Hey, hey, Bold leaders. Welcome to The Bold Money Revolution Podcast. I’m your host, Tara Newman. And I’m here today with Erin O’Malley.
The reason why I have Erin O’Malley on the podcast today is that we have opened up enrollment for the Bold Money Mastermind, which begins in January 2022, and we are sharing some case studies and some stories of women who are in the group and what their journey has looked like. So you can, one, decide if this is something that you want to apply for, but really, I like highlighting women’s journeys through small business ownership because I think it’s important to have real conversations.
I think it’s important to really highlight ups and downs and really normalize women growing a business, normalize women’s selling normalize women on a path to wealth, normalizing women asking for support all of those things. So even if you are not prepared to join us right now, I really hope that you enjoy Erin’s story, and I hope that you get something out of it. Welcome, Erin.
Erin O’Malley: Hey, Tara, always awesome to be with you.
Tara: Okay, so this is actually Erin’s second podcast episode that she’s done with me, the first came out last year around this time. And it was actually really good because you talked about picking a business coach and some of the things that you had thought through before working with me, and I’ll say that Erin started working with me, she joined the Bold Profit Academy. She started working with me for probably six months before she joined. Well, she’s probably in the Bold Profit Academy for one or two months. Then she started working with me one on one and then it was probably six months from there that she joined the mastermind so I wanted to kind of timeline this for you. And I actually think that’s an important part of Erin’s journey, which we will talk about. But first, give us some background, what do you do? You’re awesome, tell people.
Erin: I’m awesome. I speak and I train and I facilitate about the power of human connection which is kind of my big broad picture but really what I’m doing is helping teams communicate helping people speak candidly helping people give each other feedback having the conversations that so often we talk to the other person about instead of the actual person so I again do this through training now with the world we’re in it’s a lot of virtual but also in person and then I keynote as well so the keynotes are the big picture talking about my framework about how to bring curiosity caring through people through empathy and then controlling how we show up so that’s the big umbrella of the keynotes. And then we get into the nitty-gritty the how-to and the training facilitation.
Tara: Hey, so Erin is selling to I’d say probably midsize businesses she selling to businesses who are progressive in how they are developing their emerging leaders.
Erin: Yes, a lot of the companies I work with tend to be companies that value culture like they get it and they have they already either they have a vision and they’re working towards their vision companies that say, “Hey, we know we want to go somewhere else and we’re willing to do it.” I would say my sweet spot is smaller companies that are more agile more willing when it gets to be too big, it’s harder to turn that ship.
Tara: How much like revenues? What’s the revenue size? What’s the employee size for these companies?
Erin: It’s between 80 to 100 people, that’s the employee size. I think the revenue depends because I work with a bunch of different industries. Well, I don’t know if I could put a number on that. And I, of course, you know me with my numbers, sometimes I just don’t have them on hand. I like to keep them secret from everyone including me. So I don’t know if I actually have the answer to that question, which is probably something I’ll put on my list of things to figure out. Well, I think the beautiful thing is too is that I have gotten a lot of referral business. And I think that’s something that my work with you and the group has helped me get to sell with the referrals. So that’s well, I’m sure we may or may not get there. But I think that’s another reason that the work on… I haven’t been lucky to get referrals. I’ve worked hard people, once they see me, get me and then I keep continuing to work with these companies.
Tara: Right, so Erin’s business model is that she generates leads through a few different sources. One is she speaks, and she often gets hired based on the talk that she’s given. And she’s using that to generate leads and to make sales. She also continues to sell to existing customers and clients, she gets referred through her relationship building and her networking. And so those are some of her primary sources and how she is generating sales which, and she is selling into the B2B space, business to business. She’s selling into larger businesses, and she’s selling into companies that value development, they’re people who are looking to create a coaching culture. And so this is all very exciting to me, these are companies that I also personally like to work with, in my work that seems employee size.
I think that people when they hear B2B, or when they hear like corporate, they make an assumption that it’s stuffy or that it’s very big, or very hard to, to make contacts within these companies and it’s actually not. So thank you for sharing your background. I would love to put us into the Wayback Machine. And talk about where you were prior to joining the mastermind. I’d love to paint a really clear picture. But I think in order to do that, we have to back it up a bit. So you have been following me for a while. I believe you’d been listening to the podcast.
Erin: Yes. For about six months before I joined the Bold Profit Academy.
Tara: Great. I’m sharing this for a very specific reason. And she had been following me on Instagram. And Erin was bold enough because that’s Erin. Erin is quite bold. We love her for it. And she’s where she’d reached out. And she’d been like, “Hey, I found you. I heard you, this resonated.” Sometimes I go back and I look at old Erin messages because we were in communication before we started working together. And I think that’s worth noting. And that was pre-COVID.
