Live Your Extraordinary Life With Michelle Rios

The CEO Method with Amy Traugh

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In this inspiring episode, Amy Traugh takes us on her extraordinary journey from a corporate career in outpatient physical therapy to becoming a thriving entrepreneur. Faced with a furlough during the 2020 pandemic, Amy turned a challenge into an opportunity, founding multiple successful businesses and publishing her book The CEO Method: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Business Success.  https://www.amytraugh.com/freebook

Through her unique CEO framework emphasizing Clarity, Established Systems, and Organic Sales, Amy shares the mindset shifts and practical strategies that helped her—and now countless others—build sustainable, purpose-driven businesses. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned professional seeking renewed direction, this conversation is packed with actionable insights and heartfelt wisdom.

Here’s what we cover:

  • How clarity about your “why” is the foundation of entrepreneurial success.
  • Building efficient systems to create freedom in your business.
  • Overcoming self-doubt and navigating challenges with confidence.
  • Balancing the demands of business and family life.
  • The power of self-awareness in defining and celebrating success.

Amy’s story is a testament to the resilience, creativity, and courage it takes to chart your own course. Tune in to uncover the tools, mindset, and inspiration you need to take the next bold step toward your entrepreneurial dreams! 

WAYS TO CONNECT WITH ME:

Speaker 1:

Hello everyone and welcome back to the Live your Extraordinary Life podcast. I'm your host, michelle Rios, and today we have such a treat. My friend Amy Tra is joining us here on the show, and Amy is a three-time female founder, business strategist and host of the globally rated the Motivated CEO podcast. And host of the globally rated the Motivated CEO podcast. She is absolutely passionate about empowering and educating online service providers to help them generate consistent sales Isn't that something we all want and need? Without sacrificing the most important value assets that we all have, which is time and energy? Through her signature CEO method, she guides all of her clients to sanity and consistent revenue. So, without further ado, amy, welcome to the show.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much, Michelle. I'm so excited to be here with you today, Well.

Speaker 1:

I'm in awe. First of all, thank you for sending a copy of your book. I got a chance to read it over the last week. It's the CEO Method, an Entrepreneur's Guide to Business Success, and I am thinking all of my listeners that have either entered the entrepreneurial space or about ready to do so need to get a copy. It's so well written, it's clear, it's concise, it's to the point, and what I love is that you really guide people. This is the handbook everybody needs when they're thinking about starting a business, because this is an up and down roller coaster of a ride journey, as you know, and I really want to encourage people to go pick up Amy's book, the CEO Method.

Speaker 1:

In that I want to talk, though I want to step back to 2020, because you weren't always an entrepreneur. This is still somewhat of a new game, although I feel like you were one of the more seasoned entrepreneurs on this journey that I've come across. Tell me a little bit about what's going on, because I know that 2020, pandemic times. It was a monumental shift for everybody. Help me understand, and let's talk through with our listeners, what was going on, that you did this big transition.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, 2020 was kind of the year that came out of nowhere for everyone, right. I mean, it was wild to look back and think that was almost. It was five years ago now.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, Five years ago it was five years ago that pretty much every single person in this world, your life, changed in some way. You were impacted in one way or another, and that was the year that my life was flipped upside down. It was the pandemic, and we got the notice that schools were shutting down. I'm like, okay, this is a little unnerving because I'm working full time, my husband's working full time, we both work outpatient physical therapy. So it was like, okay, we're not shutting down, we're still resuming operations. But we had two kids at home, we had a kindergartner and a preschooler at the time and there's no daycare because those are shutting down too. So it's like what are we going to do? Well, luckily, you know, at the time this freaked me out. But now, looking back, this was the pivotal moment was you know? My employer was like we need to cut staff right now by 50%. We need half of you to go on furlough, we're looking for volunteers, okay, well, I mean, this is what we're going to have to do. We've got to do something to figure this out. I'm going to do it.

Speaker 2:

And at the time I was terrified. I was absolutely terrified, because I'm like this is not according to the plan. This is not like checking my boxes off here. This is scary, this is unnerving. What's going to happen? But I knew I had to do it, so I did, and that was the biggest turning point in my life, because I finally had the time to quiet all of the outside noise, all of the hustle, and turn down that noise from the outside world so I could finally hear the voice within. And it was at that moment that I realized I was going through the motions, I wasn't living an extraordinary life.

Speaker 2:

You know, this is something you talk about all of the time I was on autopilot, going through the motions, accepting the reality that I had chosen for myself because I went to college, I had my degree, I was working, I had my dream job. I wasn't fulfilled, I was just going through the motions, living for one day. One day I'll be able to retire. Yeah, Then we'll go and travel, Then we'll get everything checked off the bucket list. But at that moment in time I realized the only moment we're guaranteed is the one we have right now. So when I finally came to terms with that, I was like okay, something needs to change. I had no clue what. I had no clue how. I just knew in my heart that something had to change. So you know, flash forward, a few months still hadn't gotten called back to work. I'm like you know what? How can I make this work? Then I'm going to need to do something in order to earn a living. And I started my first business and I haven't looked back ever since.

