AMY PORTERFIELD: “If you feel it in your bones, like I say, if it's a gut instinct, ‘I'm doing it,’ and it doesn't work out as planned—stay with me here—it was still meant to be. It was still meant to be, because whatever comes next was exactly what was supposed to come next. Why? Because it's happening. It’s there. And so maybe you needed to do this thing that didn't work out in order to get you to the next thing that does.”
INTRO: I’m Amy Porterfield, ex-corporate girl turned CEO of a multi-seven-figure business. But it wasn't all that long ago that I lacked the confidence, the budget, and the time to focus on growing my small-but-mighty business. Fast forward past many failed attempts and lessons learned, and you'll see the business I have today, one that changes lives and gives me more freedom than I ever thought possible, one that used to only exist as a daydream. I created the Online Marketing Made Easy podcast to give you simple, actionable, step-by-step strategies to help you do the same. If you're an ambitious entrepreneur, or one in the making, who's looking to create a business that makes an impact and a life you love, you're in the right place, friend. Let's get started.
AMY: I wanted to take a moment and share my newest podcast obsession. It's called the Female Startup Club podcast, and it's hosted by Doone Roisin, and this podcast is also in the HubSpot Network with me. Now, every episode is bite-sized and bingeable, with insights and learnings from the world's most successful female founders and entrepreneurs. I loved her interview with Glossier's community lead, Kim Johnson. They chatted about the five steps to build an impactful community, and you can bet I took notes and I am implementing these strategies. It was so good. So I know you're going to love this show. You can listen to the Female Startup Club wherever you get your podcasts.
Well, hey, there. Welcome back to Online Marketing Made Easy. Today we’re talking your gut, and most specifically, if you should trust it or not. Here's a fun fact: according to research shared in Forbes, only half of Americans said they trusted their gut and intuition. But get this: 62 percent of top business execs said they let their gut lead the way and always trust it, which is why I think we need to have a little heart to heart about why you should trust your gut in your life and especially in your business, and I'm going to give you some insights into how to do that at a higher level.
So, quick story time, and I promise there's a lesson in this. So I've been trying to hire a personal assistant here in Nashville, and I had this situation a while back where I met this lovely woman, and she was perfect in terms of running errands and keeping the house organized and grocery shopping and cooking all of Hobie’s favorite meals because this girl is not a cook. And so some of her specialties were his favorite. So I thought, “Dang, we have hit it. This is it.”
However, I just felt like maybe her personality wasn't the exact fit for our family. And also she had an outdoor dog, which there's nothing wrong with that. That's very popular here in Nashville. But it didn't sit with me well, because Scout literally rules the house, and I just felt like he's going to annoy her, I think, with laying on the couch and doing all his Scouty things in the house. So for me, whoever our assistant is, I need them to fully embrace Scout like he's literally a human being because in our eyes, he is. I know I'm sounding ridiculous right now, but he's just a huge part of our family, and now that we don't have kids in the house, he just kind of is it. So I need someone to be obsessed with Scout just as much as I am. And I know, again, sounds a little ridiculous to some of you, but these are my own personal preferences.
So, the thing is, though, she had great qualifications. I knew she'd be a good fit in so many ways. And quite honestly, I've been desperate to get some extra help since I have been working a lot and this house just needs a little extra TLC. And so I decided I was going to hire her, and I moved forward with it, and the day I did, all day, I had this nagging feeling, like this isn't a good fit. But then I'd say to myself, “Amy, you are being too picky. You're being judgmental. You're being too dramatic about this. Just move on. This is the decision you made. Move on.”
But here's what I've discovered. There is a significant difference between being too dramatic or being too picky about something and knowing in your gut that it's not the right choice. And you and I are both grown adults, and we should know the difference between the two, and we can with a little practice. It's a matter of paying attention to it and trusting that feeling, even though the line can sometimes be a little bit blurry. The more time you take to identify between the two, the faster you'll make the right decision.
So, back to the story. Within a few hours, I knew this was a gut feeling and that it wasn't just me being too picky or overly dramatic. And so I knew I just needed to follow that intuition because she wasn't going to be the right fit. So that's what I did.
Now, taking the same idea of, “Should I trust this gut feeling? Do I truly feel it in my bones, or am I being too dramatic into my business?” I was recently proposed an opportunity within my business, specifically for my podcast. And in my gut, I was like, “Yes, this is something that could be so beneficial.” But then, that little voice of doubt jumped in and was like, “Yeah. But what if this, and what if that?” You know what I'm talking about, right? It's like you always have the devil's advocate, which can be a good thing. But I finally had to slow down, collect my thoughts, and do a little gut check. And my gut was still saying yes, even though I had some doubts and some unknowns, and so I went for it, and I'm so glad I did.
Same thing if you're hiring for a position within your business. If it's not a “hell, yes,” it's a “hell, no.”
