Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Here is WHAT you DON'T HEAR about UPS & DOWNS of RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS
8 Plays23 hours ago
As someone who has established and run my own business’ for 25+ years and coached many new & established business owners I have come to see some common hurdles and obstacles that hold people back from thriving in self-employment.
In this episode I share some of my own challenges and insights to support and inspire you to follow your calling and desires.
_____________
COACHING with MARIE-NICOLE
Online Store
YouTube
Register here for ALL ACCESS
Digital Solutions Program - Up to 4hrs of 1:1 Coaching for $45+GST
[Em]Power Dressing Guidebook ...will be help you curate your wardrobe in a way that fosters effortless flow of energy, so you move through your days with confidence, ease & grace, fostering health & well being on so many levels.
e-book AU$11
Monthly Newsletter
Intro & Outro Music: Shaman Dance by slavamusic
We respect and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present, and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions, and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on this land and commit to building a brighter future together.
_____________
By accessing this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents are the property of Marie-Nicole Meunier, or used by Marie-Nicole Meunier with permission, and are protected under AU and international copyright and trademark laws. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including, without limitation, reproduction, retransmission or editing, of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of the Marie-Nicole Meunier, which may be requested by contacting
info@bymarienicole.com
This podcast is for educational purposes only. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, loss, or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the use, application, or interpretation of the information presented herein.
Recommended
![GUIDEBOOK COMING SOON [Em]Power Dressing image](https://media.zencastr.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=112,quality=85/image-files/63b3af77d968276283751c76/9480c29e-a3be-49be-8569-f68d7bce4e6c.png)
Transcript
Introduction to Self-Employment Challenges
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to the Alive by Design podcast. I'm Marie Nicole, for those who don't know me, and for those who have been here before, welcome back. It's nice to have you back here. In today's podcast episode, I want to talk about the ups and downs of self-employment.
00:00:15
Speaker
You know, having the dream of starting your own business is not necessarily everybody's dream, but I'm guessing it might be yours if you're here. And there are definitely ups and downs. And as someone who has been in business for 25 years, actually a little bit longer than that, but let's just round it out, and also coached many people in business through the Digital Solutions Program and through my own coaching program,
00:00:40
Speaker
I have often seen some of the um hurdles and pitfalls that come through regularly, some of the things that hold people back from truly thriving in it.
Navigating Independence in Self-Employment
00:00:49
Speaker
And one of the things is a fear of you know the potential downside.
00:00:53
Speaker
So let's go through the ups and downs. First of all, no one is telling you what you have to do and how you have to do it. That is definitely an upside. But the downside is no one is telling you what you have to do and how you have to do it.
00:01:08
Speaker
You really do have to work it out for yourself. You need to seek guidance from those who have successfully traversed the unknown road before you. Now, there's no guidebook on how to create your own career path successfully.
00:01:21
Speaker
But it is possible.
00:01:28
Speaker
So let's look at another upside. You have full autonomy. You get to choose how you spend your days, where you place your focus. That's a real upside.
00:01:38
Speaker
But the downside is there's no one else to blame. Sure, you can blame the economy, spending being down, limitations and obstacles in your path, which there will be, and there always are.
00:01:50
Speaker
But there is so much merit to the saying that says, where focus goes, energy flows.
Mindset Shifts and Success Stories
00:01:55
Speaker
In the end, what you choose to focus on will lead to the results and outcomes that you experience.
00:02:02
Speaker
I've got a really good example of this from my coaching in the Digital Solutions program. For a little while there, I focused on the fact that people were not showing up because they didn't really value the coaching service they were receiving. Only paying $45 plus GST for up to four hours of coaching meant it was easy for people to just go, I didn't spend much, so I just don't show up.
00:02:25
Speaker
And I actually had people saying that to me. It didn't cost me much, and I've decided not to continue. So then I started to see a lot of that, and I actually started to experience a lot of that, because I was focusing on the fact, okay, maybe it doesn't, truly represent monetary wise the value that we provide as coaches to these clients at such a low cost.
00:02:49
Speaker
And so I started having more and more experiences of people not showing up to their sessions. Now the challenge is for us coaches, we don't get paid if they don't turn up. We're contractors.
00:02:59
Speaker
We are actually just paid for the hour or half hour that people show up. So by focusing on this, I actually started to bring that reality into my field. And then I decided, you know what, I coach people through overcoming limitations and seeing opportunities.
