Strengthening Your CEO Mindset

Kristin 0:00

Leaders with a CEO mindset tend to think big picture instead of getting stuck in the day-to-day . They make decisions rooted in purpose and data , not emotion or distraction . They say no to good opportunities so they can say yes to great opportunities . Welcome to Elite Achievement , the podcast for high-performing business owners and leaders . I'm Kristen Burke , your coach and host . Together , we'll unpack the stories , mindsets and habits of top achievers and explore how to turn ambition into remarkable results . If you are ready to maximize your potential and elevate your success , let's make it happen . When was the last time you paused to really evaluate what's working and what's not working in your business ? If you're leading at a high level , it's easy to move from one goal to the next without stopping to reflect , but those moments of honest evaluation are often where the most strategic growth happens . In this episode of Elite Achievement , I'm sharing three lessons I learned in Q1 that shaped how I'm running my business this year , from strengthening my CEO mindset to staying consistent with business development , to navigating a key team transition with clarity and intention . If you're ready to lead the rest of this quarter and the second half of the year with more focus and alignment , this episode is , for you , the first lesson I learned this year was the importance of strengthening my CEO mindset , and when I talk about a CEO mindset , I am thinking it's the ability to lead your business with clarity and strategy and long-term vision . A CEO mindset also means making decisions based on alignment , not urgency . It's about prioritizing what moves your business forward , protecting your energy and confidently setting boundaries . Leaders with a CEO mindset tend to think big picture instead of getting stuck in the day-to-day . They make decisions rooted in purpose and data , not emotion or distraction . They say no to good opportunities so they can say yes to great opportunities . They stay focused on their most valuable work , delegating and streamlining wherever possible , and they protect their time to think , plan and lead , not just do . In the first quarter , I prioritized my thinking time through weekly Friday rituals , calls with my own business coach , month-end goal reviews and a focused quarterly reflect and plan session . This time gave me the space to make strategic , aligned decisions . That strengthened my CEO mindset .

Kristin 2:54

The practice of making space allowed me to lead with more intention and clarity , which resulted in three strategic shifts in my business . One I shifted my marketing focus from Instagram to LinkedIn . For years , I tracked Instagram metrics like follower count , engagement and profile activity . But the truth is those numbers didn't lead to clients . In contrast , I've gained multiple clients from LinkedIn and know no . That's where my ideal audience tends to be the most active . Professionally , my ideal audience is on Instagram , but they're likely using Instagram the same way I am to relax , stay connected with friends and family and maybe watch a couple of funny reels . So I gave myself the permission to let go of the pressure to grow on Instagram . We haven't stopped posting , but I stopped making it my priority . I started measuring more meaningful activity on LinkedIn , like followers or connections . You know the comments I'm making and this decision didn't happen in a moment . It came from looking at my data , reflecting on where results were coming from and asking myself where should I be focused ? Two I stay grounded in my core offers . At the start of the year , I made the intentional decision to stay committed to what I know works Private coaching , facilitating study groups and leading planning days . These are the offers I enjoy delivering , that consistently create results for my clients and that align with how I want to grow my business .

Kristin 4:33

It takes confidence to stay focused , the confidence to silence the noise of what all of the other coaches are doing . It's being able to scroll through LinkedIn and , when I see a coach launching a new product or growing quickly or getting attention , not letting that derail my focus . It's also about resisting the urge to measure my success against someone else's highlight reel . This is a mindset game . It's not about ignoring what I see other people doing . It's about how I respond when I see what other people are doing . So I have a question for you how do you respond when you see what others are doing ? Are you confident and grounded in what you're building ? Staying committed to what I know works also requires the confidence to resist the pressure to diversify , and this is all about strategy and restraint . It's the belief that what I'm already doing is enough , even when the market or my own ambition tempts me to add more . It's not just about ignoring shiny ideas . It's about evaluating opportunities through my lens and having the discipline to say no even to good ones , because they're not aligned .

