Sep 17, 2019
Succeed at Anything By Understanding the Importance of Discipline 1:21 What Is Discipline? 5:05 What Does Daily Discipline Look Like? 14:14 How to Become More Disciplined 20:42 Maximizing Social Media for Your Business With Jasmine Star 40:56 Challenge to Just Be You Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Business Boutique Academy Waitlist We are opening enrollment for the Business Boutique Academy on October 25! Text the code ACADEMYWAITLIST to 33444 to sign up for the Business Boutique Academy Waitlist and be notified the moment enrollment opens! 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. I have a lot of feelings-even my feelings have feelings. The worst part is, my feelings can easily drive my actions. But you know what I've learned? If you build your business, your life, your dreams, or your goals based on feelings, you're going to be on one heck of a roller-coaster ride. One day you'll be up (excited, motivated and charging forward) and another day you'll be down (tired, disappointed and on the brink of quitting). That's why I think it's so important to talk about a skill that will help you create stability (something feelings don't have) as you reach for your goals and chase your dream. What's that skill? Discipline. I know, discipline is not an exciting topic. In fact, the word itself can have a negative connotation. You might think of the word in terms of disciplining your children or being disciplined in school or at work. But that's not the kind of discipline we're talking about. We're talking about being a disciplined person. Why is discipline important? Because discipline will help you be successful no matter what dream you're chasing-it's that simple. Related: Ep 58: Perseverance in Your Business: How to Keep Going When You Want to Give Up What Is Discipline? Like so many qualities I teach about, discipline is not a gene only some people are born with. Discipline is a choice and a skill you can learn. You can actually cultivate discipline in your own life, even if you don't feel like it comes naturally to you. The author Stephen King is a great example of this. He's written countless bestselling books- many of which have become box office hits. He says there is one reason behind his success. You guessed it: discipline. In fact, he doesn't even believe in writer's block. He says it's just an excuse writers use when they don't have any motivation to write. Talk about some tough love. Stephen King writes 10 pages a day, even on birthdays and holidays. While you definitely won't find me working on Thanksgiving or Christmas, I love the emphasis he places on the importance of discipline in making your dream a reality. I believe your success is not dependent upon your situation, your feelings, or how nice the weather is. It's dependent upon your level of discipline. I love how my friend Christine Caine puts it: Vision will inspire you, but discipline will get you there. What Does Daily Discipline Look Like? When you break it down, discipline in your day-to-day life is pretty straightforward. It looks like: Following through on what you said you were going to do, even when you don't want to Holding yourself accountable, even when no one is watching Honoring...
Sep 3, 2019
Balancing Social Media in Business and in Life 1:20 Five Ways You Can Create a Healthy Balance with Social Media 18:51 Maximizing Social Media for Your Business With Jasmine Star 40:20 Challenge to Just Be You Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Business Boutique Academy Waitlist We are opening enrollment for the Business Boutique Academy on October 25! Text the code ACADEMYWAITLIST to 33444 to sign up for the Business Boutique Academy Waitlist and be notified the moment enrollment opens! 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner The NEW Business Boutique Goal Planner is almost here! join the waitlist today by texting BBPLANNER to 33444. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Let's be honest: Social media is hard to balance. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with it, right? We love to check Instagram and know what's going on. But then we hate ourselves for wanting to check it all the time. When we open Facebook multiple times a day, we feel guilty for not paying more attention to our kids or our work. So, we swing between two extremes: being on social media all the time or feeling like we can't be on it at all. That's why I think it's so important to talk about how to balance social media. Because the truth is, social media in and of itself isn't evil. It's all in how we use it. In fact, social media has a ton of great benefits: It allows you to stay connected with family and friends who live far away. It gives you a place to share exciting updates-from new babies to new homes. It's like having a giant virtual album of multiple years of your life. It allows you to connect with different groups of people who have similar passions. When it comes to your business, it's free marketing! I want you to take advantage of these awesome benefits, but I still want to encourage you to build healthy boundaries around your screen time so it doesn't consume your life. Here are Five Ways You Can Create a Healthy Balance with Social Media: 1. Know when not to use it. There are times to use social media, and there are times not to use social media. Some examples of times you shouldn't use it are when you're: Having dinner with your family On a date with your spouse Having lunch with a friend In the middle of any kind of conversation with another human being Related: Ep 70: How to Be Content in Every Situation When you check social media while someone is trying to spend quality time with you, you communicate that they're not as important as whatever is happening on your phone. To avoid the temptation to even look down at your phone when you're spending time with someone, put it out of sight completely. Before you take out your phone to check what everyone else is doing or to post what you're doing, you can also ask yourself some important questions like: Is it more important that I know what everyone else is doing right now, or is it more important that I experience what I'm doing? Is it more important that the outside world knows what I'm doing right now, or is it more important that I experience it myself? I'm willing to bet, almost every single time, these questions are no-brainers. So put your phone down. Keep it in your purse or your pocket and be where your feet are. Be present in the moment. 2. Pick your balance. I can give you all the tips and tricks to balance social media, but at the end of the day, you have to decide the types of boundaries you need. You have to decide what time you're on and what time you're off, and what times...
Aug 20, 2019
Dream Bigger and Build the Life You Want 1:24 Why We Stop Dreaming and Three Steps to Dreaming Bigger 21:17 Pursuing Your Wildest Dreams With Bob Goff 48:47 Encouragement to Remember that God is a Personal God Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner The NEW Business Boutique Goal Planner is almost here! join the waitlist today by texting BBPLANNER to 33444. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Growing up, I had this aunt named Gloria who I thought was the coolest person around. She was beautiful, independent, drove an amazing car, and had a Rottweiler who went everywhere with her. But the coolest thing about her was that she lived on a farm by herself. She had horses, chickens, pigs, goats and everything that went along with the ideal farm life I fantasized about. To me, her life looked like the greatest life ever. I would often look at her and think, That's who I want to be. That's the kind of life I want to have. Well, fast-forward a few years to my early 20s when I was working 80 hours a week at a nonprofit. I was looking to downsize from a three-bedroom apartment with roommates to a one-bedroom apartment where I could live on my own. During my search, I came across an ad in the newspaper for a 40-acre farm for rent just two miles from my job-not exactly downsizing, but gasp! I immediately picked up the phone and called the number on the ad. It was perfect for me. Okay, so I couldn't afford the rent they were asking for, I had no idea how to run a farm, and I was working insane hours at my day job. So, if we're being completely honest, it didn't make any sense at all-everything about it was impractical. But, y'all! It was my dream to live on a farm, so you better believe I wasn't going to let "practical" stop me from pursuing it. Related: Ep 60: How to Face Your Fears and Do It Scared The next day, I went to visit the farm in person. Once I left, I scrounged up enough money for the deposit and moved in a few days later. At 23, I was living my farm dream. Sure, I had to start a side business boarding horses in the empty stalls so I could afford the rent, but I couldn't have been happier. Looking back on that experience, I could've easily missed out on living out that dream. Because the dream wasn't happening on the time line I thought it would happen on (like in my 50s when I'd have more money, a spouse and kids), it would've been easy to convince myself that it wasn't the right time. But you know what? More often than not, dreams aren't practical, and they certainly don't always come to life in practical ways. Thinking practically is just one of the many reasons our dreams get smaller and smaller as we get older. Why We Stop Dreaming It's so easy to dream when you're little, isn't it? You believe you can do anything, be anyone, and accomplish all the big dreams in your heart. But at some point, life-and other people-gets to you. You get bogged down by people telling you to do more practical things that have a guaranteed path to success. So your dreams slowly start to fade into the background. Related: Ep 74: Find Your True Self and Get Back to You And if you do dream, you play it safe. You keep your dreams small and doable so you can control and contain them. You also convince yourself that dreaming any bigger is selfish when so many people (your kids, your husband, your church, etc.) are counting on you. Does that "logic" sound familiar? So often, we women believe our heart's desires are...