Speaker 1:

All right. So this is the turning point, folks, because a lot of people might be in the situation of either being laid off, let go furloughed, or even voluntarily saying I can't do this anymore, I'm burned right out. But you're like, okay, I'm starting a business. That's something not everyone has the courage to do. So tell us about this business, because you haven't just had one business. You were a founder three times over and it's only been five years. So talk us through. What was the idea, the inception, and how did you know this was going to work? Or did you not know? And how did you walk through the unknown and the fear that comes with that?

Speaker 2:

Oh, there was so much fear. But it was one of those things. I had always had it on my heart to start a residential home organizing company. I love organization. I loved helping people really get to the bottom of all this stuff and regain the control, because our environment directly impacts our mental health, and so I did it. I'm like you know what this seems like. It'd be fun. I feel like I'm really good at this. I help friends with this all the time. Why don't I just try it? Because, worst case, I can always go out, find another job in therapy, like no big deal. So I'm just going to try it. And I will tell you what. I don't know if it was the universe guide, the everything coming together all at once. But that was the perfect business to start.

Speaker 2:

During the pandemic, everybody was stuck at home. They realized how much stuff they had. They were tired of being controlled by their things. So this business took off and it grew and I didn't know a thing about starting business. So the really cool thing about the pandemic was there were tons of resources available. Harvard Business School was offering business classes for free. There were so many mentorship programs and I just became a sponge. I was like I know that I don't know a lot about the business side of things, so I just took it all in. But then I did what a lot of people don't do is I applied that knowledge, because knowledge without implementation, without action, is worthless. So I just got to work.

Speaker 2:

I was willing to be a beginner again and say you know what, I don't know what I'm doing. I'm really good at helping people regain control of their environments, but what I'm not really good at is how do I market myself? How do I get myself seen? How do I build a business? What are all these metrics and data points in business? Because that's what I really loved about my career in therapy was really leveraging that objective data in order to get an outcome, and so what I was finding was wait a minute, what I'm doing now in building this business really isn't much different than what I've done my entire career in physical therapy. I'm empowering and educating people to achieve the success that they want, and in order to do that, I'm looking at these metrics to guide me and get me there. So that's what I really attribute to my success and how I was able to grow and scale this business so quickly, so that was business number one.

Speaker 1:

Okay, let's hold there. I don't want to leave here yet, because this is an important one. You got to scale because I believe at some point you ended up selling this business, correct?

Speaker 2:

I did.

Speaker 1:

Okay. So for you to get to scale in something that was not product oriented, it required it's a service. It required time and effort. You had to have been out there and really like busy, yeah, did you end up having to hire a team. Was that part of the scale, like, or was this? You just really like taking on a lot of?

Speaker 2:

projects. It was me hustling hard and driving all over the place. And what I realized with that is I'm like I'm right back where I was when I left my nine to five. What did I do? But what I realized in building that first business, that gave me the confidence that, wow, I can do this. I was willing to be the beginner, I was willing to push past my own self-limiting beliefs, so that built the confidence within me. And what I realized was, even more than I loved helping people regain control, was I really loved the business of building the business.

Speaker 2:

So as I'm doing this, I'm like you know what? My kids were really young at the time. I'm like there is nothing in my area that catered to moms growing businesses. So I started a networking group and that grew, that took off because there was a need. You identify a need and you ask yourself how can I fill this void? What is missing? And if I can't find it, I'm going to go out there and I'm going to create it and you just have to detach from the outcome. You're like, okay, I'm willing to bet on myself, let's try it out. This is just an experiment. If it works, awesome. If it doesn't, guess what we can learn something from it.

Speaker 1:

That's amazing. Okay, so a lot of people have ideas for starting a business, but they do definitely get stuck on how. So they get the what down. I have a what and then they get stuck. What was the first concrete step you took in turning your idea for the organizing business into a reality? What was the first kind of real breakthrough for you what I did is I just?

Speaker 2:

I validated it. I really made sure there was a need. So I did my market research. I looked, okay, around the area. Who else is out there doing the same thing as I am? Is there a need in my area? Is there that demand there?

Speaker 2:

And then I tried it out. I would go into friends' houses. I'm like, hey, I'm going to start this business. I need to get some before and after pictures. I want to start to do some content for social media. Are you willing to let me come into your home and organize some closets? And every single one of them's like, oh, okay, yeah, why wouldn't I? Because I'm tired of looking at all this stuff. Can you go through my kid's playroom? Can you go through my basement?

Speaker 2:

And it validated that, so it was getting into action. So I really could kind of test the waters before I fully committed. So it was again allowing myself to kind of play first before I was like, okay, we're going to pour tons and tons of money into this in order to make it grow. So I think it's okay to do that. It's okay to kind of test and validate so that you do know what you're getting yourself into.

Speaker 2:

Because when you're first starting a business, it's one of those things that you're always like the grass is greener on the other side. Oh, I'm going to have this entrepreneurial lifestyle where I'm just sitting at home and the dollars are flowing in easily and effortlessly and I have six figures in my bank account at all times. But the reality is the beginning stages they're scary, they're uncertain, you're not quite sure because you don't have that proof to your brain of possibility. But once you start just kind of testing the waters a little bit, you build up that confidence in yourself and then you have that proof to your brain, like okay, yeah, this can work.

Speaker 1:

That's amazing. Okay, in your book you talk about your CEO method. This is your signature approach and I love it because, for everyone listening CEO, we all know it as chief. For everyone listening CEO, we all know it as chief standing for chief executive officer. But in Amy's case, she talks about it in terms of entrepreneurial approach and the importance of clarity, established systems and organic sales and social. So walk us through that a little bit, because I found that, first of all, one of the best, clearest, simplest ways to think about business from a CEO perspective, right.

