When was the last time you let joy drive you in your coaching business?
In this episode, Alanna unpacks the unexplored potential of joy in entrepreneurship and offers seven actionable insights to keep the spark alive in your work.
This conversation is a treasure trove for entrepreneurs eager to stand out and drive change.
Join us on Zoom on March 21 at 10 am EST for Just Hit Record: Everything You Need to Know to Start Your Podcast Immediately, a training that will allow you to peek behind the curtain of our podcasting process.
This is a live workshop, interactive and fun, with Alanna and Ryan. We will share insider tips and secrets to launching the podcast you've been dreaming about. You'll walk away with a published podcast if you do the work.
A modest time investment into podcasting can reap substantial rewards. Register now!
When was the last time you let joy drive you in your coaching business?
In this episode, Alanna unpacks the unexplored potential of joy in entrepreneurship and offers seven actionable insights to keep the spark alive in your work.
This conversation is a treasure trove for entrepreneurs eager to stand out and drive change.
Join us on Zoom on March 21 at 10 am EST for Just Hit Record: Everything You Need to Know to Start Your Podcast Immediately, a training that will allow you to peek behind the curtain of our podcasting process.
This is a live workshop, interactive and fun, with Alanna and Ryan. We will share insider tips and secrets to launching the podcast you've been dreaming about. You'll walk away with a published podcast if you do the work.
A modest time investment into podcasting can reap substantial rewards. Register now!
Hey everyone, welcome to the no Excuses Coaching podcast. I'm your host this week. Alana Banks, ryan and I are doing solo episodes. Life just gets in the way sometimes and we couldn't find a time to get together and record, but the show must go on. This week we're going to be talking about something that I've been leaning into a lot lately, which is joy. You may be wondering how does this connect to the tough love season?
Speaker 1:This week, I was at a conference called Becoming Her in Toronto. It was a conference put on by a woman named Sam Hewitt. It was all about women in business, being an entrepreneur, juggling all of the things that women juggle. There was some amazing speakers there. The introduction, or I guess the woman who kicked off the conference, was talking all about leading with joy. I thought her speech was really great. Immediately I started making notes because I was like this is going to be a perfect topic for the podcast, something that I believe really strongly in.
Speaker 1:I think aligns with a lot of the stuff that we talk about on a regular basis when it comes to leading with joy. Why is that important? Why would we want to lead with joy? Why do we want to lead with joy? What is the importance of prioritizing joy as a leader, even when we're faced with busyness, when we're faced with challenges? It's not really about disregarding your responsibilities or avoiding difficult decisions, but it's really about finding ways to infuse joy into your leadership journey, into your entrepreneurial endeavors, into your work in general. When we think of leadership from a place of joy, leading with joy, this really urges you, as a busy entrepreneur, to recognize that joy isn't just a nice to have, it's not a reward, it's not something that you get once you've finished X, y or Z. It's actually an essential ingredient for effective leadership, for effective leadership of yourself and other people. When we lead with joy, when we have this mindset, it allows us to feel inspired, it allows us to be creative. It just helps you have a healthier mindset and a healthier way of being. The big thing.
Speaker 1:For me especially and I think why I'm leaning into joy right now is because for a while, there was a big part of me who was leaning away from joy and who was kind of stuck in the weeds of being an entrepreneur and the grind and creating the content and looking for the next sale and trying to land clients. It's easy for us to default to that mode of this is hard and it's not going the way I planned, or this is happening, and now that's happening. Then you start comparing and then there's that whole comparison game that you get into on social media. But if we could step back for a minute and remember why we are doing what we are doing, why we've decided to have our own businesses, why we've decided to be solopreneurs or go off on our own, and a lot of the time it's probably and I mean I can speak for myself it's probably because you were seeking more joy. You were seeking more freedom, more peace, more flexibility in your schedule, and it's sometimes easy to fall away from that right, and we've had tons of conversations on the podcast about the importance of having to put the work in and put time in, and you can't just float around and expect that you're going to have this amazing business that's making tons and tons of money. But you can also be joyful and get the work done and look at it from a lens of like this is fun for me, this is something that I really wanted. When I get to do these certain things that make me happy, then you know it doesn't really feel like work, anyway. So let's move ahead.
