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Easy~Effortless~Effective~Enjoyable
13 Plays1 month ago
What does working smarter not harder actually look like in reality?
How do you go from striving with all your might to thriving effortlessly?
In my experience, when living my values, basing my business offerings on those values I seem to open up a portal to receive without even ‘trying’.
You can be given all the systems & strategies that have proven to work for others but if it doesn’t align with your truth then it won’t matter how hard you try it will not work without taking a lot of effort or taking a toll on you, because of the lack of alignment with your truth.
In this episode I share some of my experiences over the last 25+ years in the hope it helps you to reconnect with your inner essence, tune into your intuition, operate in alignment with your values & establish supportive systems and networks that enable you to thrive effortlessly building a sustainable and satisfying business & life… to create a more harmonious life!
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Ep. 41 - Daniel Regan Gene Keys Guide & Personal Growth Consultant
Intro & Outro Music: Shaman Dance by slavamusic
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Transcript
Introduction to Value-Based Living
00:00:00
Speaker
Do you desire to turn your passion into income? Connect with other creative souls who also dance to the beat of their own drum? I'm Marie Nicole and I'm devoted to combining beauty, uniqueness and connection in everyday living experiences. As a creative professional and Dharma coach, I help people connect to the truth of who they are and facilitate them in embodying their uniqueness. It is my hope in this podcast that I inspire you to live your life on your terms and earn your income through being uniquely you.
00:00:44
Speaker
We've all heard the saying work smarter, not harder. And yet do you find yourself falling into the trap of doing, doing, doing, feeling like you're paddling against the tide? So what does working smarter, not harder actually look like in reality?
00:01:00
Speaker
How do you go from striving with all your might to thriving effortlessly? In my experience, when I am living my values, basing my business offerings on those values, I seem to open up a portal to receive without even trying.
Turning Passion into Business Opportunity
00:01:18
Speaker
An example that comes to mind is how I designed and made my kangaroo fur vest as a part of my shift away from wearing polyester creating a natural hair on hide vest to replace my faux fur vest. I shared the why behind this back in episode 53 titled M Power Dressing Frequency of Fabric. What I did not share in that episode was that I made that vest purely to meet my needs in the outset.
00:01:47
Speaker
and I had no intention of making them to sell at first. But the more I was asked when wearing if I sold them or would make them to order, which I was asked for numerous times over many years before I finally decided to make them to sell, even then I did not promote them heavily. It was simply me wearing my vest out and about being asked where I got my vest from and then sharing the fact that I make them which led people to then coming into store, have be measured up and have one made to suit them specifically. These were effortless sales. I was not pushing my product onto people. I was merely living and breathing my values. My Art of Asana wares are based on handcrafting beautiful items to enhance everyday living experiences, created with respect for the earth and all its inhabitants.
00:02:43
Speaker
Making space in my schedule again for handcrafting as an income stream has also been something I've done recently based on my values.
Effortless Sales Through Value Alignment
00:02:54
Speaker
Slowly reopening product listings in my online store and starting with items that contribute to my days in magical ways, of which there are many. Within 24 hours of doing so, the two times that I have done that I have received orders for items that I have shared straight away.
00:03:12
Speaker
And I'm taking this as a sign from the universe that living my values as a part of how I earn my living is aligned with my purpose. Working remotely and having diversified income streams with several branches of my core business, all the items that I share in my store are items that help me work more efficiently and effectively and stay organized and even process my thought, especially with all the shifts and changes that life presents me with so that I can continue to grow and expand rather than feel constrained and limited by situations that while uncomfortable at times really are opportunities to learn and grow. The products that I make are products that support me through all of this. And so when I share them with you, I do so from a place of operating from my place of
Sharing Values as a Business Approach
00:04:06
Speaker
values. It is not to make something purely to sell to others to make the money.
00:04:12
Speaker
You too though may find some of these products made by me within intention and love supportive in your daily life and journey and if you'd like to see what's currently available there's a link in the show notes to the online store. But I right now would like to encourage you when you live and share your values you don't have to feel like you're selling but rather serving.
