Episode 1

What More Business Owners Need In Their Business

Published on: 16th May, 2023

EPISODE 1: What more business owners need in their business

Can running a business be profitable AND fun? We say yes! 

If you feel like you’re taking business just a bit too seriously or business is just feeling hard… this episode for you. 

Join us as we talk through the ingredient so many business owners are missing: FUN! 

We talk about how we used the concept of fun to start this podcast and other projects in the last 12 months and how having more fun can introduce more enjoyment and ease in your business. 

Other topics we explore in this episode are:

  • Making room for fun in your business
  • What projects to take on
  • Making business decisions
  • When to let your business expand
  • How business has shifted in the last few years

We would love to hear what fun things you’re going to infuse into your business! 

‘Cause business is serious…just not that serious. 

Head over to iwannacollaborate.com and start the conversation.

Music credit: The Funkster by Sweet Spot

A Podcast Launch Bestie production

Transcript
RAW:

Well, I never thought I would see this day, which is.

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Us sitting down to record our very first podcast episode.

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So, hi, Susan.

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Hey, hey.

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It's awesome to finally be here doing this, and yeah, we're just

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in like a, a cloud nine situation where we're super excited to be here.

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it's a moment where, again, I just, I, I never thought this day would come

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because for so long in my mind I was like, We're not gonna start our own

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podcast, like, we'll just be a guest.

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Like, why, why would we start our own?

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Right.

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Yeah.

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I, I loved being that, you know, when you talk about being the

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guest, I loved being the person that brought chips to the barbecue.

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You know, I'd rather be the guest on podcasts.

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And it got to the point where, how many conversations had we had where

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we both looked at each other after the conversation and literally at the same

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time would say, If only this was a podcast, how many people could walk away

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with some really awesome wisdom nuggets and giggles and you know, some smiles and.

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Maybe, you know, scratching their head, but either way, they were

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walking away with something.

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They were never ever gonna walk away with empty hands.

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Right?

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Yes.

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It feels good to be finally here committing to this endeavor.

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Oh, it's gonna be so fun.

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So, we wanna take you listeners back a few months.

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This is the end of last year as everyone is planning, you know,

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in October, November, December.

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Like, how are they gonna wrap up the year and what are they

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gonna do in the next year?

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And one of the conversations that not only prompted us to pursue this podcast,

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but I think is a bigger conversation we wanna explore in this podcast in

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general, is this idea of like the choices we make to which projects we take on.

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So, We at the end of last year, were like, okay, so what do we wanna do in 2023?

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And my perspective, well, my perspective, hold on, hold on.

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Don't give the story away.

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My perspective is, Yeah, but is that gonna make us money?

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How hard is that gonna be?

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How time?

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Cuz I go bright for the technical.

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So super clinical.

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Which is so funny cuz I was an English teacher.

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You would think I'd be like artistic and and open.

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That's, but you were always about the details.

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Right?

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And that's kind of the magic of the fun that we have together.

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You are the not always a hundred percent.

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Cuz that's not fair.

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Right?

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Yeah.

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Just that you're a hundred percent the detail.

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partner here, because there are times I can be the detailed partner, it's

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far and few between, but, I don't wanna paint you into a corner of the

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detailed person, but, you know, I, I think it's fair to say, you know,

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you were asking in your fact finding.

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How do we do this?

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Why would we do this?

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Well, and you know me, I've got a, I've, I will ask you a million questions before

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we take action on something, but there was a point that you said that still

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to this day, nearly, you know, a couple months later when I brought it up, and

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of course, you know, my mind was like, let's do the pros and cons and if this is

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gonna make us money or blah, blah, blah.

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Yeah.

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And you said, can we just do something that's also going to be fun?

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Yes, please.

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And I don't know why that was, so that took me like back a second, you

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know, to, to digest and think about.

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But I think that's the question we wanna explore in this opening

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episode is I love that having and giving space to having Yeah.

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More fun in your business.

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So I wanna hear from your perspective.

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Because you're, you're super savvy in business.

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You, you were a business banker.