Erin: No, actually it was right after COVID hit. Because I had been listening, if I remember right, but who knows about last year, right? Because I think I had been listening or I’ve been following and then once COVID hit and you started sending your emails because I was on your email list, obviously. There was one or two specific that I’m like, “Oh my gosh, she’s speaking to me exactly.” And so I think and that’s when I was kind of…
So last year for reference, obviously all speaking everything. I mean, my work is was via airplane, it all stopped. And so I was at this point of, “Alright, where am I going? How do I get this going? What do I do?” And then I think where I was with that and was with you and what you were talking about, it just resonated so hard. And I think this is an important piece that I said, “Okay, I’m going to start with the Bold Profit Academy because I wanted the connection.” I was just home alone going mildly stir crazy. And so it started with the connection. And then that’s when we started talking. And that’s when I said, “Okay, I needed this one-on-one help.” Because I felt like I was floundering.
I always had a good sense that yeah, I’m confident my ability to speak and to train but it was the business sense that I realized I was confused with and I didn’t know what I was doing, or I didn’t think I knew I was doing and that’s I think why your sense about how to run a business and to cut all the bullshit out and cut all the noise out. I was overwhelmed by the noise. And you were like an icebreaker, like not the cheesy icebreaker activity, but the actual ship right to like cut through all of that stuff. And I think that’s what I resonated with and why I wanted to work with you.
Tara: Right. This is an important point because I think you speak to a lot of people who open a social media app, and they know that there is potential here. They know there’s a way to leverage technology, maybe not social media, maybe social media, but leverage the Internet, to meet new people, to expand their reach, to leverage their time better in their businesses, but then they start to feel like a square peg in a round hole. How did you feel watching the way other people were teaching how to do business in the online space?
Erin: I think, for me, it just seemed like there were so many things to do, there were just a lot of different things between and so I was getting the information from speaking organizations. It was the internet, but it was also just a lot of different groups. So there were a lot of different ways to do things and focus on your sales funnel, and what’s your lead magnet? And it was all of the things kind of the surface things, but not the actual, like, how do I sell? Like, how do I get more business?
In some ways, and I think it was interesting for me since I’m not an online business. But you get looped in. Like, you start liking people, and you follow people, and then all of a sudden, it’s like, “Wait, oh, no, I have to do this. And now I have to take this course.” And it wasn’t even the course it was more just for me, I wasn’t most people that sign up for a lot of stuff. It was more just adding 17,000 things to my to-do list.
Tara: Right. So you are consuming, consuming, consuming. And when you came to me, you’re like, “What do I need to do on social media? And how much content do I need to create?” Like, what kind of content? And what social media platform? And we had to zoom you so far out. Because you were so stuck on the way you make sales is by creating reams of content and put posting it all over social media.
Erin: Yeah. And I think for me, too, it was more just the whole messaging of like, “What problem am I solving, speaking to the problem and speaking to the problem.” Sometimes I just want to share information, and I think I spent a lot of time with the different messaging around solving their problem, which, of course, is important. But I think there’s also a piece to have more like standing into my expertise and my thought leadership, and I think that’s a big thing that you helped me realize, too. It’s not the amount of things and there’s just something there about, like, not even the amount and where but what it is that you’re sharing too.
Tara: And that you don’t have to get it right. all at one time, that it evolves.
Erin: Yeah. And I think it was funny because I remember when our calls are this last year, that I was working on writing, and I’m a fine writer, but then all of a sudden you’re like make videos right? Like you’re a speaker and for me, it’s much easier to turn on the camera and to just talk than it is to write emails and I think that was another big piece too. And that’s a small piece of it, but it’s part of the message that hit me like Erin do what works for you because that’s what’s gonna work for them.
Tara: Right, so when you landed at my doorstep, it was a lot about I’m an expert. But how do I build a business around my expertise? Like what are the steps that I need to take? Help me rein in all my thoughts, and helped me make sense of them. And can we do it in a way, so I remember you were… I think this was you I’m almost positive and now I’m gonna be really embarrassed if it wasn’t, but you asked me, and yes it was because going back to the podcast that she did with me before you asked me really good questions. And you asked me what my expectation was of you. Do you remember what my response was?
Erin: Like to come shoulder to shoulder that we both bring the same thing,
Tara: Right. We’re gonna partner in our expertise that I’m not better than you, you know your stuff. I know my stuff we happen to know different stuffs. And when we put that together in an empowered way standing together not in a codependent way, that we create something we’re gonna co-create something really great.
