Say YES! To The Mess - #018

Show Notes

Do you dream of one day being your own boss? Maybe you have a side hustle idea for creating a stream of income? What’s stopping you? If you’re like many people, there are any number of obstacles on your path. By saying YES! to the Mess, Nola Boea and Lori Vajda explore the obstacles that all too often derail us, in this ‘get real’ episode. Their message, experiences and lessons learned are shared to speak to the dreamer in you: the creative, the writer, the innovator, the entrepreneur, the mover and shaker. Join them as they talk to the parts of you that know you have a message in your heart that needs to be shared with the world.   ​

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Sticky Brand Lab

Strategies for creating a business you love are in the works. Come have a listen!

In This Episode You’ll Learn

• What are the common and easily removable obstacles to launch a side hustle. 
• Why it’s important to have a mantra when pursuing a passion.
• You don’t need to have it all figured out, but having this one thing can make a big difference to starting a successful side hustle.
• A mindful exercise to quiet your inner critic.

Innovative ideas, creative pursuits, sharing your knowledge, we all have the dream of doing this, but few have the courage or know how to bring it to the world. Say YES! To the Mess is a simple, but not necessarily an easy way, to move forward. Your dream, your idea, your purpose is unique to you. Lori and Nola want to support you on your aspiring entrepreneurial journey and are here to provide you with the confidence to grab a hold of your daydreams, help you align them with your values, so you can make an impact and live your best life.

(4:08.64) Doing this before you abandon your idea for a business could help you launch a profitable side hustle.

(8:09.63) An easy way to know what work people are willing to pay you for, so you can create and launch your side hustle. 

(10:27.66) Three common reasons for not launching your side hustle idea and how to move past the obstacles.

(21:49.04) An easy hack for breaking down your workflow into small, manageable steps.

(24:28.18) Try this mindful meditation to help you quiet your inner critic so you can pursue your business and entrepreneurial dream.

Resources
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This episode was supported by: Be-YOU-nique
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Transcript

Lori: [00:00:00] Have you been thinking about starting a side hustle or pursuing a dream of turning your hobby or knowledge into a business? What's holding you back. If it's fear, self-doubt, weighing the pros and cons or any number of logical and rational reasoning, we're here to tell you those feelings and thoughts don't go away on their own. There's a reason they call it analysis paralysis. And in this episode of Sticky Brand Lab, we're discussing all the reasons why saying Yes to the Mess and taking that wild and wonderful leap of faith into entrepreneurship is worth it.

Announcer: [00:00:33] You'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.

Nola: [00:00:44] Hey they're aspiring side hustlers, Nola and Lori here. Here's an eye-opening number. There are just over 31 million small businesses in America, according to the U S small business administration. Even more impressive is the fact that despite the coronavirus pandemic, small business owners have been resilient, pivoting, and adapting to the continually changing conditions of this unfamiliar terrain.  Encouraging you to become one of those extremely brave people out there is the topic of today's show. Because as anyone who's considered starting a business knows, taking that leap of faith and striking out on your own, even as a side, hustler, requires courage. 

But before we help you move past your fear and bravely manifest your dream, check to make sure you're subscribed to our podcast on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. This will ensure you never miss a weekly episode as well as help other aspiring side hustlers like you find our podcasts so they can create a profitable business they love. Without further ado, let's say YES to creating something new.

Lori: [00:01:46] Today's show is different. For one thing, Nola and I are both your hosts and we are the guests. Not only will we share information, we'll also be interviewing each other. The second thing that is different about this particular show is it's a true labor of love. We started Sticky Brand Lab because we wanted to empower aspiring side hustlers with the knowledge and resources to launch and create a business and lifestyle on your own terms. And all we ask in return is to acknowledge your vulnerability and do it anyway. But then we got to thinking. Our story isn't a rags-to-riches. We are truly on this journey with you. After all, we've never done a podcast before starting this one.   And that means we are opening up and sharing our very personal side hustle stories with you, our listener, the good, the bad. And yes, the uncomfortable. 

So Nola. Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Nola: [00:02:43] I want to say I was probably in my twenties, but it wasn't a big label that I was going after, Hey, I'm going to be an entrepreneur. I'm going to start a business. It's like, I am going to pay the bills. Yep. That's it. And eventually it did turn out into, Hey, I kind of like this entrepreneurial thing, this is kind of a fun thing to do. So I think one grew into the other. 
What about you? Did, did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Lori: [00:03:08] No, uh, matter of fact, if somebody had said,  Hey, do you want to be your own boss? I would have said, no.  So I had been working for the division of youth corrections in Colorado, um, providing mental health services to families and kids. And I thought I would  explore coaching.  So I had a website. I was learning about, search engines.  Writing marketing material for digital. And I was learning about, social platforms, and how to pitch to radio stations and TV stations so I could get on them.  All of that was the part that I was finding so much more fun and that led to a career change.  So I still wasn't even making the connection, I think, into entrepreneurship, right at that moment. 

