Something VERY interesting happened last week, and I wanted to share it here because I think it will resonate with many of you.
(Not all of you, but many.)
A few days ago, I got an email from a colleague asking if everything was OK.
When I asked for clarification, she shared, “I heard you let your entire team go… I was concerned your business was failing. Are you OK? How about your family?”
I was speechless.
Then, I responded… “Um… last time I checked I still have 10 team members I’m paying. And over 300 members in one of my programs. And I’m close to starting a second $50K private client group because my first one is nearly full. What are you talking about?”
“Oh wow, ok. That’s great. A friend told me you laid off your entire team but she wasn’t supposed to tell me, etc.”
“That’s just funny. Who told you that?” I asked.
She was vague, and I realized she wasn’t going to tell me, plus she was embarrassed, so I let it go.
But I kept thinking about it. What happened?
Rumors happened.
And it really woke me up to how bizarre this industry has become.
A few weeks ago, I let two fulltime team members move on. We were talking about required changes in their positions, and had a wonderfully open discussion about what they really wanted long-term, and what my current needs were for the business. We ended up agreeing it wasn’t a match, and it was a good time for them to pursue fresh opportunities.
I was thrilled for them, wrote them excellent references, and even offered to make a few personal introductions. And they’ve told me they’ve actually been grateful for this space to make some changes in their lives as well. (One is training for a marathon!) It all worked out in the end, and I’m so glad, because I love them dearly.
Now, like the old “operator” game, where one person says something and it gets passed on around the room, naturally turning into something else…. the fact that I let two employees go has apparently been passed on from person to person, getting whispered around North America.
And the story has now progressed to something akin to my business going belly up and my family living on the streets of Scottsdale.
Sigh.
What’s funny is… I don’t know what to find more bizarre:
1) the fact that letting go 2 people out of 12 escalated within days into rumors of a complete company implosion, or…
2) that going “smaller” in some way—any way—was instantly interpreted as “failure”.
Hmmm… let’s look at that, because it’s VERY interesting.
If anyone views a business owner continuing to net a high income with her business and investments—but with a smaller team, less headaches, and more time with her family—as a “failure”, well that’s beyond my understanding.
And that means these folks don’t understand what business is really about. Or life.
For me, it’s the net I take home. It’s the money in the bank. It’s the impact I have on my clients. It’s the joy I have in my business. It’s the love in my life. It’s my great health. It’s the freedom to travel. It’s the time with my amazing husband… and my beautiful twin toddlers who are starting to talk and really discover the world now at 20 months old.
These days, I’ll admit my life isn’t about huge launches. It’s not about bragging I have 20 employees. It’s not about the acquiring, the conquering, the “killing it”. I’ve been there, when I wanted to do that, the whole BIG thing. And it was fun at the time. It’s what I wanted then. Maybe I’ll be in that mood again someday, but it’s not what makes me happy right now.
Nature has seasons for a reason.
If you want to go BIG right now, awesome. There are women out there with huge teams making tens of millions… They are on fire! And I’m honored to say I’ve coached and/or consulted for most of them. And still do. (For some, I do it confidentially. I’m told that’s one of several things that make me unique in this industry… I keep things confidential that are supposed to be confidential.)
But my main point is, I want you to remember right now you have choices.
We seem to have taken this amazing opportunity we’ve had to build a business in a beautiful, feminine way, that honors exactly who we are, and once again—just as in the “real” business world—got sucked into not only fitting into… but re-creating… the exact same masculine model we wanted to get away from. And feeling small or sad not only if we don’t achieve it, but if we don’t keep growing it bigger and bigger constantly.
What you want can change! And you get to CHOOSE what you want.
This year, I’m committed to working no more than about 6 hours a day, and almost never on weekends. And what’s ironic is the space I’ve opened is bringing in new opportunities weekly. My profits have enabled me to become an angel investor to support other women-owned businesses (Daily Worth is one of them). And I’m in a holding contract for a TV show with a major production company. And more things I’m excited to share when I’m ready.
High net, high impact.
Less stress, more joy.
Boom.
I share all this with you to invite you to say GOODBYE to this industry as we know it. Goodbye to that “one size fits all” formula that was so 2009. Goodbye to the gossip and competition. Goodbye to all the, well, bullshit.
Instead, let’s honor our own unique gifts and the paths we personally choose to bring them to the world. And know there’s a way to reach higher without compromising our values and our worth.
PART 2 of this post will go up in a few days. Believe me, I have a lot more to say on all this. And I have a special invitation for a select few of you, if you’re ready for something different. (More on that later.)
In the meantime, I’d love this to become a conversation – please comment below!
Love and success,
