The Mind Your Time Podcast | Time Management, Business Systems and Growth Strategies for Work-Life Integration
Simple Strategies for Overcoming Entrepreneurial Challenges
Feb 22, 2024Episode 169
Shannon Baker | Business Operations Strategist
Have you ever found yourself wondering how to navigate the twists and turns of entrepreneurship without losing your momentum or your mind?
Well, you're not alone! Last week, we dove into the crucial topic of self-care in business. But this week, we're shifting gears and focusing on something equally important: navigating the unpredictable journey of entrepreneurship.
Join me as we explore the strategies and insights that can help you confidently steer your business through the twists and turns that come your way. From mindset shifts to resilience-building practices, we're covering it all.
And stay tuned until the end, because I have an exciting resource to share with you that's designed to help you grow your business without feeling overwhelmed.
2:47 - How a solid foundation in your business supports the long-term success that you desire 4:40 - How to deal with the transitions you will face as an entrepreneur 5:28 - How mindset has an impact on your ability to deal with a transition or get stopped in your tracks 7:20 - Some tough questions you need to answer honestly 8:08 - The importance of SMART goals (but my definition is a bit different) 9:18 - A valuable resource members of The MY-T Society Membership have access to that helps with goal setting and planning 10:40 - How I’ve successfully dealt with challenges along my journey 11:32 - The importance of being part of a supportive community
Have you ever found yourself wondering how to navigate the twists and turns of entrepreneurship without losing your momentum or your mind?
Well, you're not alone! Last week, we dove into the crucial topic of self-care in business. But this week, we're shifting gears and focusing on something equally important: navigating the unpredictable journey of entrepreneurship.
Join me as we explore the strategies and insights that can help you confidently steer your business through the twists and turns that come your way. From mindset shifts to resilience-building practices, we're covering it all.
And stay tuned until the end, because I have an exciting resource to share with you that's designed to help you grow your business without feeling overwhelmed.
2:47 - How a solid foundation in your business supports the long-term success that you desire 4:40 - How to deal with the transitions you will face as an entrepreneur 5:28 - How mindset has an impact on your ability to deal with a transition or get stopped in your tracks 7:20 - Some tough questions you need to answer honestly 8:08 - The importance of SMART goals (but my definition is a bit different) 9:18 - A valuable resource members of The MY-T Society Membership have access to that helps with goal setting and planning 10:40 - How I’ve successfully dealt with challenges along my journey 11:32 - The importance of being part of a supportive community
It seems like the word self care has really become a bit of a buzzword, but the truth is it's something we really need to give attention to as business owners, and I'm not talking about just treating yourself to a spa day Although I could use one myself. I'm talking about the kind of self care that really feeds your mind, body and soul and empowers you to get stuff done in your business. So today we're going to dig into this topic a bit more, but I'm going to specifically talk about some proactive things that we can do to help us navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Welcome to the mind your time podcast. I'm Shannon Baker, your host and coffee aficionado. Whether your goal is to increase your side gig income or scale to six figures, you're in the right place. You will learn about the tools, actionable strategies and tactics you can use to take back control of your time and life. I specialize in helping purpose driven women like yourself work smarter and tap into the growth potential their business holds. So if you're ready to make a bigger impact and achieve business growth without being tied to it 24-7, then stick around. Let's dive into today's topic. I'd like to welcome you back and If you turned into last week's episode, then you know I am just coming out of hustle mode in my business.
Speaker 1:
So, needless to say, I am long overdue for a whole lot of self care and when this episode goes live, I will be wrapping up a week of self care. That really is why this topic was chosen as a follow-up episode, because self care is crucial for us as entrepreneurs, but oftentimes we skip caring for ourselves because our minds are always focused on what we need to do next. In a client meeting the other day, we did an icebreaker exercise because there are two new team members and the question was what do we like to do in our spare time? We all actually chuckle like spare time. Who has that? But we also talked about the fact that we have to make time to pour in our into ourselves on a daily basis, even if it's just for five minutes. We need to do something that fills up our proverbial cup every day so that we can continue to be of service to others and to care for others. And this isn't the first time that I've talked about self care on this podcast and I guarantee you it won't be the last. I actually did an episode last year that was focused on the importance of self care in Maintaining sustainable business growth and how neglecting it could really lead to burnout. I'm going to put a link to that in the show notes. Taking care of yourself can really help you avoid burnout, and that way, you have the strength, the power, the energy that you need To build a solid foundation in your business to support the long-term success that you desire, and that's what I want to talk about. That's why I want to talk about some practical strategies that can be used to help us Navigate the ups and downs that come with being an entrepreneur, because, honestly, they can't be avoided. Those changes come from mindset shifts to building resilience, and we're going to talk about how you can confidently navigate these changes and transitions while staying true to your vision and achieving your goals.