Kristin 5:42

This happened this morning , the morning I'm recording the podcast . I was having a great conversation with my coach and we were coming up with all these awesome ideas and came up with a workshop that was similar to a free workshop I launched last year , and I had to say no , no to doing this in Q2 because of the other priorities we had outlined . I think Kristen , in past years would have felt the pressure to say yes and to do it and to figure it out , and that would have taken me away from what I already outlined as my quarterly priorities . Also earlier this year , I had a call with a businesswoman who I trust and admire and she invited me to collaborate on one of her programs . At first I thought awesome , yes . But after slowing down and asking myself more questions , I realized that saying yes to this collaboration would pull me away from what I want to focus on this year .

Kristin 6:39

This conversation reminded me that staying true to what you know works requires confidence , the confidence to believe that depth and consistency are more powerful than doing more . It's choosing mastery over expansion and leaning into the discipline of consistency , refinement and repetition . This kind of confidence doesn't just happen . It has taken years of intentional reflection through my weekly Friday ritual , monthly month and goal reviews and quarterly planning sessions . It's come from reviewing my client testimonials and learning to own the value I bring as a coach and aligning with what genuinely energizes me . Not what someone else says should energize me energizes me , not what someone else says should energize me . If you've been questioning your own offers or feeling the pull to do more , pause and reflect . Ask yourself where are my best results coming from ? What do my clients say about working with me ? What do I love delivering ? And you can use the answers to these questions to gain clarity and build the confidence to go deeper , not wider . And three the other strategic shift I made this year is that I evolved the Elite Achievement Podcast and I hope , if you've been listening to the podcast this year , that you are enjoying the Evolved Podcast and especially that you're liking the Elite Insights .

Kristin 8:07

I decided to evolve this podcast because I have honestly gone back and forth with the podcast over the past year , trying to reconcile how much I enjoy creating it with whether or not it's worth the time and energy . Okay , I love the process of podcasting and learning and connecting with other guests , but I haven't seen a lot of growth in downloads recently , which made me question whether podcasting is still a top business priority . I started this podcast early in my business journey as a way to give back and impact others . Much in the same way , podcasts impacted me when I was considering leaving my corporate role to build my business . It started as a passion project , a way to share what I was learning , connect with incredible guests and serve people . I might not get the chance to meet in a coaching relationship , but over time , podcasting has become a key part of my brand and credibility . It reinforces my expertise , supports my outreach and helps people understand who I am and how I work . So as I was doing my reflections , I had to shift my mindset and stop questioning whether the podcast was worth it and start asking a better question how can I make this work smarter for my business ? And that's when I got clear on a few changes that needed to happen so I can continue podcasting and it supports you and it supports my business goals . The changes meant expanding the focus of the podcast to speak more broadly to elite achievers and high-performing business owners the type of clients I love working with . Aligning content with my outreach strategy so episodes can support connection , visibility and client growth , and launching elite insights . These are the shorter solo episodes that are more tactical , efficient to produce and deeply valuable to my audience .

Kristin 10:04

This wasn't a flashy relaunch . It was more of a quiet strategic evolution in my podcast , but it's helping me stay aligned with my business and my goals . If there's something in your business that you're wrestling with , ask yourself is this still part of my bigger vision ? If yes , maybe it's not time to give it up . Maybe it's time to evolve it . What would it look like to keep going , but to do it differently , more strategically or in a way that better supports where you're going ? Each of these strategic shifts evolving my podcast , staying grounded in my core offers and shifting marketing focus to LinkedIn Each of these shifts came from making space to think and lead like a CEO . They weren't reactive , they were intentional , and yet they've brought more clarity , alignment and focus into how I run my business . Strengthening my CEO mindset isn't about doing more . It's about leading with purpose , protecting my energy and making decisions that move the business forward in a meaningful way . And while this mindset is foundational , consistent execution still matters . And this leads me to my second lesson I've learned this year , and

Strategic Business Shifts

Kristin 11:23

that is that outreach and business development still drive growth . Now , this isn't a new lesson .

