Latest / WTF to Unstuck™ with Clint Williams / Entrepreneurship: A Journey of Wonder & Mindset with Lindsay Carlson
Transcript
- Clint Williams: Ever woken up at 3 AM sure that you forgot something? Selling, managing, chasing? It's all on you. I'm Clint Williams, and this is WTF to Unstuck. I've been there, and now I work with owners and their teams on how to make confident decisions and build a business that doesn't run on one person. Hello friends, I am talking with Lindsay Carlson today. She is a brand and website strategist for professional service firms, advisors, consultants, and coaches. She has been on this entrepreneurial journey for 15 years. And we met over at Digital Coffee a couple of months ago. And I'm so happy that she's agreed to be on the podcast today. Hi, Lindsay, and welcome. Lindsay Carlson: Hi, Clint. Thanks for having me. This is super fun. Clint Williams: Yeah, for sure. I I was just a guest on your podcast a couple of weeks ago. It was super exciting. And I think it's so much fun to have these conversations and each time we get to learn more about each other and the businesses that we're in. So I appreciate you taking the time today. Lindsay Carlson: Of course. I learned so much from hearing people's stories and and sharing mine with them that it's it's my favorite thing to do. Clint Williams: It is the best, isn't it? I have met so many wonderful people and heard so many phenomenal stories. we were talking before we started recording today. I was meeting with someone today that was up in Vancouver, Washington. And again, just reminded how wonderful it is to not be chatting in DMs on a platform and to have an actual human Lindsay Carlson: Mm-hmm. Clint Williams: conversation with someone. Lindsay Carlson: It's really, really, really special. And then when you have a little bit of an angle and a chance for them to tell their story and feel like, you know, this is really what you want to hear, it helps people open up. Yeah. Clint Williams: Yes. Yeah, it really does. It really does. I transitioned this, what's turned into a podcast now from like a three to five minute coffee chat. And the reason that I did that was three to five minutes was not enough time to learn anything other than like, Lindsay Carlson: You love it. Clint Williams: hey, are you from this place and your weather's good? Sweet. Bye. Yeah, see you later. Lindsay Carlson: Yeah, see you later. But isn't that how a lot that's kind of how a lot of our talks go. Like in in general. Like I don't know how many people have a 20 minute, you know, jump on, have a coffee with me real quick, get to know each Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: other. Like how do we actually get a little deeper with people? Clint Williams: Right. Lindsay Carlson: so I love I love this idea. I mean, I'm doing one too. So yeah. Clint Williams: Yeah, that's great. And at the end of our conversation, I definitely want you to tell people how they can get a hold of you and find you. Lindsay Carlson: Thank you. Clint Williams: but yeah, so I sent over a couple of questions earlier and I wanted to start off with one. so if you're okay with it, we're just gonna dive right in. Lindsay Carlson: Of course. Clint Williams: Great. All right, so in one of our conversations, you had mentioned that entrepreneurship was one of the most meaningful things that you have done outside of parenting. Lindsay Carlson: Mm. Clint Williams: So my curiosity was piqued and I was like, I wonder, like when, so when did you start off on your own? and I kind of want to hear a little bit about that journey because 15 years is a is a big milestone. Lindsay Carlson: Yeah, yeah, thank you. it's it's a really good question. I've I've realized a few times along the way that I'm so thankful that I found an entrepreneurship path versus Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: taking a whole bunch of jobs and building Clint Williams: Sure. Lindsay Carlson: a career, which was great for some people. for me, I'm a single parent and I proudly raised my own kid raise my kids on my own. And it was something that allowed me to be home, set my own schedule, and grow, provide for the family. of course, that's not necessarily easy. So you have to work through the mindset things that come up every ever at every point, right? At first it was, Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: okay, I'm gonna, I'm gonna start charging the least out there and see Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: if I can get some work. And over time you begin to realize, okay, well, charging the least doesn't it doesn't do all that much. Burning the midw midnight oil isn't fun. And so over time, it was little shift after little shift. Clint Williams: Mm. Lindsay Carlson: That brought me to like really sit in with, you know, what's really meaningful to me, what kind of transformation do I want to make for other people? What do they appreciate about me? I Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: love doing this work with other people, of course, but for me to like look at that in myself. And then I realized at one point I'm almost feeling like, it's kind of silly, but and it like I Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: treating myself like I'm an athlete. Clint Williams: interesting. Lindsay Carlson: And it's not that silly because I heard someone say, and I've always held it, that like you are the most important asset in your business. If you're the founder, if you're the leader, whoever you are, right? Like you are the Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: most important piece of the puzzle that you've got. Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: And so for me, looking at it through that lens, thinking about okay, I'm investing in myself. How can I Clint Williams: Right. Lindsay Carlson: get myself to the place where I feel really good about what's going on? I'm I'm delivering work that I'm super proud and excited to do. and that has been an awesome journey of just doing the right things to take care of myself, my family, and show up the Clint Williams: Right. Lindsay Carlson: best for my for my people. Clint Williams: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. The athlete thing is an interesting way to think about it. I'm curious Lindsay Carlson: Mm. Clint Williams: how did so I'll put you on the spot here. So a coup how Lindsay Carlson: Yeah. Clint Williams: what are a couple of things like as an entrepreneur? And this isn't this isn't anything personal life-wise, but as an Lindsay Carlson: Yeah. Clint Williams: entrepreneur, like how are you currently training yourself, or how have you noticed, maybe in the last couple of years, that you know, having that athlete mindset has really helped you to Level up? How has it helped you in your sales rhythm? How has it helped you show up as the expert in the room? I'd be curious about that. Lindsay Carlson: Mm-hmm. Okay, let's debunk something first. I am no athlete. so we don't have that background, Clint Williams: All right. Lindsay Carlson: but I do run and I've run for a long time on and off over the years. Nothing fancy, but it's something consistent I come back to. So all Clint Williams: Hey, I don't run at all, so you're already ahead of me there. Lindsay Carlson: right. So so just taking that analogy, a couple of things. Like Like I was watching Ted Lasso. There you go. There's a good athletic reference, right? And he talks about, I know Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. who doesn't love Ted Lasso? Lindsay Carlson: they nailed it. They hit it out of the ballpark. There's another reference. Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: so he talks about like the have have the memory of a goldfish, right? For example, Clint Williams: Mm. Lindsay Carlson: right? So we're putting ourselves out there all the time. Rejection is something that could stop us in our tracks and make us not do the thing. How can Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: we unhook from that and just keep Clint Williams: Mm. Lindsay Carlson: Focused on our performance, focused on what we're doing, and show up no matter what, no Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: matter what happens out there. And the other thing that I really notice is it's really about the work that you put in consistently Clint Williams: Mm. Lindsay Carlson: over time, when no one's watching, and just believing in yourself, which which is a Clint Williams: Right. Lindsay Carlson: very complicated concept, but right, just showing up, doing it when it's raining, doing it when it's sunny, just doing it when you don't want to. Getting back into it when you've slowed down all of these things. And I just think it's a very similar thing. We're building a practice. I think Peter Drucker said entrepreneurship is a practice. right. And so it's like there's something Clint Williams: Hmm. Yeah, sure. Lindsay Carlson: really there to me of like the the training. And then when things go up or they go down, you're still putting that in. So Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Yeah, the idea that it's a practice is interesting, right? Because I feel like sometimes even I will approach something and go, Well, I should have this figured out. Like I should have Lindsay Carlson: Rates. Clint Williams: arrived, I should have figured out that this is the way that everybody does this thing, and why haven't I gotten there yet? But that switch Lindsay Carlson: Uhhuh. Clint Williams: that you mentioned, if it is I'm sorry, there's a gnat right here in my face. that switch to thinking of it as a practice really just lets you show up. Lindsay Carlson: Yeah. Clint Williams: And it especially you mentioned, you know, if you've stepped away from it and you're trying to get back to it. And I think about I think about that with just any kind of personal fitness too. Like it's so much easier to keep going and you take even a two week break and getting back feels like you're like, my gosh. But Lindsay Carlson: Yes. Clint Williams: we do it because we know