00:04:37
Speaker
Which is no different to what you do when you find a product or service you think is worth telling others about. You don't hold back on sharing this new finding with a friend who you think would benefit from the product or service that you've just discovered, do you? You just tell them because you're excited about it. So if you shift that same way of operating to how you conduct your business, creating a values-based business that serves others,
00:05:04
Speaker
as well as those who engage with the services or products offered through the business, then you don't need to strive to convince others of what the value is you are providing because you believe in what you're doing with all your heart. Of course, there may be times in our journey when we might find ourselves in a panic and make offerings or take up opportunities that are from more of a place of scarcity or lack. But when that happens, the experiences more often than not leads to an undesirable outcome or experience because of that misalignment which is an opportunity to learn that this is an indication that you've strayed off the path and a reminder to connect back to your values and make discerning decisions from that place instead.
Personal Truth in Business Strategy
00:05:54
Speaker
Operating from a place of alignment feels effortless because it's coming from your essence not borrowing from another's
00:06:03
Speaker
Now I'm not saying that we should never take inspiration from other people or try new things, but when you do and if it feels like you need to effort to make it work, then that's a sign it's not in alignment with your essence. You can be given all the systems and strategies that have proven to work for others, but if it doesn't align with your truth, then it won't matter how hard you try.
00:06:30
Speaker
It will not work without taking a lot of effort or taking a toll on you because of that lack of alignment with your truth. Often what we find easy, we think anyone can do until we witness someone else try and struggle doing it. And while anyone can be taught the how to's, if it simply does not flow for them or come with ease, then it's a good sign that it's not in alignment with their gifts and talents.
00:07:00
Speaker
and no amount of forcing will lead to a better outcome if the alignment is not there at the essence level. Now in the Gene Keys profiling system, each sphere has both a key number and a line number. The line number relates to the individual's essence in relation to that sphere. For example, in my vocation sphere, I have the Gene Key number 5, which it has the shadow of impatience, the gift of patience and the city of timelessness, the city being the highest expression. Now, my line in that sphere is a line for, and the question for that line in this sphere speaks to operating it at the gift frequency. And that question is, how can you trust what you love so you are influencing from your heart, not by the mind trying to take over sharing from a balanced
00:07:58
Speaker
soft heart instead.
Influence of Gene Keys on Growth
00:08:01
Speaker
Now in comparison to a line three in that same sphere which asks of that individual how can you be joyfully adapting to all of the wildness around you and listen to those around you to adapt the strategy of what you are bringing into the world through deep joyful listening. Back in episode 41 I spoke with Daniel Reagan a Gene Keys guide and personal growth consultant And if you'd like to learn more about the Gene Keys and how the understanding of this has helped him and impacted his life and the way he does business to his own beat, then I suggest going back to that episode and listening to that. In my intro, I say that we each have our own unique thread to add to the collective tapestry because I wholeheartedly believe that we are each gifted with our unique talents so that we can collectively complete the whole.
00:08:58
Speaker
In my very first business as a portrait and wedding photographer I had numerous experiences that reminded me over and over again firstly that I needed to stick to my values and connect with my intuition. The clients I took on out of desperation always lay at to being the most challenging clients to deal with and left me feeling utterly depleted and questioning why I did not follow my intuition. But secondly, in that business, I also learned about the value of understanding and working with strengths of staff rather than trying to improve weaknesses. I had two girls subcontracting, doing less hours individually rather than combining the roles and having one person do both.
00:09:45
Speaker
because they each had skills that suited those individual roles they were contracted for and not necessarily the other. One role focused heavily on editing images, colour correcting and preparing them for print and the other was more around the album assembly. Now initially they were both hired for the other role but observing their strengths and how they suited the opposite role They swapped roles and it made things run a lot smoother in our production process. What also enabled that effortlessness in our production process was the systems I had set up in place to support several people working on many tasks related to each job.
Balancing Entrepreneurship and Motherhood
00:10:28
Speaker
Years after closing that business, I received a letter from one of those girls who went on to work for another photography studio and she expressed
00:10:38
Speaker
how she appreciated the systems I'd put into place because that supported her in being able to fulfill her role, which was something she struggled with in the new studio. There were not systems like that in place. Now it's in my nature to set up systems to support effortless execution of tasks. Focusing on efficiency is how I've always managed to operate multifaceted businesses, doing so in amongst motherhood and other life commitments.
