Latest / WOC and Allies: Business and Career Realtalk with Elaine Lou Cartas / 91: How to Balance Work and Life This Summer

Transcript

91: How to Balance Work and Life This Summer · WOC and Allies: Business and Career Realtalk with Elaine Lou Cartas

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Summer is definitely here.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: LA right now is getting a heat wave.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: It was a high of 103.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I just came back from vacation.
• 0:12
  SPEAKER_00: I did a road trip from LA to Napa and back.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: And it was hot.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: But thankfully, we were in some parts by the central coast.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: So we were by the ocean.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: And it literally we were fluctuating with 30 degrees.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: It would be 100 and then it would be 70.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: But we got to high through Morrow Bay, the Redwood Forest, and it was just so nice.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: I've been needing this vacation.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: And now here we are back to reality.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: And it seems like everyone I'm talking to is talking about their summer plans while at the same time also asking, what do I do this summer?
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you have a job and it's like my job hasn't changed.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: I'm still unhappy.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: I thought things were going to change.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe you have a business.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: You're like, how, what am I supposed to do?
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe your Q3 and Q4 is crazy busy, but what do you do in the summer?
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: So guess what?
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: This episode, we're gonna talk about all of that.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: But first answer that question, what should you do this summer?
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Well, first go play.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: It is summer.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, remember back in the days when we were kids, summer was such a fun time, whether it was binge watching cartoons or Power Rangers.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I'm a millennial.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: Or now that we're adults, we often forget like it is time to play, have fun, and rest.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I think COVID and post-pandemic has reminded us of having a life.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: I know everyone loves doing spring cleaning for the homes in the spring, but I actually love doing spring cleaning in my life and in my work during the summer.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: So, regardless if you have a job or a business, this episode will help you figure out how to have both a simple business in life, like what to do.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_00: And you're probably wondering, is that even possible?
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Summer is usually when it's slow, no one's gonna pay attention.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: Well, in fact, it was the summertime, specifically July 17, 2017, when I decided to start my business.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I actually got my first paying client that day.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: I got my first five clients during the summer.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: And for my full-time employees who are listening, it was also a time I reflected when I was working full-time for companies of okay, what do I need to work on in my leadership?
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: Or do I really like my job?
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: Have I advocated for I need to?
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: Do I feel safe?
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: Does something need to shift and change?
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: So in this podcast episode, we'll be talking about what you can do this summer in both your career, business, and life.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: So let's drop the beat.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, I'm Elaine Lucartas.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a business and career coach for women of color and allies.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_00: Elaine Weekly awarded me the number one thought leader, and Apple News named me one of the top five business coaches.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: Done doing the most as a woman of color or ally, and you want to create your own definition of success and happiness.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: Well, grab your coffee tea or boba and let's do some business and career real talk.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: As legacy leaders, I am in disbelief that we are basically halfway through the year.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: And if you know me, you know I'm all about goals.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna touch base on the goals that you've made for this year.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: And if you didn't really make any or you forgot, that's okay.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: So, how I like doing goal setting.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: Three is always a great number to start.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_00: So I want you to reflect on the three goals you had for the year.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe if you didn't have three goals that you wrote down, how did you want to feel at this time of the year, halfway through in the summer?
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: How did you want your life to look like?
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: Where are you at right now?
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: For example, if you're a business owner, did you hit your revenue number that you had a goal of during this time?
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: If you have a full-time job, are you happy at your job or do you still hate it?
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_00: I know those are deep questions, but I actually want you to probably pause this episode right now and journal about that.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: So get a pen and paper, and just in case you need the prompts, if you're a business owner, did you hit your revenue goal?
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: And then number two, if you have a full-time job, are you happy with your where you're at right now, your job, or do you still hate it?
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: And for those business owners, like, did you hit your revenue number?
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_00: Do you also have a life outside of your work?
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: Be honest with yourself.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: Pen and paper, or if you are more of a typer, then get your computer out and type and reflect on where you're at for the year.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: I also want to share, sometimes life is just life in, you know, it just happens.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you are going through something where life throws a curveball.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_00: I remember when I lost both my grandmothers within a year, and that was obviously something that I could not control.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: But the goals that I wanted, I didn't hit, like in terms of revenue with my business, and it did take a dip.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: And that was outside of my control.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: So I had to shift and pivot what was in my control for my business and not.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: And actually, despite that being a hard time, not just professionally, but personally, even asking a deeper question of how do I really want my business in life to look like?
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe you're there right now too.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe something happened in your life that the goals you had originally in the beginning of this year, or in this five years, in a decade.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: I know we have a I have some listeners who are great in being futuristic.