Aug 6, 2019
Take Control of Your Life With the Power of Personal Responsibility 1:25 Three Reasons You Might Not Be Accepting Personal Responsibility 19:39 The Importance of Personal Responsibility with Rachel Hollis 33:12 Encouragement to Choose Could Over Should Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner The NEW Business Boutique Goal Planner is almost here! join the waitlist today by texting BBPLANNER to 33444. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Taking control of your life sounds like a nice idea, doesn't it? But let's be real: So often we feel like we actually don't have any control at all. We feel like we're tossed left and right by the seasons of life and the people in our life. You know what, though? We actually have more control than we think we do. Your situation right now might be really hard-maybe it's harder than anything you or I have ever been through. But here's the great news: That's not your only story, and it's certainly not the end of your story. You Can Take Control of Your Life If you've ever seen the hit ABC show Shark Tank, you know the story of how Daymond John built his clothing company, FUBU, from nothing. Daymond was raised by a single mother. When he was 10, he started working to help his mom make ends meet. The hip-hop movement inspired him to start a clothing line, so he started sewing sweat shirts and hats in his mother's living room. (By the way, when he first officially launched his clothing company, he was still working as a server at Red Lobster!) Today, FUBU has brought in more than six billion dollars in global sales.1 Let's look at one more example: Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. (Who else is grateful for this shapewear brand?) Nobody handed Sara her fame and fortune on a silver platter. In fact, she failed the LSAT twice, worked as a chipmunk character at Disney World, and even spent seven years selling fax machines door to door before she ever started working on her idea for Spanx. When she pitched the idea for Spanx, she was met with rejection after rejection, until finally she convinced one manufacturing company to produce her product. Today, Sara is one of America's richest self-made women.2 Do you know what stories like those reveal to me? We often fall into the trap of believing our situation is impossible to climb out of. Meanwhile, others-like Daymond and Sara-are refusing to be defined by their circumstances. Instead, they're taking control of their lives and changing the outcome. Related: Ep 70: How to Be Content in Every Situation The truth is, you have control in the good and the bad times. The way you view your life-and your belief about the amount of control you have-will have a major impact on how your life turns out, whether you reach your goals, and how your story unfolds. Your ability to take control of your life is connected to the amount of personal responsibility you're willing to take. It's also connected to the amount of determination you choose to have in your life. The important thing to note here is that taking personal responsibility for your life is more dependent on you, your choices, your beliefs and your actions than anything else going on around you. Whatever your situation, I know it's real. I'm not discounting what you're going through-I know your situation is a factor in your ability to be successful. But I also believe your circumstances should not define you. Because there is a person who can change circumstances, who can fix broken...
Jul 23, 2019
How to Be Successful at Anything by Starting Small 1:21 The Importance of Starting Small 6:06 How to Start Small 21:07 #AskChristyWright Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Give yourself permission to be a beginner. We have a bad habit of calling successful people an overnight success-as if they just woke up one day on top of the mountain. But, in most cases, that's just not true. In reality, most successful people started small doing something unimpressive. Here are just a few examples I can think of: Television pioneer Oprah Winfrey started her career as a news anchor in Nashville, Tennessee-way before it was the cool and popular city it is today.1 Y'all, she was even demoted once from an anchor job she had in Baltimore.2 (I bet that person still regrets that to this day!) And then there's self-made millionaire Dave Ramsey. He grew his business from a card table in his living room to a multimillion-dollar company with more than 850 team members-and he's helped millions get out of debt and change their family tree. Did you know that world-famous author J.K. Rowling was living on welfare when she wrote the first Harry Potter book?3 And finally, let's talk about Ellen Latham-a name many may not recognize. But I bet they recognize the name of the business she started: Orangetheory Fitness. The massively successful chain of fitness studios actually started in a spare room of Ellen's house.4 Do you see what I'm talking about? The early stages of their careers did not look impressive by any means. But, eventually, because they were consistent and refused to let their humble beginnings define them, their careers surpassed even their wildest dreams. Related: Don't Be Sorry for the Struggle The Importance of Starting Small Let's just go ahead and acknowledge that starting small is not fun. You're probably not going to update your friends about it any chance you get, or post pictures about your journey on Facebook. But you know what? Starting small is actually one of the most important steps in building your business-or anything for that matter-wisely. That's why it's so important to give yourself permission to be a beginner. Aside from the fact that it works and is proven, starting small makes your dreams and your goals so much more attainable. As you begin to think about your big dreams and goals, what usually happens? Fear creeps in, doesn't it? You start to doubt that any of your dreams are even possible, because they're just too big and overwhelming. But when you embrace the idea of starting small, your dream doesn't feel so crazy after all. How to Start Small The commitment to start small requires persistence, dedication and a go-getter attitude-qualities I know you've got in you! That's why I want to give you a few do's and don'ts that you can use as a guideline as you chase your dreams. 1. Don't wait until you're ready. "Ready" is a myth. Because let's be real-do we ever feel ready for anything in life? Related: How to Be More Confident There'll always be a new doubt or excuse that will try to convince you it's just not time yet. But the truth is, the only way you figure anything out for yourself is by doing it-by learning on the job. Early on in my career, I learned something important: Say yes before you know how. When an opportunity comes your way and you don't feel ready, qualified or educated enough, it doesn't matter. Just get out there and get moving-ready or not. 2. Do take baby...
Jul 9, 2019
How to Attract More Customers to Your Business 1:21 Four Ways to Find More Customers 17:29 Attracting New Customers to Your Business with Reina Pomeroy 33:23 Encouragement That That Will Transform Every Relationship Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. "Christy, how do I get more customers?" The most common question I'm ever asked-more than questions about social media, goal setting or time management-is how to get more customers. I get this question almost every single day. But before we go any further, I need to bust a myth you might be believing that is keeping you from getting more customers. For as long as I can remember, I've heard people say: "If you build it, they will come." How many times have you heard that line? How many times have you believed that simply creating a website meant people would visit? Or opening a store meant people would stop in? Related: Market Research: How to Know What Your Customers Want I hate to tell you this, but it's just not true. No matter what you build, customers don't show up out of the blue. Why not? Because . . . They're busy. They're distracted. They're tired. They have hundreds of other messages vying for their attention. We have to stop building these big, awesome, impressive things and wondering why customers aren't showing up. We have to do something different. Instead of sitting back and waiting for customers to come to you, it's time for you to go after your customers. You have to figure out where your ideal customers hang out and build relationships with them. And only then, when you've added value to their lives, can you invite them to become a customer. So, how do you actually do that? I've got four different tips to get you started! Four Ways to Find More Customers 1. Get scrappy. Some of you are sitting around waiting for some sophisticated formula or fool-proof plan to attract more customers. I hate to break it to you, but business doesn't work that way. Business is a science and an art, which means that while there are certainly best practices to keep in mind, there's no perfect path to success. Most business owners become successful not because they're sophisticated, but because they're really stinkin' scrappy. They're willing to get their hands dirty and try a bunch of different things to get the word out. They're willing to show up at other businesses with donuts, coffee, samples and a business card. They're not afraid to pick up the phone and do some cold calling. The bottom line is, you have to be willing to do the hard work of building relationships-and that takes a whole lot of scrappiness. 2. Get referrals. When you need your hair colored or your house cleaned, who do you want to hire? Someone you trust, right? And how do you find someone you trust? You ask your friends! Y'all, this is so important! Referrals are just another way of describing word-of-mouth marketing-the most effective form of marketing. The best part is, it's free! So, if you're not actively incentivizing your current clients to refer their friends and asking them for testimonials, you're missing out on an amazing opportunity to find new customers. 3. Improve your marketing. I want you to take a good look at your marketing efforts as a whole. Look at the different ways you're marketing your business-from your website to your social media posts and the emails you send. Then I want you to ask yourself: Is the design clean and beautiful? Is the copy clear?...
Jun 25, 2019
Practice Self-Care and Give Yourself Grace 1:22 The Importance of Making Self-Care a Priority 18:00 Giving Yourself Grace with Ashley LeMieux 44:15 Challenge to Act the Way You Want to Feel Resources Get Christy's 10 Ways to Take Care of You by filling out the form here! Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. The Importance of Making Self-Care a Priority The moment I became a momma, everything changed. My first son, Carter, was born in January of 2015, and he instantly became my entire world. This tiny human consumed my every thought, concern and desire. It was beautiful and awesome, but it was also really hard. Now, I'd gone through many hard seasons before this one. I've walked through seasons where I worked 80 hours a week, lost all my friends, and didn't have much of a life outside of work. But, for whatever reason, there's nothing quite like that feeling of losing yourself when children come into the picture. Not only do they instantly become the center of your universe, but they also just need you a lot. And that's exactly what happened to me. I lost myself when I first became a mother. I no longer felt like Christy. I no longer felt like the young, independent, fun person I'd always known myself to be. I had so many interests-and I still do-but I wasn't doing any of those things because taking care of Carter consumed my world. Related: Find Your True Self and Get Back to You I know many of you have probably experienced this as well. You begin to create habits and grooves where all you think about is your kids. That was definitely me, even more so when Conley came into the picture a very short time later. I got into a habit of identifying myself as Carter and Conley's mom. That was my first point of identification. Now, I love being their mother. It's the greatest joy of my life. But it's not the only part of me. I quickly realized that, in keeping up with the day-to-day demands of my job, my children and my household, the first thing to go was me. The first things to go out the window were my interests and anything that brought me joy and rest (outside of my family). This was the first time in my life that I experienced this kind of guilt. Anything I wanted to do for myself felt selfish in the grand scheme of being a mom, so I wasn't taking care of myself. Related: Getting Rid of the Guilt Doesn't this happen to so many of us? We forget about the things that make us feel like us: exercise, shopping, pedicures, time with girlfriends or time alone. Those things become luxuries we'll indulge in only if there's time leftover. And you and I both know there is never time leftover. There will always be something more demanding of your time, attention and energy until you put yourself at the top of your priority list. Self-Care Is Your Responsibility If you feel rushed, run down, busy, burned out, grumpy or resentful in your own life, it's probably because you haven't taken care of yourself. And there's only one person who can fix that: you. The most important truth you need to know about self-care is that it's up to you. That's why it's called self-care. No one can do it for you. No one can make you take time off work, take a vacation, soak in a bubble bath, get a pedicure, or make you value yourself but you. So, if you're sitting around and waiting for someone to give you permission to take care of yourself, it's not going to happen. Now, don't get me wrong. Loving your children more than life is...
