Latest / WOC and Allies: Business and Career Realtalk with Elaine Lou Cartas / 9. Why I’m Ending My Mastermind + How I’m Simplifying My Business (And How You Can Simplify Your Business Too)

Transcript

9. Why I’m Ending My Mastermind + How I’m Simplifying My Business (And How You Can Simplify Your Business Too) · WOC and Allies: Business and Career Realtalk with Elaine Lou Cartas

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hey legacy maker.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Did you read the title?
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: And you're like, ooh, I want to know what's going on with Elaine.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I want her to spill the tea and maybe boba.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: And hey, you know what?
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: It's okay if you want me to spill the boba.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Actually, don't because boba is really good.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: Anyways, I want to share with you why I'm being vulnerable, why I want to let you know why I'm canceling my mastermind and what I am focused on.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: No, I'm not going to share it in the intro.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Are you kidding me?
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Gotta listen to the whole podcast episode.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: And here's why.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_00: When we scroll on social media, everything looks so perfect.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: So let me show you the messy imperfection, the messy action of how I found what's perfect for me and my business right now.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_00: And just so you know, I'm not expecting you to copy and paste my journey to your own.
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get to it.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: And for those of you that are new, I'm Elaine Lou Cardis, business and career coach for women of color and allies.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: And this is the Color James podcast focused on helping established coaches and consultants who are going through an identity crisis and want to create a sustainable and aligned business and life.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: Now, go get your boba, get your tea and your coffee and get ready to call your dreams to create your legacy.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: As a first-generation immigrant, I know how much pressure there is from our family and society to have a safe and secure life.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: But in the Call Your Dreams podcast, I'm here to challenge you to be your best self by creating a business and career that is sustainable, abundant, and enriching without playing by other people's roles.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: We'll have real talk on the deep inner work to create lasting transformation and the tactical strategies to create a profitable business and career.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: We both know you have a vision, roots you're proud of, and a legacy to create.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: Now it's time to do things your way on your own terms.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: So let's get started.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: Now grab your coffee, tea, andor boba, and let's call your dreams to create your legacy.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: I feel like I'm about to get naked.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: Don't worry, I'm not really naked, but naked in terms of just being vulnerable and sharing what's been going on, not just this past month, but I want to say probably this past six months of why I have decided to end my aligned legacy mastermind, which has been my signature program since February of 2018.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: So a little over four years.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: And what I'm focusing on instead.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: And this is not just a podcast episode where I'm gonna share everything to you, and it's all about me.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sharing this with you because what I find from my clients, what they enjoy the most about being coached and mentored by me, is learning from my mistakes.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_00: And I figured, hey, why don't I share with all of you my mistakes?
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: Because you could learn so much from my mistakes.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm not saying you necessarily do the exact same process and step on how you could prevent the mistakes, because here's the reality, you're going to make mistakes, but you could just learn so much and maybe it's relatable to you.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're like, oh my gosh, I'm actually going through what Elaine is going through.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: I feel seen.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: And so often I hear that from my clients.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: So this is my way to give back.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: And uh, I'm gonna be a little naked.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: Like I say, not really naked, but just be vulnerable with all of you.
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: So here's kind of the structure.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: I love planning with a margin of magic.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: I usually have a Google Doc with notes, but I'm always speaking freely from my heart.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_00: If you haven't seen my logo, it is a heart, call your dreams with a C and D.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I, for those of you that can't watch on video, I am currently recording this podcast episode the day after my inner circle retreat.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: Actually, yeah, the day after my inner circle retreat.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: It was a two and a half day retreat in this beautiful home in Los Angeles, overlooking the city.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: And I was vulnerable there with my clients.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: I shared with them the behind the scenes of my business on and told them why I decided to end my line legacy mastermind and focus on my inner circle.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: And here's the difference between both programs.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: The Align Legacy Mastermind was created for newbie beginning entrepreneurs to create consistent income, understand their ideal clients, and figure out their signature program or service, whether they are a coach and consultant.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: In business coaching, I help both coaches and consultants.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_00: So that was the mastermind.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: And then Inner Circle was created for established coaches and consultants, where they're going through an identity crisis.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: They've built up all the success and realize uh I'm not living the life I want.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think I'm really happy with the service.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_00: How do I shift and change things?
