Ep #3: Finding Your Voice
I’m sharing what it actually means to find your voice and why it is so important. I’m sharing why we all have a voice, the reasons you haven’t been practicing yours, and giving you five down and dirty tactics to help you find your voice.
Our voice isn’t just how we say things, it’s the content of what we say. It is our thought leadership, our values, and our convictions. It is how and in what ways we speak up.
Women especially are taught to speak softly, be ladylike, and to not make waves. We’ve inherited the genes, legacy, and trauma of centuries of oppression when it was dangerous for women to do anything different. Is it any wonder that we struggle to find our voice? But finding it is imperative for all women.
In this episode, I’m sharing what it actually means to find your voice and why it is so important. I’m sharing why we all have a voice, the reasons you haven’t been practicing yours, and giving you five down and dirty tactics to help you find your voice.
To celebrate the launch of this show, I’m giving away a pair of AirPods Pro, a 6-month subscription to Audible, and a $50 Amazon gift card to some lucky listeners who follow, rate, review, and share the show. Click here to find out more about the contest and how to enter, I’ll be announcing the winners on an upcoming episode.
What You’ll Learn From This Episode:
The best way to feel truly confident.
Some questions to ask yourself around your voice.
How we all have a voice, we just need to find it.
Some common fears your brain might offer up to keep you in your current zone of safety.
Why finding your voice is a stretch in the beginning, but how to keep going.
How finding your voice relates to clarity.
Listen to the Full Episode:
Featured on the Show:
Follow, rate, and review the podcast for a chance to win some great gifts. Click here to find out more!
Click here to sign up for my newsletter and find out how the Connect The Dots Method has helped clients in all stages of their business.
Visit Kate, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, at qunutrition.com
Full Episode Transcript:
Find Your Voice. Find your voice. Find your voice. Find your voice. What does that even mean? And, why is it important? If I don't really have one, what do I do to get one? Stick around, I got you.
You're listening to The Uncommon Way Business and Life Coaching Podcast, the only podcast that helps you unlock your next level in business and life, by prioritizing your clarity and your own Uncommon Way. You will learn to maximize your mindset, mission, messaging, and strategy in order to create a true legacy. Here's your host, top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.
Welcome back to The Uncommon Way, Episode # 3. My podcast gurus tell me that I shouldn't talk about myself much in the beginning of these early episodes, because you and I aren't really tight like that, yet. But I know a lot of my clients are tuning in, and some people from my email list. So, I gotta tell you friends, wowza!
Creating this podcast, I am experiencing everything all over again: All the clarity questions. All the old thoughts and feels. Especially with things like the description copy, where something has to be really tight and condensed. Is this really how I want to say it? How will they judge me? What if I'm doing it wrong?
Which is all helping me reconnect emotionally with what so many of you are experiencing. I get to watch how I walk my own brain through it, so I can share that with you. That's why today's episode theme, about finding your voice is so perfectly timed.
I surveyed the amazing women on my list, when I was creating these first episodes. I want to make sure what I was saying was really, really relevant. And one of them, Kate, asked if I could talk about finding your voice and how it relates to clarity. It's a fantastic question. The two are just intimately linked, which makes us so meta; I'm literally in it.
You can't really use your voice any more literally than on a podcast. And, I'm talking about it to the people who are creating their own copy and podcasts, most likely. But also, maybe, speaking up in investor meetings. or sharing your vision with team members, or bringing on collaborators. or mentors. So, this is going to be fun. We'll talk about the mindset, of course. And, I'll also give you some down and dirty tactics, that might or might not involve alcohol.
But before we dive in, I just want to give Kate a shout-out. Kate, thank you for being willing to ask the question, so that we all can benefit. And by the way, Kate has such an interesting business. She is a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, meaning she has the training to run testing and evaluate your blood work, in order to create these highly personalized health protocols.
If you want to feel better or lose weight, increase mental acuity, longevity, there are ways my friends. And, as if that weren't enough, she's all about mental and mindset optimization, too. She's totally my girl. According to Kate, leveling up the mind is so much easier when you have the body to support you in it. I love that. Anyway, if this sounds intriguing, we've linked to her in the show notes. Go check her out.
Okay, so it doesn't surprise me that Kate was asking about voice. I see this a lot with clients that have a strong academic or professional background, which she does. We all have that to some extent, of course, but more so, the more you continue in those environments. And look, I was a professional copywriter. I oversaw the voice for multiple distinct brands at a top fashion company. And, I still sounded too formal when I first started writing online copy.
But this goes even deeper than that. Because our voice isn't just how we say things. It's the content of what we say. Our thought leadership, our values, our convictions, how and in what ways we speak up. Women especially are taught to speak softly, don't make waves be lady like, you know, in essence be silent. We've inherited the genes, the legacy, and the trauma of centuries of oppression when it was extremely dangerous for women to do anything different. And, we still see that oppression around the world. Right? And at home, unfortunately.
Is it any wonder then that we struggle to find our voice? But finding it is an imperative, for all women. Doing so subverts the norm. That is the work for those of us born in this time. It happens first through, you guessed it, remembering who you are. You weren't born without a voice, you already have it; you just haven't been practicing it.
One of the first things we do in my program, which is called the Clarity Accelerator, it deals with finding your secret sauce. It's part of a two-prong strategy for eliminating even the idea of competition. First, you get clear on your personal secret sauce, and then later, we figure it out for your offer. What the personal secret sauce work is designed to do, is to bring up evidence for you of the ways in which you're uniquely you, and why that matters to your clients.
We take so much for granted when it comes to ourselves. Like, when people go, “Oh, you're so…” whatever, right? And you're like, “Really?” But knowing what makes you, you, is the best way to feel truly confident. When you see value in it, you're more likely to be okay speaking and writing as you, too.
And spoiler: The answer doesn't lie in your certifications or qualifications. It doesn't lie in the skill set from your past jobs. If you want me to do a future episode talking about where it does lie, best place to let me know that is in the review section. I'll be reading each and every one of them.
So, one of my Clarity Accelerator clients, [0:06:24.9 spelling Carrie], Hi, Carrie told me she was overflowing with excitement about what she learned in that section. Those were her exact words, that that alone gave her so many mindset shifts. That is the power of just seeing with new eyes, what's right there in front of you.
We just get so used to ourselves, and it's like we have blinders on. It's like my client who told me, she wasn't sure whether she wanted to do high-end art consulting, or create courses to teach people how to use LinkedIn™. And as she's telling me this, she's lounging amidst this gorgeous art and furniture she'd collected, looking so at home, like some regal Goddess. I just wanted to take a screenshot and send it to her; do you not see yourself?
Or, this other one. She seemed really surprised about this string of new clients saying they wanted help being less inhibited and breaking free of their good girl shell. But yet here she is exuding all this untamed, I don't give a fuck energy, going live with her new dance moves, and showing up to calls in her underwear. It's like, can I have some of what she's having?
