Balancing Act: Tips for Running a Successful Business with a Full-Time Job with Guest Expert Lindsay Dollinger [316]

So excited for our guest expert, Lindsay Dollinger to be with us on the show today.  If you've struggled with the balancing act of a full time job and trying to run a part or full time business on top of that, today's guest is going to give you the mind blowing tools that have worked for her.

Grab Lindsay's free resource here.

More about Lindsay:
Lindsay Dollinger is a women’s business coach, podcast host of the Purpose and Pixie Dust podcast, high school Spanish teacher, rescue dog mama, and Disney lover! She helps women with productivity and strategy to grow their businesses while also working full-time.

Connect with Lindsay:
Instagram
Private Community

OMNI - Become Known, In Demand, and Confidently Visible
With a visibility strategy that works harder than you do.

OMNI is your group coaching experience where you learn how to create visibility that works harder than you do. A strategic blueprint to become discoverable on the feed, search and AI. https://thevisibleceo.com/omni 

Website: thevisibilityimpactshow.com

Brand: thevisibleceo.com 

Instagram: instagram.com/itscrissyconner 

TikTok: tiktok.com/@crissyconner 

Facebook: facebook.com/crissyconner 

YouTube: youtube.com/@CrissyConner 

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/crissyconner 

Transcript

Copy Transcript Copied

0:00

Welcome back to the visibility Queen show today I have an amazing guest and we give a little intro and then I'm going to tell you what her name is. She is a women's business coach, podcast host of purpose and pixie dust podcast. She is a high school Spanish teacher rescue dog mama Disney lover, and she helps women with productivity and strategy to grow their businesses while also working full time. So let's welcome to the show. Lindsay dollar ninja. We are so excited to have you. Thank you so much Crissy. I'm so excited for this, this is gonna be so good. Yeah. Okay. So you have a lot on your plate, and you do a lot of things. Can we just like have a quick overview of your entrepreneur journey and how you've got to where you are today? Sure, absolutely. So okay, the concise version is, it starts really, when my mom passed away 2015 from breast cancer, and we were extremely close, she had a really long battle. And I kind of lost myself after that. And I felt like I needed something to not only consume my time, but like, just something new, something that was mine, something that was new post all of that. And I actually started my intrapreneur journey in network marketing. So I had been following a fitness coach who actually owned the gym that I was at, and I saw her post, I was extremely anti network marketing, like I find a lot of people are even to this day. So you know, I put it off, put it off. And then one night, I was like, What the heck, I'll I'll go listen to her opportunity call, I'll see what this is all about. And by that time, I had especially been sharing about my mom's journey, my own journey, and I had been sharing quite a bit on social media. So I had a pretty NRSA dedicated following, because I feel like it's hard to say that when you don't have a business, you know, but I had, I had kind of my cute crew online. And so I just joined, I was like, What the heck, you know, people can judge me people can do whatever, this sounds really fun, I think I might be good at it. And I also needed to lose some weight, because I had put on a lot of weight through grieving and all that. So anyway, I started with that, and had a lot of success in it found I loved it. And I loved all the pieces of it I loved actually more so than the products themselves. I loved the community, the women, I loved being able to build a team and start mentoring people. I loved reading self help. And you know, the entrepreneur books for the very first time, I had never read any personal development. I didn't even know what that was. I actually thought it was kind of fake. And I heard people talking about it. And I only read my first personal development book because I want it in a team contest. And I was like, well, crap, now I feel bad. This, my coach sent me this, I should probably read this. And then I was just talked to so you know, long story short, I did a few different companies after that for different reasons. And I found that no matter what company I was in the same, like business pieces, were still helping me be successful, those same basic business principles. And then I found that people started messaging me and asking me, you know, Hey, how are you able to do this? How are you able to do this? While you're working full time? How are you able to do this and not seem salesy and slimy, like some of the other people that I see doing it. And so I started one by one very informally coaching people. And I finally was like, you know, this is the part of the business that I actually really love doing. Like that's been my common thread through all these companies that I've been in, maybe I could be like a business coach. So I started my podcast first, in June of 2020, actually bought the domain for it in January of 2020. And was too scared to actually do anything with it. I started a free Facebook community, and then it just kind of