Speaker 1:
As someone who successfully grew a side gig into a full-time business, I've learned a thing or two about navigating the ups and downs of this entrepreneurial journey. I've juggled raising a family, working the day job, my volunteer work, running a business, managing client work and trying to still enjoy life a little bit. Does that sound like you? Now, in this new phase of my journey, all the things that were on my plate before are still there, except for the day job, and that has actually been replaced by me needing to give more support to my aging parents. So, in essence, I have more responsibilities, but now I have more control over my time to get things done. So I have to be very intentional with how I use my time so that I'm not working all day, every day, including the weekends. Now I'm about two months into this new phase and I'll be honest, it's been a struggle. Anytime your schedule changes or has a major shift, it actually takes a little bit of time for you to find a new rhythm, and that's what I'm going through right now. Are you having a similar struggle? You know whether you can relate to one of the phases I've gone through on this journey or not.
Speaker 1:
Every single one of us go through transitions. That can be from shifting business models to entering a new market building or scaling your operations. No matter what it is, transitions are an inevitable part of this journey. But the good news is, with the right mindset and strategies, you can navigate those changes and transitions with confidence and come out strong on the other side. But keep in mind that doesn't mean you won't have any meltdown moments along the journey. I've had many of those and I'm sure I'm going to have many more, but the key is to push through those moments and continue to move forward. So how can we do that?
Speaker 1:
Well, that's where mindset shifts come in. As busy female entrepreneurs, we wear a lot of hats in our daily lives and in our businesses and we face numerous challenges along the way. So the first mindset shift we need to make is to stop viewing those challenges or transitions as roadblocks. We need to start embracing the fact that change is constant, so we can start learning from our failures, and we need to look at those transitions, changes and challenges as opportunities for growth and innovation. This was a lesson that I learned when I decided I didn't want to be a virtual assistant anymore. I was terrified and hesitant about making such a big change, even though I know it was needed and not to toot my own horn but I was good at what I did and I had some great clients, and some not so great sometimes too, but the thing is, one of them is still with me today, over 10 years later. But by shifting my mindset and viewing those transitions as a chance for me to learn and evolve, I was able to successfully navigate the transition and fast forward to today. I'm still here. My business has evolved and I love my business. Making that pivot actually opened up opportunities for me to expand my knowledge and experience so that I can be even better at serving my clients and providing the support and guidance that they need to grow. How did I do this? Well, one I did have a mentor that helped me start to make this shift in my mindset.
Speaker 1:
This process really requires some self-reflection, because it's really easy to get caught up in the daily grind of running your business and then you lose sight of the big picture. But when you make time for self-reflection which you need to do if you wanna gain clarity on your goals and utilize your strengths but this also allows you to figure out ways that you can compensate for your weaknesses, because we all have them. But this really means you need to ask yourself some tough questions. You need to answer honestly about where you are and where you want to go. So, whether you're thinking about rebranding or launching a new service or some other major transition, before you dive headfirst into that process, make time to pause and reflect and ask yourself these questions what are my strengths, what are my weaknesses? What lessons can I learn from past experiences? By taking the time to answer these questions honestly and reflect on the answers, you'll gain valuable insights that will guide you through the transition with confidence. And trust me when I say this is a part of the process that you cannot skip.
Speaker 1:
It's vital if you want to make sure that you set smart goals, but my definition of smart goals is a little bit different than what you're probably thinking or you've seen online. But this process is key to setting the right goals at the right time to get the success that you want. I actually did a three-part series last year on business strategy and goal setting, because a big part of the process means you need to create a strategic plan. Strategic planning is crucial if you want to navigate these transitions effectively. It's about setting clear objectives, identifying action steps and staying focused on your goals. Goal setting is just a small part of the equation. You can set all the goals you want, but if you don't have a plan that you can execute, you're not gonna reach that goal. So I'm gonna put links to all three of those episodes in the show notes for you and you can check them out later.