So, when your brain offers up that you don't really have a voice, get suspicious. Especially if, when I just said that right there, your brain immediately compared yourself to the two clients I just mentioned and said, “Well, but I don't stand out like that.” That's what they thought, too.
I don't know how to find my voice is just another version of, “I don't know,” which is never a productive or helpful thought. You've got to catch that thought as it happens and switch to, “If I did know, what would it be? When do I tend to allow my truest voice to speak?” When your brain wants to focus on what you don't know, start asking it what you do know. Your brain can't resist little tasks like this.
It is so fun when you start learning to use your brain for what it does best, rather than letting it run wild and destructive, like my four-year-old after Nana has given him a ring pop. If you sit there and show your brain that you're serious, you'd be amazed how quickly you'll start to get some helpful answers. And, once you're open to at least playing with the idea that maybe you do have a very defined voice, the next question is; why aren't I using it? Do I have some judgment about it? Am I feeling inhibited?
Here are some really common fears that your brain might offer up to keep you in your current zone of safety: I need to sound legit. But what will they say? What if I get canceled? These are the people most likely to buy, so I have to appeal to them. I don't want to turn off potential customers.
We have spent so much of our lives gaming out how we have to speak for optimal approval, that it's very threatening to forsake that. Your brain really wants to protect you from that. But look, what are all of those fears really saying? That your voice is wrong. That you are wrong. That people won't love you. That you won't make money. These are all very primal, human, normal fears. They're just not very helpful for the kind of life you want to build.
Your real voice reveals itself when you calm the judgment and release the inhibitions. In daily life, that probably happens when you're with friends or family. You feel safe to say what you want or be how you are. Ask yourself then; how can you create that safety for yourself? So it's not dependent on the presence of someone else. Where you have your own back.
It's going to be different for everyone, but I can bet it's going to involve really understanding your thoughts and working through them. Plus, relaxing and resetting your nervous system. You'll do that through a walk in nature, or meditation, or a bubble bath, whatever floats your boat. And you do that each time you baby step your way into exercising your voice, because each time is a stretch in the beginning.
In fact, let's do something right now. Take some deep breaths, wherever you are, feel all that energy in your headspace with this highly active electricity box you've got in there. Imagine it all swirling around inside and outside your head. And then, imagine just lowering the energy with each exhale. So, bringing it down through your heart, through your gut, and then all the way to the base of your spine. You there? Okay. From that, more grounded space, receive this.
When we adjust what we're saying to garner approval, we're creating the opposite of what we truly want. We think this will create more connection for us, right? We’ll be part of the tribe. Maybe, we’ll be looked up to. But they're not really liking you, the real you. They're liking a fabrication you created. So, you effectively blocked the possibility for connection, the thing you really wanted.
You don't know if you could have connected with this person, because you haven't given them the chance to connect with you. And. would you rather have a hundred ardent fans or a thousand ‘meh’ followers? You can make a lot more money with the former. But also, you can impact so much more profoundly.
The transformation doesn't happen until someone feels an emotional connection. So, let's start getting the juices flowing, shall we? That's the best way to think about this. It's just a little dry, like a pen you haven't used in a while, so we're just going to scribble around a bit.
Okay, moving from the mindset to the tactical tips, I've got five for you. Number one, stop writing and start recording. You don't really talk like that. Get a transcription app and save time on converting it later. This is going to be so helpful to see how you actually talk, in written form, so your brain can learn how to do it.
It's like once, I was complaining to my dad about how different my voice sounded in a recording, and he's a former DJ. So, he said, “It's just about your brain reconciling the difference between the two sounds, until they don't really sound as different anymore.” You can do the same with written and verbal language.
Number two, think about where you feel most you. Where you feel the safest and least inhibited. And then, get into that space to practice. Have a friend ask you questions about what you do or whatever topic you need to explain, and record how you would answer naturally.
Have a glass of wine if you need to loosen up; hey, it worked for Hemingway. But don't become an alcoholic, obviously. Or, put this into practice while you're driving, or any other things my lawyer would want me to say; don't do that. But seriously, there was a part of your brain that's inhibiting you. And, it's up to you to think about the conditions that best help you circumvent that.
Number three, test yourself in this way: Have someone write a blurb for you. If you're tempted to use it, you're probably not being free enough in your language. Or, you're discounting your own voice in favor of someone else's. Our collective vernacular is becoming less and less formal, even in professional environments. The people you want to connect with are, first and foremost humans, speak to them like a human without being performative.
If you're not funny, you don't need to be funny all the time. I'm only occasionally funny. So, I only make very occasional jokes. If I wanted to become more funny, I'd work on that through mindset and practice. You're sensing a theme here, right? But I would only do that if I had decided that doing so, would be helping me step into more of who I really am.
That's kind of next level work when you intentionally create rather than dig down and find, but you don't embark on that work when you're saying you can't find your voice. You embark on that work when you're saying, “I'm outgrowing this voice. There's a next level of expression moving through me.”
Number four, cut it in half. We put so many qualifiers and disclaimers in what we say. Look at what you've written, objectively, and ask where and why you might be tempted to over explain or soften things up. When you cut it down to the essentials, it forces you to speak clearly and decisively.
And number five, write an opinion piece, once a day. Even if you never publish it or speak it out loud. It's best if it pertains to your work, but it can be on any topic, politics, anything. Just build the habit of being opinionated and verbalizing your opinions. Doesn't mean you're not open to new information, doesn't mean you can't change your mind, but you know where you stand.
Our viewpoint is such a large part of what makes us uncommon. After all, you're attracted to this concept of an uncommon way. There's a reason for that. But so many of us hang out in the uncommon-ness of our ideas, of our internal world without ever putting it out there, let alone into action. More is being requested of you now, right? Will you answer that call from within? Because your people want to hear your opinions, in your exact voice.
So, to recap: Our voice isn't just how we say things, it's what we say. And, it's no surprise that after being told our whole lives, and for the millennia previous to that, exactly how we're supposed to express ourselves, that finding our true voice can feel elusive. But it's there, because you are there. Your voice is just an expression of you. Finding it requires being suspicious of your brain, switching your energy from ‘I don't know’ to ‘what do I know’. And then, calming your self-judgment, releasing inhibitions, and creating safety for yourself from within.
The only path to true connection is through you being you. And from there, you get to watch your impact. And yes, your profits transform. As you cultivate this skill, and don't expect it to just happen, it's okay to be getting the juices flowing. You can practice speaking instead of writing, and cutting opinion pieces in half. Or, maybe, even having a glass of sparkly because after all, this is a celebration of you and your forthcoming work.
I hope this has helped you move further down your path. And remember, deep down, you know who you are. And, every day you're stepping further into what you're here to create. Bye for now.
Hey, to celebrate the launch of the show, I'm going to be giving away three really great prizes, a pair of AirPods Pro™, a six-month subscription to Audible®, and a $50 Amazon.com Gift Card™. I'll be giving these away to some lucky listeners who follow rate, review and share the show.
Here's why your help is essential. I need to know what resonated with you and what you're still curious about so I can create the most high value content for you. I don't want to create what other people want. I want to create what you want. So, I need to hear from you.
