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Serving without Burnout with Bethany B Joy · Christian Business Growth Podcast

• 0:00
  Hello and welcome to the Christian Business Growth Podcast.
• 0:02
  I'm here with Bethany Joy or Bethany B.
• 0:05
  Joy as she's known online.
• 0:07
  Bethany, tell us, how did God get you into business?
• 0:10
  Yeah.
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  So Lyle, thanks for having me here.
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  I'm so excited to be here.
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  And yeah, so my business has been just an amazing opportunity that I would get to connect with groups, small groups actually, form transformational communities.
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  And really how I got into that is I was going through my own healing journey.
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  I'm a single mom of three amazing boys.
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  And it was through that single mom, single parenting journey that I realized, huh,
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  I might need some help after that.
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  And I had some like counseling back and forth before then.
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  But this point was really interesting because I noticed that I had a defense, which was I love sitting with people that enjoy mental health stuff and I can ask questions and
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  somehow I have this skill where I can make it all about them.
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  It's amazing.
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  And what I would do is I would have these sessions with them.
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  And I would walk out feeling great, like on the top of the world, because I didn't talk about any of my stuff.
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  And they loved it because they got to talk about all of their stuff in a safe place.
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  So it kept on going until finally I had a nice, amazing, amazing counselor call me out and he's like, um, do you realize what you're doing?
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  I'm like, and I had no clue honestly, until he called me out on it.
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  And of course he had me go deeper and deeper about my issues, but he's like, Bethany, do you realize how many of us in the serving profession, coaches, counselors,
• 1:33
  teachers even, those of us that are poor out day after day after day, how many days, how many places we have that we really don't have where we can just show up and be ourselves?
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  And I'm like, no.
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  And he's like, do know you can get paid for that?
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  I'm like, no.
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  And so one thing kind of led to another and I'm doing what I would always love to do.
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  Like I love mental health.
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  I love being in these serving professions, but most of that, I want to make sure we get the right people in the profession that need to be out there to help people.
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  the proof and the resources and the community that they need to keep on going.
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  I'm tired of people that God has called out burning out.
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  It shouldn't be that way.
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  And so that is why I do what I do.
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  And that's how I got into my business.
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  Yeah, it's hard when you're a serving person, you're always giving and you forget to take, you forget to allow people to give back to you.
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  I've had the same problem.
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  was in ministry for 20 years.
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  And when I would get first got started in business, I would be so busy counseling people that I'd be like, I'm not getting paid for this, which that's not an issue.
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  That's not the issue.
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  The issue is I'm so busy giving out to them that I'm not getting for me.
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  And if I don't take care of myself first, I can't pay my bills, which means I can't help more people.
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  And so it's that back and forth.
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  Always, know, it's the changing the hat thing.
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  You got to change the hat and get into that.
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  Yes.
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  Well, yeah.
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  And even the biggest and I share this with a lot of people and I always get this look like what, but the biggest growth maturity hack, if you would say so, is to know what you need
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  and be able to ask for it.
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  And so many of us don't do it.
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  Like I stink at doing that.
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  Like I even had to, I ask, ask my boys all the time.
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  Okay.
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  What is that exactly that you need that you're asking for right now?
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  Be specific.
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  And even those of us in helping professions.
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  if we can learn how to do that.
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  But the only way we can learn how to do that is to receive an experience and get those people to ask us that.
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  And it's a two way street.
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  yeah.
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  So what's God currently doing in your business?
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  Like right now, I know you just got over sickness, but aside from that, what are you doing?
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  uh
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  I love it.
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  mean, it's you know what?
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  I used to think that following God meant, you know, chasing after the dream that he has put in my heart.
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  And I'm not denying that.
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  I think that is.
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  But what I'm learning more is that I'm not nearly chasing the dream.
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  I'm more chasing the dream giver, meaning that he knows more than I do.
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  So when the world around me shifts and changes, I don't completely panic.
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  I panic a little bit.
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  I'm just not gonna get a deep panic a little bit, but I don't completely lose hope.
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  My story in a nutshell has just been so much shifting and turning and changing.
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  And it's just hard to build any kind of foundation off of that.
