Support at The Uncommon Way 4/1/25 Support at The Uncommon Way 4/1/25

Ep 143: 3 Key Shifts That Turn Your Business Into a Well-Oiled Machine

Is your business running you instead of the other way around?

If you're overwhelmed by endless to-do lists and feel like there's never enough time, this episode offers a fresh perspective on achieving more by doing less.Create a business that grows and gives you your life back!

Episode Summary

Is your business running you instead of the other way around?

Discover the hidden factor keeping most entrepreneurs stuck in the cycle of overwork—once you see it, everything changes.
Learn how to make sales feel effortless and exciting.
See how loosening control in your business can actually make everything run more smoothly—while increasing revenue and impact.

Press play to learn how to simplify your business practices for greater success and personal satisfaction.

Episodes mentioned:

Ep #25: From $65/hr to a $6k Offer with Carrie Coffin

Ep #35: Reinventing Who You Are with Lindy Schmidt

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to create your own well-oiled machine.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

This podcast dives into the challenges of leadership, decision making, and delegation, helping women business owners and mompreneurs overcome overwhelm, decision fatigue, and the guilt of working less. Learn to build powerful habits, embrace smarter working, and master time management by streamlining tasks, implementing business systems, and even prioritising self-care. We explore efficiency, productivity, and automation to create passive income, reduce overworking, and finally take time off—without the fear or shame. Say goodbye to imposter syndrome and people pleasing while running a small business: It's time to shift your mindset, reclaim your work-life balance, and thrive!

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] What if your business could run like a well oiled machine without you having to be the one turning all the gears? In this episode, I'll show you how. Welcome to the show that helps women entrepreneurs run profitable, meaningful businesses in just three days a week without stress, guilt, or sacrificing growth.

I'm your host, Jenna Harrison, sharing practical strategies, mindset hacks, and even some woo, to help you work smarter, lead boldly, and find true balance. Let's dive in. Welcome, welcome back to the three day work week. One thing I notice as I look around is that most entrepreneurs are chasing the wrong things.

They think success is about producing more, more, more, or appearing a certain way or having some specific type of funnel or number of employees. But the truth, the businesses that truly thrive and give their owners freedom operate differently. They function like well-oiled machines of their own accord.

We don't need any of the things I just mentioned, and [00:01:00] today I'm breaking down the three key shifts that make that kind of business possible at whatever stage of growth you find yourself in. If you've been feeling like everything's on you and like growth always requires more from you, I want you to listen closely because I'm gonna walk you through the three key shifts that allow you to turn your business into a well-oiled machine without adding more stress or hours to your plate.

These shifts are what allow you to step into your highest level of leadership and create massive impact while having more of a life. And I want you to really imagine, well, what would it feel like to have a business that runs smoothly without you having to hold it all together? If you woke up in the morning and you just knew things work and sales would grow, how much a looser do your neck muscles feel?

What kind of weight just got lifted off your shoulders? You know, your team takes ownership, your sales [00:02:00] process works, and your clients really love collaborating with you. That's when your thoughts can turn to, okay, what would be really fun? Now, how do we grow from here? What's required for our next level?

Pretty delicious, right? That is what we're talking about today. In this episode, you will discover the hidden factor keeping most entrepreneurs stuck in the cycle of overwork. Once you see it, everything changes. You'll learn how to make sales feel effortless and exciting, and you'll see how loosening control in your business can actually make everything run more smoothly while increasing revenue and impact.

Let's dive in. Shift Number one, it's loosening control in favor of trust. Let's start with something that might feel counterintuitive letting go. Most business owners hold on too tight. They think they need to control [00:03:00] everything and through sheer grit, move everything across the finish line. They come up with great sounding logic to justify it too.

I'm committed to excellence. I'm leading by example. I have a responsibility to. But just because it sounds logical doesn't mean it's not self-sabotage. Your business can't thrive if you are its biggest bottleneck. When you shift from control to trust, you free yourself to focus on the things only you can do.

I've been working on the issue of trust recently with a client who felt like it was irresponsible of her to even allow herself to trust and feel safe about something in the future. Because there's zero evidence that it's happened, obviously, because it's in the future. But then we realized that there were several times in her life where she had trusted herself or others that worked out really, really well for her.

And so she's been working on growing [00:04:00] her trust muscles, and just this week we were reflecting on her progress around self-trust, and she goes, I just feel safer, more sufficient and calmer. She said, when she starts to feel that frantic energy again, she now knows that doesn't mean it's time to dive into extra work.

It's a signal to take a step back because otherwise she's slipping into outdated patterns that don't serve her. The beauty is that when you get to that place of trust and cool headedness, that's when things start working better, because then your business and team, if you have one, can actually function the way they're designed to.

Because you now have space to innovate and think in a completely new way. This client I just mentioned, her Q1 revenue is already near half of her entire 2024 revenue, working less and loosening her grip of control definitely isn't hurting her one bit, and the data support what I'm saying too. [00:05:00] A study in the Harvard Business Review found that leaders who empower their employees rather than micromanage, see a 31% increase in productivity and a 25% boost in overall performance.

That's a massive difference. So trust not control leads to better business outcomes. Hold that thought because I'll talk about it again regarding Richard Branson when we get to shift number three. Branson is famous for telling his employees. If you don't try to make a mistake, you are never going to make anything great.

Hey, many entrepreneurs, freedom.

If you're past the point of telling yourself that next year you'll finally do things differently and you're ready to align and simplify your business, rewire your brain without guilt, and actually claim the freedom you started this for all while scaling your business. I'll show you how to do it inside the Clarity Accelerator Mastermind, but [00:06:00] before we move on, I have two.

First, I get that it's challenging to seed control. I'm going through it right now in my own business, so I am right there with you. There are always new layers of trust to evolve into or blind spots you didn't notice before. For me, it's sales calls. I still personally spend 90 minutes or more vetting the people who are interested in joining the Clarity Accelerator.

I've been telling myself that I wanted to stay in touch with my audience and keep my finger on the pulse. But I'm seeing the deeper reason was that I wanna control the vibe of the group and the quality of people coming into it. Now, nothing wrong with that in theory, but who says I can only do it through a 90 minute sales call?

So I decided to test the waters with that scholarship I offered recently, I did not meet with the candidates personally. Instead, I really felt into the energy of their application, and I really trusted my intuition. And I've gotta tell you, [00:07:00] it was a very beautiful experience. I have a very high level of certainty that this person will be amazing, and when I reflect on it, I can't help but wonder what was I waiting for?

This is amazing. So my point here is that we are all in this together. We're all high achievers who want things to turn out well, but this is good, worthwhile work that stretches you and opens your eyes to what you've been missing. The second thing I wanna call out, it's that this shift applies even if you don't have a team yet.

Trust isn't just about delegation. It's also about trusting the process, trusting yourself, trusting that there are empowered, ideal clients who are looking for you, trusting that when you focus on the right things, results will come. It's about letting go of the frantic energy of trying to force growth and instead leading from a place of clarity and calm confidence.[00:08:00]

So here is a question for you. Where are you holding on too tight? And how could trust actually maybe make your business even more successful? Alright, shift number two, repeatable tested systems. You might hear systems and think, Ugh, I don't have the budget for complicated CRMs, or, I'm not at the point where I need a bunch of SOPs or anything.

But here's the truth. Systems are not about being big. They're about being effective. They keep you from recreating the wheel each time, and they lessen your cognitive load so that instead of having to mentally keep all the balls in the air, you can channel that bandwidth into something of higher leverage.

Every thriving business from your favorite coffee shop to a billion dollar company has repeatable ways of doing things. They know exactly how they staff the [00:09:00] counters, how they attract customers, how they deliver an incredible experience, and how they keep those customers coming back. For example, if I asked you, how do you create clients?

Could you answer that with a clear, repeatable process? Or is it mostly guesswork or something that requires creating something new each time? What about how exactly do you move people through to their result? If you don't have a structured, repeatable way of doing these things, you are making your business harder than it needs to be, and it's inconsistent, which makes scaling 10 times harder.

Here's what I help my clients do. We clarify exactly how they create, serve, and retain clients. So they don't have to reinvent the wheel every time, and that's what makes a business feel like a well-oiled machine and a hell of a lot of fun too. A great example of this is McDonald's. Whether you love fast food or not, [00:10:00] their business model is a masterclass in systems.

No matter where you go, the process is the same. The consistency is what allows them to operate smoothly without requiring the owner of every location to be present 24 7. Another example, Amazon. Jeff Bezos famously said, good intentions don't work mechanisms do. Amazon didn't become the e-commerce giant by accident.

It became dominant because of its relentless focus on systems automating, optimizing, and ensuring repeatability at every level, and don't overcomplicate it. Your systems can be as simple as a checklist. What's important is that you can repeat your results and could easily explain to someone else how to create the same results, or you could automate the process.

When you shift into thinking, how could I do this once now so that it creates time for me from this point forward, [00:11:00] that's when you truly feel safe to scale to the next level. That's when more clients don't mean overwhelm. They don't mean your business breaks, and they don't mean you start delivering inferior service.

So ask yourself. What's one thing that I could take off my plate if I just took a couple of minutes to gift my future self? This peace of mind. Shift number three. Highly in demand offers backed by conviction. Finally, let's talk about the thing that makes everything easier, steady sales, which comes from having an offer people deeply want and selling it with unshakeable conviction.

A lot of entrepreneurs put out mediocre offers. How do we know they're mediocre? Because people aren't that enthused. They comparison shop, they price shop, but people delude themselves into thinking this is normal, and that's just the way things [00:12:00] are. Kind of like a 40 hour work week. That's normal. It's just the way things are.

But I challenge you to think about your favorite companies, the ones that come into a rather stale selling space with an offer that was so superior to anything else that was available, and you were like, oh, must have it. I'm not talking about the consumeristic throwaway impulse purchase. I'm talking about those offers that speak to you.

They call up something deep inside you. They're like an extension of you. It's as if this business owner listened to your every thought and then designed something just for you. Apple's a great example. They designed a revolutionary product that was not only gorgeous, but invited you into a way of being.

It promised convenience because it was a closed ecosystem, so your device wouldn't constantly be crashing and restarting, and then they amplified the [00:13:00] allure with apple geniuses. And it was like saying, look, nothing's gonna go wrong, but if it does, we've lined up geniuses to resolve it. ASAP, prior to that, nobody knew how mediocre the PC offer was.

People thought you buy this ugly thing that's gonna give you tons of problems, and then you find some local repair guy who hopefully will be able to fix it. But once Apple entered stage left, we couldn't unsee it. Here's another example. Virgin Atlantic's upper class flight option. Virgin Atlantic was founded by Richard Branson, who's known for empowering employees to take risks and innovate and make really bold decisions.

He is the one I quoted earlier as saying, if you don't try to make a mistake, you're never gonna make anything great. Well, his employee, Neil Thomas listened. He was part of Virgin Atlantic's marketing team and involved with customer experience. Together with his colleagues, they brainstormed a [00:14:00] totally new business and first class experience.

They imagined it to be something fun and luxurious and super personalized. Neil worked tirelessly to convince Branson and then the board to invest in things like life flat seats, which nobody had done before, nor thought would be feasible and personalized food options. All of a sudden we became acutely aware of how stiff and stodgy, and not even all that comfortable the business class offers were on other airlines.

This is what I mean about how so many offers out there now are mediocre. We just can't see it yet. It takes visionaries who are willing to break from the status quo and make the effort to really understand their people at a deep level so they can design the kind of offer that feels like. Where have you been all of my life?

When you have an offer like that, business gets a lot easier. Apple, after all, is [00:15:00] the largest company in the world at the time of this recording and doing pretty well too. I checked and their passenger revenues increased by 324 million pounds from 2022 to 2023, reaching 2.4 billion pounds according to the company.

This growth was largely driven by strong demand for premium leisure travel, and enhanced comfort and amenities. Ding, ding, ding, upper class and the association we now have with Virgin because of upper class. The takeaway here is that the most magnetic businesses don't sell harder. They create offers. So good people can't imagine saying no.

And as you can imagine, once you have one of these offers, you'll feel a lot of conviction about selling it. That's your job, after all, to communicate just how special your offer is. The Clarity Accelerator is absolutely [00:16:00] one of a kind, but if I just said it's a business program, nobody would know how special it is.

A lot of entrepreneurs hesitate when it comes to selling. They worry about being pushy or wonder if their offer is good enough, but we've all been on the receiving end of people who love selling their offer and fully believe in what they're offering. It's magnetic. Their confidence helps you believe in it too.

You don't feel bad about buying. You feel excited about buying. People buying a seed in upper class aren't going, Ugh, I wish I didn't have to spend this. Maybe I shoulda just flown American instead. They're thinking, oh my God, this is going to be amazing. I'm so glad we have upper class and I don't have to fly American.

That's the experience we want for your people too. If you are struggling to sell, the first question to ask is, do I believe without a doubt that [00:17:00] my offer is the best option for my ideal client? One of my clients, Carrie, struggled with sales before we started working together. She had created an offer that she assumed people wanted, but since people weren't buying as much as she'd like, she questioned it.

So her sales conversations felt really tentative, like she was asking for the sale, instead of confidently offering the client a no-brainer solution. Once she started thinking about how to create something truly unique and did the accompanying work of connecting the dots all the way from her unique secret sauce.

To the people who would most appreciate it, then really got to know them and designed something. Taylor made everything changed. All of a sudden she was filled with clarity and confidence and conviction. She didn't have to convince anyone and she didn't have to compete on price. She just made sure the person in front of her was in fact her ideal [00:18:00] client, and then helped them understand what she had designed or why, and what benefits came from it.

She stopped pitching and started leading and her sales skyrocketed. You can hear her tell her story herself by listening to episode number 25, which we'll link to. This is possible for you too, my friend. If your offer aligns with your true gifts or your company's uniqueness, alignment really does create ease.

Look, what I'm suggesting isn't the only way to do business. You can definitely try to separate your business from yourself and what you're really here to do. You can sell in a pushy way and you can make a buck, lots of bucks. People do that. After all, it feels vulnerable to go out on a limb, to admit to yourself in the world that you think you have a special genius or vision, and then constrain yourself to speaking only to the people who will really get it.

That's [00:19:00] some graduate degree level personal development right there. It takes grit, but if you look the really great most successful companies go through that because of what's on the other side, and you wouldn't be listening to this if you wanted to play small. So if you are going to play big, play big, let yourself have an amazing aligned business and an amazing aligned life.

Own your gifts and let people laugh at you for offering life flat seats for God's sake. You can laugh too all the way to the bank, and during your ample downtime, while your business runs like a well-oiled machine. Let's recap, shall we? A well-oiled business isn't built on more effort. It's built on the right shifts, releasing controls, so you can lead from your highest level creating repeatable, proven systems to reduce [00:20:00] friction and even let things run without you selling an in demand offer with full conviction.

So growth happens naturally. Because training your mind to think uncommonly always unlocks a whole new level of impact and possibility. Let's talk again on Tuesday. Have a great week.

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 uncommon way.com. See you next time.

Support at The Uncommon Way 3/25/25 Support at The Uncommon Way 3/25/25

Ep 142: The 3 Sneakiest Time-Wasters That Keep You Overworking

Are you constantly working but still feel like you're getting nowhere fast?

Even the most driven women entrepreneurs fall into patterns that look like productivity but unnecessarily drain your time. If you’ve ever wondered why you’re so busy, this episode will open your eyes.

Episode Summary

Are you constantly working but still feel like you're getting nowhere fast?

In this episode, you will:

Discover the hidden habits that are keeping you stuck in overwork, and how to break free for good.
Learn to reclaim hours of your time without sacrificing results.
Uncover the sneaky productivity killer that could be costing you hours every week without you even realizing it.

Listen now to reclaim hours of your week and unlock the mindset shifts that let you work less while achieving more.

Episodes Mentioned:

Ep 137: How to Easily Destress Without Changing Anything in Your Business

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to dial in signature offers and strategies and a first-rate mindset.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] If you feel like you're working harder than ever with no end in sight anytime soon. This episode reveals the three biggest time sucks that make your hours vanish, and how to reclaim your time while achieving better results. Welcome to the show that helps women entrepreneurs run profitable, meaningful businesses in just three days a week without stress, guilt, or sacrificing growth.

I'm your host, Jenna Harrison, sharing practical strategies, mindset, hacks, and even some woo, to help you work smarter, lead boldly and find true balance. Let's dive in. Welcome. Welcome to the three day Work Week. If you've ever felt like no matter how much you work, there's always more like you're running on a treadmill that just won't slow down.

You are in the right place today. I wanna let you in on a little secret. Most of the time you're spending in your business isn't actually moving the needle, and that's not your fault. [00:01:00] You've been conditioned to believe that hard work equals success. But what if that's not the full story? In today's episode, we are gonna talk about the three biggest time wasters that keep entrepreneurs overworking.

You will discover the hidden habits that are keeping you stuck in overwork, and how to break free for good. Learn to reclaim hours of your time without sacrificing results. And uncover the sneaky productivity killer that could be costing you hours every week without you even realizing it. But before we get into that, here's something interesting that you must know.

The people who struggle the most with these time-wasters, they're often the most ambitious, the most driven, the most capable entrepreneurs. Does it sound familiar? It did for me. If it does for you, I am so excited for you to kick these time wasters to the side [00:02:00] and start improving your business outcomes because of it.

Let's dive in. Our first time waster is context switching. It's like the invisible time drain. Context switching is what happens when you constantly shift between tasks, answering emails, checking in with a team member, bouncing to social media, and then trying to get back to writing that sales page. Or maybe you have a client call and then 45 minutes of work time, but then another client call.

But that time between isn't enough to really do much. Each time you switch, your brain takes time to recalibrate. And studies show that this can reduce productivity by up to 40%. And here's the kicker. When you are switching contexts all day, your brain is working overtime, but you don't actually feel like you've accomplished much.

Have you ever had one of those days where you were busy all day, but [00:03:00] somehow nothing got done? That's context-switching at play. You would see completely different outcomes if you batched your client calls, set boundaries and timetables for checking emails and social media, and actually gave yourself some focus time to work on your business rather than in it.

But one thing that keeps us from doing that though is that a lot of people think they need to be responsive to be a good leader or to be successful. But if they don't check in or respond to every request, or every opportunity or every issue, things will fall apart. But actually, what makes you a strong leader is protecting your time so you can make those high-level decisions that move the business forward.

Hard work isn't the secret to success. Working on the right things is. A study from the University of California Irvine found that it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to regain full [00:04:00] focus after a distraction. Think about that. That means every time you glance at your email or check a notification, you're losing almost half an hour of deep work.

No wonder it feels like nothing gets done. And if you're telling yourself, oh, no, no, no, no, I get back into it just fine. Just think about what it would've been like if you had continued with the deep work. You don't even know because you switch context. What great insight would've come to you? And as we all know, one great insight can bring in loads of cash, change the direction of our business, or just all of a sudden make everything feel happy and peaceful.

Just a quick aside, you can also use this information about the 20 minutes to really motivate yourself with a task that you don't feel like doing, because now you know you won't be fully engaged, most likely [00:05:00] until about 20 or so minutes in. So I recommend telling yourself, I'll just work on this for 20 minutes.

That's all. And then chances are, once that time has elapsed, you'll actually be engrossed or in such a good flow that you won't wanna stop. Just try it out. But back to context switching. Let me tell you, once you have experienced the benefits that come from batching or reducing this context, switching, you can't unsee it ever again.

Over the last week, I have been contact switching so much because. Our new house has some issues in it that are keeping us from actually moving in. Little things like no hot water. And so since I'm the Spanish speaker in the family, I've been working out of that house as workers and installation. People come in and out and they've been giving me updates and asking questions.

So I'm very aware now of what it's costing me, but it wasn't always that way. [00:06:00] I used to be in my inbox and messages all day thinking that that was productive. But when I stepped back, I realized I was treating the requests from others like my to-do list instead of focusing on the things that actually would grow my business.

Once I implemented structured work blocks and batch production, I was able to cut back my work hours and increase my revenue. That shift alone was a game-changer for me. And let's take the example of Bill Gates. He's known for his intense focus and the ability to work really deeply on problems. In his early Microsoft days, he realized that constantly being interrupted and multitasking was really slowing him down.

So to combat this, he started implementing think tweaks where he would isolate himself in a cabin for a full week with no distractions, just books, notes, and time to think. These weeks led to some of Microsoft's [00:07:00] biggest innovations. One of those was the company's pivot to the Internet in 1995. Isn't that crazy?

Things we take for granted now, used to be visionary, but apparently Gates read a paper predicting the massive impact of the internet, and then he immediately wrote a now famous memo called the Internet Tidal Wave, which completely shifted Microsoft's Strategy. It led to the creation of Internet Explorer and Microsoft's pivot towards all of their web-based technology, and those are moves that really help the company stay competitive in that evolving digital space.

This is a perfect example of how eliminating context-switching and creating focused time for deep work can lead to game-changing results. So imagine how your business might change if you had hours of focused high-level work every day, or a [00:08:00] day per week, or a week per month. What could you create? How much smoother would everything run?

You'd be showing up, more present, more strategic, and feeling in control instead of constantly reacting. You'd probably be a lot kinder to yourself and everyone around you too. That is what's possible when you break the cycle of context switching. But let's talk about the second time waster. And this is really the mental time waster.

It's ruminating. This is one of the sneakiest ways that we waste time without even realizing it. It's when you get stuck overthinking decisions, replaying past conversations, or second-guessing yourself. You're technically not working, but your brain is still burning energy like you are. And usually, my clients have no idea how much time they're spending in this [00:09:00] category until we do some sort of time audit.

Or until they're able to see kind of a before and after where they look in the past and realize, oh my gosh, in the old days this would've been something that took me a week to get over and now I just processed it and moved on and I'm fully engaged in my work again. Now you might think that thinking through every possibility makes you a better business owner.

Maybe you avoid pitfalls. You avoid burning bridges. The truth is successful entrepreneurs make decisions quickly and with confidence because they trust themselves to course correct if needed. So often the things that my clients are most worried about are actually their zones of genius. I'm like, you of all people should be the least worried about messing up in that way.

You've already done the learning around that. You've put in the hours, you're good [00:10:00] overthinking, just keeps you stuck. So the difference between stuck entrepreneurs and thriving ones, it's just the ability to move fast, trust themselves, and stop overthinking. One of my clients had really spent years overthinking.

She had plateaued in her business and she kept just going around and around doing the same things. For every new initiative that occurred to her, she would talk herself out of it, or she'd compile so many good ones that she just couldn't choose which ones she should really focus on. Once we worked together, she realized that that had cost her years of higher sales.

We implemented a simple filter to help her prioritize and constrain. Within a couple of months, she implemented a new launch that blew past even her highest goal for her business, just because she [00:11:00] stopped hesitating. I mean, Oprah Winfrey has spoken openly about how she used to overthink and second guess herself, particularly in the early days of her career.

But once she embraced the philosophy of trusting her intuition and making decisions quickly. She saw an exponential rise in her success. She often says doubt means don't. Meaning. If she starts ruminating over a decision, she recognizes it as a sign to step back, trust herself, and move forward decisively.

And that's a great idea because research from the University of Michigan found that excessive rumination increases stress and anxiety, making decision-making even harder. Your brain is literally draining energy on thoughts that aren't moving you forward. Learning to break that cycle is key to freeing up mental bandwidth and actually enjoying your life If you haven't already, I recommend you listen to my podcast, episode [00:12:00] number 1 37.

We're gonna link to that for your convenience, and it's called How to De-Stress without Changing Anything in Your Business. Because picture what it would be like to move through your days, feeling calm and in complete confidence to make decisions quickly. Take action without holding back, and trust that you've got this.

No more losing time and energy to self-doubt. Imagine if things didn't feel like such a big deal to you. No more losing sleep because you're lying awake, replaying the day's conversations. That's the kind of clarity and freedom that's waiting for you when you stop overthinking. You ready for our third time oyster?

It is being too in the weeds instead of, which is usually about perfectionism, I'll say, which often shows up as perfectionism, spending hours tweaking a social media post or redoing a memo 10 times or [00:13:00] micromanaging your team because no one does it quite like you do. Studies from Stanford show that perfectionists often experience lower productivity because their fear of making mistakes leads to procrastination and to overworking.

Letting go of perfectionism actually makes you more effective, but we stick with it because most entrepreneurs think their attention to detail is a strength. I mean, after all, it helped you get through school and helped you prove yourself as a good worker, right? And so now it would really mess with our sense of self to churn out something that's substandard.

But the real power move, it's knowing we are good enough is actually good enough. I. Moving on, because perfectionism isn't usually really about high standards. It's about fear. Fear of being judged, fear of failure, fear of letting go, [00:14:00] fear of giving up control. For me, this showed up big time when I was creating my first website.

One year y'all, one year tweaking, rethinking, rewriting. No, that's not exactly what my business is about. Nope, that's not exactly how I wanna say it. I wanted it to be perfect before I told the world that I was in business, especially before I told my old college friends that I was in business. But perfectionism cost me a year of business when I could have been out there doing things that would give me the specific types of clarity that I desperately needed.

Now I've pivoted my business several times and each time I spent a couple of hours rewriting the webpage and that's it. Hit publish. Done. So basically I've made multiple hundreds of thousands of dollars on web pages that were draft versions of [00:15:00] what I currently have. It's time for you to create some really lucrative drafts.

I think Jeff Bezos's story is one that we can all learn from. He built Amazon with a mindset of good enough to launch, then iterated early on, he realized that trying to make everything perfect was going to slow their growth. So instead of obsessing over every detail, he encouraged this 70% rule, which is if you have at least 70% of the information needed, make the decision and move forward.

So you'll notice failures built into this model because it's impossible to make the quote-unquote correct moves a hundred percent of the time with only 70% of the information. That's the uncomfortable truth that people at Amazon have to learn to tolerate both of themselves and with the people that work for them and of their bosses too, right?

Tolerate their [00:16:00] mistakes. But this willingness to let go of perfectionism allowed Amazon to scale quickly and dominate e-commerce. So what if you trusted yourself to move fast, to create, to launch, and let things be imperfect and still wildly successful without guild that you're doing something wrong for that, or that you don't really deserve it because of that?

Imagine the freedom of believing that your 80% is still 100% effective. You don't have to overwork for success. You can let go of perfectionism and watch your business grow. How much more relaxed would that make you feel? What would you do with all of your extra time? That is the life. Those are the kinds of champagne problems that you create when you step out of the weeds and into your full potential.

So to recap, if you want to [00:17:00] stop overworking and start making your time actually work for you, I. Start paying attention to where you are. Contact switching, jumping between tasks and losing hours of productivity or ruminating, getting stuck in your head instead of taking action or getting lost in the details and the busy work.

Spending too much time perfecting or obsessing instead of progressing. Recognizing these patterns is the first step. But if you want real transformation, if you wanna shift from knowing this to actually living it, that is where I can help inside my programs. I work with entrepreneurs not only to create better workflows and priorities, but to rewire the habits and beliefs that created overwork in the first place so they can scale their businesses without scaling their work hours.

If you found this episode helpful, hit subscribe and share it with a friend who needs to hear it. [00:18:00] Let's redefine success together because most of our world stays stuck in the habits that keep them overworking, but by training your brain to think in uncommon ways, you gain an edge that unlocks a whole new level of impact and possibility.

Thanks for being here. Let's talk again on Tuesday.

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 uncommon way.com. See you next time.

Support at The Uncommon Way 3/18/25 Support at The Uncommon Way 3/18/25

Ep 141: How I Structure My 3-Day Workweek for Optimal Growth and Work-Life Balance

Are you curious about what a 3-day workweek might look like IRL?

This episode will walk you through how I’ve prioritized freedom, flexibility, and intentional strategy to scale my business without overwork and without sacrificing income so that you can do the same

Episode Summary

Are you curious about what a 3-day workweek might look like IRL?

In this episode, you will:

Discover the exact workweek structure that allows me to scale my business while maintaining flexibility, so you can see how to apply it to your own life.
Learn why simplifying decisions—everything from breakfast to business strategy—can unlock more creativity, productivity, and ease in your workweek.
Find out my biggest challenge in maintaining a 3-day workweek and how I navigate it—because knowing what to expect makes all the difference.

If you’re ready to create a high-impact business while working smarter (not harder), hit play now and start designing a workweek that actually fits your life!

Episodes mentioned:

Ep 71: How I Structure My 33-Hour Workweek

Ep 134: 15 Data-Backed Reasons Only 2% of Women-Owned Businesses Reach $1 Million in Revenue — And How to Break Through

Ep 140: The Surprising Truths That 3-Day Workweeks Taught Me About Growing My Multiple-6 Figure Business

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to dial in signature offers and strategies and a first-rate mindset.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] Today, I'm giving you an inside look at how I structure my three-day work week for both success and balance. So you can start designing a business that works for you instead of the other way around. Welcome to the show that helps women entrepreneurs run profitable, meaningful businesses in just three days a week without stress, guilt, or sacrificing growth.

I'm your host, Jenna Harrison, sharing practical strategies, mindset hacks, and even some woo to help you work smarter, lead boldly, and find true balance. Let's dive in. Welcome, welcome to the three-day workweek. The last time I did an episode on this was over a year ago, so it's definitely time for an update, especially now with the launch of our new title.

I think if I do these episodes every year or so, you'll get to see how my workweeks evolve as different priorities come into play. One of the biggest misconceptions about this approach is that it only works for certain business levels or circumstances. But hopefully, by sharing my schedule and what I see working for my clients, [00:01:00] you'll start to see how this can be possible for you, too.

Now, before we dive in, let's get one thing straight. This is not about working less just for the sake of working less. If you're looking for a shortcut to bare minimum success, this isn't for you. But if you're here because you want to create a high-impact, high-profit business while living a life that feels deeply aligned, you're in the right place.

In this episode, you will discover the exact workweek structure that allows me to scale my business while maintaining flexibility, so you can see how to apply it in your own life. And you'll learn why simplifying decisions, everything from breakfast to business strategy, can unlock more creativity, productivity, and ease in your work week.

And you'll find out my biggest challenge in maintaining a three-day work week and how I navigate it. Because knowing what to expect, it makes all the difference. Let's dive in. Let's dive in. [00:02:00] Right now, my work week is about 24 hours but spread over 4 days. People are often like, you can do that? Remember, this isn't about rigid rules.

If you haven't yet, take a listen to last week's episode. We'll link to it. The whole point of a three-day workweek is allowing yourself to believe that you can create whatever you want. If we got super strict about exactly three days or exactly 24 hours, it would totally defeat the purpose. That said, I do love an actual three-day structure because of how many days it gives your brain to decompress.

Which, actually supports business growth. For me though, I work Monday through Thursday because most of my clients and team members are in the U. S., and there's a very small window of time between when they wake up and when my son gets home from school. So, shorter, more frequent work days make more sense to me.

[00:03:00] If your business involves working with clients in different time zones or managing family responsibilities, you might find that shorter, more frequent work days work better for you too. So, here are what mine looks like, typically. About 10. 30am to 2 pm, I have focus work and communication or oversight. That adds up to about 14 hours a week.

And then from 3 to 5pm, I usually have client calls and meetings. That's about 8 hours per week. Plus, I have two floating hours for flexibility. Now, typically, I work Monday through Thursday, but it's so flexible. If we want to go on a hike on a Wednesday or there's a school event on Thursday, no problem, I'll work on Friday instead.

The key is to establish a structure first so you can be intentionally flexible. I have a rough routine throughout the week. On Mondays, I check in with and I respond to private and mastermind clients on WhatsApp. [00:04:00] I review podcast materials before they're posted. And then I either calendar in my week or I work on a growth initiative with my freshest grain.

Then I have, in the afternoon, about two to three calls. On Tuesdays, I have an open morning and then in the afternoon, I have some calls with clients or team members. On Wednesdays, I write my podcast in the morning and take afternoon calls. You're seeing a trend here with my afternoons, right? And then on Thursdays, I record my podcast, I interact with clients on WhatsApp again, and then I take additional calls.

Now throughout the rest of the week, I fill in the remaining time with things like working with my coach or handling finances or reviewing social media content, writing newsletters and doing that strategic CEO time thinking about client delivery or improvements and future initiatives. Most recently, we've been working on the back end of the business.

We've been switching accountants, [00:05:00] bookkeepers, and my entire bookkeeping system. So, all that hiring and onboarding has required my personal involvement. PSA, do not use 1 800 ACCOUNTANT. They are not just the worst accounting, bookkeeping, or payroll company I've ever worked with. They're the worst company I've ever worked with, period.

If you're curious I can share more about my experiences in a future episode, just let me know. Ask me questions about anything in my work week, please. I'm happy to get more detailed or share more of my way of thinking about any of this. I've always loved picking the brains of my coaches and I want you to feel you can do the same so you can begin working differently and create your uncommonly successful business in life.

The best way to get in touch with me is just to reply to any email you receive via my email list. If you're not on the list yet, you can access that on our homepage at the uncommon way. [00:06:00] com. But in the meantime, here are some common questions I've heard in the past. 1. Do you ever work more than 24 hours?

Yes, occasionally. For example, when I was working on episode 134, which I consider to be one of my best and will link to it below so you can get to it easily, but I got so into the research that I worked way into the night. My husband slept in another room because he'd be like, hun, we should probably get to bed now.

And I just wouldn't even register that he'd said anything. The real question you want to ask yourself is, is this an anomaly or is this routine? Look, I know some people love to wear their long hours like a badge of honor. If that's your thing, go for it. But I'm here to show you another way. Because if your business requires you to work endless hours just to keep it afloat, that's not a business.

It's a trap. When I used to [00:07:00] overwork all the time, my business became bloated, my growth stalled, and I felt constantly exhausted. Now when I find myself wanting to work beyond my set schedule, I pause and I ask myself, what's really going on here? Am I being rigid about what I must accomplish this week? Am I people-pleasing?

Is there some system that I need to put into place that would make this easier in the future? Or do I just need to detox from the cortisol? That desire to work more is a good thing. It gets my brain working about how to solve for that going forward. So that I can avoid this discomfort in the future. But it doesn't mean I have to give in to the urge to actually work more.

Because like I said, I know that leads to bloat and slower growth and exhaustion. And I wouldn't be able to tap into my greatest creative capacity. I'd be working for my business instead of my business working for me. Many entrepreneurs say [00:08:00] they want freedom, but most aren't willing to make the decisions that truly create it.

If you're past the point of telling yourself that next year you'll finally do things differently, And you're ready to align and simplify your business, rewire your brain without guilt, and actually claim the freedom you started this for, all while scaling your business? I'll show you how to do it inside the Clarity Accelerator Mastermind.

Okay, here's another. Why do you prioritize doing a podcast? I like having one long-form content channel that can be repurposed. This is something I set up in the early days of my business when I only had a few hours a day to work as I was taking care of my newborn. Back then it was Facebook Lives, not a podcast, but it's the same idea.

And I'm not saying that every coach needs long form content, by the way. You get to do business in a way that aligns with you. The real work is expanding your mind to see how you can make your chosen strategy work with a minimal time input. [00:09:00] I love how creating a weekly podcast expands my thinking and deepens my intellectual property.

Of course, my brain tries to tell me to skip it when it feels hard, or to change strategies altogether because this other one would be easier, or, you know, it'll slip in some negative judgments about myself. But learning to move through those moments and build emotional tolerance is key to successful entrepreneurship.

Because no matter how big you grow, that brain will still be in your head there doing brain things. Number three, do you still eat the same breakfast every day? I get lots of comments about this still, because in my last episode, I mentioned how I eat the same breakfast every day to help minimize decision fatigue.

So yes, that's still true on work days. Every day, people come to me for decisions. My son is wondering if he can have ice cream today, a contractor bringing me a problem and how do we want to proceed, [00:10:00] or I'm deciding how to help a particular client integrate a concept, or there's an immigration lawyer asking which avenue we want to pursue.

By simplifying and creating routines, I conserve brain power and then don't feel like those decisions are so taxing. Right now, my go-to is avocado toast with hard-boiled egg slices on German whole-grain sourdough bread with lots of olive oil. I have the avocado already mashed up in the fridge, so I just toast the bread, array some egg slices, and I'm good.

I also still simplify my wardrobe, and I mostly wear black in winter or one pieces in the summer, so I don't have to think about what to put on or how to mix and match things. I wear tinted sunscreen and mascara only, and I do my hair once or twice a week. Number four, what is your biggest challenge in maintaining a three-day work week?

Honestly, wanting to do too much. I have [00:11:00] so many growth initiatives that I would love to tackle, and pacing myself is a constant practice. Right now, for example, my focus is on streamlining our accounting and creating a refined podcast pitching system. I'd love to be in a learning phase to improve my group facilitation skills, but I'm making that a Q3 initiative.

In Q2, we'll release some fun new little offers and we'll hold another scholarship round, but mostly I'm allowing for a very relaxed July and August. By then, we'll be fully installed in our new house, our final visa application will be submitted, and it'll be nice to give myself some relaxation and family time after what has been a very chaotic challenging year.

