Ask Muse Part 1: Can You Help Me Turn My Passions Into A Side Hustle? - #020

Show Notes

In this episode of Ask Muse, guest Tara McKinney asks Nola Boea and Lori Vajda to help her explore business ideas that combine her passions for yoga and healthy cooking, along with her interest in ayurvedic approaches, and turn them into a profitable side hustle. What started out as a podcast club with members from around the world, soon gave Tara a platform to share her recipes, knowledge and experience with others. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and brought to light Tara’s desire to help others with her holistic approach to mind, body, and spiritual connection. The combination of positive feedback from members and her own entrepreneurial interest brought Tara to Ask Muse for help creating a business strategy, directional approach and messaging that would resonate with her like minded prospective clients.

Thanks for Listening!
You can subscribe to Lori and Nola's show, (we love you and want to make it easy) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you to podcasts.

We love hearing from you! Leave or speak your message here

If you haven’t already, please connect with us on Facebook! 

Would you like to be a featured guest or have your question, comment or review mentioned? Ask Muse!

Sticky Brand Lab

A positively energizing business opportunity is in the works. Come have a listen!

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• How to discover your core skill set and use it to start a side hustle
• ​Ways to identify the obstacles that might get in our way
• ​What is the difference between passion and interests?
• How to capture and articulate what you do in a way that sparks interest for the listener? 

Digestion isn’t just about what you eat, it’s how you approach and interact with life in general. For Tara McKinney, that insight has guided her holistic approach to helping people from all walks of life and with all types of issues including digestive ailments. Now, she  would like to find a way to take her unique approach, varied passions and interests, and combine them into a profitable business. This is the challenge Lori and Nola hope to help Tara solve. 

• (10:08.64) Does giving yourself a title limit your work or make it easier for others to identify what you do? 
  
• (15:38.05) The power of being authentic with people and how to use it so they can be authentic in their communication. 
  

• (17:01.29) A simple yet powerful tool for helping you identify your top profitable business ideas.
  
• (21:46.71) Does a generalist give you more business opportunities or is being a subject matter expert the best business direction? 

Resources
This episode was supported by: Ask Muse

Transcript

Lori: 0:00Welcome side hustlers. We're excited today to have our Ask Muse guest Tara McKinney with us. But before we get started with today's show, be sure to subscribe to Sticky Brand Lab podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave us a review so we can help more creative business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs just like you find our show. Now let's get today's positively energizing episode started.

Announcer: 0:31You're listening to the Sticky Brand Lab podcast, where time strapped professionals, like you learn how to create a business you love in as little as three hours a week.

Lori: 0:41Today is one of our favorite types of episodes w Nola and I just love Ask Muse podcasts

Nola: 0:49Yes we do.

Lori: 0:50This for our any new listeners is where we get to have a member of our audience come to our show. They get to ask a question and Nola and I get to help them solve a particular problem that they might be having either in creating a business, expanding their business, or even marketing their business. Many of these questions are left as recordings on the ask news page of our website, stickybrandlab.com/askmuse. Each Ask Muse session is done in two parts and both episodes drop on Tuesday at the exact same time. In part one, a guest comes and tells us what they're dealing with, poses their question, and then Nola and I start brainstorming ideas and directions and possible solutions. In part two, we invite the guests back and present the ideas solutions, and next steps. You'll hear their thoughts on our recommendations. And you'll hear us make any adjustments or edits or offer up alternative suggestions. Does that sound about right Nola?

Nola: 1:54That sounds, that sounds like it

Lori: 1:57Perfect.

Nola: 1:57So we are so glad to have, have our guests with us, Tara McKinney, who is currently living in rural Kansas. Her main job right now is director of program planning and evaluation for a national nonprofit. And she's recently started a podcast club, kind of like a book club, um, which she'll explain later. Tara, for those who don't know, you tell us a little bit about yourself, uh, your business and what you're hoping we can help you with on Ask Muse.

Tara: 2:31Sure. First of all, thank you both for having me here. I am looking forward to our time together.

Lori: 2:37Yeah, we're excited.

Tara: 2:41I, yeah, for me, the side hustle is mainly how do I turn these passions I get involved in, into a formal side business. And current as Nola already mentioned, uh, it is a podcast club. As well as, uh, a recipe book, uh, and it's all part of uh, Ayurveda program that I've been a part of for the last six months. And over those six months what's happened is it's going from being the students, a client to like, Ooh, why don't we all do this and putting it out there to a group that's around the world and from there getting the feedback of, yeah, let's go for it. I'm one of those ideas was podcast club on Ayurveda and yoga and how do we really support one another and help really integrate that, take it the next step further, uh, into our lives. And, as you, you know, digestion, isn't just about metabolizing food. It's about metabolizing life. And I think that's where the real juiciness is because for sure how we metabolize life influences how we metabolize food.