all, you know, started building on itself from there. So that's the long story, or short story of how I got here. I love that. So I don't know if you even know this data. I'm sure this data is out there. But I would love to know how many people start a business as a network marketer first, and then evolve from that because I did right I've done it like a lot of really successful entrepreneurs. They started there and I think it's like, you realize this is what I learned that number one, the motivation, the self development, right, the personal development books, like Never had I read them before, but also the community and I and the cheering each other on and I think that was the thing in corporate world I never even knew was possible, right? I never, everybody was Catty, everybody wanted to be better than everybody else, you know, and so it really opened my eyes I think to see that type of business 100% And I would love to know that stat too, because I agree, I think and I've heard it before. Whereas network marketing referred to as like the gateway into your business, because it's like that low injury, and you still have all this support, and you have all this help. And I think to the thing, one of the things that appealed to me, you know, I'm a teacher by trade, you know, I can't like get promotion, like, I can work really, really hard and be an amazing freakin teacher or I could be the crappiest teacher in the world and I get paid the same, I get the same days off. And so that was another thing that really appealed to me. Not only network marketing, but my own business is like, I could actually kind of control my results. And that was something completely new that I hadn't got to do before. And I love that. Absolutely love that. Yeah, I love that, too. It's so funny, my son said something about I work harder, and everybody else I get paid the same. And I said, Honey, from business, I don't know what else to tell you be your own boss. It's the only way you're gonna get away from that. So yeah, it is it's so true. And it's it's so funny, you know, like, because that can go the other way too. Like, if you're not putting in the hours, you're not putting the time in your business to you're not going to see the payoff. So like, it definitely goes both ways. But it's really, it's really freeing that it does go both ways, I think. Absolutely, absolutely. So one of the things that I think you have been really successful at is obviously having this full time business, right? Where I don't even think you can call teaching a nine to five, like, do you it's an all day, every day kind of thing. Right? And so like, how are you doing that? And and successfully have ran? Whether it's network marketing businesses, your coaching business, also scheduling podcast interviews, like how do you do at all? It's a great question. And I feel like there's lots of pieces to this. So one of the first things for me that was so difficult being a teacher is we're almost held to a different standard as educators where we have to be careful what we post, you know, and we have to be careful what times we post and I have definitely, especially in the beginning of my business not going to happen, well, not really. But I got in trouble for I had like scheduled posts in a Facebook group, and someone took a picture and turned it into my boss at work and was like she's posting during the day. And I'm not saying I wasn't on Facebook during the day, because I totally was not when I was supposed to be teaching, but in between classes and stuff, I haven't totally checked that. But I was like, Well, those are scheduled posts, and I had to like explain to them how stuff works. So a lot of that was a lot of figuring out like, where my parameters were within having this job, and also trying to build full time. You know, things I could say and couldn't say, too, it's not like I could be very vocal online about wanting to leave a job that I at the time, I'm very different supervisor than I do now, then I did want to leave like that was definitely a goal of mine. And we can talk about that more later about how that necessarily isn't now but you know, you had to be really careful about that. So along with that also came a lot of mindset work where I had to be able to put on my CEO hat, put my blinders on and be able to leave teacher Lindsay at school. And you know, I'm not always successful at doing that, not all the time. I also take kids abroad in the summer, that's a school related trip. So I do different things with that in the evenings and all that. So it's a lot of extra time. But one of my biggest tips is, like you said, as much as you can leave the nine to five at the nine to five, have your business, you know, have set business hours, that was a very huge thing for me at first was we call them power hours in the network marketing world, other other people and people call them co working time or, you know, just set time that you are working your business and you know exactly what tasks you are doing. So, you know, when I very first got started, I found YouTube videos of different leaders. And I was very intentional about this, like I found people in different companies because I wanted to see how everyone was doing it across the board. And so I would listen to their recorded