So I'm always thinking ahead, like, what's Q2? What's Q3? And by limiting myself to just a couple of new initiatives at a time, I do my best work and I keep my schedule sustainable. The secret [00:12:00] to sustainable success isn't doing more, it's making smarter decisions about what actually moves the needle.

Number 5. You seem so calm. How do you stay that way? It's a mix of nature and nurture. I grew up on the west coast of the U. S., where a more relaxed culture is common. But I used to be very stressed, constantly overthinking, constantly pushing myself. What changed was learning tools to rewire my brain. And I didn't get those until I was in my 40s, after starting this business.

So if you struggle with stress, know that it's absolutely possible to shift your mindset and let go of the guilt around working less. That's what this podcast is all about. So now I'd love to hear from you. What's one question you have for me or one thing that might make it difficult for you to create a three-day workweek?

Reply to any of my emails and let me know, and I might address it in a future episode. [00:13:00] Here are some final takeaways. Your workweek should be designed to support your business and life, not the other way around. The key is setting up a structure that gives you both flexibility and focus so you can create a rhythm that allows for growth without overwork.

Pacing yourself in business is a power move, not a limitation. The more intentional you are, the bigger the results. When you do this, you open up new possibilities, not just for your business, but for your life as a whole. Because training your mind to think uncommonly unlocks a whole new level of impact and possibility.

Okay, my friend. Let's talk again on Tuesday.

Thanks for joining us here at this 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, [00:14:00] visit the uncommon way. com. See you next time.

Support at The Uncommon Way 3/11/25 Support at The Uncommon Way 3/11/25

Ep 140: The Surprising Truths That 3-Day Workweeks Taught Me About Growing My Multiple-6 Figure Business

Is your overpacked schedule sabotaging your entrepreneurial dreams?

Learn why adopting a three-day workweek isn't just possible but could be the catalyst for your business's next breakthrough, and how this played out for Jenna in her own business

Episode Summary

Is your overpacked schedule sabotaging your entrepreneurial dreams?

Learn why adopting a three-day workweek isn't just possible but could be the catalyst for your business's next breakthrough, and how this played out for Jenna in her own business

In this episode, you will:

Know why my business grew the most in the seasons when I was forced to work less—and why I ignored the lesson for far too long.
Learn the hidden beliefs that kept me trapped in overwork (even after I knew better) and the moment everything finally clicked.
See why waiting until you “hit the next milestone” to create freedom is a trap—and how shifting your approach now changes everything.

Stop waiting for the perfect moment—hit play now to discover how working less can transform your business and your life.

Episodes mentioned:

Ep #42: Time and Money: When to Dial It Back

Ep 135: How Lisa Boosted Revenue & Work Life Balance Simultaneously, w/ Lisa Stryker

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to dial in signature offers and strategies and a first-rate mindset.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] I used to believe that working less was something I could figure out later. Until life forced my hand and I realized that freedom wasn't the result of success, but the thing that created it.

Welcome to the show that helps women entrepreneurs run profitable, meaningful businesses in just three days a week, without stress, guilt, or sacrificing growth. I'm your host, Jenna Harrison, sharing practical strategies, mindset hacks, and even some woo to help you work smarter, lead boldly, and find true balance.

Let's dive in. Welcome, welcome to the three day work week. New title, but similar focus. And do you not love the disco vibe in the photo? I do. It cracked me up when I saw it. I'm such a lover of the 70s. Both that boho side and the disco side. All of it. Well, actually the rock and the country too, come to think of it.

The 70s was just such a revolutionary [00:01:00] decade. Anyway, if you've been here for a while, you know the Uncommon Way has always been about rewriting the rules. The three day workweek? It's just the next evolution. And don't worry, you can make your workweek exactly what you want it to be. We'll talk more about that in a sec.

Everything I've shared in the past is necessary for creating a three day workweek. So, if you've loved what my clients and I are talking about here, then keep tuning in. But now, you'll just get some more specific advice, too. So, the first obvious question is, why create a three day workweek? And I get it.

At first, it might seem like something to think about later, after you've hit some big milestone. I used to think that way, too. But what I finally figured out changed everything. And that's what we're diving into today. By the end of this episode, you'll know why my business grew the most in the seasons when I was forced to work less, and why I ignored the [00:02:00] lesson for far too long.

You'll learn the hidden beliefs that kept me trapped in overwork, even after I knew better and the moment everything finally clicked, and you'll see why waiting until you hit the next milestone to create freedom is a trap, and how shifting your approach now changes everything. Okay, let's dive in by calling out the two most important things you need to know about the three day workweek.

One. It's really a metaphor and part of a much bigger picture. And two, it improves your business results, not detracts from them, so you owe it to yourself to at least try it out. Now, before you panic, let's clarify what I mean, because I get it. If you're anything like I was, the idea of working less might feel impossible.

In the early days of my business, I was so driven to make it a success that even though I had a newborn, I worked naptimes and evenings [00:03:00] seven days a week for two years. Well, that's not fully true. I'd take off one evening a week to watch a movie with my husband, but only because I felt so guilty about being an absent wife.

But even then, I sought efficiency, like my early content repurposing system. But instead of using that extra Time for downtime, I filled the space with more work. What I didn't realize until later was that since I was so tired, stressed, and overworked, everything I was doing took probably five times as long as it could have.

Until finally life forced my hand. A cross country move during a pandemic and months of living in a hotel room with my two year old. I physically couldn't work much, and yet my business grew. You'd think that would have been my wake up call. But nope, old habits run deep, and I kept falling back into my usual ways of overworking.

And that's why I [00:04:00] totally understand if you feel like a racehorse stuck behind the starting gate. Ready to go, full of energy, but not quite sure how to pace yourself differently. But you also know that the status quo is not sustainable. It's not really the life you want to live. Even though our society has made some great leaps forward and we're no longer willing to slave away for 45 years, thinking that someday we'll retire and we can live well, we're still tied to the thought error Um, everything will change once I reach X milestone.

But the truth is that these patterns become so ingrained that we just start finding new reasons to maintain our old ways of being. So your future self won't thank you for working harder. She will thank you for building smarter. The key to an amazing future is starting it now. I speak from personal experience.

I would [00:05:00] break the overwork cycle for a few days or a week. Only to slip right back. Stress shuts down your ability to problem solve well, so your only solution is to work more. It's a vicious cycle. Whereas when you finally get a great night's sleep, or go for a long run, or a yoga class, all of a sudden you're like, Wait, I can just do XYZ and problem solve.

Or, I could just write the email this way. And you can't even believe that felt like such a huge problem a day ago. Oh, I remember it well. I finally got help. Coaching, therapy, all of it. Turns out, guilt was a big culprit, along with a patterned response that sent me into overfunctioning every time I felt out of control.

Once I saw that, I didn't just change my business, I dove into helping my clients break free too. I started scaling back my hours, and sure enough, my [00:06:00] income kept rising. And of course, I was sharing all my learning with my clients, so their lives and business results started changing too. It's funny because all of them always get surprised by how this work supercharges their business.

They'll create some new result or reach some new milestone after doing less, and then they'll look at me in disbelief and say, it's just so crazy. It's like, yeah, I've heard you say it, Jenna, and I've heard some of my mastermind sisters say it, but wow, it actually works. Yes, it works, and I can tell you why it works.

Business is pretty simple. You provide value for people. You solve problems. Nowhere in that definition does it say that this needs to take a lot of time. We are the ones who overcomplicate it and make it harder. Usually because we're afraid to do the thing that we really need to do, so we spend lots of time doing other things.

But let's be clear. Simplifying your business does [00:07:00] not mean avoiding work. It means being bold enough to make the hard decisions. The ones that free you from busy work, distractions, and unaligned clients. So if you're looking for a way to sit back and have success magically land in your lap, this isn't for you.

But if you're willing to build something smarter so you can work less without earning less, you're in the right place. One of my favorite things about the three day workweek is that introducing constraint naturally helps you solve the problems that you need to solve anyway to get to the next level in your business.

You just solve them earlier. Invariably, you run up against the question, Hmm, how the hell am I going to do this in only 24 hours? At first it seems impossible, and maybe you don't succeed in doing it in 24 hours. Then you figure it out. And the answer is always the process or system or decision or mindset [00:08:00] shift that ushers in a new era.

My natural inclination is to have seven unread books on my nightstand. I don't naturally love constraint, but I've learned that it can lead to stellar results in business. Of course, I always leave open time on my calendar for unstructured time and, you know, ideation, and it's not like I've become a robot.

But when it's time for business, it's time for business. So while I won't make you do anything you don't want to do, I'll probably still keep reminding you that You got the doing part down. No problem. You're good. Adding in that one new thing isn't the answer. Now it's time for the being. For where you're headed, we don't want you overwhelmed, dropping balls here and there and white knuckling.

We need the CEO who is calm, focused, and has healthy boundaries. We want you [00:09:00] being a boss and unlocking your creative genius. So, maybe you'll choose to try working 50 hours instead of 70. And then maybe 30. Maybe you do that in two 15 hour marathon days. Or, like me, you spread your hours out over four days.

The 3 Day Workweek isn't about rigid have tos. It's a metaphor for living life on your own terms and making the impossible possible. It's a very powerful entryway into the uncommon way, which is the name of my company if we haven't yet been properly introduced. But there are many other entryways into this philosophy too.

Because success isn't about how much you work, it's about what you build. You don't get a gold star for working the most hours. You get freedom, impact, and wealth by designing a business that doesn't rely on you 24 7. If deep down you believe that's the better way and you're [00:10:00] ready to build it, then come back next week and the week after.

You need to bombard your brain with evidence that this is possible and start understanding the steps required to get you there. But if you love being busy, you'll probably tune it all out. If you want to feel busy so you can feel successful, Then maybe come back next year. Some entrepreneurs wear busy like a badge of honor.

They pack their schedules, they love it when people say, I don't know how you do it all. And convince themselves that grinding harder is the only way forward. But I have a feeling you already know that's a lie. The real power move? It's building a business that works in three days so you can enjoy all the things in your life that matter.

So that you can pick up the phone and call that friend to celebrate their milestone. Or create a memory for your child by taking them on a surprise picnic. Or actually make it to that get together. Or just have time for something [00:11:00] random. Like, did you know soap carving ASMR is a thing?

Whispering affirmations while sculpting tiny soap animals? I guarantee I'd get a business idea from it, and people would be like, oh yeah, Jenna, the one who's obsessed with soap carving now. No seriously, I've come a long way since the time when I worked 7 days a week for 2 years. It's a very nice life.

And interestingly, it's exactly like the one I was trying to hustle my way to back in the day. It's just that I had to start actually living that way first so I could be the woman who created those results. I've been able to retire my husband early, move my family to our dream location, buy a dream home, and live the Blue Zone lifestyle overseas.

I have a bunch of fun, interesting friends and we're always going on hikes or meeting up for lunch. I go on date nights with my hubby, I get to walk my son to school without rush, and also, [00:12:00] I get to rest. I get moments to truly relax and be present and smell the jasmine. And of course, disappointments happen, things go awry, it's still real life.

But I love feeling like, at least I'm squeezing the juice out of my time on this earth and enjoying all areas of my life, not just one. I think about how precious time is and all the things I used to prioritize ahead of my time. Money, doing things the right way, keeping up with unrealistic standards, but by being brave and questioning all that, and developing the discipline and the mental toughness to create change even when it felt really messy.

And even a little foolish, in the beginning, I've created a life I'm really proud of. Now before we sign off, let's zoom out for a second. Because this isn't just about our personal work [00:13:00] schedules. The way we work shapes the world we live in. And that's why 3 day work weeks matter on a bigger scale. We're evolving capitalism and redefining what success looks like in our society.

Capitalism gets a bad rap because it supposedly prioritizes money above all else. But it's actually about people acting to maximize self interest. Now, for some people, their greatest self interest has been money, at all costs. But these days, people like us don't want to run a company where we put profits above the well being of the employees.

We'd feel worse, not better. So our self interest is not maximized. And if that's true, then we need to look in the mirror and see that we're perpetuating an outdated legacy when we do it to ourselves. And when more of us wake up to the fact and start to actually live it and model it to others, then we are contributing to a better world.

I have a client who [00:14:00] not only works three days, but encourages the people who work for her to work for three days. And now all her friends and colleagues are super interested in this whole three day work week thing. They're constantly asking her how she does it, and could she talk more about how it benefits her so they can wrap their minds around it too.

I love how contagious that is, and how privileged we are that we get to go first. And I love imagining how different our world would be if everyone worked three days. How much more fulfilled, how much kinder, more connected, and how much higher quality everything we produced would be too. Let's build that world, shall we?

So here's what I want you to take away from this. A three day workweek isn't just about working less, it's about working better, creating more from less, designing a business that truly supports you, and breaking free from the cycle of guilt or whatever else is driving you to do, do, do. [00:15:00] You don't have to wait for some day to build the life you actually want.

You can start shifting things now. Many entrepreneurs say they want freedom, but most aren't willing to make the bold decisions that create it. They keep adding more offers, more clients, and more hours. Then wonder why they feel trapped and over it. If you are past the point of telling yourself that next year you'll finally do things differently and you're ready to simplify your business, rewire your brain, and actually claim the freedom that you started this for, without guilt and without grinding, hit subscribe and bring a friend along for the ride.

Let's redefine success together. I'll talk to you again on Tuesday.

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 [00:16:00] business, visit theuncommonway. com. See you next time.

Support at The Uncommon Way 3/4/25 Support at The Uncommon Way 3/4/25

Ep 139: The Hidden Cost of Caring What Others Think and How to Break Free w/ Lisa Stryker & Lauren Dito

How much of your business success (or struggle) is actually tied to the fear of being judged?

The biggest growth hack isn’t another marketing strategy—it’s freeing yourself from the need to fit in. In this episode, Jenna Harrison sits down with two of her clients, Lisa Stryker and Lauren Dito, to uncover the sneaky ways people-pleasing and seeking external validation show up and undermine your results—and how to finally break free from them.

Episode Summary

How much of your business success (or struggle) is actually tied to the fear of being judged?

In this episode, you will:

Discover how letting go of people-pleasing and external validation can unlock a new level of personal power, confidence, and business success.
Uncover why overanalyzing and second-guessing yourself is stalling your growth—and the mindset shift that finally breaks the cycle.
Learn the simple yet powerful messaging tweak that helped my client attract more of the right clients—without working harder or changing her offer.

Press play now and get the tools to stop second-guessing yourself and start making bold, aligned moves with confidence.

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to dial in signature offers and strategies and a first-rate mindset.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

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Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] Getting real. Does your desire to be accepted or approved of change what you say and do? Then that's definitely impacting your growth potential and causing you extra work. A couple of my clients are here to share their stories and what it takes to leave that behind. Welcome, welcome back to the Uncommon Way.

For the first time ever, I am joined by two of my clients at once for a roundtable. Because every single human on the planet can relate to the tug of war between being yourself And wanting to be appreciated and validated by others. Now, it's natural to want that, but it becomes a problem when you step back and you see how it's impacting your business.

For many women, this alone is the root of their overwork, but it can show up differently for different people. That's why I wanted to give you two unique perspectives from women who have recently worked through this for themselves. [00:01:00] So, in this episode, you will discover how letting go of people pleasing and external validation can unlock a new level of personal power and confidence and business success.

You'll uncover why overanalyzing and second guessing yourself is stalling your growth. And the mindset shift that finally breaks the cycle. And you'll learn the simple yet powerful messaging tweak that helped my client attract more of the right clients without working harder or changing her offer. So let's dive into this powerful episode.

You're listening to the Uncommon Way business and life coaching podcast, the podcast that helps women entrepreneurs get clear on signature offers and strategies. That's sell themselves so you can lean back and stop the hustle. You will learn to maximize your mindset, messaging, and strategy, and step into the uncommonly successful business and life you are [00:02:00] creating.

Here's your host, top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.

All right. So thank you both so much for coming on. Thank you for having us. Oh,

Lisa Stryke: thanks for having us. So looking forward to this.

Jenna Harrison: So we started, we've been talking kind of individually and then in groups just about how powerful it is to let go of the need to care what others think or to people please or to be liked by others and just to really finally let that all go and just do you really.

And Thank you. This is such an important topic. I know so many women were just so caught up in it. But the reason I wanted to bring it here is because so often if we do want to create a three day workweek or we do want to break through to our next level in business, we're not quite sure what are the levers, what are the things that we really need to [00:03:00] work on.

And sometimes it's this. And so I thought there's no better way to really show how that all works. How would this potentially impact our business revenue or the time that we're working unless we all talk about our real stories of how we've noticed things were showing up and how our business has changed now that they're not.

So here you both are so generous for joining us. Why don't we just really quickly introduce you to the audience, even though you've both been on the podcast before, but let's see, Lisa, you want to start?

Lisa Stryke: Sure. Yeah. I'm Lisa Stryker and I'm a career advancement coach for leaders. I help leaders get out of their own way so they can lead with and make a difference the way they want to.

Lauren Portland: Thank you. Lauren? My name is Lauren Ditto. I am a Portland based residential and commercial interior designer, and my goal always is just [00:04:00] to allow my clients to let go of their stress and pursue interior design in like a really organized and cohesive way, all the way to their most beautiful space.

Sounds so good. Sounds so

Lisa Stryke: peaceful. It

Jenna Harrison: does. Yeah. That's the goal. That's the goal. That's the goal. So good. All right. So, I was thinking it'd be fun if we kind of jumped right in the middle. You know, who is like Aaron Sorkin? Who's that playwright who always starts, or that script writer who always starts right in the middle of the action?

Yeah. Let's do it. Let's start right at the moment where you realized, kind of had this awareness that you weren't going to do it anymore. Because I think a lot of us have awareness for a while that we're doing it or that we're holding back because of what these imaginary figures might say or these real people might say, but then there's kind of this moment where you're just like, mm, mm mm, no more.

Lauren Portland: Yep. Lisa, do you want to start or do you [00:05:00] want me to?

Lisa Stryke: I'll let you jump in. I think you have a juicy story at the ready. Go right ahead.

Lauren Portland: Yeah. I was on vacation and I had gone through, I call it like a winter in like my season of friendships where like I had been ghosted and I had a really good friend who kind of dropped me and I was experiencing some struggles in like connecting to potential clients and it all just felt.

There was an invisible wall and no matter what I did, I just kept running up against it. Sometimes face first. That's how walls work. And I was on vacation and I had a little bit of time to myself. I have two small kids, so that was rare. And I realized that I Which is like taking every setback, every criticism, even subtle sign that somebody was unhappy with me personally or professionally [00:06:00] as like a personal failure.

And it really created this cycle of me not feeling confident in my interactions. And then having that reaction, that tepid or that kind of ghosting reaction as like a confirmation that I wasn't worthy of that relationship or of my job, it really manifested in so many ways. And I had this moment where I was like, I am handing over all of my personal power to other people and hoping against hope that they will turn around and hand it back to me.

And that's really all I was doing was having this experience of being like, will you like me please? And handing them my power and then them being like, what do I do with this? Stuff that you've given me and like dropping it on the ground and walking away and fair because why would I hand somebody my power?

[00:07:00] Right? Why would I hand somebody my vulnerability at the beginning of a relationship? And so I realized I was manifesting a lot of like lack of trust in myself and hoping that there were other people who could really validate me professionally and personally. And it was kind of an inflection point for me in that I was like, I don't want to do this anymore, but it really transitioned into like an on ramp.

Like I started to notice where I was having those moments and when I would catch myself in the middle of them, I would like stop and pause and back up and really like reassess how I wanted to behave in those moments. And I started to really reflect on them afterward and not reflect on them in a way that Oh, what could I have done differently?

I'm such a failure, but like reflect on them and like, how could I have come into that interaction more confidently, more empathetically, more myself so that as I move forward, I can be [00:08:00] exactly who I am, be my best self and show people that I'm interacting with. This is who I am, and this is the kind of value that I bring to every relationship.

Jenna Harrison: So good, because I was reflecting on all of the learning and all of the conditioning that goes into creating these habits that we have, right? And then we finally have these moments where we realize we've been doing it, but you had a background in a very male dominated field. And so part of this is also your survival was fitting in and was being accepted and was being one of the team, I'm sure.

So. I don't want to

Lauren Portland: like make assumptions, but it's true and like we talked briefly about how women especially are often conditioned from a very young age to fit in. And in reality, I was the opposite. My parents were like liberals in the middle of Oklahoma. Like I was never going to fit in. It was fine.

Nobody cared. Nobody in my family cared. [00:09:00] Everybody was weird and that was glorious. So I didn't. really feel that pressure to fit in or to like sit down and shut up until I was in my 20s and I had a boss who was male, and I was one of three women in a technical capacity. I was working as an engineer in aerospace and there was a lot of sit down and shut up.

There was a lot of blonde jokes. There was a lot of sexual harassment to be perfectly honest. And it became increasingly intense pressure and like this. really high level of demoralization. And the reason that I ended up quitting engineering was partially that and partially because I realized that who I had to be to do that job was not somebody that I liked or wanted to be.

And so there were

Jenna Harrison: already the seeds back then of your, of your movement. Lisa, what did you notice in [00:10:00] corporate when you were in corporate?

Lisa Stryke: Oh, my gosh. Well, I was sitting here listening to Lauren's story and realizing I've had several pivotal moments. It hasn't been just one big epiphany, but one of them actually was absolutely incorporate where I was.

The leader of a high profile team. I was in a fortune 150 running their first social media, managing their first social media team. So it was very high visibility, lots of pressure, lots of newness in a very old company, male dominated, same thing. And I really put my heart and soul into that job. And I was inherited by a new manager and he and I really did see eye to eye.

And, like Lauren, took it on as there's something wrong with me, what am I doing wrong here? It was always, what can I do to fix this? What have I done to create this? I didn't take a lot of consideration into that this was a two person [00:11:00] relationship until a little ways in when it started to become very, very uncomfortable.

And eventually I got laid off from that job. And I don't think that's a coincidence and that's okay. But the biggest impact that had on me was I realized after The job was taken that just brought full front and center to me that I had really relied on that title, that position, that role in that big company to define me.

And when it was taken away, it felt a little like a house of cards. I was working with someone I didn't even really enjoy working with, right? I was really giving my all. There was so much to learn from it, but yet, immediately following that experience, all I could think was, I blew it. You know, they don't see any value in me.

I'm not valuable. I messed it up. I failed. And there was just not a lot left for me to stand on. And it really, really opened my eyes after the [00:12:00] initial, you know, it's a gut punch. And for me, it took some time to of course recover. But as I started to recover, I felt a little like the Phoenix rising. I was like, wait a minute.

I could rise in a ball of fire here after feeling so defeated. If I could just remember to focus on what I think of me, I was relying so much on what how everyone else saw me, I kept forgetting to consider what do I think of me? Yeah. And that was a real eye opener.

Jenna Harrison: So how did that show up in your business when you became an entrepreneur later on?

Lisa Stryke: Oh, yeah, so it's so interesting, Jenna, and you know this, I thought I had it beat, right? Oh, I've overcome the layoff, the house of cards was put together into this castle of steel and then I very bravely quit another job that I loved and [00:13:00] started my own business and oh, yeah, then all the chinks in the armor started to show and it was back.

It's kind of sneaky, you don't even realize. how much you're relying on other people's opinions because of the ways it shows up. And for me, it was, oh, you know, what if people don't like my message? What if that they criticize the way I look in that video? You know, I didn't even articulate it to myself that way at first.

I just felt very frustrated. Like I was getting in my own way and I couldn't figure out why.

Jenna Harrison: And it was

Lisa Stryke: thoughtful about what are people going to think?

Jenna Harrison: Yeah. Specifically for you, I remember you have such great IP, intellectual property. You have such great ways of explaining things and concepts that you think of, but you wouldn't share those because what if someone else had said it before or what if you were just regurgitating information?

What if someone else could say it? Better, well I don't know if that last one were you, but there was definitely a holding back [00:14:00] in sharing what you knew to be true. Because of how people would be able to fact check it or evaluate it or, right? Do you remember those? Yeah, like

Lisa Stryke: who was I to be sharing this?

Oh, yeah, because for decades, I've been obsessed with personal development, human behavior. I've read all the books. I've researched all the things. But I'm not a researcher, you know, and I kept telling myself, well, you're not coming up with something new like Brene Brown, so who are you to share this? And it's taken me, and still, it's still something I have to work on, it's taken me quite some time to recognize that some people need to hear it from me.

I don't have to be reinventing the wheel, but I'm very effective at helping the people that I help, and that was just another way. being liked and being approved of was showing up in that sneaky Underhanded backdoor way that it tends to

Jenna Harrison: yes. So what was your big breakthrough moment? [00:15:00] Was it wicked? Oh, that was wicked.

Lisa Stryke: Oh, yeah, that's a great story. Thank you for reminding me of that. Well, so one of the Challenges for me is, I was brought up to not express my strong emotions and so that has stopped me up, I'll say, as a, it's like entrepreneurial constipation. We went there, y'all. Yeah, there are a lot of emotions. There are a lot of emotions when it's one of the biggest, most challenging personal development journeys you can go on.

And so when my work with you, Jenna, and over time, I've learned to follow my instincts more, and something kept telling me to go see Wicked. So I took myself to the movies. I didn't even know why. I didn't question it. enjoyed the movie, really loved the closing scene where she's just defying gravity. It moved me so much.

I listened to the soundtrack all the way home [00:16:00] until I suddenly found myself in a rage, a full on rage. Like I was yelling like a nutcase in the car. If anyone could have seen or heard me, probably people did. They were worried about my Stability. But you don't

Jenna Harrison: care anymore. But I didn't

Lisa Stryke: care. I didn't care.

I was like, I don't care. This is coming out of me and really what it was, was that an emotional release of the feeling of being held back by what I was worried people were thinking about me. That's really what it was. It was like the culmination of 50 plus years of trying to twist myself in a pretzel and be palatable.

Jenna Harrison: Yeah, because that's what the Elphaba song is about in that movie is that she's been trying to play someone else's game that she's not going to win and she's finally ready to be herself and really unleash her power. I mean, it's a great scene. For anyone who hasn't seen it.

Lisa Stryke: It changed my life in ways I [00:17:00] couldn't have expected.

Lauren Portland: Yes. I love that you had like an emotional detox. Like all of a sudden it all came out. It was so good. It was so good. It was like I needed a glass of wine after.

Lisa Stryke: The best part is that after you learned to just allow those big emotions when it's time because it's like a purging. Then you, it releases something in you that I didn't realize I was feeling on the daily.

That kind of undercurrent of anger that I couldn't express.

Jenna Harrison: And I have that recording because you left me a recording right away and it is so raw. It was pure power, though. Like, I'd never heard you speak so forcefully. Like, there was so much power just flowing through you. It was like, whoo! I get shivers even thinking about it.

But you were like, I'm done. I am done. I am not doing this anymore. It really felt that way.

Lisa Stryke: Yes. It's not the first time, but it was [00:18:00] definitely the most power. It felt like an eruption. Yes. It just kind of boils over after a while. You get sick of it.

Jenna Harrison: Well, and that's what you and I reflected on, Lisa, is that, Lauren, you may not be able to, especially if you grew up with great liberal parents and you're younger than Lisa and I.

I have a different perspective, but I'm so like curious. Okay. I mean, Lisa and I have very vivid memories of being young women, young girls. And what was expected of us and how we were trained for all of our thoughts to constantly be monitoring the room and making sure that we were pleasing everybody around us.

Oh my gosh.

Lisa Stryke: It is, looking at it now, reflecting back, it is almost bizarre, like how well conditioned you can become.

Jenna Harrison: Yes.

Lisa Stryke: And it's the water you're swimming in. And I call it my finely tuned antenna. You know, I'm like always boop, boop, boop, boop, boop, trying to figure out, is everybody okay? [00:19:00] Is anybody mad at me?

I don't want to disappoint anyone. And what you don't realize is it is so exhausting. And this is so important. You don't know who you are because you're never asking yourself, what do I think? What do I want? You're so busy focusing on what you think everyone else. wants or needs or what they actually are expressing that you forget to ask yourself.

And I've had to make some really big life decisions. And that was another kind of pivot point for me when I realized I don't even know what my own opinion is.

Jenna Harrison: Oh, that's so huge. Yeah. I remember you talking about how like, You had done everything you were expected to do. You went to the school and you got married at this age and you had the family and you had the two point however many kids and right?

It's actually two. But I remember. Actually three. No, all three. Oh, okay. I'm sorry. I was off on that. But there used to be a statistic. Do you remember? For like 2. 1? [00:20:00] Yes. Average or something. Yes. So you did all the things and you did all the things you were supposed to do and really hadn't questioned it until later and you're like, I don't remember how you described it.

I'm thinking of it as a river. Like that's just the way the river was going and you just had

Lisa Stryke: to go with the river. I was like a jellyfish on the tide. That's how I think about it. It's like, I'm just going to go wherever life takes, you know, I'm the good girl. That's how I thought of it. I get the good grades and I have the nice family.

Um, we all look nice going to church and all the things, but it's all a facade.

Jenna Harrison: Yeah. And when I grew up, my dad was in the military, I've told this story before, but they would get a report each, I don't know, every six months or so talking about their career progress. But on that report, It was listed how well his wife was contributing to volunteer duties and how well behaved his children were.

Isn't that amazing? Isn't that amazing? [00:21:00] It is amazing. There are many opinions about

Lisa Stryke: that. Yes. We could do a whole second podcast on this.

Jenna Harrison: Yeah. Actually, I was just watching. Have you all been watching Zero Day with Robert Watergold? I haven't watched it yet.

Lisa Stryke: But it is on the list.

Jenna Harrison: There's a line in there where the man says, like, one of the men is saying about the president, whose daughter's a congresswoman and does not agree with him, or he's the ex president, but the man says, I mean, obviously he can't be a good leader because he can't even control his family.

Look at what his daughter's doing. And I have a feeling nowadays, younger women watching that would be like, Ha ha, isn't that some weird old thing to say? That used to be how it was. Oh no, that's real. That's real. Oh yeah, I

Lisa Stryke: feel that. I feel that. Like, I feel 12 years old again. Like, I have to be good. I don't want to ruffle any feathers.

I want everybody to tell me how good and well behaved I am. Oh my gosh.

Jenna Harrison: Yeah. I mean, your family security [00:22:00] depends, you know, the breadwinner's livelihood depends on how well you have demonstrated his leadership.

Lisa Stryke: Oh, what's so bananas about that? What's so bananas about that is that we can't control other people, you know, like, so in other words, are you saying you have to rule with an iron fist, right?

Because really the only way you could try to control his butt through fear, right? So there's so much there, but I just shudder to think about how I fell in line.

Lauren Portland: Yeah, I had a different experience because I didn't have those parents and the child thing, like, it makes me laugh to think about how much older generations than us considered children to not be human beings, like, with their own autonomy.

I have an almost four and a five and a half year old. And they would run the world if they could. They would. Yeah, wait till they're in their 20s and 30s. Oh, I'm not ready for that. I need them to [00:23:00] still love mama for a little while longer. But I didn't grow up with that. My parents were very supportive. I did not wear dresses.

I played in the dirt and my dad taught me how to punch when I was 12. Like, I did not have to be the girly girl or the one who stood in line, but my parents died when I was very young. My mom died when I was 25, my dad died, and two weeks later I found out I was pregnant with my oldest. So I didn't get the experience of parental expectation and or support as really a fully formed adult.

So I come from this perspective of like really leaning on other people's opinions because the people whose opinions I had leaned on to validate me were not there. And so then I had to go back and for any of you who have lost somebody who's important in your life, Especially those people who are like, you are people who understand you and really understand where you're coming from in any given situation.

The idea [00:24:00] of having to learn how to reparent yourself is really daunting. And that's what I ended up having to do. And that's so much of what I have to do moving forward in these situations is not so much overcoming my rage at being told to conform, but actually caring for myself in the way that a parent would care for a child.

And Jenna and I talk about how. Many people live inside my head. There are a lot of them. There are many many facets of my personality that live inside my head and one of them is the parent and I don't think I Really understood how valuable that was to me until I was a parent and I realized how kindly parents Often talk to their children and then I reflected on the inner voice that inner critic that I had who was talking to me so meanly in a way that my parents would never have talked to me, in a way that I would never talk to another person.

And I was able to kind of create this comparison between how I talked to my children and how I was talking to myself. And a [00:25:00] big part of some of this change in behavior was when I was having those moments of self criticism and self doubt and thinking that I was a failure at everything. I didn't lean into, you're fooling yourself, that's not really true, or anything that was really factual.

I leaned into almost like gentle parenting where it's like, it sounds like you're having a really hard time. Why don't we talk about it? It sounds like you're feeling really down right now, but you know, there are people who love you. Here are the people that love you. you are really good at your job.

Here's how you know you're really good at your job. And I had to like relearn how to teach myself to be a human BA, like a valuable, wonderful human BA. And it was such a shift in perspective for me because when you have those really supportive parents who are like, yeah, go do engineering. Oh, you're doing interior design.

Okay, cool. Go do that too. When you have parents who really like you for who you are and think that [00:26:00] you should be liked for who you are, then. They're gone. All of a sudden, who's there to validate that you are actually a likable, wonderful, lovable, professional, capable of going out and kicking ass in the world?

It has to be you. It can't be my husband. God bless him. He's amazing. But he doesn't have those same neural pathways in my brain. I don't know. Like, he just doesn't have the same key. And so it has to be me. I can get that from really close friends. I have friends that I've had for 20 years who know all of my foibles and hang ups, and yes, they offer me that support, but it has to be me.

And I think that was really the realization was that I had the power to validate and care for myself in the way that I needed to make me feel like a valuable person.

Lisa Stryke: I think that's really true for all of us.

Lauren Portland: I agree. I

Lisa Stryke: was just gonna say, so my heart goes out to you to lose your parents so young and [00:27:00] eventually as adults, I think it's so important for us all to embrace that idea that we are responsible for validating ourselves because if we don't, it's a very precarious place to be.

Lauren Portland: Yeah. Agreed.

Lisa Stryke: Relying so much on things that are way out of your control, whether or not someone else is going to validate you.

Lauren Portland: Yeah. It is that house of cards, like you were talking about, right? In the corporate world, like you're reliant on all of these external things. And if you can find a way, find the tools, and that's really a lot of the work that I've done with you, Jenna, is like finding the tools that help me build a really firm foundation that doesn't rely on somebody else's approval.

That's right.

Lisa Stryke: Exactly. And that's what lets you go out and do big things in the world. I'm a big fan of cooking competition shows and so many times my heart just breaks for these people who are in their 30s, 40s, 50s and [00:28:00] older still saying I just want to make my parents proud. And while I understand that, I also think, what about you?

Like, isn't it enough for you to feel proud? Can that just be enough? And it just tells me a lot about the state of adults in the world. And we are not alone. I guess that's what I'm saying.

Jenna Harrison: No. Oh, that is really powerful. So let's get really tactile and talk about what changes when we change in this way.

In the way, like, if we can really drill down into, I'm about to write a post and I find myself thinking X, or I walk into a room. I don't know, like, let's go, if we were flies on the wall and we could really see what changes in the business, what comes up for you?

Lisa Stryke: The first thing that comes to my mind that is, has been so powerful in my life is, as I've [00:29:00] done the work to feel just fine about myself, like, I don't even say, I love myself because that's almost like the opposite and still puts a lot of work into it.

I want to get to the place where I don't have to think about myself that much. It's like, I'm fine. Let me just go out and do my thing. And so getting to that place, the closer I get to that place, the more I can think about other people in a way of contributing and adding value. So when I sit down to write a post, I think someone's going to read this today.

It could change their entire perspective. Or I walk into an event or where there's people, I'm going to meet people. I think, how can I make them feel more comfortable? How can I make someone laugh? How can I make a connection that, where someone remembers our conversation? In other words, I'm not thinking about me and there's so much freedom in that.

Jenna Harrison: Yes, this is so huge. Well, and even time freedom, Lisa, right? Because then we [00:30:00] use our brain time and space to be thinking about how to game it out and how to make it right. But oh my gosh, I love this idea about the post because so often we're told focus on your clients, think about your clients. But it is.

Basically impossible to do that when you're in this place of if you think of Maslow's hierarchy like you need to survive and fit in and so your brain always goes to. But if I say this, will I suffer the backlash? Like, will I suffer the ridicule or, you know, if I say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing?

And like you say, it's so sneaky. Very few of us at this point are really telling ourselves. Like, Oh, I can't post because I'm so afraid, but we doctor little words here and there, right? We change a little sentences and it seems so innocent. We

Lisa Stryke: water it

Jenna Harrison: down. And so what we're not doing, if we think about what that creates for our results, then [00:31:00] we're just not going full out and we're not letting people connect with us.

They're connecting with us. That's exactly right. It blocks connection.