And also, this work changes lives; it sure as hell changed mine. I am on a mission to get these episodes into the hands of everyone who needs it. Since this isn't your first rodeo, and you've listened to a podcast or two before, you know that follows, rates, reviews, and shares are how this new baby podcast will get seen and bumped up in search results.
Thank you for spreading the word. To learn more about the contest and how to enter to win the AirPods, the Audible subscription, or the gift card, just visit TheUncommonWay.com/podcast launch. I'll be announcing the winners on the show in an upcoming episode.
Thanks for joining us here at The Uncommon Way. If you want more tips and resources for developing clarity in your business and life, including the Clarity First Strategy for growing and scaling your business, visit TheUncommonWay.com. See you next time.
Enjoy the Show?
Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.
Ep #2: The Decision Tree
I’m sharing more about The Decision Tree and showing you how to intertwine your purpose and mission into your decision-making. Hear some examples of how my clients have used this process in their businesses to instantly illuminate their decisions and how this tool can help change everything for you in yours.
Do you spend a lot of time in your head when you have a big decision to make? Do you weigh the pros and cons, getting so stuck in decision-making instead of action-taking that you become tired of thinking about it, put it away, and don’t do anything? This is a natural result of how we’ve been taught to make decisions, but I’m here today to share another way to make them.
Throughout the life of this podcast, I’ll be teaching you several different ways to become a better decision-maker, but today I’m sharing a favorite. It’s a game-changer, and by the end of this episode you’ll have the answer to that thing you’ve been trying to figure out. It all comes down to The Decision Tree.
This week on the podcast, I’m sharing The Decision Tree and showing you how to intertwine your purpose and mission into your decision-making. Hear some examples of how my clients have used this process in their businesses to instantly illuminate their decisions and how this tool can help change everything for you in yours.
To celebrate the launch of this show, I’m giving away a pair of AirPods Pro, a 6-month subscription to Audible, and a $50 Amazon gift card to some lucky listeners who follow, rate, review, and share the show. Click here to find out more about the contest and how to enter, I’ll be announcing the winners on an upcoming episode.
What You’ll Learn From This Episode:
What I see so many people doing throughout their business journey.
How to stop letting your knowledge get in the way of your knowing.
Why clarity isn’t all about decision-making.
How we’re taught to make decisions.
Why your clarity is always there, you just need to uncover it.
The role of purpose in decision making.
Listen to the Full Episode:
Featured on the Show:
Follow, rate, and review the podcast for a chance to win some great gifts. Click here to find out more!
Click here to sign up for my newsletter and find out how the Connect The Dots Method has helped clients in all stages of their business.
Full Episode Transcript:
Do you spend a lot of time in your head when you have a big decision to make? And honestly, sometimes, even when you have a little decision to make, are you gaming everything out, weighing the pros and cons? And then, you're so tired of thinking about it that you put it away and don't end up doing anything, so you get stuck in the decision-making instead of the action taking?
Or, maybe you're like, “Fuck it,” and you choose something that feels groundless, with no real rhyme or reason. And then, you second-guess yourself later. All of that, is a natural result of how we've been taught to make decisions. But here's the thing, you're letting your knowledge get in the way of your knowing.
So, I want to share another way. It's called the Decision Tree, and it is a game changer. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if, by the end of this episode, you have the answer to that thing you've been trying to figure out.
You're listening to The Uncommon Way Business and Life Coaching Podcast, the only podcast that helps you unlock your next level in business and life by prioritizing your clarity and your own Uncommon Way. You will learn to maximize your mindset, mission, messaging, and strategy in order to create a true legacy. Here's your host, top-ranked business coach, and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.
Welcome to The Uncommon Way Podcast. There's only one way to start with this: Clarity is queen.
There is nothing more important or gratifying than clarity when it comes to your business and life. Think of how much time you save when you're not in brain somersaults. Then you have extra bandwidth to focus on really serving your people, what they need to hear, and how to get them better results. Which, of course, is the cornerstone of any service-based business. So, it produces better income, which gives you greater confidence, and you show up even more unapologetically.
It's this virtuous cycle, and your business grows and grows. And then, throughout it all, nothing beats that feeling, right? That feeling of being a decisive woman, of walking through the world believing that you know what you're doing. That this is happening. That you are a capable CEO making waves.
Now, clarity isn't all about decision-making, although our decisions reflect our clarity. But I know it's a huge pain point for some of you. So, I'm going to teach you several different ways to become a better decision-maker over the life of this podcast. But today, I want to share one of my favorites. It's a crowd favorite, too.
This is one of the things that I've had clients and people from the audience say that this right here instantly illuminated their decision. So, it's tested and true to reduce the time it takes to make decisions and to skyrocket the certainty you feel about the decision you chose. It's called the Decision Tree. And it is a game changer.
When I was creating this episode, I surveyed my email list, and I asked about what kind of difficulties they were having in their business. I just want to give a huge thank you to all of you who responded because it really helps me tune in to exactly where you are.
I know sometimes, when I get an email that says, ‘just reply here,’ I find myself wondering; are they really going to read it? But I really read it. So, keep the questions, the suggestions, and the feedback coming, please. I want to keep creating really helpful episodes for you. Just reply to any email that I send out.
Okay, so some of the things I heard about were: Wanting to call in more ideal clients. Create more downtime. Find your voice. Manage fears, doubts, and disbelief. Or, sell and charge with deeper belief in your offer. Maybe level up to the next big iteration of your business. So, stay tuned because we're going to be addressing all of those, with both tactics and mindset, in future episodes.
And by the way, I am so excited just as I even say that because I have been wanting to produce this podcast. The desire’s been building for some time. And now, I literally feel like a racehorse at the gate. It's going to be so fun, and definitely feeling the nerves, too. But so fun. But I digress.
So, the number one issue that my newsletter readers brought up had to do with some decision they were trying to make in their business. That could be about a niche, maybe a pivot, offers, what should I be working on next? What's the right way to create this new result? A or B? Etc.
If there's one thing that I want you to take away from this episode before I get into the how-tos, it's the mindset piece. I always try to focus on the mindset first because it drives everything else. And, tell you that in these moments, all that's happening is you're letting knowledge, whether that's too much knowledge or a lack of knowledge, get in the way of your knowing.
I'll say that again; you're letting your knowledge get in the way of your knowing. And credit here to Geeta Nadkarni, the first person I ever heard say it in this very concise way. So, what do I mean by that?
Have you ever noticed that you somehow know the answer in times of heightened duress or urgency? Like when the pandemic first hit, and you had that ‘oh, shit moment,’ wasn't it like, after that, the noise quieted, and you knew what was most important? Your loved ones, for instance.
Or, maybe you're in some sort of pressure situation like you're being hotseat coached in front of your peers, or you're being interviewed on a podcast. And the person opposite you asks some question, and you just blurt out the answer. And afterward, you're like, “Damn, that was good. How did I phrase that again?”