power hours, I would do all the tasks that they were saying. And then eventually I came up with my own where I was like, Okay, these are like the pieces from each one that I really like and where I saw results, came up with my own, made a checklist and then was just very disciplined. Like, you know, I'm doing this an hour every night. And if I have two hours and I'm doing two hours, you know, and if I'm pushing for a really big goal, maybe there's a night where I'm gonna do a three hour one. And so just getting really intentional about this is my work time. These are the things that I know are my income producing activities. I'm fitting this in and then when I didn't have those big chunks of time, sometimes it was at work on my lunch break that I was doing it. Or before school. I started getting up a little bit earlier. I know you guys have heard that before probably from people getting up earlier and I am not a morning person isn't at all. So like this year, for example, I have been getting up about 45 minutes earlier, I kind of have to anyway for my dog to feed her bus, it's fine. And I actually go into work so that I don't have the distractions of home, my dog, whatever, and just knock out a few tasks in the morning before school starts for him on the you know, officially on the clock, that that very intentional time, once you figure out those income producing activities has been really, really huge for me. Do you feel like like, I don't know, if you time yourself? Because I think when we're really passionate about something we don't, it just time flies by but like, do you know, like, how many hours outside of your nine to five that you put into your business? Currently? Yeah. Oh, you know, I haven't tracked it in a while, I would say because I also have one on one clients, and I have a membership. So, you know, depends a little bit per the week, but I would say probably anywhere between 15 to 20 hours outside of work, some some weeks less, especially if I'm going on a trip, I batch things out ahead of time, so that I actually am able to fully unplug because I think that's really important. And because I'm mean, I'm a workaholic, like I will if I don't put down those boundaries on myself and I will burn out. And I've been to that place before. And it's not fun. And I don't want that to be you know what was happening? Yeah. So obviously, you're working a nine to five, you have a podcast? How are you consistent? Because this is the thing I hear, even with people who do not have a nine to five, let me just be clear. How are you consistent on social media? Like how are you consistently putting out content with all of those outside things. So over the time, I feel like part of it just becomes like a muscle that you're like it you're just so used to posting that you just do so that platform for me as Facebook, Instagram, I still it's like a second thought like, I have to be like, okay, and I actually set reminders on my phone, phone reminders have been a game changer for me. So anytime I think of something even if I'm teaching, not if I'm actually talking but you know, if I'm in the classroom, and I'm like, oh, I need to fart like things will just pop in. And instead of the post it notes everywhere because I've been that person before too. I will set a reminder on my phone. So I actually have a reminder set on my phone during the lunch hour every like Monday through Friday, interact on Instagram and Facebook. Like that's my reminder, just because if not like I will forget and it'll be night and I'm like crap, I did not do that. Um, another thing that I have tried to be very intentional about is repurposing, which I actually did a workshop with you like I remember when it was, I think pre COVID. And it was like the taking 10 Taking one piece of content and maybe breaking it down into 10 or something. Yeah. So don't always do like, obviously the full 10 out of each one. But at this point in my business, I have a website and I have the podcast, which is super easy. So I usually start with my podcast episodes. My podcast provider provides free transcription services. So I have it all transcribed. From that, then I make a post on Instagram and Facebook that I schedule out and Pinterest all of the three from Canva. And then I take the the transcription anything word transcription, put it on my website is a blog with my audio player. So like that's easy contents, at least twice a week that I have. But I will also put a full disclaimer that I currently have someone creating content for me four days a week on Instagram and my Facebook business page. I heard that out in January. I absolutely love her. And I've had that before in the past. And then I have like taken my foot off of it because I'm like, I don't know if it's worth it. And it's worth it. It's worth it every time. So I want to be really honest about that too. Especially when I was building my network marketing team to the top 1%. Like I did not do that by myself. Once I got to a certain level, I hired a virtual assistant to help me a few hours a week because you just can't do it all. So like at some point, you're either going to trade you have to trade time for money, right or the other way around. And I was like okay, well, this is my big goal and I am not willing to I'm a very big I