[00:00:00] Andrea Elibero: Andrea here, your host and passionate business coach and scaling strategist for Soulful Service Providers and Coaches. Welcome to another episode of Soulpreneur Scaling Stories. Have you ever wanted to look behind the curtain of your fellow entrepreneur's business to see what actually went into scaling it?
Well, you are in for a treat because that's exactly what we are doing here. In each episode, we will be uncovering the truth behind the lessons and the stories behind what it truly takes for sole preneurs to scale their businesses intentionally. I'm hoping that their stories will help you to unlock the true potential of your business so you can create your own soulful, abundant and aligned laptop lifestyle through intentional scaling.
So whether you're just starting out on your scaling journey or you're a seasoned entrepreneur seeking inspiration, this episode has something incredible in store for you. Are you ready to rise, grow and create? Create a business that fully supports your dream life. Well, let's dive in before we begin.
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Welcome to Soulpreneur Scaling Stories. Today we are going to talk all about your energy. We're going to talk about protecting your energy and amplifying it. And we're going to talk about this specifically through the lens of being a done for you service provider, virtual assistant, somebody in the online space.
[00:01:42] Andrea Elibero: So I've talked to so many virtual assistants and done for you service pros, and everybody has one thing in common. They are all burned out. They work so hard and so many hours doing their client work that they oftentimes sacrifice their own needs. Ask me how I know. I am not special. I am no different than any of you.
In addition to coaching, I am also a service provider. I do both things. And this was something that was just not acceptable to me. And I don't want to see everybody living like this. So today we are going to fix this. Today we are going to dive into practical techniques for cleansing your energy, for setting boundaries, and for fueling yourself through really simple and joyful activities.
Because literally at the end of the day, your business can only thrive if you have the energy, if you're not running on empty. You really need to be there for it. fully, show up fully to do the best work for your clients. So let's start with awareness. As entrepreneurs, we can so easily be caught up in the daily grind of our client work, doing our marketing, doing our admin and operations.
We apply so many hard skills that we have, like writing, figuring out funnels, doing metrics analysis, all of this without a second thought. But how often? Are we pausing to check in on our own energetic wellbeing? I ask you, when is the last time you were checking in on yourself and like, how do I feel, right?
Like, how do I feel? How can I make this better for myself? So unlike these tangible skills we can physically see when our intuitive energy reserves are depleted, but. We can become masters at feeling into our energetic state through something as simple as self awareness practices. So let's do a little visualization practice and if it's safe for you, if you're not driving or doing things where you need to see, I invite you to take a moment, close your eyes, take a deep breath in, filling up your lungs, letting it out, and really tap into your energy.
Imagine your energy body as a bright sphere of light surrounding you. What does it look like right now? Is it big and expensive today? Or maybe is it drawn in a little tight? Is it brightly colored? Is it vibrant? Or maybe is it feeling a little bit dull, a little dusty? What does it look like? How is it moving?
Is it moving in this really cool like swirly pattern? Is it energetic or is it a little bit like stuck? Is there stagnation there? So tune in to feeling into your energy and when you have this picture, you can open your eyes back up. And how was it? What did your energy look like? This is a simple exercise that you can do anytime you want to see how you're feeling.
Do a check it. I invite you to do this, especially at the beginning, a few times a day. How was it in the morning? How was it midday? How was it in the evening? And you can really start to see patterns arise. And we're going to talk about what to do with that in a second. But really, really the very first thing is to be aware.
So tuning into these dynamics of your energy field is really the first step in self-care. And why are we doing this? Because one, we are important, but two, this is how you grow your business. This is how you live every day, where you are having fun in your business, where you are serving your clients at the highest level because you are feeling good.
So these gut feelings, these intuitive hits, this is the truth. This is really the only valid source of truth is yourself and your intuition. So check in, become aware, do this exercise and track it, journal it. And if you're like, Oh, I keep forgetting to do this, there are apps that will help you like track your habits and you can add this in and start to track, see what you notice.
So let's say, okay. My energy is feeling a little bit off, right? So what are some signs that in addition to doing this visualization that maybe your energy is feeling off? So sometimes these signals are really overt, right? That things like, Oh, I need a recharge. So maybe you're feeling like super uninspired.
