Podcast Summary
The unexpected challenges of reaching success: Focus on doing the thing, reflect on true desires, and invest in yourself for fulfillment, not just advancement.
Success, whether it's earning a six-figure income or starting a podcast, often comes with unexpected challenges. Jenna Kutcher, a successful entrepreneur, author, and podcast host, shared her experience of reaching her goal of earning six figures but feeling an emptiness that came with it. She emphasized the importance of focusing on doing the thing, rather than overthinking the decisions and details. Jenna encouraged listeners to reflect on their true desires and invest in themselves to achieve fulfillment, not just advancement. Jenna's childhood experiences of hosting lemonade stands and selling artwork show that entrepreneurship may not have been on her vision board as a child, but her natural entrepreneurial spirit was present. The journey to entrepreneurship may not always be linear, but embracing the entrepreneurial spirit and taking action can lead to unexpected rewards.
From Gymnastics to Entrepreneurship: Jenna's Journey: Jenna's gymnastics background instilled a strong work ethic and joy in hard work, which have been crucial in her successful entrepreneurial journey. Her parents' support helped her overcome financial challenges and continue pursuing her passions.
The determination and hard work Jenna developed as a gymnast translated into her entrepreneurial pursuits. Her parents' unwavering support allowed her to continue pursuing her passion despite financial challenges. Later, Jenna found herself in a corporate role at Target after college, but the retail hours and lack of personal experiences led her to reconsider her career path and eventually become an entrepreneur. The experiences from her gymnastics days instilled in her a strong work ethic and the ability to find joy in hard work, which have been essential in her entrepreneurial journey.
Take control of your own career and life plans: Reflect on interests and values, don't be afraid to take risks and pursue your passion to build a fulfilling career
It's important to take control of your own career and life plans rather than having them dictated by others. This was a valuable lesson learned by the speaker when she realized her corporate job with a predetermined 5-year plan didn't align with her personal goals. Instead, she pursued her passion for photography, starting her own business and gaining experience even if it meant working for free. By following her passion and taking control of her career, she was able to build something different that allowed her to spend time with the person she loved. It's essential to reflect on your interests and values, and not be afraid to take risks and reverse engineer the results you desire.
Finding balance between time and money: Entrepreneurs need to balance time and money to maintain well-being and achieve long-term success, be willing to make adjustments as needed.
Becoming the best at what you do and achieving financial success requires dedication, time, and experience. However, there comes a point when time becomes your most valuable currency, and it's essential to recognize that and make adjustments accordingly. The speaker shared her personal experience of reaching her goal of earning six figures but feeling empty and burnt out due to the lack of time for herself. She learned that earning less money but having more time allowed her to be more creative and build a more successful business. This shift happened in 2015, and it marked the beginning of her transition into creating digital content and revenue streams outside of her wedding photography business. She launched her first online course, email list, podcast, and Instagram profile, which eventually became some of her most successful ventures. The key takeaway is that entrepreneurs need to find a balance between time and money and be willing to make adjustments as needed to maintain their well-being and achieve long-term success.
Starting an online business with a small email list and course creation: A small email list and uncertain business start doesn't hinder success. With determination and valuable content, one can reach potential customers and build a thriving online business.
Starting an online business through email list building and course creation can be transformative, even with a small initial audience. The speaker, Jenna, shares her experience of taking her first online course and learning how to create her own. She was motivated to share her knowledge with others and create a sustainable business model. In 2015, Jenna launched her first course, which was audio-only and had only 841 people on her email list. Despite this, she made $35,000 in sales without using paid ads. This success inspired her to continue growing her business and reach a larger audience. The key takeaway is that having a small email list or feeling uncertain about creating an online business doesn't mean it can't be successful. With the right mindset and determination, one can create valuable content, reach potential customers, and build a thriving business.
Empowering Businesses with Shopify and Simplifying Investments with Yahoo Finance: Shopify offers a user-friendly platform for businesses to sell online and in-person, boasting a higher conversion rate. Yahoo Finance simplifies investment management with a unified view and valuable resources.