So here's what I want you to start practicing within your business. Notice what your initial gut feeling is, and then notice what happens next. Do you hear all the reasons not to do it? Are the reasons valid? Are you being too dramatic, judgmental, too picky? Or are you really feeling something that you need to pay attention to?
So, typically for me, it's that, well, gut feeling. Like, right away, what's that first thought feeling? Where do I feel it in my body? What is that telling me? because I think it's very normal for fear and doubt and uncertainty to creep in once you’ve made a decision. That is totally normal, especially in business. It's like your body or mind is just trying to overly protect you. But what if this happens? Wait a second. Danger ahead. So you always have to go back to that first feeling, and what is that like?
Also, another check I do, and I do this often, is if I'm feeling uncertainty after I feel like I had that gut check of, I want to do it, I'll ask myself, “Okay. So, what if I don't do it? How is that going to sit with me? How will that feel?” And that also is very telling. If I'm very disappointed, I feel like I'm going to have regrets, that doesn't sit well with me, so I know that gut feeling was, yes, let's do it. Then, all the doubt comes rushing in, and I tell myself, “Okay. Let's look at this for a minute,” because I want to make sure I make good decisions. And sometimes the doubt will uncover things where you're like, “Oh, this isn't the right decision for me.” But if I tell myself, “Okay. We're not going to do it,” how does that feel? That also has a gut instinct to it, and you'll know right away, “Oh, actually, I feel more calm. I feel more grounded with the decision of not doing it,” and you just got to really play with that. Or “I feel a lot of regret and disappointment,” you got to pay attention to that as well.
So I think this is not something that you get really good at overnight. It's something that you really pay attention to every single time it comes up.
I actually see this often with students who are coming into my program Digital Course Academy. They know what they have is so good and that if they really go for it by enrolling in DCA and bringing it to life, big things are going to happen. They know it in their gut. They're just like, “This is my time. I'm doing this. Bring it on.” And then, they buy the program. And a few hours later, like, “Ooh, that was a lot of money. Did I make the right decision? Maybe I'm not ready. Maybe it's just not the right time. Maybe I'm crazy to think that this is going to be a good thing.” And so there's this little feeling of doubt that if they buy into it, it becomes bigger and bigger and bigger. Now they've got one foot in and one foot out.
So one of the tricks I do is when I make a decision and I'm like, “No, I've got that gut feeling,” I journal right away. Here's why I know this is right for me. Even though fear and doubt is going to come up, here's why I'm going to go with my gut. And I write it down so that when the doubt starts creeping back in—it's that fear. It's protecting you—I can go back to my journal and say, “Okay. But here are all the reasons why this is right, and I can feel it in my bones.” That's what I often think and say, like, “Oh, no. I feel this one in my bones.”
Here's what's interesting. If you have really strong faith or if you trust the universe, here's what's really interesting about this one. If you feel it in your bones, like I say, if it's a gut instinct, “I'm doing it,” and it doesn't work out as planned—stay with me here—it was still meant to be. It was still meant to be, because whatever comes next was exactly what was supposed to come next. Why? Because it's happening. It’s there. And so maybe you needed to do this thing that didn't work out in order to get you to the next thing that does. So that’s where it becomes even more important to trust your gut, even when things don't go as planned.
So start paying attention to the difference. Is it a “hell, yes” or a “hell, no”? And if it's a “hell, yes” right out of the gate, and then those fears and doubt start creeping in, get in check with your mind, with your body. Really pay attention to where you're feeling it and what direction you want to go. Even if it's scary, even if you don't have all the answers, even if it might fall apart, really get in tune with what you're feeling and thinking. It makes all the difference.
I'm going to go back up to what I said in the very beginning from the Forbes statistic. So 62 percent of top business execs, people that are doing big things and having great success, 62 percent said they let their gut lead the way and always trust it. If they're always trusting their gut, there's no way that every decision they're making is working. But they know that that gut instinct is going to lead them where they need to get. Maybe not instantly, but it will happen. That's powerful.
I have an episode coming out in the first week of February, and it's all about the goals I've set for 2022. And I share five feelings that I want to feel over and over and over again in 2022, because it's really not about the goals; it's about how they make you feel, right? So one of my feelings that I want to consistently feel is trust. I want to trust the process. I want to trust the universe. I want to trust myself. I want to trust timing. And I think with trust, that gut instinct plays a really big part, because if you can trust yourself, if you can get in tune with that gut instinct to guide you, trusting yourself, you're at a whole different level. Can I get an amen?
I hope you loved this Shorty episode, and I hope you found a lot of insight with it. The next time you face a decision, go with your gut, my friend.
Thanks for tuning in. I can't wait to see you on Thursday for more entrepreneurial goodness, same time, same place. Bye for now.
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