Lisa Stryke: It blocks connection. I call it having your own back. And I have actively learned how to basically comfort myself, like, everything's fine. You're going to be fine. If you meet someone today, great. If you don't, that's okay. If this post gets great attention or negative attention, no matter what, you're fine.

You're going to be fine. You have to get to that place where you're just not thinking about yourself so much. I mean, that's really what it comes down to.

Lauren Portland: Lauren, how do you

Lisa Stryke: see it?

Lauren Portland: I think that's such a fantastic way of thinking about it, and also a way of like getting out of your own head, which I think people who are really struggling with what we're talking about, so often you find yourself overanalyzing, overthinking, and you're stuck inside of your own head, and what an awesome way of being like, I don't need to be in here, like let's go be out in the world.

[00:32:00] That's fantastic. And it

Lisa Stryke: feels

Lauren Portland: so much better. Uh, yes, I totally see that. I have some of that and I'm actually like in the middle of this period of time where I'm like actively trying to just be present in whatever moment I'm in, which is kind of the same. It's like, just go be out in the world. But when I do find myself really struggling and sometimes it's with like deliverables for a client where I'm like, this has taken too long and now they're going to be bad or like this just look right and they're going to be upset.

Like I always assume that my clients who are incredible, kind and wonderful people. are going to have these like explosive reactions. I don't know why. I've never had a client freak out on me. But sometimes I'm just sure of it. And sometimes I'm just like, you know what? Even if that happens, you can learn something from it.

Even if the worst thing in the world happens, you can take something positive out of it. So we're just going to do This is the best you can do in this moment. [00:33:00] We're gonna call this closed. We're gonna put it out there. And if it happens that like all of your worst expectations come to fruition and somehow your post creates a tsunami of hate, You're still going to learn something from it.

And that has really been my refrain. I was like, even if I mess it up, even if I do it badly, I can learn something and move forward. And that has helped a lot. Which is such a winning mindset.

Lisa Stryke: Absolutely.

Lauren Portland: Lauren, would you share your grandma's story? Her refrain. Oh, my grandma was a badass. My grandmother looked like Mrs.

Claus, just to preface where we're at with the situation. Big ol curly halo. And was one of the most irreverent human beings I've ever met. It was my favorite thing about her. And she, you know, if there was anything shocking, because she was from Oklahoma, she would call me darling. If there was anything shocking to her sensibility, she would be like, well, it's okay, I went to art school.

But her way [00:34:00] of living life was it's either a really great time or it's a really great story. Sometimes it's both. But I'm either going to have a good time or a good story after this, and that's all that matters. And she would tell stories that I swear to God every other family hides in the back of their closets.

Oh no. No, no. She was pulling them out and she was showing them to you and she'd start giggling in the middle of them.

Jenna Harrison: There you go. See, you have it in your blood, Lauren. Yeah, that's right. I mean.

Lauren Portland: Share away. I mean, I do. So I feel like so many people have those stories and they're embarrassed to tell them.

So, you know, I'll go first. It's fine.

Jenna Harrison: Yeah. Yeah. I thought I remembered stories. Haven't you felt a shift when you go into vendor rooms now as well, since you've had this trip, like a different view there. Talk about that.

Lauren Portland: So I go into showrooms and. A lot of what happened when we were, I was in [00:35:00] Bogota was very much around like, I have a rather unconventional way of dressing and that's what makes me feel good.

It's what I enjoy. I like big jewelry and loud clothes and it's fine. And I always felt because of the overall environment that I'm in that like I should dress more conservatively. And after Bogota I was like, you know what? I'm just going to do what I'm going to do. I'm going to wear what I want to wear, and I'm going to feel good in it, and I'm going to move on with my day.

And going into vendors and subcontractors, and a lot of times I'm, I'm in construction, so I'm talking to contractors on site, and I'm wearing these like, bright, paint splattered looking pants. And I definitely get some side eye, but I'm like, I'm the artist in the room here, y'all. You're just not going to have to deal with it.

You're going to have to deal with it. And people have actually been kinder and more respectful and more fun to talk to since I have just [00:36:00] kind of made these adjustments

Lisa Stryke: than they

Lauren Portland: were before. Oh, love it. And like I've been able to meet them in this

Jenna Harrison: great place. All the inner work pays off. Yeah. You start seeing completely different things reflected back at you.

Yeah. Wow. I love that.

Lauren Portland: It's really been great. Like the growth. That I have experienced personally, like professionally, yes. And the professional of course is so much of why we're here, but like the personal growth that has created the foundation for the professional success is incredible. And I know that it will continue to stand me in good stead forever.

And that's, Yes,

Jenna Harrison: that's the kind of thing sometimes in coaching we joke about when we're afraid to charge a certain amount to our clients. And then we go forward and we think, okay, now imagine that you help them get these results in their life. They're feeling different now. Would they pay that money with, if you could give them that [00:37:00] money back, would they choose to go back all the time?

We're like, Oh hell no, I spent a fortune on my coaching and my development. I would never. They could pay me. Five times, ten times that, I still would not go back to how it used to be in my head.

Lauren Portland: I had a conversation with somebody yesterday and I was, they were like, really coaching? And I was like, listen.

The growth that I have experienced in the last 18 months is greater than what I experienced in the previous five years, and also greater than what I could accomplish by myself. I think almost no matter how much time happened. Like there's something about having a wise person who can see inside of your head because you are kind of like a ninja, Jenna, like I don't understand it always.

Like she says things to me and I'm like, why do you have to say things that are true? And to have somebody be like, but wait, [00:38:00] what about this thing? And you're like, I guess I'm going to have to work on that. It makes such a huge difference. And there's nothing really like it. That you can do by yourself or on your own.

We all need a coach.

Lisa Stryke: Lisa. Oh, yeah. Lisa's a coach. A hundred percent agree with that. Yeah, we can't see our own blind spots. We just can't. I mean, that's just the way the human brain is designed. Yeah. Yeah. Silly brain. Yeah. Silly and amazing. Like, it's pretty marvelous too, in a lot of ways, but yes, it really can trip us up because it doesn't come with an operating manual and our culture and society doesn't teach us how this thing is working.

And with all of the way that. Technology and culture and everything is advancing so quickly. I'm a brain research person. Our evolution has not kept up. So our education has to meet us where we are right now and help us understand what's at play. And this is really at play worrying. It's a natural thing to worry about what [00:39:00] other people think.

And then it's conditioned into us in so many ways. And then we condition ourselves. And if you're not on the lookout for it, it will hold you back in a thousand ways that you just don't even realize. Well said.

Lauren Portland: Final thoughts, Lauren? I think that really when it comes to letting go of other people's opinions, there's no perfect way to do it.

There's no pill that you can take that fixes it. We are evolutionarily programmed. to seek approval from others. But I think that we can using thought exercises, using our own sense of logic and using help from people like you, Jenna, we can find a way to intake people's opinions and keep what's worthwhile and meaningful and let go of the rest and then find a way to build community around us that supports who we want to be and where we want to go.[00:40:00]

And I think that's really the work.

Jenna Harrison: Yes, yes. Changing internal and external voices. I love that because I believe in it so much too. We need to build better groups of Yes, community. So important. Lisa, do you have final thoughts? Anything we I know

Lisa Stryke: that there's a lot of talk out there of like, just don't care what other people think.

You know, stop caring what other people think. And I just think that's nonsense. So of course you care what other people think. I don't even think it's good if you don't care what other people think. Just look at what you think first. And then start considering the impact or the input or the opinions of others.

If you keep going back to that, you'll retrain yourself to really understand who you are, what you stand for, and who you want to be in this world. And other people's opinions won't have as much power over you.

Lauren Portland: Lisa, you mentioned [00:41:00] check in with yourself first. And I just want to add on to that, if you can start to build trust with yourself.

Build faith in yourself and your opinions and your value, then it becomes a lot easier to check in with and trust yourself first before listening to the opinions of others. And I think it's that self trust that is so valuable.

Lisa Stryke: Well the thing is, the only way to do that is to start making your own decisions and living through it, right?

So yes, it's like a virtuous cycle. Listen to yourself, even if you're not sure, go with it, and then the confidence and the trust it builds. Every bit of growth we encounter requires some courage. And that does too, where you have to have the courage to just say, you know what, I'm going to go with what I think this time, and I'm going to have my own back no matter what.

Awesome.

Jenna Harrison: And that drives some people crazy. They're like, [00:42:00] tell me what to do. I think I was one of those, in fact. We all are. Oh, I've

Lisa Stryke: definitely been that person. We all are. I probably still am. Tell me how to fix it. Sometimes, yeah.

Jenna Harrison: Yeah. I think it's like some measurement compared to how high we believe the stakes are.

Right. Oh, I believe that. So it's really, we need to up our game over time in terms of the kinds of decisions we're willing to make.

Lisa Stryke: Do you know what's so interesting? I was just listening to a podcast with a Secret Service agent who's a human behavior specialist, of course, right? She interrogated some of the biggest criminal minds in the world.

And she said, the more important this decision, the more you should go inward for the answer. I agree. And that struck me and I thought, because I think the same thing, the more important the decision, the more others, I need to find out what do you think, what do you think, what do you think? And she said, it's just the opposite.

And I believe that.

Jenna Harrison: That's awesome. That is awesome. Ladies, thank you so much [00:43:00] for coming, talking, sharing vulnerably, openly, and yeah, letting us all have such a great laugh with our own journey.

Lisa Stryke: If you're not laughing, what are we doing here? We might as well have fun on this journey. But thanks for having me.

This is so fun.

Lauren Portland: Thank you so much.

Jenna Harrison: Thanks for joining us here at the uncommon way. If you want more tips and resources for developing clarity in your business in life, including the clarity first strategy for growing and scaling your business, visit the uncommon way. com. See you next time.

Support at The Uncommon Way 2/25/25 Support at The Uncommon Way 2/25/25

Ep 138: How to shift from overwhelmed and overworked to thriving and profitable

Are you constantly juggling tasks but never feel like you’re getting ahead?

The "hustle culture" has convinced women entrepreneurs that being busy equals being successful. But what if that’s the very thing holding you back?

Episode Summary

Are you constantly juggling tasks but never feel like you’re getting ahead?

The "hustle culture" has convinced women entrepreneurs that being busy equals being successful. But what if that’s the very thing holding you back?

In this episode, you will learn:

Discover the single most powerful mindset shift that instantly makes everything in your business easier—and why so many people unknowingly ignore it.
You'll finally learn how to break free from self-sabotage and implement simple, game-changing systems that truly support you—rather than adding to the chaos.
Get an exclusive look at the exact steps my client Lauren took to completely transform her business and life—so you can start applying them today.

The stress-free, thriving business you want is possible. Let’s make it happen—listen now!

Episodes mentioned

Ep 137: How to Easily Destress Without Changing Anything in Your Business

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to dial in signature offers and strategies and a first-rate mindset.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] Do you think doing more is the answer? If so, you're probably hustling too hard already rather than doing what we'll talk about in this episode.

You're listening to the Uncommon Way business and life coaching podcast. The podcast that helps women entrepreneurs get clear on signature offers and strategies. That's sell themselves so you can lean back and stop the hustle. You will learn to maximize your mindset, messaging, and strategy, and step into the uncommonly successful business and life you are creating.

Here's your host top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.

Welcome. Welcome back to the uncommon way. Today we're talking about the initial shift that signals you're leaving behind the hot mess cycle [00:01:00] and becoming a calm and totally together CEO. In this episode you are going to discover the one mindset shift that makes everything in your business easier and why most people overlook it.

You'll learn how to stop self sabotaging and set up simple systems that actually support you instead of adding to the chaos. And you'll get a sneak peek at the exact steps that my client Lauren took. To transform her business and life so you can start applying them too. Now you might have a lot going on in your business, and probably your life, and you can end up feeling like a hot mess.

Balls get dropped, errors get made, opportunities pass you by, and you realize last minute you forgot about something really important. Often when I talk to women in that place, they think the solution is to just keep managing the way they have, or to do even more than they've been doing. So [00:02:00] please end there with even more than they've been doing.

Maybe they're thinking, oh, if I just spent more hours training my team, we wouldn't have these issues. Or if I just marketed myself more, we'd have more clients, and then I wouldn't have these issues. But the real answer is getting out of that hot mess cycle, rather than doing more. It's about making a shift so powerful that your business starts working for you instead of the other way around.

My client Lauren did exactly that, and I have an episode I'll link to where we talked about how she went from scrambling and second guessing to signing higher paying clients, streamlining her business, and feeling much more confident and in control as a CEO. Lauren came to me feeling overwhelmed, trying to do all the things for all the people while she was running her interior design business.

And she was working so hard, but still felt like she was never quite getting it right. And honestly, that's how so many entrepreneurs feel. We think that [00:03:00] being successful means handling everything ourselves, working longer hours, and pushing through exhaustion. But here's what I tell my clients. If you're constantly feeling stretched too thin, it is not a personal failing.

It's a systems problem. And almost always there's a mindset reason that is holding you back from creating those systems in the first place. So here's the biggest business shift that Lauren made. She stopped treating her business like something she had to chase and started setting it up to support her.

That meant detoxing everything that wasn't working, from outdated beliefs about success to clunky back end processes that made every project harder than it needed to be. And it meant stepping away from the constant chaos and building a structure that made her work easier and more profitable. And guess what?

Once she made this shift, the results followed fast. That is really [00:04:00] the one mindset shift that makes everything in your business easier because it allows you to start dialing in the business systems and the mental systems that you need. But most people overlook it because they assume that working harder is the only solution, and they're in reactive mode rather than proactive mode.

In reality, making this shift frees up your time and your energy to do what you And it increases your confidence to create real momentum in your business. Lauren set up systems that allowed her to deliver an amazing client experience without having to burn herself out. And she realized that she didn't have to run on stress and overwork in order to be successful.

And in order to see herself as successful, she was able to break that tie. And because of these things and other mindset work we were exploring, Lauren started attracting higher end clients who didn't blink at her new higher rates. This is such a perfect [00:05:00] example of how self sabotage creeps in, because before making these changes, Lauren didn't even realize she was keeping herself stuck.

But once she shifted her mindset and set up the right systems, things started falling into place. And once Lauren started showing up in her business differently, everything else started shifting too. She found herself feeling more present with her kids. More confident in her decision making, more willing to take the space she needed to actually enjoy her success.

She even started helping her own children develop a more empowered mindset, because when you step out of survival mode, that impact ripples out all around you. That's why I say this work isn't just about business, it transforms everything. Lauren's journey shows exactly how powerful these shifts can be.

And you can apply them too. If it's possible for her, it is possible for you. And if you want to hear more about how she did all of this, we break it all down in [00:06:00] the full episode. You'll hear how Lauren completely changed her approach to work, and the exact mindset shifts that made the biggest difference, and the surprising action that took her from overworked to thriving.

If you've ever felt stuck in the hot mess cycle, like you're always reacting but it's capping the potential of what you could be doing, Then, this is the episode you need. We'll link to it in the show notes. Hey, if you want true clarity about your secret sauce, your people, your best way of doing business, and how you talk about your offer, then I invite you to join us in the Clarity Accelerator.

I'll teach you to connect all the dots, the dots that have always been there for you, so that you can show up like you were born for exactly this. Come join us and supercharge every other tool or tactic you'll ever learn from Facebook ads to manifestation Just go to the uncommon way comm slash schedule and set up a time to talk.

I can't wait to be your [00:07:00] coach

Thanks for joining us here at the uncommon way if you want more tips and resources for developing clarity in your business in life Including the clarity first strategy for growing and scaling your business visit the uncommon way calm See you next time

Support at The Uncommon Way 2/18/25 Support at The Uncommon Way 2/18/25

Ep 137: How to Easily Destress Without Changing Anything in Your Business

What if I told you that stress isn’t caused by your workload—but by your response to it? And better yet, what if you could change that response today?

The high-pressure, hustle-driven way of doing business is outdated. You don’t have to grind to grow—you just need the right tools to step into ease and alignment.

Episode Summary

What if I told you that stress isn’t caused by your workload—but by your response to it? And better yet, what if you could change that response today?

The high-pressure, hustle-driven way of doing business is outdated. You don’t have to grind to grow—you just need the right tools to step into ease and alignment.

In this episode, you will…

Understand how to take back your power in any situation, no matter how dire it feels.
Discover why pushing through stress isn’t the answer (and what to do instead).
Get simple, effective tools to shift from overwhelm to clarity in minutes.

Press play now and learn how to step out of the stress cycle, take back control, and create a business that fuels you instead of draining you.

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to dial in signature offers and strategies and a first-rate mindset.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

The Uncommon Way is led by business coach Jenna Harrison, who helps women entrepreneurs feel confident, find their ideal clients effortlessly and avoid overwork so they can manifest money and abundance in their business and life.

This podcast empowers female entrepreneurs to overcome imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and limiting beliefs through somatics, mindset, and spirituality, create 7-figure offers, and build an online service business with clarity and alignment.

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] Do you dream of feeling calm, cool, and collected in your business someday? I'm going to show you how to have it right now.

Here's your host, top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.

Welcome, welcome back to the uncommon way. You know those days where it feels like it is just one thing after another, your to do list is endless, deadlines are looming, and the [00:01:00] stakes feel impossibly high? You're stressed. And if I asked you why, you'd probably say, Because I have so much to do. Or because I'm short on my revenue goal this month or something like that.

But here's the truth. Stress isn't coming from your workload. Stress is optional. And today, I am going to prove it to you. More importantly, I'm going to give you practical tools to break out of this cycle without changing a single thing about your business. In this episode, you will understand how to take back your power in any situation, no matter how dire it feels.

You'll discover why pushing through stress isn't the answer, and what to do instead. And you'll get simple, effective tools to shift from overwhelm to clarity in minutes. Let's test out this idea. Imagine two business owners facing identical challenges. Client deadlines, revenue [00:02:00] dips, packed schedules. One is panicking.

They're losing sleep and spinning in anxiety. The other is handling it with calm and confidence. Same situation, different response. What gives? It's because their internal stress capacity is different. I'd love to compare myself to Neil deGrasse Tyson. Don't ask me why, he's just always my go to. The man is everywhere.

He's running a planetarium, writing books, hosting podcasts, doing speaking tours. Keeping his calm during live debates with prominent figures and still showing up for his family. I look at that and I think, wow, his capacity is off the charts. And here's the thing. Capacity isn't just about how much work you can get done.

It's about how much emotional discomfort you can handle without losing your cool. And I've seen this shift in myself. The old me would have gotten [00:03:00] completely derailed by having to promote myself publicly, or a day where I had to be on and in front of people all day, or even a stressful conversation on the playground with another mom.

Now, I can navigate all of that in a single day and still end up feeling like it was a good day. The only difference? I have better tools now. I've trained myself to regulate my emotions and my nervous system in the moment instead of being ruled by them. Any argument that you throw at me for why your stress is inevitable, it is a thought error.

If we were on a coaching call, I could walk you through exactly how to unravel it. Let's take one of the most extreme examples, Jenna. This isn't optional for me. I have to keep a roof over my kids heads. Yes, that is a serious situation. And yes, most people would find [00:04:00] that stressful. But the thought error is that you think you need to stay stressed in order to avoid that from happening.

It's like you think it's your duty to be stressed. But your stress response isn't helping you find a solution, it's actually making it harder. So it's your job to de stress yourself as quickly as possible and get back into your power where you're like, I can absolutely find a solution to this. Or another one I hear, if I miss this deadline, we won't get the next contract.

Who is forcing you to work with clients who make you feel this way? You are the boss. You created these conditions. And that means you have the power to change them. Through working with different kinds of clients or constructing different offers. There are so many possibilities. We, as women, have so much power as entrepreneurs, more than we've [00:05:00] ever, in some lineages, ever had.

But we don't always see it. We've been conditioned to feel helpless in certain areas. But it's time to snap out of it. We have a lot of impact to make, and women need seats at the table. We need to be showing up in our biggest ways. So stress isn't your fuel, it's your roadblock. Okay, so, now that you're on board with the idea that stress isn't serving you, what do you do next?

The first step is noticing, I'm in a stress response. And then I need to do something about it. Because otherwise, you'll either continue with less than optimal action, or your brain is going to start looking for quick dopamine hits to counteract the stress. Booze, overworking, doom scrolling, online shopping, but that is [00:06:00] just anesthesia.

It doesn't solve the problem. So instead, I recommend moving your body first. Hard. Fast. Run in place for five minutes. Do some jumping jacks. Why? Because part of your brain thinks you're being chased by a tiger, and you need to convince it that the danger's gone. For some of you, it might be blasting your favorite song and lip syncing into a hairbrush, or for others, it's a short meditation, or a walk, or even a nap.

One of my clients, she recently had a revelation. She was feeling completely drained, unproductive, and stressed about what she still had to do. But then it hit her. Wait, I'm an entrepreneur. I don't have hours I have to keep. I have milestones I need to meet. So instead of muscling through an exhaustion, she was like, I could just take a nap.

Which leads to a complete reset and the [00:07:00] ability to knock work out in record time. Usually, we feel too guilty to do things like that. But what if we didn't? The takeaway here? Stress is optional. You have tools. Use them. Okay, final thought. Here's the truth. Your business isn't what's stressing you out. Your response to it is.

And as soon as you pattern in new behaviors and responses, You unlock a whole new level of power, creativity, and success. So, next time you feel overwhelmed, remember, your stress isn't the signal to push harder. It's the signal to pause, reset, and step back into your power. And if you want help mastering this, if you want to be the kind of CEO who leads with clarity and confidence and even ease, I'll support you with this transition inside the Clarity Accelerator.

Because when your business supports you, [00:08:00] there is no limit to the impact you can make or the life you can create. Alright, that's it for today. Let's talk again on Tuesday. Hey, if you want true clarity about your secret sauce, your people, your best way of doing business and how you talk about your offer, then I invite you to join us in the Clarity Accelerator.

I can't wait to be your coach

Support at The Uncommon Way 2/11/25 Support at The Uncommon Way 2/11/25

Ep 136: Announcement: Full Scholarship Opportunity Opens Tomorrow

What if six months of expert business coaching could transform your business—for free?

Scaling a business as a Black woman entrepreneur comes with unique challenges—but also unique opportunities. With this scholarship and coaching experience, you can set yourself up for the future with smart strategies that enable both generational wealth and balance.

Episode Summary

What if six months of expert business coaching could transform your business—for free?

In this episode, you will…

All the details about the full scholarship and how to apply.
What makes the Clarity Accelerator Mastermind different and how it helps women entrepreneurs scale their businesses while working smarter, not harder.
The underlying key to business success—and how this program transforms not just your strategy, but your confidence and leadership, too.

Episodes mentioned:

Ep 134: 15 Data-Backed Reasons Only 2% of Women-Owned Businesses Reach $1 Million in Revenue — And How to Break Through

Ep #86: Black Women Entrepreneurs Share 3 Secrets to Success – Part 2 with Germaine Foley

Ep #85: Black Women Entrepreneurs Share 3 Secrets to Success – Part 1 with Sade Curry

Applications open February 12th—don’t let self-doubt hold you back. Go to https://forms.gle/VjpBriaH7uPeTFMYA to apply or share with someone who needs this opportunity!

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to dial in signature offers and strategies and a first-rate mindset.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] Want to win a full scholarship for six months of business coaching? Here's how.

You're listening to the Uncommon Way Business and Life Coaching Podcast. The podcast that helps women entrepreneurs get clear on signature offers and strategies that sell themselves so you can lean back and stop the hustle. You will learn to maximize your mindset, messaging, and strategy. And step into the uncommonly successful business and life you are creating.

Here's your host, top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.

Welcome back to The Uncommon Way. I am excited to use this space this week to share the details of a full scholarship we'll be granting in honor of Black History Month in the hopes that you will either apply yourself Or, share this [00:01:00] opportunity with whomever you think might be a fit. We really want to cast a net as wide as possible, and so the more people you tell, hopefully the more they'll tell, leading us to our amazing winner.

And in fact, we might be offering an exciting free gift for the person who's most active in helping us spread the word, so please check Instagram for more details. In this episode, you'll get full details about the scholarship, then I'll give you some information about what I'd be inviting you into and what we're all about here at The Uncommon Way, and finally, I'll share the why behind why I'm doing this.

Starting tomorrow, February 12th, applications will open for this opportunity. One black woman with a service based business or an idea for a service based business. We'll receive six months of semi private business coaching with me inside our Clarity Accelerator Mastermind at zero cost. Now, at its normal 10k price, [00:02:00] I believe this mastermind is the best value available anywhere.

But this? This is Next Level, so let's run through some frequently asked questions. Number one, who can apply? You need to be a Black woman entrepreneur from the United States. Since Black History Month is about honoring the story and contributions of Black Americans, we're keeping this local. Stay tuned, though, for future scholarship opportunities if you don't meet this requirement.

Also, your business is more than just a financial tool to you. While we love money and we know how important it is, this program is meant for women with a strong sense of purpose and meaning in their work. Next, you need to be able to fully commit for six months to transforming yourself and your business.

I said zero cost before, but the truth is you'll need to contribute time and you'll need to contribute focus. And I'll be real, the Clarity Accelerator isn't [00:03:00] for tentative, half hin people. It is work. Not because business is hard, but because being in business feels hard. In large part, because what we need to do for ourselves in business butts up against so many things we've been taught to think and do.

And that's 10 times true as true for black women in the United States. I recommend so strongly that you listen to my episode 133, which we'll link to, where I lay out statistics about why more women don't reach 1 million in revenue. It is really mind blowing research, and you'll never think about yourself in quite the same way.

But back to my point, you do need to be committed and all in, and that includes taking action. This is not a program where we just think about things and create business plans or wait until everything's perfect and we have perfect funding in order to take action. We are [00:04:00] implementing with whatever we've got, we're gathering data, we're adjusting, we're implementing again, we're gathering data.

I need to know that even though you're not paying, you have a lot of skin in the game and you are going to stretch yourself to show up differently, you're going to take action you've never taken, while of course being totally supported by me and a loving group of women who are cheering you on and they want to share whatever they can with you so that you can succeed.

And lastly, you need to be able to attend the majority of our weekly calls on Thursdays at 10 a. m. Eastern. Another question, you might be wondering about the dates. So applications open tomorrow, February 12th, and they'll close on February 21st. The winner will be announced on February 28th, and you'll begin the six month program as early as March 28th.

Okay, how do I apply? Tomorrow, you just go to theuncommonway. com forward [00:05:00] slash scholarship, and you'll get all the information about how to apply. Basically, you're going to be filling in a form, and you're going to create a short video so we can get to know you and what you're all about. You might be wondering, okay, how much time will I need to dedicate to this?

It really varies per week and it varies per person. Some people might come to the calls, watch a couple of pre recorded trainings, and then implement those tweaks and see huge changes in their businesses. Others will choose to work through every single worksheet and then maybe redo them and then journal on them.

Who knows, right? We are all in different places in our business and as CEOs. If you're just starting out, I'd say give yourself 10 hours per week for this work and business building combined. If you've been in business for a while and your business is functioning well, then give yourself two to three hours.

Now, if you know that you're a person that tends to take longer on things, Then extend that a little [00:06:00] bit, give yourself some buffer. If this is your first introduction to me or the Clarity Accelerator, here is what you need to know. The Clarity Accelerator was, it was created to answer one big question.

How do we build high profit and high purpose businesses that actually give us work life balance? My mission is to help women live uncommon lives of their choosing. And that starts with having the autonomy to call your own shots. For over seven years now, I've refined a simple, proven framework that works for service based businesses of all kinds and all levels, from just starting out to already at seven figures plus.

It's helped hundreds of women across four continents build their businesses without sacrificing their lives to stress and burnout. As you evolve into the CEO your business needs, we will refine your unique genius into really compelling no brainer offers [00:07:00] that attract the right clients. You'll craft powerful, meaningful messaging and sales strategies while expanding your vision of what is really possible for your growth.

But thriving as an entrepreneur, it requires more than strategy. It demands personal transformation, too. And many aspects of entrepreneurship, like I said, they challenge societal expectations of women, and even more so for Black women. That's why the Clarity Accelerator also focuses on mindset and emotional mastery.

You will develop a resilient, calm mindset to handle challenges with poise and confidence. Emotional regulation skills, so you'll calm your nervous system and lead from a place of grounded strength. And self trust, making decisions with clarity and tapping into your intuition as a really powerful guide.

Through smarter, more intentional work, [00:08:00] I want to see you thriving on just three focused days of work per week. If that's your goal. Because that constraint, it really unlocks your creativity and it fosters better solutions, and it transforms you into this strategic embodied leader that you're meant to be.

Now, you might wonder, why clarity? I'm already clear on what I'm selling. I just need someone to brainstorm with me about what to do and in what order. It is because even with the best business plan, There's always something critical yet to be discovered for your next level. If clarity weren't the missing piece, you would already be there.

Clarity drives everything. Your messaging, your strategic planning, even manifestation. That is why it's Queen. The Clarity Accelerator helps you quickly pinpoint what's required to accelerate your growth, whether that takes a few weeks or a couple of months. You will [00:09:00] never regret investing time to think strategically and dial in the pieces for game changing results.

And then we'll spend the rest of our time together implementing what you've discovered and finding even more high leverage opportunities. My job, it is to give you a proven framework, to help you implement it effectively, and to keep reorienting you towards smarter work, all while staying true to your vision and your values.

We do this through weekly calls that I host, a WhatsApp group that I'm in throughout the week, and the support of your mastermind sisters who collaborate and cheer you on. This is a mastermind where everybody knows your name and your business. You'll receive high level coaching in a supportive, semi private environment.

Because when your business supports you, there's no limit to the impact you can make or the life that you can create. If you're curious about my motivation for [00:10:00] creating this scholarship, it is because I've always wanted to do it. As soon as I started creating Good Profit in my business, I created this podcast where I'm able to help more people than could afford to work with me.

And now that my program is at the point where it's Basically runs itself. I'm able to bring in additional clients without it taking a lot of additional time from me. And so this moment in time is really a dream come true. If you're curious and you want to hear more about how I've thought about accessibility and balance that with unwinding some of the conditioned thoughts that women are good people only when they're working basically for free and putting other people's needs ahead of their own I've linked to episode 37 called Price Accessibility for Your Clients.

And lastly, we're going to be calling this the Mary Rainsway Scholarship in honor of my ancestor who came over from Ireland as a young woman and in so doing put the wheels in place to break [00:11:00] the legacy of poverty in my family line. It feels so meaningful to be able to honor her bravery and her legacy.

Please apply if this is for you, just do it. We all know the stories about how women will refrain from applying to jobs because they perceive they won't get it, or they talk themselves into believing it's not for them, or that they can't do it right now. Whatever. Don't let this be you. Last year, during Black History Month, I had a couple of successful Black coaches take over the podcast episodes to share their best lessons learned for other Black women entrepreneurs.

I'll link to both of those. They're great. And one of these coaches, Jermaine, opened by saying that she almost didn't put her name in the hat because of the things I've just described. She got over it luckily, and she did it, and she came on and did an amazing podcast. So be like Jermaine. If you want it, you have got to go for it.

And if this is not for [00:12:00] you, please share it far and wide so we can find the person. It is meant for. All right. That's it for today. Let's talk again on Tuesday.

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.

Support at The Uncommon Way 2/4/25 Support at The Uncommon Way 2/4/25

Ep 135: How Lisa Boosted Revenue & Work Life Balance Simultaneously, w/ Lisa Stryker

What if working less and stressing less could actually make you more money?

Many women entrepreneurs and corporate leaders believe that success comes from grinding harder. In this episode, Lisa shares key strategic tweaks that took her from overwhelmed and overworking to more revenue and ease—without overhauling her entire business.

Episode Summary

What if working less and stressing less could actually make you more money?

In this episode, you will…

Discover how minor tweaks can completely transform your business outcomes without requiring a massive overhaul.
Find out how shifting your focus from doing more to doing what matters can unlock your thought leadership and attract opportunities you never expected
Find out why overthinking is actually under-feeling: Learn how shifting away from intellectualizing your emotions unlocks a new level of success.
Break free from the cycle of guilt and shame: Hear how a simple mindset shift helps you show up unapologetically and increase performance.

Hit play now to hear Lisa’s transformation and the mindset shifts that changed everything.

Get in touch with Lisa Stryker here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisastryker/

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to dial in signature offers and strategies and a first-rate mindset.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] There are some mind blowing truths about what it really takes to increase your revenue while working less and actually enjoying your life. And the sooner you learn them, the better.

Here's your host, top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.

Welcome, welcome back to the uncommon way. I have got an episode for you today with one of my clients who has managed to create [00:01:00] more revenue while doing less and stressing less, and it is packed with jewels. Lisa Stryker is a leadership coach who has transformed herself and up leveled her business in six months and is graciously joining me to have a conversation about how she did it so that you can do the same for yourself.

In this episode, you will discover how minor tweaks can completely transform your business outcomes without requiring a massive overhaul. And, find out how shifting your focus from doing more to doing what matters can unlock your thought leadership and attract opportunities that you never expected.

You'll find out why overthinking is actually underfeeling. Those are Lisa's words, so good. And you'll learn how shifting away from intellectualizing your emotions unlocks a new level of success. And I'm going to give you a fourth takeaway to look forward to, just because there are so many gems in this [00:02:00] episode.

You'll break free from the cycle of guilt and shame. By hearing about how a simple mindset shift can really help you show up unapologetically and increase performance. So, let's get into it. So Lisa, thanks so much for coming on. Oh, thank you for having me. I'm really happy to be here. So, I think today we just want to help people who are really in it, right, in it in terms of the work, in it in terms of the stress, and we just want to show them how it's possible that by changing that you actually improve your results, which sounds so crazy when you're in it, and yet you're living proof of it.

So yeah. In this month alone, you told me you'll make more than you did in the first quarter one of last year, right? Yeah, that's absolutely right. I don't think I would have believed it was possible back then, so that's what we'll talk about today. Yeah, so let's talk about back [00:03:00] then. I think it's so interesting to always see like what you were coming for, what you really thought was important.

And then we'll talk about what you ended up working on and how that changed everything. But what was going on with you when we first started talking? Well, you know, I come from a corporate background and I was always a really good student. And so to me, I could felt like I could just hard work my way through anything.

So when I started this was this, I thought. I know how to do this. I know how to do hard work. I know how to figure things out. What I hadn't counted on was that when you start your own business, there's not a structure the way there is in school or in corporate, like there's no rubric for this. And what I can see in hindsight is where I was, is I had so much fear of making mistakes, fear of failure when things in my mind stopped working, which I think about that differently now.

But back then I thought, Oh, it's not working anymore. I'm going to fail and it stoked [00:04:00] all this fear that I had made a mistake going into this business. I had been so proud of myself for leaving a good job that I loved to follow my passion. And when things slowed down, I took it as a sign that it was not working.

And I put so much pressure on myself to just make it work and make money. And I was holding on so tightly because I could not tolerate the idea that I wasn't figuring it out fast enough for me. And to me, that sparked so much shame, the idea that I had made a mistake, that I was failing at so much shame, so much frustration.

I made it so much in your business. Yes. Invested a lot. Yeah. I really had had. Back then and I do now so much faith that it was going to work But what I've realized looking back is I was totally It was so much more challenging than I expected. And I [00:05:00] made that mean I wasn't up to the challenge. Oh, that's deep.

And it felt really bad, really bad. And I didn't always know what to do with that. So, yeah, I think I said this to you. I was, I recognize that I was totally in my own way, but I really had a hard time figuring out. how to get out of that place. You know, what exactly was in my way? And what did I need to change to elevate myself and expand?

Because when you're in it, it's hard to see that maybe your expectations were just out of line, or you couldn't have known what you didn't know. It really feels like there's some tactic I'm missing, or there is something that's, right, that must be going wrong, that needs to be fixed immediately, because this isn't how things should be.

Yeah, and I can't stay here. This is terrible. This feels terrible. I need to figure it out right now. In fact, I even remember thinking, because I had been [00:06:00] in a mastermind for quite a while, and I remember thinking, There's something that they know that they're not telling me. I mean, it seems silly now, but I know I had that thought.

Like, they're looking at me, and they're seeing what I'm doing wrong, and they just don't want to tell me. Yeah, it's really interesting because we all kind of have these thoughts, and we usually just shove them aside. We don't even really know full out necessarily that we're having those thoughts, but we are, and they're really messing with our game in terms of growing our business.

Oh, heck yeah. Messed with your game big time. And I know, I'm convinced that this is, well, first of all, I feel like coaching is what has kept me from quitting because what I've been through, this feeling and these thoughts and this sense of, I should have figured it out by now and I, I can't figure it out, which is a thought I've had is what leads a lot of people to [00:07:00] give up.

Yeah, and it's really all about perspective, because I'm noticing, I'm thinking about as we're talking in this interview, anybody listening to you right now, they don't know what level of income you're at in your business. And I really want everyone to know that. It doesn't matter because I've talked to women that have zero clients that are saying what Lisa's saying, obviously, Lisa, you're in the middle.