will not compromise my sleep. I will not compromise my family time. Or like my workout time. Most days. So I'm like, Okay, well then I can't get another hour. So I need someone to help me respond to emails or schedule posts or do something that I don't have to be the one doing. So that person has helped me with that too. Yeah, and 100% That's like how you scale right? You can't do it all on your own. And I think I think to a lot of times people in their head in order to outsource something like that they have this huge astronomical number. They don't really know how much it cost, but in their head, it's so much. But they don't realize what they get back in that in that aspect either. Well, and even before I did that, I, you know, like meal meal subscription service it like because I realized I was buying, like Greenshot dinners and doing that making those, like, that's an hour every night that I'm spending doing that, like I need to order something that's pre made for at least for lunches. So, you know, there's little things that weren't even like the quote unquote, bigger business outsourcing, that I started doing, you know, mowing my yard. For a while I had a lady cleaning my house before COVID. And I need to find another one because that's another thing I would like to not do. And you know, have that time back. But those two hours, like two hours a week, especially if you are I mean for anyone really, but especially if you're still working full time can make a huge difference, you'll get a lot done in two hours, if you focus, oh my gosh, so much. And I feel like you, you can get stuff done and the amount of time you have because when there's a deadline and you're like I have to get this done, it doesn't matter how much time you will get it done. It's just funny how that works for us, for sure. So another thing that you have been really successful and your business is pivoting? Yeah. So let's chat a little bit about pivoting. How have you pivoted successfully and gracefully in your business? Well, thank you, I, I don't know if it's always been gracefully. You know, one of the things that I knew I needed very early on, especially after I had switched companies once already pretty early in my network marketing career was I knew I needed a brand. And I was slowly building that, you know, we build that a little bit without even realizing it if you're already posting on social media. But I knew that I really needed to do that. So I joined a branding mastermind, it was in probably late spring 2020. It was excellent. It was awesome. We worked through a ton of stuff. And then I really felt like I was showing up on social media as Lindsey Dollinger with you know, all my little brand buckets underneath me. And they flowed really nicely, like I was very easily able to talk about my products and my services, what I was passionate about what I love doing. And it just felt super cohesive. And because of that, I feel like when I switched my focus from my network marketing, building my team selling those products, to coaching women on how to do the pretty much the same thing that I was doing, just not promoting it for another company really felt seamless, like it felt very natural. And then it just was like I slowly just stopped talking about the network. And the interesting thing is, I'm still a promoter for them. You know, I still have a separate like VIP group. And it's so funny, like, people send me messages, like, do you still sell those? Like, can I buy it? And I'm like, actually I do. I just don't talk about it. But yes, I do. Thanks for asking. But I think that's really cool, too. Because when you find that thing that you are aligned with it all just really naturally pieces together. And before I found that, but like before I made that pivot into coaching from network marketing, like I could feel that I wasn't aligned, right. Like I was not happy. I was like, frustrated or like agitated with things and like things weren't working. And I'm like, Why are things not working? And I just realized it was because I was trying to make myself do something that like, wasn't there, my heart was not in it anymore. And I'm like, that's not fair to anyone for me to keep pursuing that or acting like I'm pursuing that. So it was just a much better, a much better pivot when I was able to, and there was no like, huge big announcement or anything like that, you know, I just started gradually talking about these new things that I was doing. And people went along with it because I had been nurturing them building that community and doing it all very authentically the entire time. So people were like, Oh, she's doing something new. Cool. Let's see what this is all about. Yeah, and I think that's so the cool thing about building like you said, a personal brand. You can go from company to company you can a consistent personal brand. Let me clear that up. Because I think people build relationships with you knowing that you're reliable knowing that Lindsay shows up every single day, Lindsay is giving value every single day like they know who you are. And you've built that. What I love to call a parasocial relationship, like whether they've actually met you in person or not like they trust you. They like you, they know you. And so it's an easy, it's an easy transition, even