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You've done all these cool things in business, and I know you're super

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motivated by, you know, obviously creating a profitable business.

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But tell me more about this perspective on fun.

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for me it's really about finding grace and ease.

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And, you hear today a lot of folks saying, you know, Emma's having fun.

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I miss that.

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And for me, I actually was saying that at the last part of last year, you know, the

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second, third quarter I was starting to get a little draggy and I was like, you

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know, I want, I wanna have some more fun.

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So fun usually comes from creative.

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So I wanted to have a little discovery and I've never done anything like

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this, so I figured, you know what, um, we, I love having, Conversations.

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I love sharing information and exchanging ideas.

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That, to me, is all fun, and that's invigorating and stimulating

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and, uh, did I say it was fun?

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So fun to be def defined in very many ways.

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For me, I was found in business.

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When there's a creative element where you can learn a little bit about

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yourself and your clients and do things with grace and ease, then it's fun.

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It's not work.

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It's actually joy and I think it's okay to reclaim that back in our small businesses.

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I think it's almost imperative.

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Everything else is so damn serious and, you know, heavy and overwhelming

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and, Why can't we be childlike looking for fun in our day?

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It's interesting that you're defining fun in that way.

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Cause I think fun for me, uh, I can take myself way too seriously.

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Oh gosh.

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Like everything, you know, when I get into it and I'm not thinking about it,

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like every, everything I create, whether it's a, it's a P D F or a workshop

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or something, like I can lean into the, everything depends on this being

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absolutely perfect and, and, and I think the pressure of that after a while,

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you've raised the point of like, okay.

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what's the point of doing all of this if you're not having fun?

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And I think sometimes I can so be an all or nothing energy of, if

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I'm working, it has to feel hard.

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I have to be working and you know, if I'm not careful, I'll default into that.

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And I think it's that balance of you've gotta do the things that are gonna

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obviously grow the business and, and you've gotta work on fulfilling and doing

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what you know clients have paid you to do.

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But in the meantime, can you also have some fun on the side?

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Yeah.

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And you know, I love that you, you are really clear.

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And honestly, transparent about it.

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Most folks are really hesitant to share that.

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Oh, thanks.

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Uh, you're welcome.

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you know, a lot of folks are really afraid to share that kind of, Transparency.

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So I, so that's really cool.

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I think what's interesting with what you've shared is

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that's also being very 30.

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it's really interesting.

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In our small businesses, we have so many things going on, right?

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In our business, we have multi-generations, you know, um, I'm

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in my fifties, you're in your thirties.

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our businesses also have a life stage.

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And not to go meta right out of the gate, but I'll just drop a little cherry

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here in the sense of saying, you know, our business is not a toddler anymore.

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It's a teenager as well.

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so there are times where it wants to do things that are new and it's

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like, but it's also, I think we're giving space for our business to do

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things that we are like, oh no, no, no, no, you're not ready for that yet.

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Or You can't do that yet.

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And I can expand on that a second.

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You know, I think where we see that even showing up for our clients, this

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idea of that friction, that like, I'm ready for whatever that next

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phase is or that next evolution is.

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I'm seeing that happen a lot with entrepreneurs right now, and I think.

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Even if I think about the al the clients I'm working with right now in, in

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building online courses and, and, showing them how to teach their expertise.

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So much of it is like, what is fun for you to teach that you

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know is also gonna be profitable?

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Like, what do you wanna teach?

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How you wanna teach it, you taught it this way before, but how can we

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create space for you to teach it in a way that's going to be super engaging?

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Welcome.

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And you could, you could even just see like when we're on calls, the

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change in body language, cuz I think.

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It's a complete energy shift because they're not efforting it.

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Oh, wait a second.

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I can be relaxed and have fun.

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Yes, please.

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And the, the creativity that flows out of that, it's, there's less friction, there's

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less resistance, there's less hesitancy.

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There's a real openness in it.

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And I can appreciate in where you would be helping them putting courses and

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curriculum together, cuz sometimes.

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You know, that's so foreign to many business owners and leaders, right?

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They, they can talk about it, but you help them crafting the pedagogy to it.