• 6:12
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe the goals that you intended to have just could not happen.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: One, and two, maybe it has changed your perspective of how you want life to look like and what your definition of success and happiness looks like.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, we are going there.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Just talking about these deep things.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we live in a society, unfortunately, where any feeling of anxiety thinking about these deep things, we want to shut off.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: We want to look at our phone and scroll through Instagram, TikTok, whatever social media platform or like binge watch, Bridgerton, season three, which is what I did before I went on vacation.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_00: But all this is really helpful to think of.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are at a job and you aren't happy with it, what can you do?
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: And here are some points to think about because I have been there.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I've shared in other podcast episodes where I have quit, I have been fired, I have been bullied, I've been in toxic work environments.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: And you realize what's in your control, out of your control, you realize don't you ask that deep question, am I safe enough to give my feedback?
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: And if I don't, what am I going to do about it?
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: So here are some questions I want you to consider if you are a job owner.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: Sorry, if you're working full-time.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_00: And for those people that are a business owner, don't worry, I have some questions for you, but I wanted to meet these two target markets.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're at a full-time job, do you feel safe to be open and honest with your boss to provide suggestions?
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_00: And if you don't feel safe, is there someone else you could talk to at work?
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: And if you still don't feel safe, who is a friend outside of your work community that you could connect with?
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: If you do feel safe to talk to your boss or someone at work, I highly suggest writing pen to paper what has been working for you and what you haven't enjoyed.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: While at the same time, I want you to create solutions for the problems and issues that you've noticed.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: You don't want to be that person that just complains.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: You want to provide solutions and even ask for feedback like, is this something we can change?
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: Or do you have feedback for me?
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: And if you don't feel safe at your job, well, I'm going to be a big older sister right now.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: If you already tried to give feedback or don't feel safe, then start talking to others who can possibly inspire you, even if they're in a different industry.
• 8:47
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe someone, a friend you know who left a job or industry they no longer loved.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_00: Start putting a list of people to reach out to from your past and present and start connecting, do informational interviews with them and see if they also know of job opportunities.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, in my opinion, I think what happened with COVID, you know, we obviously went through a collective trauma, is that any life experience we individually might be going through, it has been hard for as a human race to reach out to other people to seek for feedback, insight, or advice.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_00: But I want to remind you that we heal in community.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I'm not telling you to just talk to anyone and everyone.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, be intentional and talk to people that you feel safest with.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, humans have been around forever.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: Well, not forever, but like, sorry, I'm not gonna go Google it right now or look up AI exactly when the human race started.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_00: But, you know, we've been here for a while.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: And I mean, for example, as humans, hopefully we all have loved someone, not necessarily romantically, but a friend, a family member.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: We will all experience death one day.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: So we'll all experience grief, all experience sadness, madness, resentment, all the feelings and emotions.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: And it is nice to connect with someone you feel safe with, even if it's just saying, Hey, can you just hold space for me?
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_00: I do not need you to solve my problems.
• 10:20
  SPEAKER_00: I just need you to hold space for me.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: So start putting a list of people to reach out to and connect with them.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: Same thing if you have a business as well.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're going a hard time in your business.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you have a friend who is also a business owner and be like, hey, I'm going through a hard time.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: I just would love to connect with you.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: For example, I recently even had a client who was so unhappy with a toxic job he was in.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: His boss and whole team constantly gossiped and backstabbed one another.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: And despite them having a great mission to serve a disadvantaged population, it was just such a toxic environment.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: And because my client was unhappy, I gave him the suggestion of starting to reach out to his network.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: And he found a job and he left his job.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: And he is so much more happier because he's not in that toxic environment anymore.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: And then there was another client who has been unhappy with her job.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_00: She is a CEO of another mission-driven organization.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: And she was mindful of needing to work on her boundaries, especially since she is a parent of two.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: And we helped put boundaries in place with the right scripts, not responding to emails, and looking at priorities with the board when there are tasks and assignments that this person needs to do, and if it's outside of the scope, because they were able to put all those boundaries.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: This has allowed my client to be a more present parent as well as partner.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: And if you want to go deeper on how to find a filling job in life, check out episode 45.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: It's in the show notes on how you can have a filling job in life.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: And if you want to go further and have support from me directly, where you're so unhappy with your job right now, feel free to schedule an introductory career review, call at ElaineLew.com forward slash call, and you'll receive three action items towards your goals.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: And if it's a good fit to work together, great.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: We could talk about how it looks like to work together.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: So that's all.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: If you are you're you have a full-time job, you're looking for a job, asking yourself those deep questions.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: Are you happy with it right now?