That's happened so often to me. When things got serious, I suddenly knew what had to be done; I knew who I was. Now, in full transparency, I am a person who spent a full two decades of my life spinning in confusion over what my next steps were. I did not figure everything out that I'm telling you until much later.
But I've come to see that our clarity is always there. And I love helping my clients surface that clarity. Because having it, it just transforms everything about how you show up; as a coach, as a CEO, but also as a woman. It's your relationship with yourself and how you hold your head when you walk down the street. It just changes everything.
So, let's just start from there, with just that little seed of possibility planted, that maybe you already know your answer. Okay? Okay. Here's how we're taught to make decisions, and it really can mess us up: We get two opinions. We make a nice list of pros and cons for each one, right? And then, we compare and contrast; super simple. But what happens when you have ten or fifteen different options, and your brain can come up with thousands of pros and cons for each.
We're very creative in this way. It just leads to gridlock and complete overwhelm. And that's where so many of us spend our time. That's where I spent my time for those decades. And then, of course, there's another group of us that's more like, “We'll just choose something. Fill forward.”, Which, I've got to say, is more helpful for entrepreneurship than the former. But it still doesn't help develop your belief and your knowingness, and it doesn't give you any cohesive strategy behind your decision-making.
I have a better way that I want to share with you, the Decision Tree. I want you to imagine that you're looking for the best leaf on a tree. One way you could find it is to go leaf by leaf, looking at every single option. That's how I felt when I was trying to figure out what kind of business I wanted to start.
There was just an infinity of different choices. And, it was impossible to compare and contrast each one. It's also what I see so many people doing throughout their business journey. “Well, I could target this niche or that one. I could launch this type of offer, or this one.” There's so much complexity that our brain just stops, and it doesn't make the decision that needs to be made. Understandably.
But what if you did it in a different way, I want you to think about if you were able to look at the trunk of this tree, and then when the tree branched off, you just went with the thickest, most solid branch. And then, when that branch split, you just follow the most likely logical, the strongest part of the branch, and you kept going all the way to your leaf.
How different would that make things for you? All right, let me bring this back to real life; the trunk of your tree is purpose. Now, purpose can be the big capital-P purpose; you know your life's purpose or the mission that your business is here to accomplish. But it can also be the purpose of what you're learning in your business right now.
If you allow purpose to guide you to your leaf, you're going to have a completely different experience because you'll make decisions a lot more quickly. But you'll feel more grounded in the decision. And that way, you're not going to be course correcting later on and losing so much momentum. And, you won't be stalled at the gate either, making sure that you're making the right decision.
All of these things, frankly, are what your brain wants you to do so that you don't go do the scary thing. There's nothing better for yourself, like I said, as a woman and as a CEO, than cultivating knowingness, the knowing who you are and what you're about, and then taking decisive action from that place.
So, let me give you some real-time examples of this in business because if you're like me, you want to see it all laid out. First, we'll talk about how to use the tree through the frame of the little P; the purpose of what you need to learn in your business at this moment. And then, we'll pull back, and I'll show you an example of using it for the big P, the purpose of your life.
I had a client who had this goal she wanted to accomplish within a certain timeframe. But she got to a point where she knew she wasn't going to complete the project. So, she was stuck between all these different options she could take from there.
She could decide to throw something out anyway, even though it was just going to be a fragment of what she'd really wanted to do. Or, she could just extend her timeline, meaning the next project she was planning would have to wait. Or, she could scrap the project and move forward with something else to reach her bigger overall goal of bringing in a certain number of clients.
So, she found herself in gridlock, with her brain reverting to that old decision-making method of pros and cons: Well, if I did this, then this, this, and this, right? But if I did that, then that, that and that. And that's exactly how we're used to thinking. We revert to practicing habituated thoughts.
But when we switched into the Decision Tree and got very clear on, what is the purpose of all of this right now, in your business? What are you trying to learn? What are the skills that you need for the long run? What's important for your future self to learn, and to have experienced, and to have moved through? Because that's what's going to build the muscle you need to get to the next level.
I really want to credit my coach, Elizabeth Salazar, for the inspiration here because she helped me become very fluent with this form of thinking. And then, I realized it fit perfectly into the Decision Tree, which previously I'd only used in its other application. So yeah.
What is it that you need to teach yourself when you didn't meet your time goals? Is it that you just need to do B- work? You need to learn to be okay with imperfection? And, to not meet your super sky-high standards? And, that is really going to allow you to get out there and serve? If so, you probably need to just put the funnel out there and then deal with the discomfort afterward. To learn to be okay with that, sit with that, and completely transform your life.
Or, maybe you need to learn that you accomplish your goals, no matter what. In that case, you'd push the timeline back, so you can reinforce to your brain that you always do what you say you're going to do.
So then, you need to sit with the discomfort of, “I didn't make my goal. And, that sucks. But I have my back. I've learned so much and can improve next time. No more of this starting and stopping. I decide what I'm going to do. And then I follow through. I know I can count on myself for that.” That's a huge lesson. So good. These are all so good.
Or, maybe you need to learn that you can pivot really quickly. It doesn't matter if a wall comes down because you are a very agile solopreneur. You can quickly pivot and then know that you can come back to something later, and you have no drama about that. So, that's where the lesson comes in. Right?
When you look back on your business from your future, you'll be thinking, “Oh, that's when I was learning to X. That's when I was working on building this belief, this skill. That's when I had to understand this about myself. And it has now taken me so far; I've used it so much. I'm so grateful for that obstacle, back then. And, the past version of myself that really rolled up her sleeves for me.”
Usually, my clients are pretty self-aware. So, when I press them, they know where their growth needs to happen. And I have a feeling you do, too. So, my friends, get clear on what the purpose is for you now in your business, as clear as you can. True, sometimes you don't get the full clarity until an opportunity like this is presented to you, to go a little deeper. But it is an opportunity. It's like, “Thank you, and may I have another?” Growth is uncomfortable, and that's okay; you can do this.
It definitely makes things easier if you can get there beforehand, “You know, this is what I'm working on right now.” And then, you can filter your decisions through that lens. When this situation had come up for my client, she would have been like, “Boom. Done. Decision made. I know exactly what to do.”
But if that hasn't been thought out or predetermined, because you haven't known what you didn't know, right? Then as soon as it happens, just start thinking, “Okay, this is my opportunity to more fully understand what the purpose of this time in my business is all about and what I really need to be working on right now. So, pure gratitude. Now, I know what I'm doing.”
And then, just ground into that beautiful feeling. Reward yourself for that decision and that decisiveness so that you can continue to make higher quality decisions that feel completely empowered, and like you are absolutely in the driver's seat. That you will learn from, grow from, and go on to absolutely kick ass with. Good? Good.
Okay, now let's talk about the big P ‘purpose.’ So, I had a client who wanted help bringing in clients more easily. She had been in business for a few years. By this point, she knew she was a great coach. And, by this point, she thought it just shouldn't be so difficult.
