Now More Than Ever… #JustShowUP
I have a little confession to make.
Well, truth be told, it’s more of a proud statement.
And that is that I’ve watched Frozen 2 twice in the last few days and bought Pixar’s Onward (which was super cute too).
Right now, I’m doing everything I can do to feel good.
I hadn’t planned on getting the podcast back on a regular schedule until I was settled in Idaho in a couple of weeks (and for those of you who don’t know, I moved to Boise, Idaho on March 30th and as of today, April 5th, I’m still waiting on my furniture) but now more than ever I feel a calling to #justshowup.
Before we get into that, here’s a quick backstory about this move and why I’m doing it now.
It was probably about 4 or 5 years ago when I decided I wanted to move out of California. It’s crazy because it almost feels ‘sacrilegious’ to me to be moving out of California. I’m a bit of a homebody and have always taken pride in being a native Californian and a 5th generation San Franciscan, but the Bay Area isn’t what it used to be and obviously I’ve changed.
I’ve never really been a ‘city’ person (my parents were both born and raised in San Francisco) but never minded visiting. As traffic has gotten worse and the cost of living has skyrocketed I started re-evaluating what I wanted. The fact that all I need is a decent internet connection certainly opens up my options.
I had planned on moving last fall, but then after my Mom passed away last summer went up to stay with my Dad for a while (they retired about 2 hours north of where I was living in the mountains near Lake Tahoe). While it was nice being up there (I’m not a fan of noise), it’s a little too far out for me. I always loved coming up to visit because it was so quiet but it’s a good hour even to get to Target or a few other stores. Not that I’m a huge shopper, but it’s nice to be able to run out when you need things. As much as I love ordering from Amazon, we all need to get out of the house once in a while (as we are all realizing under these unprecedented times right now).
In February my Dad and I took a road trip up to Idaho to check things out again.
My family isn’t super keen on me moving, but they all understand I need to do this and am ready for a new chapter in my life. I figured if I invited my Dad with me he’d be more on board with things.
I had a list of houses to look at and we drove around somewhat aimlessly one day. The next day we spent with a friend of my brother’s girlfriend who had retired up to Boise from the Bay Area and is doing real estate. This made a HUGE difference. He was able to compare areas there to areas and cities in the Bay Area that were comparable, and also reached out to a few property managers he knew.
Long story short, I found a house that is only a couple years old, super cute, and hadn’t even been listed yet.
I went with the intention to stay open. If I found a place I liked then I would proceed. If not, no rush.
Fast forward to today and I’ve been in Boise 1 week.
During one of the most uncertain times in my lifetime… and the world.
Which brings me to the point of this episode.
NOW is the time to #JustShowUP.
We’re a few weeks into the Coronavirus madness now and we’re all doing the best we can.
For those of us who have always worked at home, it’s probably not that much different. Sales may be taking a dip, but that’s O.K.
They will come back (and could potentially be stronger than before).
What do you do in the meantime?
The best you can.
The last thing I’m interested in doing is shaming anyone or berating people for not making the most of their time right now. It does a huge injustice to people who don’t have that internal drive that others do or who are struggling simply to keep the lights on and put food on the table.
All the entrepreneurs who are posting things about making the most of this time… have at it. Do you. However, that doesn’t give you the right to tell someone who finds solace in binge-watching T.V. that there are better ways to spend their time.
Instead of shaming people for how they’re getting through this time (for which none of us have any experience), why not choose to inspire instead?
I’m sure you’ve seen the quote from Fred Rogers mother Nancy,(aka, Mr. Rogers):
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
There is SO much good happening in the world right now.
I’m in awe of the kindness strangers are showing, the support the healthcare workers are getting, and the loving energy that is all around us every. single. day.
Be the light.
Don’t be a dick.
Here’s how I’m #showing up right now:
First, and most importantly (for me), I stay as far away from the news as I possibly can.
I probably stopped watching the news almost 10 years ago. Obviously, I still get updates here and there (Facebook, friends, and family), but I simply can’t go there.
I do what I need to do to stay informed and responsible, but it literally does not make me feel good. It’s similar to how horror movies make me feel… icky (and no judgment if you like horror films, I’m a wimp).
I’m also staying out of the minute-by-minute updates on COVID-19. I’ve even snoozed people close to me because that’s all they seem to be posting (on social). If that makes them feel better for doing so, have at it. But to a certain extent, I can control what shows up in my feed.
Stay present.
This is something that takes conscious effort. Daily.
It’s so easy to feed the noise in your head about what “could happen”… or even what “isn’t happening”… (sales, income, etc.). ALL that does is rob you of the present moment, which is truly all that is real.
A perfect example of this is that I’ve been here a week and am still waiting on my furniture to arrive.
Does it suck? Yea, it does.
But there is literally nothing I can do about it. I went and bought a decent air mattress to sleep on, and a cheap table and uncomfortable chair (note to self: start doing squats) so I can work. On the flip side, I absolutely LOVE the house I’m renting, have fast internet, and a fantastic bathtub. My dogs are with me and so is my son (which is a good thing and probably best if I save that story for another time).
The worst-case scenario it takes the full 21-days to get here (and a side note to anyone hiring moving companies: make sure you’re dealing directly with a moving company, not a broker. I wasted $1200… and am really trying to let that go, clearly not very well).