I've talked to people that are approaching seven figures and they're having the same thought. I can't get to seven figures. It's never going to work. I'm doing it wrong. There's something they know I can't do it. So it really isn't about everyone tends to think when I get to X number. Then I'll feel better.

Then I'll know I've made it, but it's not about the number. It's about the brain pattern. It's about the way of thinking. I can see that now, Jenna, but I wouldn't have believed you back then. I would, I remember thinking if I could just get to this [00:08:00] goal, then I'll know it's working. But I've been around enough people who are making far more money than I am and having the same struggles to know that what you're saying is true.

Yeah, sad but true. Yeah. Yeah. And it doesn't have to be that way. I hope that that's the message that comes out of this interview is I'm seeing the light now. It doesn't have to be just. One long river of misery. It really doesn't. Right, right. And in fact, as long as you keep it, one long river of misery, it prolongs the damn river.

Yeah, I've heard this, the more you're in a rush, the longer it will take, you know, that whole kind of maxim. I get it now. I get it now. But when you don't get it, then you think the solution? Is to keep your nose to the grindstone and work harder. Oh, absolutely. Yes. Yes. I mean, that's been my MO my whole life.

If something [00:09:00] quote, isn't working, I just work harder. Just do more. You can't just keep doing the same thing harder. At a certain point, you just hit a wall. And I think that's what people call getting stuck is. I know a lot of really hard workers, high achievers, people who really value having a strong work ethic and getting things done.

And I thought I could hard work my way through anything. What I didn't get was that the kind of work I was thinking of doing was not the work that I needed to do. And that the work you were doing, for instance, I'm thinking about if your messaging isn't on point, then you can keep putting out, you can work harder, quote unquote, and put out a post every day or two posts a day.

But if you're not really connecting with your clients and you don't really believe that you could attract those clients. Yada, yada, yada, then the posts don't do anything for you. They just waste time. Oh, [00:10:00] and that just feels like such a hamster wheel because I remember thinking, Oh, I just need to put out more content.

I need to be on more platforms. That whole cliche of do more, do more, do more without stopping to really think about how can I be more effective here? And also, I think. It's really insightful for, it's helpful for me to see that I also, when things stopped working the way I thought they should, or the way they had been, I felt like I had to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

It's like, well, this isn't working. So now I need to change everything. And it was just that running away from those negative feelings, those feelings of failure and shame and fear of looking stupid that put me in this place of trying to outrun. It really is. It's like you're trying to outwork or outrun those feelings instead of looking at them face on and [00:11:00] figuring out what they really mean to you and how to work through them.

Yes. So let's definitely talk about feelings because I know it's a big part of your story and your journey in a second. But I also, since we were just talking about messaging, you're right. You did not have to throw out the baby with the bathwater. You're still coaching women in corporate careers and you are still an amazing coach and everyone still knows you for doing the same type of work, but you made some really important tweaks.

Yes. And so, I know that if I were thinking high level about the tweaks you made, I would think about how you went deeper, first of all, into your own place of alignment, but then you also got really, really strategic about understanding exactly how your people talk about the problems that you know they want help with.

So, that's my assessment, but of course, people aren't tuning in to hear my [00:12:00] assessment. They want to hear from you. Yeah, yeah. How would you describe the tweaks you made? So, yes. When you say tweak, I just want to sit on that word for a second because that has been a really big change in my own perception of how to do this work.

And in other words, building a business as a solopreneur and finding my own voice. Is when things are not moving in the direction I want them to, it could be just simple tweaks. I mean, for me, I can't overemphasize the importance of that because we have a tendency, or at least I have a tendency to think I have to overhaul the whole thing.

And so to answer your question, the tweaks involved me spending much more time thinking about who I want to work with, the people I love working with. And how they talk about what their struggles are, what their hopes [00:13:00] are, what they want to achieve. And, you know, honestly, letting go of my own judgment. And getting out of my coach brain and allowing it to be what it is.

This is the way they're thinking right now and having so much compassion for that. And there's a certain amount of ego that comes into it. I think sometimes we're no, no, no, that's not what's happening. You think it's this, but it's really that. And. I mean, why am I, who am I arguing with, right? So I would say that the biggest shift for me was spending a lot more time going back through client notes, watching client session videos, doing market research and testing, testing the messaging and then recognizing what's catching and then where.

I'm saying the same thing, but in a way that is much more recognizable and resonant to my potential clients. [00:14:00] In a way that's landing, and you know it's landing, like you can see it, you can hear it, you're like, oh my gosh, and they repeated my words right back to me. Yes. Everything that I said, that's how they're describing themselves.

That is the best. Yes, then you know, and you know, it just creates such a beautiful feeling of connection. That I didn't even really expect that part of it. I always think of it as marketing, you know, it's part of my business, but really what it does is it deepens your connection with the people you work with because they feel so seen.

Yeah. And you feel, I mean, at least I feel a sense of safety when I know that the person I'm talking to is in fact my type of person, the person that I know I've called in. Right. It instantly creates a connection there because it's like they're saying, Oh, you're my person. And I'm saying, Oh, you're my person right then, you know?

Yeah. It's like what they say about listening to understand, you know, I'm in leadership [00:15:00] development and that's such a mantra, you know, active listening, listening and. Listen to understand listen before you speak and I kind of want to knock myself over against the side of my head because I was not doing that I was saying things the way I thought they should be said and not listening.

So listening to people and really spending more time getting in their heads and getting out of my head. But let's also talk about how much you resisted that and why, because it was so hard for you to take CEO time for yourself and work on these, like, deeper is my word, but these more strategic parts of your business.

Because you were in the doing, doing, doing. Oh, that's big too. Yes, you're absolutely right. I call it super thinking time and I actually really enjoy it. The time when I can just open up space in my calendar to really be strategic and refine my messaging [00:16:00] and review things. I mean, if you look in my hallway right now, my foyer, there's giant post it notes all on the walls.

Oh, so nice. I have taken the time to do that. Yeah. It's so fun. And my husband came home from work and he thought, Oh, and he said to me later that day, he said, I see what you've been up to. Um, and it's gives me so much joy, but it's been a long road to be able to give myself the permission to take that time.

Because I thought. If I can't take time away from creating clients, that was the way I thought about it. I need to be out there. I need to be visible. I need to be talking to people, posting content. And it goes back to what I said earlier about not listening. I have to listen to myself too. And I have to synthesize that information.

And really, that's the work that takes you from good to great. It does. Yeah, and you've just, your thought leadership has increased so much now that you've given yourself that space, and it just [00:17:00] is flowing forth, you know, and from what you tell me, there were aspects of it that were always there, but then you would stop it and overthink it.

And I've heard that from my clients too. So talk about that. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Overthinking has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. And I think what happens is I want things to work instantly if they don't in whatever I decide is it's working, right? Yeah. Yeah. And it was just, it has been in the past a rush.

It was intolerable to let something float out there and feel like, oh, people don't get it. They're not understanding or I'm not saying it right. And I wouldn't give it enough time to actually figure out whether that was true or not and allow myself that space to experiment. Let's face it. That's what entrepreneurship is.

It's one long experiment and being curious and observant instead of judging [00:18:00] myself and telling myself, Oh, just more evidence that I'll never figure it out. That inner judge has been really strong through this whole journey. We have to talk about that for sure, because I think that's one area specifically where I've seen you just like much faster than many clients I've worked with, where you've been able to turn the table on that inner dialogue.

So we'll talk about that for sure. Along with emotions and how that has been. Strange, and yet freeing. That sounds right, strange and freeing. Yeah, yeah, you captured it right there. And didn't you also think with your thought leadership, maybe that's been said before, or you'd compare it to other thought leaders, and then it felt like you couldn't say it yourself?

Talk about that because you're not the first person. Yeah, that came up a lot. And I still notice it coming up where I tell myself, well, [00:19:00] this is nothing new. I'm not a social scientist. I'm not discovering new things. And I would feel like I'm just regurgitating someone else's information. And I would make that mean that it just wasn't valuable.

And so you wouldn't even put it out. Yeah. So I thought a lot of times I would think, why bother? You know, this has been said before so many times. I need to figure out something new. And at this point I have to interject. Yeah. I have to tell everyone that you are famous for your Lisa isms.

Every time you're in the group, you will say something in such a way where I'm like, Oh, I'm going to use that. Oh, that's a really good one. And your thought leadership, it's been such a, uh, such a, I don't want to use the word shame because we're going to talk about shame, but it's to tamp that down is a disservice to the world because so many people say to [00:20:00] you when you're explaining things, Oh, that's so good.

Oh my gosh, that helps so much. I get it now. It clicks. You tell me I love people say that they love when I say X or when I say it in this way, they really love it. And all of that was kept bottled up inside instead of going out and rocking your people's world. It's true. And it makes me a little sad just to even think about it now.

But then I really redirect to how proud I am. But like, even when you said my thought leadership, there's a little Like, can I call myself that? Well, I didn't, you did, but I really received that because it's true. My clients tell me all the time, I hear you in my head saying, love your reasons, you know, decide ahead of time, all the things that I teach them.

And I love that. And I take it as motivation and a sign that I do have something new to say. It's my way. of [00:21:00] saying all of this. I think I was telling you this, Jenna, but I started listening to Mel Robbins new book, Let Them. And there's not anything in that book that hasn't been said before, but she says it in her own way, her simple way and makes it so actionable.

And then that's what makes it so valuable. And she's got a huge audience. So it really kind of slid that into place. For me that idea that I all I need to do is find my way and and that's going to be helpful to my people and your people Resonate from with you and they want to hear it from you in your way And they won't hear it in the same way from someone else.

Yeah, I really believe that And it happens to me all the time, right? Same thing for me. Someone will say, Oh, this book is amazing, and then I'll read it and I think, Hmm, is it? Yes. So, let's talk about feelings. Actually, why don't we just go straight there and why don't you tell the [00:22:00] audience The amazing practice of like, just screaming, go rage.

Yes. Jenna, you have unleashed the beast. Yeah, I mean, in a nutshell, my life, a lot of my life was spent not allowing big feelings. It was just not permitted in a large part of my life. So I really never learned to how to allow and process. Really big feelings and tolerate. Yes. Yes. It felt very intolerable.

And as I've worked with you and the practice of really learning to tolerate and process and allow all of those feelings. It brought up some real rage in my, in my life. And I went to see Wicked one day, I took myself to the movies and I didn't know why. I've learned to trust, you know, I kept thinking, I need to go see this movie.

I don't know why. I'm just [00:23:00] going to trust that. I took myself to the movie. and something about it and defying gravity, that whole, there's this whole dramatic scene in there. That's amazing. Yes. I came out of that movie and I was so filled with rage and fights and real and the rage was coming from, I'm just sick of holding myself back.

I'm sick of not being able to express myself, not having the courage, not doing the things I know I want to do. And I'm telling you, I was in the car screaming. Somebody would have thought I was a crazy person if they really saw what I was doing, but I didn't care because it felt like it needed to come out.

And that was really freeing, honestly. Yeah. And I came home and I was crying and my husband, I said, everything's really fine, but I just, I just have to get this out of me. And he's amazing. He's so there for me, but just being able to tolerate is a [00:24:00] great word process, allow those big feelings has built my capacity to keep going and keep building.

Yeah, and the open thing is that you find as you do that that you don't need to scream as much That's right. And all the things that you were doing to avoid screaming like overeating or whatever it might be Yeah, that's definitely a thing anymore. That's right. Talk about that as well. Yeah I'm so glad you said that because I know when I first came to you.

I remember saying I've never cried so much Since I started this business and turns out I needed to cry, but what I recognize is I'm not crying as much, you know, I don't feel the need to rage. I don't feel that bottled up tension and anger and the lump in my throat because I'm trying not to cry. I just don't have that.

And I think what happens is I'm not afraid of it, for one thing, and I [00:25:00] allow all the feelings that come with. So they come at more in small doses now and it doesn't all build up to where I have to have this big emotional release. What that lets you do is you're not afraid to feel anything anymore. I really am moving to that place where I am so with myself where this may be disappointing, but okay, we can handle disappointment, you know.

Somebody might judge me or think this is not a good idea, but can we handle that? Yeah, we can handle that. It's fine. And sometimes I might have to cry or get angry, and that's okay. I know what to do with that now. And that's when you finally start doing all the things that would have made you, that you found all these convenient excuses not to do in the past, or you didn't even consider in the past, or you kept, you were still two years later trying to work up the nerve to do the things, right?

[00:26:00] But now all of a sudden you're like, nah, I can handle that. I can tolerate that. It really is like that. I mean, it sounds so cavalier in a way when I hear you say it, but it's really true. This is really how I talk to myself now. I can handle that. I'm just going to do it. I know I'm so much more in touch with that quiet voice that is the real me, the me who feels driven, who has a mission, who's in touch with her values than that scared.

Yes. Yeah. Yeah. In touch with my intuition. And not letting the scared part of me drive the bus all the time. Yeah. So I know when you first came to me, we're really kind of impressed, you said, with my calm demeanor and my quiet certainty. But what people don't realize is that to get there, you have to go through it in the way that you have.

Because now you are so calm and you have a quiet [00:27:00] certainty, which you always did, but now it's even more grounded, right? And you bounce back even more quickly. Well, there was an edge, I think, to me before. You know, I'm a mom, I've been through lots of hard things in my life. I know how to handle things, but in the past there was always an edge to it.

Like, I can power through this. I can handle anything, but it was more like a, uh, I don't even know how to describe it, but it felt different. It felt like I had to maintain control where now I feel like I can handle anything and I don't have to be in control. Which is true power, it really is, because the truth is, we don't have control, right, right, so right, you can recognize that and not be afraid of it.

Yeah, then there's nothing you can't do. What exactly what could stop you? Or do you feel comfortable [00:28:00] talking about how when you are in that, like, I can get through this, I can keep it together mode, that it somehow leaks out in different ways, and for you it was overeating, for other people it's like obsessive exercising, like there's usually some sort of, they call it buffering activity, right?

That happens when you can't just You know when you don't know how to tolerate emotion big emotion. Yeah, do you mind talking about you've seen in that? Yeah, it's Unexpected I guess but if I really think about it, I'm a coach I know that this all goes together. But yeah, not being so afraid of the feelings or finding them unacceptable I realized that I just found them unacceptable like I shouldn't be angry.

I shouldn't be afraid. You know, I was just judging all of the feelings. And so I would definitely, my buffering of choice tends to be overeating and watching TV. Those are, and if I could do both at the same time. [00:29:00] Yeah. Yeah. Even better, but not better. So Be getting to this place where I realize I don't have to be in control and that's okay, like I'll figure it out releases that need to try to get away, like somehow not think about it, not deal with it, try to push it down, stuff it down.

Like when I'm overeating, I feel like I'm stuffing it down. It's not acceptable. So I need to cover it up. And so the more I move away from that, the less I rely on that. And the more I cannot leave this out, the more I give myself permission to have fun. This can be fun. I don't have to always be thinking about work or doing something, quote, responsible around the house.

The more fun I have, the more creative I am, the more courage I have, the more energy I have, it all goes [00:30:00] together. That's right. The more usable you are, the more, yes. That's right. Yes, and the more relaxed you are and then you have creative ideas and you sit down and write amazing content. Let's talk about that because I know that you felt really guilty and I've talked about this before so I have a feeling you'll be totally open book to talking about it but really feeling guilty that your husband is making more money than you and that you're not contributing as much.

Absolutely. It still comes up and I still have to put it in its place. But yeah, dealing with it's a great example because that was something I didn't want to look at. Yeah. I didn't want to recognize it and deal with it. And so I definitely felt so guilty in what it drove me to do this overworking thing.

Like, I have to make this work. I need to figure this out because I don't want to have this feeling anymore. I don't want to feel guilty anymore. Instead of facing head on, [00:31:00] like, what's really going on here? Yeah. And by the way, how about you have a conversation with him? Because, you know, I have an amazing marriage.

There's no reason for me not to be. Talking to him about things. So yeah, it definitely drives you to this place of where you're trying to force something to happen instead of being thoughtful about it. Yeah, and I know that it's also it was very self punishing because even when you were trying to enjoy time with him or with the family or any time outside of work, your way to make sure that you were still thinking of content or right still thinking about the business.

Or at least feeling bad enough as you should that the business wasn't where you want it to be, right? And so you could never have fun. And the ironic thing is that now your business is doing better and you have like real quality time. Like, talk about Christmas, talk about the holiday period. Oh my gosh, yeah.

We had a very quiet [00:32:00] holiday time this year and it was a lot of just relaxing and spending time together with family, with my husband. And I didn't feel compelled to constantly think about work. I was able to turn my, that part of me off and fill my cup. You know, I worked up until I decided I was not going to work anymore and then I stopped.

And, and then also there were a couple things I wanted to do through the holidays and I just let myself do it and not make it a big deal. That was a decision. It wasn't doing it out of compulsion, but I came out of the holidays. not just feeling revitalized and creative and energetic and full, but I also recognized that I needed to make some changes about how I That guilt was preventing me from going out and doing things that I really enjoy that create that feeling that makes me want to work, that makes me want to serve, that makes me want to think about my [00:33:00] clients and what they need from me.

And so I've been doing a lot more fun things, including things I really want to do, like exercising. I wouldn't even make time for that sometimes because I thought, no, I need to be working. I should be making more money. And yeah, it's, it's a mess. Oh my goodness. I know so many people can relate. to all of this.

I'm sure. I'm sure. So the last thing I want to make sure and then I want to see if there are any loose ends for you, but I want to talk about this thing that happens, this difference in this qualitative, I don't know, sensational difference when something finally lands in your body. And what that means is, for you, you've done a lot of personal development work, you yourself are a coach, and there have been things, though, that we know intellectually, and talk about what changes when you've described it to me, you're like, oh my gosh, I can tell this has [00:34:00] finally landed in my body.

So talk about that. Yeah, well, you know, I'm a thinker, you know, I love to live in my head and, and it serves me really well until it doesn't anymore because what I've discovered is I can't think, figure it all out cognitively. I need to. Let my body be connected and I think it all ties back to what we talked about like Allowing the rage and just getting it out of me letting myself feel guilty and getting curious about that You know, why do I want to keep feeling guilty?

Is this helping and Letting myself feel my way through these ways that I want to be who I want to be and not just being a platitude and affirmation a quote that I heard somewhere, but actually letting it sink into my body and letting it land and become like a groundedness in me. What that means to me, like, I feel a visceral [00:35:00] shift when I am letting go of resistance.

I guess that's what it is, is not allowing for the new way of thinking to change me. Whereas, I think what I used to do was if I think hard enough, if I think about it hard enough, then suddenly I'll be a different person, you know, but I was gatekeeping from my body. I was not allowing it to Sink in to like, I really believe so much in the mind body connection now, and I've decided that overthinking is underfeeling and it just keeps you stuck if you're overthinking because you're trying to avoid feeling.

And when you let go and just relax into it and lean into it and let it feel however it's going to feel, sometimes it feels uncomfortable. Sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it feels like amazing, but you'll never know if you don't allow it to travel through you. [00:36:00] And that's when things really click and you start behaving differently.

And I call it sticking with it long enough for the magic to happen. Sometimes it feels the most uncomfortable right when it's going to take hold. Yeah. And just relaxing into that and letting it ground you. Yeah. And then it shows up all throughout your life and people start noticing. I remember you had a big family event that before probably would have gotten you all triggered in certain ways, but you noticed that you were like the central grounded piece of it.

And that everyone was actually thanking you for your presence throughout that week. Am I getting that right? Yeah. Yeah. We had a couple of, we had a big family gathering, you know, as with big family gatherings, there are a couple of sticky situations that come up and I just show up differently now. I handle things with a calmness.

But also I allow for like a sense of humor, you know, it's not we have to fix this It's you know, how can [00:37:00] I lead through this? You know, I'm all about leadership. So showing up as a leader is Being an integrity being centered being the calm in the storm and I really take pride in doing that in a much More, you know, I think people have always known they can rely on me, but there's a certain calm confidence that I feel that I hadn't felt in the past, because now I truly believe whatever happens, I'll figure it out.

Such a good note to end on. But let me just make sure before you tell people about exactly where they can find you and if they know anyone that needs you. Is there anything that you would want to let people know? It could be anything we haven't talked about, any like, misconceptions that they might have about working with me, or the process, or what we do, about coaching.

Well, I've learned that [00:38:00] you really can release shame, but first you have to recognize when it's showing up for you. I realized through my work with you, I think it was already bubbling up, but it really started to come to the surface and recognizing that shame was driving me and maybe like trying to avoid shame was driving me, but I didn't recognize it as shame right away.

And I think it feels like is feeling ashamed or in anticipation of feeling ashamed and prevents you from doing things you want to do. So what I have realized, and I've put this framework around it that I love sharing with people is that once you recognize it or that you're anticipating it. you can have a little talk with yourself and say, is shame appropriate here?

A shame is only appropriate when I'm acting out of integrity with who I want to be. So if I'm intentionally hurting someone, for example, I want [00:39:00] shame to come up because I don't want to be that person. But if I'm thinking about launching a workshop and I'm worried that no one will sign up and I'll feel so ashamed of that.

No, no, no, no. That is not a place for shame. If nothing else, I can feel proud of myself for having the confidence and courage to put it out there. So I now recognize when shame is coming up by how it feels in my body or the anticipation of shame. And I can simply decide, is shame appropriate here? And if not, I can move on to something that's more helpful.

And that is such a good takeaway. Yes. It's a complete revelation. When I hear myself say it, it sounds so simple. And it is simple. And it is incredibly profound, like it literally is changing my life day by day to be able to see it and put it in its place and decide that I'm not going to let it hold me back anymore.

And I think there's [00:40:00] so many women who are being controlled by their shame and they just don't even realize it. Yes. It doesn't have to be that way. Their shame and their guilt, absolutely. Yeah, and I really think they go hand in hand. Absolutely. So I just could not share that. No, so good. Because I even said earlier, that was one of the things I wanted to talk about because you've been able to release that so much more quickly than many people that I've worked with.

And that, and also your ability, like we all come in with such a strong negativity bias. And so many of us live so much of our life in that space, not realizing that it's optional, that we actually don't have to live in that way. And you're another, that's another thing because we're in now our second round, but it's really just been those six months that we were working together where all of these huge changes were happening for you.

And that happened just really quickly that you were able to just. absolutely gain leadership in your [00:41:00] own brain of those parts of you that were driving the shame or driving the negative thinking and driving the keeping yourself safe from getting too excited or anticipatory or believing that something like be happier in your work and you'll actually make more money like any of that craziness.

Yeah. Right. What are you talking about? I just have to work harder. That's always the answer. Yeah, absolutely. It's incredibly freeing. And I think I heard myself say leaders lead themselves first. One too many times and then I realized, what am I doing here? I have the opportunity to lead myself. And so I'm stepping into that and it's just incredible.

I can't overstate the effect it's had on myself and I look forward to seeing how that's going to play out in my business. Yes, and that is a perfect example of landing in the body. Yes. You can say it over and [00:42:00] over, lead yourself, be the leader in your own mind, and right, and you can say that we shouldn't feel shame and that shame is And you can say these things and know them intellectually, but it doesn't, you know, there's a point where it finally sinks into your body.

And I think that's what you and I, why we're talking today. We wanted to let women know some of these, you know, more advanced concepts or things that were not taught in high school, right? But know that if you're on the path there as Lisa was, right, it happens. There comes a point where it will land in your body, you'll, you'll listen to the podcast, or you'll find the book, or you'll work with the coach, or whatever method it is for you, these shifts will happen, and then it will just, oh, you'll just be different.

Yes. Yes. You just be different. Stick with it long enough for the magic to happen. It is not linear. It is messy. It is emotional [00:43:00] and it's all the things that we perfect achievement oriented ladies want to avoid. We want to always look like we're so put together, let yourself fall apart a little bit, and then put yourself back together in a way that feels so much better to you.

So good. Lisa, if anybody knows. anyone that needs a leadership coach. And you can maybe give us a little more detail about who your people are, but we want to know what that is, what's available to the people that work with you in if they do the work, of course, and then also where people can find you, please.

Yeah, absolutely. I love working with corporate women who are either already in leadership or aspiring to. Move into leadership and I help them cultivate their leadership presence and when the respect and recognition they deserve because you know, you want to make an impact out there and you, the only way to do that is by developing your own [00:44:00] self respect.

And this is new, but I'm going to share it and learning to brag. We're going to take back the word brag ladies. And Brad, to me, is boldly recognizing achievement and growth, and we need to be out there doing that. Yes, yes, yes, I love it. You actually, because of the date of this recording, you have not heard the podcast where I have all of the statistics about how women are.

Right? Consistently underrepresent themselves. So that it's fun because everyone will have listened to that and then they'll be hearing you. And it hopefully will really, really land. But that was so well said and so beautiful. And I know that all of you listening are like, feeling like I am into Lisa's thought leadership and how we do want to hear her voice and how she says things because.

They're so clear and they're so, yes, they just land for us so well. So keep up the good work. Lisa, where can people find you? [00:45:00] Well, go look for me at lisastriker. com or I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn. You can find me there. And I would love to talk to anyone that you know, who's looking to elevate their leadership and learn to brag.

Let's do this. Let's do it. Yes. Thank you, Lisa, so much for coming on and sharing your story. Thank you for having me, Jenna. I have to say that it's so funny to think about, probably a year ago, I couldn't wait to meet you. And now here I am on your podcast. So fun. Yes. Love it. All right. Bye. Bye, everybody. Oh, I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did.

There's so many great nuggets and takeaways. So to wrap up for you, remember, you can't just work harder at the same thing and expect different results. Sometimes the smallest tweaks change everything. And since entrepreneurship is one long experiment, don't be afraid of tweaking things. Success comes from [00:46:00] curiosity, not perfection.

Plus, overthinking is just underfeeling, in Lisa's wise words. The more you try to outrun fear and shame and other strong emotions, the longer they chase you. Facing them is where freedom begins. You no longer need to be in control of everything because you can handle anything. That is true power. Okay, my friend, that's it for today.

Let's talk again on Tuesday. Hey, if you want true clarity about your secret sauce, your people, your best way of doing business, and how you talk about your offer, then I invite you to join us in the Clarity Accelerator. I'll teach you to connect all the dots, the dots that have always been there for you, so that you can show up like you were born for exactly this.

Come join us and supercharge every other tool or tactic you'll ever learn, from Facebook ads to manifestation. Just go to [00:47:00] theuncommonway. com slash schedule and set up a time to talk. I can't wait to be your coach.

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 uncommon way.com. See you next time.

Support at The Uncommon Way 1/31/25 Support at The Uncommon Way 1/31/25

Ep 134: 15 Data-Backed Reasons Only 2% of Women-Owned Businesses Reach $1 Million in Revenue — And How to Break Through

Why do only 2% of women-owned businesses reach $1 million in revenue—and what can we do to change it?

If you’re surprised and disappointed about that statistic, you’re not alone. This episode disrupts the myth of “equal opportunity” and peels back the layers that limit women entrepreneurs—plus offers solutions to help you shatter them.

Episode Summary

Why do only 2% of women-owned businesses reach $1 million in revenue—and what can we do to change it?

In this episode, you will:

Learn how societal biases and internalized stereotypes silently impact women’s business decisions and strategies—and how to overcome them.
Explore actionable insights to secure funding, rethink business opportunities, and build a high-growth business in industries where women are underrepresented.
Understand the profound connection between mindset, delegation, and a thriving business—and why stepping back strategically can propel you forward faster than ever.

Listen now to learn how to dismantle the obstacles keeping women entrepreneurs smaller than they could be.

Episode mentioned

Ep 131: Break Out of the Fishbowl: Reinvent Yourself This Way to Fast-Track Business Growth as a Woman Entrepreneur

Ep #34: The 'Too Braggy' Fear and What I'm Doing About It

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to dial in signature offers and strategies and a first-rate mindset.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] Get ready to discover the hidden barriers that hold women entrepreneurs back from experiencing the same success as their male counterparts and the powerful strategies you can use to shatter them.

Here's your host, top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.

Welcome back to the uncommon way. I'm so excited to share all of the research I've been diving into this week. I [00:01:00] started with one small question and then went way down the rabbit hole because I was enthralled, to the point that I delayed this episode's release in order to continue working on it night and day in full hyper focus mode because it was that compelling.

We all know that there's an income gap between men and women. For the same job, a woman is paid less. Many of us moved into entrepreneurship so that we could work for ourselves and earn what we wanted. But unfortunately, women tend to earn less in entrepreneurship, too. And as of 2017, the last census data from the United States, just under 2 percent of women owned businesses there had reached 1 million in revenue.

Today, we're diving into 15 reasons behind this phenomenon and how to get ahead of them or fully shatter them. This is a heavily researched episode, as I mentioned, and on our show notes page we're linking to the original [00:02:00] source material if you're curious to dive deeper into the topic. This is information that not just every woman business owner needs to know, but every woman needs to know.

It will completely change how you think about yourself, and you'll be motivated to get out there and change these kinds of statistics. In fact, I have no doubt that our next census data will reveal more favorable numbers, and the data after that will reveal even more favorable numbers. So let's get you into that growing percentage.

Here are just three of the takeaways you'll get from this episode. You will learn how societal biases and internalized stereotypes silently impact women's decisions and strategies and how to overcome them. We'll explore actionable insights to secure funding, rethink business opportunities, and build a high growth business in industries where women are underrepresented.

[00:03:00] You'll understand the profound connection between mindset, delegation, and a thriving business, and why stepping back strategically can propel you forward faster than ever. But first, how are you? I am doing so well. We had such a fun, busy weekend with different festivals and get togethers, and I find myself Thinking back to this very minute, like this month, last year, when we lived in that isolated town in Pennsylvania with so little to do in the winter, it is, I think, just such a testament to the power of designing your life to meet your desires rather than just staying with what's easy.

Because it has not been easy moving overseas. But it was so worth it. Kind of like entrepreneurship. Okay, let me own up to what inspired this episode. In my episode 131 which was called Break Out of the Fish Bowl Reinvent [00:04:00] Yourself This Way to Fast Track Business Growth as a Woman Entrepreneur I shared a statistic that I did not fact check.

And I apologize. Sometimes things come to mind as I'm talking and I'll share them to illustrate a point but usually I remember to say Okay, I don't remember the exact numbers, I think it might have been this, but don't quote me, but the point I want to make is, whatever the point is. But in that episode, I didn't give you that caveat, I just blurted out the statistic.

Which is so irresponsible because now more than ever, we need to understand facts, not regurgitated clickbait. So, going back and recording an addendum there, but I wanted to call it out here too. What I said was that just 2 percent of women owned businesses reach 7 figures. Well, 30 percent of mail loan businesses do.

That 30 percent figure is likely incorrect. I'll explain why later in this episode. But I set out to get to the bottom of [00:05:00] the exact number and quickly became completely engrossed in the topic. Now, it is true that as of 2017, which is our last census data in the United States, Only 2 percent of women owned businesses reached the 1 million mark.

And women owned businesses overall earned one fifth of what male owned businesses did. Even though we had nearly 70 percent as many businesses. I'll be linking to the U. S. Census Bureau report and the National Women's Business Council study that show this. Plus, the percentages are much lower if we look at women of color.

Every single thing that I'm about to share here is exacerbated for women of color, whether that's access to capital or societal expectations. So let's educate ourselves and create some change, shall we? In no particular order. Here are 15 reasons why less than 2 percent of women owned businesses cross 1 million in revenue.

Number [00:06:00] 1. Under representation in high growth STEM fields and stereotypes about STEM subjects. From a young age, girls are less likely to favor STEM topics, and later, less likely to pursue careers in STEM or other high growth sectors. And yet, the American Association of University Women report, titled Why So Few, shows that by 2007, girls started to outperform boys in math and science grades, and outpaced boys in the number of math and science college credits they received while in high school.

It's fascinating that girls do so well in math. Because I hear the women tell me that they aren't good with numbers and aren't good with the business side of things and kind of dread learning because it's just not interesting either. But even though they do well in class, when it comes to high stakes tests, girls and women underperform ever more so as they progress through school.

This according to an article in the Journal of [00:07:00] Personality and Social Psychology by Brian Nosak and Mazarin Banaji. Apologies if I'm mispronouncing those names. So, to understand why, we need to go back further, to the kind of thing that was revealed through a test where participants grouped different words together that had to do with math and art, and men and women, during the period since its inception in 1998 through More than a half million people from around the world took this test, and more than 70 percent of test takers more readily associated male with science and female with arts than the reverse.

Even when they did not consciously believe in the stereotype that girls and women aren't as good at math and science. But okay, back to the high stakes tests and the evidence that a majority of people carry an implicit bias that math is more of a male trait, which would of course seep into parenting and teaching and the [00:08:00] media.

A large body of research shows that stereotyped groups are negatively affected by stereotypes, especially when under pressure. In that they fear being viewed through the lens of the negative stereotype, or they fear conforming to the stereotype. It's called stereotype threat. It was first identified with black Americans in test taking, and then in 1999 the same type of study was done with women.

I'll link to that study by Spencer et al., where male and female first year university math students were divided into two groups. All of the subjects strongly identified with math, and they all had similar aptitude as demonstrated by their grades and test scores. One group was told that men tend to perform better, so that was the threat condition or the pressure.

The other group was told that both men and women tend to score the same, alleviating that pressure. Well, guess what? The women performed worse than the men in the threat group, and on par with the [00:09:00] men in the non threat group. And according to the Why So Few report that I mentioned earlier, in the following decade, more than 300 studies have supported that finding.

One of which showed that the threat can be induced just by having someone indicate their sex before taking the test. Another, in the journal Psychological Science, showed that women's test scores are negatively affected by having even one man in the room. And guess which test had the highest disparity in mass scores between men and women?

The SAT, one of the highest pressure tests we have in the United States. That's from the Nosek and Banaji article that I mentioned earlier. There's another ramification to stereotype threat. To avoid being judged by the negative stereotypes, girls may start to say and believe that they're not interested in those fields.

It's called disidentification. Oh, well, I'm just not a math [00:10:00] person. I like these other subjects more. Sound familiar? Ugh, it does to me. I feel like this explains why I and so many of my clients have had lifelong struggles with perceived feminine traits and have overcompensated to become so logic focused and hard charging in our earlier lives.

We don't want to be perceived through the negative stereotype of being emotional and weak and irrational. Instead, I believe we should be rewriting stereotypes, seeking balance, and delighting in the many diverse gifts that we bring to the table. Both the stereotypical masculine traits and the stereotypical feminine traits.

I also believe that doing so vastly improves business success. Before we move on A very natural question is, wait, but what if there's a biological difference driving the underrepresentation in STEM? For instance, men do consistently, and very [00:11:00] significantly, outscore women in spatial reasoning skills, especially mental rotation, which is the ability to mentally rotate objects in your head.

And these skills are considered especially important in high level STEM subjects and a predictor of success in those fields. I got that both from the Why So Few study and a 2019 meta review study in Psychological Bulletin. The same study showed that preschool boys and girls test equally for those skills.

And then in the first years of formal schooling, males take a slight advantage and then they continue to do so over time. I'm quoting here. Twice as many men as women are top performers in mental rotation, making it one of the largest gender differences in cognition. End quote. An author of the paper says that previous research has shown that parents use more spatial language when they talk to preschool sons than daughters.

And that girls report more [00:12:00] anxiety about having to perform spatial tasks than do boys by as early as first grade. And that children are aware of gender stereotypes about spatial intelligence during elementary school. I mean, this is totally anecdotal, but my son has gotten super excited about Legos and Minecraft.

After slightly older boys he admires have referenced or shown interest in them. So we can see how both perception and practice are influencing the skill development. But here's some good news. It turns out that the brain can be trained to improve in this area. When this training was given at Michigan Technology University, spatial skills test scores among women improved from an average of 52 to 82 percent in 10 weeks.

And 77 percent remain enrolled in the School of Engineering or they had already graduated from it, compared to only 48 percent of [00:13:00] women who initially failed the test and then did not take the training. So often women tell me they're not good with business stuff. They just want to, for instance, help people.

Or, they turn over parts of their businesses to consultants or they hire team members because it's just not their strong suit. Or they overwork or take on additional, frequently demanding clients because they just don't understand their true numbers and they feel so out of control. And these all feel real.

They're not making it up. They're not calculating the most appropriate gender conforming thing to say. It's their perception of their experience. Like, my client who was so worried she was hemorrhaging money, but then it turned out she had extremely high profit margins. Or it's like when I was little. If you asked a girl what she wanted to be when she grew up, it was a secretary or a teacher.

Those were the expected professions for women. Maybe a nurse. [00:14:00] And I remember thinking when I was five that what I really truly wanted was to be a secretary. Thank God I had a dad who immediately replied with, or you could be the president of the company. I'm also one of the girls who thought I was terrible at math, even though I was the only junior in my AP Calculus class.