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: Which is fascinating, right?
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: Because I kind of went, actually, I didn't kind of I went through this journey in the past six months.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: And so when I was at the retreat, I was sharing behind the scenes and I served all nine of my clients that showed up to the retreat in terms of how they can adapt and adjust their business to align it to the life they want.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's the day after, and I'm actually at the JW Marriott in LA Live, getting ready for the podcast movement conference starting tomorrow.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_00: There's gonna be hundreds of people.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: This is actually my first conference I'm attending since pre-pandemic.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: And as an extrovert, I'm actually pretty nervous because I haven't seen a lot of people in well, even at my retreat, I was like, how do I socialize?
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: But I'm going because as we talk more, doing this Color Dreams podcast is another way I'm simplifying in a way I'm giving back.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm going to this conference because I want to network, connect, learn from industry leaders.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: So, and also it's nice to be at a hotel by myself to just decompress, even though I live in Pasadena, which is about maybe 30, 45 minutes away from traffic, but it's really good to be here.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: And Will Farrell is the keynote speaker, and Paris Hilton is DJing.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm excited.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: Anyways, let's get to it.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk more.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: And you just probably want to know all the gossip about why I'm canceling and ending my mastermind after four years.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: And before we do, I just let me go business coach hat on.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: Business tip is regardless of where you are at in your business, you could be beginning or been here for a while, understand your client journey.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't know what client journey is, it's another term for client acquisition, lead generation.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: How do your clients come from you from point one?
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: What are the different touch points or points of contact until they convert?
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I want to share with you how my client journey has changed over the past almost five years in business.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: I started my business back in July of 2017.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: And my main service, I was a career coach back then, and it was with one-to-ones.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: And it was simple.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: It was a referral and then a phone call, and then I got a one-to-one client.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: And then I became like, I just got so much one-to-ones, and I was also working full-time at my dream job.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: I do call it my dream job working at Passtane City College as a fundraiser.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: I didn't want to let you know I'm no longer there, but I have my dream business now, being a business and career coach for women of color and allies.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_00: So had my one-to-one, and then I actually want to share with you how I started my mastermind or my group program, because it was really simple.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: People think, oh my gosh, I need all of this set up before I create a group program.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_00: So it was actually one of my clients, she she didn't have the budget to work with me one-to-one.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: So I told her, well, you know what?
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_00: I'm actually starting a group program during the sales call.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_00: She asked me, when are you starting it?
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: Uh actually, so I think we spoke in September.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_00: I was like, I'm starting in November.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: I just made it up.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_00: Like, oh, I can't do it in November.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: When are you planning?
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: When do you think you could start investing in yourself?
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: February.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: Oh yeah.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I could take you on in February.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I was hoping that I'll find, like after that happened, I was hoping I'd find more people to hop on in February.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: And it was just her.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: And then two weeks later, I added another person.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_00: But what I want to share with you, I started this group program, not really planned, it just kind of happened.
• 10:34
  SPEAKER_00: And then it has grown and evolved.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: My Align Legacy mastermind was three months, then it evolved to six months with one retreat.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_00: And then it now has evolved to a full year, 12 months with two retreats.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I did 12 months because what I realized is when you go through it like in six months, you like start making great money, but then you start questioning everything about your business, which happens.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: And you just have to ask yourself those real questions.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, what do I need to adjust, adapt, edit?
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: So often people think I need to burn my business to the ground, but it just is little adjustments.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: So flash forward to 2020 when the pandemic started, I just blew up.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: And that's because my client journey wasn't just referral call one-to-one.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: I was doing actually monthly events, free monthly events and even pre-pant pandemic, pre-monthly events in person.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: So it would be a monthly event.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_00: People did a call with me and then converted to become a client.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: And because I had so many pictures of these events in person, when the pandemic hit, everyone online was able to attend my events and they knew they were great because people saw the pictures of it.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_00: You can't, you can't fake a picture.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: And there was a point where I had 18 people in my mastermind, which is crazy.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: But because I have a high renewal rate, I was realizing, oh, my long-term clients weren't benefiting from it because it was such basic things we were talking about.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: And not just basic, like not in a negative way, but the problems as a beginning entrepreneur versus someone that's established, they are different sets of problems.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: So after asking feedback, I decided to create a coaching group program called the Inner Circle, where it was for coaching and consultants who are established, but going through an identity crisis, needing accountability and living their true self, not just a prisoner of their own success.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: So I went from having one signature program to two signature programs.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: And here's the thing: when you have more than one program, it's more than it's two systems, two team, like two different times and energy.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: It's just more energy in it.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: So then my client journey started kind of getting complicated.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: Went to referral, monthly event, a phone call with me to mastermind or referral to call to mastermind to inner circle.