Speaker 1:I wanted to go through the points about how to lead with joy, and number one on the list is to be curious, right, to have a curious mindset, to be asking questions and be interested and you know, I think your intuition plays a lot with this as well like kind of asking yourself like why is this happening? Or, you know, just really being open-minded to the way things are happening for you and in your business. And when we have that curious mindset, when we're always thinking that this is something for our greatest good or this is something that's leading us to more expansion in our business, then it just makes the whole experience a lot more enjoyable, doesn't it? It makes it feel fun and fresh and exciting. So stay curious, be curious, ask questions. If something is coming up for you, follow those breadcrumbs and see where it leads to, because you never know right, it can feel really unexpected. Number two on the list is do what you know. And this one is, I think, super important, because often we get super fixated on what we think we should be doing and we refuse to do what we know. And sometimes we can, you know, we can ignore what we know because we think that we should be doing this or that because that makes you seem more what's the word I'm looking for? That makes you seem more serious or more sophisticated, or people are going to think that you're more legit because you're doing it this way. But what if you just decided to create something from what you already know and then go from there?
Speaker 1:And I remember early days being part of a coach program and the person that was leading was talking about how she had actually worked with a really high level coach, and the high level coach had said to her, like she was kind of starting out her coaching business and she didn't really know what she wanted to teach. And so this person asked her like what do you? What are you really really good at? And she's like well, you know, I'm really good at Pinterest. I'm really good at, like, figuring out Pinterest and using it. And I think she was using it for maybe home decorating or photography or something I can't remember the specifics, but she was really really good at using Pinterest. And so this high-level coach said to her well, why don't you create a master class all about Pinterest and how you use it and show people how you can, how you can use Pinterest, and so she did that and that gave her a boost of confidence to, you know, keep going. And it's not that she was becoming a Pinterest coach, but what it did was it allowed her to show off her expertise as established credibility, show herself that she could do it and that she could get people interested in something that she was really interested in.
Speaker 1:And when you're teaching something that that feels easy and fun and it's already something that you know inside and out, then people feel that right people, really People want to come and be in that energy and learn from you because you just know it inside and out. And so this might be a hard pill to swallow for some people because it might just seem so basic. But if you are struggling, you know, do what you know. And that's why I'm really excited about our upcoming class all about everything you need to know about starting your podcast, because I Really do feel like I know the ins and outs of podcasting and I'm, like, so excited to share that information with everybody and it just seems like a very simple class to put together. So if you're interested in that, you can go to the show notes of this episode and Click on the link to register. It's Thursday, march 21st, at 10 am Eastern time, and Ryan and I are going to be sharing all the tips and tricks and secrets that we've discovered as we've become podcasters.
Speaker 1:So, moving on to number three and this is a good one too this is all about asking better questions. When you're, when you're leading with joy, you're not necessarily asking more questions, but you're asking better questions, and so these are questions that are going to allow you to Really dive deeper with people, with yourself, with discovering what it is that makes people tick or what it is that People are looking for. Because you kind of want to be like a bit of a detective, right, you don't really want to ask like all the questions to understand, necessarily, but what you're wanting to do is, like, really ask questions that are going to give you insights and new information into, like, what exactly you want to build or create or teach. And when we're asking better questions, we're really, you know, we're actively listening right to the responses that we're getting, but then what that does is it might open up more discussion. It might open up unexpected conversations that lead to something more, something more interesting, and Highlight maybe something that's going wrong or something that you know isn't working, or it may highlight something that is working really well that you're you weren't even expecting. It also allows you to reflect right when we're asking better questions. It gives us an opportunity to sit back and reflect on, you know, a question that you might have asked or where there might be opportunities for improvement, and this just creates a more Wholesome way of looking at problems, looking at situations, looking at things that you've created, even when it can be. You know, working with a team or working with more people Is really getting feedback right and and more information to understand what more could be done as a leader in the space, or even as a leader of a team, and even when it comes to just leading yourself right, sitting and reflecting on how could I have done that differently? What could I have taken away from this call or this meeting or this presentation or this podcast episode? Right, so it's just an opportunity to consider where there's opportunities, where there and where there might be opportunities for improvement, and number what number are we at now?