if you decide to do something else. Yeah, and a lot of that too, comes with visibility by like, you know, very well, but you know, showing up in my stories, especially I don't always do the live videos that I should I know I should I do them from time to time, but I show up way more talking in my stories. And it's just you, and I'm sure you get this too. Like, you'll be like in Costco and someone will be like, are you going to hunger? I recognize your voice or like, I recognize at like, Yes. Who are you? Not really sure, because you never comment on my stuff. You know, but like doing that to, like, people feel like they know you. And so they're way more willing to at least be interested or be open to see what else you were up to, you know? Or, or if not, they'll support you anyway. You know, they'll they'll give you the likes, they'll give you the followers, they'll recommend you to other people, I get referred people all the time that I had no idea. Were even looking at my stuff. Yeah. So you obviously pivoted from network marketing to basically being a coach and entrepreneur, what do you like? What are some of the things that you like discovered in that transition? Like I would love to know like, because, obviously, when you work with a network marketing company, you have all these guidelines, and sometimes really strict rules, and you don't have as much freedom as you do with your own business. So I'd love to know, like, what are some of the discoveries and, and things that you found, as you transitioned over? Oh, that's good question. Well, one of the biggest things, like you said, is that freedom, and it's really nice, not having to push the 29th 30th 31st of the month. But I think the biggest thing for me was it is 100% my own business, whereas with the network marketing compensation plan, a lot of it usually depends also on a team and on other people. So literally, at the end of the day, like my success is my success. And so it's up to me to get the mentorship to get in the rooms with the right people to show up to provide and find those offers. And I need to find for my people, which can be a lot of pressure to because you know, at the end of the day, it's all on you, you can't blame your team and your your company's rules and all that. But I would say that freedom is a really huge thing for me, because that was a huge turnoff for a lot of the companies that I was in was different rules that they had. Or, or sometimes just not exactly aligning with, with the vibes I got, or you know, so you get to pick who you get to work with, which is a really cool thing, too. You get to pick who you collab with. And so it's been really fun building up my network, not only of clients, but of other women that I collaborate with. And building that and seeing it shift and change and grow as I grow as an entrepreneur. Whereas it's not. I don't know if this is the right word, but like, you're forced group with your network marketing, like, you know, you have your set team, and their team and their company, and you kind of take on that identity versus you get to form your own. Which I feel like I was always kind of doing, because I was investing and I was doing things a little bit different in network marketing than some of the other people were doing. Say, that would probably be my biggest, like, Aha. I also thought that my team when I told them, that I was like making this shift, and this change would be like really mad at me or really upset. And that because I've almost like grieved that like a little bit that loss. And they were like, That makes so much sense. Like you do a girl like you do. I was like, Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. So they've been really supportive, which was really nice. That's when you know, like, you know, like, I think a lot of times, even in masterminds and stuff I've been afraid to leave because I'm like, I'm going to lose all these friendships, you know, like, they're only going to be my friend while I'm paying. And then it's like, no, that's not true at all. So it's really amazing how people aren't, you can leave a nine to five and people get really pissed at you. Let's be honest. Right? So it's so nice. Again, just It's refreshing that the friendship still lasts, the supporting is, you know, sort of people are still there. And it just feels really good. Yeah, it does. And not every company has been that way. Yeah, but that one that I am so wet, you know, and I was like, I'm just like backing off a little bit and just be sorry, my dogs barking there just be a little bit, you know, different and they were all super supportive. And I think that goes for, again, you know, the people you surround yourself with 100% Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So since you touched on it, I really want to ask this question. What has visibility done for your business and I don't care about live video. I'm just truly like you showing up consistently, whether it's your message on podcast videos, real tiktoks Whatever, it doesn't matter, but what is visibility done for your business over the years? Gosh, so much. First of all, at the very beginning, it helps me get clients you know, it helps me get my myself in front of other people and it still does. You know, it's helped people they'll