Lori: 3:48I really liked that. I've never heard that connection before. And I have to tell you, I love that idea. I never thought of it that way, how we digest life. That's very cool.

Nola: 4:00you, do you have a background Ayurveda that you're bringing to the table with this podcast club?

Tara: 4:07Sure I have an introductory background. I have my 200 hour certification in yoga and most yoga, 200 hour programs include at least a small portion on Ayurveda. So I took my little bits and pieces with me and started integrating that into not only how I practice yoga on a mat, uh, but how I live my life because I Ayurveda is the, like the science of living. Right. It's like wisdom infused living. And to be able to live from that place of rootedness, that place of timelessness, boundlessness automatically is going to change how you interact with, with others and your environment. And of course, yourself,

Nola: 4:51Well, that actually sounds fascinating. I've had a, an Ayurvedic cookbook that somebody introduced me to, but, um, I had no idea it was more of a lifestyle and such a holistic approach.

Lori: 5:05I didn't either. Matter of fact, when I first got into meditation, ayurvedic was the mindful meditation that I was introduced to, to that started that practice.

Nola: 5:15Wow. So you say you've you've been in this ayurvedic podcast club. And can you just, just briefly mention

Lori: 5:23What a podcast club is? I mean, I love podcasts clearly, but I was like, what is an ayurvedic podcast club

Tara: 5:33So literally we just pick a podcast. And then once a month have a meeting around it and trying to get everything divided up into smaller groups and of course time zone, because when you're around the world, that gets a little bit tricky, but I, to talk for an hour, if you listen in advance, I provide, uh, materials for further reflection. Extra tools, ways of thinking of looking so that they can reflect even deeper on their own.

Nola: 6:03What made you think that this might be a business prospect?

Tara: 6:08Honestly, it's a feedback it's when you know that you touch people. Like these are not people. I have a preexisting relationship to outside this forum of the podcast club or outside our Agni digestive therapy program. I mean, we are hundreds of people around the world. and it fuels you. It makes you super excited to nerd out and work on all of these, uh, materials to do the extra reading, to compile, to bring things together of how, how all of that really resonates and energizes you. And when you see that. Resonate with others. It's like, yeah, no, this is maybe not a typical service that's provided, but there is a need there. Um, and it's just that, how do I access it? How do you formalize that? All that, that goodness that I know we're going to dive into.

Lori: 6:59Did you start the podcast or were you a member that joined the podcast?

Tara: 7:05So I started the podcast club. So I am a member of the digestive therapy program, the Agni therapy program. And I proposed on that course platform. Hey, anybody interested in doing this? And normally the platform, it's more about a direct answer to a question, not of pure learning together. And so that's when I was like, you know what, I'm going to put this out there and we're going to see what happens. And I got that feedback. The organization was like, sure, go for it. And the most recent. kind of manifestation or upleveling of it is that they've made me a moderator on their platform. Another thing that's related to that, that I've also, it's almost like peer counseling. With other members of that larger digestive therapy group, not just related to, to the podcast per se.

Lori: 7:59So it sounds like you're, you're in a course of study right now with the ayurvedic and you have the podcast club, your background in yoga, how are all of these different focuses, coming to you as a possibility of a business model?

Nola: 8:19And are you pulling in some other aspects of your background to that and how do they come together?

Tara: 8:25Yeah. So Nola mentioned that my background is working in the nonprofit world. And particularly like communities who are marginalized, uh, and that has been both in the US but primarily overseas, uh, with a focus on Eastern and Southern Africa and in both venues, my role is always one of accompaniment. There may be other duties and responsibilities, but it really is about accompanying people and it always has been. And can I be there and can I've listened. Right. And can I, um, help them connect dots that maybe they don't see or, um, they see, but haven't thought of using them in new ways. Right? So I have this background, whether it's working with individuals or organizations. Helping them pull pieces together. And I feel like in the same way, that's what I'm doing, both in the kind of peer counseling with Agni therapy and with the podcast club, as well as the student recipe book, and so I see that if these are pieces I'm, I'm used to doing, and now I'm finding these other avenues, then why does this, why do they have to be those separate worlds, right? That there are these trends that overlap. And it's the same me, whether I'm in one venue or the next, and i. It's always about treating people in that more holistic avenue it. Doesn't just have to look like a nonprofit world. Um, let's look at these other venues because that's really at the core of who I've always been.

Lori: 9:59If you could, define how Nola and I might be able to be of assistance to you today. How would you describe that?