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_00: Because I had two different signature programs, and the messaging and marketing for both is different.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: Then in 2021, the Great Recession hit, right?
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_00: So I am both a business and career coach, and I started attracting a lot of career coaching clients.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_00: And then I created something called the Color Dreams family.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: You probably haven't heard of it because I don't market it.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I realized I wasn't in like I loved serving my clients, but but that was a third system.
• 13:33
  SPEAKER_00: My team members had to figure out like a third system to create, and that is now three different programs and services.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: Plus, I still had my one-to-one.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: That means four programs, which is crazy, which is interesting because I constantly teach my clients to focus on the one thing.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: And when you have four different things, it confuses your ideal clients.
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, I was struggling because my past experience prior to being a business and career coach is I worked in the nonprofit sector where I want to serve everyone.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: If and if certain people didn't have the right resources and tips who can't afford it, and I believe in equity and I should do all the things I could serve others.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: But what I realized when I was doing that, I wasn't serving myself.
• 14:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I was stretched too thin.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_00: Last year, I found myself overwhelmed.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I had to ask myself the hard question what do I enjoy?
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_00: Like really enjoy.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_00: Not just what my clients enjoy, right?
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: I am all about feedback.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: And I believe in asking for feedback on how to improve things, what they enjoy about the program or service.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_00: But it went back to me.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_00: What did I enjoy?
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: Where do I light up?
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: Where am I the happiest?
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_00: And it has nothing to do with the clients.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's you.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_00: And that was that was different.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: That's what has shifted.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if you know the data, but as I'm approaching my fifth year in business, 50% of businesses fail within five years.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: I've been seeing more businesses not succeed, and it's nothing negative, but it could be a number of issues where it's cash flow or just not getting clear in focus.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: But I realized I really love working with established coaches and consultants.
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: I love working with their specific problems where it goes back, what is the life they want to live?
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: Seeing what team members they they need to hire so that they can have their life, really creating the schedule that works for them.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: So as I've mentioned in other podcast episodes, for example, Mondays and Fridays, I have no calls.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_00: So Tuesday through Thursdays is really when I do work so that if I want to have a four-day weekend, I have it.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: So I know I've been talking about client journeys.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_00: And here's what I'll tell you throughout the podcast.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to bring out a pen and paper.
• 15:55
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're driving, don't bring a pen and paper, just mental note.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to answer these questions.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: What do you really like?
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: What is the service that really lights you up in your business?
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's one.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_00: And then two, are you tracking your client journey?
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: How are you getting clients?
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: Like, is it streamlined?
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_00: So those are a couple of questions that I want you to think about.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_00: And you have probably seen it if you have been listening to this podcast, or if you've been following me online or in my email list.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: And I just want to share that this transition wasn't a quick Amazon Prime transition.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: I have been thinking about wanting to end my mastermind and focus on my inner circle for established coaches and consultants.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_00: So, how did I do that?
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: I kind of want to share with you my timeline.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: I really wanted to be intentional about this change, but the first thing that happened is I stopped doing my free monthly events.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: And instead, I am committed to doing at least two retreats a year with my inner circle clients.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_00: If there's open spots, I invite others if they're a good fit.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_00: And I might do one or two other events.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_00: So that's what, two to four events a year that is paid.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're like, well, you used to do free events, what are you gonna do to give back?
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_00: And trust me, I have intentionally thought about that.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I come from the nonprofit sector.
• 17:26
  SPEAKER_00: I am mission-based, I believe in giving back.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: And that is why I have this Color Your Genes podcast.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's my way to give back.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: That's why I'm actually at this conference for podcast movement here in LA.
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_00: How many days?