Jun 11, 2019
What would you do with a nine-hour layover in Chicago? Would you: Keep it safe and sit at the airport reading a book to ensure you didn't miss your connecting flight? Grab your best friend, do as much exploring as possible, and make it back to the airport just in time to board? I don't know what you'd pick. But can you take a wild guess which one I'd choose? That's right, I'd choose option two any day. But do you know what I've noticed? There are actually people out there who would choose the first option every single time. Crazy, right? Even more shocking, one of them is a very good friend of mine. Related: 5 of the Most Important Qualities You Can Teach Your Kids When I was a junior in college, I got the opportunity to travel to Europe for my Western Civilization class. The week before we left, I remember receiving a very detailed itinerary from our trip leader, and the first thing I noticed was a nine-hour layover in Chicago. Normally, I wouldn't get pumped about a nine-hour layover anywhere. But, I was a 21-year-old southern girl who had never been up north. So, the potential to have a big chunk of time to sightsee, shop, and eat my way through a very cool northern city got me pumped. I immediately called one of my good friends who was also going on the trip. Our conversation went a little something like this: Me: Guess what? We have nine hours in Chicago! We can go sightseeing, tour the city, and try new restaurants! Friend: No, we can't. Me: We can't? Friend: No. We can't do that. We can't leave the airport. Me: How do you know? Did you read something I missed? Friend: No. I'm just sure we can't go. Me: Did someone tell you that? Like a leader or a past participant? Friend: No. I'm just sure we can't go. Me: That's so interesting, because I am so sure we can. I learned something about myself and other people that day. There tend to be two personality styles when it comes to trying new things. There are those who, when in doubt, assume they can't. And there are those who, when the information or rules are not clear, assume they can. But you know what? Regardless of how you're wired, you will go further and faster in life when you assume that you can. More importantly, someone who assumes they can do whatever it is they want to do is more willing, able and confident to try new things. And trying new things in life and in business is vital to growth. Your life will be small and predictable if all you ever do is what you know-if you only ever stick to is what is safe. That's not the life God wants for you. He wants you to push the limits, get outside your comfort zone and try something new. Related: How to Push Past Your Comfort Zone and Try Something New Oh, and in case you were wondering, a group of 21-year-olds who were paying for a trip to Europe can, in fact, leave an airport to run around Chicago for a few hours. And once my friend got all the approvals she needed, we had an amazing time exploring the city. I don't want you to miss out on all that God has prepared for you. That's why I want to encourage you to train yourself to assume you can. Because when you do, you'll try new things, see new things, experience new things, and grow in new ways. Now, don't get me wrong: I'm not saying you need to change things just for the sake of changing them. If something in your life is rocking and rolling, keep doing that. However, don't let things get stale in your life. Don't keep doing what you've always been doing simply because you've always done it that way. Bring renewed vigor into your life by mixing things up a bit. Here are three tactical things you can do this week to try something new: 1. Add some personality. Maybe, up until this point, everything has been strictly business-in work, in your parenting, and in your marriage. That's no fun! I want to encourage you to add some playfulness and humor into the mix. Don't just...
May 28, 2019
Do you remember dreaming about what your first job would be after college? Maybe you pictured yourself putting on business clothes every day, sitting in creative brainstorming meetings and-arguably the best part when you're a broke college student-finally getting an adult paycheck. I know I sure did. Unfortunately, that wasn't what happened-not even close. My first job after graduating was as an advertising coordinator at a local newspaper in Nashville, TN. I was so excited about this position. From the name alone, I thought it sounded perfect for me. I envisioned myself working across every department and helping them come up with creative ways to market their messages. Well, it wasn't long before my little fantasy was crushed. Turns out that "advertising coordinator" was really just a fancy title for data entry. I spent my days inputting data into a decades-old software program that crashed every few hours. Every day, I walked into a gray cinder block building with gray walls, gray ceilings, gray cubicles and fluorescent lights. I died a little inside every day I worked there. It was a mind-numbing, miserable job for someone like me-creative, energetic and a people-person. But the problem wasn't only that the job made me miserable. I couldn't be myself. I wasn't doing something I was good at. I wasn't in a position that made me come alive, gave me energy, or brought me joy. I wasn't even using my strengths or talents. I wasn't being me. Related: Recognizing Your Gifts Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever been in situations, gone through seasons, or even spent years feeling like you lost yourself? Feeling like you didn't even recognize who you were anymore? I meet so many women who feel like they've gotten lost in motherhood, their careers or in other people's expectations of them. That last one-other people's expectations-reminds me of a fascinating book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware. Bronnie spent years working in palliative care. During her time caring for the terminally ill, Bronnie wrote a blog that later became a book about the most common regrets of the people she cared for. The number one regret was having worked too much. But the second one really surprised me. It was not having lived a life that was true to themselves. What Bronnie learned is so important. It's an opportunity for us to adjust our perspective and start making choices today that will help us avoid that same regret. Because a life well-lived is one where we live as our truest selves. Women often tell me they've lived for other people for so long they don't even know what they want anymore. Even worse, they don't even know who they are anymore. If this is you today, I want to encourage you: You don't have to stay there and wonder who you are or where "the real you" went. I want to give you five questions you can ask yourself that will help you get back to you. Consider them road signs to point you in the right direction. Related: Push Forward and Get Unstuck Five Questions to Help You Discover Your True Self 1. What do you want? Don't ask yourself what your spouse wants, what your kids need, or what all your friends think you should do. Ask yourself what you want. That's a tough question to answer because we so often consider our own desires to be selfish. But the truth is that the desires of your heart are not bad things. They are God things. In fact, Jesus asked this same question. A blind man once approached Jesus asking for mercy. Jesus responded by asking him, "What do you want me to do for you?" (Luke 18:41 NIV). Don't you think Jesus knew what this blind man wanted? Jesus didn't need the blind man to tell him, but I believe Jesus wanted to draw out those desires in him. And He wants to do the same for you. 2.Where do you want to be? If you don't know where you're going, you're never going to get there. That's why...
May 14, 2019
Several years ago, I met someone I've admired from afar for years. I was on the road for the spring Business Boutique event in 2016, and we had booked someone who I consider to be a mega-celebrity speaker: Christine Caine. I couldn't believe I was going to meet her in person and share a stage with her. I would have been grateful simply for the privilege of shaking hands, taking pictures, and hanging out with her. It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But it was even better than that. We became friends in real life. The following year, she even invited me to speak on her conference tour, Propel Women. Of course, I agreed. We traveled around the country and spoke at six different events. And this relationship has only continued to grow. She was one of the first people I texted when I found out I was having a baby girl. And she is someone who I continually lean on for mentorship and guidance. Christine is just one example of the many incredible people I've had the privilege of building relationships with through Business Boutique over the last five years. Not only have these connections benefited my personal life, but they've also helped my business as well. It's true what they say: "It's all about who you know." The quality of your life is a direct reflection of the quality of your relationships. The same is true in business. The quality of your business is a direct reflection of the quality of your relationships. Every opportunity that you will ever have in your lifetime will come through people. So regardless of what type of business you're in, you're in the people business. Related: Building Business Relationships That's why I want to help you with something that many people find intimidating: networking. I meet so many women who are terrified of it. They often feel like making new connections is only for outgoing personalities. But I don't believe that to be true. So today, I want to bust three myths we believe about networking so you can stop believing these lies and take advantage of all it has to offer. Three Myths We Believe About Networking Myth #1: There's only one way to do it. When you think about networking, you probably picture talking to strangers at a formal event and a lot of awkward interactions. It's no wonder you want no part of it! But do you know what networking really is? Meeting people and making connections. That's it. It's really that simple. And you can build relationships with people anywhere and at any time. I'd be willing to bet you're already doing this every single day. As women, we're naturally relational and enjoy connecting with new people. It's what we do. You don't need to have a pitch or an agenda or be in a formal setting to meet someone new. Stop thinking about networking as anything more than making a new friend. Related: 4 Friends You Need for Your Business Myth #2: You have to be extroverted. Introverts might experience more anxiety when walking into a roomful of people, but they actually have the advantage. Why? Because introverts are gifted at connecting one-on-one and building deep, quality relationships. They may not want to work the room or be the life of the party, but they're going to walk out of there with at least one real connection. Here's a tip for you introverts: Start small. Scan the room and see if you can find just one person who looks inviting (bonus points if they're also alone). Walk up to them and introduce yourself. I guarantee that anyone in that room who is standing by themselves will welcome a friendly face because they're probably feeling exactly how you are. Keep in mind that this doesn't have to only be in-person. You can make connections online. For introverts, it's a great way to get out of your shell and get some practice under your belt. Myth #3: You'll come off as self-seeking. We all have this fear that people will think we have an agenda or we're...
