Today, I’m talking about what it means to be business brave.
Let’s get business brave.
This is a concept that came out of a coaching call that I had, where the coach was really asking me okay, what are you about? Like, what are you uh, you know, what’s your purpose? You know I talk about the brave yes all the time.
The YES is vital.
But what I’ve been trying to stress upon you all in these lists latest recent episodes is that there is so much more to our roles as leaders of our businesses. Beyond the Yes.
A lot of the work that we are doing is more understated, a lot of the courage work that we’re doing is much more, it’s more invisible.
And so today I’m talking about what it means to be business brave.
My passion and purpose is working with wholehearted, heart centered entrepreneurs.
These are entrepreneurs who believe greatly in making the world a better place, make helping people thrive, helping the land, thrive, helping systems thrive, whatever it is, but my people really want to see change, progress. And things just improve for people and systems and communities.
That is their passion. So yes, they are entrepreneurs. And there is more to it than that.
And so when I say let’s get business brave, what I’m really saying is, let’s really build businesses that are wholehearted, that are human centered.
And, by human, I mean you the founder, the leader of the business and those you serve, and those who are impacted by the work that you’re doing.
So money, meaning and the greater good.
You go to my website, you look at the homepage, the very first word you will see is money, meaning and the greater good.
And I say that because I really think that a business and the people that I work with and love to work with is not just business as usual.
When I say money, meaning in the greater good, what I’m saying is this isn’t just about a sales strategy.
This isn’t just about having a website and selling.
There is much more to it. It’s much more Spiritual, it’s much more aligned. And that is where we start to get into what it means to run and operate a wholehearted, heart centered business.
So when I say let’s get business brave, what I’m saying is, let’s do what it takes to run a meaningful business that is also about contributing to the greater good.
And let’s make sure that we are making money while we’re doing that, because this is our time, and our lives and our retirement on the line.
This month, I’ve been focusing on the importance of investing in your capacity as a CEO and entrepreneur — because in order to be braver, be bolder and do braver work in this world, we must have the capacity for it all.
Without capacity we are left exhausted and floundering. We never set our best intentions forward when we are burned out an exhausted.
Capacity ebbs and flows but at the end of the day, the number ONE capacity stealer that I see over and over in my work with entrepreneurs is this → a lack of self-worth.
There is no bigger drain on our creativity, our energy, our wellbeing than not believing we are good enough.
It just so happens that I have been coaching, studying and building a body of work around enoughness for years and it’s a huge part of my coaching program.
Showing up for yourself is something I know a lot of my clients want to do this year and so I wanted to really help them — and you — consider what this means.
As Brave Yes CEOs, showing up, being visible and taking up space is important.
Our bottom line depends on it.
But often, what we need to do the big stuff we need to do, we must show up for ourselves.
Showing up for ourselves is how we begin to boost our own capacity and energy.
The more FILLED UP you feel, the more you can give to others.
What does it mean to show up for yourself?
What would need to change for you to show up for yourself?
I’m sharing 22 ways you can show up for yourself this year …
Every day as entrepreneurs and CEOs we are faced with a lot of decisions to make — or unmake. Where should we put our energy, time and resources? What do we need? What do we want?
Some decisions are easy.
Some require effort.
Others, though, require full-on EXPANSION.
Brave Yes Coaching with me is really about the latter two areas.
No matter the Brave Yes you want or need to make right now for yourself or your business, expansion is likely needed.
LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST NOW — OR KEEP READING BELOW
For me, Expansion can be defined as … growing, stretching, reaching, opening up. breaking free, upleveling, uprooting.
For me, I have had many, many EXPANSION chapters as a business owner.
After all, I went from freelancer to blogger
Blogger to creator.
Creator to Coach
Coach to business owner.
Business owner to CEO.
Once I realized I had outgrown my first business model and the work we were doing together, boredom took over. I could stay the course — or work toward my next chapter — my Brave Yes.
So …
In 2019, I began actively working on my own expansion of capacity. The clarity was the last piece I worked on because I wasn’t sure which direction I wanted to go in.