Well, I’m already one week in.
I can do this.
Let me say this though… I have had (and continue to have) PLENTY of doubtful thoughts, wondering if I made the right decision, etc. Then I remind myself.
I’ve been through worse.
What can I do TODAY, at this moment, to raise my energy level?
To steal a line from Oprah, what I know for sure is that at this moment, right now, ALL is well.
How I’m using my time.
Now that I’m semi-settled and feel like I can get back to a somewhat normal work schedule, I’m getting myself back on a routine.
The last couple of weeks have been crazy with the move. I have always done better with a schedule (and I like to call it having ‘gentle structure’). I’ve been working for myself for 12 years now and I always go to my office and work the majority of the day in there. Late afternoon I can get a little weary of being in the office so I will get off the computer for a bit and continue working later on my laptop in the family room or bedroom (provided I have a couch to sit on).
I feel like for the first time since my Mom passed away (almost 9 months ago), that I’m getting back into a groove. I feel inspired to create, to record, to show up and engage. I’ve really missed writing, podcasting, and live streaming.
But here’s the thing…
I just didn’t have it in me. And that’s O.K.
Here are the top 3 things I’m doing in my business right now:
- Consuming and finishing two courses I’ve paid for (novel idea, right?). There are two courses I bought, knowing I didn’t really have the bandwidth to go through but knew I would. One is ‘Mastering ConvertKit” by Brennan Dunn (I use ConvertKit for KimDoyal) and Breakthrough Launch by Ramit Sethi (I’ll explain both courses in a minute and why I bought them).
- CREATING! Man, this feels good again. Now that I have a decent place to work it is game on for more. I have a lot planned for both my personal brand and Content Creators Planner (obviously ‘we’ have a lot planned for the planner, as in Jodi and I). My oh-so-fabulous friend Davinder has started a new site for me (and OMG I love it) so I’ve got a little copy to work on as well. The podcast is coming back, we have new products for the planner, and I have a couple of courses I’m re-doing for my own brand. Most importantly, I’m enjoying the process.
- SELLING: This is a tough one. I know a lot of people are struggling right now with finding the right way to sell or how to shift their messaging. There is a lot of advice on how to do this right now, but I want to keep it simple. Stay in integrity with who you are and what you feel is right. That doesn’t mean you do nothing. Quite the contrary… if you can solve a problem for someone right now with your product or service, I truly believe you have a responsibility to make your offers. I also believe it’s very important to look at your messaging and copy (and this time we’re in is a perfect example of why I don’t believe you should be creating content months and months ahead of time. My guess is there is a LOT of messages that would be off-putting right now).
I highly recommend you listen to an episode of Marketing Secrets with Russell Brunson called “The Shift: Moving Away from Pain”. He gives a great example of how you can shift your message so it resonates with your audience. Most people are doing whatever they can to avoid pain today (as opposed to gain pleasure). Be a life preserver for your audience.
O.K., let’s circle back to the two courses I’m going through.
Mastering ConvertKit: as much as I love writing and sending emails, I know I’m missing massive opportunities by not utilizing this tool to the full extent. There is so much more I could be doing: creating automations, using segments more appropriately, a new opt-in offer, etc. Brennan Dunn is great at what he does and I knew I would purchase this course when it came out. I don’t know about you, but I’m taking a hard look at all the tools and expenses I have right now and am eliminating those I don’t use or need. It’s amazing how many things we can let go of when we look at what is essential in our own lives.
I’ll be working on a new opt-in offer after I complete this course (and will probably re-do Content Traffic Kickstarter, and make it a paid course). This will probably coincide with the new site (may as well do it all at once, right?).
Breakthrough Launch: If you’re not familiar with Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You To Be Rich, I highly recommend you subscribe, follow him, and purchase his book (by the same name). I admire and respect everything he’s created and how he markets. First, the ‘I Will Teach You To Be Rich’ is not a get-rich-quick, hypey internet marketing deal. It’s solid financial principles and practical advice on fundamentals. It’s not about cutting out latte’s, it’s about being smart with your money and living your ‘rich life’, whatever that looks like for you (he just re-released this book this year with updates).
I’ve been on his list of a long time and he had emailed about launches. He asked for feedback and I gave it. I said I was tired of the internet marketing launch (you know the 3-video style launch by Jeff Walker) and felt it was tired (not saying it doesn’t work, I’m just tired of it).
I emailed back and forth with someone on his team and they gave me access to the first module.
I was super impressed with what they had created but also that they were doing such due-diligence with their course. I love the fact that Ramit has studied the psychology behind all of this (marketing, sales, product development, etc.).
I’ve never done a ‘proper’ launch and this is the first time I’ve ever really had the desire to.
Of course, I believe in evergreen products and automated systems, but until you have all the kinks worked out, some feedback, some success stories… doing things LIVE and engaging with people is smart.
So yes, I will at some point in the near future be ‘launching’ a course.
My last bit of advice for everyone…
Simply Be Kind.
And that starts with yourself.
Judging yourself what you’re doing or not doing right now will not help. I promise you.
Self-responsibility works both ways: holding yourself accountable for what you know you can do as well as being gentle when you know you’re doing the very best you can.
Hang in there my friends, we’ve got this.
Links mentioned in this episode