Kristin 11:30

I've talked about the importance of outreach in several of my past Lessons , learned podcasts but this is one of those lessons that keeps resurfacing , and for good reason . Outreach is the activity that fuels growth . It's how we create opportunity . It's how we build relationships , get new clients and grow our business . But it's one of the first things many business owners want to avoid . Especially early on , outreach can feel uncomfortable and vulnerable . You don't want to bother people . You're not sure what to say , you're afraid of hearing no or , worse , getting ignored . But even as your business grows , outreach doesn't go away . If anything , it becomes more strategic and just as important . If you stop doing outreach , your business stops growing . It's not always immediate , but the slowdown eventually shows up in fewer conversations , fewer proposals and fewer opportunities . That's why this lesson continues to earn its spot .

Kristin 12:36

In my Lessons Learned episodes . The theme of outreach came up . During multiple Friday ritual entries . I wrote things like keep up business development . You never know who will say yes or no . The best way to reduce anxiety is to generate new business , and when you're not consistently doing outreach , every no hits harder . Losing a client feels more personal . You start to feel stuck , anxious or like things are slipping . But when you're actively creating new opportunities through outreach , you stay in motion and that momentum builds confidence . It reminds you that growth is still within your control .

Kristin 13:18

What I've experienced is that when I start increasing my outreach , unexpected opportunities begin to surface . In fact , as I was preparing for this episode , someone reached out to me for an exploratory conversation , and on the day I'm recording this episode , one of my clients reached out and wants to talk about expanded services . Here's the kicker Just a couple weeks ago , I experienced about an $80,000 swing in my year-end projections , and this swing could have left me paralyzed . Instead , I processed the emotion of it , but then I bounced back and I created a plan , a plan for how I was going to bring that revenue back and close the gap between the goal I set and the goal I want to achieve . And that plan included a robust outreach plan . And that plan included a robust outreach plan . You know there have been several times this year where I've talked with my peer accountability partner about how consistency and outreach leads to predictability and results .

Kristin 14:20

We often remind each other how easy it is to talk about what we want to do and how important it is to actually do the thing . In a recent coaching call with a woman who is wanting to grow her business , I saw this temptation to avoid outreach show up when I asked her her next step , in other words , what she was going to get done between now and our next call . She told me she was planning to ask multiple people for feedback on her website . That's not outreach , that's preparation , that's planning and , honestly , it might be a form of hiding . She probably didn't need more feedback . She needs more conversations , invitations , real connections , and I shared that feedback with her . But this was such a clear reminder that we all do this . We all avoid the uncomfortable work in favor of the easier work that feels more productive . So if you're building a business , leading a team or scaling your impact , outreach isn't optimal . It's how growth happens , but it has to be intentional , and here are some recommendations I have for making outreach sustainable and effective .

Kristin 15:38

One use a repeatable process . Don't rely on motivation . Motivation comes and goes . Instead , create a system that guides you when you're reaching out and you know who you're reaching out to , when you're reaching out and why . Your process is what makes outreach consistent , even when your calendar fills up with other things . Two , track real outreach activity . The prep work doesn't count . It's important , it helps you do the outreach , but it's the conversations , it's the invitations , it's the messages that you're sending . Those are the actions that lead to results . Three treat business development like a client meeting . If a client had a meeting on your calendar , you wouldn't skip it . Hold your outreach time to the same standard .

Kristin 16:25

Four start with manageable goals but show up consistently . You don't have to go big every week , but you do have to stay visible . Momentum builds from consistent action , not big sprints , but those big sprints can help you jumpstart the momentum . Just don't do one big sprint stop and then expect the next big sprint to solve your problem . And five catch yourself when you're avoiding the uncomfortable . Reworking your website or designing a lead magnet or practicing your language could feel productive , but it's not the same as putting yourself out there . Recognize when you're avoiding the work that actually moves the needle . So if you have an opportunity to be more consistent with business outreach , I encourage you to ask yourself am I waiting for business or creating it ? Where do I need to be more intentional and what process do I need to put in place to support consistent outreach ? Outreach is how we open doors , but sustaining success also means being able to adapt when circumstances shift , especially

Team Transitions as Opportunities

Kristin 17:40

when those shifts happen inside your business . And this leads me to my third lesson I've learned this year Don't let a team transition derail your progress One of the realities of building a business is that team transitions are inevitable .