Speaker 1:
Now I don't wanna sound like I'm beating a dead horse at this point about goal setting, but goal setting and creating the plan it really determines your success or failure. You remember that saying if you fail to plan, plan to fail. And this is really important, which is why I created worksheets for members of the Mighty Society membership to guide them through this entire process. Not only will those worksheets or do those worksheets help them set realistic goals, but it includes pages for weekly planning using time blocking. We all know time management and task management is vital if you want to get things done, and the way that I built out the Mighty Society membership is really to help entrepreneurs, no matter what phase of the journey they're in, get access to the resources and knowledge that they need to build a strong business foundation with systems to support their business growth, and you can feel free to check that out at dshannonbakercom.
Speaker 1:
So what's next? Well, once you've picked the right goal and you've created your plan of action, you need some resilience building practices. As busy entrepreneurs, we're no strangers to setbacks and challenges, but building resilience is about bouncing back stronger, more confident and more determined than ever. It's really about developing some coping mechanisms to help you navigate those ups and downs of entrepreneurship that you can't avoid. You know I've faced several setbacks over the past 12 years and that I've been in business, and some of them are pretty major. But instead of throwing in the towel, I focused on building up my resilience. This was very important during the pandemic, so I started practicing more self-care daily. One of the things I did was establish the morning routine. I started taking walking breaks. I started having more coffee dates with my girlfriends. I really also leaned into women in my community online for support, and that really helped me stay focused on my goals. As a result, I was able to overcome the setbacks I experienced and, on the other side, I was more confident and stronger than I was before. This really shows the importance of being a part of a community that can relate to your struggles and aspirations.
Speaker 1:
We can't do this alone. Having a strong support network can make all the difference when you're navigating these transitions and challenges. Whether it's seeking advice from mentors, connecting with fellow business owners online or in person, or joining professional communities, having a support network can provide you with valuable guidance, encouragement and different perspectives, because, let's be honest, sometimes we need a different perspective to help us get out of our own way, and some of you are probably like me don't have a mate that's even remotely interested in being an entrepreneur. I mean, don't get me wrong, my husband is very supportive, but we can't talk shop. So I have a small circle of trusted women that I can brainstorm with, get encouragement from, and we cheer each other on. That's the type of global community I am looking to build inside of the mighty society membership, one where we're all comfortable with defining what success means to us individually and achieving it. So if that sounds like something you want to be a part of, feel free to join us inside, because I would love to see you there. So there you have it. These are just a few simple strategies that you can implement to navigate the transitions that you're going to encounter on this journey as a business owner. Whether it's shifting your mindset, practicing self-reflection or self-care, building resilience, strategic planning or just finding a supportive community, these strategies can help you navigate the changes with confidence and again, when you push through it, you come out stronger on the other side.
Speaker 1:
Now, before I wrap up, I want to let you know about an incredible resource that's available to help you take the first step of getting things done. Now, each week on the podcast, I encourage you to take action on one thing. So this week I decided to make it very easy for you Grab my free audio masterclass how to Grow your Business Without Overwhelming. It's a six-episode audio masterclass designed specifically to help you take your business to the next level without sacrificing your well-being. Each episode is jam-packed with practical advice, actionable tips and proven techniques, and all six episodes can actually be consumed in about 40 minutes, even though I recommend you break them up. But when you're listening to this masterclass, you're going to discover the strategies and techniques that you need to help you manage your time, build a strong brand and scale your business for long-term growth and sustainability. And it's completely free. It's the perfect next step on your entrepreneurial journey. Just go to theshannonbakercom forward slash audio masterclass to sign up and take that first step towards achieving your business goals.
Speaker 1:
So I want to thank you for joining me this week. If you have any questions, feel free to DM me on Instagram, at the underscore Shannon Baker, to get them answered. And if you grab the free audio training, dm me and let me know your thoughts on it and what action steps you took and if you found this episode valuable. Please go to rapispocasscom forward, slash my your time and leave a rating and review, because social food matters and I need your help to reach more women entrepreneurs like yourself. You can also feel free to take a screenshot, share it on Instagram stories, make sure you tag me if you do, and that's all for today. I look forward to you joining me back here next week, but until then, keep calm and streamlined.