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: I believe three days to learn and figure out how I could continue to give back.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: And so that's one.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_00: And then another thing, I'm getting clearer and making it more streamlined in terms of what is my client journey.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: So it's still high referrals and renewals as of today, March 23rd, when I'm recording this, about 66% is renewals and 33% referrals, and then have a call, then they turn into inner circle.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: And then I'm also diversifying in terms of what is the first touch point.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: And so something I've learned now, being close to five years in business, that I know I'm talking about the one thing, but what I mean by one thing when it comes to business is figuring out what is your one thing for your service or program.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: But in terms of how people come into your business, there should be a diversification of lead generation.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: I realize that this is so business heavy, but you know what?
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: It's important to talk about this.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: And just remember, my podcast is not just all about business, it's holistic too.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_00: But, anyways, going to the diversification of lead generation, it's important to diversify.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_00: It's kind of similar to stock, right?
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: And you're not solely relying on one thing.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: But even though referrals, renewals, my podcasts, and even Google, even though there's four different avenues of how people decide to continue or want to work with me, it still funnels into having a phone call and then joining Inner Circle.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: So, my question to you, and I know I asked this earlier, is what is your client journey?
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_00: Track it.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: And if you need help figuring out what is your client journey or a template for it, I actually want you to email me at ElaineLou at elanelu.com and put in the subject heading client journey.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll give you a worksheet that I give my paying clients when they need help figuring out their client journey.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_00: So going back to the transition, like I said, I stopped doing free monthly events and then went to quarterly free monthly events, and then I realized I don't want to do this anymore.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_00: And my mastermind naturally kind of ended with clients who were not ready for inner circle.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: The contracts ended, anyways.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: And those left were actually ready for the inner circle.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I moved them there.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_00: And even though I've already had the inner circle for a while, because I had a lot of clients from the mastermind who wanted to renew and were ready for inner circle, I still asked for feedback on how I could improve.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: And I added a VIP day in person, where I paid two nights to stay with me at the Legum Hotel, which is like a five-star resort here in LA.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_00: And it's a full year.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's migrated with perks from my mastermind.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_00: Like I have Ricole Cruz doing a monthly mindset coaching call.
• 20:32
  SPEAKER_00: And it's amazing having her because she's a friend and former client who's gone through my mastermind at Nurse Circle.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: And then Monica Schock, who's still a client, giving monthly marketing and messaging calls.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_00: And having Monica, who is not a woman of color but an ally, has been wonderful for everyone to see.
• 20:51
  SPEAKER_00: And then there's quarter calls with my own business coach, Laura Wright, and two in-person retreats.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: And then something that I have added that is not necessarily more, but helping my clients stay focused, is creating an accountability system where every Monday, every week, I provide individualized action items with accountability chunks to each of my clients.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_00: And that is something different that I've added, that I've had a couple of clients share with me.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I just started implementing that last month.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: And this inner circle is a combination of both the one-to-one and group.
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_00: So I share that listing out all the things that I've added was because I've asked for feedback from my clients on how I could improve my service.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not necessarily doing the most or adding more, but what actually works.
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_00: But I realized that that's not what my clients needed.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: What they needed was something that was individualized and From me.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: And sure, it takes me time to do accountability jobs, but I had to ask myself, what is time that I can delete and take away?
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: Because if we're adding things, a harder question to ask ourselves when we are creating and scaling our business, what do we need to delete?
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_00: So sure, if we're adding more tasks, what is things we need to delete and delegate?
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the things that I figured out was like, oh my gosh, I'm spending so much time promoting my podcast in terms of putting out social leader email.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: And now I've delegated that to my team to do.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_00: I review it for two minutes, but in terms of setting it up in my email, putting it on social media, that's not me.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_00: But it feels so good.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: It feels so good because I believe in putting our current paying clients first as opposed to just finding the next client.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_00: So the question I have for you is as I've shared, I kind of pushed back.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: I went from doing monthly free events to doing it every other month, quarterly, and realizing I didn't want to.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_00: There was so much breakthroughs and realizations of what I wanted to focus on in my business, what I wanted to delete, because I paused doing all the things, doing what I consistently did.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: Because if I kept doing it, it was going to be a hamster wheel where I kind of numbed myself.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_00: This is what I was sharing at my retreat.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_00: So my question to you is what's one thing you can try to pause?
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_00: Or if you've been doing it too consistently, what can you lessen?
