STRATEGY SYSTEMS STRUCTURE

In my opinion, working for yourself is way harder than working for someone else. 

Yes, there are always tradeoffs. And I am not going to lie, there are days when I fantasize about being given a checklist of things to do knowing that I get to put it all behind me when I clock out at 5 pm. 

But that’s not the choice neither you nor I have made.

You most likely made this choice because

take your kids to soccer practice

work, unshowered, in your sweats

control your own schedule (even if it’s 24/7 right now)

you’re an artist and creative and you want to do what you love

 build something fabulous - even when it feels exhausting

Over the past 3 decades as a serial entrepreneur, I have learned a thing or two and it really wasn’t until the last 5 years that I figured a few key things out. 

Without a viable plan and the strategy to execute that plan, you’ll go nowhere. You will ultimately go somewhere,...

According to the National Science Foundation, on average, most of us have around 12k - 60k thoughts per day. 

That’s a lot of thoughts. And did you also know that of those thoughts, 80% are negative and 95% are repetitive?

It’s no wonder why some days can be challenging to power through when over 80% of your brain tells you you are not enough. It’s no accident that feeling lonely, tired, helpless, or uninspired creeps into your head space. 

Learning to reframe that narrative is something I have spent a lot of time working on. And there are days when I am not super successful. Recently a client reached out to me when she was experiencing this and she said, “I am unmotivated, exhausted, and questioning my purpose.” 

My response to her was, “you’re human, not a machine. Lean into that, but don’t stay there too long.”

As a solopreneur and business builder, you forget that. Most days, you are...

I am sure you have seen the increase in the price of milk, gas, and pretty much everything in between. And if you are a bit like me and look at your online portfolio with one eye open, you are not alone. 

I also know you are an intelligent human and because of that, intuitively, you know that everything is cyclical. Your portfolio will go back up, you will find a new strategy in how you cook and buy your groceries.  You may even organize your errands and driving to help make your gas tank last a little bit longer.

Just the other day a new client asked me to help her get creative on how to offset some of these price increases. Although she has her bottom line covered, she wanted my help in finding creative ways to develop possible side hustles without creating anything new. 

Did you know that 1 in 3 Americans are planning on starting a side hustle this year? 

That is on top of the 40% of Americans who already have a little...

Have you been stuck in a bubble?

I know the answer to that. Covid, quarantine, the political climate, and now with the world literally burning to the ground, there’s very little energy to even want to go out and create connection and conversation. 

Lately, the million-dollar question in all the Zoom groups that I either lead or partake in, is “will we ever feel normal again?”

That’s a loaded question.

Because at the end of the day, what is normal?

Normal is whatever feels good to you. 

And even though I am a homebody, I know it’s time to start connecting in a different way. One can only hide behind their device screens for so long before one starts to feel invisible. 

So, a few weeks ago, I challenged those around me to find one or two ways to step outside of the comfort of familiarity and start to engage and connect with a new group of people. 

Most of these meetings are still via...

Are you showing us all of you?

I don’t mean like ALL of you, mostly, what you show us in that 600 x 600-pixel image.

The ones that might be seen on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. 

The pictures I see, the events you’re sharing, the pie you’re eating…you can’t sit here and tell me you are that happy all the time?

Being someone who had to:

Overcome cancer - not once but three times

While at the same time suffering from a torn ligament and cyst on their left hip (4 weeks away from hip replacement surgery)

Pivot financially, psychologically, and geographically - circumstances were just not on our side

Be the sole caretaker of one 89-year-old mother

I have not had many “Instagramable” smiley moments to share. Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been all doom and gloom. I truly learned who my people are. Those that showed up did so in a HUGE way and because of that, I have gotten more honest with...

Do you define yourself by the number of friends you have or likes you get on social media?

It used to really drive my train. Until I started studying other people’s metrics and saw that even though those that I have been working with have 60k + “followers”, that number had no bearing on how many thumbs up they got or the amount of engagement they received.

When I had that ah-ha, I started looking at my “relationships” on social media in a completely different way.

And just the other day I received even more validation when I got the following DM from a stranger;

“Hey, Susan, I see that we got things in common and thought that would be a good excuse to connect.

I wasn’t sure whether or not you’d appreciate me sending you a friend request or not, so thought I’d leave it in your hands if you felt so inclined, and of course, I would gladly accept.”

I took some to marinate how I felt...

I wish I was talking about "rest + relaxation", but I am not.

With the great resignation of 2021 and now an impending recession on the horizon many are rethinking their life, their worth, and their value. 

Just the other day I got this email from Lydia, a total stranger,

“Hi Susan, very intrigued with your website and coaching! I “retired” recently, launched a pandemic business, and had some success, but now need to pivot! Feeling a little like I need to start but need a little push! I am going to check out your website. Can I set up a consult with you?”

Lydia sounds like a lot of people I talk to and I have a feeling this message is going to get louder.

Starting is always the hard part. Especially for women like you who have so much good stuff inside of you but because it was never valued as it should have been it was never given the praise that it deserved. And because of that, you don’t see how much that could...