HELLO LIFE ACADEMY MAGAZINE MARCH 2017 ISSUE
HELLO LIFE WAYS TO GET PAST "I FAILED"
A DAY IN THE LIFE
BECAUSE NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE TABLE OF CONTENTS WE TOSSED IT.Â
MEET FAILURE
WE KNOW HOW MUCH WORK YOU DO. BUT WE WANTED TO KNOW HOW OFTEN YOU FAIL.
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YOUTH MAGAZINE
Wellness Stock Shop WITH BRIENA SASH “BEING MYSELF” DESTROYED MY BUSINESS: THREE LESSONS LEARNED
lesson one "They say you’re not a true entrepreneur until you’ve successfully failed two businesses."
A year and a half ago, I closed down the doors to my second business. I sunk three gutwrenching years of my life (and far too many honey lattes) into building a floundering portrait studio in the grand artist colony of Portland, Oregon. So many business gurus and coaches tell you that the key to growing a successful business presence is to “be yourself.” I’m here to tell you how and why “being myself” destroyed my business. But please note: There’s a beautiful and encouraging side to this story. Arriving at the depths of that failed-business misery is what catapulted me into following my heart, establishing a new self-awareness, and carving out an entirely new niche for myself – Blending my two passions of natural wellness and photography into my wonderful business. On July 15, 2016, I launched Wellness Stock Shop, which is, to my knowledge, the world’s first-ever stock photography site for wellness entrepreneurs. I truly defined a new role for myself and unleashed the heart-centred, purpose-driven, life-altering business of my dreams! And I couldn’t have done it without failing first and uncovering my weakest selfsabotaging "me-isms." PAGE 21
YOUTH MAGAZINE
If you’re like me, you have a really hard time saying, “No” to new opportunities, because you’re afraid of missing out. This is how I got myself into a career that was entirely out of alignment with the very core of who I am and what I stand for. When I was invited to shoot for the biggest wedding studio in Portland, I didn’t check in with myself, my purpose, my dreams, my path. I didn’t want to say “No,” and miss out on an opportunity. This funnelled me into the portrait industry and three years of complete misery.
me-ism Me-ism Mistake #1: Fearing Missed Opportunities
I have never been super fond of luxury items. That is how I viewed the industry I was in. Even though my work was getting published in magazines and winning awards, I still felt empty and out of alignment with myself. This is where I set myself up for failure from the getgo. If you’re a “yes-aholic" like me, because you’re afraid of “missing out,” you need to get on the "NO" train. Ask yourself if this opportunity is in alignment with your deeper purpose. Ask yourself if it strengthens the path you’re already on and sets you on a path in the direction you want to be heading. Ask yourself if it will help you accomplish your mission. Saying “No” will open you up to new opportunities that are in alignment with you, just like closing the door to my portrait studio allowed me to open the business of my dreams.
Me-ism Mistake #2: Being The People Pleaser
I’m the pleaser. I want to help everyone and I want everyone to be happy. This is very common among women, and maybe you suffer from it too. In my business, this translated to me wanting to be everything to everyone. Sound familiar? It set me up for a weak business, and earned I was “everything” to “everyone,” which spun my head in circles. me a poverty-level income every year. LESSON LEARNED: If you try pleasing everyone, you will end up pleasing no one. You need to be completely clear on the one specific person you want to serve and exactly what you will do to help them. This doesn’t mean you can’t expand in the future. It does mean you’ll confuse people less, because they will know what you offer. You will be able to provide a higher quality product/service and save yourself from burning out. You can start by asking yourself these two questions: serving? - Who am I passionate about YOUTH results on? - What’s the one thing I know, without question, I can get them MAGAZINE
Me-ism Mistake #3: Judgement Day
YOUTH MAGAZINE
I am sensitive. My natural tendency is to tiptoe around, out of fear of being judged. This did magical things for my business presence... It kept me miraculously invisible. My Instagram feed was a great example of this. Social media can feel personal. It is not. It’s all strategy and business tactics! It’s actually a super fun game, once you decide to pull on your business pants and start establishing a professional presence. But it is a game none-the-less. I made the common mistake of approaching my business feed like it was my personal profile. I waited quietly for my ideal clients to seek me out and find me. I posted for social credibility, and I felt deeply hurt and personally offended when anyone “unfollowed” me. For my entire three years in business, I never attracted any paying clients. I never broke 300 followers on Instagram. It wasn’t until I let go of that fear (after launching Wellness Stock Shop) that my followers grew to over 7,000 in just four months! And guess what? Many of my paying clients actually find me on Instagram! Social media works. LESSON LEARNED: If your business has attracted haters, it means you are doing the right thing – Putting yourself out there. It turns out, every thriving business faces haters and judgemental people. There are people who prefer independent coffee houses to Starbucks, PCs to Apple, thrift stores to Nordstrom. That’s okay. Don’t let personal fears get in your way of taking full advantage of useful business tools, playing as big as you are, and getting yourself seen in the business world. I hope that reading this article has encouraged you to assess your own "meisms" in your business life, and that you recognise your true potential. Your business dreams can become a reality in a big way!