• 23:29
  SPEAKER_00: So I wanted to think about that.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_00: And as I've made this transition, I've become more clear on my ideal clients.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I want you to think more about who are your ideal clients.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_00: So I'll share bullet points of mind, just kind of give you an idea of what you could start thinking about for yours.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_00: I work with women of color and allies who want to create a sustainable and equitable future.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_00: Coaches and consultants that want to create a career in life that are healthily intertwined to create generational wealth and give back to the communities and more importantly, themselves.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_00: I work with women of color and allies who put themselves first, where they are intentionally choosing change in their business as opposed to just reacting because they're not making enough money.
• 24:16
  SPEAKER_00: So they are going through an identity crisis of their business or career and want a reinvention, but they need accountability to living their true self versus being a prisoner of their own success.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_00: And my ideal clients are tired of choosing between what works over what they really want.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_00: So they're in a process of releasing what they've built up to now to creating something that is more aligned to the life they want.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_00: My question to you is who is your ideal client?
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_00: Can you describe that?
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_00: And don't feel like it has to be perfect, but you could bullet point it, kind of word vomit.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_00: And just in case you're wondering, like, Elaine, are you not working with beginners?
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_00: Are you not doing career coaching?
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I actually still have my one-to-one, but I'm not promoting it as much.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_00: It's my back-end offer.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_00: So here's what I want to share with you.
• 25:15
  SPEAKER_00: I've found it so simple now where like my inner circle is my signature program.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_00: And I have a back-end offer, which is one-to-one.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_00: I only offer it to people who are worth it because one-to-one is more time and energy.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_00: And at this present moment, I have three one-to-one clients who are beginners.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I have two one, like beginner entrepreneurs and have two one-to-ones who are career coaching.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm enjoying it.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_00: I truly am.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_00: So what I want you to hear is my signature program is my inner circle.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I have my backend offer for one-to-ones.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_00: I went from having four different systems of processes to two.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_00: It's really one, but two.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_00: So my question for you, I don't have lots of questions, but remember, I don't want to just talk about myself.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_00: I think you could just learn so much from my mistakes is who is your ideal client?
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: Describe them.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_00: And if you meet someone that's not an ideal client, what's the back end offer you could give?
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, and I didn't even share this.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_00: If they have amazing values and you don't have a program that could help support them, who's someone else you can refer?
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_00: Like I refer people when it comes, like I have so many referrals for different things.
• 26:24
  SPEAKER_00: People come to me for marketing messaging, I give them to Monica.
• 26:27
  SPEAKER_00: Mindset, give them to Nicole.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_00: If they need help when it comes to money, I refer them to my CFP when it's personal finances.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_00: I refer people to my CFO when it comes to tax accounting and just like other things when it comes to money.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_00: And also I kind of want to share this too, just another lesson.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_00: For those of you that have known about Inner Circle, I used to call it, so I'm kind of officially announcing it.
• 26:55
  SPEAKER_00: I used to call it the Legacy Lifestyle Inner Circle.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I actually, literally a couple of weeks prior to this podcast episode being recorded, I actually contacted my lawyer.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, I want to trademark legacy lifestyle.
• 27:07
  SPEAKER_00: And she told me, actually, it's taken and there's other iterations of it.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll be honest, I was so pissed and upset.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh, I should have trademarked it.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_00: So I share that with you because if there's a signature program that you have, make sure to trademark it and protect it.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_00: But it actually ended up working really well for me because I've just changed the name to Call Your Dreams Inner Circle.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_00: And guess what?
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_00: I've already trademarked Call Your Dreams.
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_00: And in terms of branding and marketing perspective, shout out to my brand strategist, Tiffany Newman, and my marketing and messaging consultant, Monica Schock, for actually reaffirming this.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_00: You really want to make things simple.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_00: Like I have the Call Your Dreams podcast and now the Call of Your Dreams Inner Circle.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_00: So my question to you is by the way, don't go to me.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not a lawyer, but have you trademarked your important services or service, I should say?
• 28:00
  SPEAKER_00: So here's what I learned as I'm almost at my fifth year in business.
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_00: What service do you actually enjoy doing?
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_00: What is the life you want to create?
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_00: Who are your ideal clients?