Speaker 2:

Especially as a solopreneur, as a solopreneur.

Speaker 2:

When you're just first starting out, there's so much information out there, right, and what happens is we end up treating ourselves like this overworked employee. But at the end of the day, in order to have a thriving business, you need to step into the role of CEO. So that's why I really honed in on the CEO and mindset of things, because we're running a business here. But step one is clarity. You have to have that clarity from day one as to what it is that you want this business to look like and why. Not only what, but why.

Speaker 2:

I think the why is something that a lot of people miss out on, because we say we want these things, but at the end of the day, a lot of times, we're adopting everyone else's goals as our own. So what do you want and why do you want it? And when you have such a concrete, deep-rooted belief and understanding of what and why, that will keep you going, because there are going to be days when you want to quit. There will be days when you want to burn it all down, when you think you need to start over. We all go through that. I still have days where I'm like that. But what do I do? I reflect back as to why am I doing this, what is that impact, what is that legacy that I want to leave on this world? So really having that clarity is so key, especially in a world full of noise. So that is step one.

Speaker 1:

And the clarity. Let's just sit there for a minute, because this is the most important question, right, we talk about you know, what do you want? So many of us kind of go through the societal approach of, well, I'm going to go to college and then I'm going to get a good job that pays well, because that's what I'm told, that's going to make me happy, and so I'm going to go do that. And then we kind of wake up at some point on various parts of the journey going wait, this is not all it's cracked up to be and waiting to retire, which the retirement age keeps creeping up, is not sounding fun. I had that kind of awakening in my late 20s and I'm like 67 is really a long ways away to start being happy. So something has got to change now.

Speaker 1:

So let's talk a little bit about clarity, because I think some people, if they're honest with themselves and create that space to actually listen to what comes up when they ask that question, might know what they want to experience and how they want to feel, but they might not yet have the idea of the business.

Speaker 1:

And Is that okay? I mean, you're a business strategist, you're working with women predominantly, I assume, and helping them really think through their offers. Is there a market need? How do we make sure you have something to offer, which I think there are a lot of people out there in the online space that kind of forget visible, but then they don't actually have anything to sell yet and they're creating all this content and it gets drowned out by the other noise. It sounds eerily similar to their content and it's a sad reality of kind of snapping your fingers and saying, hey, wake up everyone. Great to be visible, but you need a tangible offer. So what happens when somebody knows that they want to take the risk, they want to start having an entrepreneurial lifestyle, but they maybe don't actually know the what or the how, really what the business is going to be? How do you kind of coach them through that process of getting clarity on that piece of it?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, If you are sitting at this place right now, no, you're not alone and it's okay. We all have those moments and I mean, I've even faced this similar mindset when I've gone through the different evolutions of business and starting the multiple businesses of not really knowing, like, how do I figure that out? And you really have to turn down the noise, stop consuming, and I know that you feel like I'm going to get so many ideas from consuming by scrolling. I'm going to feel inspired. No, the true inspiration is going to come from within, when you take the time to sit with yourself and ask yourself you know, what is it that I'm actually good at? What do I enjoy doing? What skills do I have that I can apply to make a difference, what comes easily and naturally to me? Because your business should fire you up. You should be so excited because you have to be your first sale.

Speaker 2:

If you're not sold on what you're putting out there, other people pick up on that. They can sense that Energetically. They feel it. Oh, absolutely. So you have to be so passionate about what you're putting out there.

Speaker 2:

And just because you make a decision to start with one thing, it's okay to evolve. This doesn't have to be a forever decision, and that's okay, giving yourself that permission to play again, to experiment, to have fun and just start trying. Because as you start your business, even if you're like I'm not really sure what yet, just start to get curious, start to dabble in some of the basic skills that you're going to need in order to run a business. Look at the steps it takes to start a business. Talk to fellow entrepreneurs in your circle hey, you have a business. What advice and guidance can you give me? Because that is the one thing I love about the entrepreneurial community is that we are there to support one another because we get it. It's hard. It is a completely different ballgame when you are in it, especially as a solopreneur, versus, you know, running a multimillion dollar corporation where you have you know, you're a fortune 500 company. Completely different.

Speaker 1:

And have a full team.

Speaker 2:

Right, exactly, exactly. So just get out there and start talking to people, quiet all the outside noise and talk to those that have been there, that have been where you want to be.

Speaker 1:

So you said something and I think it's so important because I'll cop to this myself and I was sharing a little bit at the start of our conversation before we hit record that having blinders on to a lot of the other stuff you're seeing is important because, from an authenticity standpoint, you know you have a higher self that knows best, you're tapped into source, the universe, the divinity that lives within you, whatever you call it. You are connected. But you can't be connected if you are looking outside of yourself the whole time, and I have fallen trapped to this by looking at new authors that are coming out with books as I am trying to finish up mine. I was great for the beginning. I was like I'm not going to read anyone else's book right now. I just want to make sure my ideas come up and they're authentic for me and my experiences. And then I start getting asked to participate in other people's launches. I was like, of course, we're a supportive community, I want to be part of it.

