AMY PORTERFIELD: “Tough times do come in your business. There's ebbs and there's flows. So when I think about the season I'm in now, whether it's a great season, like, hitting all the numbers, hitting all the goals, or kind of a rough season like I’m in now, I'm just going to be grateful. Both the good and the bad, I'm going to be grateful because I know the season I'm in now, I'm growing, I'm learning so much, and I love being with my marketing team at a deeper level. That's really sweet. I really like that. And at the same time, I'm just grateful that I know things are going to move forward and change. And if I was in an amazing season right now, I'd be grateful for it because I know it doesn't always stay that way.”
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: If you're looking for a new podcast recommendation, listen up. Entrepreneurs on Fire, hosted by my dear friend John Lee Dumas, offers major inspiration and shares strategies to fire up your entrepreneurial journey and create the life you've always dreamed of. John's been a guest on my podcast many times, and he always delivers. On his podcast, he recently did an episode called “How to Design, Build, Launch, and Grow a Small Company,” and it was brilliant. I get asked questions about starting and growing a business all the time, and this was a great podcast to answer that question. Find more episodes like this by searching for Entrepreneurs on Fire wherever you get your podcasts.
Hey, there, friend. Welcome back to Online Marketing Made Easy. I wanted to check in and see how you're doing.
Are you super busy right now? Are you ready for a little break, maybe some time with family? Do you need a little time to recharge? I 100 percent can relate to you if you just answered, heck, yes.
So, recently in my business, I had to step into more than just the visionary role. My CMO of many, many years, Cho, moved from full-time employee to a full-time contractor with us, and so I stepped into the role of the lead for the marketing team. And because I've already had so much on my plate, a few weeks ago, I had a really tough week, and I just felt like I had so many things up in the air. I allowed myself to be overbooked, and I was going from meeting to meeting and podcast interview into live video and then back into a meeting. I literally didn't have time to pee, let alone breathe. Can you relate? Like, oh, my goodness, this is insane. And overbooking your calendar, in my opinion, is so easy to do as a business owner, right? because we're always wearing so many hats, and there's only so much time to get things accomplished.
But for me, when this happens, I get overwhelmed. I start to lose my footing, and as a result, I become super vulnerable to anything that throws me off. So that's why I wanted to share a couple of different ways that I stay grounded, especially in situations like a few weeks ago, when things got really tough, because I don't want to feel overwhelmed. I want to stay away from that o word and not have anything to do with it. So staying grounded is something I am passionate, obsessed about, and I want to talk about that with you today.
But before we do, quick question: have you shared this podcast with a friend? If not, could you do me a favor and just send the link to a friend or two, just throw it in a text message, tell them, “This might be something you'll find valuable”? I would greatly appreciate it. As you know, my mission is to use this podcast to help as many entrepreneurs as possible, so I'd be grateful if you could help me with that.
Okay. So, one thing I do when things are tough in my business is to remind myself that I'm in a season and that this, too, shall pass. So the season I'm in right now is one that's totally new to me. I'm writing a book while also filling our VP of marketing role. So we're actively looking for a VP of marketing, and so we have this open position. I'm currently in that role. And I'm also CEO and visionary of the company. And on top of that, I'm creating content, recording videos, recording podcasts, doing all the things that I typically do.
Please hear me when I say that I'm not complaining. I'm beyond grateful to have this business and have the opportunity to wake up and do the things that I love every single day. Truly. But just like you, I’m human, and sometimes it can be a lot. So by reminding myself that this is just a season and that this season will eventually end, I'm able to rein in some of those negative thoughts and maintain a much better mindset.
Now, on the flip side, when things are going really, really well—when you're just hitting it at all cylinders, like, things are just moving and flowing—that, too, is a season. And so when I think about I'm in a season right now that I'm actually looking forward to getting out of—I can't wait until we hire that VP of marketing—at the same time, if things were going really smoothly—we’re crushing our launches and we were doing all the great things we want to do, hitting all the goals—that’s a season, too, meaning tough times do come in your business. There's ebbs and there's flows. So when I think about the season I'm in now, whether it's a great season, like, hitting all the numbers, hitting all the goals, or kind of a rough season like I’m in now, I'm just going to be grateful. Both the good and the bad, I'm going to be grateful because I know the season I'm in now, I'm growing, I'm learning so much, and I love being with my marketing team at a deeper level. That's really sweet. I really like that. And at the same time, I'm just grateful that I know things are going to move forward and change. And if I was in an amazing season right now, I'd be grateful for it because I know it doesn't always stay that way. Anyway, just a little reminder on being grateful.
Now back to the season I’m currently in, definitely it’s great to remind myself this is only a season, and it will pass, but I also have to strategically think about how to get through it and do so in a way that I'm proud of. I want to look back at this tough time and feel good about how I showed up as a leader.
So one of the things that I've done to get through difficult periods is to call on friends and peers in the industry and ask them questions. What do you do about this? Have you ever been in this situation? Questions like that. And I let them know that I'm looking to hire somebody, and maybe they know somebody that would be a good fit. But really, I'm also reaching out to them for emotional support, and that's made a really big difference. Here's the thing: you might not know this about me if you're new to the podcast, but all my OGs know this. I'm an introvert. I don't like to ask for help, and I tend to stay in my own little cave and do my own little thing. And I’ve realized that I just can't do that right now. And instead, I need to lean into support from others. Even though it's way out of my comfort zone, it has helped me immensely.
By the way, if you want to hear how I survived being an introvert in a career that is dominated by extroverts, check out my episode 434. It's called “Thriving as an Introvert in an Extrovert Career.” I'll link up to it in the show notes. But amyporterfield.com/434 will take you right there.