00:11:06
Speaker
When she was working for me, I had not long become a new mum and I was operating my business from home. With clients and staff coming to and from our private residents, setting up supportive systems was critical for me and has been extremely valuable in the last two and a half years, finding myself back, being a solo printer, becoming a single mum, Uber driver to a teenager who has now left school, working irregular hours, but not yet completely independent and able to take himself to and from his work and social commitments. While Uber driving him around, I managed to keep us eating homemade goodness, supporting our physical health, run my business and produce this podcast and take on freelance work amidst it all. Now, admittedly, there are areas of my life and business that I have either had to park or let slide at times.
00:12:01
Speaker
For the most part, I am still able to sustain a multifaceted lifestyle and put energy towards realizing my own dreams while supporting his. And I believe that it's the systems that I have put into place that enables this. When it comes to business, documenting the steps and processes for different aspects of what I do has freed me up from needing to rethink each time I do perform a task Plus, I am preparing to be able to hire help with tasks in the future. And by having those steps and processes recorded, being able to hand over the procedures and processes for that area of business will make that transition a lot easier. My experience in the photography business taught me this from a very early age. I was only 23 when I started that business. But having systems and processes in place that meant I could
00:12:58
Speaker
have a team work on the projects and do so effectively and efficiently was so valuable. Now I think it was back in episode two titled operating like the business you wish to become that I talk about this in more detail. But even without going back that far, I'm sure I've touched on this in other episodes. And if I haven't, I would be surprised because being a systems oriented person is the baseline of how I operate in life.
00:13:26
Speaker
which often surprises people to learn when they get to know me personally, as my presentation speaks a little more of being carefree and creative effortlessness, but not necessarily in the way of putting structures into place to support me in that effortlessness. I believe this comes from having an understanding of the value of balancing feminine and masculine energy. I often say that my two names represent my feminine and masculine. Marie is the feminine side Nicole the masculine. Connecting with our masculine energy is a valuable in setting up containers for our feminine to have the freedom to flow within. As a business owner I believe it's especially important to understand this and if we are unable to do that for ourselves then bringing people in to support us in ways in which
00:14:20
Speaker
we are not naturally geared towards is a valuable investment.
Sustainable Business Cycles
00:14:25
Speaker
Now, if you don't have the resources just yet to hire your weakness, then working in a cyclical manner, either connecting with the energetics of your personal cycle, if you are operating out of a female body, or connecting with the cycles of the moon can be supportive in ensuring you cycle through all the necessary aspects to create a consistent flow of activities that supports the growth and sustainability of your business. Which comes back to something I've said many times. It all starts with self-awareness, where our strengths lie and what we need to do to fill the gaps, making up for our weaknesses so we can build a network of support that enables us to realize our vision and mission effectively and effortlessly as possible.
00:15:15
Speaker
By this, I don't mean experience a journey without challenges. A part of life's journey is to learn through the challenges we are faced with. Developing the skills and resources to overcome challenges is where the magic happens. And surrounding ourselves with a support network that amplifies our ability to do so is powerful. Those resources may look like investing in digital tools before hiring human help to delegate to.
00:15:44
Speaker
If there's a task that you find yourself avoiding or putting off because it lies outside your strengths, then finding a way to systemize or automate that task will enable you to maintain delivery and build your capacity to get to the point that you can then outsource to another to take care of. Avoiding it will not support you in reaching that long-term goal though. A way to get you started on this could be to hire a coach to support you in developing the mindset.
00:16:14
Speaker
to put those practices into place to help you build the momentum you need in showing up and doing the task that will serve your overall objective of building a sustainable and satisfying business and life.
00:16:28
Speaker
creating a harmonious one. The other day I was calling clients assigned to me in the digital solutions program who had not yet booked their initial session. To encourage them to make the most of this heavily government funded program which provides business owners the opportunity to work with a coach at a much lower rate than they would if they approached a coach like me directly.
00:16:52
Speaker
Most people were grateful for the reminder and booked a session in to get the ball rolling however one girl said oh I don't remember if I signed up for this before buying this new business but I am so run off my feet keeping up it is consuming my life. I barely have time to order stock let alone fitting coaching but that's okay I'm happy to just let the coaching go because it did not cost much to sign up anyway.
00:17:18
Speaker
Hmm, there were a few indicators there that coaching is something that she could have benefited from, especially since the business she bought was a retail store. Not dissimilar to the one that I had built from scratch and run for many years, but you can't make someone see the value in something that's being presented to them if they already in their mind have focused on the cost rather than the value.