Shopify is a versatile global commerce platform that empowers businesses of all sizes and industries to sell their products online and in-person. With easy-to-use tools and a user-friendly interface, Shopify helps entrepreneurs turn online window shoppers into loyal customers, boasting an average conversion rate 36% higher than competitors. From digital products to physical goods, Shopify supports various businesses, including household names like Allbirds and Thrive Cosmetics. For entrepreneurs looking to start their side hustle or grow their existing business, Shopify offers a $1 per month trial period at shopify.com/profiting. Additionally, managing investments can be a complex process, but tools like Yahoo Finance simplify it by allowing users to securely link up multiple investment accounts for a unified view of their wealth. With features like stock analyst ratings, independent research, customizable charts, and financial statement access, Yahoo Finance provides valuable resources for both seasoned investors and beginners. Visit yahoofinance.com for comprehensive financial news and analysis. Lastly, launching a podcast can be an effective way to share expertise, build a community, and grow a business. Entrepreneurs like the speaker, who started as a wedding photographer, used their unique skills and experiences to create a successful podcast, demonstrating that every stage of the business journey presents new opportunities for growth and learning.
Focus on Essentials, Trust the Process, Embrace Imperfection: Starting a new project? Focus on the essentials, trust the process, and embrace imperfection. Consistent effort builds confidence, even during tough weeks. Don't let insignificant details distract you from making progress.
Starting a new project, whether it's a podcast, business, or creative endeavor, often involves overthinking the non-essential details and neglecting the actual doing. The speaker shared her experience of starting a podcast with minimal resources and worrying about insignificant aspects, but ultimately, consistency and imperfectly showing up led to success. She emphasized that confidence comes from consistent effort, even during weeks when it feels like there's nothing to say. Another interesting point was her reflection on feeling lonely as an entrepreneur despite having a larger team than assumed. She kept her team small initially and grew organically, never envisioning herself as a boss. Overall, the lesson is to focus on the essentials, trust the process, and embrace imperfection.
Maintain a lean team and focus on essentials for a manageable business: Stay true to your creative vision by maintaining a small, aligned team and exploring various revenue streams to build a manageable and thriving business.
Starting a business out of passion doesn't mean you have to sacrifice creativity or lose control of your team. Jenna Kutcher, a successful entrepreneur, emphasizes the importance of maintaining a lean team and focusing on the essentials to keep things manageable. She also encourages asking oneself, "What would this look like if it were easy?" to avoid overcomplicating matters and taking action. With a multi-million dollar business, Jenna's revenue streams include online courses, affiliate partnerships, podcast sponsorships, rental properties, and digital product sales. By maintaining a small, aligned team and exploring various revenue streams, she has built a thriving business while staying true to her creative vision.
Identifying and pursuing what resonates deeply can lead to new revenue streams and personal growth.: Staying true to your message and writing for the sake of sharing your story can lead to the creation of meaningful and impactful work.
Having a clear message and finding the right motivation can lead to the creation of new revenue streams and personal growth. The speaker shares her experience of resisting the idea of writing a book due to perceived time and financial investment without a clear message. However, when she received intuitive guidance, she found the clarity and motivation to write her book, "How Are You Really Living Your Truth One Answer at a Time." This experience underscores the importance of identifying and pursuing what resonates deeply with us, even if it seems daunting or unprofitable at first. By staying true to her message and writing for the sake of sharing her story, the speaker was able to create a meaningful and impactful work.
Writing from a place of authenticity and passion: Embrace silence and inner reflection to create a deeply fulfilling book, reconnect with past experiences to make meaningful changes.
Creating a book from a place of authenticity and passion, without external pressures, can lead to a deeply fulfilling and enjoyable experience. The speaker shares how she wrote her book in silence, without announcing it to anyone, allowing the words to pour out naturally. She emphasizes that the process brought back the joy into her work and that her love for the book has not waned. The speaker also touches upon the importance of creating a "life inventory" to reflect on past experiences and emotions, encouraging readers to reconnect with their inner selves and embrace all feelings, rather than rushing through them. This introspective process can help individuals determine where they want to go in life and make meaningful changes.
Assessing Our Emotions for a Fulfilling Life: Recognize trends in emotions, consider opportunity cost, and prioritize happiness for a fulfilling life.