Speaker 1:

And then I'm realizing wait a minute, that idea is not all that different than my idea. Is that a problem? And I started to get all up in my head. I took the blinders off. I found myself not doom scrolling, but certainly wasting my time trying looking for evidence that I'm not original. Isn't that terrible? And I had to like stop and say, whoa, this is actually counterproductive. You have your message. Great that they have their message. There's got to be synergy there. Don't get in that place of what do they say? Comparison is the thief of joy. Oh my God. There is nothing more true when it comes to being an entrepreneur and starting a business, because you're like, oh, but they're doing this and oh, but they did that or they already said this. Turn it off, get true to you, learn from other people, but stop comparing, because where you are in your journey and where somebody else is on their journey, completely night and day.

Speaker 2:

It is. But something you mentioned too is the self-awareness piece, the fact that you caught yourself because you have the self-awareness to realize oh gosh, I did just start going down that rabbit hole. Because that's human nature, it's safety, we're wired that way, we're wired for survival. So the fact that you had the emotional intelligence and self-awareness to go wait a minute, what am I doing? This is a narrative that I'm telling myself. You were able to quickly shift yourself back out of that because, at the end of the day, it's you versus you.

Speaker 2:

You've got to keep those blinders on because we all have the answers we're searching for so desperately from outside, but that true fulfillment, that true knowledge, it comes from within and in this world of noise and social media especially, really amplifies it. It's very easy to feel like everyone else is successful when I'm not. We all have failures. We're only seeing that little snapshot in time of what they want us to see, and that's what happens is a lot of this is taken out of context. So we're comparing ourselves apples to oranges here not even a fair comparison, because, yes, this person had a $50,000 launch, but they've got a team of 10 people on the back and they've got. You know.

Speaker 1:

They spent $100,000 in order to get the $50,000 to prove the concept.

Speaker 2:

That's absolutely true, like my analytical brain goes well. What was their profit margin? You know, like I start thinking that because people have been burned in the online space, people are more skeptical, because we're finally starting to realize wait a minute, is that the reality? Or is this coming from like a filtered reality, that I'm only getting a piece of the puzzle?

Speaker 1:

Well, I think it's so important at least you know, I like to call it as it is. So I had this very conversation not so many days ago with a dear friend and he said you know what's coming up for you? And I said I am feeling like an imposter in this particular moment and it was really interesting. And he said you dared to call it how you're feeling it. And he's like no, how are you going to move through it? And I thought that was so empowering for me because I got it off my chest. I wasn't pretending I was feeling okay about it, I was not feeling great. I'm getting a lot of like you know, kudos and yay and this. I'm like I still have a couple chapters to finish. You know I'm not done on my book, and it made me feel less than in that moment. And yet, rather than pretend that I didn't have that feeling, I just said you know what? I'm going to own it. I'm not feeling great right now. I'm in a low vibe. I don't want to stay in this low vibe. So let's just acknowledge it, give it a name and walk through it. And my friend held the space and just said you've got this, you know what to do, and it was just the kind of snap of like oh my God, I forgot who I am. Snap out of this, get back to work. We're good and it's so important when you're going through something monumental like starting a business or writing a book or creating a course or whatever it is that you're trying to do, that's big and different than anything you've done before. Give yourself permission to not be perfect and to not feel great all the time, and that's what I appreciate about you. I write a lot about authenticity and you're one of the most authentic businesswomen I know. Amy's podcast really was poignant toward the end of the year. She's like I didn't hit all my goals. People, you know, here we are. This is the reality and how to learn from that and how to just own it and not shame yourself, not to feel guilty about it and not to feel bad about it, but to say okay, this is where we're at.

Speaker 1:

And I found myself with my publisher avoiding a conversation because I felt bad that I hadn't finished. I finally got on the call and said you know what I've been feeling bad about? Not finishing, which is why I've been avoiding you? And she started laughing and she's like well, you're the one that was going 150 miles an hour, not us and I had to stop and I said, right, and she said so, do you have a new perspective on how you want this to unfold as we go forward? I said yeah, intuitively, and it's out of my head. And she said, great, I'll talk to you when you're ready to talk again. Keep going. All of a sudden, all of that weight I had been silently carrying and trying to be like I'll be fine, I'll snap out of it. I just need to kind of be honest with it and be like this is how I'm currently feeling about it, but I'm going to let it go now and get back to writing.

Speaker 2:

Exactly. We impose these crazy beliefs upon ourselves and we stay stuck. We're choosing to stay stuck because we're fighting for our limitations more than for what we truly want. We all do it, every single one of us, myself included. Yeah, that episode I did not like. I was raw, I was vulnerable.

Speaker 2:

In that episode, 80% of my goals I didn't reach. You know what? I'm really proud of the progress that I did make, because I am so much further ahead now than on January 1st of last year. So, yes, maybe I didn't accomplish everything on that list, but that's okay. I'm a lot closer to accomplishing it. So that list of goals is still right. I'm a lot closer to accomplishing it. So that list of goals is still right in front of me on the wall.

Speaker 2:

And you best believe I'm going to make it happen, because now I have more information as to okay, this didn't go so well. How can I make this work? What little pivots, what tweaks and adjustments do I need to make? Because there are opportunities all around me. But when I'm so focused on what's not working, I lose sight of that and I stay stuck, and that's a choice that I'm making and that can be a really hard truth for a lot of us to come to accept that it is a choice. But sometimes you have to make a choice, to make a change, and that's what I did five years ago when I made the decision to leave my job and it was scary, it wasn't easy. There was a lot of fear that surrounded it, and it wasn't even necessarily a fear of failure. It wasn't the fear of judgment, it was honestly the fear of success that was holding me back more than anything.