When I looked at her website, I sensed a disconnect between her and the people she was calling in. I had a gut feeling that this really wasn't just a problem with her messaging or her funnel. Here's what I saw. She was like a shining light. First of all, so grounded and calm and thoughtful. And she just chose her words carefully, like someone who does her frickin’ meditation.
It's just a joy and uplifting to be in her presence, really. But she was calling in this very heavy personality of super stressed-out corporate high-achievers, who were even having pain manifest in their bodies. And, there's just all this pressure. Even reading her website, I felt it. Now, there's nothing wrong with that niche. But I do know to listen to these nudges that I get.
So, I asked her why she’d chosen that group. And if she'd said, “Look, this is my work in the world. I am so lit up taking them through this transformation, there's nothing more fulfilling,” then I would have been like, “Great, let's do it.”
But that wasn't her answer. The answer was that she thought they were the ones that most needed her help. She felt a little sorry for them. And truthfully, she was thinking they'd be likely to pay for her services. She definitely found clients. But then she admitted that working with them and even thinking about them and their problems when she was creating content, for instance, really took her energy rather than enlivening her energy.
Obviously, her reasons were very business savvy; there's no denying it. We could have continued to work on her mind to change her thoughts about her niche and how she felt about her niche. But you know, that's just not how we do things here at The Uncommon Way; we don't lead with that.
We always start with the premise that you can create a business around whatever you want; if you're willing to do the work, go out and find the people aligned with your mission and who want to pay for your offer. So, we decided to ground her more fully into her purpose. You know, what she really wants to bring forth into the world while she's here.
In an upcoming episode, I promised to walk you through my connect-the-dots method for figuring that out. Because I mean, let's just go deep, right? This life is so precious. It's way too precious to spend it doing just any old thing. Now you're free, obviously, to take that opinion or leave it. I grew up in a test pilot community where you just never knew what would happen when you went off to work. I grew up thinking about making your days count from an early age.
So, what we uncovered for my client, was that she really wanted to help people who felt silenced and were holding themselves back from speaking up. Because ironically, those are the people she thought the world needed most to hear from.
Go back to this Decision Tree. If you think of that, that purpose as the trunk of the tree, then it's kind of obvious that working with the stressed-out overachievers probably isn't the group that will best fulfill her mission. They don't have an issue with voicing their opinions. So, who's the group that does want to work with my client? What's the strongest branch off of that purpose?
There are a couple of other steps involved here in terms of how you apply this to a niche. But I'll just fast-forward to the part where she decided to work with coaches who were holding themselves back from putting themselves out there. Or, they're holding themselves back from getting visible and really saying what they have to say.
And then, from there, you can go even further than the niche; you can start going into, “Okay, which offer will best serve them and therefore serve my mission?” What's the strongest branch from there. For her people, they wanted to know they weren't alone.
They were served by seeing themselves as part of a community of people who were precisely the ones whose opinions needed to get out there. And they would love that group support while they were inching forward on that path. So, she launched a group program. Which is similar, frankly, to a lot of my clarity people and why I formed my mastermind group; it's called the Clarity Collective.
Same thing. When you're really committing to furthering this calling of yours, and you're in this noisy online space; you're being bombarded with advice to ‘just crush it’ and ‘maximize your revenue, no matter what,’ and you're dipping into comparison-itis with all the lovely Instagram businesses that seem to be doing so well, that's when a group of like-minded people is so helpful. So, you can reinforce, “No, wait; this is what I'm creating. This matters.”
I had a client; it's the same one who didn't meet her time goal. And she was talking to me once; it was so good, she was like, “And I think to myself, yeah, I could just sell this other thing. It might be easier in the short run. But that's not the business that's going to get me on to Oprah.” Boom, right? That says it all. Really, do we need to go any further with this episode than that? No, I don't think so.
So, remember, your knowingness is there. We just need to keep our overthinking from getting in the way of it. One of the best tools you can use to access it is the Decision Tree. Whether you're thinking about the overall purpose of your business or you're thinking about the purpose of what you're learning in your business at the moment, this tool works. Try it out.
Tell me what changed for you. The best way to do that is in the podcast review section. It'll just take a few seconds, and I'll be so grateful. I will probably want to share it here on the show, because those are always the best stories when you have those light bulb moments. I can't wait to hear what you have to tell me.
Thanks for joining me here at The Uncommon Way Podcast. If you want more tips and resources for developing clarity in your business and life, including my Clarity for Strategy for Growing and Scaling Your Business, visit TheUncommonWay.com.
And remember, deep down, you know who you are. And, each day, you're stepping further into what you are here to create. See you next time.
Hey, to celebrate the launch of the show, I'm going to be giving away three really great prizes, a pair of AirPods Pro™, a six-month subscription to Audible®, and a $50 Amazon.com Gift Card™. I'll be giving these away to some lucky listeners who follow, rate, review, and share the show.
Here's why your help is essential. I need to know what resonated with you and what you're still curious about. So I can create the most high-value content for you. I don't want to create what other people want. I want to create what you want. So, I need to hear from you.
And also, this work changes lives; it sure as hell changed mine. I am on a mission to get these episodes into the hands of everyone who needs it. Since this isn't your first rodeo, and you've listened to a podcast or two before, you know that follows, rates, reviews, and shares are how this new baby podcast will get seen and bumped up in search results.
Thank you for spreading the word. To learn more about the contest and how to enter to win the AirPods, the Audible subscription, or the gift card, just visit TheUncommonWay.com/podcast launch. I'll be announcing the winners on the show in an upcoming episode. Thanks for joining us here at The Uncommon Way. If you want more tips and resources for developing clarity in your business and life, including the Clarity First Strategy for growing and scaling your business, visit TheUncommonWay.com. See you next time.
Enjoy the Show?
Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.
Ep #1: The Clarity Gap
Discover the importance of clarity and some questions to ask yourself around clarity in your own business. I’m sharing a three-part formula that I’ve used to create a six-figure business that doesn’t rely on ads or social media, and show you why using this formula in your business will change everything for you.
Welcome to The Uncommon Way Business and Life Coaching Podcast, I am excited to be here with you. For my first episode, I’m talking all about clarity, and more specifically, The Clarity Gap. True clarity in business is not just about the introspective work of knowing yourself; there are other aspects to consider. A lack of clarity could be showing up in your business in sneaky ways you don’t even realize.
Clarity isn’t something to gain later in your business. It’s affecting your results right now! Wherever you are in your business, clarity is your work. It is not something you have to wait for, get lucky with, or anything beyond your reach; it is available to you immediately. And I’m here to help you tap into it.
Join me for my first episode and discover the importance of clarity and some questions to ask yourself around clarity in your own business. I’m sharing a three-part formula that I’ve used to create a six-figure business that doesn’t rely on ads or social media, and show you why using this formula in your business will change everything for you.
To celebrate the launch of this show, I’m giving away a pair of AirPods Pro, a 6-month subscription to Audible, and a $50 Amazon gift card to some lucky listeners who follow, rate, review, and share the show. Click here to find out more about the contest and how to enter, I’ll be announcing the winners on an upcoming episode.