00:03:15
Speaker
And here I was in this program focusing on all the people that weren't showing up. And so I decided to turn that around and I started to look at those who did show up, completed their four hours and were actually thriving because of the support that I provided them through the program.
00:03:33
Speaker
And when I started to focus on those people and those results, people started showing up more frequently to their sessions. And I started seeing the results of the value I was providing and they were receiving.
00:03:46
Speaker
Less people recently have not shown up. If anything, people have shown up and said, I'm not prepared for this session. And I've said, that's fine. I actually started messaging people beforehand.
00:03:57
Speaker
saying, even if you don't feel prepared, show up anyway. This is not accountability in terms of checking off the boxes and checking your homework. This is about supporting you through the journey of creating the life that you desire.
00:04:13
Speaker
And showing up for your content creation is a part of that, right? So The Digital Solutions Program is here to support you in realising your dreams, not to tell you what you're not doing that you should be doing.
00:04:25
Speaker
And the people that have shown up unprepared have always said they had so much value out of that session and they were glad they turned up even though they didn't feel prepared for it.
00:04:35
Speaker
So that's a lesson I wanted to just share with you of my own. But I also want to share with you three examples of businesses that have thrived in times of adversity. Because it can be easy to say, I've got so much going on or the economy is not in a great place or at the moment with the voting, the way that it is, people are fearful.
00:04:54
Speaker
We can look at those things or we can look at what we can do personally in our businesses to continue to thrive. So these three examples I want to share with you are during the Great Depression.
00:05:05
Speaker
An example from the 1930s of a business that thrived, Procter & Gamble, which emerged stronger than ever throughout that time period. And the reasons that they emerged stronger than ever, their key strategies were commitment to advertising. Instead of cutting back, they increased their advertising efforts.
00:05:25
Speaker
They kept their products in the public eye. Their focus on radio advertising, particularly through soap operas helped them maintain brand loyalty. Their product innovation continued to innovate and in their product lines introducing new items that met the needs of the consumer during in this tough economic time.
00:05:48
Speaker
They also built consumer trust by maintaining high standards for their products. They nurtured their consumer trust which was crucial when disposable income was limited.
00:05:59
Speaker
Another example of a time period where a business has thrived, where we've had some global challenge, is through the global financial crisis. When Netflix actually grew in 2008, that was a really challenging time for businesses.
00:06:15
Speaker
And yet, Netflix managed to thrive and even set the stage for future success. Shifting to streaming, Netflix capitalized on the growing demand for affordable entertainment,
00:06:28
Speaker
by shifting its focus from DVD rentals to streaming services. This move positioned them as a leader in the digital entertainment industry. Their flexible business model, their subscription model provided consistent revenue stream and was particularly appealing to consumers looking for low-cost, effective entertainment options during the crisis.
00:06:50
Speaker
Now their investment in content, by investing in original content, Netflix attracted a broader audience and distinguished itself from the competitors, ensuring long-term growth.
00:07:02
Speaker
And a third example is our most recent COVID-19 pandemic. Zoom was a business that thrived throughout this time, this period of unprecedented challenges. Yet Zoom and it's video communications experienced a surge in demand. Remote working communication became a necessary part for businesses, schools and all sorts of remote operations.
00:07:27
Speaker
So Zoom became an essential tool and experience that exponential growth in users during that time. Now, scalability and reliability was the other aspect that Zoom focused on.
00:07:38
Speaker
They were quick to scale their infrastructure to handle the increased demand without compromising service quality and keys to its success. And its user-friendly interface, the platform's ease of use, accessibility it made it a go-to solution for users of all technological skill levels, which further boosted its popularity.
Adapting Business Models in Crisis
00:08:00
Speaker
Now these examples demonstrate that with strategic adaptation, innovation and focus, businesses can not only endure but excel during periods of economic hardship.
00:08:13
Speaker
Now you might be thinking these are big businesses. Despite that, you can also look at what you can do as a small business to continue to grow, to continue to evolve even in challenging times. You might not desire to grow a multi-million or billion dollar operation, but that does not mean that you can't grow your business. That serves your ideal customer or client's needs during challenging times.
00:08:39
Speaker
Now during COVID, I was unable to open my retail store doors as the business fell under the category of non-essential. So I increased my online activity and offered free delivery to a certain radius around the region.
00:08:54
Speaker
And I received an order from a customer for a handcrafted kangaroo leather bag, which was $700 during that time period where I wasn't allowed to open my retail doors. I still was able to receive large orders. Now, that was not the only one.