it's good for us, and then it becomes the routine again, and and here we are. Lindsay Carlson: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Clint Williams: yeah, I I really like that. You know, Lindsay Carlson: Yeah. Clint Williams: what is You know, as you look at that now and you look at the future ahead ahead a few years, are there practices Lindsay Carlson: Mm-hmm. Clint Williams: that you're excited about building into your training? Anything that you're not doing now? Lindsay Carlson: That's a really good question. yes. I mean, one thing that has been most successful for me in terms of growing an income, growing a business has been talking to people, connecting with people. And it's Clint Williams: Hmm, sure. Lindsay Carlson: easy when things are a little bit rocky in the economy for me to or I think any of us to feel like, okay, we Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: really need to double down on growth. And growth Clint Williams: Right. Lindsay Carlson: looks like this. right. And so nose to the grindstone, Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: work harder on deliverables, whatever that is, and Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: forgetting that there's a there's some magic in opening your world and having some synchronicity and and meeting with other people, right? And so not cutting Clint Williams: Yes. Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: off the thing that brings life into the business. And I think for me that's a constant, constant practice working on that part of it. Yeah. Clint Williams: Sure, sure. Do you find yourself that do you find that you have most of your connections are online or do you have a community around you that you get to get out and network in the area that you're in? Lindsay Carlson: Yeah, good question. I am working on getting that into more real life connections. I I'm I'm Clint Williams: Sure. Lindsay Carlson: making a point of getting it there like once a month. I've made some Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: really lovely friendships that who knows what, you know, what they lead to. Doesn't matter. I yeah, right. It it just makes it more fun. Yeah. Clint Williams: that's fantastic. Mm-hmm. No. Yeah, it doesn't. Yeah. Lindsay Carlson: And and things come up in the weirdest ways. There can be someone that you met a couple of years ago and they really enjoyed having coffee with you and you guys talked about gardening and then boom, suddenly Clint Williams: Right. Lindsay Carlson: they need a workshop presenter and they think of you. So it it it does turn into things in a in a weird way. Clint Williams: Yeah. Isn't that interesting? I I it just it just goes it just proves that the connection is the important thing and then the universe Lindsay Carlson: Mm. Clint Williams: is gonna do with that connection what it was supposed to do. Yeah. Lindsay Carlson: Yeah, it's really a wild thing. And I that's that goes back to your original question. Like, why is entrepreneurship the journey of a lifetime? Well, Clint Williams: Mm. Lindsay Carlson: we kind of get to play in this realm where unbelievable things happen all the time and we just, you know, need to be prepared for something wonderful to happen on a regular basis. And so, you know, staying in the right mindset, putting in our part of the work and Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: realizing that it's not necessarily gonna happen. Exactly the way we expect it to, but but just showing up. Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. I love that. Be prepared for something wonderful to happen. I feel like I need to put that on a t-shirt. I'll give you the attribution. Okay, perfect. You will make tens of dollars, I guarantee you. Right? Lindsay Carlson: Yay. Okay, awesome. I'll take ten percent. We're in. Woohoo. Clint Williams: It's just another revenue stream right there. There we go. We did it. Lindsay Carlson: Yeah, there you go. Clint Williams: also a beautiful thing about being an entrepreneur, right? You have an idea and you're like, Lindsay Carlson: Yes. Clint Williams: I could act on this or. Lindsay Carlson: Mm-hmm. Clint Williams: I could not because I have ideas all the time. Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: Yes, I think that's such a good one. Or I could not. We are I think as entrepreneurs, Clint Williams: Right. Lindsay Carlson: like a lot of us are ideas people. And so for a while Clint Williams: Yeah, for sure. Lindsay Carlson: I was like, my goodness, just stop having so many ideas. But I don't think that's the problem. Like it's it's like don't stop having the ideas. Get them all Clint Williams: Right. Lindsay Carlson: down, respect them, you know, Clint Williams: Yeah. Lindsay Carlson: back record them in ways that gives them the space they need and then figure out which ones to move forward with and which ones to not. And that That is strategy, right? Like l knowing what not to do is is the essence Clint Williams: It is yes. Lindsay Carlson: of strategy. So