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  However, really in my business, because my vision and hearing has changed so much, I'm learning to adapt to my business to being able to do a lot more online.
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  And I'm also doing a lot more speaking because I love speaking.
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  I love getting uh people engaged and to be able to connect.
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  And so I'm being able to shape my ministry where it's, know, a lot is online still to get the resources and the connection online, but then being able to travel with me and my
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  guide dog and go places and meet people in real life and be able to give them hope and encouragement and sit down with them and show them how to really do relationships well is
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  huge.
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  And I would have never thought that would even be a possibility losing vision and hearing.
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  Like that's just insane, but I get to travel more now, hopefully.
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  more now than I did before.
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  And so it's just, would I have planned this?
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  No, but, but God is doing it and I'm just enjoying the ride.
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  really am.
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  I'm gonna ask you a little personal if you can answer this bigger as little as you want to, you you said you're having trouble with the vision and audio that's changing in your
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  life.
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  There's been some circumstances that have caused that to happen.
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  Can you explain a little bit for especially for people who's listening, they don't know you, what is it that you've gone through and what is God doing in those moments in your
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  life?
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  Yes, I love that.
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  So it's so funny to share this story because I'm like, where do I start?
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  So in a way to get us from the birth all the way to the present, I have what's called charge syndrome.
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  I'll let people Google that.
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  And if you Google it, you can learn that each letter stands for a different kind of condition that all of us with charge have.
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  However, there's a huge spectrum, huge spectrum of all of these conditions.
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  But we just got the luck of the draw where we have all of them combined into one.
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  because that's what we are.
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  so, however, I am in my 40s now.
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  I know I look like I'm 18, but you know, anyway.
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  I'm in my 40s now and as I've aged, a lot of my current vision and hearing that I had before has decreased support where my optical nerve, I have coloboma, which means that my
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  eyes were never formed properly and completely formed at all really, but the optical nerve is thinning.
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  And so eventually what will happen is that they believe the optical nervous become obsolete, which means that I will have no vision and no hearing at all.
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  Um, now we don't know how that's going to happen, but just over the last two weeks, I've lost a lot of vision and that was unexpected.
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  So it's very much like on a roller coaster ride, like, okay, what's this going to look like?
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  And I can say this because I think so many of us out there, especially in business were like, well, you know, I don't know what tomorrow's going to look like.
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  So how can I promise people?
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  to show up in a certain way if I know that I can't, I'm not sure if I can.
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  And what I've learned to do with that is I've learned to say, hey, this is who I am, this is what's going on in my life.
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  Do you want part of this journey and adventure?
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  And most people are like, heck yeah.
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  I was like, let's go.
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  Like I need someone like you in my life.
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  So if there's somebody out there that's going, I don't know if I have what it takes to show up and to be the business that people really wanna be, don't deny yourself.
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  Like God has created you just the way that he wants you to be and God is giving you gifts right now that you can use in that moment.
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  So if I can encourage anyone out there, be yourself, invite people into the journey and share with them like, hey, this is how God has equipped me to walk with you specifically
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  through this adventure that you're on.
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  So what does it look like to lean on the dream giver as you're going through this process in your life?
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  Yeah.
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  So I think when I started out this whole coaching journey, which was a long time ago, actually, I started out, um, actually helping people with SEO.
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  So that's like, seems almost foreign now at the world of AI and everything, but you know, that's, yeah, we're not going to get off of that giant ginger, but it was like, I mean, I
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  was back in like the dream weaver phase.
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  Like that was my man.
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  That was my jam anyway.
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  Okay.
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  So, um,
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  Back to present.
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  So that's where I started and a lot of people love what I had to do.
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  But my problem was, is I was working with them in a coaching business.
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  I realized that my heart really was burdened because I would get these people that search engine optimization that they wanted.
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  They were getting seen.
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  They knew what their why was.
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  They knew what their client base was, but then they would crash and burn.
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  And I really didn't know what that was about.
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  And I had this angst going on in my heart.
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  It was around that same time.
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  when I became a single parent, when God showed me, yeah, you really have a passion for the mental wellbeing and the mindset and the beliefs that people are believing.
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  Like you want to go deeper, belong SEO.