Speaker 1:Number four is don't expect to know everything, and I think that this one is super important, because sometimes we can feel like we know everything, right. But it's important to go into all situations and even this this, I think, really speaks to especially if you're part of any kind of like coaching groups or like mentorship or anything like that, and even when you're going on client calls, I think it's really important to go in there with an open mind and not and go in with like a learner's mindset, right Like with the opportunity that there's always something more I could be learning from this client or from this group that I'm part of or this thing that I'm reading, because when we go in with an open mind and we don't expect to know everything, then that just like opens the door for you to be learning and understanding at a deeper level. No one likes to be surrounded by someone who thinks that they know everything and you know. I think that the way that this woman described that in the speech she was talking about was be a tourist right, and oftentimes you don't want to be the tourist right. You want to blend in, you want to like look like you're part of that culture or you live there. But the good thing about tourists is they have no shame, right Like they don't. They can ask questions, they ask where things are, they want to know more, and there's no shame in that, and I think that it's a great way to lead, because it shows that you're open to growth. It shows that you're open to other people's perspectives and opinions and ways of doing things and you know, this makes me think of when I was, when I had my online fabric store.
Speaker 1:I had a lot. I really wanted to hire someone, but I was just really feeling stressed out about hiring someone because I had my specific way of doing everything and cutting my fabric and filling the packages and all of that kind of stuff, and I was blocking myself from gaining more time and being able to spend more time on my business rather than in it. And when I finally let that go and hired someone, she actually had a way better system of cutting the fabric and packing the packages and doing everything than I did, and it was in my blind spot, and so this is why it's important to be the tourist and ask questions and ask for help, and not expect that you are the only one that knows everything. So number five on the list is speed up and adapt faster. So the question here is are you the type of person who adapts really quickly? Or are you the type of person who likes to just sit in the mess? Because really, the person who adapts the fastest is the person who's going to win, because things are always changing, especially in this field.
Speaker 1:As a coach, as someone who's working in the personal development world. Things are changing, people are changing. The way people consume, information changes all the time and I don't know if you've noticed this. But also the collective is waking up. They're becoming more aware of this work and personal development and we really do need to change and adapt to sharing at a deeper level with some people, because a lot of people have woken up and they don't necessarily need to know the basics anymore. But how can you take them further? How can you develop your programs and your coaching to meet all the needs of all the people, not just people who are still in the beginning phases? But how can you adapt? How can you grow with your clients or your community as they get smarter and smarter and more aware and open to all this information? Those are the people that are going to win in the end, because they're adapting to the changing needs of the people that are in their world.
Speaker 1:Number six is be the exception, and I think we've talked about this a few episodes ago. This is really about just ignoring the collective narrative. If you see everybody doing a specific trend, do something. That's the complete opposite, and I think this really speaks out to your content on social media, or even what you're offering as a coach Put the blinders on. I think it's really important sometimes to just put the blinders on and do your own thing and tap into your intuition. Tap into what you know and what you want to be doing and how you like to do it, because when you're working in that frequency, when you're working from that level of just like all, in feeling joy, feeling like you know exactly what you're doing and you're not blending in with the collective, then you're going to stand out, aren't you? So be the exception and trust that your joy and your excitement about what you're doing is the thing that's going to draw a lot of people in.
Speaker 1:I think that one speaks for itself, but be the exception, and I think with this one too, there comes a lot of fear of judgment, or will I get it wrong, or people going to think I'm weird, and that's something that you really need to release, because chances are, as an entrepreneur period. You are part of the exception because you're not following the crowd, you're not following the traditional way of having a nine to five job and working for someone else. You've decided to go out on your own. So continue to expand into that version of you who wants to go out on their own and be the exception. You decided to become an entrepreneur for a reason because you're creative, because you're inspired, because you have your own ideas, because you have your own way of doing something. So let that part of you shine and release the idea that you have to blend in with the collective of all the other entrepreneurs out there because it's boring and we've talked so much about this. So it's really about releasing that fear. And if people think you're weird, that's good, because then that creates something for them to talk about. And the more you can bolster up your own self-worth and your own value and recognize that you're enough just the way you are and let go of that whole idea that there's something wrong with you and that actually what makes you special is that you are part of the exception. That goes a long way, and the more you can step into that and the more you can lean into that and bring your joy online, the more successful you're going to be.
Speaker 1:The next one, number seven, is this seven. I can't keep up, but anyway. Number next is what is the last? One is transform. Often, and this one is such a good one because I think that there is this narrative there that you find your niche, you do your thing and then that's what you continue doing. But that's not true, because we're ever evolving, we're learning, we're always learning new things and changing and wanting to try new things. So recognize that you're going to transform and you're going to change and your beliefs are going to shift and your way of doing something is going to change. And actually we were talking about this last week, because I remember I was talking about a podcast that I'd listened to, where she had completely changed her whole way of basically doing her work, her whole process.
