hey, if you ever feel stuck,know that you don't have to do
(36:59):
this alone.
We're here to help you turn thatspark into a wildfire.
But until next time, I want youto keep sparking and igniting.
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