Nola: [00:03:58] So you kind of fell into entrepreneurship without even realizing it.

Lori: [00:04:02] Exactly. Yeah. 

Nola: [00:04:03] So since then, have you come up with other business ideas?

Lori: [00:04:08] I love coming up with ideas. And people talk about some idea that they have. And I piggyback off that. I immediately see how it could be a profitable business that they could do. That I love.

Nola: [00:04:19] I'm the same way.  In fact, I, a long time ago, I had a file in a filing cabinet where every time I'd come up with an idea, I'd go, Ooh, Oh, look at that. This is a great trend. I'll bet you, this is going to be big someday. Like, like coffee houses. That was a big thing. Um, or, or internet cafes.

Lori: [00:04:39] You had those ideas?

Nola: [00:04:40] I had those ideas. And I had an idea for mixing an espresso shop with ice cream. And I was going to call it espresso and cream, you know, because. 

Lori: [00:04:51] Had two ideas. Okay. So one of them was for a yogurt shop. And the yogurt shop. Now they do this, but this was before, and it was to take fruits and yogurts; And the name of the yogurt shop was the big chill.
Nola: [00:05:10] Oh, cool.

Lori: [00:05:12] My second idea was I, because I love desserts. What I hate in a restaurant is getting those big single serving desserts. So I had the idea of doing tapas style desserts, and it was going to be Just Dessert.
Nola: [00:05:30] Hmm, Oh, Just Dessert. Ah, that's very clever.

Lori: [00:05:33] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Nola: [00:05:35] Yeah, just like you, I'd also see what other people were doing and just say, you know, you could really make a business out of this? And sometimes it would be frustrating because they had no interest in it. I'm like, I'd want to shake them. It's 

Lori: [00:05:46] like, like 

Nola: [00:05:47] Why not?

Lori: [00:05:47] Why not? How could you not, exactly, exactly. 
Well, so what stopped you from implementing some of those ideas yourself?

Nola: [00:05:55] Well at the time, most of those early ideas, I talked myself out of, because I was a single mom, barely making, a living.   And I would look into it enough to say, well, I don't qualify. Oh, well, oh, well, they would never listen to me. Oh, well, either there's way too much competition or it would just take too much money, too much work, and I got to go to work in the morning. So, I'm just going to put this in my file and close the drawer.
So what about you? What prevented you from carrying out some of your brainchild ideas?

Lori: [00:06:29] You know, I really wasn't having brain child ideas for me as much as I was having them for other people. And to give you an example, when I had the idea for the ice cream maker. It's because of another couple that were friends of ours. They   were trying to look for an idea for a business. And I had been in California and I had gone to this yogurt shop and what they did is after they took out the vanilla yogurt, they hand mixed in The, uh, fruit and, candies. And I was discussing this with this couple, and I said, I think it would be cooler if they actually had, uh, the combination. So you could get like banana flavored or chocolate flavored or whatever the real flavor was, and it would be natural. And it would be healthier and you could have a no fat or low fat or full fat kind of idea. 

Exactly. And they were, and I even have this. I thought the idea, the name, the big chill, and they got really excited. And so they were like, do you want to do this with us? And they said, I don't even know if there's a yogurt maker that even does this. The husband went and did research. He said there are two in the United States and one of them is for sale. It was that new. And he started to look into it. We started to do the math, where we would split the cost for doing it. And then they had marital problems and ended up divorcing and I never followed through on the idea.

 So Nola, what made you eventually start a side hustle? 

Nola: [00:08:09] So my side hustle, eventually I started one as a freelance copywriter and that's because I was doing it for a day job and there was a demand for my skills and there on the part of customers. And there was a demand for more money on the side of my pocketbook. And so, uh, I won't say that was my first side hustle. But that was the one that probably went the farthest. 

What about you? What, what caused you to finally start a side hustle?

Lori: [00:08:37] Well, after the coaching. And then I made the career change and I was working in an agency and interactive agency. So I was doing copywriting as well in content. And I got exposed to other things within the agency. So I was learning a lot in there, and I had been with them for three years and after I was let go, from that company, I then was asked by a bunch of people who were doing side hustle work, if I would write copy for their business or, for their clients. and then I thought, Oh, I should probably make this into a side hustle.  But I'll tell you more about that. Uh, in, uh, the next segment here. 