Speaker 1:

Talk more about that, Amy. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

That was the big turning point Because, you know, we all have the awareness like, oh, I don't want people judging me, oh, what happens if I fail? Like I feel like I had worked through that, like I just working with people for years and years. I'm like, whatever, you know, it is what it is, but I was afraid of success. What is this going to take away from? Is this going to pull me further from my family? Is this going to put me more into the spotlight, where I'm having to be in front of people and putting myself out there even more? Like, am I prepared for that? Am I prepared for that success? So, really taking the time to unpack that and realize I'm not necessarily afraid to fail, I'm afraid to fly, I'm afraid to succeed.

Speaker 1:

Were you afraid of the? So I could see it from a couple of different ways. The fear of you're so successful that your time goes right out the window because you are inundated with requests for work. That would actually freak me out, because, as somebody who has hustled and grinded her way to the top of the executive corporate ladder, I had zero desire to replicate that model in the entrepreneurial space. And unfortunately, in the early days we often do, because we don't know what else to do when you haven't yet started, other than hustle and grind until you see something start to take flight.

Speaker 1:

So the interesting part, though, is the visibility piece, because that, actually, I have zero qualms about that, but I was a PR girl, so very different industry. I'm kind of used to that piece my family very much, because I'm going to be so busy organizing other people and not home. Like, walk me through that a little bit, because the time piece, for me in particular, causes a knot in my throat, because I see it, sometimes there are days where I'm like oh my God, I have been in my office for 10 hours straight. This is actually not the way I'm supposed to be doing this, but here I am. What am I going to do differently tomorrow.

Speaker 2:

Right, you know we quit our nine to five to work 24 seven. But that hustle culture, it's rewarded in society. I mean, even when I was still working, we we were held to productivity standards. We had to meet certain standards in order to, like your performance, review your productivity standards. If you did not meet those, that was a part of it you were evaluated on that.

Speaker 2:

So for me it was kind of that fear of oh my gosh, are we just trading one for the other? Are we just going to be right back to where we started? Right, exactly Because now it's me versus me, I'm the head honcho of the thing Like wait a minute, what am I doing? So really coming to terms with that and acknowledging that and giving myself permission like we'll figure it out, just like we figured out. But the really cool thing is that I'm the CEO and this is my business. I get to make the rules and that's the coolest part that we forget.

Speaker 2:

This is your business. You get to run it in a way that feels good to you, because there's not just one hard set way to run your business. It's not okay. This is the business Bible and this is the only way to do it. We have to do X, y and Z work 24-7, hustle, hustle, hustle. No, you get to choose, you get to establish those boundaries. You get to say yes to the things that you want to say yes to. You can also say no to the things that don't feel aligned and that is important.

Speaker 1:

Oh boy, you need to learn to kindly say no, it's a tough one.

Speaker 2:

I'm still working on that. I actually, on my bulletin board beside me, have my list of no's, because I am a people pleaser Enneagram nine, through and through, like I just want everybody to be happy. So for me that took a lot of practice and it's something I'm still practicing is that learning to say no, I have not perfected that, that's not been mastered.

Speaker 1:

Oh, I'm way far from perfecting. That's why, literally, I still have a list.

Speaker 2:

So I can remember on a regular basis like no, it's okay to say no.

Speaker 1:

It's not only okay to know you have to. You have to get super selective, particularly as a solopreneur, because you do not have a large team yet. You might never have one, and deciding which levers to pull that are gonna actually be instrumental to your business is really important. All right, I wanna go back to the CEO method, because it's so so well put together, amy. Let's talk about so. C in the CEO is clarity, e is established systems. Let's talk about that, because that is, I think, most people's Achilles heel.

Speaker 2:

It sure is. And I think, before we even dive into that, it's important to like. What are systems? I had a friend talk to me about this the other day. She's like what systems?

Speaker 2:

That word just seems so overused. What are systems? That word just seems so overused. What are systems Like?

Speaker 2:

Well, systems are just workflows to free up your mental capacity because we are inundated, as business owners, with so many decisions. Even if you're not a business owner, you're making so many micro decisions throughout the day that half the time, by the time it's 10 o'clock in the morning, our brains are done. We have made so many decisions that we can't think clearly anymore. So systems are just workflows to help you move efficiently throughout your day so you're not having to be distracted by all the nitty gritty little decisions that you're making, even in life, by all the nitty gritty little decisions that you're making Even in life.

Speaker 2:

I have systemized my life like meal planning. I do a month at a time and I put it on the wall so the kids know exactly what's for dinner, because that would drive me crazy Having to try and figure out oh gosh, wait, I just worked all day Now. What's for dinner, what's not frozen, what is fresh. What do we need? No, I have a system for it, so that we know and we're on the same page. Systems are there to reduce that mental fatigue that we all face.