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You know, the step by step deconstructing it to reconstruct it, right?

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That doesn't sound like fun to me, but to you, that's fun making sense out of a lot

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of information and bringing it down to.

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Something that would stick, or am I, you know, Hey, what do I know?

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Well, how do you, like, how do you, because you, you work with not the

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same type of entrepreneur necessarily, but I'm just curious, like where do

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you see your clients either missing opportunities to have fun or where

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do you see your clients having fun?

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Like, I'm just curious what you're observing with them.

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Actually, it's really cool.

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the ones that I see having the most fun.

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Believe it or not, I think it's more of a mature person.

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So someone that is a defined mature.

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Okay.

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You already read my mind.

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I was like, wait a second, I've gotta follow up question here.

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I'm already anticipating that.

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So a mature person, I'm quite a mature person at 45 and above.

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Right in our twenties and thirties, man, we're just trying to figure stuff out.

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We're just No.

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Also, no one get offended by that phrasing.

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Yeah.

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Just please keep putting that out there.

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Yeah.

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it's really a very general phrase.

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Right.

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so the question is, how are my clients having fun?

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ones that have mature businesses where they've put the time and dime into

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creating it and the, and they're really deciding, should I stay or should I go?

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And I tend to have a really fun and I mean that with great intention,

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a fun conversation because we're about discovery, right?

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We're gonna discover where do you want to go, where, how do you wanna show up?

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Do you wanna stay in this business or do you wanna recreate?

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And see, there's a lot of discovery and creativity and to

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me that's a lot of fun energy.

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So, they're the ones having a lot of fun.

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The ones that are really.

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Not having a fun time right now are, folks that are usually

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about in their thirties and their business is younger than five years.

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It, this is tough time.

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This is a really tough time, but here's the great news, you know, and they

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don't see it yet because they haven't been through it, but I have, the

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great news is on the other side of it, they're gonna be so good in business.

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And so solid and so strong that they're not ever gonna bend or break.

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They can, yield a little bit, right?

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They can mold.

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Nothing's gonna knock these guys down.

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Nothing after this.

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So, I'm encouraging them to find the funds.

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So we're working, I'm working really hard with them to have it, and I have

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to say most are open to receiving it, which is really cool into their credit.

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Well, and I, I think that, that for the two of us anyway, that idea,

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especially after 2020 in the past couple years has been, you know,

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when we, we think about like, how, what do I wanna do in my business?

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How do I wanna run this business?

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Yeah.

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What, what do I wanna spend my time doing?

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And creating a lot more intention around that.

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I think, I don't know if I had ever really heard, Of this concept of

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fun being part of the conversation.

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I don't know if it was just implied, but I don't know if I'd ever explicitly read

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a book that had a chapter on like how to More fun in your business or, yeah.

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I don't know if it was ever part of a program.

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Now I understand like so many of the books, so many of the programs

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that we were in, especially before 2020, were all about like y y

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you're building this business.

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You were getting out there, you got stuff to do.

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But it's interesting.

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Now there's an appetite for this.

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I think people are looking to have a conversation around this, and

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I know the two of us are like, when we make decisions, when we

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say yes to opportunities, it's is this good for the business?

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Right?

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Is this going to benefit the business and is it fun?

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Yeah.

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You know, here's the thing, you're gonna be married to it for a while and if you

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don't get joy, if it doesn't deliver fun in the experience, That doesn't

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mean you throw it away, you build it in.

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Oh, okay.

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So see, that's just the distinction, right?

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Because from my all or nothing thinkers who are like, well, this

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isn't fun, so I'm just going to throw it out and close up tomorrow.

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It's the exact opposite in this instance.

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And that's, see to me, that's even fun because that brings in the strategy

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component, which I drew over I love.

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So for me, helping them recognize, no, no, no, it's just.

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Moving the chairs around and you get a whole different view.

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Well, it's the same thing in your business.

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We're just gonna move a few things around and we're gonna allow

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some more fun and some more ease and flow, and it really does.

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It takes about a quarter, that's it, three months, 120 days a quarter.