Tara: 10:08Very good question. I part of my hesitancy with claiming really we're talking about claiming this other identity, this other professional identity, uh, is how do I capture that without being super wordy and long winded and giving my whole background and bio? What are, you know, because when I hear certain, um, Oh, like titles, like she's a coach, she's a mentor. And I, I tend to go, you. It doesn't quite sound like, yes, I'm in a mentoring role and I enjoy it, or yes, I'm really coaching this person at this time. Or I'm providing more like spiritual counseling or, you know, those type of things. So yes, I can check those boxes, but when you're like, you just want to call me that identity role. I'm a bit like, Hmm. I'm not sure. I want to be lumped with all the people category. Because there's something that doesn't resonate when I look at the larger category and maybe I need to let that go. Right. Cause within this, there's gotta be, I easily identifiable, uh, quick role, right. That somebody could look at a title or, you know, description and go, gotcha. I get what you're doing, who you are and let's rock and roll. Uh, so there's that piece of it. And then, because that, uh, my background is not so straight forward and I pull all these different pieces together. It, it is that helping flush out what you do You know, basically it's, how do I not put myself in too narrow of a box? How does the box have some permeability to it? Because if you only call me a yoga instructor, well, I am, but that's, that starts not going to work. It's too, too narrow. Um, in the way most people think of it.

Lori: 12:13Great. Tara, it's clear you get really excited about helping people and addressing their issues in a very systemic and holistic, uh, approach. When we come back, Tara's going to tell us more about the challenge she's currently facing and how she hopes Ask Muse will help her.

Ad spot: 12:35Are you an aspiring entrepreneur, who's ready to share your vision with the world, but you're not sure exactly what that would look like. Or do you just want a safe soundboard to help you evaluate your top business ideas then a B unique session is just what you're looking for. This two part clarity session is customized and based on your individual goals and experience together, we will help you determine your ideal business niche, target audience, and strategy. You'll leave the session with a realistic timeline and a set of small step, big wind goals that make sense for you and your lifestyle. Sign up today for a free 20 minute consultation at stickybrandlab.com/shop.

Nola: 13:15Welcome back to Sticky Brand Lab the podcast that takes entrepreneurs side hustlers and aspiring side giggers from, I have no idea what the heck I'm doing to take a look at what I'm doing now. So let's dive in to Tara's challenges at hand. You had described what it is that excites you about helping people is really helping them discover the wisdom that's really inside of them using ancient wisdom, using just internal listening.

Tara: 13:48What I'm doing an Agni therapy is I find programming gaps. I naturally do this in whatever I'm in. And I don't try to do it. Well, even if programming gaps are within your individual life, if you will, right? I find these gaps of like, well, have you thought about this? Have you thought about that? Have you connected these dots? Have you, you know, like that's what I do.

Nola: 14:12You're the dot connector.

Lori: 14:14Tara, when people approach you, um, and you're helping them one-on-one or one to many, what do they seek you out for?

Tara: 14:24Yeah. They will definitely it's advice. I get the texts, the calls, emails. I mean, they're wanting advice. And it's either, how do I show up? Like, I think of one person in particular, and I'm like, hi, like, you should just go lay on your yoga mat, set it up this way with these props, that's going to help open up your heart in this way. And then next thing you know, she's like, okay, I just did that. Keep talking. And we had the rest of the conversation with her, like splayed under a yoga mat, you know? Um, So I shifted, like I not only gave her a tool to shift the energy, but then, and she just immediately, her nervous system went down like this. And I heard the change in her voice and she was with herself more. So I think that's like, it is that they go within more. They get out of the chatter and they can drop in more to hear themselves. To hear what that chatter is and how that's leading them in these ways that don't feel true.

Lori: 15:23When you're helping people do that, what part of you do you find then connects to them in a way that gets you really excited?

Tara: 15:38Okay. Well, they're asking me to live for my center. And to speak from my center and breathe from my center. They're not asking me to formally use all the certifications degrees, um, professional experience. But really it's, they're asking me to be, uh, a channel, a conduit, um, that is for God, because I can hear the difference in my own voice because things come out of my mouth that I'm like, okay, you know, that are really resonate with somebody. Gosh, that just gives me life because I know then not only can I produce educational tools that are going to be helpful. I know that it's also forming me. Maybe that's the other level what's exciting is that it's helping form me as a, um, as a person that's a soul and a body and not just a body with a soul.

Lori: 16:34I can see, when you are talking about certain things there are spikes, in, in what excites you. So that allows me to ask this next question. It's the magic question. If you woke up tomorrow morning, And your business that you created was everything you thought it w it could be in more. What would that look like?