If you could see me right now, I am shaking my head side to side. And rolling my eyes. This gets me so fired up. I'm so grateful for all the studies I've been quoting and others like them which are helping us step back and say wait, what if all of these ideas were given to me and are not necessarily true?

What would be possible for me if I believed that these were skills I could absolutely learn? That I'm really good at them, or these possibilities are absolutely open to me. And if I feel resistance, it's understandable, but I'll likely soon have a very different perspective. This is why so [00:15:00] many of the episodes in this podcast are about reinvention.

When we take off the blinders and move forward in a fresh way, we can accomplish things that our earlier selves couldn't ever have imagined. So let's develop our abilities in STEM subjects and encourage all the women we know to rethink their assumptions too. And let's help all the girls we know understand what they're up against and help them recognize how competent and capable they are with STEM subjects.

and develop their interest in them as much as we possibly can. Let's move on to point number two. An auxiliary problem to what we just discussed is that there are fewer women in the most high growth industries, bringing our averages down. Women owned businesses are often concentrated in industries like retail or services, which can have lower profit margins and scaling potential compared to tech or manufacturing.

These industries also tend to require less human [00:16:00] capital and formal qualifications, and thus become lower value sectors, according to a World Bank report. Luckily, services can have high profit margins. But many women owned businesses are in human care industries, which are not always the most profitable, and many don't know how to set themselves up for higher profits.

Back when I was in the States, the company that I had come to our house cleaning was woman owned, and I talked to the owner frequently. There were several problems going on with people calling out sick, of course, it was the time of COVID. And so very frequently she would have to cancel services and I perceived that she was undercharging for her services as well and I was having candid conversations with her about this because obviously my pet topic is empowering women and I knew in my heart of hearts that it was important to me to support a woman owned business, that it was important to me to have [00:17:00] stability that I always knew the house would be cleaned and I wouldn't have to deal with reschedules.

I wanted to support how she helped her employees, other women, and really went above and beyond for them. There were so many things that meant that I would love to pay her more. I would absolutely stick with her if she, and would have even signed on with her. As she had presented her company to me in this light and really made herself stand out.

Unfortunately, she didn't listen to the advice and ended up closing her business, which I found so tragic. In my opinion, after nearly a decade in the business coaching space, what creates a seven figure business are seven figure offers. Pure and simple. If you don't have a blue ocean offer that sets you apart from the competition and really calls in your best fit clients.

And you're trying to compete in a saturated market on price or loyalty alone? Your profits will remain low. [00:18:00] I've had several clients who branded themselves as having such fair and affordable rates. But after working together, we realized that their desire to do so was based in their own perceptions of what they thought people wanted or what they thought was the right thing to do.

And when we questioned that, and they subsequently created new offers and repositioned themselves, Their profits increased and their workloads decreased. Let's move on to number three, access to capital. Women receive less venture capital and bank financing compared to men, limiting their ability to scale businesses.

In fact, all women teams only received 1. 9 percent of total venture capital. According to a TechCrunch report, in a pattern called mirroring, people want to work with people who look like them and lend to people who look like them or look like very successful entrepreneurs. And in a Medium [00:19:00] article by Richard Kirby, where he posted his own data set listing every single person in venture capital in the United States.

In 2018, a whopping 82 percent of venture capital employees were men, and 70 percent of all employees were white, by the way, and 40%, 40 percent had attended either Stanford or Harvard, just two schools. And yet in the 2018 McKinsey report that was called Delivering Through Diversity, We see why it would make better business sense to lend to people who don't look like them.

I'm quoting, Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on their executive teams were 15 percent more likely to experience above average profitability. And companies in the fourth quartile for companies in the top quartile, profitability was 30 percent higher. A mass challenge and BCG study of 350 startups that received funding showed that startups that were [00:20:00] founded or co founded by women returned 78 cents per dollar of funding it.

While male founded startups returned 33 cents. This is why I've said before, and I'll say it again, to me there is no better bet than a woman entrepreneur who is motivated and committed. I'd invest in myself over the stock market any day. And my clients too. I have to admit, when I was first taking notes for this episode, I questioned whether or not women were being persistent enough in seeking funding, and if they were showing up confidently enough with potential investors.

But after getting into the research, I can see that that is blaming the victim. So where do we go from here? We can, of course, choose to start businesses with low startup costs, which is what most of my clients do. And we can also educate ourselves and each other about funding opportunities that do exist.

I'm linking to iFundWomen, a funding platform specifically for women led [00:21:00] businesses. Invest Atlanta, which is an example of the many local funding opportunities available, and an article from LegalZoom listing the best grants for women in 2025, such as the Her Rise Micro grant, which gives a thousand dollars monthly loans.

Hey, if you want true clarity about your secret sauce, your people, your best way of doing business and how you talk about your offer, then I invite you to join us in the Clarity Accelerator. I'll teach you to connect all the dots, the dots that have always been there for you, so that you can show up like you were born for exactly this.

Come join us and supercharge every other tool or tactic you'll ever learn, from Facebook ads to manifestation. Just go to theuncommonway. com slash schedule and set up a time to talk. I can't wait to be your coach. Let's move on to number four, limited networks. Women have less access to [00:22:00] influential business networks that could provide mentorship or partnerships and funding opportunities just because, traditionally, those were male spaces.

Our presence there is only slowly increasing. That's why, simultaneously, we need to create our own networks. When I added a group of mastermind component to the Clarity Accelerator, I saw a huge improvement in client results. But it's not just about learning from people who've gone before you, although that's what everybody seems to want, right?

I want to put myself in rooms with people who are far ahead of where I am currently. But, it's a huge benefit to you to help others, too. You really solidify your learning, and you naturally re examine your own situation with fresh eyes. I get so inspired talking to my clients, and they come up with amazing ideas that I wouldn't have considered and teach me things and connect me to different mentors and strategies.

If you think you can't learn from people who earn [00:23:00] less than you in business, or have a lower audience size or whatever metric seems most important to you at this particular moment, you are shooting yourself in the foot and are missing out on the opportunity to start reversing the trend of women's lack of access to networks.

What's important is that you get into community and you open your mind to all of the benefits there. You can join local or national meetups and organizations, you can join us in the Accelerator, you can even create your own group. We need more women joining networks, creating networks, and committing to networks.

As more women succeed, succeeding becomes easier for all of us. Alright, number five is starting smaller. I found limited data for this, but a Kauffman Foundation study analyzed 570 high tech firms in 2004 and revealed that women owned businesses were more likely to be sole proprietorships, often home based, and less likely to [00:24:00] have employees.

Now, 2004 was a long time ago, but it may suggest That women either anticipated smaller operations and it became a self fulfilling prophecy, or faced resource constraints that limited their scaling, or just felt bad or uncertain about seeking funding before they were actually making money. It's also possible that they were balancing caregiving responsibilities.

Those things might have restricted their initial growth potential, or long term growth potential, in that fast paced tech landscape. And even as women progress in business, the 2012 U. S. CENSA data showed that fewer than 20 percent of women owned firms had any employees aside from the entrepreneur herself, and women employ only 7.

5 percent of all employees. But obviously, you're restricting your company's growth if you don't allow yourself to be supported. So the invitation here is to consider what is [00:25:00] preventing me from dreaming bigger and going bigger. It's like when a client of mine shared in our group that she wanted to someday sell her company for X millions, and the rest of us were immediately like, No, in 10x that.

It's a challenge to see when you are playing small or when you're stuck in your own fishbowl. That's why I highly recommend that you find someone who can challenge you, or someone, some people who can challenge you, and then point out to you what you're not even considering. Number six. Undervaluation of services.

Societal biases tend to undervalue women's work, as evidenced by the wage gap and women's disproportionate unpaid domestic labor. But women entrepreneurs themselves often undervalue their offerings, leading to lower revenue. Carnegie Mellon University's Program for Research and Outreach on Gender Equity in Society has highlighted that women entrepreneurs tend to undervalue their worth, which results in [00:26:00] underpricing their services and products.

A report by the American Association of University Women corroborates this and also shows that women tend to undervalue and diminish their professional skills. In adolescence. . Yes, as early as adolescence. So I'm going to leave you with something very wise that my client's teenage daughter said to her when she was worrying about charging too much.

She said, mom, isn't it probably more likely that you're undercharging rather than overcharging? Number 7. Limited Marketing Budgets. Because of many of the reasons mentioned previously, women owned businesses may have smaller marketing budgets, which can mean limited visibility and lower customer acquisition.

A study by the United States Bureau of Labor in 2023 showed that marketing contributes about as much to growth as the contributions of either R& D or software. [00:27:00] So it might be time for you to rethink your marketing budget or get creative about low cost, high return guerrilla marketing. And I'll tell you one thing other than budget that gets in the way of women marketing themselves, and that is number eight on our list.

It's exposure intolerance. Now, that's a term I made up, but it fits. Many women experience greater discomfort with public visibility than men and are intolerant of that discomfort. But visibility and personal branding are key aspects of business growth. For instance, a study on academic seminars from the peer reviewed megajournal Plus One Found that women asked fewer questions after academic seminars compared to men, and reported internal reasons, such as not being able to work up the nerve.

Additionally, research from the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics on goal setting behaviors revealed that while men performed consistently across both private and public goal setting environments, Women's [00:28:00] performance declined in public settings, indicating increased discomfort or pressure. Think about it.

Women are physically more vulnerable than men and have needed to be more vigilant to protect themselves. This is just my theory. I've shared in episode 34 my own fears and challenges with this regarding my upbringing, sexual assault, and having had a stalker. I'm linking to a study examining neighborhood safety interventions where women reported increased fear after the intervention.

Whereas men reported decreased fear, highlighting gender differences and perceptions of safety and comfort in public spaces, and how impacted we can be by even the idea of threat. My clients tell me that they fear the pitchforks, too. They fear the public animosity or censure in reaction to something they say or do.

My take on that is that our ancestors survived and procreated by being the women who kept their heads down and remained safe. [00:29:00] We were bred for this. And conditioned to this too, obviously, in the same way we talked about with STEM subjects. Luckily, we can desensitize ourselves to any emotional intolerance with proper support.

I had one client who decided to go cold turkey, and after only having gone live a few times on social media and feeling terrible doing so. She decided that she wanted change, and she committed to going live for 30 days straight. By the end, it felt like business as usual, and she continued to build her business around these types of social media engagements.

Now, that cold turkey approach is not for everyone, but if it's not too triggering to you, I recommend at least some baby steps starting today. Where is the edge of your comfort zone, and how can you safely stretch it? And also, how can you support other women in their visibility, even if their efforts are imperfect?

And [00:30:00] also, how can you support other women in their visibility, even if their efforts are imperfect, rather than slipping into judgment? Let's talk about number nine, stereotypes about leadership. Women can face skepticism about their leadership abilities, impacting their ability to secure partnerships and funding or lead teams or be considered for contracts where leadership will be required.

In another report from the American Association of University Women called Barriers and Bias, they report findings that illuminate how traits traditionally associated with effective leadership, such as assertiveness and decisiveness, are frequently viewed as masculine. Therefore, it's easier for men to be selected for and to fulfill leadership roles.

When women do step into leadership roles and exhibit those traits, they may be judged harshly and disliked because they don't conform to the typically female behaviors. If they don't exhibit those [00:31:00] traits, they might be judged as not a competent leader. It results in a double bind where they are criticized whether they conform to or defy the gender norms.

And unfortunately, that criticism can come from other women as well. I noticed with women active duty soldiers that I was working with in the U. S. Army, to lead troops, you need to be able to project your voice and not be perceived as a pushover. But for many women, in order to project our voices, even in boardrooms, We need to increase tension on our vocal cords, leading to sounding more strained.

That can be perceived as more emotional or insecure, obviously not prized leadership traits. And some of these women admitted that after years of being the butt of jokes or not taken seriously, they possibly had learned to compensate in ways that would not be their chosen behavior. Now, obviously, this is totally anecdotal and a very small sample.

Meant, really just to illustrate, but before we [00:32:00] move on, there's something else, really crazy. Memory can be affected by expectations. In a 2012 paper called Gender Stereotypes and Workplace Bias, the author cites four different studies supporting how, quote, a woman's behavior that is consistent with expectations held about her is more likely to be more readily recalled by evaluators.

Whereas, her behavior that is inconsistent with expectations is more likely to be forgotten. End quote. So not only do women have to land the position and then perform in the position, they have to moderate the narrative about their performance after the fact. Our work then, my friend, is to question and stretch gender stereotypes about leadership.

Even the ones we notice in ourselves as we evaluate other women. Of course, we also need to educate ourselves and others, and to hone our individual style of leadership, and build standout, [00:33:00] highly productive teams of people who are excited to work with us. Number 10. Under representation in leadership roles prior to entrepreneurship.

Because of perceived leadership inferiority, male entrepreneurs may enter entrepreneurship with more experience in management and other key positions. A research article in Frontiers in Organizational Psychology examined how various types of prior experience affects the early stage performance of new ventures.

And found that prior leadership experience aids in helping build teams and develop business planning, among other skills. Women who have not had these experiences might need to be prepared for a steeper learning curve, while still recognizing that they likely bring many other skills to the table.

Unfortunately, in my line of work with high achieving women who have big expectations, I see a lot of shame crop up around what we know and don't know, and where our skills are [00:34:00] highly developed or where we still have room to develop them. My goal in providing this perspective were Business is just a learning curve, and where the skills you might lack coexist with other highly developed skills, is to remove some of that shame.

Number 11. Imposter Syndrome. Many women experience self doubt that can hinder their willingness to scale or go after important opportunities. A comprehensive meta analysis that we'll link to, encompassing over 100 studies and involving more than 42, 000 participants. revealed that women consistently score higher on both the occurrence of and the intensity of imposter syndrome.

Maya Angelou said, I've written 11 books, but each time I think, uh oh, they're going to find out now. I run a game on everybody and they're going to find me out. If you've been listening to this podcast for any length of time, You know that what you're [00:35:00] thinking and believing affects everything from the action you take to the opportunities you notice To the decisions you make to how you show up.

So this points to the why Behind many of the phenomena we've already discussed, such as women undercharging. So if women are on average more affected by self doubt than men, it stands to reason that we will see differences in outcomes as well. Luckily, imposter syndrome is a highly curable affliction, it just takes re patterning your thoughts.

A 2020 study published in Frontiers in Psychology has separated over 100 new employees into three groups. One group received coaching to develop their mindset, another received training, and a third was the control group. The coaching group was able to sustainably reduce their imposter syndrome scores and improve their self efficacy while reducing the tendency to cover up errors and the [00:36:00] fear of being evaluated poorly.

Number 12. Reluctance to delegate. Research indicates that women entrepreneurs often exhibit a reluctance to delegate tasks, which can limit their ability to focus on strategic growth initiatives. They may feel the need to manage every detail of their business, increasing their own cognitive load, and taking their eyes off the prize.

They may desire to act communally rather than delegate, or feel guilty if they delegate. And they may fear backlash, too. This according to an Academy of Management Journal article that we're going to link to. The same article points out that when women do delegate, because of their negative associations with it, they have lower quality interactions with their subordinates.

This is an example of why the three day workweek model that we promote at The Uncommon Way can be so powerful. It's the constraint that forces you to reconsider every moment of how you spend your [00:37:00] time, and the consequences of not delegating, and how you're building your team and your processes, and Then, with your extra time, you have more space to reflect and to think strategically.

And like Peter Drucker said, follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action. I recently had a client do a time audit and it's sparking a substantial reorganization of her priorities. Her workflow and her strategies. Once you see the time and effort that you have been leaking unnecessarily, you can't un see it.

It's a beautiful thing. Number 13. The second shift and expectations about caregiving. Women on average bear a disproportionate share of caregiving responsibilities, whether for children, elderly family members, or household management. leaving them mentally or physically taxed and distracted compared to their male counterparts.[00:38:00]

It's known as the second shift, to describe how we'll often work a full day but then continue with more unpaid domestic work. A 2019 study by the International Labor Organization reports that women dedicate on average 3. 2 times More time than men do to unpaid care work, and a study published in the Journal of Gerontology found that caregiving exacerbates gender differences in depression and physical health, too.

On top of that, these expectations create a situation where working moms feel guilty. Fraun Morgan is a researcher who studies the well being of working moms. And she's remarked on the, quote, perverse social acceptance of, in fact, social expectation for working mothers to experience guilt as a result of their choice to work, end quote.

And they do feel guilt, appropriately, like they're supposed to. Morgan's doctoral [00:39:00] dissertation revealed that for women in her study, 85 percent routinely experience feelings of guilt more than any other. A 2019 study in the Journal of Vocational Behavior reports that this mom guilt also lowers well being and brings on destructive behaviors.

Also, I'm quoting, One way in which mothers may compensate for feeling guilty is by limiting the time and energy they invest in their work, spending this time and energy on their family instead. According to Morgan, the depth and the impact of this guilt are not easily identified by the working mother experiencing it.

And women may judge other women for their work choices. According to a report from the Journal of Applied Psychology from 2021 that was looking at cross gender attitudes about deprioritizing childcare, female participants were more likely to perceive that when a parent deprioritized childcare for self [00:40:00] care reasons, That parent put their child at greater risk.

Luckily, guilt is not a necessary component of being a working mom. When women were given tools to re evaluate and re frame their experience, 67 percent in the study reported enhanced positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning slash purpose, And four months later, their experiences were similar.

There are many lessons here. Choose your partners wisely, critically examine your actions, especially those knee jerk reactions to take on more tasks or take over caregiver roles, and get coaching or therapy if needed. Examine the breakdown of labor for everyone in the family and create healthy, [00:41:00] equitable boundaries for yourself.

Number 14. Societal pressure to do it all. In addition to being good moms, Working women often feel societal pressure to be good partners, good friends, good daughters, good community members, whether that's organizing and shopping for social get togethers or gathering toys for tots at Christmas. They're also expected to look a certain way and act a certain way.

That pressure to do it all can result in burnout, reduced focus on scaling businesses, and a reluctance to delegate tasks or hire help. An article in the Review of Economics of the Household reports that women feel more exhaustion from paid work, both mental and physical, than men do. Investigating the reasons for that, they uncovered that women who were identified as traditional We're more likely to experience burnout, leading the researchers to conclude that it was the women's perspectives [00:42:00] regarding their role in society that created the large gender gap in burnout.

Regarding the pressure to look a certain way, a study out of Harvard's School of Public Health calculated that women's body dissatisfaction cost the U. S. economy 305 billion. An appearance based discrimination costs the U. S. economy 501 billion. We could easily do a podcast series on the pressure to do it all, but I'll end here so that we can move on to our final reason.

Number 15. Decrease self promotion. Many cultures discourage women from self promotion, making it harder for women entrepreneurs to advocate for their businesses or publicly celebrate their successes. This affects branding, visibility, marketing, internal team dynamics, key elements of business growth. In a Harvard Business Review article, the authors of a study on women's self promotion in the [00:43:00] workplace remarked that, quote, in every setting we explored, we observed a substantial gender gap in self promotion.

Women systematically provided less favorable assessments of their own past performance and potential future ability. Then equally performing men. And when over 100, 000 clinical research articles on PubMed were analyzed, researchers observed that male scientists are more likely to use words like unique and unprecedented to describe their work than women are.

Even though papers that use these kinds of descriptors are more likely to get cited. This was reported in an article in the British Medical Association's journal called the BMJ. In a fascinating research article called A Test of Three Theories, which was examining why women inhibit themselves from self promotion.

They had university women write a scholarship competition essay. Some groups of these women were [00:44:00] told that their name would be identified, and others were told that there would be a pseudonym. The results showed that women could self promote more effectively when writing under a pseudonym, but also that afterwards in group discussion, they would advocate on behalf of other women receiving the scholarship rather than themselves.

Both of these results pointed to women's fear of backlash if they were seen as self promoting. When three women owned firms conducted a national survey about self promotion, they noticed an interesting catch 22. 83 percent reported being inspired by hearing women talk about their successes and accomplishments.

But 69 percent would rather minimize their own successes than tell people about them. And 50 percent of women would rather downplay than talk about their strengths and abilities. And get this, 27 percent of women even said they'd prefer to visit the dentist than talk about themselves [00:45:00] in public. It also showed that women age 55 and above are more averse to self promotion than younger women.

That's good news that the tide might be starting to shift, but also unfortunate because older women might have more career accomplishments. And the younger women need to see role models self promoting. And yet in a report that analyzed many different strategies and tools for career advancement, the most important one for women was, you guessed it, making their achievements known.

I'm quoting, When women were most proactive in making their achievements visible, they advanced further, were more satisfied with their careers, and had greater compensation growth than women who were less focused on calling attention to their successes. All the strategies used by women, making their achievements known, by ensuring their manager was aware of their accomplishments, seeking feedback and credit as appropriate.[00:46:00]

And asking for a promotion when they felt it was deserved was the only one associated with compensation growth. Boom. This report came from Catalyst, an organization advancing women in the workplace, and they utilize some of the world's largest firms to gather the data. So you and I have got to do more of this, my friend.

I love the reframe that self promotion can actually be an act of service to women. Inspiring them to also speak up about their accomplishments. Part of the reason I love it goes back to that social conditioning. We're conditioned to want to help people, even if it causes us discomfort. So when we frame it in this way, we're more likely to allow ourselves to act on it.

This is a fantastic brain hack, but it's also the smart thing to do and the right thing to do. Why shouldn't we be proud of our accomplishments? I've [00:47:00] mentioned this before in this podcast, it's a trick that I learned from life coach Rachel Hart. But look at a picture of yourself as a little girl and imagine telling her, oh, it's not that big of a deal, or, oh, it doesn't really count because of X or Y.

No. If we were talking to her, or even to a friend, we'd be like, this is amazing, well done, you knocked it out of the park. So, after all of this research, I am now more committed than ever to helping women earn more money and create more autonomy. We can go further, and we need to go further. Especially in today's climate, when we're watching some of the bros acting with total self interest.

And are thinking, we'd do things differently. It is precisely why women need more power. And I believe that we can not only create more revenue, but we can refine capitalism as we do so. We can create a more [00:48:00] responsible capitalism where we're not destroying our workers. And that starts with ourselves. And no longer working long hours and feeling stressed out all the time.

It's time for a new way of doing business. Especially for most service businesses, where you do not really need to work more than three day work weeks. And when we stick to the old five or even seven day work weeks, instead of constraining ourselves, we rob ourselves of the high level thinking that propels us forward.

Okay, couple of quick technical notes and some additional fun and encouraging facts. I mentioned earlier that it was hard for me to find the exact percentage of male owned businesses that crossed the 1 million mark, according to census data. That's because the way people report the data varies. Some are aggregating non employer businesses only.

So of course, there are going to be relatively few solopreneurs or freelancers making over 1 million in revenue. Usually when you're getting into multiple six [00:49:00] figures, you have at least one employee. And since there are over four times as many non employer businesses as there are businesses with employees, according to our last census data, that skews the number significantly.

And then there are some people reporting that are aggregating both types of businesses together. One more thing, just a PSA, really fact check the sources that ChatGPT offers you. I'm so grateful for AI because I can't imagine having created this episode without it and wouldn't have found all of this amazing research.

But often, it would give me an article and include a brilliant sounding description, but then when you read the report itself, it doesn't say anything like that. So, check everything. Now for some encouraging news. Women owned businesses are rapidly increasing. Between 2012 and 2019, businesses owned by U. S.

based women grew by 16. 7 percent in comparison to 5. [00:50:00] 2 percent for male owned businesses, according to the National Women's Business Council. And while many businesses still fail in their first year, That number might be reduced by half if they have mentorship, which is what the SCORE Association found in their own survey.

Another fun fact, 76. 9 percent of women business owners are over the age of 35. So for all of my youngins out there, way to go, badasses. And for everyone over 35, You are the perfect age to have a business. Keep going. All right my friend. That is it for this week. Let's talk again on Tuesday.

Sources:

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Ep 133: From Survival Mode to Success: Unlocking Your Creative Genius as a Woman Entrepreneur

Stepping into your next level of growth doesn’t mean doing more—it means operating differently.

Understanding the physiology of stress could be the game-changer that transforms your daily struggles into opportunities and makes achieving your big dreams lighter, simpler, and more joyful.

Episode Summary

Stepping into your next level of growth doesn’t mean doing more—it means operating differently.

Understanding the physiology of stress could be the game-changer that transforms your daily struggles into opportunities and makes achieving your big dreams lighter, simpler, and more joyful.

In this episode, you will:

Learn why ongoing overwhelm is sabotaging your problem-solving abilities—and how a simple shift can help you achieve your goals faster.
Discover the key neurotransmitter that fuels motivation and long-term vision—and learn how to access it more often for compounding success.
Unlock the hidden power of your brain to thrive under pressure, transforming stress into clarity and creative genius.

Dive into this episode now to discover the clarity, creativity, and strategies to transform your business!

Episode mentioned

Ep# 92: Get Through High Stress and Overwhelm Quickly, for Peak Performance, Joy and Better Results as a Service-Based Entrepreneur

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to dial in signature offers and strategies and a first-rate mindset.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] When you're in Survival Mode, you're not actually surviving well. You can survive and thrive. If you learn to operate differently,

you are listening to The Uncommon Way Business and Life Coaching Podcast, the podcast that helps women entrepreneurs get clear on signature offers and strategies that sell themselves so you can lean back and stop the hustle. You will learn to maximize your mindset, messaging, and strategy, and step into the uncommonly successful business and life you are creating.

Here's your host top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity. Jenna Harrison.

Welcome. Welcome back to the uncommon way. When life piles on one too many things and stress seems to rule your [00:01:00] days, it can feel like you're in survival mode. And you are. But you're not actually surviving well. You can survive and thrive if you can learn to operate differently, in a way that gives you access to your best creative thinking and your long term vision, even when the pressure is on.

Today, we're diving into how to tap into the untapped genius that lies within so you can create greater success in your business and feel amazing while doing it, like the boss you truly are. In this episode, you will learn why ongoing overwhelm is sabotaging your problem solving abilities and how a simple shift can help you achieve your goals faster.

You'll discover the key neurotransmitter that fuels motivation and long term vision, and learn how to access it more often for compounding success. You'll unlock the hidden power of your brain to thrive under pressure, transforming stress into clarity [00:02:00] and creative genius. My friend, let's get real.

Chronic stress is actually your brain's worst enemy, especially when you need your creative and problem solving faculties the most. Here's the thing, stress isn't just an uncomfortable part of life, it actually pulls you out of the mental state that you need most as an entrepreneur. Stress locks down parts of our brains, and it diverts resources to the brain regions that are most necessary in order to run from a tiger, or whatever other prehistoric threat we used to encounter that our brains on some level think we are still encountering.

But we don't need to run from tigers today. We need to solve business problems. And stress shuts down the very faculties that make us great problem solvers. It also shuts down the faculties that make us great [00:03:00] big picture thinkers and high EQ leaders. When you're stressed, you are in survival mode rather than in the higher level thinking mode your business needs from you to thrive.

That's a very serious issue when you're trying to build something big, because you're doing things the hard way. It results in lots of extra time spent, and lots of extra aggravation felt. So, how do we get back into that high functioning state? It's called a responsive state, where we have access to our full capacity.

It starts with understanding the physiology of stress. When you are under threat, even if it's just the threat of too many emails, or a looming deadline, or a tight cash flow, You naturally switch into fight or flight mode. That is an activated state instead of a responsive state. And that's when your brain makes these familiar but unhelpful decisions about how to divert [00:04:00] resources.

But here's the key. When you calm your nervous system, you re engage those higher brain functions, giving you the clarity and insight you need. This is why, when you're feeling stressed, but then you have a great workout, or you get a good night's sleep, or even just take a shower and stop thinking about the problem, all of a sudden, a solution appears.

You say, oh wait, I could just do it this way. Or even I don't know what I was so wound up about, it's not even that big of an issue. So when you regulate your nervous system, you don't just calm down, you unlock your motivation and your clarity and your big picture vision. Some of you are listening to this thinking, oh wow, point taken, okay, I'm changing my ways.

But others of you aren't convinced. You feel like maybe what I'm saying doesn't really apply to you. Because you're still super smart even when you're stressed. [00:05:00] I see you. I used to be you. And I have so many clients just like you. But what if the 100 percent that you give under stress is only 50 percent of what you're truly capable of?

Imagine what could be possible for you. I think it's time to at least find out. Don't you? Hey, if you want true clarity about your secret sauce, your people, your best way of doing business, and how you talk about your offer, then I invite you to join us in the Clarity Accelerator. I'll teach you to connect all the dots, the dots that have always been there for you, so that you can show up like you were born for exactly this.

Come join us and supercharge every other tool or tactic you'll ever learn, from Facebook ads to manifestation. Just go to theuncommonway. com slash schedule and set up a time to talk. I can't wait to be your coach. [00:06:00] And here's something else. When your nervous system is in its responsive state, dopamine is released.

Dopamine feels great. But, did you know it's also a primary driver of your motivation and your long term goal setting? Think about it. Have you ever been really tired and stressed, and then you notice yourself thinking, ugh, why even bother? But, when you're on vacation and you've just gone on an amazing hike, you think, Oh my god, I could totally double my business this year.

I am going for it. You really feel motivated and you feel that desire to go bigger, to be more, to stretch yourself. Yep, that's dopamine, folks. So, when we allow ourselves to de stress, we're not just making ourselves feel better in the moment, we're not just facilitating the solution of whatever problem happens to be in front of us, although those are both great, [00:07:00] but we're also setting big goals and dreaming big dreams and laying the groundwork for long term success.

But how do we actually do it? How do we break the habit of being in survival mode almost around the clock? The answer is simple, but not always easy. We start by regulating your nervous system. I have a full podcast episode where I share strategies for this and more information on the topics we're covering today.

It's episode 92. And it's called Get Through High Stress and Overwhelm Quickly for Peak Performance, Joy, and Better Results as a Service Based Entrepreneur. We're going to link to it in the show notes. In that episode, you'll get tactical tips you can start using today, as well as a mindset tip, and even a tip that's a bit more woo.

But this is why I always tell my highest performing clients to prioritize rest and nervous [00:08:00] system regulation, because they are capable of so much, and I need them operating at their highest capacity. It's not about doing less, really. It's about doing smarter. And we can't work smarter with all of these old crappy legacy habits of overworking and overstressing.

So, what's next for you? Take a moment today to reflect on how you can calm your nervous system, get your dopamine flowing, and reconnect with your big picture thinking. Get out of the weeds. Because your dreams need you sooner rather than later. The more you can step into that high functioning state of responsiveness, the faster you'll see those dreams becoming your reality.

And trust me, you definitely want to check out episode 92 if you are serious about creating this kind of change. Tune in now and start shifting your decisions. Behaviors and problem solving today.[00:09:00]

Thanks for joining us here at the uncommon way. If you want more tips and resources for developing clarity in your business in life, including the clarity first strategy for growing and scaling your business, visit the uncommon way. com. See you next time.

Support at The Uncommon Way 1/14/25 Support at The Uncommon Way 1/14/25

Ep 132: Coming in 2025: new podcast focus, a Spanish villa, and other updates

Are you ready to unlock the path to a balanced life and thriving business with a three-day workweek?

This episode explores how women entrepreneurs can prioritize what’s essential in their business and makeover their mindset to create both growth and stability in 2025.

Episode Summary

Are you ready to unlock the path to a balanced life and thriving business with a three-day workweek?

This episode explores how women entrepreneurs can prioritize what’s essential in their business and makeover their mindset to create both growth and stability in 2025.

In this episode, you will:

Unlock a powerful mindset shift to embrace both the ordinary and change, paving the way for balance and growth in your business and personal life.
Learn how periods of “capacity-building” can strengthen your resilience and foreshadow breakthroughs, even during life’s most overwhelming moments.
Discover how intentional constraint fuels creativity and innovation, opening doors to new revenue streams and next-level success.

Dive into this episode now to discover the clarity, creativity, and strategies to transform your business and life in 2025!

Episodes Mentioned:

Ep# 115: How I Moved to Spain and Navigated Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa: Personal Experience and Tips for Women Entrepreneurs Who Want to Move Abroad

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to dial in signature offers and strategies and a first-rate mindset.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] What should you prioritize in 2025? Today, I'm breaking down my personal and business priorities. So, who knows? Let's see if ours overlap.

You're listening to the Uncommon Way Business and Life Coaching Podcast. The podcast that helps women entrepreneurs get clear on signature offers and strategies that sell themselves. So you can lean back and stop the hustle. You will learn to maximize your mindset, messaging, and strategy. The Uncommon Way.

And step into the uncommonly successful business and life you are creating. Here's your host, top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.

Welcome, welcome back to the uncommon way. Today I'm sharing a few of my priorities for 2025, both in the personal and business [00:01:00] realms, and I'll share why those are priorities, because obviously the why is so much more important than the what. In the old days, I used to talk more about personal updates in every episode, but as I have constrained myself to create more brief and actionable episodes for you, I tend to save that for episodes like this.

Which is fun. I feel like I'm catching up with an old friend. I hope you'll enjoy this behind the scenes Here are some of the main takeaways you'll walk away with from this episode You'll learn a powerful mindset shift to embrace both the ordinary and change Paving the way for balance and growth in your business and personal life You will learn how periods of capacity building can strengthen your resilience and foreshadow breakthroughs Even during life's most overwhelming moments.

And you'll discover how intentional constraint fuels creativity and innovation, opening doors to new [00:02:00] revenue streams. That you'd never even thought of. Well, let me tell you, for me, this last month has just been extra. There has been a lot going on. How about you? In The Accelerator, we refer to those times as capacity building periods.

Because when you're doing more than normal, it's always increasing your capacity. Your capacity to handle things, your capacity for resilience, although of course, it usually feels like overwhelm. So, It usually feels like too much. It's very similar to working out in the gym. Yes, you are taxing your system.

But it's okay. Because later you leave the gym and that's when those muscles build back even stronger. Right? It's during your off days. And this is a different kind of workout. In life, when life hits us, right, it's a workout for your brain and energy levels. Or when business hits us. [00:03:00] Where we get into trouble is really when we stay at that mental gym from the moment we wake up until we go to sleep, month after month.

And then we wonder why we're not actually seeing gains in our business and life. And it's because you need to offset that capacity building with regeneration. But I am getting into the teaching and away from the updates. I can tell this episode's gonna be a bit rambling, but the point is that capacity building periods aren't a problem as I see it, and they don't mean you're sliding backwards into old habits.

It just means you're stretching yourself. Maybe because you've set a new goal, or you're taking on something new, or because life is happening. Either way, you can do hard things. It's all good. Capacity building moments might feel like overwhelm, but they are the workouts that strengthen your resilience and expand your possibilities.

In my case, in this [00:04:00] last month, life was really happening. In the span of a month or so, I was running a new Black Friday week promotion. My mom came to visit, so we were taking some extra trips around Europe. We found out some information about our Spanish residency that had us scrambling. My son was off from school for nearly three weeks because the whole country shuts down here for Christmas.

Which, when you have a neurodiverse kid like Dylan, you constantly have to find ways to keep him exercised and interested. Otherwise, next thing you know, he's like, trying to have a wrestling match with the dog, even though the legs don't bend in that direction. And then, unfortunately, my husband had an injury and it put his arm in a sling, so he couldn't drive.

Couldn't do anything, really. So, I was picking up a lot of extra to dos. And, oh, right in the middle of it all, we decided to buy a house because we are [00:05:00] masters of diming. So, as I think forward about my personal priorities, I want simple pleasures. I want to nest and create stability and a routine that maybe even feels a little boring.

After this year, boring feels like a luxury. Cultivating boring is not something that I would have imagined myself seeking out when I was younger. But then I do remember in my thirties After, when Ben was stationed in Germany, we'd travel for a weekend every few weeks I was travel blogging and I realized how serene and delicious it felt to come home and nest and enjoy the day to day.

It's like after Thanksgiving or the holidays when you're so happy just to have your boring eggs for breakfast. So what I've been thinking about a lot is how [00:06:00] often What our soul actually needs is not what our ego wants. I just sent out an email about this last week talking about how what I thought I needed in the beginning of my business turned out not to be what I needed after all.

I was only interested in tactical knowledge. I wanted to geek out on increasing vanity metrics and likes and open rates and I was really leaning on tactics and conversion copy and funnels and But what really ended up making the biggest impact was when someone pointed me to what I actually needed, which was in the mindset and energetic realms.

Afterwards, when I just got really, really curious and I was like, okay, how could these things make such a shift in my business? And then what are the different components needed to accelerate business growth and how can I offer those [00:07:00] comprehensively to my clients? And I feel like I've been having that ego soul realization again lately because, for instance, the home that I chose is nothing like what I would have imagined myself in.

I thought I'd be in a traditional Spanish villa overlooking the sea. But as we looked around at what's available and what we could afford, Mallorca is very expensive. We were seeing these million dollar Apartments that still had, like, air conditioning units in their windows. I was like, once even said right in front of the realtor, I was like, Okay, this is what a million dollars will get you in Palma.