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to really, you know, take a hard look at your business and ask, where's the fun?

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Mm, how can we make it more fun?

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And it's usually the stuff that you used to do when you first started it and then

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you thought, oh, we gotta work harder, or we're gonna be more serious, or blah,

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blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, whatever the, the BS of the day was.

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and here's a really good bottom line, if you're doing the same thing you

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were doing pre covid today, Well, yeah.

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Yeah.

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It's not gonna be fun because the world's changed and we've gotta recognize that.

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I mean, it's, it's changed.

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Well, and it's also, I think people in a broader conversation, I am definitely

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feeling people wanna engage with this.

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Like our clients and customers wanna engage with us differently.

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Especially in the service space, right, where it's like the person

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is selling a, a consulting or sort of coaching based service.

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I'm looking to, to have a different learning experience, kind of

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coaching, training experience.

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I want information differently.

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I want, yeah, so it's this interesting.

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You can't do things the way you were before.

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So even the way you approach business, I have seen it a, a huge shift in how

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we've approached the business and I think we've experienced, especially after

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2020, like incredible success, right?

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Yeah.

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With where we've grown with this, we've been very richly rewarded.

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Yeah.

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Cause see this is one of those nuggets I, I would hope someone was really hearing.

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in on our conversation, right, is how did we, benefit when most weren't?

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Well, that's because we were really committed to hearing and

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showing up for them and our selves.

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You know, just because you're in a place of service and support doesn't mean

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that you could get your own self and your business, And so, for me, being

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able to really see them, our clients, do well and we got to welcome even more

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business in, which is hugely gratifying.

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And quite honestly, let's say the word of the day.

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Fine.

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thinking about this conversation and the theme of it is, There's been a lot

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of opportunities we have said no to.

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It has, but the ones we've said yes to, with a lot of intention that

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have been more fun, have yielded so much more just excitement, ease.

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It's like, oh, I love working with this client, or I love working on

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this project, and then in, return, the client, our clients feel it too.

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And I'm speaking not just for us, but for anyone.

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Right.

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If you look at the decisions you've made and the, and the projects you've

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said yes to, and the, the, the services you've decided to deliver, when there's

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an element to fun, I mean, yeah, I think we even took a risk, quote unquote.

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don't like to say I, I take many risks in this business because

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I'm a big planner in that regard.

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I don't bet I plan in the business, but.

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I think to your point, Jess, where we had a couple of projects

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presented to us that were out of the norm and we, yeah, let's do it.

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What the hell?

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Why not?

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Well, this being one of them.

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Yes.

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Yeah.

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Do, do you wanna know what I really hope happens as a result of this podcast?

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What I was thinking about this, other day I saw something on Instagram reels.

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It was this older woman and she was reflecting on, you know, I'm out of that.

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I can't wait for phase, I can't wait for.

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And I started crying when I watched it.

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Right.

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And I don't wanna get Saffy here, but I think one of the things that you pointed

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this out to me once and I wanna get so much better with it, is I'm so used

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to living five years from now, right?

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Like, I'm so used to living on the other side of this, or when I just

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get to this or when I, you know, when this is done and I so want to.

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no, I don't wanna say live in the moment.

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That's so cliche.

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That's not what I'm articulating.

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But, but I think having more fun I think is gonna teach me how to

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appreciate these smaller moments and actually enjoy the process a

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little bit more instead of always being so end of the project oriented.

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Like, okay, so when we're done with this, I'll enjoy it.

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When, when I finish this I'll, I'll have fun and I wanna start having more fun

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and enjoying the moment in the process.

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I think we hear a lot about that and I, I like that I.

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I've always admired that idea, but I think I really wanna start embodying that.

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I wanna start living that, I'm not happy for that.

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Yeah.

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I think this, I think this podcast is gonna help just with

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the, let's, let's just have fun.

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Let's see what happens and let's just have fun with it.

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Right.

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And I'm, you know, with anything you step into creatively, you never quite

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know how it's gonna go or what you're gonna be like on the other side and.