Maybe you're doing your client work and you're just like, I don't want to do this. And you're procrastinating, or maybe you're feeling blocked creatively. Maybe you're really feeling disconnected from things that you used to be passionate about. or you're lethargic and you're really exhausted even though you've been sleeping.
These are some very clear signals that your energy is depleted and needs a boost. And other things that are maybe not so clear. So if you find yourself zoning out and doing numbing behaviors like mindlessly scrolling, binging on Netflix, overeating when there's When you're not hungry, you know, doing things like this, this is another clear signal that maybe is a little bit not so direct, that your energy is not in a good place.
And when you are like this, your nervous system is dysregulated, things aren't flowing, decision making is not only harder, you don't make good decisions. in your life or in your business because your decisions get overwhelmed by self doubt and even indecision. Your work is not great, you know, it starts to kind of like, eh, like the quality is not as amazing and it really feels like you're moving through quicksand.
So these are signs again that you need to replenish your energetic reserves. And this is so important for you as a human, for you and your business, especially when you're dealing with clients, right? Because this is important and you really want to be able to show up. And this is why we're looking into this.
So what do we do with this? Okay. When there are really simple things, which is really cool, that you can do when you're feeling like this. So there's three primary pathways to cleansing your energetic field. And you ready for this? Because you're going to be like, that's it? That's it? But it's great that it's so simple.
Nature, movement, rest. I told you. I told you. You do not need fancy equipment. You don't need to buy anything on Amazon. You don't need even any of these amazing practices that I love doing. You just need to have your basic human needs met. Of nature, movement, and rest. So, nature. As humans, we are We are wired to be rejuvenated by being in nature, whether it be surrounded by plants.
If you've ever seen me, you know that I have a lot of plants in my office and in my home, whether it be beaches by bodies of water. Nature is so grounding and it has such a peaceful presence that our bodies will mirror this same state. So, you will be able, even if you live, I live in the middle of the city.
But there's a beach down the street. So even if you live in the middle of the city, you can find some sort of space where you can be outside in nature. So really, really make it a priority to do something like go on a walk. You can even create your own nature. Do some gardening. Get some plants. Sit under a tree.
Go hug it. Do all of these things, right? So it's beautiful. And there is nothing more rejuvenating than being in nature. Simple. Second thing. Movement. Movement. Again, if you, or not again, but I'm thinking again, because I was thinking about something I'm going to talk about in a moment, but I'll come back to that.
Movement. If you go and spy on me on Instagram and my stories, I share a lot of movement things that I do. Soulful Biz Coach Andrea, if you want to go hang out with me, say hi, um, from doing my daily, almost daily. Um, strength training to dancing, salsa dancing, yoga, all of these things, uh, you will not feel any better than after you do some movement.
Why? Because it's clearing that stagnant energy. It's activating your body's energy centers. And things like, especially like yoga, where you're really focusing on the spine, uh, you are a new person after you do that. So it brings the joy back and most importantly, pick movement that you love doing and not things that you're just like, oh, I'm doing this to exercise, right?
This is movement. So one thing that I love doing, and this is a thing that I'll talk about again in a minute, is doing some midday dance breaks. So, um, This is another thing, but I'm going to mention that and then come back because I don't want to get ahead of myself. So, nature, movement, and the third thing is rest.
Doesn't that sound amazing? Rest, high quality rest, is literally the ultimate way to reboost your whole system. Your body needs it. It needs it to detoxify, because when you're unconscious, when you're sleeping, you're really flushing out your inflammation, you're repairing cells, you're doing all of these things, and it has such a profound effect on your body and on your energetics.
Um, there, who is it, who is it, who is it, who is it? I believe it was Thomas Edison, but I could be lying, but it's somebody really important like that, who would, or maybe Benjamin Franklin, one of these guys, who would write about, like, there are records where they sleep, or they slept, well, you know what I'm saying, when they were alive, slept all of the time, like, all of the time, because when they woke up from that sleep is when they got their best ideas.
So when they were stuck for something, or stuck on something, they went and took a nap. Rest is so important. It is not you being lazy. Reframe how you think about rest, how you think about taking breaks, how you think about all of these things, because you are not doing yourself any favors if you are depleted in your energy every day.