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  Like you want them to be bound for what they actually are, not for what they do.
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  And so was like, okay, this is cool.
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  And so that's what it's been a lot about really trusting him, even though I still enjoy while you know.
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  I am a tech nerd, like I can nerd out on this stuff like all day.
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  However, what really sets me alive is I got to get on this weekend just for like a 20 minute deal, which was helping people learn how to do community well.
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  And I literally pulled myself off the couch, sat here and did a 20 minute and I felt so alive at the end of it.
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  I love technology, but I'm not pulling myself out of a sick bed to deal with it.
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  I'm just keeping it real.
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  Yeah.
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  I've learned like, okay, God, you've given me something to chase after that's bigger than me.
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  And I'll never stop doing that.
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  I love it.
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  Yeah, you're welcome.
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  what is a business growth tip you have?
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  It may or may not be technical.
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  So I feel like I have so many em tips out there, but the biggest thing that I've learned so far is to really never stop growing.
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  And when I say that, you know, the way that I've structured step out and thrive, which is the business that I own, is that we start with a whole idea of just belonging.
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  Like, where do you belong and what does that really look like?
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  Not become.
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  And people are like, well, wait, what?
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  You do want to become, you do want to grow deeper, but if you're not growing deeper around the right people, you're not going to really go deep.
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  And so that is the biggest thing that I can really shout out to people that I've learned is that, you know, we're both in common threads, common groups of people that really grow.
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  And, you know, with the faith to influence drive and just so many other places, like I rely on those people.
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  They are family, they are resources, but they're always gonna point me back to Jesus.
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  They're always gonna point me back to God.
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  And if I didn't have those right people in my life, there's no way that I would want to go deeper.
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  And it would push me to like, hey, Bethany, why don't you try to go out on stages and speak?
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  We don't care that you don't see the edge.
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  That's kidding.
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  They do, they do.
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  But it's just, people around you will see who you really are and they will call that out.
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  and they're not afraid to call you out because they know who is really there and they know the God that made you and who wouldn't, why wouldn't you want to be around those people?
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  I hope that's a big, I don't know if we could go deeper on that, but that's been a big thing for me is know who you're surrounded by and know how you can go deeper.
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  Yeah, it's about being authentic, being authentically who you are and being around people who recognize when you're not being authentic.
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  That's a huge key.
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  So how's that helping your business growth?
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  Well, think originally, like a couple of years ago, when a lot of this vision hearing stuff started happening, I remember the one person I'm thinking of right off the top of my
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  head is Justin, one of the coaches that we have in common.
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  And I hit for the longest time about vision and hearing stuff.
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  And I messaged him like, Hey, I really want to work with you guys, but this what's going on.
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  he's like, and I'm like, bro, and what?
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  What do you mean?
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  And, and he's just like, that's not who you are.
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  Like.
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  I'm just like, ah.
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  And so all of this to say, you know, that's what it looks like.
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  It really, it's one of those things that you can show up and have the confidence in showing up as you are.
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  Here I am with hearing loss and vision loss.
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  a single mom trying to make it, you know, kind of thing.
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  And so I don't try to show up as a business.
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  Like one of the strategies I've learned is I don't say we step out and thrive.
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  Normally I say.
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  I at Step Out and Thrive, because it's just me, me and like one other person.
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  I can't compare myself to businesses that are multiple, but that's what makes me unique.
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  And that's what makes Step Out and Thrive unique.
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  And just like you, Lyle, you've spoken about yourself in so many amazing ways that's so authentic.
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  And I think that's what draws people to you because you don't shy away from being somebody that you're not.
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  Thank you.
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  I appreciate that.
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  So let's touch base on AI.
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  How is AI impacting your business?
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  I know you love this, so we're going to see if we this in short.
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  Just kidding.
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  Let me pause for a second though, because we're talking about authenticity, and people take authenticity and then they throw AI on top of it and they lose their authentic self.
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  They really do.
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  They don't have a way to line up who they truly are.
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  and use a tool like AI without AI replacing them and replacing who they authentically are.
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  That sounds backwards.
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  I agree.