And this place that we found is really nice, but it's also very modern. There's nothing traditional Spanish about it. And it's small. When we brought Dylan to see it, he was like, But where's the rest of the house? I kid you not. Good. And what I came to realize as we looked [00:08:00] around and saw different styles of places and different locations is that Yes, the way a place looks and the energy that it has is really important to me.

And I do want some place that is lovely to live in. But what really felt right and felt like the priority on a deeper level? was lifestyle. It was really about location, location, location. So, this place is within walking distance to Dillon School, and many of our friends live in the area, and there are lots of shops and restaurants, and as well as the beach, and so it is going to be a huge lifestyle upgrade.

We've been living in this nice residential area up until now, and we do have a view, and while there are lots of pluses to living here, it We realized, you know, we're recreating an American lifestyle. We had stepped right into a situation where you [00:09:00] don't know anybody but your most immediate neighbors and you need a car to get anywhere.

This new place, it's very blue zone, like there will be lots of walking and walking up and down hills. There are trails right behind our building that lead up into the There's a playground where kids actually play. And we're still technically in Palma, although on the outskirts, so we can get into the old town and into the downtown easily and enjoy all the coolness that that city has to offer.

Come join us and supercharge every other tool or tactic you'll ever learn. From Facebook [00:10:00] ads to manifestation. Just go to theuncommonway. com slash schedule and set up a time to talk. I can't wait to be your coach. So as I've alluded to, the new place has no sea view. It's a ground floor apartment. But it has a yard and a pool so we can have Dylan's friends over after school.

And Santa has already promised him a trampoline. And it's surrounded by greenery. And it's very private, which is great because we have these huge sliding glass doors in every room. And of course we'll want those open, right? We'll want to enjoy that indoor outdoor lifestyle. It is brand new, like I said, it's fully furnished already and super modern, top of the line everything.

One fun fact is that new buildings here in Spain have a 10 year guarantee, by law, for everything, including appliances! Like, [00:11:00] a 10 year guarantee on our appliances. So you see how this is really contributing to the serenity and stability, right, that foundation that is becoming such a priority. Now, the path getting to that serenity and lifestyle has not been fully serene.

However, as a foreign business owner, the banks have required a mountain of paperwork, which we had to rush to turn in before everything closed for the holidays. Thanks. Because that was the only way the owners would agree to keep the house off the market for us, if we'd already initiated the mortgage process.

And also, there are all of these crazy rules about a home buying that we were not expecting. For instance, there's a 10 percent tax that you pay as a buyer when you buy a house. Each time you buy a house, Yeah, you don't pay property taxes, but still, that adds up, right? Then, because we're [00:12:00] foreign, they'll make us put down 30 40%, which we were not expecting.

And we can't even get a 30 year mortgage, because we're 51, and all mortgages have to be paid off by your 75th birthday, I kid you not. It's like, everything kept adding up, adding up, adding up, but such is the cost of living in paradise. These are manageable problems, luckily, thanks to our situation now.

And, good news, the interest rates are insanely low over here. So, even though our savings accounts just diminished significantly, our monthly payment should be less than we're currently paying, which will be amazing. But, oof, things we learn. That's our new family hashtag since moving over here. Things we learn.

I really need to go back and create a preamble to the episode 115 that I did, which is the one where I shared the behind the scenes of our move to [00:13:00] Spain. Because it turns out it's rather inaccurate. We were misinformed regarding the best way to become legal residents and what that would mean for our taxes.

And we found this out just during this crunch period that I've been talking about. And we were a bit panicked because we were also told that we needed to declare ourselves as tax citizens on January 20th, six months after we arrived. Meaning, we had until then, just a matter of weeks, to figure out how to, like, restructure the business, potentially, and choose a status which would have a huge variation in tax consequences.

Now, that would be a tight timeline anywhere, but it was extra tight because, like I said, everything shuts down here for weeks over Christmas. So we threw thousands of dollars into meeting with various tax attorneys to get different points of view and good news. It turns out, we don't [00:14:00] have to have everything figured out by January 20th.

We have until next summer, six months after the tax year starts. So it was a huge load off, as you can imagine, but obviously this is still a big 2025 priority, going from uncertain tax and residency status to the decision made. And then, once the decision's made, that's just how we remain for all following years.

And going from, you know, nomads living in a temporary home to truly settled, which really facilitates this simple pleasure, this lifestyle that I talked about earlier. I'll just walk my son to school, have some friends over. Go to a cafe or meet at the beach for seafood and go on my hikes and explore Palma.

There's really nothing I want. There's no, like, [00:15:00] travel or big personal development things. There's nothing I want other than being here. Living this life and just enjoying a weekly rhythm. But, in business? That's a different story. There will be quite a few changes. The stability at home, I feel like it facilitates my ability to shape things up, starting with the podcast.

So, I do practice what I preach. I advocate reinvention and also actively listening to your clients and audience, because together, right, those are really the two pieces that make up the magic of your business. It's this intersection of you and your clients. You know, you're evolving, they're evolving, so the clarity around what your business is and who your people are, that's always evolving too.

And reinvention isn't just about changing who you are, it's about uncovering the version of you that's [00:16:00] ready to create the life that you've been dreaming of. You end up creating stagnation and rigidity when you resist that. But you create flow when you embrace it, when you embrace that change. So I'm reinventing the podcast both because of my own reinvention, and due to what I've heard and observed from you and my clients.

We'll still be helping women entrepreneurs learn to work wiser, not harder. But we'll have a focused result that we'll be creating together. You ready? A three day workweek. Still coupled with business growth, but with the constraint. Three day workweeks are something I have personal experience with, especially during the last year, but even the year prior I was working steady 30 hour workweeks, which can easily be accomplished in three days.

Mostly if you don't have kids, but it can be done. These three day work [00:17:00] weeks are insanely powerful for two big reasons that I see. One, it gives you the balance that so many of you have told me you want to feel in business and life. And it turns out that balance is nutritive. It's all about balance. It's like we talked about earlier with the gym analogy, your downtime, that's when those muscles actually grow.

And it's when you get amazing downloads, and skyrocketing creativity, and problem solving. According to neuroscience, and my personal experience, and what I've seen from my clients. But you know what else? When you constrain yourself to do less, it forces you to think smarter and wiser. You innovate. You become more resourceful.

It's those new ways of thinking that open up revenue pathways you've never considered. When you constrain your time, you unlock your creativity. And that's where your next breakthrough begins. I heard an [00:18:00] interview once, which I think was with Jack White of the White Stripes. Don't quote me on that. I do have a tendency to mix up names, but I rarely forget a good moral.

So here it is. He said that he would purposely practice with one string out of tune on his guitar to force his creativity in ways that he wouldn't otherwise consider. The moral is that often, less is more, and constraint breeds creativity. Paradoxical, but true. I'm realizing this is kind of the opposite of what I was saying on the personal front.

Because there I said sprints of doing more increases your capacity. But here I'm saying that doing less also increases your capacity. Especially for creating value, which of course is what creates money. I love paradox. They're, they're everywhere. Now, I have received some positive feedback about the short hot takes episodes that I've been [00:19:00] putting out lately, so I might just go to a twice weekly episode format.

I don't know. Now is where I'd really love to hear from you. It's your chance to make your voice heard. Go ahead and leave me a review on Apple, and tell me what you like most about the current podcast, the things you don't want me to change, and of course, if you have anything that you'd like to see in the future, let me know that too.

Okay, enough about the podcast. Something else we'll be changing up is the sum of the business model. Typically, I've had my mastermind program, and my private coaching. But, we had such a blast with the Black Friday Week promotion, and I know that the people on my list did, too, because they told me. So, watch this space for something similar, happening again this spring or summer, Because I'm going to start releasing more of these surprise offers that you can't get [00:20:00] any other time of the year.

For me, it was really just fun and energizing and they were really well received, so I want to provide more of that for you. And then we will also be launching the new advanced mastermind, Power and Potency. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you can see the details by going to the Uncommon Way website under Coaching Services and then click Advanced Mastermind in the drop down.

We'll also link to it in the show notes. But I know many of you know exactly what it is because you have told me how much you would love to be a part of it. In fact, I think that is the The offer that gets the most interest, and I haven't even actually launched it yet. I love it. And I mean, yeah, why wouldn't it be interesting, right?

We are going to be meeting in amazing global destinations, and the focus of our work will be like anything that I have ever heard [00:21:00] of, personally. But enrollment will be limited. You won't be ready without the work in the accelerator, so you want to get in the accelerator now. Some of you have told me, oh, I can't wait until I get to the point where I can just play in business and life like it says on your landing page.

But That play, it doesn't come about because you are earning 7 figures or 8 or any other figure than what you're making right now, which is where most high achievers brains go. Oh, if I hit this specific number, that's when I'll be able to finally relax and breathe. That is not how it works. You are able to play when it has really sunk into your bones that you are the creator in your life.

When you know that you just get to make shit up, and you know you can create whatever you [00:22:00] want to create because you trust yourself to accomplish and manifest your goals. You step into being the woman who finally understands how you create your best results. Not how other people tell you to, but what truly works best for you.

You're no longer afraid of your superpowers. And of course, your business is set up for that kind of play, too. If you're running around like a chicken with its head cut off, doing all the things, you are not going to be able to play. Even when you get to seven or eight figures, you'll still be embodying the same patterns because they're so habituated.

So, wherever you want to go, it starts now, my friend, not later. And if you want that kind of lifestyle, start the training for it now. Join us in the Clarity Accelerator. So that's it, my main personal focus for 2025, and the three [00:23:00] things, I guess, let's see, the podcast, more spontaneous promotions, yes, and power and potency, and the three business efforts and priorities going forward for me there.

Okay, my friend, it has been so fun catching up. Don't forget to leave me a review telling me what you like most about this podcast that you want me to carry into its next iteration. Bye for now.

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.

Jenna Harrison 1/7/25 Jenna Harrison 1/7/25

Ep 131: Break Out of the Fishbowl: Reinvent Yourself This Way to Fast-Track Business Growth as a Woman Entrepreneur

What if reinventing yourself is the first and most important step in reaching your next level in business, because the other dominos will follow naturally?

For women entrepreneurs, our old ways of thinking, acting and choosing often create unseen barriers—find out how the reinvention process can help you radically transform your results naturally.

Episode Summary

What if reinventing yourself is the first and most important step in reaching your next level in business, because the other dominos will follow naturally?

For women entrepreneurs, our old ways of thinking, acting and choosing often create unseen barriers—find out how the reinvention process can help you radically transform your results naturally.

In this episode, you will:

Learn a powerful mental shift that helps you break free from autopilot thinking, opening the door to opportunities you may never have considered.
Uncover the hidden reasons why so few women-owned businesses reach seven figures and the actionable steps you can take to rewrite your story and create extraordinary results.
Discover how reinvention can lead to sudden, transformative shifts that unlock exponential growth in your business

Hit play now to start your reinvention journey—you won’t believe what’s waiting for you on the other side.

Episodes Mentioned:

93. The 1,2,3 of Reinventing Yourself and Realigning Your Business for Next Level Success As Women Entrepreneurs

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to dial in signature offers and strategies and a first-rate mindset.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] What if reinventing yourself was the key for unlocking next level success in your business? Because then all the rest will come naturally.

Here's your host, top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.

Welcome, welcome back to the uncommon way. I've got a little hot take for you today, a short, but sweet episode. And our [00:01:00] focus starts from this one simple truth. You can't create new results with the same brain you have today. We are all living in our own fishbowls, thinking within the same limits we've always had, and missing out on the endless possibilities just beyond our mental frames of reference.

And if you want to level up in life or business, you've got to break out of that fishbowl and start thinking in new ways. In this episode, you're going to learn a powerful mental shift that helps you break free from autopilot thinking, opening the door to opportunities you may never have considered.

You'll uncover the hidden reasons why so few women owned businesses reach seven figures, and the actionable step you can take to rewrite your story and create extraordinary results. And you will discover how reinvention can lead to sudden transformative shifts that unlock exponential growth in your business.

Right now, your brain is running on [00:02:00] autopilot. It's filtering everything through old lenses. Mine too. It's not our fault. Our biology is wired that way for survival. Your mind is trying to protect you, it's pushing you to repeat the behaviors and beliefs and ways of thinking that have worked so far. But, that same autopilot is also what's keeping you stuck where you are.

Stuck playing smaller than you need to be and holding back from the growth that you're capable of. So a great example of this comes from my client Carrie. She was stuck in a scarcity mindset, believing that her clients wouldn't pay more for her services. What she didn't realize was that this belief had infiltrated her website copy, her offers, and even her energy in conversations with potential clients.

She wasn't seeing the invisible ceiling that she had created for herself. She thought she was living in a world that was just the way that it was. Whereas, my client [00:03:00] Lauren had a different challenge. She prided herself on always accomplishing her goals. Which sounds fantastic, right? But this belief actually held her back from taking risks, because the fear of failure kept her in her comfort zone.

Reinvention is about identifying and then breaking through those mental blocks. We always run smack into the parts of us that most need to heal or be released or transcended, I've found. It is part of the entrepreneurial journey, especially for women, because our society has conditioned us to avoid risk, to downplay our gifts, and to keep giving without charging what we're worth.

And those patterns don't just vanish because we want them to. They're baked into how we move through the world. That is why only 2 percent of women owned businesses hit the seven figure mark, while 30 percent of men owned businesses do. But here's the good news. This reinvention [00:04:00] process works. In fact, it works so well that I've made it the very first module in my Clarity Accelerator program.

I prioritize it because of the mind blowing transformation it brings. I have seen women blow past business goals they have had for years. I've seen them build their dream businesses in record time. And it all starts with being willing to reinvent yourself. Even though it can feel really scary and uncomfortable.

Hey! If you want true clarity about your secret sauce, your people, your best way of doing business, and how you talk about your offer, then I invite you to join us in the Clarity Accelerator. I'll teach you to connect all the dots, the dots that have always been there for you, so that you can show up like you were born for exactly this.

Come join us and supercharge every other tool or tactic you'll ever learn from Facebook ads to manifestation Just go to the uncommon way comm slash schedule and [00:05:00] set up a time to talk I can't wait to be your coach. So how do we begin this reinvention? Let's dive into just one powerful practice you can start today, reframing possibilities.

Now you might have heard this before, but we're going to look at it a little differently. We're going to look back to your past. Look back on your life and identify five things you never considered were options until hindsight made them obvious that they were. So, for instance, did you ever consider not going to college, or not finishing college once you'd started?

It turns out that was a possibility you didn't even realize you had. This exercise, it isn't just nostalgia, it's a thought game to see how much your perspective has already broadened over time. If that was a possibility in the past, imagine what could happen if you intentionally expanded your thinking for the future.

When it comes to business, this [00:06:00] kind of mental stretching can unlock extraordinary opportunities. I'm doing this regularly, my clients are doing this regularly. I remember a client who wanted to grow her membership, but secretly she didn't want to be seen. She considered herself more of a behind the scenes person and a certain type of person, but that hidden resistance, it affected her marketing decisions and her ability to connect with her audience.

And once she recognized it and rewired it, her results skyrocketed. Specifically, a goal that she had wanted since she started her business happened within a couple of months. This is just the tip of the iceberg. In the full episode, I reveal even more steps to help you reinvent not only your mindset, but also your entire approach to business.

We explore how to shift from have to thinking, doing what feels expected or necessary, to yes and energy, where you create a business you are [00:07:00] genuinely excited about. And what else? Because when you're in that kind of alignment, you don't just show up differently. You draw in clients, opportunities, and results that feel almost magical.

Ready to dive deeper? Head over to episode 93, the one, two, three of reinventing yourself and realigning your business for next level success as women entrepreneurs. We're going to link to that in the show notes, and it'll give you the exact tools and strategies to step into your most visionary, empowered self.

Trust me, this could be the reinvention. You didn't even realize you need it. See you next week.

Support at The Uncommon Way 12/31/24 Support at The Uncommon Way 12/31/24

Ep 130: The Neuroscience of Overworking and How Women Entrepreneurs Can Break Free to Scale Sustainably

Do you find yourself overworking and stressing about your business, believing it's what’s necessary to succeed?

This episode will show you what’s behind that impulse and how to override it so you can create simpler, more effective business growth.

Episode Summary

Do you find yourself overworking and stressing about your business, believing it's what’s necessary to succeed?

This episode will show you what’s behind that impulse and how to override it so you can create simpler, more effective business growth.

In this episode, you will:

Unlock the key to turning chaotic, overwhelming patterns into calm, productive actions that feel effortless and aligned.
Discover the brain's hidden bias that keeps you overworking and learn how to override it to achieve simpler, more sustainable business growth.
Realign your mindset and business practices to embrace ease and simplicity without sacrificing success or impact.

Unlock the path to ease and sustainable growth—hit play now to discover how simplicity can transform your business and life.

Episodes Mentioned:

Ep# 98:Detox From Overwhelmed Hot Mess To Create More Easeful Business Growth as Women Entrepreneurs With Lauren Dito

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to dial in signature offers and strategies and a first-rate mindset.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] Are there times where you feel like you're just running around like a complete hot mess? It turns out the key to stepping out of that lies in one simple, but surprising shift.

You're listening to the Uncommon Way Business and Life Coaching Podcast. The podcast that helps women entrepreneurs get clear on signature offers and strategies for success. That's sell themselves so you can lean back and stop the hustle. You will learn to maximize your mindset, messaging, and strategy, and step into the uncommonly successful business and life you are creating.

Here's your host, top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.

Welcome. Welcome back to the uncommon way. Are there times where you feel like you are just running around like a complete hot mess? It turns out the key to stepping [00:01:00] out of that lies in one simple but surprising shift. Today I'm taking you through a short but transformative journey of mindset detox and business reinvention, where chaos turns into calm, controlled, and highly productive action.

You will unlock the key to turning chaotic, overwhelming patterns into calm, productive actions that feel effortless and aligned. You'll discover the brain's hidden bias that keeps you overworking. And learn how to override it to achieve simpler, more sustainable business growth. And you'll realign your mindset and business practices to embrace ease and simplicity without sacrificing success or impact.

So imagine this, you've built a business you care about, you've poured yourself into it, yet it still feels like a grind. And you're holding on to old patterns like overworking or overcomplicating because deep down your brain thinks that they are the safest way to succeed, that you need them in order to succeed.[00:02:00]

But here's the thing, it's a trap. The reason it's so hard to let go of those behaviors is that your mind has a built in bias to favor what's already worked for you. Now imagine I'm saying worked with air quotes because it might actually be limiting your growth. But it's kept you alive until now. This bias is wired into us.

It's called the confirmation bias, and it makes it hard to step into something new, even when we know the old way isn't serving us anymore. It tells us that whatever we're currently doing, whatever currently working, is the best and the safest way. Now this was really important for our survival, but in today's time and in this business that you're running, it leads to self sabotage.

Because you end up repeating the same actions over and over, including stressing yourself out, overthinking decisions, and believing that only through sheer effort can [00:03:00] you achieve success. And then you end up working more and more. Sound familiar? But what if the exact opposite were true? What if business itself didn't have to be hard?

What if the most aligned successful businesses are actually built on simplicity? Reinvention isn't about starting from scratch. It's about realigning your business in ways that will support you, and clearing out all the mental clutter that's holding you back. You don't need to burn down everything you've built, you just need to tweak the way you're approaching it.

Too many entrepreneurs stay in this trap of hustling, even when it's draining them. And there's a little function in the brain called prediction error that we can actually chart through fMRIs. Neuroscience has shown us that before you take any action, your brain is already predicting the outcome. And when you do something that doesn't match its prediction, your brain sends out an uncomfortable buzz.

It's like an alarm going off. [00:04:00] And it pushes you to revert to other older behaviors, even if they no longer serve you. And as we know, when we first try something new in entrepreneurism, it doesn't always go exactly as we want. But that doesn't mean we should stop doing it. Maybe you have a time where you've taken a day off, and then the next day it just feels like it's All hell breaks loose, and of course you interpret that and say, well, I shouldn't do that again, right?

Look what happens when I don't work enough. But that's not actually true. It's just an interpretation. Luckily, once you're aware of it, you can override it. You can start making new decisions that are aligned with the life and business you actually want to create, not the one you've been stuck in. And the more you do it, the more evidence you'll gather that things can be simple, that you don't have to work 24 7 to see results.

In fact, you can have three day work weeks and still grow your business. Lauren, [00:05:00] one of my clients, is a perfect example of this. She started out in a place that many of us recognize, running around, trying to keep all the balls in the air, convinced that if she didn't hustle constantly, everything would fall apart.

But through working together, she learned to release that old mindset and embrace a simpler way of doing things. I no longer felt the need to make things difficult as a sign of success, she says. And the moment she started shifting her approach, she saw results. Clients came in, her processes became easier, and her business started to flow in ways she just hadn't imagined before.

You can hear her tell the story herself and learn the insight she shares in episode 98, which is called Detox from Overwhelmed Hot Mess to Create More Easeful Business Growth as Women Entrepreneurs. With Laura in detail. We are going to link to it in our show notes, so you can get to it really easily, because it's definitely worth a listen.

But this shift is available to you. Reinventing your business [00:06:00] doesn't mean starting from scratch, like I said. It just means stepping into a new way of being, where you allow things to be simpler. And trust me, that is where the magic happens. Now here's a thought experiment. What if the ways you've always done things, the ways that have felt safe and familiar, aren't actually the best ways?

What if there's a simpler path to success that's been available to you all along, but you've been too caught up in the hustle to see it? That is the invitation I'm offering today. Start by repeating this belief. Things can be simple. Things are becoming simpler for me. Even if it doesn't feel entirely true yet, just saying it begins to shift your brain.

You're no longer stuck in the old patterns. Because you're giving your mind permission to gather different evidence and explore a new way of being. And once you do, once you actually lean into it and start changing your behaviors and changing your [00:07:00] business, the results will speak for themselves. You'll find that, yes, you can work less and still make more money.

You can simplify your processes and still create incredible value for your clients. And best of all, you will feel lighter and more powerful and more in control of your business and your life. So, what if success doesn't have to be complicated? What if you just need to start believing things can be simple and then allow yourself to step into that truth?

That is the shift that I would love to help you make. And if you want to step into it faster, better, and more easily, then come join me in the Clarity Accelerator. Well, you'll have my personal support as well as the support of a select group of women entrepreneurs like Lauren who get it and are working towards the same thing.

Together, we'll create a business that's not just successful, but elegantly simple, amplifying your [00:08:00] most valuable superpowers and fully aligned with the life that you want to live. See you next time.

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 uncommon way. com. See you next time.

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Ep 129: Shifting from Scarcity: A New Approach for Women Entrepreneurs to Redefine Their Money Story

Are you unknowingly letting scarcity rule your business decisions?

Many women entrepreneurs unknowingly let the fear of being without money hold them back and limit growth, but this episode provides strategies to foster abundance and success.

Episode Summary

Are you unknowingly letting scarcity rule your business decisions?

Many women entrepreneurs unknowingly let the fear of being without money hold them back and limit growth, but this episode provides strategies to foster abundance and success.

In this episode, you will:

Uncover hidden ways scarcity may be silently sabotaging your business growth.
Learn how subtle shifts in language and mindset can unlock dramatic increases in clients, revenue, and time freedom.
Leave with a powerful evaluation technique to unlock opportunities that currently feel beyond your reach.

Episodes Mentioned

Ep #116. Breaking From Scarcity: 3 Powerful Tips for Women Entrepreneurs Rewriting Their Money Story from Lack to Abundance

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to dial in signature offers and strategies and a first-rate mindset.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] Listen, you are never just saving money. You're saving money and spending time.

You're listening to the uncommon way, business and life coaching podcast, the podcast that helps women entrepreneurs get clear on signature offers and strategies that sell themselves. So you can lean back and stop the hustle. You will learn to maximize your mindset, messaging, and strategy, and step into the uncommonly successful business.

and life you are creating. Here's your host, top ranked business coach and reformed overanalyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.

Welcome. Welcome back to the uncommon way. In today's hot take, we're talking about leaving scarcity behind for good. Particularly money scarcity, where you feel like [00:01:00] money's really tight, or that it soon will be if you don't watch out, you are going to see some hidden ways that scarcity sabotages your business.

You'll learn how subtle shifts in language and mindset can unlock dramatic increases. In clients, revenue and time freedom, and you'll walk away with an evaluation technique that will open up opportunities that currently seem out of reach. You know, actually, I can spot scarcity right away in how someone sets their pricing or talks to their clients, or even just in the everyday way they talk.

For instance, if I ask someone to tell me about why their offer so great and the first thing out of their mouth is. Oh, it's a really great price. Then I know right away that their primary focus is on low priced things. And so they think that that's important to everyone. And if you're [00:02:00] operating from a place of fear or neediness, it shows and your clients will feel it too on some level.

But the kicker is that when you're in a scarcity mindset, you end up working harder for less. Which ironically creates exactly what you're trying to avoid. Less money, less time, and more stress. It is time to leave scarcity behind, whether that scarcity is clients, money, or time. It's quarter four. It's time we explore how scarcity influences every decision you make and how it impacts the clients and opportunities you attract.

One of my clients was a perfect example of this. She was charging 65 an hour for her services, wondering why she couldn't seem to get ahead and thinking the problem was that she didn't know how to market herself well on specific platforms. Like next door, but after a quick glance at her [00:03:00] website and asking her a few quick questions, I knew it had nothing to do with the platform.

I knew it was all about her mindset and specifically her belief that money was so tight that it must be for everyone else too. And she was projecting that onto prospective clients. Once she shifted that, she confidently started offering 6, 500 packages, and the opportunities then flowed in. I talk more about that in an episode that I'll link to.

Listen, you are never just saving money. You're saving money and spending time. Or spending something else. Maybe worry. Like if you buy a cheaper car but you're always worried it's going to break down. There's a cost. But in scarcity mode, we value money over all else. Why? Time is the most limited resource, not money.

[00:04:00] Money is renewable. You can grow more of it, in probably a million ways. So what if you stopped undervaluing your time and started making decisions based on both time and money? This shift can be the key to unlocking a work life balance that you never thought possible. It can also create money because let's say you invest in a coach or mentorship program or a degree.

Yes, it costs you something, but whenever you can make money quicker, you then make more money in the long run, thanks to compounding interest or the investment potential of that money. Scarcity is often more about perception than reality. You might think you don't have enough time or money or whatever, but your brain's only offering you one perspective.

As Lynn Twist explains in her book, The Soul of Money, your experience of [00:05:00] scarcity or abundance is tied to how you perceive your circumstances. For instance, there are people around the world with much less who feel less scarcity than you. They feel more abundant than you. While some of the wealthiest people feel even more scarcity than you.

It's not necessarily what you have, it's how you think about what you have. We often say, I can't afford it, when the real truth is, I don't want to spend money on this. And that knee jerk language not only keeps you in the story of your scarcity, but it also keeps you from examining the truth about why maybe you don't want to spend money on that.

Your language either reinforces scarcity or helps you shift towards sufficiency. If you are struggling to move from scarcity to abundance, don't worry. It's a big leap. Start by focusing on what you do have [00:06:00] and move forward from a place of sufficiency. Sufficiency meaning you really do have enough. You may not be at abundance yet, which is more than you need.

But you do have what you need. That is the first step to abundance, my friend, and this powerful yet simple mindset shift could transform how you relate to money, time, and opportunity. If you're ready to go deeper on this topic, and you want to learn practical tips and more mindset shifts that even billion dollar companies rely on, tune in to episode 116, Breaking From Scarcity.

Three powerful tips for women entrepreneurs rewriting their money story from lack to abundance. It's going to help you recalibrate and really create the space for what truly matters in your life.

Thanks for joining us here at the [00:07:00] uncommon way. If you want more tips and resources for developing clarity in your business in life, including the clarity first strategy for growing and scaling your business, visit the uncommon way. com. See you next time.

$Ep# 128: Holiday Time Off? 3 Mindset Hacks to Ditch the Guilt and Let Yourself Rest Now (and Beyond).0\$

Support at The Uncommon Way 12/17/24 Support at The Uncommon Way 12/17/24

Ep# 128: Holiday Time Off? 3 Mindset Hacks to Ditch the Guilt and Let Yourself Rest Now (and Beyond).0\

Are you caught in a cycle of constant to-dos, wishing you could take more guilt-free breaks and truly enjoy the holiday season?

As the year-end chaos ramps up, this episode shows you how to break free from doing it all and embrace a balanced, joyful life for 2025.

Episode Summary

Are you caught in a cycle of constant to-dos, wishing you could take more guilt-free breaks and truly enjoy the holiday season?

As the year-end chaos ramps up, this episode shows you how to break free from doing it all and embrace a balanced, joyful life for 2025.

In this episode, you will:

Discover the powerful shift that allows you to truly rest and recharge without guilt, setting the stage for a healthier, more balanced life.
Learn how to rewrite the "invisible contract" dictating your responsibilities, enabling you to embrace freedom and create your own rules.
Unlock a transformative technique to quiet the urge to "do more," breaking the cycle of overwork and creating space for genuine renewal.

Press play now to learn how to turn this holiday season into a time of true restoration and step into 2025 with clarity and energy!

Schedule a call with Jenna about joining the Clarity Accelerator--the same mastermind that we talk about in this episode--to dial in signature offers and strategies and a first-rate mindset.

https://www.theuncommonway.com/schedule

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Full Episode Transcript:

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] What if you could make a critical investment in your future business and life this holiday season, all from the comfort of your sofa, and it wouldn't cost you a cent.

You're listening to the Uncommon Way Business and Life Coaching Podcast, the podcast that helps women entrepreneurs get clear on signature offers and strategies. That's sell themselves so you can lean back and stop the hustle. You will learn to maximize your mindset, messaging, and strategy, and step into the uncommonly successful business and life you are creating.

Here's your host, top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.

Welcome, welcome back to the uncommon way. Wow, it's the end of the year. [00:01:00] How did that happen? As a business owner, it probably means end of year accounting. Maybe you're planning to launch something in 2025 and you're prepping now, you're making purchase decisions to help with write offs, and maybe it's a big sales month since your clients are looking to spend down some budget or create their own write offs.

It's a busy time. Not to mention whatever you have going on personally. Hosting family get togethers, buying presents, and if you have children, then you're helping with holiday parties or planning out whatever you're going to do with them over the vacay. And I've got a note for those of you that are listening to this episode later in the year.

Probably, you've still got a ton going on, right? Funny how that happens. So in this episode, we are going to try to sort out how you could possibly let yourself take a beat during all of this madness. How can you let yourself rest without feeling guilty [00:02:00] the whole time? Because yeah, we all know the benefits of some off time, at least you do if you've hung around here for a minute.

You know it creates a better life, a healthier life emotionally and physically. And it helps us accelerate in our careers because the most valuable parts of our brain are only accessible when we're grounded rather than all activated. But knowing something and actually doing something are two different things.

That's why in this episode, you will discover the powerful shift that allows you to truly rest and recharge without guilt, setting the stage for a healthier, more balanced life. You will learn how to rewrite the invisible contract, dictating your responsibilities, enabling you to embrace freedom and create your own rules.

And you'll unlock a transformative technique to quiet that urge to do more, breaking the cycle of overwork and creating space for genuine [00:03:00] renewal. But first, how are you doing? What plans do you have coming up? I am coming off a busy period here with the Black Friday promotion. We just did. It was the first time, so there was a good chunk of learning involved, but also, we live next to a construction project, so the new curriculum that I wanted to create, it all has to be recorded at nighttime.

And, good news, my mom is here visiting for six weeks, which is amazing. Dylan's about to get off school. For the holidays, we have more time here than in the typical U. S. schools, since Little Christmas is such a big part of this celebration, so he'll have about three weeks. And of course, we'll have to find lots of ways to keep him active and entertained.

So one thing we're doing is a trip to Austria, to Salzburg, where Mozart's from, to enjoy the Christmas market. And they apparently have Gorgeous one. And there are Christmas markets here too, but it's not the same as a snowy, wintery Christmas market, you know? And [00:04:00] then the coup de grace is in January when we are taking Dylan on a surprise trip to see Santa Claus in Finland.

There's a Santa's Village right on the Arctic Circle, and they offer reindeer sledding and northern lights viewing, and they're igloos, and they bundle you up in these, like, special thick weather protector suits so you look like the Michelin Man. I've heard that it is amazing. And since Dylan is seven now, I thought, it's now or never.

Right, his joy and excitement is going to be like, oh, it just gives me so much pleasure in advance. It's like a mom's dream, really. And they say money can't buy love, but it can buy some really magical experiences. I'm so excited. But I never would have created this for myself, for my family, if I'd stayed in my working harder not wiser patterns.

So let's talk about one of the key [00:05:00] components of creating your own work life balance. Decompressing. Mental and physical time away from your business, and also away from the rush and the stress in general. Cause that can show up in so many areas of your life. And we don't just want to transfer from business busy to personal busy.

That's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about true resets. Because true balance isn't about doing all the things. It's about knowing when to pause and let the world keep spinning. So let's get into some tips. Number one, schedule it. You don't go from full speed to stop just like that. You know this.

You've got some ingrained habits, girl. Both patterns of thinking and patterns of being. Such as what it takes for your nervous system to feel safe and calm. Really, how many times have you finally gotten to that remote destination you've been looking [00:06:00] forward to, and you're laying there in the hammock with a drink at your side?

And found it almost impossible to just sit there. You're like, was there something I forgot? You pick up the phone, you put it down, you pick it back up. You decide, I just, I just want to take a walk and go explore a bit. So I'm saying this with love, you're probably not going to rest if you don't schedule it regularly and commit to that schedule right from the get go.

Otherwise, you'll just forget to do it. Ask me how I know. Or when the time comes, your brain will come up with a different idea. Maybe it'll be, if I just get this done first, well then I can take a break. When I first start working with a client who wants to break this patterning, we start like this. We've got to create some new ways of thinking and some new experiences of rest or downtime.

If we ever hope that our brains will be convinced to continue. Because [00:07:00] how's it going to know what's available on the other side if you never give it a chance to experience it first? And then next we work on how to lean into those decisions and stay committed without forcing them through willpower.

Here's one trick for something simple to tell yourself. I scheduled this now for a reason. Using my cerebral cortex. the highest part of my brain, and I like my reason for doing so. I'm not going to deviate from that just because the emotional centers of my brain are pinging now and they're leading me in the direction of something else at this moment.

I'm going to stay true to what I decided because I liked what I decided. A really simple mantra you can use to remind yourself of why you're doing it as you go through the week or weeks is Rest isn't a reward, it's a strategic investment in the life that I want to create. And good news, [00:08:00] what you schedule, that's totally up to you.

Just scheduling something's already a win. It isn't a contest, it's a pattern interrupter. So what's needed will look different for everyone. It may be that you are taking an hour each morning to go for a walk, or sit there with a cup of tea for a half hour looking out the window. Maybe it is a morning at a spa every few days, who knows?

But also, maybe it's just little tiny breaks of even two minutes throughout your day, maybe every two hours where you just take two To close your eyes, breathe deeply, and really feel slowness. Or maybe it's something like, after a meal, each time, I'm going to rest for 20 minutes. I'm not going to just rush straight in to cleaning up dishes.

You get to decide. You get to call the shot. Hey, if you want true clarity about your secret sauce, [00:09:00] your people, your best way of doing business, and how you talk about your offer, then I invite you to join us in the Clarity Accelerator. I'll teach you to connect all the dots, the dots that have always been there for you, so that you can show up like you were born for exactly this.

Come join us and supercharge every other tool or tactic you'll ever learn from Facebook ads to manifestation Just go to the uncommon way comm slash schedule and set up a time to talk. I can't wait to be your coach All right. Let's talk about number two I suggest that you create a temporary time out rulebook.

So this is going to be a set of temporary rules just for the holiday season. We're looking at a short time frame like this for a reason. It is a brain hack. It's easier to stomach this if it's just temporary. Anybody can do something for just a short period of time, right? It's not life [00:10:00] changing. You don't have to worry about this.

You're just experimenting with it. So, feel free to let everyone know that you are trying this and enlist their support. You can tell people that's what you really want for the holidays, support to give yourself a break and replenish for the year ahead, because here's what's going on. A part of your brain thinks that you have created a contract.

A contract with your clients, your team, your children, friends, community, your relatives, and your spouse. As if you're all on the same page about exactly what a good fill in the blank should do. A good consultant, a good boss, a good mom, a good daughter, a good partner. And so when you tell these very people about your plan, you can feel like, okay, I am temporarily renegotiating our contract.

But, between you and me, this [00:11:00] contract, it doesn't actually exist. The invisible rules that you're following, They were made up. You get to write your own contract. Now in fairness, these rules, they don't come from nowhere. You have internalized lots of observations from your parents and movies and people in your social circle and social media, and you've internalized things that people have said or written over the years.

But your brain took these snippets and then tied them all together and made a bunch of meaning about it. If I act this way and do these things, people will approve of me. And, if I act this way and do these things, I will approve of me. I'll consider myself a badass and better than those sloths who just lay around.