Apr 30, 2019
You know those awful dreams where you're desperately trying to run away from someone or something and you can't get away? You feel like your feet are stuck in blocks of cement. And when you try to scream for help, all that comes out is air. I've had that same kind of dream more times than I would like to admit. Regardless of the scenario, the theme is the same: I can't get away because I'm not in control. Sometimes we can feel like that in real life too. You want to get ahead in your business. But no matter what you do, you just can't take it to the next level. Or maybe it's your relationship. You used to laugh and play and go on dates. But not anymore. Or maybe you feel like you've lost a piece of yourself, and you can't figure out why you just don't have the same gusto or energy you used to have. Related: Perseverance in Your Business: How to Keep Going When You Want to Give Up Feeling stuck is hard. But you know what? This is not a bad dream where you can't run away or scream for help. This is real life, and you are more in control than you realize. With a few small changes, you can regain momentum and get unstuck. Today, I want to share five practical steps you can take to get back to pursuing your goals. Five Steps to Help You Get Unstuck Step 1: Go Back to Your Why We talk about your why all the time at Business Boutique. Knowing it will answer questions like: Why are you doing this? Why is this important to you? Why does this type of success matter to you? I love that these questions can apply to any area of your life-parenting, goal-setting, your marriage, your business, etc. Wherever you're feeling stuck, remind yourself why this thing or person or work is a gift from God. When you go back to your original motivation, you return to a perspective you probably lost along the way-when you got busy, tired and stuck. Let your why reignite the fire within you. Step 2: Get Moving The very meaning of the word stuck means a lack of movement. But it's a lot easier to stay moving once you get moving. That's why your only objective in this step is to take a baby step toward some kind of physical activity. For some, that might be just getting out of bed and putting on clean clothes. For others, it's putting on makeup or going for a walk. Don't think about all the things you need to do yet; focus on the smallest step you can take to get moving. It doesn't have to be directly related to your end goal either. Even just going for a run can you give you the energy you need to get back to work. Step 3: Focus on One Thing at a Time A long to-do list is overwhelming. When you look at all the work that needs to get done, it's easy to believe you can't accomplish all of it. Instead, I want you to pick the most urgent task and focus on completing just that one thing. Checking off the first activity from your list will give you a great sense of satisfaction. It's a quick win, and it's progress. And any progress is positive. Step 4: Change What You Say We have a tendency to make our problems bigger with the words we use. Confession: I'm the queen of this. If I'm a little overwhelmed, I magnify the issue by talking about it a lot. Related: Is It Fear, or Wisdom? If you only think about how overwhelmed you are and how stuck you feel, then that's exactly where you're going to stay. You fan the flame when you talk about it day in and day out. That's why Step 4 is to change your attitude and change your words. I love how Brené Brown puts it: "Talk to yourself like you would someone you love." Step 5: Pray The power of prayer is real. If God cares about every dream in your heart, don't you think He cares that you're feeling stuck? He's a way-maker. He makes a way when there seems to be no other way. If you've never experienced this, start now. I want to encourage you to pray about the big things and the small things and everything in between. Related:...
Apr 16, 2019
My team thinks I'm never in the office. And, if we're being honest, they have a point. Between travel, speaking engagements, video shoots and off-site writing days, I just don't spend a lot of time at my desk. I remember one particular week when I was with my team all day every day because we were launching a new product. They gave me so much flak those five days. They went on and on about how I was never in the office and how much more fun it was when I did come around. So I decided the following Monday, when I normally wouldn't be in the office, to surprise and delight my team with a box of warm donuts. I thought it was the greatest idea ever. I imagined myself bursting through the doors, while everyone cheered for this special treat. I mean, I really built this whole thing up in my head. As luck would have it, no one was there when I arrived. Not a single person. I was so disappointed. It turns out, I chose a time when every single person on my team was either in a meeting or working in another building. I had planned this surprise poorly. Even though the donuts were still great later on when everyone finally showed up, I was disappointed that my team hadn't been there for the grand entrance. The effect just wasn't the same. This story reminds me of what it often looks like when we launch something new like a product, service or business. We come up with a great idea and have high expectations for what will happen when we share it with the world. And then we launch and no one shows up. It flops and we don't understand why. Launches are important, so we have to get them right. Whether you're introducing a new product line, announcing an upcoming conference, or offering a new service, there are things you must do to have a successful launch-but there's also a lot of room to be creative. That's because launching is both a science and an art. If you want to create a better launch experience, one where people actually show up and buy, you'll want to incorporate three key elements. The Three Essentials of a Successful Launch 1. Relationships Sixty percent of sales occur after the fourth interaction with a potential customer.(1) It's because people buy from those they know, like and trust. That's why if you're going to launch anything, you need existing relationships to launch to. Otherwise, you'll be launching to no one. Don't get intimidated if you don't have any customers yet. Utilize your existing relationships to get started. Announce it to your Facebook friends, send an email to all your contacts, and ask your family, friends and church community if they would help you spread the word. 2. A Date A launch is an event. And just like every event, it must happen on a certain date. The last thing you want to do is drag out a launch over a long period of time because then there's no urgency for your customer to take action. Choose a date that people can put on their calendars, plan around, and get excited about. When you land on a date for your launch, consider what else is going on in your business and the world in that season. You want to make sure it's a good time for your customers to buy and you won't be competing with another event. 3. Anticipation Research shows that when we have time to anticipate something, we actually enjoy it more when it occurs. Makes sense, doesn't it? Half the fun of a vacation is counting down the days. This is why anticipation around your launch is critical to its success. Once you've picked a date, start creating buzz. Remember, it's not just a date. It's an event! People should be daydreaming about the release of your product or service like they fantasize about their upcoming vacation. At Business Boutique, we do this every year when we open enrollment for the Academy. We create new videos, write about the opening in our blog, and post about it on Instagram. We're likely talking about it everywhere...
Apr 2, 2019
Picture this: You're booked to speak on a college campus. The auditorium seats 1,000, but only three students show up. Yes, that's 997 empty seats. And the icing on the cake? The three students who bothered to show up only did so for the extra credit. Ouch. Or how about this: You're speaking at a conference for a bank, and even though there are enough seats for a few hundred people, only two show up. TWO! Are you cringing yet? To make matters worse, one of them talks-yes, talks, not texts-on her cell phone during your presentation. Oh, and that other attendee? He promptly falls asleep and snores the whole time. No, I'm not describing my worst nightmares. Unfortunately, both of those things actually happened to me. I mean, I can't make this stuff up! And, y'all, I have stories like these for days from the years I spent speaking in high school cafeterias, family reunions, libraries and strip malls. As an aspiring professional speaker like I was at the time, it would've been easy to get discouraged in those situations. And believe me, some days were harder than others. But really, it's natural to feel disappointed when reality doesn't measure up to your expectations-like when your business isn't as big, impressive or successful as you thought it would be today. Patience can be hard, right? I get it because I've been there. But you know what? Even in that season when nobody showed up for my speeches, when every audience was tiny, I always brought the same level of passion and energy. Related: Play to the Size of Your Heart Why? Because I believe there is something sacred in every season we go through. In other words, there is training in the trenches. It's during those hard seasons that something happens in you that can't happen any other way. It's like a rite of passage. So, instead of wishing away what you're going through right now or focusing on what's next, I encourage you to find contentment in the now. I know that can be challenging when you've got big dreams. But I promise, it's possible to be content with where you are today without giving up on your goals-it's a both/and situation. That could look like super-serving the 200 Instagram followers you have today while working to turn that into 200,000. Or giving a heartfelt speech to five people while working on the marketing plan to grow your following. It's both being content and striving for more. Related: Dream Bigger for Your Business I've told you this before, but it's worth repeating. If you're not faithful with what you have and where you are today, God can't trust you with more. That's exactly why-no matter if I'm speaking to two people or 2,000-I bring my all to every single speaking engagement. Don't despise your small beginnings, embrace them. Practicing contentment makes it much easier to hear what God is teaching you in each season. Here are three ways you can start doing that right now: Three Ways to Practice Contentment 1. Control Your Thoughts You have more power over your mind than you think. I know this is hard, especially when you're scrolling Instagram and see that one of your girlfriends has a brand-new kitchen or is on a fancy vacation. Do you know what you're doing in that moment? You're comparing someone else's highlight reel to your current reality. Stop doing that! Comparison is a recipe for discouragement and resentment. Related: The Benefits of Practicing Gratitude 2. Focus on What You Have When you look at what you already have, it is so much easier to have an attitude of gratitude. I love how 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to take every thought captive to Christ. When you feel comparison creep in, kick those thoughts to the curb and focus on what you're grateful for instead. The truth is, you and I have more than most people. We live in the greatest country in the world with more money, resources and technology than we know what to do with. So stop...