really get to know me, for the me for the one that I want them to see not teacher me or you know, whatever hat I have on, but kind of like that whole person. Because I've tried to be really intentional about sharing all of those pieces, not just the good stuff. And then you hear from people you know, I see you everywhere you're in all the places, or people that I have no idea that are looking at myself, like you know, the people. And you're like, Oh, that's so interesting. I didn't even know we were connected online. But it's it's been really cool because I've gotten a lot of opportunities or, like you said, recommendations or referrals or like, you know, you should apply to be in this conference. This looks like something you would really like to do. Or referrals like, Hey, I'm planning a trip to Disney, this person really need some help with that YouTube should connect. Same thing with podcasts guesting and hosting, too. So no, it's not a ton. And it's, it's definitely a pillar for how I have grown my business. And I think how everyone these days is growing their businesses is good visibility. Imagine that visibility breeds more visibility. Yes, yes. That multiplies. Right. Exactly, exactly. Okay, so I want to ask you some rapid fire questions and just answer the first thing that comes to you and I added some things that I know you will love to so you might have a hard time answering. Okay. What's your favorite platform? Facebook? Okay. Which who's your favorite Disney character? I knew you're gonna ask that. Question. Ah, Little Mermaid. All right. What is your current binge worthy show? Oh, okay. So I just finished. Is it Jenny in Georgia, Georgia and Jenny, Jenny, Georgia. I want to Yeah, upset. Yeah. Yeah, I just finished it. I need next season like now. So yeah. All right. I know you travel. But what's your favorite place to go? You mean besides Disneyworld? Because that's like a given favorite country of Spain. I love Spain. Yeah. All right. What is an ideal day for Lindsay look like? Who ideal day would be that I get to sleep in because like I mentioned, I am not a morning person. So not super late, like seven or eight. I'd be fine with that. Play with the dog. Do a peloton ride, go for a walk outside? Do some business work? And then spend some time with my family and friends? Love it. Okay, what is your like, favorite statement piece when you get on video or when you're speaking in front of other people? Ooh, statement piece. I actually borrow it from my sister. It's a glitter jacket. It's like a multi color glitter jacket. Everyone always loves it. And I'm like, It's not mine. But I wear it all the times. I'm like, It's corny. I love that. I love that. You know, I'm a fan of glitter. It's my favorite color. So yay. Love. Okay, so you have a gift for my audience. So you want to tell us a little bit about that? Yeah. So if you had to Lindsey darling your.com, forward slash OPT. Dash in, I need to make it easier without the dash in there. Or it's just on the front page on my web page. You can download a free checklist of my basically was that power hour that I talked about that I crafted earlier of your daily business tasks. And if you do these business tasks every day, I promise you will move your business forward. So download it, tweak it for you, like I did, and enjoy it. Yes. And we'll have that link in the show notes. So make sure you check those out. Is there anything else that maybe we didn't go over that you would love to just like reiterate or tell my audience as you're listening to this episode? Yeah, I mean, I think the biggest thing is you can do it, it might not be as quick as you think it will be, especially if you are busy doing other things full time, mom, full time, job, all of those. But you know, at the end of the day, it's worth it. Keep going and find your tribe, find your tribe of people that will lift you up on those days where you're like, I don't want to do this or I'm not cut out for this. Who will listen to you without judging you. They might not be your best friend. You know, I think it's really important to have your friends and your network who who fulfill different things for you. Which I had to learn the hard way on that. But that's a long story for another day. But you know, find those people that will listen to you who will support you no matter what, who will keep you going because you know it's worth it. Your Dreams worth pursuing. So do it. I love that. I love that. Okay, so where can people find you on social media? Where can they connect with you at? I am Lindsey Dollinger all the places so li nd s a y, which I'm sure Crissy will will do that but you know, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, I'm on all of them. I'm a little slower to respond on Instagram. I'm still getting the hang of being over there. But I did turn on my notifications for messages though, so I will hopefully not miss them. All right, thank you so much, Lindsay. You have poured so much into my audience so I know they're going to connect with you and be watching you because this has been huge For so many people they need this productivity they need to know how to pivot they need to know all the things so thank you so much for being on the show today you so welcome thanks for having me Crissy All right bye