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So I'm curious, like What do you hope happens with this podcast?

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I, I would hope for plan B, I'm a terrific believer in, you know, we're going into

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something here with the intentions of having fun and discovering and sharing

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and connection and talking, and.

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At this stage, I'm always looking at plan B.

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Where would that lead to?

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What door will that open?

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What opportunity will that present?

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What person will I get to know as a result of, the possibilities is what

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I'm, what I'm intoxicated by, you know?

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And you know, just in this moment, It's a dual thing.

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I, I just wanted to do it.

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Why not?

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Let's give it a go.

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And I hope that our listeners, will embrace this, you know,

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commitment to the now and what we're looking to is share with them.

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I think that would be lovely and I'm looking forward to hearing from them

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and them guiding us as we hope to guide them in some small, humble way.

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So that's what I'm excited about is all of the, potential.

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Yeah, yeah.

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I love that.

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to wrap this up, cause I feel like the two of us have just really left

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it with such a powerful intention.

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I think.

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We have to figure out how to address you as listeners.

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Are you dear listeners?

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Do we, do we say you like we're so many things that we,

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we could figure out, right?

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but for now we'll say to our, a good friend that has pulled up a

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chair at the table with us, right?

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So, give yourself some permission to.

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Say yes to something fun.

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Whether that's something small, whether that's saying yes to starting

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a podcast like we are, or whether that is, you know, just, just making

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a bigger decision with your business.

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Whatever it is, start to infuse fun into your business and

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allow the possibility to happen.

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Give, give yourself permission to have that possibility happen.

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And quite frankly, there's gonna be something so fun, so creative, so

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exciting on the other side of that.

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So we would love to hear.

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What that fun thing is that you are going to bring into your business.

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How are you gonna bring the fun into your business?

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And I think with that, we're gonna let you go.

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Thank you dear your friends for listening.

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All right.

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You know what?

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Thank you for creating some space for us to share with you today.

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Yeah, thank you for listening to our first episode, especially

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if you made it this far.

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So we'll see.

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You.

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Don't you love that in like long social media post If

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you've made it this far, right.

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This.

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Thank you for, tuning in with us for our very first episode, and we can't

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wait to see you in our next episode.

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So we'll catch you later.

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About the Podcast

Eavesdrop on Us
Less how-to's. More real business conversations!
The honest business podcast YOU NEED IN YOUR LIFE!
We talk about what it's really like to be in business: the good, the frustrating, the "am I the only one going through this?!" kind of topics.

You're in the right place if you're looking for less "how to's" and more real conversations about what you're going through as an entrepreneur.

Come eavesdrop on our conversations-it'll be like joining us at the kitchen table after working a full day in your business.

About your hosts

Susan Terzakis

Profile picture for Susan Terzakis

5 Things to Know About Susan:


1. I traveled the continental U.S. playing hornline with the famed 27th Lancers drum and bugle corps.

2. As a family we’ve lived coast to coast, moving over 12 times!

3. Born and raised in historic Salem, Massachusetts, while working in our family restaurant, I was able to meet people visiting from all over the world and learned about their cultures and perspectives.

4. While working in the United States Senate as a staffer, I went to every city, village, town, and incorporation in New Hampshire. Every single one! I listened and learned about micro small businesses in our state.

5. I've taken four $100k businesses to over $2 million in annual sales, and I've helped lifestyle brands create revenue that gives them the freedom to spend quality time doing what matters most to them.

Jessica Terzakis

Profile picture for Jessica Terzakis
1. I won the Alfred Ernest Richards award for promising potential in literature and teaching, which started my 15-year career in teaching, curriculum design, and storytelling.
2. My favorite drink is tequila on the rocks. It's a definite conversation starter.
3. I love adrenaline. Whether it's roller coasters, speaking in front of an auditorium full of people, or getting on camera, that rush of energy makes me unstoppable at work.
4. I know how to captivate a room and sell from the stage, and I can help you see yourself doing something bigger than you ever thought you could.
5. At a recent event, one of my clients sold over a million dollars based on the curriculum we built together, and I can help you do the same!