Mar 19, 2019
Some people think I help people find their calling. But I'll be the first to tell you that's not what I do. It's just not my thing. The idea that there is only one purpose I was put on this Earth to do is paralyzing. I actually believe there are many things I could do that would get me excited about going to work on a Monday morning. And I think the same is probably true for you. Related: Why You Shouldn't Worry About Finding Your Calling That's why I don't deal with callings. Instead, I help people discover something they're really good at and enjoy doing, so they can turn it into a business they love. I love this because when people know what they're passionate about, they begin to live intentionally in their purpose. They become more thoughtful and action-oriented because now they know exactly what to go after. Rather than just reacting to whatever life throws at them, they set goals and carefully evaluate the steps needed to get there. This is important because when you decide to live on purpose in your purpose, you'll experience more fulfillment and success. Why? Because nothing will push you to work harder than whatever it is that fires you up. So let me ask you: Is this the kind of life you're living today? I know it can be hard to feel sure, which is why I have three clues you can look for to figure this out. How Do You Know If You're Living an Intentional Life? 1. You're Living in Your Gifts and Strengths I believe God made you 100% unique. There's no one else on this Earth who has your combination of voice, style, perspective, experience and interests. Understanding and utilizing the gifts God has given you in your business is critical to your success. Like I said earlier: When you're not working in your strengths, you not only won't enjoy your work, but you'll also lack the motivation to push through the rough patches. And let me tell you, there are a lot of those in business. If you could use more encouragement around using your God-given gifts in business, download my free 7-Day Devotional in the Resources section below. 2. You're Passionate About What You're Pursuing Just like your strengths and your gifts, God also created you with unique interests, values and passions. I love dancing, but I hate details. I get really excited about adventure and being outside, but I'm not a fan of math, history or science. I'm passionate about people and relationships, but I'm not crazy about politics. But you know what's so fascinating? There are lots of people out there who do get excited about the things I don't like. So what gets you excited? What makes you light up and come alive? What gives you energy and joy? Take your time thinking and praying over these questions. It will help you identify whether you're actually passionate about what you're doing. Related: How to Find Your Passion and Grow a Business You Love 3. You're Making a Difference God didn't create any of us to be an island-off on our own unconcerned about the rest of the world. In fact, I believe He created us to live and work in community. It means He gave us our unique strengths, gifts and passions for the purpose of blessing other people. When you focus on the needs of the people you're helping and serving, you're making a difference. You're impacting someone's life, and that's a clear indicator that you're exactly where you need to be. This week, I want to challenge you to look for specific examples of each clue in your life. Are you living in your strengths? Are you passionate about what you're doing? Are you making a difference in some way? The list you compile should tell you one of two things: You're doing exactly what you should be doing right now. It's time to start making small changes that will lead you where you want to be in the future. Related: How to Push Past Your Comfort Zone and Try Something New How to Cultivate a Life of Purpose with Lara...
Mar 5, 2019
It's hard to believe that nearly five years ago, Business Boutique was just a dream in my heart. Wow. That's hard to grasp on so many levels, but especially because Business Boutique is such a huge part of my life now. But, y'all, talk about humble beginnings. All we really knew is that we wanted to create a place where women could get the support and training they need to make money doing what they love. That's it. So we went straight to the source: women who knew they were made for more. We talked to a lot of them and asked what felt like millions of questions. And we noticed something interesting. All of these women seemed to describe their pursuit of "more" in different ways. Some called it a side business. Others referred to it as a side hustle. Some even called themselves mompreneurs. Suddenly, we knew coming up with a name for our project that perfectly encompasses what all of these women do-and one that clearly communicates exactly how we can help them-was absolutely crucial to our success. No pressure, right? In all our meetings and brainstorming sessions, my leader Dave Ramsey kept referring to a small side business as a boutique business. But that name didn't feel quite right. Would people immediately think we only help people start boutiques? I mean, we were going to help them grow a lot of different things. We continued to run into this wall until I decided to pray about it. I know, it should have been the first thing I did. But unfortunately, it was my last resort. My prayer that day was this: Lord, what are we going to call this? We can't call it Boutique Business because we're not helping people start boutiques. We're helping them grow a lot of different things. How do we describe this market when these women describe themselves in so many different ways? He answered me that very day. I heard God say: Flip it. It's not Boutique Business. It's the Business Boutique. And you're not describing what all of them do. You're describing what YOU do. You are the place where women come to get help with their business-any type of business. Y'all, I knew in the moment that Business Boutique was it. I immediately sent a text to the team telling them we were supposed to flip the name. It was like this lightbulb had finally come on. And everyone agreed. Of course they did! Because it was God's idea. And you know what? God is full of really good ideas. That's why I invite my faith into my business every single day. Seeing God's fingerprints all over Business Boutique takes the pressure off me and reminds me of who's really in control. Have you invited God into your business yet? I'm here to tell you it's never too late. Seeking God in Your Business Too often, we keep our personal lives and our business lives separate. We are so faith-filled in our personal lives but, for some reason, we get all practical and non-spiritual in our business. It's as if we believe God doesn't have any part to play-as if He can't provide for our business, doesn't understand the industry, or can't help us scale it. The truth is faith and business go hand in hand. Guess who gave you the gifts and skills you use in your business? Guess who gave you the finances needed to start your business? Guess who gave you the courage to finally do it even though you were scared? That's all God. The business you own is actually God's business. Do you see a pattern here? God is already in your business because God is in you-and you are in your business. I want to challenge you to start thinking about your business as a place where you can invite God to partner with you. Our business problems are not outside of God's control. He wants to be immersed in every aspect of our lives, so don't leave Him out of this part. I created this 7-Day Devotional to help you do just that. I pray this devotional will help remind you that God cares not only about you, but He also cares...
Feb 19, 2019
A few months ago, I read a very interesting article in The Washington Post about a researcher who studied 400,000 knitters. She was learning about my favorite topic: how these women turned their hobby of knitting into a business. She discovered an interesting phenomenon that I've actually witnessed for years now through Business Boutique. Before I launched Business Boutique, I conducted my own research on women with businesses. I noticed an interesting theme: When it comes to turning your hobby into a business, a sense of community plays a key role in women doing it scared. When we have camaraderie and support, when we can lock arms with other women and do it together, we're more likely to launch the business we've been dreaming about. Related: How to Face Your Fears and Do It Scared This woman's research reiterated that reality. From the 403,168 individual knitters she studied from 2007 to 2014, the ones who joined a group to craft socially were 25% more likely to start a business.(1) When asked what it was that transformed these women from pattern makers to pattern sellers, the most common answer was that someone they knew had encouraged them to sell their work: Many had already been modifying patterns and designing their own yarn gnomes and cat costumes, but until they heard from others, they lacked the confidence to step out on their own.(2) I was blown away by this. Not because I had never heard of this phenomenon before (my own research proved it), but because this principle of needing community is still true in a specific industry like knitting and on a massive scale like a study of 400,000 people. There's no doubt that entrepreneurship can be intimidating and lonely. But that's where the power of building community comes in. I see this every single year at our Business Boutique events. When you bring 3,000 women together from all over the country who work in all types of industries and are in different stages of business, there is a special bond created. Here's what happens: These women walk into the room with all kinds of feelings, fears and questions about their businesses, and they think they're the only ones who feel that way. But once they hear the speakers on stage and connect with other women struggling with the same things, they realize, I'm not so crazy after all. Community opens our eyes to the truth, gives us the confidence and support we need to take the next step, and cultivates a place to belong. It's everything we need to stop letting fear hold us back from making our dreams a reality. Related: How to Push Past Your Comfort Zone and Try Something New The Three Types of Community You Need No matter what stage of business you're in, if you don't have a community around you, I want you to make building one or getting into one a top priority this month. You should be a part of three different types of communities: 1. People in Your Shoes This means people walking in the same shoes as you are or those in the same type of industry or business you're in. When you come together, you feel a unique connection that you wouldn't feel with someone in a completely different business. This will be your network of people who understand exactly what it's like to do what you do. When you get together to knowledge-share with this group, you exchange very specific advice on things like: handling difficult customers best practices, policies to protect yourself and vendor recommendations marketing strategies specific to your target market managing the seasonality of your business 2. People in Other Shoes This is a group of people who have different perspectives from you because they work in different industries. It is so beneficial to have this community, because oftentimes, we get too close to our business. We can get so deep in the weeds that we truly can't see the forest for the trees. But when you seek support from those...
