Learn How To Leverage Business As a TOOL To Live & Work On Your Own Terms.
Written by Stephanie Holland, Strategist at StephanieHolland.Co
Back in 2014 I burned out within 3 months of starting my own business. The metaphorical 4-hr work week dream, never ending clients and influencer status in my field vanished from my radar and was replaced by drama & overwhelm. The typical ‘startup story’ of today’s solopreneur.
But I quickly hit the ‘reset’ button, learned how to leverage business as a way to create my ultimate life immediately, and now live in 3 countries a year working with phenomenal clients. On my own terms. 🏝
But why did I burnout? Where did it all go wrong? And why is my story also the story of 90% of every ambitious human brave enough to launch their ideas? Here’s how it went down.
Bursting with excitement, I announced my new ‘service’ to my community and within 3 days I had 3 clients eager to learn about launching their ideas in a digital world. Tell everyone you know what you do. Tick. ✅
I felt perfectly qualified to offer this service. With 13 years experience in the world’s original startups (Yahoo!, MSN and AOL Huffington Post); executing digital strategies for the world’s most formidable brands; and a few successful consulting contracts behind me, I felt primed to guide my ideal audience — people with great ideas and no business experience — about how to get into the head of their ideal audience. I’m passionate about launching your ideas in your ‘sweet spot’. (That spot bang in the middle of what you want to do and what your audience can and WANT to pay you for!) 🤑
Without any online business training, a business coach or a New York Times bestselling book to distract me (the epicenter of our growing burnout culture, I believe), it took off immediately. I made $2700 in 3 days. BOOM! I was in business. But then it went pear-shaped.🍐
Here’s why: Building a business is about so much more than being good at what you do.
I was spending 90% of my time on other things outside of my passion & purpose. While designing an 8-week experience for my clients on the fly I was simultaneously designing my website strategy (and revising the d*mn thing daily), masterminding list-building tactics, implementing a communications plan, and crafting a sales and marketing approach. I was dutifully executing the collective approach of a 40+ agency and almost immediately abandoned the critical, high-level CEO thinking in favour of working more. I was going round in circles. I invested in my first $2K online business training course. Ever bigger, more concentric circles on the path to nowhere. Enter: Burnout.
There was so much to do. So what did I stop doing instead? I stopped taking care of myself.
I would skip meals, avoid breaks and delay going to the loo until it actually hurt; I would rush through my self-care routine, eat quickly when I did, and skip movies with my partner. I neglected my most important business asset: ME. I was obsessed with my to-do list and busywork replaced my critical, high-level thinking. I’d given myself a plum management role in my business. And my life. 🤷♀️
All too often we trade some version of the 40-hr 9-5 for the 24-7 of working for ourselves. Overwhelmed by the day to day of growing a business around our ideas, we burn out quickly (the greatest irony of our startup culture). We trade our freedom for busywork and fail to build momentum around our ideas. The result? An entire generation of entrepreneurial wannabes burnout and BROKE.
(Because we can’t make money when you’re in survival mode. Our audience can smell it.)
The solution? Leverage business as a tool to create the life you really want. Right now.
That same month back in 2014, I hit the reset button on my life and work. It was the only way to stay in the game until I got the results I was looking for. I positioned myself as my most important business-building asset; I recognised ‘work’ as one of 23 areas of a well-balanced life; I scheduled CEO thinking; and I re-designed my life for living. My mantra: Thrive First. Build Your Empire Second. And now I’m sharing it all with you!
In Season 2 of the Thriving Empire Podcast I share my strategies, tactics and tips for living and working on your own terms while you launch your ideas. So you can thrive on all levels and launch your ideas with more easy and joy.
Are you ready to hit the reset button on your life and work?
Are you within 3 years of launching your ideas and still feel like every day is a hustle? Have you accidentally traded a 40-hr 9-5 for that feels like 24-7 working for yourself? Well, let’s hit the reset button right now.
Season 2 of the Thriving Empire Podcast all about helping you kickstart or restart your ideas so you can create the life you REALLY want. So you can live and work on your own terms while you’re figuring out how to make money from your ideas.
You’ll learn how to:
🎯 Craft better, more effective plans that make better sense for your goals.
🎯 Launch your ideas with more ease, vision and freedom.
🎯 And live the life you really want. Right now.
⚠️ WARNING ⚠️ By listening in you’re in danger of creating the confidence, clarity & wisdom to build a business that helps you create & sustain the life you REALLY want.
The first iteration of your business idea will likely fail. But if you’re already living your ultimate life, the negative consequence of that will be zero. Because whether you choose to launch another idea or re-think your career, BOTH options exist only to help you create and sustain the life you REALLY want.💯
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PS. Yup, I made a ton of worksheets to accompany each episode! Download the Podcast Study Pack and get the 124-page workbook featuring worksheets for every episode, as well as a ton of other multi-media resources that help you thrive on all levels while you launch your ideas.
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