When we come back, we're going to let you get in our heads and let you in on some of our side-hustle attempts, as well as hear why we believe done is better than perfect and small steps lead to big effects.

Nola: [00:09:37] Are 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 Be You-Nique 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-win goals that make sense for you and your lifestyle. Sign up today for a free 20-minute consultation at stickybrandlab.com/shop.

 Welcome back to Sticky Brand Lab, where we show you how to turn your knowledge, passion, and great idea into an income stream. So you can create a side, business and lifestyle, your excited about.

When it comes to launching a side gig, some people just never get started. Some have bad experiences and some jumped ship too early. I think when you try to move your idea for a side hustle forward, you're bound to run into challenges. And if you don't have a network of support, it can feel like it's a sign that you're moving in the wrong direction. 

So, Lori, on that note, what challenges did you face that derailed your attempts at starting or maintaining a side-hustle?

Lori: [00:10:57] We had a paddleboard shop. And   there was clothing for surfing, but there wasn't for paddle-boarding. So I started to do the research, specifically for a line of paddleboard clothing.   We were going to focus on t-shirts and I had started working with designers and I had started to develop contacts and we had some t-shirts printed and we were selling them in our shop and we started selling them as white label for other paddleboard stores. And that actually is what the idea behind it was going to be and we did get a lot of interest and it started to take off. But I was unsure of my own self and my own skills. And the learning curve was very, very steep. And what also was happening at the same time is my company for copywriting and branding was starting to take off and I couldn't do, or at least I didn't feel as confident doing both. And that really was what it came down to. I knew copywriting.  I didn't know textiles and the learning curve was steep. And while I was really into it and having fun, I couldn't do both at the same time, so I needed to make a choice. And that was why I let go of the clothing line.

What about you? What, what were some of the reasons that your ideas got derailed or you didn't follow them all the way through. 

Nola: [00:12:21] For my freelancing, there was a point in time where I thought, I can do so much more than freelancing. I mean, as you know, I, I eventually, as an adult, went to night school and got my MBA and I, and I had this entrepreneurial interest and so I wanted to grow it into more of a business and marketing consulting firm. Anyway. I had great ideas. I had great branding. I had a really great website.  I had some contacts. However, I realized that I needed to really put myself out there.  I am very much an introvert.  I don't like to talk to people about myself and so I let fear keep me from doing things that were uncomfortable. That was one thing. 

The other thing, however, was because I was so freaking busy. I had a day job. You know, I had family. I had other commitments and, I did try to do it.  When I was working the day job and meeting those deadlines and working for freelance clients and promoting myself and trying to do all of that. I got really burned out. I got really burned out and I don't think I had any support really. I mean, I did not have a support system like I do now. I flipped the switch off because I did not think that I had any more bandwidth. So. Yeah. the fear, and the, lack of support, I would say were challenges that derailed my attempts and I'm finding they're not really that uncommon.

Lori: [00:13:53] No. I think a lot of what you're saying people could relate to. I definitely could relate to some of the things that you were saying at different times or different situations. So, absolutely. 

Nola: [00:14:05] Do you Have any regrets about the ideas that never came into fruition?

Lori: [00:14:09] Yes and no. So at the time that we let go of the idea of the big chill. The yogurt piece. If I had understood entrepreneurship, if I had understood that I could do business, if I had truly believed in that, I definitely regret that.  I came this close, like a hair's breath away from doing it, but like you, there wasn't enough support or encouragement for the idea to continue you on. I really thought it depended on having the support of another couple and not just that I could have done it or that we could have done it at that moment, I didn't, I didn't believe that.

The second one is the clothing line. Because everything had already been done for it. It had been registered, it was a full business. It had even been trademarked the name, uh, of the company for the logo. So there was a lot invested, but again, self-doubt, I thought, gosh, the learning curve on this is huge. And I think there was some support for it. But the question for me was, did I believe in me? And I didn't believe in me, so I let that idea go as well. 

 What about you? Do you have any regrets about the ideas that never came to fruition or the ones that you abandoned too quickly?

Nola: [00:15:33] I wouldn't say regrets. I have some, I wonder if.  I sometimes think, you know, if I wonder if I stuck with it, I wonder what would have happened.  I had this idea for an app. I just had the entire software mapped out. And again, the fear of having to put myself out there to try to raise money.  And I sat on it. And, since then similar apps have come out. So it’s at the point where there's probably too much competition, but it would have been a forerunner.  It's like, you know, that window of opportunity. I saw a trend and if I had acted in courage, I probably could have gotten other people who, who are trend seers as well, to maybe buy into this and, or partner with me or whatever.  So now I wonder. I will never know, will I? 