- Briena YOUTH MAGAZINE
HELLO LIFE ACADEMY MAGAZINE MARCH 2017 ISSUE
YEAR ONE. CRYSTAL A DAY IN THE LIFEÂ
JOHNSON
In January, 2016, I quit my six-figure corporate job. I was optimistic, with a healthy amount of nervousness and excitement mixed in. I compared ramping up a business to ramping up as a new employee starting a new job. What I grossly underestimated, however, was the fact that I had to build the whole foundation of my business, one brick at at a time! This time, I was not contributing a
Truthfully, I was comparing apples to oranges, when I compared entrepreneurship to employment. This was a huge blow to my own self-worth, and made my first year in business feel like a complete failure. My “ramp up” expectations were skewed by both an employee mindset as well as marketing messages shouting how "easy" it was to make six-figures in your first year in business.
the whole entire puzzle, with many intricate pieces to put together! I was no longer the cog in the machine, but responsible for the creation and maintenance of the machine. I was responsible for all the moving parts.
In January, 2016, I quit my six-figure corporate job. I was optimistic, with a healthy amount of nervousness and excitement mixed in. I compared ramping up a business to ramping up as a new employee starting a new job. What I grossly underestimated, however, was the fact that I had to build the whole foundation of my business, one brick at at a time! This time, I was not contributing a piece to the puzzle, but my business was the whole entire puzzle, with many intricate pieces to put together! I was no longer the cog in the machine, but responsible for the creation and maintenance of the machine. I was responsible for all the moving parts.
"MARKETING MESSAGES SHOUTING HOW "EASY" IT WAS TO MAKE SIX-FIGURES IN YOUR FIRST YEAR IN BUSINESS."
HELLO LIFE ACADEMY MAGAZINE MARCH 2017 ISSUE
piece to the puzzle, but my business was
HELLO LIFE ACADEMY MAGAZINE
Insecurities, doubt, and fear crowded my thoughts.
WAS I “GOOD ENOUGH?” THIS CERTAINLY WAS A PARALYSING THOUGHT. I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED SUCH DIS-EMPOWERING FEELINGS WITH SUCH MAGNITUDE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. IT WAS SCARY, AND CONFUSING. HOW CAN SUCH A SUCCESSFUL PERSON BE SO DEBILITATED? WHAT’S WRONG WITH ME? THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE, THAT I HAD STRUGGLED LIKE THIS. MY OWN SELF-WORTH WAS SO INTERTWINED WITH THE HEFTY PAYCHECK I HAD BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO, THAT I FELT WORTHLESS, MAKING A FRACTION OF WHAT I HAD BEEN MAKING IN THE CORPORATE WORLD. I WOULD SAY TO MYSELF, “IF I’M NOT MAKING A LOT OF MONEY, THEN I MUST BE A FAILURE!” WHILE THAT STATEMENT IS NOT TRUE, IT IS HOW I FELT… AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THESE FEELINGS CAME AFTER I BUILT A NET-WORTH OF OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS. YES, SUCCESSES IN THE PAST DIDN’T MEAN ANYTHING TO MY SENSE OF SELF-WORTH. AS A HIGH ACHIEVER, I DISCREDITED EVERYTHING I HAD DONE BEFORE STARTING MY BUSINESS, AND FOCUSED INSTEAD ON WHAT I DID NOT HAVE (THE SUCCESSFUL SIX-FIGURE BUSINESS I HAD ENVISIONED). YOU SEE, EVERYTHING CAME EASY TO ME IN THE PAST. UNTIL I STARTED MY ONLINE BUSINESS, I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT FAILURE FELT LIKE. AND THINGS GOT REALLY DIFFICULT REALLY QUICKLY.
MAYBE YOU CAN RELATE?