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  can't, man, we can be like a whole thing about this while, anyway, I think, okay, the biggest, well, okay, go back to the original question.
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  How am I using AI in my business?
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  Okay.
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  the AI in your business to keep yourself being authentic.
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  That's the key.
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  exactly, exactly.
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  And I'll be honest with you, I do play around with some of the things that I would not actually execute in my business, because I'm just curious how to do it.
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  I am curious about the whole voice cloning thing and all that kind I would never do that in my business, honestly, but I just think it's fun to play with it.
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  So that aside, in my own personal business, I don't think, and by the way, just keeping it real, AI has not been able to clone me.
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  because of my facial features and my thing.
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  I was just, yes, I'm unclonable.
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  Woohoo.
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  Anyway.
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  So I think that's awesome.
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  Anyway, be unclonable people.
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  yourself.
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  Anyway, so I have been able to use like Opus Clip, for instance, you know, when I was doing my I'm still doing my podcast.
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  I need to get better at putting it out there.
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  But, you know, it does authentically what I'm doing and it spits out clips and it's the whole clip.
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  doesn't.
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  I don't like those that like chop little clips together to make it look like it's something that it's not really about.
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  That's just not me.
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  um So I use that sometimes even in my video editing, like I'll use it to do like little like halo effects or just little I'm ADD.
• 15:00
  So I have to have people keep watching because I also use it for em text to voice or text to audio.
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  It's been called so many different things now, but especially for me because my legal blindness.
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  That helps me get so much done.
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  In fact, I'm working, connecting with a company right now that is training a lot of AI processes to help those of us that have visual loss to actually do the whole business side
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  of things just through spoken audio.
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  cool.
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  I saw a video recently, this guy was totally paralyzed.
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  But they hooked him into machine.
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  He played video games with his kid and made fun of his kid for the first time.
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  I was like, how freaking cool is that?
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  AI is used to augment or help someone, that's a big thing for me to replace someone.
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  That's where it becomes creepy.
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  Especially I've seen people they do AI and they create an AI version of somebody and then talk to that somebody as if that's really them.
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  It's scary.
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  You don't want to get if you're fighting that much to get more done.
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  I think it's to step back and go, okay, wait, what's going on with me that makes me feel like I have to get more done at this moment?
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  What's driving that?
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  And is it really necessary?
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  Am I setting up something else above God at this point?
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  Am I setting up something else above my family at some point?
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  I'm not saying there's something wrong with that.
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  But I'm saying it's time to go back and just reflect, okay, what's really most important?
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  good point because a lot of people they they use the AI so much to build their productivity but then they become so productive that they've missed the connections of
• 16:34
  with other people we're going back to the authenticity factor I think so I know what concept authenticity our word for the day I thought far for you people who are listening
• 16:52
  today yeah we are 280 people having fun
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  Bethany, how can someone get in touch with you?
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  And as we end up here, what's a little tidbit of wisdom you want to leave us
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  That's two questions.
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  I'm kidding.
• 17:04
  Yes, yes it is.
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  Okay, how can people get in touch with me?
• 17:07
  You can find me at BethanyBJoy.com.
• 17:10
  It should be down there somewhere.
• 17:12
  BethanyBJoy everywhere.
• 17:14
  And one thing I would love to leave people with today, I feel like authenticity is the thing, but more than anything is that you can't be authentic unless you know who you are
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  in God's image.
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  That is the person you're supposed to be.
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  So if you feel like that tug of war, like, don't know if I can be authentic or not, I would challenge you to be quiet and allow God to speak over you in your mind, you, who he
• 17:42
  says that you are and who he sees when he's looking at you.
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  And that more than anything is what people need to see.
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  That's awesome.
• 17:50
  Yeah, it reminds me of the verse, still and know that I'm God.
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  We're in a busy world.
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  We're throwing computer images and text messages and everything on our face so much that we'd forget to just stop, turn all that off and just be still in front of God.
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  Because it's when he reaches our heart the best is when we shut up and listen.
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  Just basically.
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  But it's been great to talk to you again and we'll chat some more here in a little bit after we get off this call.
• 18:14
  Awesome.
• 18:15
  All right.
• 18:15
  Thank you, Lyle.