Speaker 1:

I was introduced to time blocking, which is not a new concept out there, but it was new to me because I would just write everything on my calendar and my calendar looked awful. Write everything on my calendar, my calendar looked awful. And I started doing time blocking in order to not let the meetings that I was taking overrun the time for actually working on the business. And that's been just a new implementation. It's been life-changing and life-giving because I actually even put in when I was going to exercise, when I was going to make a meal, when I was going to return calls or do administrative tasks so I wasn't being pulled to respond to emails in the middle of a workflow that was about deep thinking or writing or course development that I would leave that to the times designated to do administrative tasks.

Speaker 1:

And that's been so enlightening because I did not realize like I had a coach saying where's all your time going? And I would like I don't know where the day went. I was, I talked to a lot of people, I did some content, I did some writing, and the day is gone, you know, and I was like, and I don't feel like I moved the needle. She's like all right, we need to get really crystal clear. So that's a small one, but that was really an important one for me. Talk to me about maybe some of the workflows as an early entrepreneur that you really think are by far must haves you can't live without them.

Speaker 2:

Or you can't function as effectively.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, so for me, before I answer that, I want to back up just one second because, like systems and structure, everybody thinks that that's going to take away my freedom. Well, no, that's what gives you the freedom, because you're busy being busy, and there's no right or wrong way to do it. You know, we touched upon this before, but the best system is really the one that works best for you. But one of the things that I think that any business owner can implement right away is just start templating things. As you're doing things, as you're finding yourself doing something over and over and over, make a template. If there's an email response that you're always sending out, just save it In Google, in Gmail. All you have to do there's this three little dots at the bottom. You just save it as a template and so that response is there and you can tweak it, you can adjust it. And the other thing, there are so many automations available that if you're finding yourself doing something over and over and over, see if there's an automation available. And that's the really cool thing with the rise of AI is that there are new things emerging all of the time. But start simple. Don't get so in over your head with all of these systems, you're just going to become overwhelmed. Simple is sustainable, so it's important that you know yourself and how you work and then find a system that gives you that structure, that gives you that freedom.

Speaker 2:

Like you said, time blocking works great for you. Other people, they look at that and they go. There's no way. Knowing and trying different things, that's what works. You have to experiment, you have to figure out. Okay, you know what this works for me. This is my way of doing it. I am still a paper planner. I do a similar method with time blocking, but I still, even though I have my Google Calendar that has all my meetings, I still keep my paper calendar so I can see my boulders in the day. I start at this time, I end at this time. That's it, so that I'm not constantly working because it is so easy.

Speaker 1:

So, systems-wise.

Speaker 2:

play around, Explore and try different things. See what feels good to you. Just because everybody else is using one thing doesn't mean that you have to either.

Speaker 1:

I love that. All right, let's go to the O, because this is a tricky one, and I was so grateful to have you write about organic, social and organic sales in a world that feels like gosh if you don't have paid, like it's not going to go anywhere, the algorithm is going to kick you out of being even noticed. So talk more about that, if you will.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. So, like you said, everybody gets so in their heads they have this amazing business, but then they feel like a best kept secret. So what we're doing is we're getting you visible in front of your people and it really comes down to unpacking exactly who are you a good fit for? What problem do you hold the solution to with your product or with your service? And then, once you know that you can really narrow that focus and position yourself in front of the people that need your service, and then, once you know that you can really narrow that focus and position yourself in front of the people that need your thing Because what happens is we're talking to everyone and then no one hears us.

Speaker 2:

We blend in with the noise, we blend in with the trend, and this is where metrics really come into the equation, because it will tell you exactly where in your funnel the disconnect is. Is it a messaging disconnect? Is it a visibility disconnect? Is it a sales issue? That you know what, like people are getting onto my list, they're resonating, they're replying, I get great engagement, but nobody's buying. Okay, well, once we know this, we can fix that then.

Speaker 2:

But we have to have that mindset of curiosity and really that clear understanding of how we're moving from a follower into a buyer. So, as much as people hate the word funnel, it's important to map that out, to know okay, well, how am I getting visible? Because, yes, you may have an awesome lead magnet, but how are people finding out about it? How? How are you building your list? What are you doing with your list? And then, how are we nurturing, how are we converting? And what are you doing every day with your time to ensure that you're keeping that flow going? Because it's not McDonald's, it's not we build it and they will come. No, not Field of Dreams either. Damn it, I know, wouldn't that be awesome?

Speaker 2:

But you have to have that clear understanding of, first of all, who are you talking to? What do they need? Really? Have that understanding of that ideal client that one person Take the time to unpack that and, honestly, chatgpt is a really good place to start brainstorming. Do not just do the copy and paste thing that we see online all the time, no, but use it to brainstorm, use it to like, just start to have a conversation. Hey, I have this product, I have this service, you know, and this is my ideal client. How else can you? What questions can you ask me so I can better understand them? Start to brainstorm with it and you'll get a lot of great information.

Speaker 1:

I love that. I love that. Okay, let's talk about life as a busy mom and entrepreneur, because I know so many people out there are parents, they're feeling overwhelmed with all the requirements and all the things. I'm getting ready to be an empty nester, which is shocking, and a whole new world over the course of the summer, as we're looking at colleges now. But how are you balancing it? Because I think it's so easy.