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I FELT OVERWHELMED WITH EVERYTHING THERE WAS TO LEARN AND TO DO. I COMPARED MYSELF TO OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS WHO MADE SIX-FIGURE PROFITS IN THEIR OWN BUSINESSES. I FELT LIKE A FAILURE…
I FELT LIKE A FAILURE UNTIL I LEARNED THE REALITIES OF BUILDING ANY BUSINESS. THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION IS THAT THOSE WHO CLAIM SIX-FIGURE PROFITS IN ONE YEAR OR LESS IN BUSINESS ARE THE ANOMALY, NOT THE NORM! I BEGAN TO NETWORK AND TO RECOGNISE THE COUNTLESS STRUGGLES ENTREPRENEURS HAVE IN CREATING SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES. I ALSO REALISED THAT EVEN THOSE ENTREPRENEURS WHO SEEM INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL, BASED ON OUTWARD APPEARANCES, ALSO FACE THESE SAME STRUGGLES. THESE ENTREPRENEURS MAY APPEAR TO BE DOING WELL, BUT WE, AS OUTSIDERS, DO NOT KNOW THE FULL STORY. I HAD TO STOP COMPARING MY INNER WORLD WITH OTHERS' OUTER WORLDS. I DON’T KNOW THE WHOLE STORY! MY FIRST YEAR IN ONLINE BUSINESS WAS MY BIGGEST “FAILURE,” BUT IT IS ALSO WHAT HAS BUILT THE FOUNDATION FOR ME TO HAVE A WILDLY SUCCESSFUL 2017 AND BEYOND. WE ALL START SOMEWHERE, AND I LEARNED THAT HAVING COMPASSION FOR MYSELF WAS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS I NEEDED TO KEEP ME GOING. WE ALL HAVE A “RITE OF PASSAGE,” AND WE ALL HAVE TO OVERCOME CHALLENGES TO BECOME THE PERSON WE MUST BE, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE DREAM. IT’S NOT ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE GETTING IN BUSINESS, BUT IT'S ABOUT WHO YOU ARE BECOMING. WE ALL START AT ZERO: ZERO DOLLARS, ZERO FOLLOWERS, ZERO EMAIL LISTS, ZERO EVERYTHING! DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS. INSTEAD, BE FOCUSED ON HOW YOUR BUSINESS IS IMPROVING AND GROWING. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT LIFE AND BUSINESS LESSONS TO BE LEARNED. WE ALL FACE STRUGGLES, AND THESE STRUGGLES MAKE US BECOME THE PEOPLE WE NEED TO BE. I HATED THAT I COULDN'T CLAIM TO BE A SIX-FIGURE EARNER DURING MY FIRST YEAR IN BUSINESS... BUT I DISCOVERED THAT THE MAJORITY OF ONLINE ENTREPRENEURS CAN RELATE TO MAKING MUCH LESS THAN THEY ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED. ALTHOUGH MY FIRST YEAR IN BUSINESS FELT LIKE A FAILURE, I NOW SEE IT AS A BLESSING. AND NOW, I HAVE TURNED MY MESS INTO A MESSAGE. I CAN SHARE MY STORY, THAT MESSAGE, TO INSPIRE, EQUIP, AND ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO JUMP INTO ENTREPRENEURSHIP AFTER ME. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I AIM TO DO!
the now or never hello life academy tour
Austin
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HELLO LIFE ACADEMY MAGAZINE MARCH 2017 ISSUE
WHEN YOU
FAIL.
WHAT'S
NEXT?
so now what?
This article is a difficult one to write. Because, to be honest, as the last three years have passed by, I really don't see much of what we have experienced as failure. I fall down. I find myself stressed out. Sometimes, I get overwhelmed. Then, I sit back and say, "This is EXACTLY what I asked for." I asked for a challenge. I craved clients and I wanted to make an impact with women around the world. So on the days when life has smacked you in the face, think about what YOUR calling is. You are always provided what you can handle. The reality is, you may not feel that way when you lose a client, or when you can't enrol anyone into a program you have spent a year building... But I
I have failed. I have launched several things that have seen little success. Of course, I sit in the bathtub, and wonder what the heck went wrong... How do I get out of those moments? How do I DIG myself out? I remind myself of the decisions I have made. I remind myself WHY I made those decisions. I remind myself of the work I have done before, and I remember the outcome. I create a little chart (and I want you to print it, and use it as well). I promise you that it will shift you out of the "failure hole" mindset the next time you feel failure slap you in the face (See next page). Lots of abundance, lots of love, and, of course, LOADS OF FUN xo Megan Lockhart
HELLO LIFE ACADEMY MAGAZINE MARCH 2017 ISSUE
assure you, something bigger is coming!
HELLO LIFE ACADEMY MAGAZINE MARCH 2017 ISSUE
what was the vs. what was the result? failure??
EXPERIENCE THE HELLO LIFE ACADEMY
STOP
DOING EVERYTHING ALONE
THE
NEW WAY
TO
BE
AN
ENTREPRENEUR
because we totally get it - being an online entrepreneur is lonely, and it doesnt have to be.
I said Yes To creating Hello Life Signature Coaching Platform. To a diamond ring and a fairy tale wedding. To opening Hello Life fitness studio in my basement. To inspiring women through online programs. To connecting women through Hello Life Magazine. To my dreams and to helping others achieve their dreams.
I said MAYBE. I said I CAN'T. I said I'M NOT SURE. I said I DON'T KNOW HOW. And all of a sudden, I just stopped saying NO.
I said Yes
opening may 2017