It's essential to assess our feelings and identify what truly makes us happy and satisfied in life, rather than just striving for success based on societal expectations. The speaker advocates for taking an inventory of our emotions and experiences to recognize trends and potential pivot points. The concept of "golden handcuffs" refers to the promises and benefits that keep us stuck in unsatisfying situations. It's crucial to acknowledge these factors and consider the opportunity cost of staying in a role or situation that doesn't resonate with us. Instead, we should focus on pursuing the things that bring us a full, vibrant life. As entrepreneurs, this may mean reevaluating our businesses and making necessary changes. The speaker encourages celebrating these choices as much as we celebrate traditional successes. Ultimately, it's essential to recognize and address what's holding us back and prioritize our happiness and fulfillment.
Integrating spiritual alignment with practical goal setting: Upgrade job posts, acknowledge whole selves, pursue what feels good, and invite others to dream bigger for positive impact.
Integrating spiritual alignment with practical goal setting and taking action is essential for personal growth and achieving dreams. As small business owners, we can start by upgrading our job posts on Indeed.com/profiting with a $75 sponsored credit, offered for a limited time. This discussion also emphasized the importance of acknowledging and embracing our whole selves in all aspects of life, rather than compartmentalizing and belittling our dreams. By living authentically and showing up as our true selves, we can invite others to dream bigger and make a positive impact on the world. In terms of following intuition, it's important to pursue what feels good, and for some people, this may involve trying new things, like meditation, even if they initially think they cannot do it.
Be present and attentive for personal growth: Focus on small steps today to bring passions to life, be mindful of resonating things and evolve as individuals.
Awareness and mindfulness are key to personal growth and finding fulfillment in life and work. Whether it's through noticing the things that resonate with us or recognizing when our passions may be better suited as hobbies rather than businesses, being present and attentive allows us to make intentional choices and evolve as individuals. Additionally, taking small consistent actions, even if they go unnoticed, can help build confidence and lead to greater success. So instead of waiting for the perfect moment or the "after" to reveal itself, focus on the small steps you can take today to bring your passions and interests to life.
Focus on the entrepreneurial journey, not just the launch: Entrepreneurs should embrace the process, share authentically, and take intentional breaks to avoid burnout and maintain long-term success.
Entrepreneurs should focus on the journey rather than waiting for the perfect moment to launch. Authentic sharing of the process can build a loyal audience before a product or service is even ready. Additionally, taking intentional breaks is essential for entrepreneurs to avoid burnout and maintain long-term success. It's important to learn the value of rest and recognize that taking a break doesn't mean quitting. Instead, it's an opportunity to recharge and refocus. Entrepreneurship involves constant growth, and both learning new skills and taking breaks are crucial steps in the process.
The Importance of Rest and Self-Love for Personal and Business Growth: Recognize the stories we tell ourselves, find joy and profit, and build multiple revenue streams for growth
Both rest and hard work are essential for personal and business growth. Rest allows for creativity, new ideas, and self-discovery, while hard work lays the foundation for success. Self-love and body acceptance are also crucial, as they significantly impact confidence and the way we show up in life. Jenna Kutcher, the guest on the Young and Profiting Podcast, emphasized the importance of recognizing the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and how they affect our actions. To become more profitable tomorrow, she recommended conducting an inventory of what brings joy and profit to our lives. Her secret to profiting in life involves building multiple revenue streams that can operate while we rest. Jenna can be found on all social media platforms under the name Jenna Kutcher and on her podcast, The Goal Digger Podcast.
Reassessing your life for growth and success: Focus on the big picture, let go of what's not important, ask tough questions, and take action towards your goals for personal and professional growth.
Taking a step back and reassessing your life can lead to personal growth and professional success. Jenna's story highlights the importance of focusing on the big picture and not getting bogged down in the details. Consistency and confidence are key to moving forward, and sometimes letting go of what once seemed important can free you to pursue your passions. Additionally, being honest with yourself and asking tough questions can help you reconnect with your true self and find the motivation to move forward. Overall, Jenna's message encourages listeners to pause, reflect, and take action towards their goals.