Feb 5, 2019
When I was pregnant with my first child, we were so excited to find out the gender. When we learned we were having a boy, we immediately started brainstorming cute boy names and colors and themes for his nursery. We even bought outfits. There were so many things we could plan, build and create because of that one piece of information. Believe it or not, this same scenario is true for business too. There is one piece of information that can and does dictate every other decision you make: the problem you solve. Related: The One Thing All Businesses Must Have While knowing the problem you solve is crucial to success, too many companies operate for years before they ever figure it out. Many of you started your business from a hobby. It's a great strategy. But when it's a hobby, it only serves you. Once you turn your hobby into a business, it needs to solve a problem for someone else. Before I go any further, please don't get intimidated by the word problem. Just because you create hair bows or paint canvases doesn't mean you're not solving a real issue. Too many people think that because they're not doing something people need, they're not solving an actual problem. Here's the truth: No matter what you do, your product does solve an issue. You might just have to dig a little deeper to find the problem your business can solve. Related: How Jessica Turned Her Problem Into $70K For example, if you make hair bows, you're solving a problem for parents who want their daughter's hair accessories to match their outfits. You're also solving a problem for the countless little girls who don't grow hair until they're toddlers. Their parents no longer need to clarify whether their baby is a boy or a girl because she's wearing an adorable bow on her head. I know my mother was grateful for hair bows when I was a bald baby! That's a real problem you solve! Or, in the other example, you create custom paintings. You're solving a problem for people who don't want to purchase art for their home from a big-box store. There are those who want a one-of-a-kind piece of art with a personal story behind it. And guess what? That's what you offer. When you identify the problem you solve in your business, you learn so many other important pieces of information as well. 3 Things You Learn When You Identify the Problem Your Business Solves 1. Your Target Market Your target market is the group of people who have the problem you solve. You can't identify that group if you don't know their pain points, what they struggle with, and what they're looking for. When you identify the problem you solve, you know exactly who to market your product or service to. You no longer waste time and money trying to sell to people who aren't interested in what you have to offer! 2. Your Value Proposition Identifying the problem also gives you your basis for figuring out how much your product or service is worth. This is the foundation and justification for how much to charge. Why does your product or service cost that specific amount? Well, it's because you solve this specific problem. Oh, and by the way, the problem you solve is the only thing your market cares about. The only reason they will pay you is because you solve a problem for them. 3. Your Marketing Language Your customers' pain points should be exactly what you talk about in all of your messaging. Whether you're writing marketing copy for your website, creating brochures for a trade show, or making connections at a networking event, the problem you solve should be the main thing you talk about because that's all your customers care about. Related: The Basics of Building Your First Website If you've been running your business for a while, don't think this exercise doesn't apply to you. No matter how long you've been in business, I want you to take all of your marketing messaging and run it through this filter: Does this...
Jan 22, 2019
Passion is so important in everything you do. When you're passionate about something, you perform a million times better. This is true whether you're working at your day job, cooking dinner for your family, or launching a side hustle. That's why, today, we're talking about how to find your passion. There's no better time of year to discover this. A new year means a new you! You know that I'm passionate about helping women step into their God-given gifts and make money doing what they love. But before you start making money doing what you love, you have to discover what you love. So how do you do that? Three Strategies to Find Your Passion It's not as scary as it seems. I actually have three different strategies you can walk through to help you find your passion. Here's what's great about a strategy: It isn't a formula or a fancy equation to make a passion magically appear. It's none of that. It's simply an approach-and it's a flexible one. Maybe one strategy works for you or maybe you'll use a combination of all three. Dig deep into these strategies, and I bet you'll discover something amazing. Related: How to Find Your Business Idea The Self-Focused Strategy This strategy takes a look inside-you guessed it-you! Now, this isn't about self-centeredness. But it is about taking a good inventory of your past to discover what you've been uniquely created to contribute to the world. That inventory is usually a combination of your past, education and experiences. This is actually how Business Boutique was born. Before Business Boutique, I was a speaker at Ramsey Solutions. The company wanted to transition me into an official Ramsey Personality role, but before we could do that, we had to figure out what my focus should be. So, I sat in a boardroom with Dave Ramsey, my husband, and a ton of other leaders in the company. We spent hours going over my background to see how I could best serve the marketplace. In other words, what should my focus, market and message be? We looked in a few different places. First, we looked at my story growing up with a mother who was scrappy and built a successful business from scratch (a unique experience). Then we looked at my education: I studied business and marketing, and I'm a Certified Business Coach. We also looked at some of my other unique experiences, like how I started a couple of side businesses to help make ends meet. Finally, we looked at my strengths: My natural strengths are in speaking, teaching, writing and coaching people as they step into their God-given dreams. Can you spot the patterns? Business was all over my background, and when we looked at the marketplace at the time, we saw businesses launching at a crazy rate. The problem was that so many entrepreneurs didn't actually know how to run a business. They just had great ideas. When we put that all together, here's what we came up with: There's a lot of people who need help with business. I am a really good teacher, and I have a background in business. So Business Boutique was born. Related: Recognizing Your Gifts Now we have a podcast, a book and an online business training academy. We've even created an amazing goal planner, a sold-out event and two courses. But it all started with an idea on what I uniquely brought to the table. If you take a deep look at your past, experiences and education, I have no doubt you can find something you're passionate about. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get started: What is your story? People are often passionate about something in their history because they've lived it. What are your strengths? What comes effortlessly to you? We are naturally more passionate about things we're good at. What do you get really excited about? What do you get really mad about? When you pay attention to your emotions around an issue, it's a good indicator you're passionate about that one thing. Look...
Jan 8, 2019
Here's the truth about money: The more you have, the more impact you can make. So why wouldn't you want to make a million dollars in your business? Well, for many of you, it boils down to what you believe. So much of what I teach you is to believe. Believe in yourself, believe that you can do the thing, and believe that God put that dream in your heart for a reason. Remember when you were a kid and you believed? Maybe you believed in Santa, the tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny, even flying reindeer. You believed you could be anything you wanted to be. You believed anything was possible. Maybe you even believed you would be a millionaire when you grew up. But something has changed since then. Something happened as we grew up and became more reasonable and more logical-we stopped believing. At some point in your journey, whether you realized it or not, you stopped believing and you settled. You probably thought, Well, I'm not going to dream too big because I don't want to end up disappointed. If you don't believe something is possible, you're never going to try. When you set goals for your business, you also create a plan to achieve them. It's the same with being a millionaire. If you set a goal of becoming a millionaire, you have to create a plan to make it happen. It's as easy as that. You have to be careful of the words you tell yourself. When you hear those negative thoughts in your head saying, I'm not enough, you just need to have a positive thought prepared to tell yourself, I am enough. I got this. Related: Ep. 58 - Perseverance in Your Business: How to Keep Going When You Want to Give Up Working Through All the Feelings About Wealth We all have perceptions of what we think it takes to be wealthy. We even have perceptions of what we think it means to be wealthy. Should I feel guilty for having money? No! Is it even okay to have wealth? Yes! Yes, it is okay to have wealth! Listen, when God blesses you with His resources, it is up to you to steward these resources well, and He will bless you with more. Imagine the impact you could make if you had an abundance of resources. The bottom line is that you need to be a good and faithful servant of God's resources. Imagine being able to give like never before and change your family tree. Now that right there is what it's all about. Building wealth in a smart way, slow and steady, for the right reasons is the way to go, and you can do this. Don't get me wrong: It's okay to enjoy nice things. There is nothing wrong with that. But the true joy in building your wealth comes from being able to give generously and leave a legacy for your family. Related: How to Set Prices How to Make a Million Dollars in Your Business with Chris Hogan Chris Hogan is the national best-selling author of Retire Inspired, host of The Chris Hogan Show, fellow team member here at Ramsey Solutions and last but not least, my good friend. So, before we get started, let me tell you a little about Chris. You know those people that walk in the room and just own it? The people that have everyone's attention because you just feel their presence? That's Chris Hogan. It's more than his booming voice that commands attention. It's his contagious passion to help people understand how to build wealth and live the life they've always wanted. To say he gets people fired up is a huge understatement. So, in this episode, Chris Hogan and I are going to get you to believe again. Because you may not realize it, but you already have exactly what you need to make a million dollars in your business. The Largest Study Ever Done on How to Make a Million Dollars Steve Jobs once said, "I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance."(1) But don't just take Steve Jobs' word for it-the research backs it up. In the largest study ever done on millionaires, Chris Hogan...