My expansion took 1.5 years — the hard way. All but 3 months was spent in spin cycle, ruminated and fear.
The awakening happened when I fell apart after falling apart.
The breakdown led to the breakthrough, which started the journey to explore what was next.
Who did I want to be?
How?
WHAT EXPANSION IS CALLING TO YOU? AND WHAT IS REQUIRED?
Currently, my clients are working on expansions around — their leadership roles, permission to allow for pleasure, mindset, self-trust, confidence and, of course, courage.
I’m in the process of creating a new Brave Yes Power Tool that I”m calling Your Brave Yes EXPANSION Excavation — this is a tool to identify the area in which you personally need an expansion to help you get to your next level or to take your business to the next level.
:: It requires the capacity to expand. Essential. If you aren’t sure if you need to invest in your own capacity, see my last podcast.
:: It requires support. I can’t stress this piece enough. Finding safe, calm and strong support for your ability to bloom and expand out of your current life or business container is essential. Few people are going to get it. Few people are going to be rooting for you. Few people are going to be able to hold the kind of safe space you need to explore your own edges of expansion.
:: It requires a vision and permission to dream bigger and play bigger. Sure you can stay safe and comfortable under current conditions. I did that for years. I even searched for people to help me stay where I was and not change a thing. That didn’t work. Cultivating a playground for perspective building, pushing yourself to dream bigger and staying with all of it without falling back to safety is crucial.
Wherever you are feeling called to EXPAND … the inner work you need to do to get there is important. It’s not a step to skip or else you may find yourself shrinking back or feeling out of alignment.
Do the work.
Let yourself grow.
Let yourself go.
Take a moment today to consider this: Where are you being called to expand in your life, work or identity this year? And what inspired action is required?
I want to talk about an essential part of my coaching philosophy today — the Catapult Method, which is a fun way of looking at the 3 Cs of Brave Yes CEO coaching and methodology.
Two episodes ago, I talked about the goal of my work with women founders and entrepreneurs is all about the A-Factor — that focuses on alignment, audacious self-worth and authenticity. If you haven’t, check out that episode.
And in the last episode I went deep on my own personal word of the year — untamed — and how I see it playing out in my business this year.
Today I’m going to be a bit more practical and talk about the 3Cs of a Brave Yes CEO. Plus a bonus C for fun.
Clarity
Capacity
Courage
When I beganmy first business in 2012— 10 years ago — I definitely didn’t have the 3cs. But over time I learned they were essential and where I eventually began to put 80 percent of my investment and resources.
Ready to Uplevel Your Business? The 3 Cs of a Brave Yes CEO
CLARITY.
When we lack clarity we spin our wheels and end up very, very distracted and off our path.
Lacking clarity is something that evolves — the more input and ideas we consume, the less clear we become. The possibilities become endless.
I definitely made this mistake early on in my first business. I wanted to do it all — I am a manifesting generator in human design after all! And not only did I want to do it all. I did do it all. until my business was a cluster%$##.
I used to get to my desk on Monday with more ideas than time and be stuck in gridlock on what to do next.
Until I put all my energy and resources into clarity and un-complicating things — and this is exactly what I work with my clients on when it comes to YOUR vision and clarity.
Clarity is powerful.
Clarity is motivating.
Clarity is energizing.
When you know, you know.
Clarity brings forth an inner knowing of what’s next.
This doesn’t mean once you find clarity you will always have clarity.
The more clarity we have the more projects we finish. The more clarity we have the more time we use effectively. The more clarity we have the more momentum we feel in our businesses. The more clarity we have the more we communicate clearly and with impact.
Some signs you need to invest in finding and cultivating crystal clear clarity:
— you don’t know what you should be doing
— you are stuck on spin cycle of what you where you want to take your business
— you spend a lot of time on the same few tasks in your business
— you aren’t sure who you really want to be or who you really want to serve
CAPACITY.
Capacity is what we need to do our work and tend to ourselves and our families and not burnout. Capacity is the energy and vitality you need to do big, bold work in this world.