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_00: Take time and think about it.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_00: We're so used to in this capitalistic Western society to do hamster doing all the things when it's actually important to pause and reflect.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, as I am recording this, I am at a hotel and sure I live 30, 45 minutes away without traffic because it's LA.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_00: But I was staring because I have this beautiful view of the city.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just looking at buildings.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_00: I could see the Hollywood sign here.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_00: I was writing pen to paper, and even though I'm at a conference, I should be nervous.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_00: I just really want time for myself.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_00: It is the end of the episode.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_00: And I always love ending each episode with an action item and reflective question.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_00: But because this is, like I told you, I got naked at this episode.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm sharing all the things, just my journey, you know.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_00: And I just want to say it is hard.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_00: I felt like my mastermind was my baby.
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_00: I've had it for four years.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_00: It's my signature program.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_00: And it's letting go of that.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I know I'm jokingly kind of comparing it, but it's kind of like Taylor Swift, who no longer does country and is more into pop, and then she kind of went to country, or Michael Jordan going from basketball to baseball and then back to basketball, but just improved his basketball.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_00: And for me, it's I had my line legacy mastermind for newbie entrepreneurs to now my color dreams inner circle for established coaches and consultants who want to have more of an aligned life.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_00: So kind of sad that's ending, but I'm very grateful.
• 29:59
  SPEAKER_00: I have no regrets.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_00: I learned and grown, and I'm not the same person I was when I started my business July 2017.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I want to share with you as you're listening.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_00: If you're kind of feeling this way, if you're like, oh, but I built it up to now and this is what I've created, but you're not the same person.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_00: You've grown.
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_00: Not saying the person back then is horrible, but you've grown.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_00: So I actually told my podcast manager that I wanted to record this episode right after my retreat because I felt like I would be in a great energetic space to be more reflective.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I created more spaciousness at my inner circle retreat that just ended yesterday, where I asked deep questions.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_00: There's breakout rooms, and I want to leave a couple of reflective questions and action items to answer these questions.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_00: So take time, go to a park for an hour.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_00: Or if you want to go fancy like me, go get a hotel room by yourself and answer these questions.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_00: I actually have seven questions for you.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: So the first question What's the life you want to live?
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_00: How does your day look like?
• 31:05
  SPEAKER_00: How many days are you working?
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_00: Like when I think about the life I want to live now, with the exception of this week, just because I had my retreat and I'm at this conference.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_00: So just no, it doesn't have to be perfect.
• 31:17
  SPEAKER_00: But doing three to five times bikram yoga a week, having time to write for myself, I mean, that's the life I want to live.
• 31:26
  SPEAKER_00: Choosing to spend time with my loved ones.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm living that right now.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's an abundant life for me.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_00: And so often people think scaling is, ooh, I want to make a lot of money.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_00: And yes, that's part of it.
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_00: But what I've learned scaling is is scaling is like, how can it be more aligned to me?
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna say that again.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_00: Scaling your business is how can you be more aligned to you?
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_00: And what's hilarious is when you do become more aligned to you, and I know I'm going more spiritual and intuitive, you actually end up making more money because money is energy.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_00: Money comes to the word current, currency, just like water that moves, the cleanest waters on the top of the mountain in the waterfall, money's energy.
• 32:13
  SPEAKER_00: And you'll make more of it when you're more aligned.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_00: So, second question.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_00: This is hard.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_00: What is one thing you need to get rid of?
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that's hard.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_00: So, kind of like what I shared, I went from having free monthly events, did it every other month, quarterly, and then I decide to stop it.
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_00: What's one thing you get rid of or start taking a step back from to test?
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_00: Third question: what's one thing you need to focus on?
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_00: So, my number one focus is my Claire Dreams inner circle to work with established coaches and consultants.
• 32:50
  SPEAKER_00: And my client is so much easier now.
• 32:53
  SPEAKER_00: People come to me, whether it's referrals, renewals, Google, or even this podcast.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's yes, this podcast is my way to give back, but a couple of you may want to work with me, or you may not.
• 33:05
  SPEAKER_00: But I have four ways of people coming into my audience, then we do a call and then inner circle.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_00: Do you see how easy that is?
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so excited.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_00: That is what I'm focusing on is going my inner circle and giving back and doing this podcast.
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, four.
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_00: Kind of answer this question, but what's your signature program or service?