The Role of Coaching in Business
00:17:44
Speaker
just doing the calculation on the fact that the program promotes that you pay $45 plus GST for up to four hours of one-to-one coaching, which is valued at $845. If you do the math on that, you would see that the $45 plus GST does not equate to the value of the service, but our brains interpret it that way. Becoming a certified coach costs thousands of dollars and requires hours of practice But the most valuable learning I have acquired that guides my coaching is the 25 plus years of business experience that I have had. Learning, trying, tweaking, repeating, leading me to being able to offer the alchemy of all that through my coaching service. Shortcutting the learning process for clients in this program.
00:18:35
Speaker
Now I share this to say that if you could do with some assistance in your business journey and digital presence and are in New South Wales, Australia, have an ABN run a for-profit micro or small business, take advantage of the offer of only paying a small fee of $45 plus GST. And when you select the all access option, you get up to four hours of one-to-one coaching, focusing specifically on your needs in the digital space.
00:19:03
Speaker
By signing up to the program with my affiliate link and choosing the All Access option, you'll also be supporting the production of this podcast as I will receive a small fee for bringing you into the program. Offering my services through this program has provided me with the pleasure of working with a wide range of inspiring business owners across the state of New South Wales. If you'd like to read some of their testimonials and gain some insight into how supportive this program has been for others,
00:19:32
Speaker
Travelling the same uncharted borders as you? Visit the digital guide page on the Creators Nest website to read their reflections. It's a great way to get a taste of how working with a coach can help you unlock simple and effective ways to take your business to the next level, especially in your area of digital presence. To register for the program, simply click on the link in the show notes.
Aligning Business with Mission and Vision
00:19:57
Speaker
But back to creating a business that's easy, effortless and effective.
00:20:02
Speaker
Tuning into what you find yourself doing with ease, that's not necessarily based on the actual skills required to perform the task, but rather the mission behind getting that task done, the outcome of that task being completed. For me personally, I find that content creation for my business is something I can create easily and without feeling like it's a drag.
00:20:28
Speaker
because I believe in the mission and vision behind my business. I believe in the values of my business. Whereas in the past, when I have performed tasks in freelance roles that I have had the skills to deliver on and I've struggled physically sitting there for hours on end creating content, because the mission behind it is not necessarily in an alignment with my personal vision and mission, I've really noticed that difference.
00:20:57
Speaker
While it's important to note that sometimes you just have to do the work that pays the bills, which is true, but if you're placing more energy towards that, then doing work that serves your life's purpose and aligns with your values, then it becomes energy sapping, which makes you less effective to fulfill your life's purpose because the focus is shifted merely to surviving. It's important to monitor this.
00:21:25
Speaker
And I have encouraged clients who are building their business on the side of a job that provides them with a regular reliable paycheck to do the work that fuels their passion and aligns with their purpose first. But make sure you set a container to commit to then moving on to the other tasks after that. Doing this often leads to a person being more energized by engaging in their passion. And then they are able to get through the other work more easily and efficiently. Of course, this does require some discipline, which goes back to the balance of masculine and feminine energy. We do need to commit to actually stepping away from the work that we simply lose hours, even days engaging in. But until that work starts to generate revenue that can support us letting go of that regular paycheck work, and we have dependents relying on us
00:22:21
Speaker
It's important to set the boundary to stick to it and find ways to easily, effortlessly and effectively reach our goals in business. Takes into account how we spend our days and live our everyday lives. It's not just about the numbers, the results or reaching milestones. But if all we want is to pay our bills, then we could just do a job. But we've chosen to be in business.
Conclusion: Building a Harmonious Business
00:22:49
Speaker
So I hope that me sharing some of my experiences over the last 25 years helps you reconnect with your inner essence, tune into your intuition and operate in alignment with your values and establish supportive systems and networks that and enables you to thrive in building a sustainable and satisfying business and life, to create a more harmonious life.
00:23:16
Speaker
Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is, and I hope you got value out of listening to this podcast. If you are looking for a coach to support and guide you through your own unique journey of creating a life you love, then reach out for a connection call. And if you'd like to connect with other creative souls in person by joining us at a workshop, a retreat, or to book a unique um shopping experience here at Creators Nest, I run those by appointment. So check out the website for more details. The link is in the show notes.
00:23:47
Speaker
Oh, and please leave a review. I'd love to hear any insights or inspirations that were activated in you from this podcast. And I look forward to drumming, dancing or soaring alongside of you.