I remember when I started making capacity and well-being a big part of my creative work. My daughter was a toddler and began having huge, huge meltdowns. These meltdowns continued for years. They were so big and so overwhelming that when she would go off to school or go to bed, I felt absolutely zapped.
I had to find a way to make sure that her emotions didn’t become mine.
And that’s how my first business, Abundant Mama, was born, honestly.
And it’s still so much of the coaching work I do with my clients — clients who want the capacity to write a book, launch a program, charge more, take on more 1:1 clients without burning out, do more art, etc. etc.
We all get 24 hours.
Some of us are going to use those 24 hours super efficiently and others are not and a big part of what decides that is your capacity. Your capacity to hold space and energy for all the things.
I am a woman who likes to do all the things.
My wellbeing work is essential and includes a ton of spiritual wellbeing and emotional. I work with my clients on nurturing your WHOLE self.
Signs you need to invest in boosting your capacity:
— you fall into extremes in your productivity — supercharged productive days or weeks followed by total inaction or very unmotivated dips.
— you want to do something out of your comfort zone but you are so tired and so exhausted from the day to day of your work
— you dread some of the things you need to do to move the needle in your business or work and just don’t have the energy for it.
— you play smaller to protect your wellbeing because you are afraid that upleveling is going to “cost” you time and energy.
— you spend more time in emotional upheaval than you’d like
— you wish you have more energy for LIFE beyond work
COURAGE.
Courage to live and lead a Brave Yes mindset — that allows for that A-Factor around alignment, authenticity and activating your superpowers — is essential.
It’s the difference between a boring business and one that lights you up.
It’s the difference between playing small and having more impact.
That web is filled with a bunch of self-sabotage and limiting beliefs such as — > I can’t make the time to write a book or launch my dream offer. Or, I’m not good enough or confident enough.
Whatever it is that’s stopping you from living and leading from your most courageous self it’s keeping you safe and comfortable.
I like safe and comfortable.
In fact, I toggle between wanting to change the world and curl up in my cozy clothes and shutting out the world. This toggle life requires me to do the work of courage and leaving my comfort zone.
I work my clients on discomfort in the messy middle or in the stretch zone because our emotional override is to keep us small, still and peaceful.
But there’s nothing small, still and peaceful around launching anything – a book, a new offer, a new identity, a new life or business. Change is hard. It brings up a lot of shit.
And yet change — and Brave Yes CEOs need to make changes — is essential to keeping our businesses relevant with the times and the market.
Change doesn’t have to be burning it all down either.
Changes can be powerful and subtle. Like in how you set boundaries — see Boundary Boost for more on this — or how you choose to do your work.
Some of the signs you need to invest inner courage work:
— You’ve had a big dream or goal on your list for years.
— You know you need to take your biz to the next level but something is holding you back.
— You self-sabotage a lot and need to get out of your own way.
— You are the bottleneck of your business.
— You desire more bold marketing and visibility but keep hanging back and hiding.
So that’s my Catapult Method: Clarity, Capacity and Courage — and my Brave Yes Coaching Program helps you with ALL THREE of these areas.
LET’S WORK TOGETHER: You are invited to schedule a call with me! If you need help boosting and cultivating clarity, capacity or courage than my coaching method is ideal as you consider upleveling your role as the leader of your business. All coaching discovery calls with me or free and pressure-free. They are simply a zoom conversation to see if private coaching with me is what you need right now to get unstuck, do what feels good in your business and start to move the needle and find more momentum on the business you dream of having.SCHEDULE HERE.
I’ve been paying close attention to what my body wants me to know about my word of the year — untamed — and how I can have an untamed business mindset.
This, of course, isn’t always easy to do in the business world.
Our tendency is to conform. We’re taught this at such young ages.
And more importantly, we’re taught to be three things: small, hidden and quiet.
In today’s Soulcast Episode on The Brave Yes CEO Show, I’m talking about this very thing and how I’m applying an Untamed Mindset in my work and business this year.