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: Have you given feedback, spoken to your boss or someone?
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: And if you don't feel safe to talk to anyone, then consider reaching out to other people who have left their jobs or industries to know that there is hope for you to do that as well.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: So for those of you that are business owners, here are three things I want you to consider.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: One question to ask is have you hit your revenue goals?
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_00: More importantly, how does your life outside of your business look like?
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have a life?
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: For example, I'll be honest, for this year, I wasn't hitting my revenue goals for Q1.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: So I slashed up a lot of my expenses and I cut 50% of my expenses, which was wonderful.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you aren't hitting your revenue goal.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to see what expenses you can cut and ask the hard question: do I really need this?
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: For example, one of my clients realized they no longer needed a role in their company and reduced hours for that person.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: And they were realizing they were feeling resentful towards that person and they could use that money to reinvest and save in their business.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_00: I just, everyone like online always talks about sales and revenues, but not profit margins and expenses.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_00: And trust me, you could make more money or save more money by even looking at it.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: Second question, if you're a business owner, that I want you to ask is any shifts that might be happening in your business?
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_00: For example, this year I have seen an increase in more B2B revenue.
• 14:09
  SPEAKER_00: B2B means business to business.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_00: Like I have more companies like Fortune 500 companies and leaders reaching out to me, wanting to work with me.
• 14:17
  SPEAKER_00: And that's about 38% of my revenue this year.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: And mind you, this did come with intention.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted to work with more B2B clients as I have more personal goals in my life.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm really focused on high quality service for both my B2C business to clients and the B2B clients.
• 14:38
  SPEAKER_00: Like basically, I want to be like an Ivy League school where we work with a few clients with hot and provide them high quality service and incredible results.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: I have accepted the fact that I don't need millions of students.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: I'd rather work with a few.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_00: And if people don't have the means and the resources to work with me personally, that's completely fine.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_00: I have my podcast, which is what you're listening to.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's an accessible resource.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: And by the way, if you really love this podcast, please leave a five-star rating review.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I also have my courses on LinkedIn.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: That is free if you have LinkedIn Premium or it's$24.99.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: And if you want to check out my two LinkedIn learning courses, go to ElaineLew.com forward slash LinkedIn slash learning.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's also going to be in the show notes.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: Legacy leader.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: I know what you're thinking.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_00: Elaine, you have such good stuff here.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: I want more.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: So if you want more tips and advice for your business career in life, sign up for my gifts and gifts newsletter at ElaineLu.com forward slash join.
• 15:46
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• 15:48
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• 15:52
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• 15:53
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• 15:56
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• 16:00
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• 16:02
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• 16:05
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• 16:09
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• 16:12
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• 16:17
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• 16:20
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• 16:32
  SPEAKER_00: Like when's the next Bridgeton season?
• 16:34
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• 16:46
  SPEAKER_00: That's J-O-I-N.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: All right, let's get back to the episode.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: But what I'm trying to say is that this is a shift that I was intentional of.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: I'm now seeing it in my revenue.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: 38% of my revenue is coming from businesses.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: And with that, this summer, I'm focused on receiving credentials to help get more of that clientele.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: So for you, I want you to think of what are things you need to probably be whether certified in, be educated, learned, what skills do you need to gain?
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_00: For example, I'm finishing up my professional certified coaching, my PCC through the International Coaching Federation.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I am not doing this because I'm not confident in my coaching skills.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: Prior to getting this certification, I've already worked with 3,000 students.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: I have two courses with LinkedIn and I have hundreds of client results on my website, Google Business Page, LinkedIn.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I decided to do this certification and I'm almost done with it, which I am excited.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: I still have to take my test.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm doing my final interview through the Center for Executive Coaching actually this week in a couple, ah, two days, two days from now.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm doing this because it is highly regarded by Fortune 500 companies to get this certification.
• 18:05
  SPEAKER_00: I'll be honest, when I reflect, I've been in business for almost seven years.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_00: I got caught up on the online space and it felt like it felt like this popularity contest of getting thousands of followers and being addicted to the likes and the comments.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_00: And it was, it was as if I had to perform every single day and be a reality television show of what I ate and what I did in my life.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: It was just constant and it burned me out.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: And I started being really intentional.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_00: I want to say about two years ago when I got burnt out.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_00: I had 2020 and yeah, 2020 was a really great year in terms of revenue.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: 2020 and 2021 was a really great revenue years for my business.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: I wouldn't say so much profit margins.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just being honest, I could have been better in that.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: But that's because I was caught up.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: And so that's what I mean by reflecting.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, that I thought I wanted thousands of followers and I would work with so many clients.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_00: Now that I'm almost seven years in my business, like, no, I want to work with a few clients.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: I want to work with 24 B2TC clients to probably get two to three corporate contracts, because that is what my capacity is.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: I actually love coaching.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: I know that there's other models or people like you don't need to be the coach anymore, have other coaches.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: I actually enjoy it.