Clint Williams: Yeah, it's and it's harder to do it, it's easier to say it than it is to do it. I had this conversation with my coach earlier this summer, and I was saying Lindsay Carlson: Mm-hmm. Clint Williams: all the things that I was doing, and she thoughtfully took a pause and then asked me, she was like, So my question for you is how many of those things are you doing so that you can avoid doing the one or two things that you need to do? Lindsay Carlson: Darn it. Clint Williams: And then I myself took a pause to do some inward soul searching in that moment. And I went, huh, that's a really good question. I don't have a great answer right now. But over the course of the next month, I let four Lindsay Carlson: Good for you. Yeah. Clint Williams: or five of those things go. And some of them I was really excited about. But in the grand scheme Lindsay Carlson: Mm-hmm. Clint Williams: of where I want to take my practice, it was not going to serve me best. And you know, we can pick those things up later or. It can just be one of those things that passes through and you go, wow, I'm so glad that I still get ideas. I can't take them all, but it's wonderful to have them. And it's wonderful to Lindsay Carlson: Yes, it's wonderful. Clint Williams: be able to think through those and to have the space to do that. yeah, for sure. Lindsay Carlson: Yeah. Yeah. I know because it's it's funny, they're kind of the lifeblood of what we do, having those ideas. And so it's Clint Williams: Yes. Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: they're not the problem. It's just our choice of what to do with them. Clint Williams: Right, right. And then we've we've both probably, I know I have, I'm not gonna speak for you, but I have definitely followed those ideas and gone, this is a great idea. And then months later Lindsay Carlson: Yes. Clint Williams: you're going, that was that was not the thing that I should have done. It wasn't the bad Lindsay Carlson: Yes, yeah, yeah. Clint Williams: thing. It was just wow, a lot of time wasted on what I thought was important. And I find that when I Lindsay Carlson: Yeah. Clint Williams: do that, it's because I'm getting tunnel vision and I'm not Lindsay Carlson: Mm-hmm. Clint Williams: asking other people to look at this and say, hey. What's your sanity check on this thing? Can you help me here? Lindsay Carlson: Mm. Uh-huh. Clint Williams: My theme this year has been just ask for help. Like, you know, exhaust the options, think through it yourself. But at some point, go back and Lindsay Carlson: I love that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Clint Williams: ask for help because man, we just need to help each other. And we can't make all these decisions on our own. Lindsay Carlson: And it is really hard to ask for help. I'm I'm pushing myself to do that too these days this year. And Clint Williams: Sure. Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: it's just a whole learning curve. But Clint Williams: It is. Lindsay Carlson: when you're able to do that and have somebody that can just come alongside you, sometimes it's the most obvious things they can point out. but they're just not in your head. So mm-hmm. Clint Williams: Right? Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. We're too, you know, we both we both coach and advise people. And sometimes you just go, well, you know, you're just too close to that. And then you turn the camera around, you're like, hey Clint, you're just too close to that. You can't see it. Lindsay Carlson: Yeah. Clint Williams: Like, yeah, that's great. That's great advice. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: Yes. Me too. Yes, exactly. Yeah. What do you what do you do? You have a coach. I think that's the most that's the most boss move move of all. Mm-hmm. Clint Williams: I do. You know, it was one of those things that I have a hard time. I have I've been thinking about it lately, and I wish that I would have done it a decade ago. But I didn't. So I I have the now, Lindsay Carlson: Yeah. Yeah. Clint Williams: the here and the now. But having somebody who can speak truth with kindness and say, Hey, maybe you should think about it this way has been so valuable. And I'm only, Lindsay Carlson: Mm-hmm. Clint Williams: you know, I think almost four months into the relationship with her and She has just been a wonderful person to have in my corner. it makes me go, Lindsay Carlson: Hmm. Yeah. Clint Williams: wow, I think, you know, as I look, like everybody should have some kind of a coach. It's not an admission, Lindsay Carlson: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Clint Williams: it's kind of like therapy. It's not an admission of failure. Lindsay Carlson: Mm-hmm. Clint Williams: It's an admission of like, hey, I don't have all the answers and I need some help. And somebody has lived this before me. So maybe I should go do that. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's an amazing resource to have that and or to create it in your culture at at your workplace where Clint Williams: Yes. Lindsay Carlson: people have that coaching. And it's not coaching to fit into what we do, but it's more coaching to pull out your brilliance and give you the confidence to show up fully as the person Clint Williams: Yes. Lindsay Carlson: you know you are that adds value. Mm-hmm. Clint Williams: Right, right. Yeah, because we all deserve to be extraordinary. Like every single one Lindsay Carlson: Yeah. Clint Williams: of us deserves to be extraordinary at whatever we're doing, whatever job we have, whatever, you know, path that we have in life. And we just need help to do it. So I'm I'm happy about that. Lindsay Carlson: And now I have a t-shirt I can sell. We all deserve to be extraordinary. All twenty dollars. Clint Williams: Perfect. We'll just share profits. There you go. That's right. We'll split it. we can each get maybe a burger, but not the fries and the coke. yeah, Lindsay Carlson: Yeah, we'll split the fives. Clint Williams: we'll split the fries. That's awesome. I so I know that we're we're at we're coming up on time, and I have one more question I want to ask you. Lindsay Carlson: Yeah. Clint Williams: So, what like you've you've worked with a variety of people, you've worked with high performance sports coaches and people who coach corporate leaders. Like, what are some things or what's maybe one thing that would stand out that you have actually learned from them that you might use on yourself through your entrepreneurial journey? Lindsay Carlson: Mm. Clint Williams: And I I'm putting you on the spot, so you feel free to say, hey, next question. Lindsay Carlson: No, I I love that. But I think what I would say is that even the people who coach other people, like the people who to coach top performers in sports or in business, those Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: people also are human. And they also Clint Williams: Mm. Lindsay Carlson: need that, you know, that outside of the jar thinking, someone they can trust and just, you know, put everything on the table with. And Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: one thing that I hear all the time is that. they don't necessarily have anyone they can do that with because most people are intimidated or assume things about them. and so when it comes to them just being able to let down their guard and and you know be fully real, that's Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: a really important thing. But when they're able to do that, someone like you, someone like me is able to sit with them Clint Williams: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Lindsay Carlson: and help them through whatever they're figuring out, that's really invaluable. So I have sat with Clint Williams: Interesting. Lindsay Carlson: some Some people whose resumes make me just completely wonder, am I in the right room? Clint Williams: Ha ha. Lindsay Carlson: it's it's pretty wild, like global leaders and stuff sometimes. Clint Williams: Wow. Yeah. Lindsay Carlson: And even those people, they just want to be like heard and seen Clint Williams: Mm. Lindsay Carlson: and and not have this weirdness in the room where, you know, we're seeing their title. We just need to see the people and assist Clint Williams: Hmm. Lindsay Carlson: them. Clint Williams: I love that. That is, yeah, that those are wise words. Thank you for answering that question. I appreciate that. Lindsay Carlson: My pleasure. Anytime. Clint Williams: Okay. So before we before we go, I want to give you a chance to tell people how to find you. you can give links, whatever. Like you have a podcast that you're starting or have started as well. So yeah, feel free to talk about yourself for a minute and let people, let people know. Lindsay Carlson: All right. Well, I hope you can find my LinkedIn URL because off the top of my head I don't remember. It's Lindsay Carlson. That would Clint Williams: I'll put it in the sh I'll put it in the show notes. Lindsay Carlson: be amazing. You can find me on my website at Mightystrategic.com and I will be launching a podcast. the title to be announced, but the working title right now is something around human being human in business. so I will let you Clint Williams: Hmm. Love that. Lindsay Carlson: and your listeners know when that's ready. Clint Williams: That's fantastic. Well, thank you so much for the conversation today. It's always a pleasure to talk with you. And Lindsay Carlson: Yeah. Clint Williams: yeah, we'll talk to you soon. Lindsay Carlson: Awesome. All right. Thanks, Clint. It was really fun talking to you. Clint Williams: Likewise, bye. Lindsay Carlson: Bye. Clint Williams: Thanks for hanging out with me on WTF to Unstuck. If this one hits close to home, Subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening, so you don't miss the next episode. And if you want to go deeper, the WTF to Unstuck newsletter lives over on Substack. I write about this kind of thing every week and share what I'm seeing with agency owners right now. The link is in the show notes. And I'll see you next week.