Dec 26, 2018
It's exciting to plan for the future, set fun goals, and dream big for your business, but you also need to figure out how you'll reach those goals. If you don't know where you are, it's hard to know how to get to where you want to be. Today, I want to talk about how you can assess and evaluate where your business is right now so you can see the path to where you want to be in 2019. Make sense? Great! Let's get started. End of the Year Business Review Organizing and evaluating the major projects you did in 2018 is a great first step toward planning for 2019. Start by creating four columns and sorting projects into these four categories: right, wrong, missing and confused. RIGHTWhat worked well? What was a huge success or helped you gain momentum? These are things that you want to maximize, amplify, and do more of next year. WRONGWhat didn't work? Did you have a setback or a challenge? Did some of your results disappoint you? If so, it's okay! Making mistakes shows you are taking risks and pushing the limits. The important thing is that you learn from your experiences and stop spending time on these things. MISSINGWhat opportunities were overlooked? Was there something you should have done, but didn't? Maybe it was something you didn't know you should do at the time, but you know now. These are things you are going to add. CONFUSEDWhat needs a little more explanation or better processes? Was there something you had to help customers or your team understand multiple times? These are the things you should clarify. This is a great exercise for your business as a whole, but I'd also recommend you do this for the main areas of your business: sales, marketing, operations, money, team and time management. Evaluating your business's strengths and weaknesses will help you finish the year strong and start the new year even better that last year. Related: Ep 61: Learning From Failure: How to Dust Yourself Off and Move Forward How to Wrap Up the Year and Finish Strong with John Felkins John Felkins is one of our very own Entreleadership Executive Coaches here at Ramsey Solutions. John is on a mission to help business leaders reach their maximum potential. He guides leaders and small-business owners to cut through white noise and helps them make real progress on their journey to becoming the best, most accomplished version of themselves. John Felkins started his professional life as a project management engineer and realized his passion was actually coaching and consulting. After creating a consulting firm, he went to an Entreleadership event, fell in love with the principles, then quickly joined the Entreleadership team to help launch the highly successful Entreleadership coaching program. In this episode, John Felkins and I discuss how to work in your sweet spot and how to wrap up the year and finish strong. We talk about: Why it's important to use your gifts with your work and not force yourself to do a job that doesn't come naturally The main things you need to identify and assess in your business before the year ends Practical questions to ask yourself to end the year strong The metrics to know now in order to improve your business next year Knowing your business vitals and why that's important for your profit and loss Identifying the actual cost of doing business, so you can make adjustments to improve in the future Why putting your phone down will help you avoid distractions and serve your customers better Related: How to Stay Focused and Eliminate Distractions in Your Business Get a Running Start on Your Year We all know the holidays are a crazy busy time of year. Before you know it, it's January, and you aren't sure how to start tackling all those New Year's goals you set for your business. You still have a few days to get your plans in place, so figure out where you want to be and break down what you need to do to reach that goal....
Dec 11, 2018
Alright y'all. Let's face it: Distractions are a fact of life. You're going to face them in every area of your life and your business, and the honest truth is that if we don't face them, they're going to keep us from getting things done. I want you to reach your goals and achieve everything you want in the coming year. So let's talk about how to stay focused and eliminate distractions. All human beings are wired to be curious. We naturally gravitate toward the new, even if that keeps us from doing the things we need to do. But not all distractions are created equal. Three Categories of Distractions Let's think of distractions in the form of a stop light. STOP.Red Distractions: The distractions that you should ignore. STOP. Proceed with caution.Yellow Distractions: The distractions that cause you to slow down and think about. GO!Green Distractions: The distractions that demand your attention. Red Distractions Squirrels These types of distractions, like a squirrel zooming in front of you on a walk, divert you from your main task at hand. They might be new ideas, shiny objects, something more fun, or simply something that is going to help you procrastinate. For me, this is a normal occurrence. They steal my attention away from what I'm really supposed to be doing. I am working on one idea or objective, something new pops up, and I focus on that instead. It's easy to get derailed by these types of distractions. But honestly, they are just squirrels. These go in the Red Distractions category because they are the types of distractions that you need to stop letting steal your focus. Technology You knew I was going to go here. I can't talk about distractions without calling out the main culprit and source of distraction for so many of us. Technology notifications distract us all day long. It's a text when you're in the middle of a project or a quick browse on Facebook when you really should be writing marketing copy. Most types of technology distractions are examples of those that you can and should ignore. Those notifications come in 24/7, and they're still going to be there when you get done with your task at hand. How Do You Handle Red Distractions? Red Distractions are the easiest distractions to avoid. You shut it out, put on blinders, and force yourself to focus. This is a matter of will and discipline. If you want to get anything done, set yourself up for success. You need to eliminate any possible chance for these distractions to come at you. Put on noise-canceling headphones, go to a room or coffee shop by yourself, close all the tabs on your computer, hide your phone, and get to work. Force yourself to focus, and you'll finally start finishing. Yellow Distractions There are no hard and fast rules for ignoring these distractions. Proceed with caution, like you would at a stoplight. Stop and think before you let them steal your focus. People Around You You're going to encounter all kinds of people who have the potential to distract you-customers, team members, vendors, friends or family. When you have people in your life distracting you, you must stop and think before allowing them to steal your focus. Do their needs demand your attention, or can you set up a boundary until you have the space and time to address them? Related: How to Say No And Stand Your Ground Kids in Your Home Yes, kids are people, but we all know they present a different level of distraction than the other people in your life. Nothing can derail your plans like your kids. (Can I get an "Amen!"?) Let's be honest. When your kids need you, it's because they need one of two things: They want to play or they need help. Again, think about what is most important in that moment. Are you up against a deadline and you need to tell your kid you'll play with them later? Or are you in a place where you can be present and seize a moment with them? Related: Look For Distractions...
Nov 27, 2018
It's time to talk about learning from failure. I know. Learning from failure is no one's favorite subject. No one gets excited about failure, but y'all, failure is a reality in life and business! We might as well just learn from it! I have had a lot of failures in my life . . . and in Business Boutique . . . and in speaking. So I've gotten a lot of practice. And today, I'm going to help you answer the question, "How do I learn from my failure?" Three Ways to Learn From Failure 1. Adjust on the Fly When it's possible, adjust on the fly. A few years ago I was booked to speak at Catalyst, talking to women about life balance. Everything I wrote was directed at women and what we struggle with when it comes to life balance. I used stories that were relatable to women and I even pulled stories from the Bible, citing Scripture about women. On the day of the event, I stood at the back of the room and watched the room fill up with people, who were all men. Do you see the problem? I could have gone ahead and given the talk as if I were presenting to women. That would have been the safe route. Or I knew I could adjust on the fly to the failure. That's what I did. I had notes from a previous talk and just scrapped the slides! It was exactly the talk I was supposed to give, and they only heard it because I was willing to think on my feet. The lesson? Don't be afraid to think on your feet and make it up on the fly to save a misstep from becoming a complete failure! Related: How to Be More Confident 2. Deal With It If you make a mistake, drop the ball, or just fall flat on your face, deal with it. Back when I worked as the aquatic director at the YMCA, in the middle of a chaotic day, I made a big mistake. On the day of our mandatory annual aquatics safety training, my director called me to ask why my lifeguards were not in attendance. Luckily there were two options for sessions: 9 a.m. or 2 p.m. But I'd not only forgotten, I also hadn't told a single person they needed to be there. You know what I did? I dealt with it. I went speed walking down the hall to the executive director's office and opened the door. I looked her in the face and said, "I am sorry to bother you, but I need you to know that I have dropped a huge ball. I am taking care of it, but I just want you to know that I am aware of it and I am really sorry." I explained what I'd forgotten and gave her my plan to fix it. Thankfully, I got almost 100% of my staff to the 2 p.m. training. I failed but I did three things to face my failure head on. Own it. It's in our nature to hide, cover up, make excuses, and place blame. By owning it, you are doing the opposite of what most people choose, while demonstrating maturity, integrity and self-awareness. In the process, you're also building trust. Apologize for it. Apologizing shows you're coachable. It demonstrates humility instead of defensiveness, which makes others want to work with you more. Fix it. Doing your best to fix a mistake is proactive. People will respect your ability to try to repair a mishap when one happens. 3. Dust Yourself Off There's no magic lesson with this one. But here's the truth: You're going to have experiences you would never want to relive. There are going to be times you fail so badly it stays with you for a while. Many years ago I had a speaking engagement that I try to forget, and it haunts me to the this day. But you know what? It hasn't kept me from doing the thing I'm meant to do. I kept going. And you can too. Y'all, it's totally possible to learn from failure with these three strategies. If you can adjust on the fly, you might avoid it all together. If you can't avoid it, then deal with it. If you can't deal with it, just dust yourself off and keep going. How to Learn From Failure with Kristen Hadeed Kristen Hadeed is the CEO and founder of Student Maid, a cleaning company that has employed thousands...