Okay, so now we know. We have done the awareness piece. We have done the, here's what we can do when we feel. low in energy. And now, how are we protecting ourselves? How are we creating reserves of energy? And this is a thing that I know is a really difficult piece of running a business, especially for people pleasers like virtual assistants, like service providers, boundaries.
So, you really need to be savvy about protecting your energy reserves from constant depletion. And the essential way, it is so essential to have boundaries to do this. So, like I was saying, most service providers I know are inherent people pleasers. And there are so few boundaries in place because they're just here to serve and you're like, no, I really want to do a good job.
I want to make you happy. Right. And by doing that, you're doing a disservice both to them and to you, because at some point you're going to fall off the edge, right? Like, like you're going to break down. So when you put boundaries in place, this is such a, it's like the best way to serve your clients. I promise you it is the best way.
So today. Today is the day that I invite you to commit to putting boundaries in place in your business and in your life. Let's talk about some boundary practices that you can do. One is protect your peace at all costs. You have full permission. Right now, I want you to tell yourself, I give myself permission to walk away from situations that drain me.
or from situations or commitments that compromise my integrity. Stop being polite because your inner peace is the top priority and the most important thing that you can do for yourself is to protect it. Full permission, walk away from draining situations or saying no to commitments that compromise your integrity.
It feels so good once you practice this and build this muscle. Number two. Building energetic boundaries. So we can do this through visualization practices. So again, remember that glowing sphere? What if you imagine that around your body that is protecting you from these negative influences? So like these negative things are coming at you, people trying to ask you to do all these things that are outside of your scope of work, people in your home, and you can just sit there and imagine that you are being protected by this fear and they're literally bouncing off, they cannot get to you.
Another one, another energetic boundary visualization exercise you can do is to literally envision yourself cutting the cord that attaches you to people who drain you. So these energy vampires, right? You can just visualize, you get some scissors, visualize cutting the cord with those people, they're gone, your peace is protected.
And the third, Exercise, the third thing, is, and this one I think can be the most challenging, is to assert yourself by voicing your needs, but doing so without guilt and without excessive explanation. This is a thing that, that, so I have somebody, a friend of mine that comes to mind, and she does this so amazingly, and it's so refreshing, you say, oh, would you like to go, like, whatever, and she'll think.
You know, and does it very calmly. He said, I don't really feel like doing that. So no, you're like, okay, like great. And it's, it's beautiful. And I've learned so much from watching this because I don't feel any sort of way, you know, like it's a beautiful way to assert yourself without being what one can feel that it's aggressive, you know?
So practice, practice voicing your needs, practice being assertive. And when that inner voice comes up, it's like, Oh, I should do this. I have to do this. Is this true? Take a moment, stop and pause. If you're at these, I shoulds, I have to, you know, what are you prioritizing? Are you prioritizing others over yourself?
Or are you really giving yourself the gift of prioritizing yourself so that you can show up for others in the best way possible? Ultimately. You are the one responsible for guarding your energetic sovereignty. So I really, really invite you to practice these boundary techniques and take them seriously.
Go back, go write them down, put them somewhere and remind yourself that they exist and that you're going to use them and you're going to practice. And I promise you that you're going to feel so much better combining all of these things you're going to feel so much better. So what do we do? What does this look like?
So we have the energy cleansing, we have the energy protection. And now we get to do something really fun, which is amplifying your positive energy. every day. And this is my favorite thing. So how do we do this? So the first thing is to start with a morning routine that you love. So in my case, I do not start working in my business when I wake up in the morning.
I don't do it till later in the afternoon. Of course, it helps that I am located in Spain. A lot of my clients are in the US. So I don't start working till the afternoon. But even in the US, I didn't start working till like 11. Because, I felt so much better taking my time in the morning, slowing down. You know, what do you love to do?
Journaling, exercising, really being intentional about eating a healthy, delicious breakfast. Like what fills your cup? Do that because that sets the tone for your day. So in my case, I love starting my day by, well, walking the dogs, but I love walking the dogs because it's fun. I get to go outside and there's lots to explore.
You know, I do my movement, I do my exercise, I do a lot of things. Like I said, I don't start work until later. Today, today I went to a beautiful yoga class and I got my nails done. All before I started anything with my business and I felt so good coming into my business, right? I'm like starting the work for the day.