What You’ll Learn From This Episode:
Why confusion can be a superpower.
Why all the marketing in the world won’t make up for a lack of clarity.
Some of the mindset issues that blocked clarity in my own life.
Why I hate the term “niche drama.”
How to know if a lack of clarity is getting in your way or holding you back.
Listen to the Full Episode:
Featured on the Show:
Follow, rate, and review the podcast for a chance to win some great gifts. Click here to find out more!
Click here to sign up for my newsletter and find out how the Connect The Dots Method has helped clients in all stages of their business.
The 4-Hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
Full Episode Transcript:
Welcome to kickoff Episode #1. You are about to get a crash course in our work over here at The Uncommon Way, and all the rules we like to break, so you can decide if you want to step aboard for this wild and life changing ride. We'll be talking about how a lack of clarity might be showing up in your business in sneaky ways you don't even realize. Why being uncertain or confused might actually point to one of your superpowers. And, the simple three-part formula that'll change everything for you.
You're listening to The Uncommon Way Business and Life Coaching Podcast, the only podcast that helps you unlock your next level in business and life, by prioritizing your clarity and your own Uncommon Way. You will learn to maximize your mindset, mission, messaging, and strategy in order to create a true legacy. Here's your host, top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.
Hello, and thanks for tuning into this episode. I'm dying to get straight down to business, you game? Okay, we're gonna do a quick quiz. It's based on five different stages in business, things I've seen from clients that are just starting out up through seven-figure earners. If something doesn't apply to you yet, just skip it. Focus on what applies. Ready?
Are you uncertain about exactly who you want to work with, what you want to offer, or how to articulate the value of what you actually provide in a way that makes people say, “I want that?”
Do your clients come in unpredictably, they're not all necessarily the ones you choose to work with, and overall, it feels hard to find and get clients?
Is your business going great on paper, but deep down, you wonder if this is really it? But on the other hand, you're afraid of breaking anything because you've gotten really used to the lifestyle it supports?
Are you exhausted trying to do everything you're supposed to do and make things happen, rather than trusting that your results are available to you in uncommon ways?
Do you know you're capable of more and you've figured out that really, you are the one holding yourself back, but you still keep reverting to old patterns and playing small?
If the answer to any of these is ‘yes,’ I've got some good news. There's only one thing going on here; it's a clarity gap. It might be clarity on what's really going on in your brain and in your heart, or how you best create results, or what your people really need from you. But it all boils down to an inability to see what's there, to see your Uncommon Way.
And, that manifests in so many ways. You know, sometimes we know that a lack of clarity is getting in our way. We know that we haven't decided on our niche and that's why we're not putting up the website. We're fully aware that we're holding back rather than leaning in.
But other times, it's not so obvious. For instance, we think we're not bringing in clients because we have lousy Facebook ad skills. When the truth is, that if you knew how to bring in cold traffic clients, if you knew what helps accelerate your people's movement through their buyer’s journey then the actual delivery vehicle wouldn't matter. Right?
You can do it with Facebook ads, or on Instagram, or waiting in the line at Starbucks. And until you know that, those Facebook funnels of yours aren't going to be converting anyway. All the marketing in the world won't make up for a lack of clarity.
I'll say it again. All the marketing in the world won't make up for a lack of clarity. Hats off to Geeta Nadkarni for phrasing it like that, it's so well put and so true. Yes, ads can help you speed up your clarity process, but you need to be strategic about them. And you have to know what data you're prioritizing.
Otherwise, and I've seen this so tragically often, you're paying to bring all these people onto your list that might not even be compatible. Facebook is showing your ads to the people most likely to click. But maybe they're just random grandmas that like clicking on ads and think, “Oh, maybe I'll get some info here to help my daughter,” but they'll never become a client. And, you'll use that as evidence that you're not a good business person and you're just not likable, and it's obvious you're a terrible coach, too.
This very thing happened to someone I know. I can't make this stuff up. She was super happy about low ads cost, disappointed about zero conversions, but then drilling into the data, she's like, “Oh, wait, they're mostly 60- to 65-year-old women and I know my offer is not a fit for that group.”
For both of those examples, holding back on the website or misdirecting your energy and resources with ads, there's a very high cost. Of course, the frustration and beating yourself up; never fun. And the actions you take from that negative place; rarely productive. Definitely not showing up as your best, most powerful self.
But there's opportunity costs too, which isn't something our brain naturally thinks about because we're just not wired that way. If you're bringing in $0 in revenue, and you hold off on putting yourself out there for one month, it's like, “Well, I'll just go another month with zero revenue.” But two years from now, you're making six figures, so if you had a one extra month of that income in your bank account, that's almost $10,000. And what about what you're making in five years? Or, ten? What's that monthly revenue?
So obviously, we want to course-correct as quickly as possible. And we can, in fact, you already have so much more clarity than you realize about what will work for you. But before we dive into solutions, we have got to address the elephant in the room.
Shame. It comes with the territory. If you're like my clients, you're smart, independent, accomplished, and very embarrassed that you can't figure things out on your own. I've been there; looking around when it feels like everyone else seems to have their shit together. But there's nothing shameful about where you are. You know what? Even a surgeon can't do brain surgery on herself. You're just really close to the problem.
Besides, confusion can be a superpower. Yeah, you heard me right. Sure, lots of times we confuse ourselves. It's a form of procrastination; that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about when something within calls you to reorient closer to your purpose. And, you can actually pick up on that.
Do you know how many people go through life completely out of touch with their internal guidance system? And how many others pretend they don't hear it, and just bulldoze their way ahead? Your Higher Self’s like, “Come on, we need to go right,” and you're here, “No, shush. We're going left.” Been there.
But kudos to you if you're not in either of those camps. It's super easy for shame to come up, when there are so many strong opinions out there about exactly how you should be making decisions. Early on it's, “Just pick something. Just charge people for a skill you already developed in your day job. Just teach whatever people come to you for naturally,” etc., right?
And then, later in your business, you hear things like, “Just double down on what's already working. Don't overthink it. This is a proven business model.” Now, I'm not saying that advice is wrong. And many people are well served by it every day, it just might not be right for you, right now. Maybe there's something deeper that needs to be revealed.
I mean, that kind of advice is great. And, maybe exactly what you need to hear if your focus, above all else, is money or speed-to-market. Right? Because you really want to enjoy time-freedom, or location-independence, or a job that's marginally more pleasant than your old day job was.
But maybe, you could already create all those things for yourself without having your own company, staying a lot more comfortable and stretching yourself far less than an entrepreneurship. I mean, the Great Recession is giving talented people some pretty nice bargaining power nowadays.
So maybe, the biggest driver for you is; “I'm just gonna go there,” purpose, true self-expression, finding your thing. And never, ever going back to giving away your talents and energy to something that isn't a ‘hell yes.’ Or, even worse, makes you want to poke your eyes out.