Tara: 17:01That is a magic question. Ah, that's like the big dream question. It would have the, uh, The personal, whether we're calling it mentoring, spiritual counseling, you name it, there would be that direct connection of accompaniment that in a sense you're working yourself out of a job. Right. That they get to the point where you're the, you're the person they're going to thank maybe, but you don't need, they don't need you so much. And that would be a piece of it. There would be some educational component, some type of small group, whether we're diving into this topic and looking how it affects our life, there would be that level, uh, because I am, I am definitely an, I do play an educator role and that comes very naturally and I enjoy it. I've always worked on an organizational level too. I enjoy that behind the scenes piece, but the behind the scenes piece has to be, it's gotta move my heart. Yeah. And there would be the teaching yoga that doing Reiki, there would be something with food involved in there for sure. I need hodgepodge. I need bits and pieces from here and there. Um, there's gotta be this ebb and flow of, of many different pieces that are, um, personal accompaniment to, to larger pieces of the puzzle, to educational Endeavors. To also it got, it's got to get into the body. We got to work with the body, we got to use our hands to, to cook, to feed ourselves and others. Um, there is that somatic layer that has to be woven in. that's where the magic is.

Lori: 18:44When I've written down so far is, if you were to create the business, a side hustle of your dreams, right at this moment, it would include a personal, so the one-on-one, educational, uh, which could be a small groups, uh, could be topic focused, it could be solution-focused. You're interested in the larger organizational level and there's teaching or an applied component to it, to the business that you would create. So your business, isn't just one thing. Although there is a center focus to it and in that sense, it's one, but there are many avenues, to it, My question is, do I have that right? And is there anything that I'm missing?

Tara: 19:37I would say yes, you have it. Right.

Lori: 19:38Before we wrap this part up. from all the things that you're interested in that you've, that we've discussed, and you had to, if you had to pick one place to start, so I'm going to start my business with this, but I see where I'm going, I have that clarity, what part of this would you like to start with? Would you like to start with the personal one-to-one the educational, the organizational or the teaching?

Tara: 20:04I first like immediately went to the personal. That's the first off the top of my head.

Lori: 20:10And then, what would be next?

Tara: 20:12I would lean towards small group because you know, you can only talk to so many people in one day and uh, so I could do probably two a day, and it would just need to be tied with something else. So it would have to play with how the other takes place with the small group with once a week. And I had the rest of the time to work on the material for that. And then I have the individual people coming alongside of that each day. Then that would be fine. Right.

Lori: 20:40Do you, want to keep your business primarily virtual or virtual and eventually in-person?

Tara: 20:49Yeah, virtual, eventually in person, I think particularly because of some of the somatic practices and they're also just something lovely about being directly with people, right? There's this other layer of intimacy, uh, that unfolds. And too much screen time is overuse of your eyes and a very practical level, but also that's creating a lot of, um, disturbance across these other energy channels, right.

Lori: 21:21Okay, other question, do you want to stay in one, paradigm or do you like variety? So ayurvedic is where your focus is now, but you have a lot of focuses. You've listed a lot of things that you do. So does what excite you now is the variety or do you want to, um, go deeper in one area?

Tara: 21:46I'm not to the point where I would say I want to go deeper only in one area. There's a time to keep bringing in the new it, because I keep pulling, what's been behind me into this new mode. You know, all of these connecting points are coming around, embodiment or somatic experiencing, they're spiritual. This is what we're looking at, the the various tools and schools of thought around it, whether we're doing my formal master divinity training approach to this, or, um, You know, even development, international development or community development wise, who are, you're still working with the whole person. Because really it is all about working across the various layers of the body, the subtle, subtle energy bodies from the growth to the move at all. Um, in all the different arenas of life, from lifestyle to profession, to relationships, to you name it, right? Like all of those different arenas come into play, and approaching it as spirit infused matter.

Nola: 22:54Spirit infused matter. That's cool. I never heard that before.

Tara: 22:58I'm not sure I have either.

Lori: 23:02Tara, you've done a great job of explaining your unique way of helping people and your current business challenges. Is there anything else you'd like us to know before you go.

Tara: 23:12No we've covered it. Thank you.

Lori: 23:15You're welcome. So Nola and I are going to brainstorm. And when we come back for the next segment, we're going to share our thoughts with you, get your feedback and make any adjustments. We look forward to seeing you in part two and sharing what we've come up with. Listeners stay tuned because you're going to hear us discuss Tara's Ask Muse dilemma.. Perfect.
​
(Out-take)
Nola: 23:42sounds like a plan, man.
Lori: 23:43It does sound like a plan man or woman.
Nola: 23:48Mankind.