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_00: I say program or service, shout out to my consultants because they just reminded me, depending on what you call it.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_00: And for those of you that don't know, my first business was doing consulting, like fundraising, grassroots, organizing, consulting.
• 33:37
  SPEAKER_00: And then I just happened to turn into a coach.
• 33:39
  SPEAKER_00: So what is your signature program or service?
• 33:42
  SPEAKER_00: Number five.
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_00: What do you want to be known for?
• 33:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll just blatantly say it.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_00: I want to be the go-to.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_00: Then number one, woman of color, business and career coach helping women of color and allies create a sustainable and equitable future.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I have memorized what I want to be known for.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_00: And I have, you know, I'll be honest, saying number one, like, oh, am I being competitive?
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_00: Like, is that ego?
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, no, I do.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_00: I want to be the go-to person for it.
• 34:14
  SPEAKER_00: I'm just gonna claim it.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_00: And then six, who's your ideal client?
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_00: Describe them in detail.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_00: And then the seventh question is what are your three actions you can take in the next week?
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_00: And I say next in the next week, like this coming week.
• 34:35
  SPEAKER_00: I know that was a lot.
• 34:37
  SPEAKER_00: I know this was heavily business-centered.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_00: But I hope you learned so much from what I shared with me being vulnerable, me being naked, as to why I'm ending my mastermind and what I'm focusing on and what you can do to simplify your business.
• 34:58
  SPEAKER_00: And when you simplify your business, you get to have your life back.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_00: And when you simplify, for those of you that are not just doing it for the money, which is everyone, because that's my ideal client.
• 35:08
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I'm not doing this for the money, but when you simplify, you find a way of what is your give back to contribute back to your community.
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_00: And for me, my contribution is this podcast.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_00: For you, it could be different.
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_00: It might be doing posts on Instagram or LinkedIn.
• 35:25
  SPEAKER_00: It could be different for each person.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_00: But Legacy Maker, thank you so much for listening, for letting me be vulnerable.
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_00: You know what?
• 35:35
  SPEAKER_00: If this episode really resonated with you and you really enjoyed it, got a lot of takeaways, email me at elanelu.com.
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_00: I always love hearing from others.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I'll see you next Thursday.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 35:51
  SPEAKER_00: I just spilled the tea and boba all over the place about my business.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm feeling pretty vulnerable.
• 36:00
  SPEAKER_00: But for those of you who are going through an identity crisis in their business and want a reinvention, I made this episode for you.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_00: I wanted you to be seen.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_00: And if you need accountability to living your true self versus being a prisoner of your own success, I do want you to apply for my Call Your Dreams Inner Circle, a 12-month one-to-one and group coaching program for coaches and consultants with in-person retreats and virtual calls.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_00: Just apply by going to Elainelew.com forward slash inner circle.
• 36:48
  SPEAKER_00: Because here's the thing, legacymaker.
• 36:51
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to stop choosing between what works over what you really want.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_00: Not just what your clients want, but what you want.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_00: And you deserve to not just have the business of your dreams, but the life of your dreams.
• 37:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm here to support you in the process of releasing what you've built up to now to something that is more aligned to you.
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_00: So go to ElaineLou.com forward slash inner circle to apply.
• 37:28
  SPEAKER_00: All right.
• 37:29
  SPEAKER_00: I'll see you next Thursday for our newest Call Your Dreams episode.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_00: And don't forget to call your dreams too.
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_00: Create your legacy.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_00: Legacymaker, you just finished another episode of the Call Your Dreams podcast.
• 37:47
  SPEAKER_00: Be sure to take another five minutes and reflect with my acronym tag.
• 37:52
  SPEAKER_00: What were your biggest takeaways, your actions, and your gratitudes?
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_00: Want more of me and my team?
• 38:01
  SPEAKER_00: If you're curious about working with us, go to my website at ElaineLew.com slash call to schedule a call with me.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_00: During this 30-minute complimentary get it done call, I'll provide you three action items towards your goals.
• 38:17
  SPEAKER_00: And if we're not a good fit, I'll refer you to other people and resources because integrity is my number one value.
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_00: All right, legacy maker.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_00: I'll see you next Thursday for our newest episode.
• 38:28
  SPEAKER_00: Remember to colour your dreams to create your legacy.