When you think about it, a question like; who am I really here to help, is directly related to the questions that humans have asked forever. What am I here to do? And, who am I? And those are valid fucking questions, which is why I hate the term “niche drama.” Is it being dramatic? I don't think so. I think of it like Maslow's hierarchy of needs. At a certain stage, we're focused on survival. We need the security. the money. At another stage, it's more about recognition or power. Right? There are all these different stages. And this is all perfectly human, of course, no judgment for any of them.
But once you've kind of got those things, then you have the privilege but also, the natural human inclination to set your sights on the top of the pyramid, on self-actualization. So, here's what you don't have to do. Just pick a direction. Just wait for the answer to come. And, you sure as hell don't have to get somebody else's opinion or permission.
I remember when I was trying to figure out what kind of business to start and somebody told me to just help people with something I'd already overcome myself. And I was like, “Well, I got myself out of financial debt. But I am completely uninterested in devoting the rest of my life to that.” That was a clear ‘no’ for me.
And the same kind of thing happens at all different stages in business. You get the call to go deeper, to more fully align with a part of you that wants to be realized. Though, sometimes, you wouldn't express it that way, right? It's more subconscious.
I remember once, I was telling my husband, Ben, about my latest business idea. This is when I was transitioning out of corporate and we were in Brussels, because we used to live in Europe. We're outside, we're eating mussels, we're drinking rosé on this perfect spring day. And I'm telling him about this idea that, I don't fully remember, but I know it had to do with sunglasses, like some kind of customized sunglasses.
He's there looking at me, like, why are we even talking about this? And he goes, “Jenna, but is this just about making money to you? Or, are you in this for something more?” And I told him, “The money. Yeah, the money, for sure.” I gave him this whole speech about generational change for women, and wealth distribution, power distribution, and the whole thing. But he knew me well, because I never followed through with those ideas.
Something kept leading me back to my journals, to try again. I didn't know coaching was a thing. So, I was just doing the best I could. And, you know, I'd been complaining to him for years, by that point, about how much I long to find my thing. But then, I read The Four-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, who was like, “Just find your muse business for the time being. Worry about your thing later,” hence, the sunglasses. I was like, “Well, maybe ambiguity is just what happens when you're good at lots of things and interested in even more.”
But the waiting drove the high performer in me crazy. I so wanted to be an action, doing rather than being in this horrible place that felt so blocked. Plus, to be real, it filled the yogi in me with guilt. Like; why couldn't I just be grateful and focused on the here-and-now? When was it finally going to be good enough?
I own properties in Manhattan and Miami, for God's sake. I had a sexy title at a top fashion company. I even negotiated a telecommuting contract, back when that wasn't even really a thing. I had made it, right? I could work from Panama, from Morocco; and I did. But I'm so thankful for the confusion I had then, for the part of me that kept giving me that nudge.
Sure, I stayed there longer than I would have liked. But it's because it took me so long to get help. It seemed like everyone was telling me, “This is just the kind of thing you have to figure out for yourself,” which I now know is because I believed it was something that only I could figure out for myself.
And then, even once I got clear on my purpose, and I began turning it into a business, I was still stuck in the habit of being confused. I still had to shake off the mindset issues that had blocked the clarity in the first place. And to be fair, I needed to develop the system, that I've created, to connect all these dots; from your life, to your people, to your offer, and up through your messaging and strategy. So, that took me a while, yeah.
But I tell people this all the time; when you are on the other side, you're not going to be telling yourself, “I wish I hadn't taken the time to get this right, and have this super aligned business that I love.” Right? I am so grateful now that I'm here talking to you, rather than drop-shipping frickin’ sunglasses. No judgement; just not for me, right? If my mission was Warby Parker's™ mission, then glasses would make perfect sense; but it's not.
Alright. Back to the point. There is nothing wrong with you. We're not taught how to tap into our clarity. It doesn't mean you've got an overthinking problem, or are indecisive, or are a big commitment-phobe. Look, you've been conditioned against clarity. You've got to check out Episode Two, it's called, The Decision Tree. And, it spells out how we've been taught to make decisions and how counterproductive to true clarity that can be. It's going to change the way you see everything.
But it's not just conditioning and how we've been taught. Your brain is wired not to see it. It's paying attention to survival, first and foremost. And, it believes there are far easier and more proven ways to keep you alive than to venture into the unknown. It's actually right about that. But who wants to live that way? We're here for far more than just staying alive until we die.
Finally, your subconscious may not want you to see it, because then you'll actually have to go out and do the scary things. So, it filters the information you receive to support the objective of keeping you right where you are. Just like I kept getting the information that ‘nobody can help you figure out what you want to do.’
It amazes me that I didn't even know that coaches existed, really. And yet, I have this memory of a close acquaintance. I remember overhearing her telling someone else that she was a life coach, and it didn't even register. I think I interpret that as energy healer or something.
When I finally discovered my resistance to doing scary things, I was blown away. I considered myself a very confident person. I was the one who turned down prestigious jobs after college, in order to run away to Spain for a few years, positive that I'd land on my feet. No problem. I even worked on a nudist beach, at one point, when I was there. No one would have called me timid.
But it turns out that my fear of failure was huge. My whole identity was caught up in doing things really well, and accomplishing whatever I wanted. But the only way you can do that is when you choose challenges that, honestly, aren't that much of a stretch. So, I'd created an ideal state of affairs. My ego still got all the accolades, “Oh, Jenna’s got so much potential, she can do whatever she wants. As soon as she finds her thing, watch out world.”
But I didn't have to take any of the risks; it was brilliant. I didn't have to risk failing at something I actually cared about, in front of everyone. Everyone with a capital E. I didn't have to say, “This. This is what I believe in, more than anything.” Rather than, “I mean, yeah. It's a good gig that pays well and makes career sense. So, whatever.” You hear the difference?
Because if I were to fail at that second thing, it would just be because, “Well, my heart wasn't really in it, anyway.” Even when I did finally push post on that Facebook announcement, that fateful Facebook announcement, and was like, “Here's what I'm doing now,” I was still unraveling all that mindset stuff.
I called myself a performance coach rather than a life coach, because I thought it sounded more legit. And, I wasn't offering to help people with clarity. I thought, “You know, I'm just helping them accomplish their goals in their own Uncommon Way.” But then, since most of my clients were entrepreneurs, and I was investing more heavily in business mentorship than they were, and of course, I totally wanted them to succeed, I started sharing what was working.
Before long, they were calling me their business coach. And then, I started getting these clients where I just knew they were struggling, because they were missing foundational clarity pieces. Because I remembered that from my own journey, I was like, “Okay, look, here's what worked for me. I have no idea if this will work for you, but you want to try?”
Well, I've coached well over a hundred women now, through this; it's safe to say it works. And what I've seen is that with all the stuff going on in your brain, all the analysis, and conditioning, and wiring, and fears, and doubts, and subconscious self-sabotage, we desperately need to simplify. Because that's how clarity is, it's a very simple. It's just, “I'm doing this. These are my people. This is what I'm about.” It's the mind that overcomplicates.
Now, for instance, I never waver. Just kidding, I totally get all up in my head on the regular. The difference is that now, I've got a rock-solid foundation of what I'm about. I know where I'm going. And I've got some incredible tools to get me and my clients tapped in again, far more quickly now.
