Since January of 2014… over 20,000 amazing entrepreneurs have taken my Fired Up & Focused Challenge.
Challenge #1: Stepping into your role as the CEO of your business (and your life).
That first challenge was a moment of clarity for hundreds of women joining me for the challenge:
Something that really hit me was the word CEO. I don’t act like Im in charge of anything. Don’t get me wrong Im a go getter and love to get things done! But,its more like I have 5 or 6 bosses at all times.*scratches head* this is not what I had in mind when I left my job with ONE boss haha. *light bulb on* Time to step it up!
The “CEO” term got to me too – I need to start carving out the time and getting things done rather than waiting for the miracle opening to appear in my schedule. I want to feel that sense of being in charge of my own business, not waiting for everything else to be done so I can get to it.
Hmmmm
Something was happening here.
Women were focused on leaving their J. O. B. to create a freedom-based business, but instead were replacing a single boss with a dozen clients who expected them to be available at their beck and call!
Not much freedom when your clients dictate your every move.
And as I continued to speak with women throughout the past year, I realized that this was actually a pandemic.
What was happening here?
Why were women struggling to be the CEO of their own businesses?
Why were we allowing other people to dictate our schedules (isn’t that one of the reasons we started this damn biz to begin with)?
[clickToTweet tweet=”If you’re not being the CEO, who is? It’s time to step into your role as the Boss Lady!” quote=”If you’re not being the CEO, who is? It’s time to step into your role as the Boss Lady!” theme=”style2″]
Over and over again, I see amazingly talented, brilliant, genius women who spend the vast majority of time not as the world-changing leaders + messengers they are meant to be, but instead filling their days as the worker bees instead of Queen Bees.
So here are some of the lessons I’ve gleaned over the past 8 years as I’ve taken my business from a itty-bitty consultancy to an international brand inspiring over 30,000 heart-centered entrepreneurs.
BossLady Truth #1: If you aren’t The Boss, you’ve likely got dozens of bosses.
Someone is calling the shots, but the question is, is it you?
Or do you allow your clients to dictate your schedule, fill up every possible moment of your week, and call you whenever they darn well please?
Unless you’re an OB-GYN on-call for a middle of the night labor and delivery, YOUR CLIENTS DON’T NEED YOU 24/7.
One of the biggest reasons entrepreneurs face insane levels of burnout:
They fit themselves into their client’s calendars instead of asking their clients to fit into theirs.
They allow their clients to change their session dates, cancel at the last moment, and reschedule with zero notice.
It may seem like you’re being accommodating, but at whose expense? (Reality Check: it’s probably at yours!)
Here’s the honest truth – you teach your clients how to treat you.
And if you don’t respect your schedule and your boundaries, then why would they?
We all know that if cancel with less than 24 hours notice at the doctors office, we’ve gotta pay a cancelation fee.
I have to book my hairstylist 3 weeks in advance with a credit card on file in case I don’t show.
And as an entrepreneur, I get it. If someone is a no show, you can’t just fill that spot instantly. You’ve lost a billable hour.
As a client, I respect it. It shows me that they mean business, their time is valuable, and it’s up to me to show up.
As a mentor, I encourage my peeps to block out client hours in their weekly calendar. Don’t make yourself available at the beck and call of your clients – let them know when YOUR availability is based on when you want to work!
Seriously – I’m only available to my private clients on Tuesdays from 11 – 3PM EST. And that’s it. No exceptions.
Am I missing out on potential clients who can’t make that timing work? Nope. It’s never been an issue. I find that even the busiest person can clear 1 hour twice a month for a mentorship session if they really want to work with me.
Setting boundaries with your clients is the first step to becoming a BossLady.
Ask Yourself: What boundaries do you need to set with your clients?
BossLady Truth #2: You don’t have to be everything to everyone.
One of the BEST tips I ever learned about being a CEO came from my dear ol’ Dad.
See, my Dad has charm + street smarts. But no formal education.
No MBA. No college degree. Just a regular guy from outside Detroit who knew how to hustle his way to the top of his business.
And his biggest secret to success has always been surrounding himself with people smarter than him and truly knowing the scope of his talents.
[clickToTweet tweet=”The most successful people surround themselves with people smarter than they are!” quote=”The most successful people surround themselves with people smarter than they are!” theme=”style2″]
Taking this lesson into my own business journey has served me well.
Finding mentors and coaches who are several years ahead of me has helped me to understand the road ahead (without having to re-invent the wheel).
Knowing the difference between figuring something out on my own (and taking up all my precious time) vs. hiring it out to a pro (who’d have it done, perfectly).
And most especially, accepting when a potential client really wasn’t a perfect fit (and sending them to a colleague who could really help).
Truthbomb: You Don’t Have to Be A Full-Service One-Stop-Shop for Your Clients!
Know and honor your unique combination of talents, strengths, and experiences.
Think about it – when you go to see your doctor, if something is outside of their scope of practice, what do they do?
Refer you to a specialist!
That’s exactly what it’s like when you understand your Zone of Genius.
You instantly limit your scope of service while simultaneously increasing the value of what you have to offer.
Surround yourself with peers who can fill in the gaps for your clients.
And the best part? They all regularly send peeps who need to understand business + lifestyle design to me!
Being a BossLady means owning your Zone of Genius.
Ask Yourself: What is your scope of service and who do you need to build connections with to refer people to?
Truth #3: When the Boss isn’t happy, no one’s happy.
Us BossLadies? we’ve got a lot of weight on our shoulders. We’re building a business, often while racing kids to school + activities, and still managing to put dinner on the table.
It’s so so so easy to slip into the role of Martyr instead of BossLady.
But putting your kids, your hubby, and your clients above your own needs is a complete recipe for disaster!
[clickToTweet tweet=”SELF-CARE is a non-negotiable for Boss Ladies building businesses while raising families. ” quote=”SELF-CARE is a non-negotiable for Boss Ladies building businesses while raising families. ” theme=”style2″]
You must make time for your health, your wellbeing, and your own personal and professional development.
This isn’t about massages and mani/pedis (thought we like those too!).
It’s about making your needs a priority.
It’s about shutting down the computer by 8PM so you can lose yourself in a fun romance novel {preferably, while soaking in a lavender-scented bubble bath}.
It’s about hiring a babysitter, blowing out your hair, and heading out for a weekly date night to reconnect with your spouse.
It’s about blocking out a 4-day Business Savasana so you can refill your own inspiration tank by sitting by the ocean with a cool drink in hand.
It’s about finding an amazing assistant who can handle the emails, schedule the calls, and send out the client gifts so you can spend more of your time in your Zone of Genius {instead of wasting hours in your inbox}.
It’s about knowing that if it isn’t a HELL YES, it’s a HELL NO (and unapologetically making room for your dreams).
Ask Yourself: What are your top 3 things you’re going to upgrade in the next week to put your needs first?
Ready to embrace your role as the CEO of your business? Tell me which truth you’re committing to this week!