Speaker 1:So this goes back into the whole being curious. The more curious you are, the more you're going to learn, the more you're going to grow and then, obviously, the more you're going to transform. So don't be afraid of that transformation, don't be afraid to try new things, step into whatever is bringing you joy in that moment and allow that part of you to shine, and the more you do that, the more is going to give permission to other people to do that and the people that follow you and the people that you work with. That's going to give them permission to transform and recognize that. This is all part of the journey, this is all part of the process of being here and doing what we love. So, just to recap, if you're going to lead with joy, you want to be curious, you want to do what you know, you want to ask better questions, you want to be a tourist. Don't expect to know everything. You want to speed up so that you can adapt, you want to be the exception and finally transform often. So those are the seven ways you can lead with joy lead others, lead yourself.
Speaker 1:And so, to wrap it all up, really, the tough love or reminder here is that leading with joy requires a sense of self-awareness and intentional choices, and it might require letting go of those perfectionistic tendencies. It might require saying no to certain things, it might require creating boundaries to protect your own joy. And so you can ask yourself and this is something that I've been asking myself a lot lately is will this decision bring me joy? Will doing this thing bring me joy? Will hanging it with this person bring me joy? And if the answer is no, then it's like I'm not available for it. And it's really a reminder that, as a leader a leader of yourself, a leader of other people it's a reminder to take care of yourself so that you can avoid that burnout that I think a lot of entrepreneurs can feel at some point. And when you can protect yourself in this way, when you're leading with joy, when you're asking yourself what do I need in this moment that's going to bring me joy, then you lead with authenticity and then you allow yourself to inspire others.
Speaker 1:And, ultimately, that tough love message that we're getting across here by leading with joy is that it's simply not enough to just succeed or survive in your business. You really need to find ways to cultivate joy and infuse that into your leadership practices, whether that's leading yourself or leading other people or leading your business. How can you connect it back to joy? How can you connect it back to something that is helping you thrive rather than just merely survive or succeed in the business? Because, at the end of the day, what's the point and there was another really awesome discussion at this conference with Joanna Griffiths from Nix she's the founder of Nix and someone asked her how she balances and I love this because we've talked about this on the podcast a lot as well around work-life balance, or how do you balance your time and she was talking about how a mentor of hers didn't call it work-life balance, but they called it work-like rhythm.
Speaker 1:So how can you be in the rhythm of joy, how can you be in this rhythm of thriving rather than merely surviving? And part of that rhythm and the way you can tap into that is by recognizing that you are working for a much bigger purpose than just surviving or just succeeding in the business. You want to attach whatever it is you're doing with a greater purpose, something that's way higher than just yourself and your business. And whatever it is you're doing, what are you tapping into? And so I thought that was a really great reminder and a really great way to look at your business and detach from it a little bit and recognize that you can have joy and you can tap into that whenever you want to, and that there's always more fuel in the tank when you're working for something that is much higher or bigger than yourself. And in Joanna's case, she's working to impact women on a global level by creating a whole new category in underwear for women leak-proof underwear. So that's what makes the hard days easier when you know that you're working for more than just yourself. This is to ultimately impact women worldwide, and so you can always find joy. You can always find more in that than you can when you're just kind of doing it for yourself. So that's it from me. That's all I wanted to say about this whole topic of leading with joy.
Speaker 1:I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions, I'd love to hear from you. You can always message us at it's no Excuses podcast on Instagram. You can follow me on Instagram. At Atlanta Banks Coaching. You can follow Ryan RyanMathisMLP. And just a final reminder that we're running the just hit record everything you need to know about podcasting class March 21st. Thursday, march 21st, at 10 am Eastern time. We're going to be sharing everything. We've learned everything. We know all the resources pretty much anything you need to know to get that podcast that you've been dreaming about off the ground.
Speaker 1:And I had a conversation recently with someone who was saying to me oh, I don't have time to start a podcast and really it's not all about whether or not you have time. It's really about is it a priority and why do you want to have a podcast? You want to have a podcast because it's authority building. It allows you to get your message out there. It legitimizes you as a coach, because if you have a podcast, there's this sort of persee or this perception that that's cool or that you're doing something that a lot of people aren't doing.
Speaker 1:So having a podcast, while it might seem like it takes up a lot of time, it actually doesn't. Ryan and I spend maybe two, three hours a week putting this podcast together and the benefits of that far away the time that we spend actually sitting down and recording and editing. So I highly recommend taking the class. I'd love to see you there. We will answer all of your questions and give you all the resources you need to get going. So that's it for us this week. I hope you enjoyed this and we will talk to you next time. Thanks, everyone.