• 19:27
  SPEAKER_00: So the reason I'm sharing my personal story is because everyone's going to tell you how to do your life, how to do your business.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_00: But an important question you need to ask yourself is how do you want your business to look like for you?
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_00: And be honest with yourself.
• 19:42
  SPEAKER_00: Does it look like how you want it to look like?
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: Are you doing it because other people told you to do it?
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_00: Like the big names showed you you should do it this way instead of another way.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_00: So what I'm working on this summer is getting this PCC certification.
• 19:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm also working on other certifications with organizations because I'm a minority-owned business and women-owned business with organizations as well as governments.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I could work with more B2B clients.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm sharing all of this with are there shifts you want to create in your business?
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: Are you feeling burnt out?
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: Are you having a life outside of your business?
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_00: I remember when I was so burnt out two years ago, I was talking to my coach at the time.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I told her, I am burnt out.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: And she's like, What makes you know that you're burnt out?
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: I am not funny.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_00: I think I'm a pretty hilarious person.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not trying to be a comedian.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: But when I am not burnt out, I'm cracking jokes.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I have, I wasn't cracking jokes.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_00: I felt like I wasn't smiling.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_00: I felt like I was a robot, constantly doing and working because I was I felt like I was playing a game.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: And it just feels so good to come out of it.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: I just want to thank therapy, specifically EMDR therapy.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: If you know want to know more about EMDR, check out my blog, elanelu.com forward slash EMDR.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_00: It just shifted the game for me where I really came to my own voice and how I wanted to create my business.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: For example, right now, I we're just gonna get personal.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: I am on my period.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_00: It is day two.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: And ladies, for those of you that have a period still, or maybe used to, or if not, um, day two is pretty heavy.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I was just like, you know what?
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_00: I am not gonna turn on my camera.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: I'm wearing my PJs right now, and that's how I'm recording this podcast.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_00: Sure, before I'm like, no, we need to record it.
• 21:38
  SPEAKER_00: I need to look nice and pretty like, no, fuck that.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just not feeling it.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_00: But I wanted to record this podcast to talk about this.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: Also, I could have recorded this before I went on vacation.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_00: I'm actually recording it the day after I came back from vacation, but I knew that I would have more insights coming from vacation because I'm a lot more grounded, especially hiking.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Through the redwood forests.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: Anyways, I am digressing.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_00: So going back to you is I want you to think of this third question.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_00: Are there certifications, techniques, skills you need to learn and focus on?
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_00: And somewhere is a good time to do it.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_00: For example, I have one client who does marketing and they are finishing up a Google SEO certification to be better in marketing and to help attract more ideal clients.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: I have another client who's working on updating their systems and having a more lean team so that they could save both time, money, and have better profit margins.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_00: Even in my own business, I am updating my systems.
• 22:40
  SPEAKER_00: I actually had a client who found a grammatical error on my onboarding email.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, oh, thank you.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, okay, I need to work on my onboarding or editing that and editing my systems for marketing.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_00: And sure, I did like a major haul on my SOPs and my systems about like last year, but this is definitely something to look at every year.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's kind of like having a car, doing maintenance in terms of if you have a gas car, changing the oil, or even checking the tire pressure.
• 23:10
  SPEAKER_00: And if you want a podcast episode that goes more into detail on how to have a sustainable business during the summer, check out episode 21, seven tips for sustainable revenue this summer.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I will add that episode in the show notes.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_00: And if you need more individualized support in your business and you might want to work with me, then schedule an introductory business review call at elanelew.com forward slash call and you'll receive three action items towards your business.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: So there you have it.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: Goals and tips, what you can work on in the summer.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_00: And if you notice the theme of this episode is pausing to reflect, don't forget to do that instead of just doing.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you're probably just doing things that you've always done, but doing those pauses will help you ask those hard questions.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_00: Do I still need to continue doing it this way?
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_00: Or what do I need to edit?
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_00: Or am I really happy?
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: So just to sum it up, if you have a full-time job, it's checking in.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_00: Are you happy?
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_00: Did things hopefully change in your work culture or leadership?
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe in your pay because you wanted bigger salary, a change in your responsibilities where you're not doing so much and you're focused.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_00: Are you implementing boundaries?