00:09:08
Speaker
I was also over the road at a cafe wearing my kangaroo fur vest, and I was asked by a lady where I got it. When I shared that I made it in the space upstairs over the road, she came over a week later and ordered one.
00:09:21
Speaker
Those vests start at $850, depending on the size and the size of the skin required to make them. These are just two examples of what I made and sold during an extremely challenging time,
00:09:34
Speaker
in retail. I could have just said this is all too hard. As a so-called non-essential business, these limitations are just too great. So I should just give up. Instead, I tried and tested other ways to communicate what I had to offer to opt to my ideal customer.
00:09:52
Speaker
I also offered free coaching to hone my skills in that area of my business and added more tools to my belt for the future. Working with coaches myself over many years of business has been so valuable, which is why I wanted to support others in this way myself.
00:10:10
Speaker
So let's look at another upside of being self-employed. You get to choose to sit outside, soaking up the sun's rays, fostering the conditions that open you up to receiving insights and inspirations, where to focus your energy next and what to try, what to tweak and what to release.
00:10:27
Speaker
The downside, spending too much time doing what just feels good without taking aligned action towards your goal will mean you won't reap the rewards available to you.
00:10:39
Speaker
So that balance of feminine and masculine energy, you will need to be able to be disciplined and ensure that you balance the time for receiving. and the time for action.
00:10:51
Speaker
Learning the art of setting yourself containers for both doing and being, which is not something that comes naturally to most people, and it's not something we have been trained to do through the school system.
00:11:02
Speaker
We have been trained to follow instructions, not self-direct. Now, if you would like support in managing your time, reducing the overwhelm on how to start this process of more effectively being self-directed, tuning into and learning to trust your intuition to determine what's important to focus on and what's not, when to focus on what and what to do, then this is where I can help you with my embodiment coaching service.
00:11:30
Speaker
In this service, you will learn to become self-aware self-empowered and embody who you are here to be and how you are here to serve the collective. If you already have a business and need support in establishing your content creation process and you are in New South Wales or the ACT Australia, then a great entry point to working with me as a coach is the government-funded option of the Digital Solutions Program. You'll find links for both of these in the show notes.
00:11:57
Speaker
But I want to remind you that investing in yourself is what will serve you in establishing habits, practices, systems, processes, at a foundational level to create the life you desire by design.
00:12:12
Speaker
Now another upside of being self-employed is that you get to focus on what is important to you, not what someone else believes is important to focus on. You can have a mission of service behind your work and still focus on building a profitable business.
00:12:28
Speaker
You do not need to sacrifice your needs in order to fu fulfill your mission. Now the downside, you need to create conditions that foster your success and be prepared to lay down those foundations.
00:12:42
Speaker
It does take time and devotion. I'm not saying working for yourself is a walk in the park. It's not about doing one thing and having your business suddenly take off. You will need to continually put in the work, learn new skills, try new things, reflect on it and assess what is working and what is not.
00:13:00
Speaker
The rewards though are far greater than pushing through, doing something just to get by, which does not align with your mission or vision in life, which you know you are here to live.
00:13:13
Speaker
So have you been holding back? from stepping into your power because you don't truly think you are able to make it work for you? What is your mission and vision for your life?
00:13:24
Speaker
Have a think about that for a moment. Is it really just to get by, to just survive? Or is it to truly thrive and to support others or serve others or just do things that contribute back to the collective in a way that aligns with your unique skill set?
00:13:42
Speaker
What would you do differently if you were able to realise that dream? Do you fear that doing this would actually change you? That you would be seen as self-serving
Balancing Passion and Business Growth
00:13:52
Speaker
by those in your inner circle or just those you come into contact with in general?
00:13:57
Speaker
You know, as a photographer, which was my first business 25 years ago, I would often get asked by family if I had worked that day. If I was not physically photographing, they did not actually see me as working.
00:14:12
Speaker
They didn't see the background administration, promotion and production work that went into delivering the goods or even acquiring the work in the first place.
00:14:22
Speaker
For them, it was actually me holding a camera in her front of my face that was working. So if I didn't have a photo shoot that day, then I wasn't working. That was really hard to take.
00:14:32
Speaker
I worked really long hours in that business and I had a young child in tow. Like I had a baby after I started that business and continued on. So for me to be seen as not working, that was really hard.