Kristin 17:56

People move on , roles evolve and support structures shift . Even when a transition is planned or aligned with what's best for both parties , it can still create disruption . I experienced this when I was working in corporate . I've coached clients through it and for the first time as a business owner , I unfortunately truly felt what it feels like to go through team transition . This past quarter I got a text on a Monday of all days from my longest tenure VA asking if I had time for a quick call so she could share some exciting news . I had a feeling I knew what the call would be about . She shared that she received an amazing offer and would be leaving the VA company within two weeks and , to my surprise , I didn't feel panic at the end of the call . Feel panic at the end of the call . Instead , I saw it as an opportunity to re-evaluate what I need in a VA now . I brought her onto my team nearly four years ago and since then the services I offer have evolved , the clients I coach have elevated and my confidence as a coach has changed and grown .

Kristin 19:08

This team transition gave me a reason and , quite frankly , a responsibility , to slow down and reassess what kind of support would serve the business best . Going forward , as I walked my outgoing VA through the off-boarding process , I had her focus less on step-by-step task instructions and had her focus more on institutional knowledge . I told her if someone can Google how to do it , skip it . Focus on how you think about the task , how you prepare for meetings with me , how you approach communication and capture the context that lives in your head and can't be taught through a video or a checklist . This mindset helped us preserve the why behind how we work , not just the what .

Kristin 20:02

I also made the decision to delay a couple of projects I had been planning to launch with my VA . I wanted to give my new VA the space to settle into a role and master the basics of the reoccurring task before layering on complexity of new projects . I unfortunately learned this the hard way when I was working in corporate . I remember being so excited about a new hire and I was ready to offload the work I had been doing in that role , and I ended up overwhelming her right out of the gate . I wanted to give her everything I had been doing in that role and I wish I would have known about the impact of layering on different tasks and responsibilities , so she could have gotten a better grasp of what was expected . That's exactly why I now coach my clients to think about what do you want your new hire to have mastered in their first 30 days , and this helps them simplify the onboarding process . Get really clear with expectations and then they can continue adding work to their new hires plate after they've mastered the fundamentals .

Kristin 21:12

As I reflected on Q1 and what stood out the most , it wasn't how much I accomplished , it was how much I have grown . I strengthened my CEO mindset by making space to lead and think . I stayed consistent with outreach even when I felt busy or pulled in other directions , and I navigated a team transition with intention , choosing to slow down , reassess and stay grounded in what works . These weren't

Strategic Reset Sprint Introduction

Kristin 21:42

dramatic changes , but they were powerful changes . Each one created more focus , more alignment and more momentum the kind of momentum that comes from leading with clarity , consistency and intentional decisions . And that's exactly why I created the Strategic Reset Sprint .

Kristin 22:02

And , just to be clear , the Strategic Reset Sprint is still grounded in my core offers . It's a six-week experience designed to help you reflect , realign and create a focused 90-day plan . You can actually follow . Whether you're stepping into a new season of growth , returning from a transition or realizing you need more clarity and structure to move forward , this sprint is designed to give you both momentum and direction forward . This sprint is designed to give you both momentum and direction . You'll walk away with a renewed focus , a clear set of priorities and a simple plan to guide your next 90 days . And I'm calling it a sprint for a reason it's a short , powerful experience built to create real movement without the overwhelm .

Kristin 22:46

If you're ready to reset with purpose and move forward with clarity , email me at meetkristinbarkcom and let's talk . Let's make the next 90 days your most focused and intentional yet . Until next time , elite achievers , celebrate your wins , reflect on your lessons and consistently show up with the mindset and habits that will elevate your success . Remember , progress is made one step at a time . By listening to today's episode , you've taken an important step toward achieving remarkable results . If you're ready to continue your journey , visit my website , kristenburkecom , for resources , tools and strategies designed to help you experience elite achievement . Subscribe now so you never miss an episode , and let's keep embracing the mindset , effort and values that drive consistent elite performance . Thank you for listening .