So morning routine. Number two. Mini breaks for micro fun activities. Do you do this? Tell me, do you do this? Because this is so fun. So let me tell you, let me tell you what I started to do. Uh, the dance parties that I told you about. And so I committed myself to taking a dance party, a mini break, once a day in the middle of my day, and Showing it to you in my Instagram stories.
Again, as Soulful Biz Coach Andrea, I invite you to do the same and tag me so we can have fun together. Cause not only does this recharge your energy, but it's fun. And that's what we're here for. So what other things can you do? Now, we need to take more breaks in this, right? We can't just sit at our desk for like five hours on end and just like type away.
Like, this is not a great life. So I invite you to every like hour and a half do some sort of micro fun activity. Get up, move around, stretch, have fun. Go call a friend, go cuddle with your dogs, make a snack, like something small that re energizes you. And in this way, your energy stays up throughout the whole day.
You're preventing this afternoon slump that a lot of people get into, right? So what are you going to commit to? That's fun that you love doing and that you can do really easily during your day. And number three, and this is my favorite, maximize your time in your zone of genius. I have another name for this, I call it your unique magic.
And what is it? This is the work that you do when you are in the state of flow. This is the work that feels so easy to you. And a lot of people don't realize that because something feels easy to you does not mean that it feels easy to everybody, right? This is really specific to you. And honestly, I go and like ask other people because that's something that I had to learn as well.
So it's fun, the time passes, you don't even notice, and you love doing it. This is your unique magic. The goal that I have for all of my clients is to have them spend as much time humanly possible in their days, in their lives. Zone of Genius, doing their unique magic. I am, this is the thing that I am so passionate about and I have centered all of my coaching around this.
I want my clients to be in their unique magic as much as possible. Literally, my Ascension, my group coaching program, this is like what we do. We find your unique magic, make a plan, we pivot, we shift, we grow, we scale, all centered around this. It is so much fun and it is so amazing. By the way, by the way, if you need help, if you're like, well, what is my zone of genius?
What is my unique magic? I want to be spending my day doing this and not doing the work that I'm doing now. Don't worry. I got you. I have a free guide. So many exercises in there that really help you find it. And that really help you figure out what is your path. Two, growing your business in a way that feels so aligned with you, where you get to spend most of your day in your unique magic.
It's called the Soulful Scaling Roadmap, and you can find that at dancingleafsolutions. com slash roadmap. The link is in the show notes as well, so you can grab that super quick. It's free. It's really, really good. We dive real deep in that. So, bye. Having your morning routine, your, uh. Micro fun activities, maximizing your time in your zone of genius and your unique magic.
These are ways that you can consciously schedule energy enhancing activities in your day. So that way you don't slide down into this depletion, right into this energy depletion, you get to stay up. So how cool is all of this, right? So to thrive as a service provider, as a virtual assistant. As a human being, you cannot ignore your energetic self care.
You are meant, not meant, my God, I can't talk, you, I'm excited, okay? You are not meant to just slog through your life in an undercharged state, both energetically and with money. Throw that in there. So I really invite you to experiment with some of these practices that we talked about. So really pay attention and be self aware of your body.
Thank you. Cleanse it. Cleanse your energy through nature, through movement, through rest. Protect your energy fiercely with boundaries. And finally, amplify your energy. Amplify your radiance through doing things like having fun morning routines, having these mini breaks, and through your unique magic work.
And when you make these small tweaks, your energetic returns are seriously exponential. You're going to become so much more inspired, so much more focused, so much more productive, and just really enjoy life a lot more, enjoy your business a lot more. Because the success is not about the grind, it's not about working more.
It's really about operating from your highest, most vibrant, energetic state. So until next time, keep shining bright and don't forget to download your Soulful Scaling Roadmap. Mhm.
[00:24:02] Andrea Elibero: Thank you so much for joining us today. I really hope you found inspiration and insights from today's episode. You know, scaling your business intentionally and from the inside out is a transformational process, but I'm here to support you every step of the way. Head on over to dancingleafsolutions. com slash resources for free tools to help you do just that.
And thank you again for being a part of the Soulpreneur Scaling Stories community, your presence and dedication to growth, inspiring me every day.