00:14:46
Speaker
Now, I also had a similar experience to this when I had my artisanal business and I opened up a commercial space and I had this beautiful heritage building that I operated out of and it was 125 square metres It was a massive hall with a big veranda and a back room that I ran workshops out of and had other people run workshops out of and a kitchenette. There was a lot of maintenance in just keeping that commercial space up.
00:15:12
Speaker
It really was like having an apartment in town. And then on top of that, I had a family and a small acreage and animals that we tended to when I wasn't working in town. And I actually had people who would walk into that shop when it was open for the retail hours and they would say wish I had a space to create like this but I have a job.
00:15:33
Speaker
I used to get that a lot and I actually found that really hard because they had no idea what went into creating the space that they were enjoying.
00:15:45
Speaker
Not only that I sold on behalf of nearly 20 other people. In each week, I would do the sales reports and allocate funds aside to then, once a month, distribute all of those funds and pay everyone and let them know what's sold over the course of that month.
00:16:00
Speaker
On top of that, I was making my own goods in there, sourcing my own materials, designing new products, hosting workshops, hostic running workshops, and hosting events on top of that.
00:16:12
Speaker
So the maintenance of the space itself was massive. And so for people to come in and constantly say, I would love to have a space like this to create in, but I have a job. I mean, that was really hard to take.
00:16:24
Speaker
So people aren't going to get it. They're not going to see that what you do because you're passionate about is actually a job, but that's okay. They don't get it because they don't get the mission behind your work.
00:16:38
Speaker
And you know the thing that has kept me going, even with all of those little messages of what you're doing is not essential, Is the client feedback that I receive, the customer feedback, the value that I provide the person that I'm here to serve, when they come back and say, that product you made has actually created so much magic in my everyday living experience and it's just one little product.
00:17:06
Speaker
That seemingly one little product has made a difference in a person's life. That feels good to me. On top of that, I create products using ethically and sustainably sourced materials. So the flow and effect in my environment and our global environment has little impact.
Inspiring Pursuit of Dreams
00:17:22
Speaker
So I'm doing this with a mission behind it. It's not just to make stuff to sell. And then working with coaching clients to receive that feedback that what I have shared in a session or what I've encouraged people to do or insights I've given them has actually encouraged them to keep going and growing and thriving, doing what they feel passionate about rather than just doing what they can to get by.
00:17:49
Speaker
These are the things that make me continue because that's what I'm here to do. That's how I'm here to serve. So rather than focusing on those little messages that people deliver saying, have you worked today or wish I could do this, but I have a job.
00:18:03
Speaker
Don't let that stop you from living your life by design. On top of that, if you have that fear that doing what you love will mean that it will change you as a person, as you start to make money, I want you to consider that money in your hands could actually make the world a better place for someone else.
00:18:21
Speaker
Focusing on creating a financially sustainable and thriving business is not selfish and it doesn't only serve you. The flow-on effect serves others too. When heart-centered business owners thrive and they have the means to support others in thriving too, I personally invest my earnings into the work of others I believe in.
00:18:42
Speaker
and I desire to support and see thrive, so building a profitable business flows out into the lives of those around me. So leave a comment and let me know what has held you back and what you think would help you step into your courage.
00:18:59
Speaker
Now like to also gently remind you to consider that the ideas that keep surfacing in your thoughts around that offering, that business, that product, that idea that keeps knocking on your door,
00:19:12
Speaker
You keep receiving that because you are here to bring that into reality. You may just need some support in peeling back the layers of conditioning that have held you back from doing so.
00:19:24
Speaker
It's not too late to start. You are never too old. And all that you have learned from your journey in life so far is going to reveal itself as lessons.
00:19:34
Speaker
that have provided you with the powerful insights that will become a part of the service that you provide to others through whatever it is you create. So go and step into your power. Live your life by design.
00:19:48
Speaker
And if you need support outside of your inner circle, then continue to watch these videos. Subscribe to this channel because I'm here to support you in thriving too.
00:19:59
Speaker
Thank you so much for staying all the way to the end of this episode. I hope it provided you with the insights and inspiration that you need right now on your quest of fostering thriving. If you are looking for a coach to support and guide you through your own unique journey of creating a life by design, reach out for a connection call. You'll find a link in the show notes.
00:20:19
Speaker
Also, please do pass this on to someone you think could get value out of it. And I'd really appreciate if you left a review for this podcast or comment on YouTube.
00:20:30
Speaker
I'd love to hear any insights or inspirations it activated in you. And I look forward to soaring alongside of you too.