That rock-solid foundation looks like this. Are you ready? Know yourself. Know your people. Talk about how those two connect. That's it. Those three simple things are the key to business: Know yourself. Know your people talk about how those two connect. And it works, whether you're just starting out or at seven figures.
So, let me show you how it plays out in real life. I'll use the example of a coaching business since so many of my people are coaches. Part one, know yourself. It all starts with your mission. There's more involved with knowing yourself, like really understanding your secret sauce, but let's focus on mission.
What is it you're really here to do? Here's how you want to think about this. You know how in hindsight, it's so easy to connect the dots about how this thing led to this other thing and now you're here, but in the middle of it, it all seems so random?
Well, you're in the middle of it now. It might seem random but that doesn't mean it is. Because of your unique brain, your experiences, and maybe even your soul's desire when it chose to be born, it's like you're wearing glasses with a special filter that helps you make meaning of things. And your filter’s totally different from my filter.
It makes you uniquely primed to do your work in the world, because you've already been focusing on it your whole life. Put another way, your life has been preparing you for it, but until you see it, you can't own it. And you can't act on it either, which hamstrings your business, and your lifestyle, and your fulfillment. So, whether you realize it or not, there are themes that have been showing up for you and sticking in your memory.
When we do this work, we see that the thing that happened when we were seven, has a lot in common with that other thing when we were seventeen. Now, we're multi-dimensional people, so there are several, I call them, meta-themes. We're always able to narrow them down to three to five. And, when we do, my clients are then always able to see the ones that stand out to them more than the rest.
Once you see it, you can't unsee it. And that meta-theme, that mission, will drastically narrow the range of potential business ideas for you. All you have to do is ask; which is most likely to further that mission? And of course, meshes with my lifestyle preferences, too.
And then you use the same type of questioning to lead you to your people. I have a process for this, and it has nothing to do with; what have you always been good at in your day job. Because here's the crazy secret about your mission, your people are also interested in furthering that mission in the world. Even if they've never expressed it in that way, or put much thought into it. Even if you never say it outright, just knowing it changes how you show up.
And when you start sprinkling it into your copy, it creates next level messaging. Because there's a subconscious resonance that makes you stand out compared to others. It's very powerful. This is where we eliminate the idea of competition. Imagine how you'd show up if you really believed that you and your offer were a no-brainer, and the only real option out there for your people. Game-changer, right?
If you're interested in case studies about how understanding their mission has helped clients in all different stages of business; do everything from figure out their niche, to completely transforming their business model, then you have got to sign up for my email newsletter, because that's what my welcome sequence is all about. All you have to do is go to the UncommonWay.com and then sign up for any of the helpful freebies there on the homepage.
But true clarity in business is not just about the introspective work of ‘know yourself,’ even though that is where it all starts. The second part, know your people, is about learning to understand them, like the back of your hand. How do they think? How do they talk? What do they think the problem and solution is? And, how is that different from those other people over there.
This is what probably 85% of new entrepreneurs skip, but it makes all the difference. And when you can combine the two, your knowledge of yourself with your knowledge of them, and move on to part three, which is talking about the connection in a way they'll understand, both in your copy and in your interactions with them, it is a recipe for success.
It's why I brought in over 90,000 from Google alone last year. People that had never heard of me; they landed on my website, they felt moved to book a call, and they became clients on that call. I don't have tons of persuasion copy on there, nor am I a genius with SEO. And while I know a lot about manifesting, there is more to it.
Really, it's that 70% of that site is client language, with concepts that I tested out on real people, and so, it resonates. People stick around and read. And, Google sees that and ranks me highly because of it even though other sites have a much higher domain authority than mine. And the people that don't resonate, know right away that I'm not for them. So, the ones that do book tend to be ideal clients that I want to work with.
Just with a three-part clarity formula, I've created a six-figure business that doesn't rely on ads or social media. Until launching this podcast, I went two years without being on social; and, I don't foresee it ever being my main effort. I don't do launches. I'm creating a 15-hour workweek. I’ve basically thrown out all the ‘have tos’ and ‘shoulds,’ and I'm not alone.
My clients are doing it their way, too. Nobody's business looks the same, and the results are beautiful. Even though this work isn't primarily about making money, or impressing others, or healing inner wounds, that's what ends up happening.
As you evolve, and you continue stretching to better and better understand, you open to more pure, more inspired output, and much greater impact. It's simply where you need to go, because it's where you've always had the potential of going. My clients say over and over that it's that clarity that gives you that confidence, and consistency, and willingness, to move through discomfort so you can accomplish the results you want in your life.
Of course, it's also about the mindset they develop through the process of uncovering the clarity, and then actually implementing it. Which is why each episode, I'll always give you both the mindset perspective and the tactical steps that you can apply.
So, to recap: Clarity isn't something to get to later, it's affecting your results right now. Wherever you are in business, clarity is your work. It's not something you have to wait for, or to happen to get lucky with, or anything beyond your reach. The seeds are already there within. All you have to do is start by deeply understanding yourself, then getting just as fascinated and curious about your people. And finally, speak simply and clearly about how you and they connect.
The whole purpose of this podcast is to help you better understand and apply those three things. Because when you continually check your business against them and against the questions that really matter in life, you keep reorienting to truth, to your truth, which is how we create legacy.
More importantly, though, you finally get to become the woman who walks through the world knowing who she really is and what she's doing, to feel what that knowingness feels like. The real reward is you. It always was. And, I so look forward to seeing what comes of that, and how you grow the business you want, your way, without rules.
That's it for today. I can't wait for you to listen to episode number two. It's one of the most popular tools I teach. And remember, deep down you know who you are, and each day you're stepping further into what you are here to create. See you next time.
Hey, to celebrate the launch of the show I’m going to be giving away three really great prizes: a pair of AirPods Pro™, a six-month subscription to Audible®, and a $50.00 Amazon.com Gift Card. I’ll be giving these away to some lucky listeners who follow, rate, review, and share the show.
Here’s why your help is essential. I need to know what resonated with you and what you’re still curious about, so I can create the most high-value content for you. I don’t want to create what other people want; I want to create what you want, so I need to hear from you. Also, this work changes lives, it sure as hell changed mine. I am on a mission to get these episodes into the hands of everyone who needs it.
Since this isn’t your first rodeo, and you’ve listened to a podcast or two before, you know that follows, rates, reviews, and shares are how this new baby podcast will get seen and bumped up in search results. Thank you for spreading the word!
To learn more about the contest and how to enter to win the AirPods, the Audible subscription, or the gift card just visit TheUncommonWay.com/podcastlaunch. I’ll be announcing the winners on the show in an upcoming episode.
Thanks for joining us here at The Uncommon Way. If you want more tips and resources for developing clarity in your business and life, including the Clarity First Strategy for growing and scaling your business, visit the UncommonWay.com. See you next time.
Enjoy the Show?
Don’t miss an episode, follow the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.