If I just do enough and satisfy enough, I'll be worthy. I'll feel like I've done what I can to control [00:12:00] this crazy world and this uncertainty that I feel about my business and the desperate fear that I feel deep down about not being loved or being abandoned or going broke or that my children will grow up to be bad people or that something terrible will happen to them, that there will be some sort of retribution because I Didn't do enough.

It is exhausting, isn't it? Because you are running a race you can't win, that you'll never win. Because you are the judge and you keep moving the finish line. I'll never forget this one moment when I realized how my own fears and beliefs were making my life so much more difficult than it needed to be. I was at my wit's end because it was so challenging taking care of my one and a half year old full time and building my business too.

And yet I was so concerned [00:13:00] about creating a secure attachment and believing that I had to spend quantity, not just quality, but quantity with my child. Now, my friend who was from Sweden was so shocked when I was talking about this because Children routinely go into daycare at one or so there, and nobody worries that this, in any way, creates an attachment disorder or abandonment issues.

And now, it took me a good six months before I could finally let myself try daycare, and then it was only for a few hours a few days a week. But, I was surprised to see just how much my child flourished and loved all the extra stimulation, and how our time together improved so much at the same time. Okay, here's another one.

Beauty standards. I remember when I was young, wanting slim hips and a flat behind and large breasts, because that's what we aspired to in the 80s. But [00:14:00] then I went to Greece, and I was told, oh, I would have the perfect body if only, oh, how unfortunate, my breasts were smaller, and my hips were bigger. And they pointed me to ancient Greek statues depicting the ideal female form.

And sure enough, they had thicker hips and smaller breasts, which interestingly is more in the direction of today's coveted body type. Look at how this type has changed for women back and forth over the ages. Now, I know you know this, but it's just really helpful to bring up at times like these When we're contemplating changing something that just seems so ingrained and natural, and we kind of need to pluck ourselves out of that situation and say, wait a minute, we can see all these other things that aren't necessarily fixed and static, and this is one of them, how we work, how we live our lives.

We've been engrossed in it for [00:15:00] centuries, but this is, it's just a blip. It doesn't have to be real unless we keep making it real. There are no rules except the ones we make up, either by ourselves or what we allow others to dictate for us. We can make our own rule. So what kind of contract do you want to have?

What would life look like realistically for a woman, if you got to decide? Think about your daughter, or a younger woman that you really love. What would be appropriate, or I guess when would it be appropriate for her to feel guilty? What would be realistic and deserved for her, right? Would she have to earn rest?

Or would rest just be a natural and even strategic bodily function like sleep? Okay, you got that picture in your head of how she would be living? Okay, well now what if you allowed yourself to live that? Now, You may [00:16:00] say, I can't write now because of these circumstances. Okay, fine. But if we don't get clear on where we're headed, we'll never actually get there.

So let's just not surrender and say this is the way things are, because we're powerful, powerful beings who can create whatever we want. And remember, you can do all of this guilt free, cuz it's just temporary. They'll be fine. Whomever needs you to do whatever thing for them, they'll be fine. Whatever you are hoping to do or accomplish, it's okay.

You don't have to hover around the kitchen, cleaning up with five other women who really aren't doing anything, because There's no room for them to all be cleaning, but they also don't want to be perceived as lazy or unhelpful, so they prefer to get in the way. No. We want to break those cycles. Let someone else clean up.

Y'all can take turns, right? Tell your clients you're taking time off. [00:17:00] Tell them the thing is going to be late. Let your kids turn their socks inside out and wear them a second time. Whatever you decide, it's okay. Okay, number three. Don't expect this to feel easy. Rest is not easy for people like us. For us independent do it all high achievers, it will feel easier to just get up and do the thing and get it done, or conform to whatever appropriate behavior we're used to, than it will to not do those patterned behaviors.

Bustle about rather than let others do anything will feel better. To check in or write the post, even though maybe nobody's gonna see it. This is why we include somatic work, or body based work, in the Clarity Accelerator, and it helps my clients achieve such emotional mastery. Because patterns aren't just a brain issue, [00:18:00] it's been patterned into your body, too.

And many of my clients, they want to achieve a three day work week while still growing their business. And that is not going to happen without a multi pronged approach. Here's a good way for me to explain it. There's a payoff for our behaviors, right? That's why we do them. So when we're constantly doing, there are all sorts of payoffs.

We've talked about some of them already, right? We, we get to be perceived as superwomen. We We like when people shake their heads in amazement and they're like, whoa. We like when our auntie pats us on the shoulder and says, you do too much, you need to take some time for you. That helps us feel recognized and deserving and competent and valued and so many other things.

But, there's also the payoff to your nervous system. Buzzing about keeps you in a state that feels normal and therefore safe. When you stop that, your body feels unsafe. So yes, traditional [00:19:00] cognitive based coaching helps, but since it's also in your body, you also need to take a body approach to unwinding it.

When you're on the sofa with your feet up, letting your in laws clean the dishes, or maybe for you it looks like you're taking a slow walk through the woods as per your schedule, or whatever you're doing, you might get the urge to bounce back into your normal half. Don't feed the urge, but don't try to suppress it either, because it will just come back stronger.

Instead, feel it. Don't Be like, oh, I hate this. This feels terrible. I don't know how I'm going to do this. Don't build more story around it. Don't stay in your head. Get really curious, like, oh, gosh, interesting. This urge to get up feels really strong. I can feel that kind of in my shoulders, like this ticklish desire to move, I can feel it right there and I can also feel it [00:20:00] in my throat, I don't know, like I want to say something or scream.

And then as you're paying attention to those sensations and what they feel like, and you just keep breathing and you just keep watching it, chances are they tend to dissipate. If not, that's okay. Move around a little, stretch those shoulders, roll that neck back and forth, but make it clear, because you're setting boundaries after all, that you're not interested in switching plans, but you're here for your body and your nervous system as it has a tough time with your decision.

Okay, you got this, let's make the best of this very deeply nurturing holiday period and let's turn it into the most nurturing yet. You now know how. You know the powerful shifts that really allows you to rest and recharge without guilt [00:21:00] and how to rewrite that invisible contract that's dictating all of your responsibilities and how to quiet that urge to do more.

And really break the cycle to create space for something really beautiful in 2025. And really potent and productive in 2025. All right, my friends, I hope you have a wonderful holiday period. I'll be back next week with some pre recorded content that I think you're going to love. It's super short and snappy for you during this time of the year.

Thanks for joining us here at the Uncommon Way. If you want more tips and resources for developing clarity in your business in life, including the Clarity First strategy for growing and scaling your business, visit theuncommonway. com. See you next time.

Jenna Harrison 12/10/24 Jenna Harrison 12/10/24

Ep# 127: 5 Common Mistakes Women Entrepreneurs Make With Clients That Drain Energy & How to Fix Them (MVE)

Are demanding clients draining your time and mental energy, leaving you stuck in your business?

If you're spending too much time dealing with challenging clients and constantly worrying about meeting their needs, it's time to create a balanced relationship with your ideal clients.

Doing so will free up your time and mental space to help more people or focus on growing your business, ultimately leading to greater fulfilment and success.

This episode originally aired on March 30, 2024

Episode Summary

Are demanding or high-needs clients draining your time and mental energy, leaving you stuck in your business?

If you're spending too much time dealing with challenging clients and constantly worrying about meeting their needs, it's time to create a balanced relationship with your ideal clients.

Doing so will free up your time and mental space to help more people or focus on growing your business, ultimately leading to greater fulfilment and success.

In this episode, you will:

1) Gain insight into the root causes of excessive time and energy on challenging clients.

2) Learn practical strategies for attracting and maintaining relationships with ideal clients who respect your boundaries and contribute positively to your business.

3) Develop a mindset shift to confidently say no to clients who are not aligned with your vision. This will allow you to focus on serving those who value your expertise.

Listen to this episode of The Uncommon Way Business and Life Coaching Podcast to discover how to break free from the cycle of draining client relationships and create a thriving business that aligns with your goals.

Episodes Mentioned:

Ep# 91: Q: My clients are exhausting me! How do I break the pattern of difficult clients?

Ep #84: The Surprising Secret to Finding and Attracting Dream Clients Over and Over

Links mentioned:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karpman_drama_triangle

Books mentioned:

https://www.amazon.com/POWER-TED-EMPOWERMENT-DYNAMIC-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B01CV1I84U/

Useful resources for podcasters

www.getmorelisteners.com

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Leave a voicemail for Jenna and get her personalized advice for your business:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/talk

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Full Episode Transcript:

Episode 91 addendum

[00:00:00] Do you find yourself spending a lot of time with challenging clients who are either demanding or they're really taking a lot out of you in order to help them along?

And then you notice you're spending even more time thinking about what's going on with them or what they're thinking about you.

Then let's help you create a balanced relationship with ideal clients so you can free up your time and brain space to help more people or to focus on your business instead of being in your business and or free you up to do more of what you love doing outside of your business. Stick around.

You're listening to the Uncommon Way Business and Life Coaching Podcast. The podcast that helps women entrepreneurs get clear on signature offers and strategies that sell themselves, so you can lean back and stop the hustle. You will learn to maximize your mindset, messaging and strategy [00:01:00] and step into the uncommonly successful business.

And life you are creating. Here's your host, top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.

Hello, everyone. Welcome back to The Uncommon Way. This is not just a week since I talked to you. It's a couple days since I talked to you because I'm re recording this episode. And I really want to give a huge to you. Thank you to my production and editing team that has moved everything so that they can get this episode out to you on time.

We had a technical snafu. We've been having a lot of those this week. We're not even in Mercury Retrograde. Not sure what's going on, but I do know I'm not the only business, so I hope it hasn't been affecting you too, whatever's going around, but anyway, James, thank you from the bottom of my heart. James, my editor.[00:02:00]

Thank you. Any of you that have podcasts, now that I'm thinking about it, you have got to check out the Get More Listeners Academy. They are a great podcast coach for really helping you create new results with your podcast. They also do editing and production, and they have an amazing podcast for podcasters with very tactical advice that I'll link to in the show notes.

Okay. We've got a really special episode for you today because this is the first one in which I get to create a personalized episode for one of my listeners. Knowing that whatever one of you asks, so many others of you are thinking or needing help with, and so it's so win win for all of us. If you've been with me for a while, you might know that the reason I started this podcast was really to be able to help people for free, people that may never be able to join me in the programs. And so being able to provide equitable coaching in this [00:03:00] way is such a gift. And I know that it's going to benefit so many of you because we all have so many similar themes coming up, no matter what level we're at in business.

Now, just to let you know how this goes in case you're new around here, I always respond with some very tactical something that you can actually do, but also mindset coaching or advice because that's really at the base of everything. You almost sometimes don't even need the tactical tips if you have this mindset piece dialed in.

And then also I'm always going to give you just a little bit of wisdom that's a little more out there. Thanks Or woo, because you never know, right? Now, I don't necessarily know how all those woo things work, but I do know what works after years of coaching women around the world on their businesses and seeing these same themes happen again and again and again.

So, I don't hold anything back from my clients just [00:04:00] because I'm afraid they'll think I'm a little weird, and so I'm not gonna hold anything back from you either. Okay, let's listen in to the voicemail that our listener, Peggy, left me.

Hey Jenna, I love the idea of working fewer hours in my business, but I find that I'm still spending a lot of time with my clients and thinking about how to help them. They message me frequently with all different issues and it feels like I still need to do a lot of the heavy lifting to help them along.

So I get that I have a hand in this too, but I'm trying to figure out what the root problem is. Do I need to change my niche? Is it my messaging? Am I speaking to the wrong people? I don't know. I'm always trying to upgrade my process and explain things more clearly. I thought these maybe were growing pains that I had to give it more time, but I keep noticing this pattern.

I hope you can help. Thanks.

So it's worth looking at where that's coming from. And when you were talking, Peggy, about the different root of the problem, and it could be messaging, it could be all of these things. This is really it, where is it really coming from? Sometimes [00:05:00] it's an identity thing. We Harrison's do things this way, or this is the way I am.

I'm this kind of person, or as a Southern women, we show hospitality, it could be so many things. There's that identity piece in there, or we just don't want to be perceived in a certain way, or we want to be liked. Maybe there's scarcity, of losing clients.

If we don't respond in this way.

Or maybe it's the super high performer in us that is safeguarding against any form of failure or being less than perfect. And it certainly aligns with previous ways of how I wanted to see myself.

You are used to a high level of performance in your life, you're used to doing things well, you've probably had people give you extra projects, or you've carried weight for others who weren't as skilled or hardworking as you. And pretty soon, your brain equated that with success. And no [00:06:00] smart brain willingly breaks a pattern of success.

So, it keeps happening, and you get to keep gathering evidence that this is what works.

So unfortunately, we aren't talking in person, Peggy, and I hate to make assumptions,

but I am going to take a guess that this might be something that's going on somewhere else, because it's unusual that we have a dynamic in work relationships that is not mirrored elsewhere.

Hey, if you're a coach who wants true clarity about your secret sauce, your people, your best way of doing business, and how you talk about your offer, then I invite you to join us in the Clarity Accelerator. I'll teach you to connect all the dots. The dots that have always been there for you. So that you can show up like you were born for exactly this.

Come join us and supercharge every other tool or tactic you'll ever learn. From Facebook ads to manifestation. Just go to theuncommonway. com slash schedule and set up a [00:07:00] time to talk. I can't wait to be your coach. My clients will come to me wanting to talk about something completely not business related. And so frequently they'll apologize. I'm sorry, this probably isn't even what we coach on here, but dot, dot, dot. And I say, this is exactly what we coach on here because everything is related. When we are building businesses, we're having an opportunity to see that reflected in so many different areas of our life.

And working on one thing helps us in all of them.

Now, what we might notice is that whatever pattern it is, is really heightened in our work relationships. I remember someone saying once, I thought I'd worked on this. I've learned to set really good boundaries in my relationship, so why am I seeing this come up again now? But this is why entrepreneurship is so great.

It brings out all the areas where we might still have a bit more work to do, because when we [00:08:00] are working on this basic level of survival, which is our brain equates business to survival, right? And we're working on that basic level of the pyramid in Maslow's Hierarchy, it really brings up our shit. And thank God, because then we can heal it, right?

Then we can learn to work through it, move through it, and come out so much different on the other side.

So therefore, here is the mindset homework I'm going to give you. I want you to think through, do you think it's possible

To have clients that are getting great results without that level of involvement from you. Have you done the work to think through what it would be like to have clients like that? Because the thought of it is actually really threatening for a lot of us. You might find yourself getting little flickers of pride where they say, Oh, I don't know what I'd do without you.

Or you're kind of complaining to your partner like, oh, they [00:09:00] need me again, but deep down you kind of feel good that they need you again.

I tell my clients I would love for them to really want me as their coach, but not feel like they need me as their coach. But honey, that took years to get to.

But start walking down that path now, because you've got to come to peace with the thought of working with your ideal clients. Otherwise, you're not going to be able to bring in your ideal clients. And you need to know why they are, in fact, ideal. Otherwise, you'll probably end up giving mixed signals.

Those signals might come through your messaging, or through actions when you start working together.

I remember one client I worked with who was so busy in her business when she came to me and we started reviewing her processes and she was a coach and there were all of these examples where she was having to rearrange calls last minute and try and fit people in it all different times, even when it really wasn't [00:10:00] convenient for her.

She was working hours that have seen them at times that she wouldn't necessarily have in her business hours. manifesting all kinds of love. She was working with them in an unlimited capacity in Foxerd and, and, and, and. I mean, there was just so many ways in which she was just giving them all of her all the time, whenever they needed her.

And there's nothing wrong with the clients for taking that on that availability, because it was offered to them.

But your right people are longing for the same thing you are. They just haven't believed it of themselves, or have been given the opportunity to experience it for themselves.

There's something called the Savior Model that was developed by Stephen Karpman, I believe is his name, in the 60s or so, a psychologist, where he was talking about this kind of general tendency in human dynamics where someone starts being the [00:11:00] savior and someone is the one who needs to be saved, and it was a triad.

And over time, people have really started to think about that model in different ways. In fact, there's a book called, The Power of Ted, which I'll link to, where they were really thinking about how what we're moving into with coaching so much is rather than the persecutor person, , it's really obstacles and challenges in our life, and rather than the savior, it's the coach, someone who's just there to help the hero of the journey, rather than the victim, the hero recognize his or her strengths.

And therefore, we need to take agency and responsibility, and I know you were already doing that, Peggy, but we do need to step back and see in which ways am I contributing? Why would I want that to continue? But also, where am I, actually not helping my clients.

Where might I be [00:12:00] holding them back from stepping into their hero role by keeping them in a place where they need to be saved and I'm the only one who can save them?

And that mindset will slip through in unplanned and unforeseen ways if not addressed. It is amazing how subtle the mind can be and how adeptly it can guide you and you'd be unaware if you weren't looking for it. I've noticed lately I go down and I wait for my son at the bus stop because kindergartners need to have someone actually pick them up right when they get off the bus, so I always have to make sure to be there before the bus.

And when I get down there, there's an electrical box and I notice myself Sitting on the electrical box. Until finally I thought, I sit all day long, why in the world am I sitting on this box every time I come down here? And I realized that my muscles are just used to sitting. Standing takes a little bit more effort.[00:13:00]

Nothing that I would ever notice, but enough so that my brain can just float the thought by me that's like, I'll just sit here. And it happened so subtly and quietly that I don't even realize I've made a decision to sit. It just seemed like the good idea. It seems more comfortable. I'll just sit here. And then that's the direction I go.

And so it's taking concerted effort for me to remain standing at the bus stop while I wait for my son. But I just thought it was such a beautiful example of how we

are so guided by choices that we haven't actually made. And ways of being that we're just used to.

So I have a feeling that you throughout your day are not making these calculated decisions about how, well, I need to do this so they'll like me. Or I need to do this so I can feel like I'm in control. Or I need to do this because if the client doesn't get results, that means X about me. But, if [00:14:00] that's an underlying belief system, it will guide your decisions.

And it will guide your actions, therefore.

So then, and only then, after you've explored that work, then we can get tactical. Because we do want to speak to those people and only those people.

I'm going to be working with a new Facebook ads person, and I was reading through some of her posts on Instagram. She was addressing the question of bonuses. When you have a funnel, at what point, how much do you want to rely on bonuses? And she was saying that people rely too heavily on them.

And that in so doing, they can dilute the value of their product. Which I couldn't agree with more. And the way she said it, though, was, When you fly business class, do you expect a bonus? And what I love about that statement was that she was so clearly talking to her people.

Her [00:15:00] people, obviously, are entrepreneurs who have reached a level of success in their business and they know their people well enough and their messaging well enough and their client journey well enough that they can start to scale that into ads successfully and won't just lose a ton of money on it.

But when I read that as someone who flies business class, it landed for me, eh, but it also helped me feel like she gets me, right? Like she knows exactly how to talk to me

in ways that'll really stick.

So you don't necessarily have to talk to your clients or your prospective clients about how they live their life, but you do have to talk at least about how they move through the world, what they think about what's important to them.

And once you've got that person in mind, you have to do your best to maintain focus.

My son Dylan has ADHD and often right in the middle of a conversation, he'll just break off on a tangent or he'll just leave, he'll [00:16:00] exit the conversation and go look at something in the window, for instance. And the business equivalent of that is when you're speaking to one person and then you slip back into speaking to someone else.

We all do it sometimes, but we want to aim to do it less and less because it breaks resonance for our people. And by that, I'm saying their feelings of safety for moving forward are affected. They probably don't even notice it. It's like that sitting at the bus stop thing, right? They don't notice it consciously, but there's a slight question of is this right for me?

Is this the right program for me or is it really made for other people? So scan the landing pages that you have, scan your website, social media descriptions, and do it with the lens of your ideal client. And, put on those glasses for a minute and just make sure that all of those words are really speaking to that person, , to [00:17:00] you, that you as that prospective client feel like, yes, she's speaking to me.

If you don't have landing pages, then just be aware of it next time you're having a conversation with another human, you're at a networking event, or you're at a conference of some sort. The kinds of things you're talking about?

You can be even more active about this by screening for certain types of people in your discovery calls, on your intake forms, for instance.

If you want, head over to my site and check out mine. You would go to theuncommonway. com forward slash schedule, yes, and then just start booking a free 90 minute roadmap call with me and you'll see all of the questions that I ask my potential clients. And now that you've listened to this episode, you're going to be able to read between the lines and figure out why I'm asking the questions that I ask.

And then from there. I know I'm giving more than one tactical tip, but my mind is moving, right, sequentially. So from there, [00:18:00] you also want to set your people up for success by a strong onboarding process or a video or a PDF or something, or even just a conversation, your first conversation.

You really want to set the tone for how they are going to create their greatest success, right, together with you.

Because they're basically coming into your house, and you're the one that needs to show them where the cups are, where the dishes are, and how to do things around here.

So to recap, I suggested that you check for where you might have a fixer or a savior operating model going on, and then, for the tactical tip, to look over the language that you have and the processes you've put in place from the lens of your ideal client and make sure that it fits. Make sure you're talking to them rather than someone else.

And, find out if you're setting them up to be successful, or [00:19:00] ushering them into a pattern that you relied on in the past that isn't going to serve either of you. And then finally, for the tip that has more to do with energetics, or is a little more woo, are you willing to say no to potential clients who don't seem like they want to or ready to step into the balanced working relationship that you are offering.

Now this one's hard, because when you're wanting to bring on more clients, the last thing you'd think of doing is saying no to people.

But saying no strategically is actually one of the most powerful things that you can do energetically. Because your clarity is what facilitates attraction and magnetism and manifestation. So, I have an episode on that entire subject that I'll link to in the show notes. But I often see people say they want to create this new way of working or being in the world, but they [00:20:00] can't because they're worried they won't find enough of those types of clients, right?

They're not really believing there are enough of those kind of people. Or in their particular niche, or for whatever reason it's not possible for their people. Or maybe they just feel bad saying no to people. So they stay in this loop that's not working for them. But this is the kind of counter logical thing that you need to do.

Even though it's hard for you to say no, you need to say no. It's the only way to get to yes. What happens sometimes is that people set out good intentions. Okay, things are going to be different. Maybe they even change their web copy. But then the next prospective client who comes along seems similar to before, and the person then makes excuses about why to take on just one more, or just this particular person, not realizing that this can significantly delay their [00:21:00] transition.

As if you said, okay universe, here's the new kind of romantic partner I want in my life. But then you keep dating the same old person again and again. The universe is like, really? Is that what you want or is that not what you want? I'm confused. So that's one way to describe it. But another way to look at it is your clarity and your certainty about who you're available for creates a frequency of sorts, an energetic coherence with your right people.

And when your belief, your intention, your confidence, whatever you want to call it, when that wavers, then it's like you're no longer broadcasting the same way. And it's challenging to hold that discomfort of the unknown, of change, right? To calm your nervous system down and lean into trust that what you're looking for is also looking for you.

Or just to believe that you're capable of attracting a person like that because you might have some value [00:22:00] judgment about that kind of person, but this is the work. The fact that you even have the desire. is pointing you to your work. So my advice is to learn to draw a line in the sand where you say, I no longer choose this in my life, and then you mean it.

Say what you mean and mean what you say. It's not a particularly common practice in many areas of the world today, but it is essential for the life you want to lead and the future we are all creating here in this uncommon way community. Okay Peggy, I wish you so much success. And to all of you, you know who you are, and each day you are stepping further into what you're here to create.

Thanks for joining us here at The Uncommon Way. If you want more tips and resources for developing [00:23:00] clarity in your business and life, including the Clarity First strategy for growing and scaling your business, visit TheUncommonWay. com. See you next time.

Jenna Harrison 12/3/24 Jenna Harrison 12/3/24

Ep# 126: 3 Sales Mistakes Women Entrepreneurs Make and How to Fix Them for Ea

Do you wonder if sales conversations and sales in general will ever stop feeling so awkward and just plain hard?

This episode shares three common ways that women entrepreneurs get in their own way with selling, rather than truly connecting with potential clients and inspiring meaningful action.

Episode Summary

Do you wonder if sales conversations and sales in general will ever stop feeling so awkward and just plain hard?

This episode shares three common ways that women entrepreneurs get in their own way with selling, rather than truly connecting with potential clients and inspiring meaningful action.

In this episode, you will:

Discover the surprising reason your sales conversations might be pushing clients away rather than drawing them in—and how a small mindset shift can completely transform the process.
Learn the secret to making your unique expertise irresistible to your ideal clients, so they’re eager to work with you before the pitch is even made.
Tap into an energetic approach that makes selling feel effortless and authentic, creating results that leave you and your clients feeling fulfilled and empowered.

Tune in now to uncover the strategies that will create more enthusiastic buyers and turn sales into a more enjoyable experience.

Episodes Mentioned:

Ep #15: Learning to Diagnose Your Client's Problem

Ep #47: Safeguarding Against Burnout with Rachel Hale

Ep# 125: How to Go From Overworked to Easily Earning Multiple 6 Figures w/ Meg Smidt

Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Leave a voicemail for Jenna and get her personalized advice for your business:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/talk

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Episode Transcription

What if sales were suddenly five times easier and more effective? What would that look like for your bottom line?

You're listening to the uncommon way business and life coaching podcast, the podcast that helps women entrepreneurs get clear on signature offers and strategies that sell themselves. So you can lean back and stop the hustle. You will learn to maximize your mindset, messaging and strategy and step into the uncommonly successful business.

And life you are creating. Here's your host, top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.

Welcome, welcome back to the uncommon way. Today we're talking sales because I want you to be able to enjoy the process of this really magical coming together with your clients. I want them to have great results. I want you to have great results. But so often, we make selling so much harder than it needs to be, and the results we get out of it, and the angst we feel about it, demonstrate that.

But first, I want to thank everyone who was involved with our Black Friday Days of Deals. It was so fun! Fun. And I could really feel your energy and your interest with all the questions that you were sending in and the products you were buying. It was so great to be a part of. It really made me feel a lot closer to you.

And I'm so excited to get to know people personally that I haven't been able to. Before, and I'm so pleased that some of you are going to get your first taste of kind of what we do behind the scenes here at the Uncommon Way and really start to understand the ways in which it's possible to work wiser, not harder.

And because I know that Sally can be so fun and easy. And generate so much important change for your clients and so much profit and growth for you. I thought I'd dissect the sales experience a bit. There are three things that I frequently see women entrepreneurs doing that are making their sales far harder.

So it takes more time for you to sell. It takes more money and resources for you to sell, but it's also extremely aggravating and often demoralizing. But it really doesn't need to be once you implement these key changes, as always, I'll be giving you a tactical tip, a mindset tip, and an energetic tip. You will discover the surprising reason your sales conversations might be pushing clients away rather than drawing them in and how a small mindset shift can completely transform the process.

You'll learn the secret to making your unique expertise irresistible to your ideal clients, so they're eager to work with you before the pitch is even made. And you'll tap into an energetic approach that makes selling feel effortless and authentic, creating results that leave you and your clients feeling fulfilled and empowered.

Okay, here is the tactical mistake that I see. You are solving rather than diagnosing on your calls. What that looks like is you spend a lot of time listening and having them talk about their story and what's going on for them in a sales conversation or online in your content. You're always trying to teach them and maybe talk about their pain points and talk about how much you understand where they're coming from.

Now, none of these things are inherently wrong, but they're just exaggerated. Because then you go into really trying to solve the problem for them, right then and there. You're probably giving them resources, or if you're a coach, you're really coaching them. In your mind, you're thinking, this is it. I've just given them the keys to the kingdom.

I'm giving them all the answers. But in their mind, They're like, whoa, what just happened? They are processing all of this information rather than moving forward in that moment to make a decision about working together. And what that results in is them not being able to make the decision yet. They postpone making the decision.

They leave feeling unsatisfied, even if they can't put their finger on it. Because deep down, what they really wanted was to make a decision. They got on that call with you, or they're having coffee with you, or they're reading your content because they have some issue that they want to solve. And as a service provider, your job is to create the solution for that issue.

If they get on a call with you, they are so excited about the prospect that maybe this issue can get solved. They really want this to work out. They want you to be the one to help them. But instead, they're just left with more things to think through and think over. I also see women just run out of time on their sales call because they spent so long helping the people, and then they kind of have to fit in this very thing at the end where they're actually talking about pricing and decision making, and it all gets condensed, it's kind of thrown out there really quickly, and you haven't created the space to actually help someone through a decision.

If we're just looking at your content, this results in people hanging around forever but never actually moving into the sales call with you or moving into the, the checkout cart in order to make a purchase because yes, you're giving them good information. But you haven't told them what the real problem is and how you specifically solve that issue and how therefore if they do the work, the results are inevitable.

I believe that this all happens because we are significantly undervaluing the power of a really strong diagnosis. And I have an episode on this entire subject of diagnosing. It's one of my earliest episodes, episode 15, but it's one that even just this week, someone told me they were listening to and got so much value from.

So if you haven't listened to that one, definitely go back and listen to this. And since stories are so powerful, I'll tell you one of the stories that I mentioned in that episode. There was a time when my son was younger and I was really concerned about him. He just did not seem to be gelling with other kids on the playground.

In fact, there was this phase where even every time we would pass children on the sidewalk, he would go, Oh no! Kids! Like that. You have to remember, this was a COVID baby who just had not had interaction with, and an only child, so he hadn't had interaction with other children. When things started opening up and we started going to the playground, I was like, Ruh roh!

Like Houston, we've got a problem. But then I talked to a woman, she was a preschool teacher, and she told me, as I told her this story, she said, Oh, I can see he doesn't yet have the skill of entering play. That rocked my world. Look at me, I'm still talking about it today. She gave me such a gift with that sentence, all of a sudden, I knew what we had to work on.

And more than that, I knew there was something that could be worked on. All of a sudden, it felt possible, it felt simple. And I knew that my worst fears, which is that something was wrong with my child, and this was going to have terrible repercussions throughout his life, It turns out those were unwarranted.

I felt an immediate relief, like, I think tears pricked my eyes. I was just so grateful, so reassured. And guess what I did? I said, Can you teach me how to do that? Or us, can you teach us how to do that? And I hired this woman as of my parenting coach. She didn't need to have some long conversation with me about all of her credentials and she didn't have to go into the problem right then and start trying to solve it.

All she had to do was show me that she knew exactly what's going on. And she had a solution. And that it was doable and solvable if we just followed these steps. Oh, I still feel this in my body. I am still grateful. But where we get in our heads is that we don't believe it can be this easy. We think there's something wrong because of the way we've been conditioned if we're not immediately going and solving a person's problem, right?

That's what we're brought up to do. We're meant to make everything better for everybody around us and to serve selflessly and not require any kind of compensation. Like maybe after two days of cooking for Thanksgiving, it's Thanksgiving by the way, when I'm recording those. They don't celebrate it here, but we are picking Dylan up from school, going to the playground, and then going out to dinner.

So maybe after two days of cooking for Thanksgiving, the grandma or the mom or whatever gets a like, good meal, thank you. Right? And we're supposed to be happy with that, because we're giving from our heart, we're doing it because we want to do it. But then we bring that into our business, and it actually backfires.

What would happen if you believed that a diagnosis could be that powerful? And that there was no way possible for you to really help them with the solution in one call. That the service you were providing, still totally doable, still so important to solve this issue and create the solution for them, but that there was some time involved with it.

There was some process that we needed to go through. And one of the most important processes is that they have to say yes to the change. Okay. Thank you. And put some skin in the game, whether that's money or a free offer, and they have to put time into the game. They are co creating this result with you.

Because let me tell you, when you start to believe these things, Then your sales conversations and your content change. They become much more clear. They become much more enigmatic, much more desirable. And the gift you're giving your future clients is that they feel a feeling of relief. Like I just described to you that I felt with that parenting coach.

And then they get to feel safe enough to make the decision that's going to change their life or their business or whatever it is you're helping them with, their parenting relationship, whatever it might be, but you're not going to help them make that change that I know you want to help people with if they don't feel safe to move forward with you and they're just not going to feel safe if you're spending all of your time trying to solve the problem.

Thank you. On a call or in your content, rather than helping them move forward to the solution that they want. Hey, if you want true clarity about your secret sauce, your people, your best way of doing business and how you talk about your offer, then I invite you to join us in the Clarity Accelerator. I'll teach you to connect all the dots, the dots that have always been there for you so that you can show up like you were born for exactly this.

Come join us and supercharge every other tool or tactic you'll ever learn from Facebook ads to manifestation Just go to the uncommon way comm slash schedule and set up a time to talk. I can't wait to be your coach All right, let's talk about mindset The mindset mistake that I see women making is that you don't understand, you really, really don't know that your secret sauce is enough.

So when you deep down don't believe it's enough, you start doing compensatory things. It might look like you are, quote unquote, stuffing your bra in your offer. So you're trying to add on a whole bunch of other different things to make it be more valuable and more worthwhile. But then, of course, it's not simple enough, and the message gets diluted, and your people aren't really sure if it's for them.

Or you may be completely missing the mark. As you heard in my episode last week with my client Make Schmidt, she was a successful business coach selling all the things SEO and marketing and mindset, but there were price issues. There were client issues in the ways that they were canceling calls and not really showing up fully for the coaching.

And there were tons of overwork. And there was tons of overwork. Because it was like she was scrambling to get all of these crumbs at smaller prices with non perfect fit clients. But when she really integrated, Well, first of all, identified what her secret sauce was, and then integrated the value of that to people.

She started bringing on dream clients where they hardly had to get through the conversation before they were like, Yes, sign me up. Full price, pay in full, here you go, when can we start? I have another personal example too. I did the same thing for years. Before I was coaching Just About Clarity, I believed people in business wanted so many other things.

And so I was talking about shortening the sales process, and I was talking about finding your ideal clients, and I was talking about everything, and I too brought on less than ideal clients. Clients who didn't really understand just how transformative it is at any stage of your business to step back, look at your business and get clear.

And honestly, since I didn't have a coach who was really specialized in helping people with these kinds of things and alignment and all the things that I help clients with now. It took me having to get so angry about something. It was honestly, it was somebody who asked for a refund. And in that moment, I was having this internal conversation with myself where I was getting so fired up thinking, are you crazy?

I would have given my left arm to who knows how much money. To have had somebody help me with this when I was really feeling unclear, when I was really unaligned and I couldn't make sense of what I was really here to do and how to turn that into a business. And even at other points in my business when my business was evolving and all of a sudden things didn't feel clear again.

I would have given anything for someone to really help me through that, dial things back in, get everything aligned so I could just accelerate my growth. And when I said that to myself, it was as if a little, like the clouds opened up and a little ray of sun came through and I really felt like someone was saying like, now you get it.

Now you finally get it. And that is when I started talking about Clarity for Clarity's sake, and how amazing it is, and I made hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars just with Clarity. Just selling Clarity. I wasn't even really selling business results. Just clarity. Now, my business has evolved again, but I learned the lesson from that experience that I really want to share it with you, too.

There are millions and millions of people in the world. There are probably tens of thousands of people who just want to buy an outfit for their chicken. Yes, these people exist. They're buying little clothing, little disguises, and things like that. You know, dress up costumes for their chicken. Okay. So you can definitely find enough people for your business that just want that thing that comes easily to you or that you have learned through hard knocks.

Whatever it is, I believe it's. Things that have been showing up for you throughout your life that you were really placed here to work on, right? That you, through your wiring, through your experiences, through design, through all sorts of things, have come together to make this unique perspective, unique way of thinking, of problem solving, of, of seeing this particular topic and no one else can bring the solution that you do.

To your future clients. When you stop trying to talk to all of the other people out there. And start talking to your people and calling them in and believing strongly enough, knowing in your soul that you create like this magnetism towards you. You will start seeing very different results and you will start having very different sales conversations and different responses to your content.

It is possible for people to land on one piece of your content or one sales page on your website or one interview that you were having in a podcast on, you know, as a guest or one referral or something, and they come to you, they book a call and they say, this is exactly what I've been looking for. I knew that you were the one that was meant to help me and I just want to know how to get started.

Thank you. It's not a problem in our business if we have to nurture people. That's not your job to worry about how they come to you. I just want to paint the picture of what's possible so that you're opening yourself to people coming to you in all sorts of ways and to it being a right fit. A match made in heaven.

Or a left brain want match. Or whatever language you want to use about it. It can be that good. Go Your job is to know what you're about, to keep talking to those ideal people, and letting them know that you can help them, and then everybody else, them and the universe and all the other players, they do their jobs and take care of the rest.

You just have to do yours. Okay, let's talk energetics. What I see as a huge mistake, energetically, is that we move into convincing energy or proving energy rather than staying and standing in your welcome energy. And what it looks like is a lot of the things that I've already mentioned. When you are believing that you need to convince people or that you need to prove yourself, you're going above and beyond.

