I’m actually really effing good at a lot of things, and I couldn’t just “pick one” to run with because it felt like I would limiting myself or missing out on all the others.
But running four businesses is EXHAUSTING.
I’d have one meeting with a branding client to discuss visuals followed immediately by a client who needed deep mindset help. After a quick lunch, I’d switch to meeting with my cowriter for a financial freedom series I’m running and then answer some questions about relationship trouble another client is having.
And how the heck do you market yourself when you do everything from business coaching to personal finance to tackling past traumas to teaching people how to love their partners and be loved in return? Like who the heck would want to hire someone that seems all over the map with their services?
I know I can’t be the only one. I’ve met so many amazing people who will casually drop something like, “oh yeah, I used to be a lawyer,” in the middle of a conversation about their web design business. We’ve got some stupidly talented people here.
Luckily, someone asked me a simple question that shifted my entire perspective on my business:
Out of all the things you do, which would you be the most sad to let go of?
Read that question again. It’s not, “which one makes you the most money?” or, “which one are you the most passionate about?” (and if you’re a driven woman the answer to that is going to be ALL OF THEM anyhow, lol). When I started thinking about it, I realized the question is, “if you got rid of each of these, which one would tear your soul out with it when it goes?”
For a split second my brain went “pshhh, branding of course,” because that’s what I’ve got my degree in. That’s what I spent years of my life pursuing. But that was just me telling myself I had to use my degree in some way. Once I let go of that I got the real answer.
“Oh shit, it’s the personal finance side.”
THAT’S the stuff I can’t shut up about. That’s the work I do for free half the time because I get so excited I don’t even care if I make money in the process.
Don’t get me wrong, I do love all the other stuff that I do, but if I died tomorrow I’d be looking back at life disappointed that I didn’t get to help more people be financially independent. And realizing that changed my business. If my first instinctual answer of what I’d be most sad to see go was wrong, NO WONDER my business felt like 4 fractured parts.
And that small shift in perspective showed me that I’m not a Business and Brand Strategist. I’m a Freedom Lifestyle Designer, and I get to do ALL THE THINGS that I was already doing in my business, but this time it’s under a clear, cohesive structure where I get to use those skills to really impact lives.
There were a couple more questions I asked myself in order to develop a clearly picture on how to combine all the things after I had that initial shift in perspective, and I’ll be doing a live stream to share the full story on my business page.
I’d also love to hear stories about major shifts you guys have had in your businesses. Let’s inspire each other!