Lori: [00:16:27] You know, the, the reality is if we didn't have these experience, we wouldn't have learned the lessons that we learned along the way. So yes, some were painful, but all of them provided knowledge, no classroom or textbook could give. An, all of them, led us to where we are today and having this conversation with our listeners.

So it's true that sometimes the business isn't meant to be either because you're, going in the wrong direction or it's just not the right time, but sometimes challenges have another meaning. And I don't know if you're familiar with The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. But he said, "The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something." And I think knowing that is key.  

A good example of that is, you and I had initially had an idea that we wanted to work together, so we thought we would develop a podcast that would teach people about sticky brand.  A brand that stays in people's mind.  And over the course of development and putting it into action, life happened as it always does.

Nola: [00:17:43] Did it ever. 

Lori: [00:17:45] So to give you an idea, we first started talking about Sticky Brand Lab in 2018. And by 2019 as just as we were getting momentum started.   Uh, I, um, Cancer struck for me. And that required moving so that I could get treatment, and we had to put things to a halt. And even then, the question was, do we still continue this ‘cause I remember you asking and I was like, I, I want to do this. I feel that there's something important that needs to be said and people that we could help. So when cancer struck, that was a pivotal moment. And very quickly we packed everything up and moved and very quickly I was receiving radiation and chemotherapy at the same time. And very quickly my mental capacity was slowing down as well as my physical health was slowing down.

Nola: [00:18:46] That meant instead of meeting at a restaurant they became Zoom meetings. And those Zoom meetings were sometimes rather short because you only had so much energy to have a conversation. But, but you had this resolve, it wasn't just stamina.  Sometimes you didn't have the stamina, but you had resolve. It's like, no, I'm doing this, we're doing this because this is something that, that needs to be in the world.

Lori: [00:19:13] Yeah. And then your daughter got married.

Nola: [00:19:16] So when they said we're getting married. Oh, I'm so happy for you. Yeah. It's in six months.

Lori: [00:19:22] You're right. So you had to go into planning mode.

And then you got a promotion which meant your new position had a huge learning curve. 

Nola: [00:19:31] Oh my goodness. It was great because I seek more and more challenge and be careful what you wish for. Right. And so, I got to that point, that point where it's like, I could see burnout down the road if, I am this intense and this stressed and this, you know, fatigued by the end of a day. And I'm doing this side hustle. I don't know how long I can do this. I mean, it was.

Lori: [00:19:57] That's right. That's where we had that really serious talk. Uh, we had to have a heart to heart. About our, our ability to go forward as a partnership on the podcast. And that was an emotional piece for both of us.

Nola: [00:20:15] It was. Well at the time too, I mean, my husband was having some health issues as well, and for a while there, I was also a caregiver at home.  And I was just feeling stressed because I was feeling pulled in all directions, and You, you had said, so Nola, do you really want to do this? And you caught me at a day that I was about ready to have a meltdown already. And I did. I melted down.

Lori: [00:20:39] It was emotional. Uh, I was actually at the end of treatment and preparing for surgery, when we had that talk and I knew for myself, I was going to move forward. As we said, I felt very strongly for myself that there was a message here that needed to come forward as my co-hosts though, you had to come and make that decision yourself. 

Nola: [00:21:06] Which I did.

Lori: [00:21:08] And Oh, well, I guess we know, cause you're here, here. So you make the decision. We're working on it. We start recording and then you decide to move.

Nola: [00:21:20] Oh yes! It's like, Oh, by the way.  You did, you know that like, you know, in, in, in like three weeks we're going to be moving or relocating? That was crazy. Cause by that time we were really, in the crux of launching this, which meant we were on a schedule, which meant we had a lot to do. 

Lori: [00:21:39] So basically you moved in and we went live with the podcast.

Nola: [00:21:46] Yep. That was crazy. That was crazy 

Lori: [00:21:49] It was super, crazy that we made the decision, but we did. So it was just before that happened after our heart to heart talk, that's where our of slogan of, um, three hours a week came up because what we determined was through all of this. If we could invest 30 minutes a day, or three hours a week at max, to move the podcast idea forward, successfully doing it that way, then we would be able to launch. And so we really, really subscribed to that motto and, and practiced it ourselves. And it was actually how we ended up launching in November.

Nola: [00:22:32] It really, really was baby steps.