All right. So the next thing I do to stay grounded is I have started to meditate for ten minutes a day. Now, this is something I’ve tried to do off and on, but I am very, very serious about being consistent. This year I made a goal to be true to my word. It was one of my big goals that I made at the beginning of the year. “Don't say you're going to do something, Amy, if you're not going to follow through.” And so when I said this year I was going to meditate for ten minutes a day, I have been sticking to it, just Monday through Friday.
So this is another thing that doesn't come natural to me, but I want to do it because I believe that it clears my mind. I do it early in the morning, before Hobie’s up. And I use the Calm app. I asked for a lot of suggestions on social media.
Oh, by the way, if you're not following me on Instagram, that's where I post the most and engage the most with my audience. So if you go to at @amyporterfield, just my name on Instagram, that's where you'll get updates and no when new things are coming and when new episodes are out and all that good stuff. Plus, I share a lot of behind the scenes with me and Hobie and Scout and Nashville and all that good stuff. So @amyporterfield, that's who I am on Instagram. Come follow me, and then send me a DM and connect, and I’ll say hello, hopefully. I can't get to all my DMs, but I really try.
Okay. So, here's the thing: I posted on Instagram. I did a poll, and I asked people what were their favorite meditation apps, and Calm definitely was one at the very top. I already had it, so I started to use it. I love it. So anyway, that's something that has helped me a lot.
Also, breathing exercises. When I started doing breathing exercises this year, I had no idea that I have the most-shallow breath. Like, it was hard. When I go like this [air intake], it's hard for me to take a really deep breath. Like, try it right now. Is it easy for you to take a deep breath and count to four? Like, one, two, three, four, maybe five, six? Can you do a little bit more and then hold it for four? And then let it out for eight? That's what they do on the Calm app, in a lot of my meditations. I breathe in for four, hold for four, out for eight. I know there's tons of different ways to do breathing exercises. I'm no expert. However, I couldn't believe how shallow my breath was. So I'm getting better. My lung capacity is getting better. And you know that when you take a deep breath in and you hold it and you let it out, your whole body responds. And because I am in a heightened place right now in the business, I've got to take these breaks.
I recently interviewed Gabby Bernstein and Dr. Nicole LePera, who both came on my show, talking about how important it is to have a regular breathing exercise when things feel like they're just too much. So I do it every morning in my meditation, but then you'll find me throughout the day now just taking a moment, just taking a breath. So when I feel anxious and I'm starting to come out of my skin, deep breathing just gets me through it. It's made a huge difference. And if you haven't already, you should definitely check out both of those episodes to hear some specific exercises that you can do. I’ll link to both of them in the show notes. But Gabby was episode 441, and Nicole was episode 446 _____(11:47—I’m showing this episode to be 445), both really great. We talk about mental health; we talk about small trauma, big trauma; and we talk about just taking care of yourself and your mental health as entrepreneurs. Great episodes, if I don't say so myself.
Okay. Moving on. Finally, when I've got too many plates spinning in the air and I feel like they're all about to come crashing down, I have to be brutally honest with myself. I can't pretend that I’ll somehow get it all done, because lying to myself only is going to make it worse for myself and for my team. Instead, I need to lean on my amazing team and delegate some things that I absolutely need to take off my plate, and most importantly, I can't be afraid to ask for support.
Now, you might be saying, “That's great for you, Amy. You have a team to support you,” and I hear you, and I truly am so grateful to have the option to lean on my team. But I vividly remember the days of being a one-woman show. I said it once, and I'll say it again: if you're in a busy season, consider hiring a virtual assistant, even for just a few hours a week, to take a few things off your plate.
I was just talking to Don Miller. I was being interviewed for his podcast, Business Made Simple, and we did this awesome episode where we talked about what we would do if we started from scratch. And I think step number four—we had, like, seven steps— and step number four was we would hire a VA. It was very early on in starting a business. I took way too long to do this, and I always say there's no badge of honor in doing it on your own. You're leaving money on the table. You're also spending way too much time, effort, and energy where you could be getting help. It is absolutely a great idea to get some help. So when you start making a little money in your business, one of the first things I want you to spend money on is hiring a virtual assistant. Changes everything.
Okay. So, one more thing. I want to remind you, and this is something I needed to remind myself of, there is absolutely no shame in putting things off for a few months on your calendar. So if you're in a really busy season, you got to look at that calendar. The thing is, time moves really quickly, and before you know it, it will be two months from now and you're working on that thing that you felt like you had to put off for ages. I recently had to put something off, and I had to put it off by three months. And in my mind, I thought, “Oh, my goodness. I want to do it now, and now I'm pushing it three months from now.” But we're already three months into the year at the time I'm recording this. It's at the end of March. And the fact that this time has flown by, I promise you, moving something out a few months on your calendar, it will be here like that.
I recently heard Mel Robbins speak about because of how uncertain times feel right now, many of us have gotten into a routine of only setting sixty-day goals, just for the next sixty days. I can't think of any time ahead, just for sixty days. And she challenged us to set sixty-month goals instead. I think what this does is that it gives us a good reminder that we don't have to accomplish everything right now. Give yourself some grace, some room to breathe.
Remember that there's so much going on in the world right now, and aside from trying to juggle everything going on in your life, I think we can all agree that we're carrying added weight due to the emotional toll of what's happening in the world. My friend, we are all in this together. Right now is the time to love yourself hard. Love those around you hard. Give yourself the space to move through your tasks, your to-do list, and the work that you're doing at a pace that feels manageable to you. And in the moments that you feel like you've jumped into more than you can handle, just remember that you've got this, and I am so cheering you on.
All right. I hope you love this Shorty episode, and I hope you found it valuable. Thanks for hanging out with me, and I cannot wait to see you again this Thursday for more entrepreneurial goodness, same time, same place. Talk to you soon.
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