And that's backfiring as we've already talked about. You're not really sure that you're a perfect fit. You may not even know exactly who your perfect fit clients are. You're not really sure that they value this thing that you're selling enough to pay for it. You're not really sure that they believe or that you believe you're capable of delivering on it.

And this can manifest in all sorts of ways. Maybe you become kind of a little braggy on your call. Maybe you become clingy in your language. They can start to sense how much weight you're putting on this, how much meaning you're making of it, whatever their decision is, and it just feels heavy to them. It feels like more than they are.

able to give and want to give at this moment, and they step back. They start to doubt, like, if she's so convincing and proovy, then maybe she's not the expert that I thought I was going to be speaking with. Now, a lot of women get in their heads about this, and their fear of doing this kind of attracts it, and they start manifesting it more.

So, I don't want you to always be second guessing yourself on these calls, being like, oh no, am I, do I want it too much, am I too convincing, am I too proving? Because that won't be helpful either. Just like with manifestation, you want to move in to the more positive opportunities for yourself. So, rather than not being convincing, you want to be allowing.

And what that looks like is your welcome energy. If you had the cure for cancer, and this person signed up and was interested in saying yes to this cure for cancer, the place you would be in is, I know how scary this has been for you. I'm excited you found your way to me because I have this solution, right?

Here's how we developed it. Here's how we know it works. This is exactly what you'll have to do. And here's the price. You're welcome for all of the work that I have done over my lifetime, really, to create this solution for you that is so valuable. And we're not saying that from an ego point of view.

We're saying it from like, That deep, heartfelt allowing and recognition. It's like when a friend has been going through a hard time, and you have been there for her. And she turns to you after the smoke has cleared, and she looks you straight in the eye and says, Thank you. Thank you. And you aren't trying to push that away.

You just receive it deeply and you say, Oh my friend, you are so welcome. That is the energy I'm talking about. What that results in is so much felt safety for your future clients, which is what they want. I've been feeling some anxiety. They've been feeling some confusion. They want to feel safe and held.

They want to feel like, you got this, together it's not a problem, we're gonna make it happen. You're welcome that I've read all the books. You're welcome that I created a solution. You're welcome that I was born this way and it really doesn't cost me that much to do this thing or to see these things about you or to think in this way that's really challenging for you right now.

It's all good. We're good. We're going to get through this. When you shift this, you will be amazed at how Your conversations feel how it feels for you writing content and how people respond to it. How people come out of the woodwork, how people who've been waiting and watching all of a sudden book a call with you.

How very just laid back and casual the conversation seems. It's as if it's a done deal from the start. When you have all the pieces in place, when you don't have to think about how you're going to convince somebody, and if your secret sauce is enough, and how exactly you're going to solve their decades long problem in the space of this 60 minute call or this post that you're putting out or this article that you're writing.

When that is not in your head, And you can be really grounded in this beautiful give and take exchange with your, your welcome energy. Then you finally get to have the business that you've been wanting. You don't have to have as many sales conversations or put out as many posts in order to create even better results.

You don't have to spend as much money on ads when your conversion rate is higher, and you don't have to be all angsty and worried and asking yourself if this is even worth it or what you're doing wrong. We were on the call the other day, and we were thinking about, like, the meaning we make of it if we feel disappointment, right?

If we've got a big lunch going on or we've, you know, someone said no to us on a call or whatever it is, what we're making that mean, and it was like three things. We all had variations of these same three things. And it was, I messed up, right? I did something wrong, or they don't like me, or this is never going to work.

All of us at all different stages of our business had thoughts that sounded slightly differently, but at the root, it was all these same three things. Brains will be brains, but there's a difference between having like a thought come into your head and being like, oh, that thought, right? I don't really believe that anymore.

Versus other times in your life where it feels so real and then you're up at night thinking about it and it affects your self esteem and you can't quite concentrate over Thanksgiving when you're with your family. Because you've got this real playing in your head. So, let's shift all of these things. I want you creating more change in the world.

I want you stepping into this uncommon lifestyle that is absolutely available to all of us. It's unprecedented time in history. We're so lucky to be alive now. And it all starts with these things you've learned. Don't make the mistake of solving rather than diagnosing. Don't underestimate your secret sauce.

Know that it is enough for the people that are meant to work with you. And step into your welcome energy. You do have a solution for people. You are that expert now. All right, my friends, I hope you have a wonderful week and I'll see you back here next time.

Jenna Harrison 11/26/24 Jenna Harrison 11/26/24

Ep# 125: How to Go From Overworked to Easily Earning Multiple 6 Figures w/ Meg Smidt

Are you ready to break free from burnout and create a business that energizes you while delivering results?

This episode highlights how one woman entrepreneur transformed burnout into balance and built easeful sales, attracted aligned clients, and rediscovered the joy of her work over a 6-month timeframe.

Episode Summary

Are you ready to break free from burnout and create a business that energizes you while delivering results?

This episode highlights how one woman entrepreneur transformed burnout into balance and built easeful sales, attracted aligned clients, and rediscovered the joy of her work over a 6-month timeframe.

In this episode, you will:

Find out why you might be overlooking your secret sauce even if you’ve been in business for a decade
Hear about the counter-logical decision that created an income windfall after a 60% loss
What “radical self care” really entails and how it will transform your business and life

Tune in now to uncover the strategies that can help you stop the hustle and start building the business and life you deserve.

Links:
Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Leave a voicemail for Jenna and get her personalized advice for your business:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/talk

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Episode Transcription

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] What if you could go from the brink of burnout to working easily in a business you love in just six months?

Here's your host, top ranked business coach and reformed over analyzer turned queen of clarity, Jenna Harrison.

Welcome, welcome back to the uncommon way. In today's episode, I'm interviewing my client and friend Meg Schmidt about how she kicked burnout to the curb [00:01:00] and realigned her business to not just work less, but also create the dream business she's always wanted. She is obsessed, her words, with her amazing clients.

Their results are skyrocketing like never before. And sales have become easeful with people signing up to pay in full right away. This change has happened in six months inside the Clarity Accelerator, my mastermind program. And here we're breaking down some of the key components that had to fall into place.

I have a feeling you will be so impressed with Meg's courage and so inspired and will probably only be able to fully understand her grit in this area if you too are at a similar point of no turning back. Now you'll also find out why you might be overlooking your secret sauce, even if you've been in business for a decade or more, the counter logical [00:02:00] decision that created an income windfall after a 60 percent loss, and what radical self care really entails, and how it will transform your business and life.

But first, Black Friday is on you all. Five days of deals. Completely new deals that I've never released. Hopefully you've checked it out. If not, you need to go to theuncommonway. com Or you Forward slash days of deals. Now you've already missed out on deal number one, but there's still time to catch deals two through five.

There's a new deal coming up each day, and you'll want to make sure that you are on my newsletter list so you don't miss a thing. You can do that on the homepage of theuncommonway. com. Now, before we dive in, I want to let you know that Meg describes a few things that she did to give her business the makeover [00:03:00] that stopped the burnout, but these are not the only ways to create the same effect in your business.

What matters are the key leverage points that are most aligned for you. You'll also hear her talking about someone, and she does this a couple of times, who really helped her in the program, and that person is Ale Garnica, the private coach inside the Clarity Accelerator, whom everyone raves about. She's also been a guest on this show a couple of times as a client.

And with that, we will welcome Meg onto the show. Meg, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. It's so great to see you. It's great to see you too. Thank you for having me. We're just going to chat today really informally about your experience and hopefully save some woman out there tons of time in kind of collapsing her timeline in her journey to get to where you are now.[00:04:00]

I hope so. That would be wonderful. Because you've been through it. I have been through it. Yes, Jenna. So let's start there. Tell me about. What was going on before we met? Gosh, that's a great question. And it's funny because it seemed like a lifetime ago, as it also feels like it was yesterday at the same time, one of those situations.

So at that point I had been coaching for 14 years and I had started my coaching business when my kids, my five, five adult kids now at the time, they were all real fun teenagers. And they were at home. And so I was building my business part time for many years, and then finally went full time when they all started flying the nest.

And basically then COVID happened, let's say a couple of years later, COVID happens, and I had already, my business was bustling every year. [00:05:00] I'm exceeding my, my revenue goals, all the things. And during COVID time, it was like, I was this like frontline worker. I mean, for small business owners, I mean, I was triage.

I was nowhere pivoting. And I mean, at that time, nothing else was going on anyway. So it was okay that my business had literally taken over because it was number one needed, but also there was nothing else to do. And the problem with that was I never went back and I also never did anything to scale my business differently.

So I had created insane momentum during COVID times. And once that was over, I just kept going. And all of a sudden it was like, it was a year ago or right around this time. It's like, I woke up one day. And was like, what's happening? What am I doing? Because I ridiculously love being a coach and doing what I do.

But I found myself [00:06:00] dreading some of my days going into work. And I'm like, this isn't me. This isn't right. I was exhausted. I was finding that on days on my weekends where I wasn't coaching, I just wanted to binge, binge, binge, binge. Shows on netflix or just stay hibernating in my bed and that's not me either.

I'm an extrovert I love adventures i'm going out and I was I was totally depleted all my resources were gone And I realized I could not help myself figure this out. I Needed to find a coach. I am definitely a coach who believed in having a coach I think every coach should I think every person Me too to be honest me too So I knew that while I was great at helping other people do this, I knew I was way too close to what I was doing.

I really needed another perspective and I needed that guidance. And so I started researching. I went to Google and [00:07:00] asked the Google machine. Who would be a great coach for me. So that's really where I was at in starting this journey. Yes. Yes. And you know, what strikes me about that story that you've told me before, but it just now landed for me is that really that meant that about three or four years of that time was you kind of just operating on like hyper fuel and autopilot.

To then get to the point where you woke up and said, what is going on? And I think that's true for so many of us. So many, and honestly, Jenna, now looking back, what it reminds me of is when I was 27 and got five kids overnight. And I was like, you just have to do right. Like, there's no question. You just, I had no idea what I was doing.

I had never even changed a diaper. Thank God they were too old for that. But. I didn't know what I was. And then all of a sudden they're in high school and all of a sudden they're gone. And then they're gone. So I then took that energy, [00:08:00] put it into my business and it's like, I just kept being in doing and never stopping to think of me in the middle of all of that.

Right. And we get in this place where I'll, I'll be telling people, you know, at a conference or something, what I do, and I'll be talking about working wise or not harder. And I can see their eyes glaze over and they're like, I'm building a business right now. Right. Cool. I don't have time to like all that.

That's for another day, but not for right now until we wake up four years later and we're still doing the same damn thing. Yes. I never, I just kept giving and kept being what everyone needed from me instead of actually taking just even a minute to consider what are my needs in this? And am I even doing what I'm supposed to do?

Right. When we're so in it, we just can't see what's really driving the behaviors and the decisions that we're making. [00:09:00] And honestly, Jenna, I had just gotten to this point where I was like, okay, so 14 years I got here. In order for this to be sustainable for at least another 14 more, I cannot keep this up.

I have to pivot. I have to be doing things differently. Yes. Okay. I have to read this to you because I actually went back to our notes and I looked up what you said when you were saying why you wanted to do this. And it's just, I mean, this is just it in a nutshell. You said you wanted better aligned clients with a plan that will be sustainable for many years to come.

That's it. That is it. That's sustainable because we all think, well, we tell ourselves I'm just in this period right now. I'm just in a growth phase. It's just until I reach whatever, but we never learned the skills of creating a sustainable business. That's right. That's it. And we need to like, if we really are our best asset, we need something that'll work [00:10:00] and last that's it.

Yeah. Where we're included in that. Conversation, right? Not just what everyone else needs or wants, but also where we're at in the middle of all that. And it doesn't have to look at what anyone else is doing. That's my favorite part. Yes. They can think I'm crazy. That's fine. It's so, so, so good. Okay. So tell me about your experience looking for a coach.

Whoa. Do we have to? Goodness. That was rough, my friend. So basically I started researching and what I found is I was finding coaches that I thought would be a good fit. It wasn't clear on their websites, the level of business. That the person would be at, that their program would be good for. So when I, if I thought they were a good fit and thought that I think we would mesh and all the things, then I would schedule a clarity session [00:11:00] and there would always be a spot on the form where you could put like any notes you want them to know or anything.

And I would put, so here's where I'm at in my business is your program. Are you right for me? Here's my goals. What, you know, Are you right for me? And two different ones that I reached out to, I had to schedule sessions that were like two weeks out. And I didn't hear anything back from either one of them.

Both of them. I had the same situation happen where they got back to me an hour before our scheduled session. So two weeks have gone by an hour before I get an email saying, Oh yeah. Hey Meg. So here's the thing. I don't really help people where you are at in your business, like multiple six figure. I really help people that are like trying to get to the first.

100, 000. We'll be a coach for you. I don't want to waste your time. And I was so frustrated because they already just wasted two weeks of my time. And now they also took a spot on my calendar that no one else was going to take now because the meeting was in an hour, which I was also thankful to have [00:12:00] that breathing room at that time, but that happened to me twice.

And it almost, honestly, it almost made me give up. And I was like, seriously, is this what I'm going to deal with with anybody? And then I tried again, went to Google again, and I must've put in some different words because you came up. And I read through your website, I checked the podcast and I was, I said, I know this is my person.

And I scheduled the 90 minute phone call with you. And I knew at that time that you are my person. And I think I wrote you back and I said, don't worry, Meg, you calmed my fear. Yes, I, I can definitely help. Let's talk. Well, right. At that point, it was like trauma. Yeah. Yeah. So I know I was even probably pretty up front with you in my, how I filled out the form saying, and just so you know, this has already been my experience.

Please don't do this to me. Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay. So. Do you remember what the experience was [00:13:00] when I felt so clear on your secret sauce and everybody in the mastermind felt so clear on your secret sauce, but it just felt so non, what is this? Like a non starter for you. It just felt so normal. Can you talk about that experience?

Because I think a lot of us have that. When we're trying to define it. Well, and the funniest part about it is I literally help people with this every day, like literally this is what I do. And so for me to be stuck in that moment is just so funny for me to think about it. But yeah, so this is going to be on a podcast, so people can't see that, you know, I have bright purple hair and these giant glasses and, you know, I have a pretty distinct style and all the things.

And you're wearing sparkles. So beautiful. All of it. Right? I'm, I'm a vibe for sure. And I was so frustrated [00:14:00] because I obviously was getting in my own way with coming up with what is my secret sauce and it was so obvious to everybody else that it all has to do with, um, this idea of helping people own their uniqueness.

And forming that into the most amazing personal or business brand, boldly being so authentically themselves that they, they become irresistible to themselves and every single life that they touch. But it was so funny because I, I just was like, but can't everybody do that? Because it's that effortless for me that it shocked me and I didn't believe it that they were like, Meg, no.

I remember we'd come back like and then to the next call and then to the next call. I'm like, no, but we need to talk about this again. I don't think you're getting it, you know, kind of a thing. And I think what was so impactful for me was when I had a one on one session [00:15:00] with Ale. And I shared a story with her about how one day when I was a teenager, And my dad was dropping me off at school and he said to me, and he's driving and he's like, Meg, I got to tell you every day when I drive you and drop you off at school, I'm always terrified that kids are making fun of you all day about your style.

And, you know, cause you definitely dance to your own beat and all the things. And I'm terrified that you get made fun of all day. And I'm like, Okay, you know, and then he said, but then I realized they don't do that. They actually, with that, they had the courage. To be able to do it because this is just you, isn't it?

And I felt so seen and I was like, yeah, dad, it's just me. And Alay and I had this beautiful conversation where she's like, Meg, this is something I've struggled with my whole life and I was shocked. I'm like, really? I just assumed everybody. [00:16:00] Just could effortlessly do this. Anyway, that's what happened. Oh my gosh.

It's, it's just beautiful irony, but it's also so, so normal. It we're so close to it and it's really challenging to see that not everyone can do what we do. And that that can be the thing that people are just so hungry for in a way that it just kind of puts all your other offers, all your previous offers, it just brushes them to the side because they're like, Oh, no, no, no, no, no, wait, you're offering what?

That? That thing I've been following you for in the first place anyway? I want that. Can you help me with that? That's it. Yeah. Well, and I remember too, Jenna, one of the group sessions where I was way overthinking, shocking, way overthinking how to package this all up into this nice neatly labeled or categorized package.

And everyone giggled with me at the time saying, Oh my gosh, Meg, stop [00:17:00] it. You are just being you. That is enough. It doesn't have to have some for Google label. On this, like literally all that matters is it's you. And I was like, Oh, okay. Yes, yes, yes. Because of who you were looking for at that moment and the kind of bespoke coaching that they wanted.

I mean, there's plenty of time for you to commoditize it, right. And turn it into a great little package. But for right now, like these people wanted you to, to see them and to really. Make it all about them, right? And I feel like one of the funniest. Components of that for me, Jenna, was several times, once we figured this out, once I got through my fixed goal, this situation, and we were having other conversations about how I was adamant that I did not know how to speak to a higher end client.

I mean, I, like, dug my feet in the sand, like, I don't know these people, I don't [00:18:00] know these people. I remember. And then, randomly, I think I did this twice to you, twice to you, I start laughing and you're like, what's so funny? And I'm like, oh hey, Uh, have I ever told you about how I was in luxury retail for 15 years and helped celebrities like Michael Jackson and Dave Matthews?

Yes, I know. And do you remember then I never let you live it down. I only talked about Dave Matthews from then on. And I'm like, well, you know, your next client, Dave Matthews. Right. And another one, I was like, Oh yeah, did I ever tell you about how I got to the final stages of that reality TV show and I was there with Connie Britton and the Queer Eye producers and, and now I'm friends with all these like people with millions of followers and Yes.

But we do that. We get so blinded. Literally, we are blocked, where we don't let ourselves see the obvious that's right in front of us. Yes, yeah, and for good reason, like we could go deeper into your story and there was a specific [00:19:00] reason for that, of why you didn't want to see that possibility, but I mean, it's, you're not alone.

I remember I had a homeopath client who worked with athletes, and she also was really working with kind of local teams rather than influencer athletes for this amazing product she had. And when she kind of cleared that and could go on to think about possibilities, it turns out she had friends who were coaches of pro teams.

She had friends at who were happy to hook her up and get her, you know, her samples into the hands of Certain influencers and people, and there's, obviously that's not the story for all of us, but I just want it to be a really important metaphor to anyone listening now to let them know that there's a lot of opportunity that they're not even tapping into.

That's it. That's exactly what it comes down to. And what's so amazing through all this is like, my clients are, we're already reaching, you know, some of them were already reaching this great levels of success. [00:20:00] But at this moment in time now. I have more clients than I ever have that are more than seven, like major seven figure businesses and multiple millions of followers and millions of views on their marketing.

And they weren't when we started. Oh my gosh. Yeah. Because I, I feel like because I let myself go to that place. I feel like, yeah, I was doing great coaching before, but now it's like next level. Yes. Oh, I got shivers. Yes. It's it. I mean, we can only really help our clients to the place that we ourselves have gone.

And I used to think when I was first starting out, that meant, oh, if I have a certain level of revenue or, you know, we can't, but it doesn't, it means it means emancipation and that's it. Right. And working through our. Shit. And yeah, all the blocks, all the things, all the things. And when we, with each new [00:21:00] level that we can release, I love this story so much about you stepping into even a higher power in coaching because you were already an amazing business coach.

But now it's like, get out of my way, you know, just, I hope you're ready. Buckle up because it's going to be ridiculous. And it has been because I'm letting myself not have anything holding me back. Yes. And a piece we haven't really talked about of all that journey, which you kind of alluded to a little bit, was how personally, when I signed on with you, my life was a wreck.

Personally, some very close relationships in my life were just rough. And while at the time I like to think that wasn't if I wasn't letting it affect my business, right? That's naive If you're struggling with something personally, it is going to bleed into your business and vice versa But what was the neat part about it for me?

Was I what [00:22:00] I was seeing a great therapist and that combined with the work that we did through the coaching program It's like it all hit at exactly the right time when I was having breakthroughs with my therapist The breakthroughs I was having with the coaching, it was like on steroids or something like it just magnified everything.

So where I was building confidence in my, my personal life. That was making me just, like, bolder than I thought I'd ever be in my business. Yes. Yes. And I believe that when the person is ready, they will find the resources that they need and the mentors and the people that they need. And it all comes together.

Hey. If you want true clarity about your secret sauce, your people, your best way of doing business and how you talk about your offer, then I invite you to join us in the Clarity Accelerator. I'll teach you to connect [00:23:00] all the dots, the dots that have always been there for you so that you can show up like you were born for exactly this.

Come join us and supercharge every other tool or tactic you'll ever learn.

There's one other thing that I want to talk about for women that are going through this. When you are tuning into a different type of client and a new energy for yourself and new beliefs for yourself about what you can call in, who you can call in. There's often a wobble. Not always, but sometimes there's a wobble, and there's like a testing period where maybe the universe is saying, Are you really sure?

Or you yourself are just saying to yourself, Am I really sure? And that's reflected somehow. And what I thought was [00:24:00] so courageous with you, because you did have a wobble, Oh, big wobble. Was you were willing to hold the vibration long enough for these people to, to come into your life? And then of course we can tell the happily ever after story of what started happening, but just talk about what made it worth it for you to not backtrack and not say, you know what, let me just go back to some of the clients that I'd had before.

Talk about that. So. Like I mentioned, my personal life, there was a lot going on in my personal life, and I didn't realize it at the time, but it had completely eroded my confidence, and when we started working together, I was grossly undercharging for what I was worth, and I found out, I, through my self discovery, figured out the reason why I was doing that was because I was finding my success and my value as a coach and having a full calendar.

Now, that in turn [00:25:00] was also killing me. I would have some weeks where I would have over 30 coaching sessions in a week and that is ridiculous. No one could sustain that. You told me, I mean, sometimes I get a 15 minute break in the day. That's what you told me. And you know me now well enough to know I literally give all of me and everything I do.

So I was beyond depleted, right? Well, so, you When I was ready to make the commitment to work with you, I said, okay, I need to start clearing my schedule. So I have the space to be able to do this work because if I'm investing in this, I'm giving it everything I have. So I started re reworking my packages, my coaching packages to make that happen.

Already. I got some resistance, um, with my spouse where he's like, Oh Meg, you know, that's going to affect income. Whatever I said, I know, I know. But. This is the only thing I know to do, but I understand the fear. Like I get it, but this is the only, I have to [00:26:00] create some space. So I adjusted my coaching packages and I just was going full speed ahead.

And at one point, I will tell you, my finances took a very big dip. My husband was also having some struggles at work. So our household income at one point was down like 60%. That was terrifying. Okay. Terrifying. And of course I did have fear. My husband had fear and was telling me Meg, switch it back, switch it back, switch it back.

And I said, no, I would rather go get a normal nine to five job than go back to what I was doing. I would rather burn it to the ground than go back to what I was doing. And in that moment, Jenna, I raised my prices even more. Cause I was like, no, I'm done. I now fully believe that this is going to work.

There is no doubt in my mind. I, at that point I had started doing all the [00:27:00] market research and I was really, my clarity was getting like crystal, crystal clear at that time. The market research was so helpful. And at that point I said, no, I've got this. And you know what? If it doesn't work, I'm going to go do something else because I can not go back to what I was doing.

I put my foot down and I was like, no, I'm done. And it all. Started coming into place at the right client started coming in amazing clients I do not have one client on my schedule right now that I am not obsessed with and the work that they are doing is Incredible Oh makes me want to cry. Yes. Yes, and I remember the first one She was just like a hell.

Yes right away at your new price pay in full. No problem. Let's do it Not even a question, not even a question. And I recently had a client come back to me who, who, she just signed with me [00:28:00] recently where we worked together before and everything was about everything was, I can't afford it. I can't afford it.

I, and my prices were extremely affordable and I can't afford it. So I've now made my intake form where it says my pricing right on there. And are you interested in this or this? And do you need a payment plan or pay in full? So by the time we go into that clarity session. They're fully there's no Questions like they know my pricing and they're saying they want this, right?

And she checked those boxes. So I'm like, all right, let's do this. And she's paying my current rate and we are killing it. So it worked. All of those terrifying. It was terrifying. And so, first of all, to anyone listening, not everybody has a wobble, but if you do, Don't backtrack because the universe is just asking you, do you want to backtrack or do you want to go forward?

And if you, if you, if they can just re listen to the podcast, [00:29:00] do exactly what you did, as many times as you need, do exactly what you did, it's going to expedite. their journey so much because before we got on the call, I was, we were talking you and I, and I was talking about how I see some people take a step forward and then backtrack, take a step forward and then backtrack.

And that can be a year's long process of finally getting to the point where they're like, damn it. I deserve this. This is what I'm here to do. Everyone wants me to do it. I want to do it. I know my ideal clients, the universe, everyone's conspiring for this. I just need to hold the vibration so that it will come to be.

Well, and the other part of this that we haven't talked about yet is I literally in every part of my life made it so I would hold the vibration. I literally cut out any thing possibly that could be negative. I was the term that I [00:30:00] use is literal radical self care. I was in the middle of radical self care, and that's what I considered the investment into the coaching program.

It was me investing in me and my needs for the first time in a really long time And worth every penny to finally put myself and my needs First and that made it easier to even do it in other areas of my life making that big leap into it So I literally cut out everything else. I had no space for anything.

That would be anything negative and That vibration constantly as high as it could go. Yes. And this is how, again, like exactly what you were saying, life is business and business is life when we are running purpose based businesses, like we do, that we really care about, that really means something to us.

And so it always ripples out. You always end up changing your life and then your life ends up evolving your business. Yes. [00:31:00] And then it's just this beautiful like flow. Let's quickly touch on why some, some of the reasons, there are many, but some of the reasons that we women get ourselves into these positions of overworking.

You've mentioned a couple so far. I heard you talk about Really trying to help everyone be everything for everyone and give, give, give. And I also heard you talk about the scarcity fear, which is, you know, Maslow's hierarchy, right? We're just so afraid that if we stop, everything's going to crumble the family.

It'll all be our fault. Like, what are some of your thoughts and what you've seen also with your clients? Yeah, what comes to mind for me first is how you challenged me one day with you said now Meg I've heard you say so I've heard you so many times say that You want to make sure that if someone is ready for [00:32:00] coaching and needs it that money doesn't stop them And, you know, you want to be able to be affordable for, for everyone.

And fair. That was your word. Yeah. Fair. Because, oh, fair. Yeah. Libra. Libra me. Everything has to be fair. And you said, but what you're doing is you are alienating yourself from this whole other high end client who won't even look at you with those prices, who won't think that you're for them when your prices are so low.

And that was so eye opening to me, and that's what helped me realize that I was keeping myself in a box and making it so that there are people that I could help that I, that would never even seek me out. And all of that was fear. And you weren't seeking them out, so you weren't speaking their language.

You weren't looking for them. No, not at all. You weren't talking to them. You're like, no, no, no. If you have money, I don't want to talk to you. Right. Right. Right. So what I found that I was doing was like insulating myself, [00:33:00] keeping myself safe with these layers, okay, of like, this is comfortable, even though it's not good for me, I knew what to expect.

I was having new clients like clockwork. My, my business was predictable. And I was afraid if I rocked that boat, that would not be the case. And I had heard so many people tell me, well, I wouldn't have the money. Well, I wouldn't have the money, but that's because I wasn't sharing the value that they do have the money.

The same people have the money. And I'll, they mentioned that to me in one session and I thought I could, I wasn't ready to hear it. And what she said to me was she said, Meg, it's like, you're a snake who is trying to shed its teeth. Skin, but it's like, you keep trying to keep it on. Like you're, you're not willing to let that skin go.

And I was like, you are absolutely right. And so that's when I said, I've got to let this go. And what if I do, what if I do be curious about that? So any, [00:34:00] whenever these fears or doubts pop up, instead of putting judgment on it. One thing I've learned through, through working with you is suspending that judgment and just be curious.

Yes. About what could be that maybe you're not giving credit to other possibilities, other perspectives, when just things happen that maybe you automatically want to keep your skin on right as a snake, like you automatically want to insulate instead. Breathe, you know, un unclench, those fists unfurl. Be more yes unfurl and be ready to just what the possibilities could possibly be without judgment.

I can't think of a better way to end than that. Before we talk about how people can find you, is there anything else you want to, to share? The other thing I will share is really making sure that if you are an entrepreneur, that you surround yourself. [00:35:00] With safe, positive, like minded business peers that can speak those truths into you, whether it's a coach, Or someone else in your field, or someone in a completely different field, right?

That can help. Or in a mastermind in Master Clarity Accelerator, absolutely. In any way, don't stay isolated, don't insulated. Making sure that you are coachable and willing to hear some different perspectives to speak into you and your business that believe in you. And are positive and want you to go even further than you maybe even want to go because then the possibilities are endless.

Yeah. Oh, my goodness. Oh, thank you. Meg. It's been such a having you on now. If anybody knows, why don't you just talk about the kinds of people you are calling in now? Because I think we all know these people who need [00:36:00] you. And of course, there's so many people you can help, but. Thank you. Talk about that. And then let's talk about where to find you.

Sure. So I absolutely thrive through working with amazing, high achieving, creative entrepreneurs of any kind. Um, you name it, whether you are an artist or. Influencer or a content creator or a jeweler, honestly, a jeweler. I mean, literally it can be, it can be anything, but basically where you're. You're feeling like maybe you need a pivot.

You've already reached a level of success. And you really feel like things aren't really in alignment right now. And I've lost myself somewhere in here and you need some help getting to know you again and aligning that really with what you want to be doing moving forward. That is where I absolutely come alive for [00:37:00] sure.

Yes. And they are going to flip when they see your Instagram. So it's pretty fun. Yeah. I mean, it's not boring at all. Um, so I'm your coach Meg everywhere. You just put in your coach, Meg, you're going to see my purple head and I'm literally no different than who you meet on Instagram. I am too old to be someone I'm not, I don't care if we vibe, I'm your person.

Let's do it. And what, it's so funny because some people always ask me, Jenna, they'll say like, are you going to make me be an extrovert or does this mean I have to be really colorful? No, it doesn't. What I, what I do, my superpower is helping you bring out you exactly who you are. And that's what I cherish and that's what I love, but really owning you just like I own me.

That's the magic. Yes. Oh, preach it, sister. So good. Oh, I will. I love it. I love it. Yes. [00:38:00] So go check out Meg's Instagram, even just for inspiration, because it's just so amazing to watch her work and how she. Creates a world around her like that. Huge. It is it. Yes. And that helps her clients do the same, of course.

And I know you share some of your amazing clients work on there as well. So it's really fun. You get to see a whole bunch of great creative things going on. And, um, Of course, Meg is always looking for her next ideal client, which are just, yeah, coming her way, falling into her lap. And if you too would like to find your secret sauce, realign your business and venture into the Clarity Accelerator, then we would be so happy to have you.

Absolutely. I recommend it. 100%. It was been such a joy having you on. [00:39:00] Thank you. And a joy for me too. Truly. Have a good day. You too. Friends. Thank you. Bye.

Jenna Harrison 11/23/24 Jenna Harrison 11/23/24

Ep# 124: Get Ready for 5 Days of Deals on Black Friday! Offers Women Entrepreneurs Can’t Miss

Want in on Jenna’s best offers of the year, and the thinking behind them so you can strategize your own offer suite?

It’s the most magical time of the year! Jenna has completely new offers available and never-before accessibility for working together. But it’s only for a limited time, so listen up to get all the details, plus behind-the-scenes strategy that you can apply to your own business.

Episode Summary

Ever wonder how some people seem to bounce back Want in on Jenna’s best offers of the year, and the thinking behind them so you can strategize your own offer suite?

In this episode, you will:

Get the full scoop on 5 delectable new offers I’m releasing so that you have plenty of time to think about which one or ones are right for you
Learn exactly how the sale works so you won’t miss out

Don’t miss out on these exclusive Black Friday deals and the benefits they’ll bring to your business—press play and unlock the steps to working wiser, not harder in 2025!

Links:
Sign up here to get on the waitlist for Power & Potency, the new mastermind for highly accomplished women entrepreneurs, and hear all new information as it's released:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/waitlist

Leave a voicemail for Jenna and get her personalized advice for your business:

https://www.theuncommonway.com/talk

Find Jenna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/

Episode Transcription

Jenna Harrison: [00:00:00] Are you curious about these new deals that I am releasing for the week of Black Friday, but things are super busy right now and you just don't have a lot of time? Then I'm going to run through them right now in a really short, sweet video.

You're listening to the Uncommon Way business and life coaching podcast, the podcast that helps women entrepreneurs get clear on signature offers and strategies that sell themselves so you can lean back and stop the hustle. You will learn to maximize your mindset, messaging, and strategy. And step into the uncommonly successful business and life you are creating.

Here's your host, top ranked business coach and Reformed Over Analyzer turned Queen of Clarity. Jenna Harrison,

welcome. Welcome back to The [00:01:00] Uncommon Way. I've got a short and sweet episode for those of you that are really watching your time, but you also really wanna know about these new offers. I'm releasing if you want more details on any of them, go back and listen to one 23. And also in one 23, I'm talking about the strategic thinking that went into each of these offers in case you also want to run your own black Friday promotion.

But for now, we're just going to go through the offers themselves. So on day one, the 25th of November, we'll be releasing our first offer. Now it's only. It's only going to be live for 24 hours. So if this is the one you want, make sure to mark your calendar. This is the day for the aligned action blueprint.

It's for entrepreneurs who are feeling overwhelmed by way too many options and ideas, and they want clarity and to make some firm decisions about their path forward and their best [00:02:00] aligned action. But they also want to know how to actually create those results. This time, because it's really not the people who set the most goals who are the most successful.

It's the people who set strategic goals and actually accomplish them. Now I have a very uncommon way of teaching goals, goal setting, and goal fulfillment. Again, you can hear more about that in episode 123. But as someone who struggled with Clarity for years, I know Clarity, and I've helped many, many women with Clarity.

So this one's yours for 50 percent off, one day only, normally 97, but now 47. Serious no brainer. Let's talk about day two. Day two is based on the truth that all the marketing in the world doesn't make up for a lack of strong messaging [00:03:00] of clarity. So we're offering the irresistible sales conversations through effortless aligned seeding mini course.

It's a mouthful, but it's a total game changer. We tend to think that when we want to bring in more sales, we have to do more, but actually what we need to do is stop, reassess, and like I said, change out the throw pillows, right? We really need to hone back in and liven things up. And so often when I talk to people, maybe they do know the key things that their people need to hear.

But when they actually go to say it, it just gets all choked up in their mouth, or they feel like they're having to prove themselves or convince somebody. And you never know, all these conversations you have, those people could turn into clients, or they could end up telling someone about you based on these beautiful little seeds you drop that lead to this amazing garden.

They tell [00:04:00] someone about you and that person's like, Uh, that is what I need. And they become your client. But how do you do that in a way that's effortless? So I've designed this plug and play system really to help you drop these little golden nuggets into your sales framework. And once you do that, it's going to be very easy for you to just use them in conversation or put them into your content.

And to add an extra bonus, I will be doing an audit for you of your content once you've worked through this. So this is a big opportunity at only 2. 97 down from 4. 97. Now days three offer is a coaching bundle that is for people that want the aligned action. Again, they want the powerful messaging, but they also want Two weeks of coaching with me, maybe you want that coaching to help you really [00:05:00] dial in and implement those first two offers, or maybe you feel like you can absolutely follow those, but you really want to be thinking about your strategy for 2025 or troubleshooting the number one obstacle you're having in your business.

We can accomplish a lot in two weeks of intensive focus. We'll be going back and forth daily on WhatsApp. I'm only opening up four spots for this because there's only one of me. You can use this in December or in January. The cost is 7. 95 for everything and the deal goes live at 12. 01 a. m. Eastern on Wednesday, November 27th.

Let's talk about day four. Day four is a full day VIP intensive with me in Mallorca. Of course, if you wanted to do it online, we could, but the [00:06:00] magic really is in you transplanting yourself. Creating a vacation in 2025 with your 2024 write off and opening yourself to the magic of what is available to you now.

We will hash out the details in the month before you decide to come. I'll be treating you to very luxurious experiences here and we'll be going deep into your business. Again, more details are in episode 123. The price is 4, 000 and there are only three spots available. And now we've arrived at day five.

I call it the crown jewel in this suite of offers. It is my flagship mastermind, the Clarity Accelerator, but with a bonus of one entire Month. That is a 1, 600 value if you have been leaning towards this [00:07:00] decision, but you've been waiting for the right moment. This is the right moment. It's happening on the actual day of Black Friday.

That's Friday the 29th. There are four spots available. And the total price is 10, 000. As always, you must be on my email list to get these announcement emails. And I recommend going to the Black Friday wait list because then you get a special gift with purchase. So it's the uncommon way forward slash Black Friday.

All one word, we will link to it in the show notes. I can't wait to see who's going to sign up for what. And as always, I'm very excited to talk to you here again next time.

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 [00:08:00] clarity first strategy for growing and scaling your business, visit the uncommon way. com. See you next time.