Lori: [00:22:36] It was. That was one part. And the other part of launching the business, which is for any business that you're going to launch is the ability to say yes, to the mess. Which is the idea that it doesn't have to be perfect. Done is better than perfect. Do the best you can give yourself permission to have iterations of it.  Because perfect is it, there is no such thing as perfect.  There's the ability to strive to improve and make it better, which is why there's so many versions of things. From your app to your favorite shows, right? They're, continuously improving. So, giving yourself, permission to not have it be perfect is a very hard thing to do. Would you agree?

Nola: [00:23:27] I would say that's an epiphany for me. I will find myself, especially like in the editing process. It's like, this is going to have to be good enough. I require sleep. And at this point, I'm the only one, probably in a million people who could see how this could probably improve. But I think I'll still be able to sleep at night. Because that's what I need right now.

Lori: [00:23:59] You're exactly right. One of the things that we have learned, that was really important here was our inner critic can be a tough audience to quiet, and we thought that a great meditation would be helpful.

Nola: [00:24:13] That's right. We have this gift for you, this meditation and our guide today is internationally trained meditation instructor, Cyndee Rae Lutz. So here's our meditation gift. And we'll see you back on the other side.

Lori: [00:24:25] And if you're driving, you may not want to listen to this part.
 
Cyndee: [00:24:28] I love the topic today, which is say yes to the mess, no matter where you are in your endeavor right now, it's bound to get a little messy at some point. You'll question what you're doing, why you're doing it, and maybe even why you should stop. I'm here to teach you a few simple breathing techniques that will help to calm your nervous system. When you approach anything with a calm, nervous system, everything looks better. It helps to keep that negative mind chatter at bay. It shuts out the distractions and the distracting voices that tell you why you can't or shouldn't do something. And it helps you to persevere and maintain your creativity and focus when things get messy. So find a comfortable seat. It can be on a chair on the floor, you can even lie down if you like.

And begin by closing your eyes and inhale through the nose and exhale through the nose. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the nose. Focusing on the sound of the breath as it comes in through the nose and it returns out through the nose. Let the breath be your anchor to this present moment. Where there's no fear from the past and no fear of the future. And if your mind begins to wander, simply bring the focus back to the sound of the breath as it moves in and moves out.

And now we'll add a pause to this same breath. So the next time you take an inhale, pause at the top of the inhale and then exhale and pause at the end of the exhale. Inhale, pause, exhale. Pause. Inhale. Pause, exhale, pause. Find your own pace, your own rhythm. Your pace is the best pace. It's the right pace.

Continue, inhaling and pausing. And exhale. Pause. You might notice if the breath is slowing down, if the pause is getting longer or if the inhales and exhales are fairly, even just notice.

And begin returning to a normal breath, just inhaling and exhaling and notice the stillness. The stillness that you've created within yourself. The stillness around you. And know that you can come back to this stillness any time you like. Now slowly begin to open your eyes.

Thank you so much for participating. Good luck on your adventure.
 
​Nola: [00:28:56] Well, thank you Lori, for being my guest today on the Sticky Brand Lab podcast.

Lori: [00:29:02] Thank you Nola for being my guest and for sharing your journey and with our listeners.

Listeners, we've been thinking about how important it is to feel supported and encouraged along an entrepreneurial journey and we had this idea and we thought we'd run it by you. Our idea was to create a private Facebook group or a use another platform for our private group in which we could have people come in, who are on the journey or thinking about starting the journey.  Together we could support each other so that you don't jump ship before you see your dream through. So, you can reach out to us on Facebook. Through our contact page. You can leave a comment in a blog through LinkedIn, wherever sticky brand is just let us know if you're interested in joining a group and we'll put one together and we'll all be there to support each other.

We'd also like to thank Cyndee Rae Lutz. She's an author, corporate wellness expert, and an internationally trained meditation teacher and coach. Her website. If you'd like to learn more, is Cyndee Rae Lutz that's CYNDEERAELUTZ.com.  

Nola: [00:30:20] Be sure to come back next Tuesday and every Tuesday for another informative, inspiring and motivating episode. And remember action creates results.  So tap into your desire to create a business and brand you love by taking 1% action every day. Small steps, big effects.

Lori: [00:30:39] Do you have questions about creating a personal brand side hustle or small business? Sign up for one of our clarity sessions. For more information, contact us at stickybrandlab.com/contact.

Nola: [00:30:54] Hey there, aspiring side hustlers, Nola, and Lori here. It's an eye-opening number. There.
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Lori: [00:31:07] It's an eye-opening number. It was like, Oh, that is. My eyes are open to the number.
Sorry for the interruption.