Speaker 1:

I say this from experience and watching so many other entrepreneurs that are in the early days, letting the business development and the business growth really take over their time. How did you A safeguard your time and B pace yourself? Because I think, particularly for those people that have gone from a corporate or some sort of organization that was, you know, they were working for somebody else and they had that steady income coming in to oh wait, I am now providing for myself. There is a sense of I can't let off the gas until I start seeing a return. I can't like, I can't afford to, and yet we both know that when the energy gets depleted, you're not actually any good to yourself or business. So talk through that, because I think that is the kind of the Pandora's box of like. How do you get out of your own way and really recognize how important energy is and that people are actually buying energy, your energy that goes into your business as much as they're buying what you have to sell?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, it all boils down to three words I need help. And those are the three hardest words to say, and everyone always thinks about this from a business standpoint. They're like well, I don't have the money to outsource. I'm not talking about outsourcing things in your business. I need help. Lean on those that are already in your world your family members. You're in this as a team, Even my kids.

Speaker 2:

When I was first starting my business, they were kindergarten and preschool. They were little. I found ways for them to help ease the load off of me so that they could help around the house. You know little kids like preschoolers. They can match socks, they can help start to put dishes away. You know they are so much more capable.

Speaker 2:

But when you view your home ecosystem as a team, it really starts to ease the burden because we get this mom martyr complex that I have to do everything. It has to be perfect. That's not reality. And how did I pace myself At first? I didn't, I didn't, and I burnt out really quick. Yes, I had this big, thriving business, but I was exhausted. I didn't and I burnt out really quick. Yes, I had this big, thriving business, but I was exhausted. I was burning the candle at both ends. So it really came down to asking for help, asking for help from those around me and I know this is hard if you're in a position like I'm very privileged, I have an awesome husband here at home. I've got kids that are able to help me. But just you know, even if you don't have someone in your life like that, can you call up a friend and be like hey, can you take the kids for two hours? You know we'll swap, We'll swap childcare.

Speaker 2:

Even something as simple as grocery pickup. Everybody's like oh, I don't have time. Okay, If you don't have, tell me you don't have time. The first thing I'm going to say are you grocery shopping each week? Because I'm going to tell you, grocery pickup has been a game changer, Because you think about it. How much time are you wasting driving to the store, shopping, going through the checkout, getting home, putting it away? Okay, what if we could eliminate an hour and give you an hour back? Yes, there's a little bit of a money exchange there, but if somebody's bringing those groceries to you, or even if you're going to the store and picking them up, you're saving yourself money. Plus, you're not putting all the extra junk in your cart too, so you're saving money there. So it ends up like being a money saver. But little things like that looking to be supported and letting people support you. People want to help. People are there to help you. You just have to have the courage to be able to ask for it and accept it.

Speaker 1:

I love that Okay when you've hit challenges and plateaus in the business. Let's talk through this. What are some of your go-to strategies to really break through and regain momentum, Because I know this happens for everyone from time to time. What have you experienced and how have you worked through it since? Now you're in year five.

Speaker 2:

I know Honestly, because this happens. This happens every so often. So when I start to notice this, awareness is the first step. You have to start to realize okay, I'm going down this rabbit hole again. I have to stop. I have to do a whole hard stop. I don't consume. I stop consuming. I'll go on social media, I'll put my posts up, I'll put my stories up. I do not consume, I do not scroll, I do not listen to podcasts, I do not listen to books. I quiet all the noise Again, quieting the outside noise so I can hear the voice within, because we're always seeking that external validation, those external answers. But if I can't hear myself, I'm going to be stuck in that same place. I have all the answers I need. I don't need someone else to give me the answers because they're already within. So let me challenge you there, because you and I are all the answers I need. I don't need someone else to give me the answers because they're already within.

Speaker 1:

So let me challenge you there, because you and I are on the same page on this, 100%. But for the person that's like I don't know the answer. I actually don't think I know the answer, amy and Michelle, so don't tell me. I have the answer. What's your response to somebody who's maybe there in their journey and their mindset? What would you say? I say dig deeper.

Speaker 2:

Dig deeper, because you do, it's in there, and I've been there. I've been there too. I've been like, nope, I don't know the answers, I don't know what's next. I have had those days where I'm literally in prayer, going God, I don't know, I don't know. None of this makes sense. Don't know, I don't know. None of this makes sense. But I feel like when you hit a moment like that, you're on the verge of your breakthrough. So, if you're in that position, keep going, because you will find it. Start journaling, start meditating, start doing whatever you have to do. Some people love to go out and just walk in nature, but you have to quiet the noise and you're going to find your answer.

Speaker 1:

Everybody who is on the verge of a mini breakdown or feeling like super stuck watch out, the breakthrough's coming. Get ready.

Speaker 2:

It seems so counterintuitive, but I swear every single time because I've been there. I'm like no, I don't have the answers, I don't. Yeah, you do and you will get that breakthrough. You just can't give up.

Speaker 1:

Talk to me about some of the ways that you have helped hone your intuition. What are some of your practices? Obviously, prayer has been important for you.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, my faith has been something I've really, really leaned into, especially this past year. Yeah, I've really quieted the noise and kind of come back to why? Why am I here? What's my purpose? I know I'm here for a reason and I really want to be led and just having that trust in myself, because when I doubt myself, I'm doubting the universe. You know, even if you don't believe in God, you're doubting the universe Because you think about the odds of any of us being here in this moment in time. They're like astronomical, like we shouldn't exist, but we're here. So there's obviously a reason I'm here and I want to know what that is so really for me leaning into my faith, into prayer, doing things like journaling and, again, just taking the time to sit in the quiet.