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_00: And if not, see if you feel safe and comfortable to give feedback with solutions to your boss.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_00: And if you don't feel safe to share feedback with your boss, see if you can connect with friends who overcame it.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_00: And we're able to find another job or industry.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: And if you need another podcast episode, go to the show notes, check out episode 45 on how you can have a filling job and life with Matt Richard.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're a business owner, ask yourself, did I hit my revenue goal?
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_00: And if not, what can I cut out?
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_00: Something shift in my life where I need to redefine and recreate how my business looks like.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_00: What changes in the revenue did I notice?
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_00: What can I do to get more of it or to do less of it?
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_00: What systems do you need to edit?
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have a life outside of your business?
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_00: And if you need another podcast episode, check out episode 21, seven tips for sustainable revenue this summer, which is also in the show notes.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_00: I know I gave you reflective questions.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_00: So often people want, I want strategy.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_00: And yes, I have given you strategy.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_00: And I was talking to someone and they were just like, Elaine, I just need you to tell me what to do.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, I we live in a society where unfortunately people think in order to be happy, you need to hear what someone says and do what they say.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_00: I want to flip this script on you.
• 25:54
  SPEAKER_00: And I want you to ask yourself, what do you actually want that has nothing to do with society or other people's expectations?
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_00: Because if you're not honoring that, then are you just people pleasing other people the whole time?
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_00: It's so fascinating to me when people are like, I just need you to give me an answer.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, yes.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'm a mix of a coach and consultant.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_00: Like, okay, so I hear that your goal is to do this.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to give you some feedback.
• 26:21
  SPEAKER_00: And as a coach, I do give feedback, but I always want to make sure my clients have agency.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: Does that resonate with you or not?
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_00: And that's important to ask.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_00: I remember when I was at one of my first jobs out of a college and I just finished working out a pillow campaign, and my mentor asked me, What do you want to do?
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_00: And after this, and I said, I don't know.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_00: And that was scary.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's because I was always following a model, right?
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_00: Like get straight A's B valictorian high school, check mark, go to college, check mark.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_00: And then I just assumed everything else would be written out to me and I just followed the rules.
• 26:58
  SPEAKER_00: But the reality is, is okay, yes, there's all these rules, but what do I want?
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_00: What do I want?
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_00: How do I want to be a business owner?
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_00: How do I want to be a coach?
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_00: How do I want to be a human being?
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_00: And when anxiety comes up and we're feeling all these emotions, instead of picking up your phone and scrolling down, lean into what you need to work on and ask yourself the hard questions.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_00: Because the answers will unfold.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_00: I think unfortunately, we live in a society where if feelings feel uncomfortable to avoid it.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_00: But it's also there to kind of explore.
• 27:41
  SPEAKER_00: And if you need further help, highly suggest finding the right therapist for you.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_00: Go to psychologytoday.com and you could find a therapist in your area.
• 27:50
  SPEAKER_00: You could even categorize based off of maybe you want someone specifically that has an ethnic background or they're a sexual identity, or maybe it's in your divergency, you could definitely look for a therapist that way.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_00: Before I end though, I want to make sure please enjoy the summer.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_00: Go out and make those core memories.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the core memories I'm gonna do is watch Inside Out too, obviously, after talking about this, all this stuff in this podcast episode.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you are excited to know that you can have both an enjoyable summer while working if you have, if you take time to pause.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_00: And if you found this episode helpful, here are four things you can do if you feel called to do them.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_00: Number one, if you could leave a five-star rating and review, that would mean so much to me.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_00: My team recreated this podcast for accessible education for women of color and allies.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_00: And each episode takes about four hours to create.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_00: It takes me one hour to prep and another 30 minutes and an hour to record.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_00: Then my team spends two hours to edit and market.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_00: And number two, because my team and I care so much about accessible education, share this with a friend who is feeling uneasy of what to do this summer.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_00: Send them this link, this podcast link, and a personal message on how this episode can probably help them with their anxiety as well as give them some steps and strategies.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_00: Number three, don't forget to hit that follow button and subscribe because when you do, it lets the podcast platform you're listening to know how important this podcast is to women of color and allies like you.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_00: And number four, if you need support in your career or business and you're interested in working with me, then schedule an introductory legacy business and career review call with me.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_00: I only bring in two to four new clients each month to ensure each client receives the results they deserve.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_00: And you can schedule that call at elenelu.com forward slash call.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_00: That's E-L-A-I-N-E-L-O-U.com forward slash call.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_00: And it's also in the show notes.