Nov 13, 2018
If you've been in business for any amount of time-heck, if you've been living for any amount of time-you've encountered fear. We always think of fear as a bad sign. But in truth, fear is not a sign that we're doing something bad; it's a sign we're doing something bold. So many times in life fear can hold us back from doing the thing we're really meant to do. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you don't get scared. When Fear Makes You Doubt Your Ability I was 10 years old the first time I realized I was a good runner-at the skate center of all places. It gave me incredible confidence as a 10-year-old to discover something I was naturally good at. It was this realization that led me to join the track team in middle and high school. Despite my natural running ability and the fact that I loved running, the strangest thing happened before every race. I got scared. I'm not talking about the normal "prerace butterflies." I mean, I was terrified. Being scared made me doubt my ability and made me want to quit. I would beg my coach to take me out of the race, and every time he made me go to the starting line. I love that about him. He made me do it anyway. You'd think that after running multiple events for multiple track meets over multiple years, I wouldn't have gotten scared anymore. But I always did. Then my coach did something that helped me change my focus and interrupt my thought pattern. At one of the track meets, I was begging him to take me out of the race, he looked me in the eyes, exasperated, and said, "Christy, will you just tell me one thing you like about yourself?" Confused, I answered him: "My blue eyes." "Great," he said. "Focus on that. I don't want you to think about the race, the other runners, or your time. Just focus on your blue eyes." Changing my focus from what I was scared about to what I was confident in was just enough to distract the fear out of me. Related: The Fear or Wisdom Filter Changing Your Focus to Overcome Fear Whether you choose to think about what you're scared of or what you're proud of, what you focus on will become magnified in your life. Focusing on what you're good at and what you're proud of will encourage you to get better. Focusing on fear causes you to stay back, give up, or play small. I was a good runner, but fear made me doubt my training, my track record and my natural ability. It doesn't matter how many accomplishments you've earned. The fear can get so loud in your head that it makes you doubt yourself. But here's the good news: You get to choose what you focus on. The thoughts you allow to enter your mind will change your entire experience. My friend Melissa says, "Your mind is multimillion dollar real estate. Be very selective about what you allow to reside there." Related: Ep. 31 - Is It Fear or Wisdom? Three Questions That Will Help You Face Your Fears Walking to any starting line is scary, and it makes you vulnerable. But before you let fear steal your opportunities and rob you of your potential, ask yourself a few questions. What's something you like about yourself? What are you proud of? What's going right in your life or business? And then, focus on those answers instead. It may just be enough to distract the fear right out of you and make you want to go for it. Overcoming Your Fears with Jessica Honegger Jessica Honegger is the founder and co-CEO of the socially conscious fashion brand, the Noonday Collection; author of the book, Imperfect Courage; and host of The Going Scared Podcast. As if that's not impressive enough, she's also the mom of three little ones. Jessica is passionate about encouraging others to leave their comfort zone, move forward even when you're scared, and step into a life of impact. The path to success doesn't always seem clear, but when you focus on what you are confident in-instead of what you are fearful of-moving forward doesn't...
Oct 30, 2018
It's time to talk about working smarter, not harder in order to increase your productivity. How to Be More Productive With Simple Changes Have you ever wondered how you can be more productive? The solution may be staring you in the face and easier than you think. Here's an example straight from my closet. Every morning I woke up, walked into my closet, flipped on the light, and picked out clothes. And every morning I spent a ton of time just staring at my clothes-well, squinting at my clothes. After months and months, I realized I had a problem. My problem? My energy-saving light bulb. It took time to warm up and actually illuminate my clothes. And every morning I had to either wait for the lightbulb to heat up or squint. You know what I finally did? I put in a normal light bulb! Angels shone down from heaven and I could actually see my clothes when I picked them out. It's funny to think about, but we do this in other areas of our lives, don't we? We live with problems instead of actually fixing them. We've all been there. The sink has been leaking for years. And instead of fixing it, you clean up the puddle every time you use it. We just live with the problem and take extra time every day dealing with the consequences, not the source. You have one sad phone charger with a wire sticking out, and it's on its last leg. Instead of getting multiple phone chargers and leaving them several places around the house, you just carry the one with you everywhere. You lose it or risk electrocution multiple times a day. We live with the broken phone charger instead of taking the time to find a solution. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. Our problems are not going to change until we bring solutions. I get it. We are tired, and solving the root of the problem requires thinking and energy and time. I want to challenge you to use some time and energy to get to the root of some of the problems holding you back. If you want a different result, you have to do something differently. If we're going to work smarter, not harder, we've got to get rid of some of these problems. Three Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder 1. Stop Press pause on your crazy life for a second. Your brain is CONSTANLY in overdrive. It's going 100 miles an hour all day, every day. If we're going to think outside our problems, we have to stop. You can't identify the root of your problems if there's no margin in your brain. Stop and create some space to think. 2. Think Thinking . . . what's that like? HA! Once you've stopped long enough to create space to think, you might be surprised what you can identify. Think through your day from start to finish, and ask yourself this question: What barriers or annoyances do you deal with? Identify areas that drive you crazy and keep you from getting things done. Things that steal your time but don't have to. Problems that you accept but don't have to. Annoyances you live with but don't have to. It could be a small thing that is a drain on your mental or physical energy. Make a list. 3. Solution Take your list and write out to the side a solution for each of the problems you live with. Most of the "problems" in our lives have a very easy and obvious solution. We just haven't come up with the solution, because we've never taken time to come up with it. You might need to get on Amazon and order several phone chargers, get a new light bulb, set out your clothes the night before, or buy yourself a jewelry case. The Difference Between Problems You Can Solve and Problems You Can't Solve There are problems you can live with and problems you don't have to live with. You probably have some problems that you might have to live with, but I'd be willing to bet that you also have a lot that you don't. Stop. Think. Solution. Stop going 100 miles per hour. Think about what's holding you back....
Oct 16, 2018
Let's talk about perseverance. Perseverance is a quality that will have a huge effect not only on your business, but on your whole life. What Is Perseverance? Perseverance is persistence. It's pursuing something with passion. It's pushing through when things are hard. I'll be honest: Perseverance isn't something I personally struggle with. In fact, I'm so persistent that it's almost a flaw. Sometimes I just don't know when to quit! But that's why I can tell you that being persistent and persevering in my life has been the number one quality that's enabled me to achieve everything that I have. Even when it's hard, even when it's inconvenient, and even when I have tons of obstacles, I still push through. Why It's So Important to Keep Going When You Want to Give Up Steve Jobs once said, "I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance."1 Half! He believed half of what makes an entrepreneur successful is not money, not fame or a family name, not a business degree or even knowledge. It's perseverance! I couldn't agree more. And you know, there are so many success stories of women who got their million-dollar business idea right after pushing past the point of wanting to give up. People may have thought they were crazy, but they pushed through anyway. Look at Kendra Scott, who started her first business at age 19.2 That business was called The Hat Box, but none of us know Kendra Scott as a hat designer, do we? That's because Kendra didn't find her successful business idea until almost a decade later. She designed her first jewelry collection with just $500 cash, and today, women all over the world (including me!) can't get enough of her fun, girly jewelry and accessories. Related: Ep. 40-Top Traits of Highly Successful Women Then there's J.K. Rowling, who wrote Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a broke, single mom, fresh off the heels of her mother's death and a divorce. Her book was rejected by 12 publishers before it was finally picked up by one. She was given an advance of less than $2,000 for her work.3 Of course, we now know her as one of the wealthiest women in the world. But maybe you don't want to make a million dollars. Maybe you just want to pay for a trip to Disney World, or be able to quit your day job. On some days, I bet that seems like an impossible dream. Or maybe your business is stalling and you're thinking about scrapping the whole thing. Let me encourage you to keep going. In this episode, I want to help you. I want to help you persevere, and together, we'll tackle your doubts, like: How can I develop perseverance if I'm not a naturally persistent person? How do I keep going even when I don't reach my goal? What should I do when I want to give up? How can I get over the critics and the complainers? Slow and Steady Perseverance with Dave Barnes I am so excited to introduce you to one of the most talented guys I know, Dave Barnes! Dave is a singer, a musician and a Grammy-nominated songwriter. Have you heard the song, "God Gave Me You" by Blake Shelton? It's a huge country hit, and Dave wrote it. I'm a fan and friend of Dave's-and by the way, he's hilarious. In this episode, Dave and I talk about: How God used very humble beginnings to launch Dave's career in ways he could have never predicted Why he felt under-qualified for the first five years in his career but just kept going How to enjoy the small successes along your journey without stressing over "what's next" Leaving margin in your schedule for God to surprise you Why you should listen to your inclinations and let your values dictate your business plan Pep Talk Time! And of course, one of my favorite parts of this podcast is hearing directly from you. So this week, I'm answering your business questions about scaling, passive income and quitting your full-time job. Don't...