Speaker 2:

This year my kids changed schools and so I've been dropping them off and picking them up and so I spend a lot of time in the car and I was like, oh, this will be a great time, I can get some extra work done, I can do something I have loved just sitting there in the moment, looking around at just the beauty of this world around me, because in our hustle we're missing the beauty that is all around us and, honestly, that has given me so much clarity and direction, just giving myself that space to exist, to be, to breathe, to just like one of my favorite things to do.

Speaker 2:

I'm in Ohio, so it's cold here. Right now we're getting some sort of a polar vortex. Our living room faces east, so the sun comes in. I will just sit there and close my eyes and pretend that I am in Florida or somewhere warm, that it is summertime. You're just taking those micro moments throughout the day to just really be present, to be present in the here and now, because this is the only moment in life we are guaranteed is right now.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh, mic drop moment, amy, I feel like we should stop there, but we're going to. I'm going to share something because I think that you'll enjoy this story, and it certainly was one that I needed to have happen. So, as you know, I was in Maine over the weekend and up until now, and while I was there, we went into our tiny little town and had dinner one night, the first night I was there and I was already feeling some stuckness in my body, in my head, but I hadn't seen my parents in a really long time, so I was trying to just put it aside. And what have you? And while we're there, there were two people in the restaurant. The restaurant was packed, but there were two people.

Speaker 1:

My dad said, oh, I'm going to go talk to these people and I thought they were friends of his. So he got up and walked over and then I hear Michelle, michelle, come, come, come. And I was like he said do you remember Paul and Jason from high school? And I'm looking, and I'm looking and I hadn't seen these guys in 30 years. And one of them was very, very thin and of course, it's now clicking who they are. And I was like, of course, how are you? And my dad politely walked away and said I'll leave you guys to chat and catch up. And one of the gentlemen, paul, is very, very thin. And I said, paul, how are you? And he said, oh well, I'm battling stage four prostate cancer. And I said, oh my God, my heart goes out to you, paul. I'm so, so sorry. Are you getting good treatment? And he goes. Actually, I only have four months left to live. I'm at the end.

Speaker 1:

And it broke me in that moment, amy, of like how selfish, being stuck in my head about things that really don't matter. And here was this man staring at me going. I want you to know I've been listening to the podcast and I've been watching you on social and you're really inspiring. I didn't have words. I just sat there and said I am praying for you. And he's like I'm in a good place. And I could tell he was in a good place. I was the one that needed the encounter. It was so humbling in that moment. So, as I collect myself because this Terry moment of just bringing us back to what an amazing and extraordinary ability just extraordinary that we're here in this time, able to have this conversation two different places in this country and share our experiences with hundreds of other people that are tuning into this broadcast and know that we are experiencing so many universal and relatable truths and at the end of this it is gonna end. There is an ending. We don't know the day or the time, and here was this guy my age, looking at me going yeah, I've got about four months left.

Speaker 1:

It was a sobering moment of get a grip. Michelle, wear your big girl panties. And thank you, god, universe source, for waking me up and realizing I don't have time to waste worrying about things that don't actually matter or scrolling and getting all confused about well, what should I do? There's so much coming at me. Put the blinders on people, get quiet, go within. You come here in this experience of human existence, already coded with what you're here to do, and your job is to find out what it is and to give it to the rest of us. That's what we're all waiting for. So, amy, I just want to thank you. Thank you for your time, your generosity, your wisdom. Truly, it's been an absolute honor to spend time with you today and we're going to make sure that we have some links in the show notes. I really highly encourage you.

Speaker 1:

You, if you are contemplating entrepreneurism or you're in entrepreneurism now you're an entrepreneur. The CEO Method by Amy Tra. It's a mouse. Read, Amy, tell us what you're up to. What's next for you? What are you working on? What do you want to share with the audience?

Speaker 2:

Well, thank you so much for all of your words of affirmation. That just warms my heart and fills it with joy, because you're right, we all have an impact to make on this world. We are all here for a reason, and this year I'm celebrating. This is a year of celebration for me because in life we tend to move those goalposts over and over and over. So I'm taking this year and celebrating because I hit some pretty big milestones. Episode 400 of my podcast happens next month, which is insane. It'll drop in February, towards the end of the month.

Speaker 2:

Over on the Motivated CEO. I'm celebrating a year of the book being out in the universe in March and celebrating five years in business, which, if you look at the statistics, is a pretty good accomplishment. I'm so excited for that, and just taking the time to just celebrate and be thankful for how far I have come and just having the ability to have conversations like this to inspire someone that's where I was a year ago, two years ago, three years ago is where I am right now, to be able to spread that message and make people feel like you know what, I'm not alone because you're not. We are out here and you are here for a reason. If you have a dream on your heart, go after it. It is there for a reason. Set aside the excuses, get out of your own way and just go for it.

Speaker 1:

Go do it. Yeah, get off the sideline, get into the arena. We're waiting for your gifts we're all in need of, whatever they are. Absolutely, you need to go for it. That dream isn't yours selfishly, it's been planted. So no, you need to go live it. I love it, amy. Thank you again for your time. You were an absolute joy to be with and I wish you nothing but awesome success in this year ahead.

Speaker 2:

Oh, thank you so much. Right back at you, Michelle.

Speaker 1:

All right, everyone. Until next time, go and live your extraordinary lives.

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Michelle Rios

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