Latest / Energy is Currency Podcast / Your Business Needs You Less Than You Think: Escaping the Operator Mindset
Transcript
- Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Welcome back. We are having a really fun conversation today on Energy is Currency. Of course, you know who I am. I'm Lexi, same old Lexi from last time. But today I have a really awesome guest with me. I have the honor to meet with Mike DeJohn and we're going to have some really interesting, we're going to have a fun conversation about being a digital nomad, about the entrepreneur's mindset. We were talking about all things, ⁓ pilot language, ⁓ commercial language, joining Propel program like my friend just did. But you mentioned a really fun point, which I feel like a lot of entrepreneurs carry a lot of shame about. I don't believe that entrepreneurs are supposed to stay in the same areas. I think you learn, you master something here and then you master something else and then. Mike DeJong: Yeah. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Are you, did you create a business or did you just create another job for yourself? We got some really good meaty points that we're going to have today. But first and foremost, let's get to know Mike. I'm going to pass him the mic and let him just give us the spiel. Tell us everything. What do the people need to know? So the floor is yours, my friend. You master something else. you feel like, how do you feel about that in your experience? Because you've done a lot of stuff. Mike DeJong: I think entrepreneurs, like to stay in, I've heard it called our zone of genius or what we like to do or what we're good at. ⁓ And then we get bored because we like, okay, I succeeded in this, let's go do something else. And in a more recent transformation for me, the thing that took me from having an average life and doing, even when I was working for myself as an entrepreneur, having average wages was, Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yes, yes. Mike DeJong: ⁓ Lexi, thank you for that warm welcome. And I'm the one that's honored to be with you and your listeners. So thank you so much for having me. Really hope I respect them by giving them some great information today. Yeah. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Right. Thank you. I think so. So tell us about you. I literally just asked, said, Mike, where are you? He's like, ⁓ I'm a digital nomad. So we need to start there. Cause I think you have the job that everybody dreams of. So how did you get this dream job? Mike DeJong: ⁓ taking, learning a new skillset, but in the same area. instead of completely changing jobs, changing industries, changing whatever, let's go, let's go from really being really good at opening one to really good at opening four or five. Cause that's, that's, that's a different skillset. That's the, call that the operator trap. You know, we work really hard and that makes us successful. And then. Sure. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yeah, yeah. Mike DeJong: Well, I decided I wanted to do it. Let's start with that. I took it from a dream and then I made it a plan. I wrote it down and then I executed on the plan and here I am. ⁓ Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Okay. Yes? Okay. Mike DeJong: We were like, okay, in the US we got this hustle culture, know, we work, work, work, we're gonna put in the hours, we're gonna put in the time, I don't need to sleep, I don't need to eat, maybe I don't even need to shower, I just got 168 hours in the week. Okay, yeah, we do need to shower, I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Believe me, I'm kidding. And eating, I love that way too much also. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: So what was the dreaming stage like? I know with me, when I have an idea or that, like what you said, a nudge happens, it feels like I always say, well, huh, this is a seed planted. You know, I don't know what I'm gonna do with this, but this has an infectious quality to it. So what does that feel like for you? Ugh. No, I'll back to that. Mike DeJong: Yeah. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Okay. Right. But I've talked to so many hardworking people, entrepreneurs, people in their corporate careers, and they disregard a lot of those elements. Like everything you listed somehow becomes negotiable when you feel, because my thing is this, your career isn't genuinely on the line. Mike DeJong: Sure. Sometimes it just starts with a whisper. You just get like a little whisper and then it gets up to a nudge and know, the universe is trying to tell you something will keep nudging you and then maybe it drops a brick on your head or kicks you or something a little stronger if you're not listening, if you're not paying attention, if you're not listening, you know, if the energy isn't flowing the right way, you know, the universe lets you know. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Ooh, okay. Mike DeJong: Yes. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: I hope not. right? You're resistant, right? between meeting your basic needs. I don't believe in a career where me meeting my basic needs is gonna be the interruption to my financial success. I don't believe that, but a lot of people do. You know what? I look at it like a beaver dam where, you know, beavers are doing what they're supposed to do. They're creating the resistance for the waters. Cool. Do your thing, beavers. However, when we're in that seed planting or that idea stage, we got to undo the beavers work. You have to remove that resistance so that the idea can flow. I definitely have to deal with that where I'm like, okay, am I the drama? Mike DeJong: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, yeah, a lot of people do. And that's what I call the operator trap because we get stuck in operating these businesses where we're the one making the decisions, we're the ones making the moves, we're the one pushing everything. ⁓ And making that next step, becoming a true owner is where we could really have the breakthroughs, learn something completely new, completely different skill set. Very exciting, but not change careers and not change industries. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yeah. Mike DeJong: ⁓ yes. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yes. So. Mike DeJong: Yes! Lexi, I think you're always the drama. I don't know you well enough to know that. I doubt that you are. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: So how do we move through the operator trap? How do we start to, how do we get to the next level? What's the secret, No, that was probably the most accurate sentence I've heard in a while. So what was your, what was, what was happening when you got your first whisper? What was your life like at that point? Mike DeJong: It's very simple, you just get out of your own way. So I was working in corporate America at the time, Fortune 500 company operations, multiple States, thousands of units responsible for, and I'm like, this is not wonderful. I'm traveling, which I love to do. I love to travel. I'd love to travel forever. My first career was as a commercial pilot. that was back in the day. ⁓ And that's a really cool career ⁓ for a lot of people. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: but how do i get out of my own way Mike DeJong: ⁓ my goodness. ⁓ Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I feel like you just gave me a ⁓ grenade and was like, ⁓ yeah, just hold this right here really quickly. Hold this. Right. Put the pen back in. How do we get out of our own way? What does that look like? What does, okay, first, what does getting in your own way look like? Mike DeJong: Just hold this until you can put the pin back in. Yeah. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Mmm. Mmm. I'm awesome. It is, I actually have a friend who is, and I probably talk about her all the time on the show. She is entering the Delta's Propel pilot program to become a commercial pilot. And I've just been able to be a cheerleader and kind of watch her through each step. And I don't understand any of the words she's saying. Everything is super technical, but it's a profound language. Airplane language is a language, but just watching her. Mike DeJong: So ⁓ I think we first need to recognize that we're in our own way before we can get out of our own way. Because historically, most of us, like, ⁓ if I work a little harder, if I try a little harder, if I make a few more phone calls, whatever the action is, I'm going to get that next level of success. I'm to get that thing I need. I'm short on payroll this week. Man, I'll go close two more deals. I got this. You know, whatever it is. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yeah, for sure. Mike DeJong: ⁓ yes, yes. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yeah. Mike DeJong: Right. And so is business language and so is, yeah, everything. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Right. Yes. So watching her through her experience has been beautiful. tell us more about your commercial. You have done a lot. Wait a minute. So we started off as a commercial pilot. We transferred to corporate America. Mike DeJong: ⁓ But then something usually happens in our life we get sick or someone near to us get sick or we in my case I went on this vacation this well-earned it's been years since I went on a vacation and it was a it was a Midwest February and And that means that means it was ⁓ Sorry, go ahead No, no, I left I left because it was 80 degrees on a Saturday and Sunday it snowed Right. And then, which was a lot of fun, but I get, I don't want to say bored easily, but distracted easily. And that's something that I'd actually really been working on. It stopped me from being successful early on, but we can circle back to that. Then I went and got a mechanical engineering technologist degree and worked in the steel industry for a bunch of years, traveled all over the world, seen just about every steel mill in the Western hemisphere. Note, they're not in the nice parts of town. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Where did you, wait, you went to the Midwest in February or you left the Midwest in February? Okay. Okay. ⁓ yeah. Oh, okay. You look like a human. Mike DeJong: And I'm like, I'm done with winter. I'm going somewhere warm. You know, I pulled up the laptop. I'm like, where can I go? Where could I leave? Like Tuesday, I'm on a plane down to Mexico. You know, got the family. We're going down there because to me, freedom equal travel. I'd always had travel in my life. Every job I've been in, I've had travel in my life, but I never had a lot of travel for myself. And I wanted to get, I wanted a business for myself so I could have this freedom. You know, digital nomad, so I could have this freedom. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Awesome. Yeah Right, right. Mike DeJong: And I got off the plane and I turned my phone on. And as I'm turning my phone on, Bob Marley's playing and you know, like, which is like, know it's so cliche, but it was true. And you can see the palm trees and the warm breeze and my phone explodes with like text messages. What's going on, what's happening. And then my manager calls and she's only going to call me if the place burned down. And I'm like, ⁓ God, I guess the place burned down. She's like, I just want to let you know I'm quitting, but I'll stay here until you get back. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: ⁓ no. And you wait, you had you checked into your hotel yet? ⁓ Mike DeJong: Not even checked into the hotel yet. am because I'm an operator like, know, I gotta, I gotta keep like I was back in the day. I had a pager like that, you know, you I'm old. Okay, I'm old. So, Yeah, there you go. Yeah earned every one of these blonde hairs. I call these blonde hairs. ⁓ Yeah. Yeah. Yours looks a lot better than mine. so anyway, Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yeah, you gotta keep doing it. Yeah. ⁓ man, I hate you. No, you're seasoned and marinated. Trust me, I have them too, okay? Thank Mike DeJong: So I'm like, this is great, I'm on vacation and I got this manager, but she's gonna stay until I leave, so everything's fine. No, every system and process I had, I didn't have one. Everything went through my manager or through me, so therefore she was checked out, so everything went through me. So I spent that entire vacation ⁓ instead of relaxing by the pool, which I've actually learned I don't do very well at anyway. But relaxing by the pool or going on need adventures, I was on my laptop in the room and on the phone and managing all of the little decisions. Because I never put any processes in place. I didn't have any procedures in place. I'm like, I don't need any of that. Corporate America has that stuff. My small business doesn't need that stuff. And that was my realization that, ⁓ my God, I'm stuck in this trap that I can't even take. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Right. Mike DeJong: It was a planned five day vacation. I extended it to 10, like on the fly. When she called to say, I'll be here until you get back in a week. I'm like, oh, did I say a week? I'm actually gone for two weeks. And then I went to the hotel front desk. like, I'd like to extend for a week. Because I knew I wasn't getting another vacation for a long time. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: for three If ⁓ you were trying to figure it out, hey, let's make this count. While we're here, we need to make this count. So what was... Mike DeJong: Right. But also not realizing that I'd be on the phone the whole time and I should have just went back. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: But you know, I feel like you have to get some kind of vacation out of it. ⁓ Especially if it sounds like you went home to a storm, to fire, having to put a lot of fires out. So did you stay with that job? Did you close it out? How did you transition to becoming a digital nomad? Because that's the cool job. That's what everybody is trying to get to. You know, how do I do that? Who do I apply to? Mike DeJong: Yeah, I tried. I got a few hours in. It wasn't all bad. Yeah. Well, well, you know, you could start a lot sooner than me. I didn't I started making some changes. I started putting some processes in place. I started putting some policies in place. I started getting people to follow those processes and policies. And but I only still had a few in place. And then I did the thing that a lot of operators do that when they get some into trouble is I'm like, I know I just need another location. If I if I have a second location, I'll make more money. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Mm-hmm. Okay. Mike DeJong: And I could hire better managers because I have more money, and then I'll have all this freedom. No, that's not what happened. That's not what happened. Because the culture doesn't automatically transfer. It just doesn't mythically come out of your head into the new people. You have to spend the time. And all the new people who haven't spent time with you for a couple of years in your first location don't understand the culture and haven't picked up how to do things, even though they're not written down. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yeah. ⁓ so. Right. Mike DeJong: or recorded on a loom or whatever. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Are you telling me that you didn't hire mind readers? Like what is this market coming to? Mike DeJong: No, I know. Yeah, maybe that'll come someday, but it doesn't exist yet. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: I mean, we got ⁓ AI next and let's see what happens next, right? Because you're mentioning a really big elephant that a lot of small businesses experience. Cause I remember my mentor telling me you cannot work in your business and on your business. It's one or the other. You're gonna burn yourself out. You're gonna be less efficient trying to do both. Mike DeJong: Perfect, yes. Yes. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: I've always carried that and so I work less salon hours because I need definitive time to organize and structure my business. I can't do both. So if my salon is open, I'm not touching a computer. But if my computer is open, I'm not touching a client. So I had to learn how to separate those two. One, so that when I'm with my clients, we're having fun. I'm not trying to... Mike DeJong: can't. Perfect. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Hey, can you fill out this paperwork for me while I blow dry your hair? We're not trying to multitask. They didn't become my little, you know, hourly assistants, you know, but also it doesn't work. It doesn't work. They don't want to work for you while they're getting their hair done. Very, very undisciplined clients. And then it's like, well, okay, go ahead and pay me full price. Now I'm like, I just worked for two hours and I get minimum wage. And it's like, well, wait, that's not what we talked about. So between Mike DeJong: Right. Although that's not a bad idea. No? Okay. Right. You Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Wage disparity, lack of skills. It just wasn't ideal. So I had to stop. And I think that started when I was in college because I would try to work in my salon all day and say, okay, if I get off at three, then I can work on my clients for the rest of, I can work on my paperwork for the rest of the day. Three would turn into eight every Thursday. And at eight o'clock I'm like, well, how do I get started with this 90 page paper? Mike DeJong: You Yeah. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: that's due in two weeks and it's like, ⁓ okay. So I was like, I had to really, I stopped working Thursdays in my hair salon, maybe 10, let's say eight years ago, because there was no way I was gonna be able to do a degree program and finish and be with my clients intentionally. So that was my way of. Mike DeJong: ⁓ You're ahead of the curve. You are ahead of the curve, Lexi. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: I was blessed to have a lot of really successful mentors. You know how Kanye West always says, I don't take advice from people less successful than me. Mike DeJong: which is a wise, wise, wise quote. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: a wise quote from a wild man, right? But every blue moon, it makes sense, right? Every blue moon. And so ⁓ I would always go and seek out people who had the freedom I wanted or the family that I desire or the operations, you know, like you come into their business and it's like, ⁓ I want this. Those are the people I hung out Mike DeJong: True. You Yeah, you gotta take that a step further though. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Ooh, what's the next step? Mike DeJong: And that's not care what people that don't have what you want say. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: That part. Mike DeJong: Because so many people, like, they get beat down by their friends and family and relatives and people who care and love them and don't want to see them hurt. It's like, ⁓ you don't want to do that. People fail at that. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: You know what, I don't know. I wonder if that's a genetic thing. I, my entire life, I've never had the programming for that, which is awesome for me versus society. Terrible for me and my mom. Cause she's like, no, you're going to get hurt. This is bad. You're giving me anxiety. I'm so worried. And I'm like, mom, I'm doing it anyway. Mike DeJong: Ha Right. Which is beautiful. That's what I say to my mother too. And she's just starting to catch on. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: My mother and are in a really sweet spot of me respecting and valuing her worries. Because like you said, she wants the best for me. She does not want for me to experience hurt. And, and not or, but and allowing me to experience it how I'm being urged to or nudged or, you know, how the seed is being planted and growing. We're allowing space for both. So I can sit down and even offer her reassurance like, hey mom, you know, you raised a really intelligent daughter, you know, and I'm gonna make mistakes and I hope that you'll be willing to support me through those, you know, but I think it's gonna turn out okay, you know, but entrepreneurship has no pathway. And check this out, I started off as a cosmetologist in the era where we were revamping. ⁓ the first revamping of Grease where they were singing, beauty schools drop out all the time. And you're going to cosmetology school, you're not going to go to college or that industry doesn't make any money. And I was just like, well. Mike DeJong: ⁓ my goodness, okay, okay. That's not true. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: It wasn't true and I wasn't designed for corporate America. So, so then what? Mike DeJong: So here you are. Yeah. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: But here we are. And I'd like to think I'm having a lot of fun. ⁓ So let me ask you this. How do we break the operator's trap? How do we, we got to get out of our own way. But what does that process look like? What does, what does that look like? Mike DeJong: Well, sure. So this is where we get into that whole metaphysical quantum. ⁓ Not today, not today. No, we're gonna break it down and keep it relatively simple. And that is that our stories generally keep us where we're at in everything personal and professional. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Ooh, are we gonna talk about David Hawkins now? Right, right. Okay, I'm listening. Mike DeJong: In this world, experience facts and then we make stories up about those facts so we could fit it into our worldview. And we generally make these stories up to fit in. we're meeting our six human needs. ⁓ As I've heard them described to me by the great Tony Robbins, we all have a need for certainty. We all have a need for variety, for significance, for love or connection, hopefully love, but some people settle for connection. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Okay. Mike DeJong: and then for growth and contribution. And whichever one of those is our greatest need, whichever one is our primary driver is what we're going to build the stories around ⁓ to meet. then layer on top of that, it's usually built by some significant emotional thing that happened in our childhood. I'm not blaming our mothers. No, it's just the program. It's just, we're all, everyone's doing the best job they can. You know, I, I joke, need a license to be a truck driver, but anyone could have a kid. So. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: It's just the programming. It's just the programming. Yeah. Hehehehehe Mike DeJong: ⁓ And I got a lot of respect for truck drivers. I've tried that for a while and that's hard work. That is hard work. Yeah, every time I'm like, remember the original Top Gun when Goose is sitting outside the office with Matt, he's like, you got that number for the truck driving school? I might need that because they're about to get fired. You know, I come back to that line once in a while and then I'll go on a long road trip and I'm like, ⁓ my God, I couldn't do this every day. These people are hard working. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yes. Okay. Okay. Bye! They are, and I'm a long distance traveler. I can do a good eight to 12 hour drive. And every time I'm like, man, I really could have been a truck driver. Mike DeJong: Could you do it day after day after day after day after day after day? Okay, so there you go. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: I could do it like twice a week. As long as they're super flexible with me and I get paid like maybe like a million dollars an hour, I could do like, generous, you know, and then it would be perfect. Mike DeJong: A million dollars an hour, seems reasonable. So we got these facts, we make up these stories to hit our main human need. And then our brain takes a shortcut all the time because it's not that it's lazy, it uses a lot of calories, so it can't process everything all the time. So it uses these shortcuts and then we end up where we're at. the whole... Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Mm-hmm. Yes. Mike DeJong: The whole point of this is, well, if we understand that there's stories or there's facts, we can change the story. And again, it sounds simple. It's a little bit more complicated. So I recommend people start with something ⁓ easy, something small. Don't go change your whole worldview overnight, although you can. ⁓ If you're like a Tony Robbins or something like that, I'm sure you could. But for the rest of us mere mortals. ⁓ Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: I love that. Yeah. the Mike DeJong: you know, change something small and you could rewire it in time where it just becomes automatic. an example I love to give because it still actually makes I've rewired it so powerfully that I usually cry when I give it is I used to get really upset when people would cut me off in traffic. Like really upset, like, you know, why are you more important than me? And you put my life at jeopardy by cutting me off and. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: ⁓ Yeah, for sure. Mike DeJong: You just like a lot of swear words usually get said in my head sometimes out loud. I'm not the sort that honks the horn or flips the bird, but not normally. I'm not saying never, but not normally. We all have our moments. We all have our moments, Lexi. We all have our moments, Lexi. But I'm like, this is not good. Why is my heart rate going up and my blood pressure just getting cut off in traffic? So over time I said. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: ⁓ Okay. The birds are there, but... Mike DeJong: Let's just change the story. How about we think that instead of this person being an SOB, how about we say he's on his way or she is on her way to visit their mother at their deathbed and they got to get there before like, this is where start crying because I have it so wired that it's like, now I have grace for them. It's like, ⁓ I hope you get there in time. And all the stress goes away and it's like, okay. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: I know. Yeah! I love the- Cause you know what, it's now you weren't the victim in the situation that needs to be protected. And now you're assisting, now you've become a participant in their victim situation. So I think that's a great way of reframing things and taking yourself to a higher level emotionally to experience it. So that's really cool. ⁓ You have to, so let me make you laugh. Mike DeJong: You're the guide. Yeah. And you could do that in anything over time. Yeah. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: I learned how to meal prep a few years ago, right? And I may have told this story on the show before, but I learned how to meal prep a few years ago because I was at home. Now, mind you, I have three older sisters and we were taking, we took one to college down in Louisiana back in 2000. Okay. This is significant. The year 2000 is significant. So in 2021, I was at home and I was starving and I was tired. Mike DeJong: Okay. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: And I was too tired to cook, too tired to order, too tired to get up and do anything. But I was not tired enough to stop ruminating over how hungry I was. Now I've been ruminating over how hungry I was and how I had just been deprived of food for so long that I went all the way back to the year 2000 when we dropped my sister off at college. Now, during this experience, in retrospect, we were experiencing separation anxiety. my other sister and I, because our oldest sister was leaving and she was starting this new adventure and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. So my middle sister ate my catfish. Now, mind you, we're in a hotel, ⁓ you know, so microwaves and refrigerators were scarce. And I just, had my heart set on this catfish. Cause as I'm not sure where you rank with your siblings if you have them, but when you're the baby sibling, all of your stuff becomes community. So I have a, if you can't see the chip on my shoulder, I still want to point it out. It's still there. So late in 2021, I am ruminating over how my sister ate my catfish in the year 2021, complete adult years ago. Okay. This, and I had a moment where I was like, yo, you're mad about 21 year old cold catfish. You realize that, right? And in 21 years, you have eaten Mike DeJong: 21 years ago. ⁓ my. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: plenty of catfish and now you have money to buy your own catfish. And I had to because I was gonna perish. Mike DeJong: You just changed the story. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: I was going to perish. I was going to cross over from the word right. I was just, ugh. I'm turning into dust. And I think I was at the brink and I literally had to laugh at myself and say, girl, order a pizza, please, for dear life. Please, no, I would. I do love a good seafood pizza. Don't get me wrong. I love a good seafood pizza. The catfish didn't make the cut. Mike DeJong: ⁓ my god, the words matter. I'm so hungry I'm gonna perish. Like how? Like I could miss quite a few meals before I perish. I think most of us can. with catfish on it. ⁓ Should we start some controversy, pineapple on a pizza or no? No, don't answer that. We don't wanna start that controversy. We don't need that. Let's just leave that out there for people to fight in the comments. We won't get involved. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: But, You know what? You know what? We're going to end this now, We're not doing this. America is doing enough. OK. ⁓ So yes, let us know if you are a pineapple crusader or not. Okay. But at that point I was like, let's see. Seriously. Seriously. And you know, I had to laugh because that wasn't the first time I had had that rumination. And I said, okay, you can't make it. You cannot make it to the point where you are so hungry. One, you think you're going to perish, but also that you are upset about catfish from 20 years ago. Mike DeJong: Right. There's it. There's so much to unpack. I'm not a therapist, but there's so much to unpack here, Lexi. Like I don't play one on TV either or on YouTube or anywhere, but I mean, just the words, like I'm gonna perish. And we all do that. Like they always do this. They never do that. I've tried everything. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Hahaha! I'm sorry. We use such big, and I am notorious. I'm notorious for using big, big, unnecessarily applicable words. And I love that. Mike DeJong: You're notorious. Yes, look at that. You're notorious. And when they're positive words, they're great. And when they're negative words, they could really bring you down. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Exactly. Mike DeJong: So this is a great tie-in to how we change because... Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yes, no, for sure. Because it is about the language that you use. So in yoga, we call it the wheel of suffering. So anytime you attach the phrases, me, I, my, mine, to an experience, you have added more suffering to your experience. So when we say I'm right, my sister took my catfish from me. You know, this was my catfish. Mike DeJong: Yes! Yeah. ⁓ yes. and we all have our own special flavor of suffering that we like. Right. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: I've been violated now, right? But really, my sister was hungry and she needed some food. That's all it was. That's all it was. And I was not in proximity to the food that she was, so she ate it. Mike DeJong: That's all it was. And it was a moment and you didn't at the moment. So a little, this is funny, think, whenever I hear my or mine, I wanna make it ridiculous so that I don't wanna think it anymore. So if you've seen the movie, Finding Nemo, when the seagulls are coming and they're like, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, I think of that scene and I'm like, okay, this is just too ridiculous. I just need to like not make it mine anymore. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Mm-hmm. yes. That is so funny. But I love one, how aware you are about your internal narrative and two, how the style of control that you're applying to this. You bringing a level of humor to it and that creates the most lasting or impactful change. know, like laughing about old catfish. Like once you make it something ridiculous, then the brain is like, ⁓ that can't be true anymore. Let's just. Mike DeJong: It can't be true, let's just move on. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: We can move on from that. You know, once you add the ridiculousness to it. ⁓ my goodness. You know what that made me think of? Harry Potter. Mike DeJong: Please bring it. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Have you seen, which Harry Potter was that? It had to have been Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ⁓ when they were bringing out the Dementors, where one of the teachers, who was a werewolf, was teaching the students how to manage the Dementors who thrived on negative emotions and negative feelings, how to combat them by shifting their narrative to, this is something ridiculous or silly. So the teacher would introduce, Mike DeJong: Yes. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: you know, this is your biggest fear. And then the student's job was to think of it as something more silly. So I think it was one with a spider. And so was all terrified with the spider and then he put roller skates on the feet. So it was like an eight leg spider with roller skates. And it's like, how can you be terrified of that? know? So, pop culture wants to help us. Mike DeJong: Which is crazy. the things we learn from pop culture that help us out. It does. agree. mean, Yoda and Obi-Wan are the guides to Luke Skywalker and everyone around Harry Potter are the guides to get him on his path. Like the heroes, the heroes are weak, but they always ⁓ end up winning in the end because they have the guides around them to get them. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Right? So I don't feel like they're weak, I feel like they're inexperienced. Mike DeJong: ⁓ that's a better way to put it. I agree with you. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: I think they're inexperienced. You've never, how often do we run into three headed dogs to know how to handle that? know, right? But there is somebody who does have experience with this. I'd rather talk to them than see the spiders, you know? Mike DeJong: Right, or spiders with roller skates. I mean, it's just, yeah. Well, which is why you knew back in the day, because you found those people and you knew, okay, I got to take a Thursday off so I could work on my work in my salon and not in my salon. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Mm-hmm. I kid you not, I have made it my best effort to surround myself with people who are doing the things that I desire. Cause you know, I think the old phrase is if you hang around five people, five millionaires, you'll become the sixth. But just the environment, because this is the thing in certain communities, certain behavior isn't tolerated. Mike DeJong: Yes. Yes. That's absolutely correct. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: And I think it's important to surround yourself with the things, with the people who value what you value and tolerate what you tolerate, but don't tolerate what you don't tolerate. And if you're trying to grow. Mike DeJong: Yeah. And take it even a level up. If you want to be a millionaire, find someone that's got $10 million. If you want to be a hundred millionaire, find someone with a billion. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: ⁓ I'm listening. Okay, come on 10x rule. I see what you're doing here, but it's the effort. Live with people who are super comfortable with what you're trying to achieve. Mike DeJong: Yeah, because what they have in their pinky finger is like more knowledge than it takes you in a year to get. Like, oh, I could do that on a Tuesday afternoon with what's in my pinky finger, and it's going to take you a year or two or 10 to figure it out yourself. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: And think about the conversation we had earlier describing, you know, the worry from our parents and how that can assist with our programming. If our minds and our bodies and our subconscious are willing to accept negative communication, how much more willing are our bodies to accept positive communication? And the people who are doing what you want to do, can speak much more highly about what you wanna experience than the people who have no experience with it. Mike DeJong: true. So why are we listening to the people that don't have the experience with it? But yet most Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: You know, you can't... You don't have the answers, Sway. I feel like I never get to say that. And I'm so grateful. This was my first chance. Thank you. Mike DeJong: You're welcome. And is this where we drop the mic and just move on with the, no, I'm kidding. We got so much more to talk about. If this gets edited, you cut it right there, I'll understand. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Maybe. Okay, so tell us about Grow Smart. What is this Grow Smart stuff that you're on the path with? What is that about? Mike DeJong: Well, I just realized that I spent a lot of years and a lot of money making a lot of mistakes, Lexi. And it caused a lot of pain. And we don't need to get into all of it, but just it's there. So I'm like, how can I reduce the suffering in the world? Like that's one of my major human drivers. Like my driver is like, I just need to reduce suffering. So if I know how to not do something, if I could be the guide. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mike DeJong: to the hero on their journey. And so they could skip 10 years of pain, hundreds of thousands of dollars in mistakes. Then I want to be that person. And ⁓ so ⁓ I've been informally coaching and now formally coaching for a number of years. And people have come to me and said, Mike, you got to write this stuff down. This is like you're doing it one on one or you're giving some keynote speeches here and there and talking to the masses, but you just need to write this down. I'm like. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Mm-hmm. Mike DeJong: No, I don't want to do that. Like, I don't want to do that. I don't want to do that. And then I got, you know, someone I really respected pushed and I'm like, all right, I'm going to do it. I'm going to have it done by this day. And I did because I committed to it and put a deadline on it. Then things happen kind of like the digital nomad thing. I put a deadline on it and then it happened. And the book got done and it got edited and it got it's been it's been Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: ⁓ he was building a beaver dam. Okay. I'm smelling some resistance. Yeah. Mike DeJong: people who have read it say that they really, ⁓ really love it, which is great. you know, like it's like watching yourself on one of these podcasts or, you for most people they're like, ⁓ I hate the way I look, blah, blah, blah. You know, I hate the way I wrote that. But people I've got a lot of value out of it. So I'd really, I really like warmed me and wanted me to go further and help even help even more people. I'm a giver. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: I love that, I love that. As we all should be, okay, we need a lot more givers than takers, okay? What is one thing, speaking of takers, what is one thing we can take away from your book that would, what's the one thing that people need to hear that says, okay, let me go ahead and order this off Amazon? It's happening, it's happening. Mike DeJong: Ha ha ha. ⁓ One thing, just one, just one, just two, just three. No, ⁓ just know that you're not alone. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Or two. Yeah, six. Okay. Mike DeJong: Just know that even though we all feel, because I've been there and I still feel it sometimes, we're in the silo that we're the only one going through this or feeling these things or experiencing these issues, we're not the only one. And this can be, this will be your guidebook out of it. I could tell you before I sat down with the right mentor and the right peer group, I was struggling. People in my business were making more than I was because you had to take care of your people. And then I was able to get with the right group and the right mentors. And I 10x my income in six months and completely transformed my life and my business life and all the people that work for me as lives. And wrote that knowledge down into this book. And it'll show you that really, you just got to figure out where you are on the operator to owner journey. Cause we're all, and there's a free quiz in the book or at mikedajong.com. I don't even ask for your email address. Just go take the quiz. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: ⁓ wonderful. Mmm. ⁓ fun! Mike DeJong: ⁓ And you can figure out where you are in the journey and then just know that like be real with yourself. You don't have to make it worse than it is. You don't have to make it better than it is. No one's judging you. It's just you are where you're at where you're at. And now you can start making the changes and then it just starts with that first step. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Okay. Yeah. So what is usually, what kind of pushback have you heard from people when you say, hey, I just, you need to go on this journey. You need to figure out where you are on your path. And what's the typical resistance is? Mike DeJong: I've... I'm sure you've seen this meme. Ain't nobody got time for that! I got bronchitis. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Right? But some people do have bronchitis and I do hope you heal well. I do hope you heal well. That is true. Mike DeJong: Which is true. I do as well, but I don't have time. I'm already working. There's no hours left in the day. I can't possibly make a change and barely hold it together as it is. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: And you know what, whenever I see stuff like that, one, I know that they're not time blocking. Two, I know that they don't say no often enough. If ever, okay. Mike DeJong: Correct. or ever. They're not using their five to nines, as I like to say. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yep. And then I also can tell that they spend a lot of time on their phones. Mike DeJong: the hugest distraction ever brought onto mankind. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: When I hear, when I hear I don't have time, I hear those three things immediately. One, you never say no. Two, you don't have no time blocking. And three, you spend too much wasted time zoned out. Yep. And you. Mike DeJong: and you're spending 80 % of the time on the thing that will give you 20 % of the result instead of 20 % of the time, or 80 % of the time on the thing that will give you, you know what I'm trying to say, The 80-20 rule, my brain just stopped working 37 seconds ago. Yes, it works. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yeah. Yes. No, no, no, no, The 80-20 rule. But it's so true. It is so true. Even like, I'll give you an example with my, I send a lot of emails to my clients and my hair salon. So at the beginning of, I think every six months, I batch out what I want to write. And of course we use AI and chat, GPT and all of that good stuff to help. But doing that for maybe a couple of hours in January and June makes the total difference between having to recreate the wheel February through May, you know? And that's just one thing that frees up my time. So when I'm not working in my business, working on it doesn't feel like, what am I supposed to do now? And the more I have systems set up, I actually have a lot more time because Mike DeJong: Right. That's right. It's amazing, right? And you get people to use the system, not just you using them. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yes, because the systems create muscle memory. Like my thing is I tell people all the time, you cannot recreate the every week. It's still going to be a wheel and it's probably going to be very similar to the wheel from last week. You don't have to recreate it. Take what you're doing well and do it. It is. Mike DeJong: Right, we found that the most efficient way to get to eight is four plus four. We don't need seven plus one or six plus two or two times four. We just need four plus four. Let's just do that. Yeah. So then, like, I'll go like, OK, you don't have time. You can get into this whole discussion about how they're using their time and that there's only one priority. There's no such thing as plural to priorities. Like, you got to make a priority. All right, fine. I believe you. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Nope, make it simple. Make it simple. I... Mm-hmm. Mike DeJong: How about the next time you do a task, you just fire up Loom or Descript or take your cell phone and record yourself and you just sit there and narrate what you're doing and say, okay, I'm going to this website and then I'm looking for these things and I click here and then I click there and I order this thing and I only ordered if we're down to this much and these are the pricing parameters and then you're done and then never look at it. because you'll want to change it 400 different ways, just hand it off to someone and ask them to do it based on what was there. And if they could do it without question, you got a procedure. And if they can't, and if you can't, all right, well then do it again, or they'll ask some questions. And then it has to evolve over time. Right. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yeah. You gotta stand in line for any procedure. Yeah, and it's going to evolve over time, but start off with something that makes sense. You know, I think this is my projection. I feel like people who don't want to work in corporate environment don't realize that they're rejecting some of the benefits of corporate environments. Cause it's staunchy. You can't wear pink hair every day. You can't show your tattoos or whatever happens in corporate environments. I heard that a long time ago and that ran me off. Mike DeJong: Right. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: But in those environments, the systems are there for a reason. And to order to operate at the scales that most corporations are capable of is because the process is duplicatable enough for multiple people to fill that role, for a successor of that role. And it's very impersonal. We love the personal connection of small businesses, but everything can't be a home. homemade from scratch. Let me go pick berries in the forest first or raise a chicken first, you know, like some things have to be, have to have a process to it, you know. That's how you make it scalable. Mike DeJong: That's how you get it scalable. And even if you don't wanna scale it, you just wanna like have some breathing space, that's how you get breathing space. Yeah, if you do it more than three times or has more than three steps, like just make it a process. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yeah, yeah, I totally agree. I totally agree. Yeah, I find myself, once I realized what a standard operating procedure was, because first off, what was that? But once I figured it out, I was like, okay, because I feel like I don't necessarily have an ADHD brain. Mike DeJong: Yeah. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: But I can find, I do enjoy shiny things. I'm not gonna lie. I enjoy shiny things. Mike DeJong: You're very, I could tell you're a very creative person. Your brain's just going and it's going so fast. Yeah. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yeah, it's moving. So I have something I can reference and go back to and say, ⁓ I left off on step six. Okay, cool. Or I know a lot of people struggle with like perfectionism. I was just talking to one of my, I love that. ⁓ I love that. I'm writing that down. Perfect is the lowest standard possible because it is not achievable. I was telling someone today, Hey, completion is perfect. Completed. Mike DeJong: Perfect is the lowest standard, Lexi, because it's never achievable. It's never achievable. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Once you submit it and turn it in, then we can do feedback and we can evolve it, but complete it. And I think standard operating procedures give me a reference to know I've completed. Okay. I did step one. did step seven. I did step five. I did all of the steps that were required of me. I'm done. I can take my hands off of it or else we'll keep, we'll keep and we'll keep and we'll keep. And the time has gone. The interest has died down. The customer has moved on to someone who has completed it. Mike DeJong: and so... some... Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: And it just... Mike DeJong: ⁓ and in small business, sometimes just having the minimum viable product. Everyone wants this perfect product. It's like, you don't know that that's what the customer actually wants. Like you want to look at a minimum viable product, look at my website. It needs some work, but it's a website. it, you know, like I'll make it better. Like it's okay. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yeah! Like it's a website. you can always improve. Like it's okay. Yeah, you can always improve. There's always room for improving and brand upgrades and all of that stuff. But if you don't submit something, we can't improve upon nothing. ⁓ Mike DeJong: Yeah, all the time. Bingo. And then one last mind shift change instead of saying, I can't find anyone that does this as well as me. How do I find someone that does this better than me? Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: How? Yeah. How? Mike DeJong: How? Change the question. If you ask better questions, you get better answers. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: And I feel like the second question was an invitation for participation. The first one, the first question I can't or the first statement, I can't find anyone that does this as well as me. That's a little, that's an island statement. I feel like once you say that, now you're on this little space by yourself and you're just a one of one. And that is just not real. In fact, there are more people who are doing it better than you. Mike DeJong: Yes. ⁓ my God. Yes. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Especially with these Gen Z kids. What I've noticed, especially in the hair industry, is cosmetologists ⁓ can sometimes be very catty because we're rewarded for our longevity. I have 20 years in the industry, I have 30 years. I've been behind the chair since 1986 or whatever statement they throw out, right? But then you get the girls that are graduating from school recently and they have updated technology, they have social media, they have... experience, they have your experience to gleam upon, and they get really intimidated by that. And so I've noticed where that's created kind of a barrier for people where younger people, I said this to say, the younger people are supposed to be doing it better than you are. Cody, we're supposed to be better than Jordan, okay? Mike DeJong: Hmm. This is true of any generation. Our parents' generation is like, ⁓ these kids these days. It's true of every generation ever. There are amazing people. In my businesses, have, ⁓ sometimes I joke I have the newlyweds and the nearly-deads because I don't seem to have anyone in between. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: These days, look at that rap music. Yeah! Mike DeJong: But it's interesting to watch them work together. You'll take someone that's like in their 60s or early 70s and they're working with someone in their teens, maybe up to 30. And the different things they bring to the table, this creates like beautiful, like, ⁓ my God, like, neither of them could have done it alone probably, but together they get some great stuff. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Mm-hmm. ⁓ I love that. Yeah, I love that. I do. I do enjoy those collaborations where you can see where they have the experience, but this one is thinking out of the box and now they can create something new. love that. Yeah, for sure. As long as you have respect. Yeah, I agree. So what is something that you want to leave with the listeners? Mike DeJong: Yeah. As long as you got respect, you know, for each other, you can get that creativity. Having that culture. Yeah, crazy. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: If Mike doesn't tell you anything else, this is what you need to learn from him. Mike DeJong: Find a coach, find a mentor, find somebody who's already doing what you want to do, or better yet, 10 steps above, get in the room with these people and you'll figure it out. Instead of hanging out with people that want to do it, who haven't figured it out yet, go get in a room with people that it. There's trade shows, there's conferences, there's YouTube, there's Spotify, there's podcasts. Find the people. I've been approached... Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Okay. Yeah. Mike DeJong: by people I've given keynote speeches and someone will come up after me and say, hey, can have a conversation with you? And I got a few people that I'm not coaching, but I am mentoring because I just want to give my knowledge. And most people do. Go get in the room. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yeah! Yeah. So let me ask you this, what makes a good mentee? Cause I feel like even I myself, I'm a little hesitant to work with mentees right now. It's a lot of time and I ain't got time for that. No, I'm joking. But I find myself a little bit resistant to working with mentees because Mike DeJong: Yeah, it can be. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Cause I feel like they're, I don't know. I'm having a resistance with this. What makes a good mentee? Who should we be looking for to share with? Mike DeJong: Mmm, it starts with for me. It starts with ⁓ the respect like hey I'd like to schedule some time with you not like can I pick your brain like right now and then it also goes with I'm I you know, I can't afford a coach or anything right now Like I hate it. I hate when people can't pick your brain over a cup of coffee It's like you got 500 bucks for that hour because that's what I you know, normally charge ⁓ but ⁓ Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Right? Mike DeJong: And then I'll give them the time because if they're earnest, etc And they took and it takes guts like after something to come up to someone and say not just ⁓ you did a great job But I I want to I want to learn from you. I think that's the first part They they had they had to spend some effort, but then do they show up on time? Do they have great quiet? This is the first time I talked to them. Do they have good question? Not just good questions. They have great questions and are they open to learning and then? ⁓ Do they push back a bit and I don't mean like Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yeah. Bye. Mike DeJong: like, like, you're wrong. mean, like, hey, ⁓ my understanding was this, and you're telling me it's that, can we talk about the differences and why? And they want to have a discussion because I find I grow from that. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Okay. Yeah, critical thinkers, yeah. Mike DeJong: Yeah, yeah, but just someone said, ⁓ yeah, just tell me what to do. Just tell me what to do. I don't want them. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: I don't either, I don't either, but I love the idea of being really. of everyone putting in the effort, you know? When I go... Mike DeJong: Yeah, yeah, it's got to be a mutual relationship. I'm getting something out of it. They're getting something out of it. Everybody's happy, but just tell me what to do. No, I do that for living. Like you could pay me that. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yeah, I feel like at that point it's kind of like, want to be your resource to help you through your journey, but I don't want to be your cheat sheet. Yeah. Yeah. And I don't want to do this for you. Mike DeJong: Yeah, yeah, you're not the cheat codes, yeah. But even just get in the room, the best room I ever got in, I'll plug it, is Tony Robbins Platinum Partnership. That is a room full of really smart people from all over the world, very diverse backgrounds, lots of different businesses. Totally opened up my mind to what's possible. But there's other rooms I've been in before and since then that are amazing, ⁓ but they're more industry specific or et cetera. So I'm not gonna necessarily give them a plug here. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Okay. Okay Hmm. Yeah. Gotcha. Mike DeJong: But Tony brings people from all over the world, all industries, et cetera, together. And then like every room you get in, you get what you give. If you're adding value to them, if you're bringing value to them, if you're spending your time with them and not just like, tell me, tell me, tell me, give me, give give give me, give me, that's a whole different thing. So just get in room. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: I call that the lean in. You have to lean into it and kind of, you don't have to jump in, but sometimes just present yourself towards it. Cause sometimes we can be balled up or not even willing to make eye contact with or participate or, you know, we're very guarded. We can be so guarded, but sometimes you just gotta lean in and listen a little closer, make yourself a little bit more available to receive. Mike DeJong: Yeah, yeah, that's a good term, the lean in. Yeah. And if someone bites at you, just be respectful and take... Well, it depends. It depends. Maybe it's a bite back, but often it's a, ⁓ I didn't understand the rules of the group. So, like, I'm going to be a little bit more respectful here and re-engage instead of like, ⁓ you people are nasty. I'm out of here. Like, which I've seen. Like, just, you you're like, all right. Like, no one wants to help that person that's like, ⁓ all the time. I'm not saying roll over and show your belly, but, you know, you got to be... Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Bonnie, ⁓ okay, what he said. ⁓ yeah, yeah, yeah, that part, yeah. Yeah, it happens. I have noticed it. Mike DeJong: respectful of the rules of the. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: There is a fine balance. And what I've noticed is there needs to be flexibility or resilience from the heart space and those spaces. It's okay. People are gonna say uncomfortable things to you. You have to decipher whether that's disrespect or that's malice. You know, I love big words. know, they were being malicious towards me. Right? Mike DeJong: Or maybe feedback that no one gave you that you really needed and you don't want to hear because you're in the way of your own growth, maybe, or whatever. ⁓ Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Or whatever. Or whatever. Who knows? It could be anything. Who knows? We'll never know. But definitely, definitely approaching group experiences from a heart oriented space. I've experienced myself being too logic space about things and just totally crapping myself out. Just like, you totally overthought that. You thought your way out the door. And then being in spaces where I'm like, you know, I'm not using my brain at all. I'm just here to hang out and investing in the people. Mike DeJong: Hell, yeah. Mmm. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: And they're like, okay, Lexi, we need your brain for this. I'm like, okay, I brought it with me. ⁓ But what I've noticed in those, in my experience is when I lead with people first, whatever we're working on, we'll figure it out. But if I leave with, yes, yes. And I just. Mike DeJong: You're like, I got it right here. No, I'm just kidding. That's your external brain. That's not your real brain. Yeah. That's true with taking care of your customers, taking care of your business, everything. People first, yes. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Hustle culture doesn't teach you people first because then it would have to acknowledge that you're people too and your needs to be met and your needs need to be met. But if you're so busy participating in the wheel or in the operator's trap, then you become very self-sacrificial, AKA self-sabotaging in my opinion, where if I don't eat, why would I care if you ate? You know, we need to get this done. You're holding us up with that stinky sandwich, you know. Mike DeJong: That's so true. Yeah. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: So we gotta... Mike DeJong: Yeah, especially in this day and age with reputation, it's everything. It's everything. And hustle culture gets you to here, but collaboration gets you to here. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: is everything. So definitely. I'm really learning. I'm learning that in real time, Mike. I really am in real time and I am definitely enjoying myself. I really, really am. And I don't think I've had this much confidence or courage to approach it from heart space, but I'm grateful that I've tried it this way. It's been a lot of fun. It's been a lot of fun. I know I'm having a great time ⁓ and everyone's giving me gifts. This is great. ⁓ Mike DeJong: Are you? ⁓ tell me more. warms my heart to hear it. Love it, love it, love it, love it, love it. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: This is great. Well, Mike, we can hang out all day, but I think we will. No, we have stuff to do. OK, we have to. So how can how can the listeners get in contact with you? How can we stay in contact with you? How can we start our Mike DeJohn obsession? What do we need to do first? Mike DeJong: And we will, but probably not online. Okay, all right. I, wow, an obsession. I like that. I like the sound of that. Yeah, MikeDajong.com. You could download an absolutely free copy of the book there. Don't charge you a penny for it. I'm finally putting it on Amazon. It should be on there by the end of, what are we in, April? No, end of May, 2026. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yes. Yes! Big words mean something. Yeah. I'll fill in. ⁓ okay. Awesome! Mike DeJong: I resisted putting it, I'm like, people don't need to buy it, I'll just give it to them. And people are like, no, I need a physical copy and I need it on my Kindle and reading your PDF isn't, like it's great, it's a good book, but I want it like the way I want it. I need a physical book. I'm like, all right. So, you want more? I'm like, it felt good. So I'm working on that. It's not hard, it's just, you you gotta schedule the time to. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Isn't that a wonderful thing? We want more from you. We want more. We want more. Mike DeJong: to make it happen. So I'm making that happen doing the audio version. Yeah, mikedajohn.com. And then as my gift to you and your listeners, ⁓ schedule a 30 minute call with me. It is not a sales call. I do not sell you a thing. I'll just tell me where you're at and I'll tell you what I think. And you could take the information, do with it what you want. But I could usually figure out in about 30 minutes where people need to go. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: No, no, Okay. We love that and we can schedule our calls on the website. That is awesome. Mike DeJong: on the website, yeah. Now remember, it's a minimum viable product. The website will get better, but it's there. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: You know what, nowadays with Instagram, people don't even have websites anymore. And we were buying stuff from people before websites existed. So we'll be okay. We'll be okay. We can live without it. Yes. Well, it has been a genuine pleasure having this conversation with you. I really, really appreciate you making time for us on your digital nomad journey. That's so cool. ⁓ and just making time to just talk about really Mike DeJong: Right? Yeah, we'll be fine. Yeah. Yeah. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: breaking through some of those mental barriers that we're creating for ourselves. So we will close this show out with gratitude. Thank you for hanging out with us, Mike. We really appreciate it. Mike DeJong: Thank you so much for having me, Lexi. I really, really appreciate it back. I think we're gonna help some people out. Alexis Williams BlushBizMGMT: Yes, I think so. if it's so listen to this episode, all you people listening now, listen to this episode. It's available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, and Amazon. So you got four locations to watch it. Listen, you can travel it with your car and everything. And if you want to know more about my brand, can visit blushbizonline.com and let's grow together. We got some stuff to be doing. So until next time. ⁓ Remember, your energy is your currency. Make the most of it. And I'll catch you next time.