Erin: Yeah. And it was interesting our last call we had just a few weeks ago. I think it’s interesting, you go in waves and you go in cycles and I think of course we’re still going to get distracted but I should turn the tables right now and ask you because I showed up to that call. Like I think I got a little bit waylaid with different things. And I’m like, “Erin get back to showing up as a businesswoman ready to take charge and to like build off the momentum I’ve been building this year” and I felt like that last call. I showed up differently than I had in a little bit like more, “Let’s take care of business, like let’s cut through the bullshit and let’s kind of a reassessment.”
I’ve had an interesting year and I’m like, “Okay, I want you to help me pull all the pieces together kind of do an assessment of where we are, and what’s next.” And I called myself up back to that energy because I feel like, I was getting a little bit distracted. And I remembered that because there’s so much expertise that you have that that’s what I want. Like, that’s what I want from you. How do I run a business? How do I open up my bank? Or literally, I was like, how do I spend my money? So that’s the expertise. And it’s an interesting byproduct, or I guess, a product of me showing you inadvertently or certainly you calling me up to show up in that way.
Tara: Okay, Erin, you mentioned having an interesting year. So let’s chat about that a little bit. Because it can be summed up? How do you sum it up? How did we sum it up where it was like, you increase your revenue by like, 200%+? You hugged an Amish guy, and you didn’t have to shake your ass on Reels.
Erin: Yeah, that was exactly it. That was like two of my favorite moments when I had just gotten through. Remember, I just delivered a big workshop. And I’ve been doing all the things and I got on the call with you. And I was like, “I’ll do all this stuff.” And you were like, “Can you calm down for one second?” And then you made me look at my numbers. And that’s when you were like, “Your revenues increased by 245%.” And all I can do is laugh, I didn’t even know what to do. But besides laugh, because I’m like, “I need to do more.” And you’re like, “Calm down and realize what you’ve already done.” And then, I had a big boy, I had two keynotes with his lovely group of people up in up in Ohio.
It’s a hardware company and runs a lot of Amish. It’s an Amish country. So I was warned that it was gonna be a quiet audience. But I got a few laughs from the Amish, which was awesome. And then afterward, one of my friends came up and gave me a hug, which, if you know anything about the Amish culture, if you don’t, that’s basically like a parade and backflips. So it was really cool. And then I did a keynote for one of the biggest audiences I’ve ever done. And so it’s just been a lot of, I don’t know, it’s been a lot of doing the work of like developing the content and preparing and really getting on stage and like doing that stuff. It’s been cool. It’s been great to be out doing it again, and then having the money to show for it, too.
Tara: But it’s funny because I remember where you’re like, “Tara, I have to go and talk to the Amish.” And you’re like, I show up in sleeveless shirts. And Erin’s from New Jersey, I’m from New York. So like same-same, right? And we can be big and loud. And so it just was really funny when you said that. And then you were like, “I got a hug from the Amish guy.” That was awesome. I do want to say that about Erin’s results about increasing her… That was really funny, too. I was like, “Can you just go look at your numbers?” And like, “Can we just get a handle on what we’re dealing with here?” Before we make any kind of assumptions, I will say that Erin has really a really good skill set in the area that she’s looking to work. And we’re leveraging that in her strategy. So for example, she’s really good at connecting and building relationships. It’s what she teaches, right? And so she’s willing to go out and do the things that a lot of people are unwilling to do. And even with that skill set, though, we’ve had to really like increase your capacity for doing things that are outside your comfort zone.
Erin: Yes, there’s so much work to do there. But of course. I think one of the biggest things for me was it’s twofold when we worked on my business development processes, like when we like and because this is I’ve got all my post-it notes and everything everywhere. And what I’m really seeing one of the biggest for me is now I have one piece of paper front to back that’s on my bulletin board. It’s my business development questions, and I just grab it and I use it and I get the information that I need you like so building that system. And I think the other big thing for me too when it came to sales was realizing, I teach listening and empathy and asking questions. And that’s I’m like, “Oh, that’s what sales are.” Right? And so you just demystified a lot of the things and I think I enjoy it now because I know what I’m asking. I know what I need to ask to get the information I need. And then to be able to be like, “Yeah, I can help you.” Or no it’s not my thing you know?
Tara: Yeah, so I think you touched on a couple of items there. One, we’re leveraging your strengths and your personality, and we’re actually bringing you more, we’re giving you permission to be that person in your work. You bring your values into your work and the more we bring your values into your work and the more we give you permission to be who you are and to leverage your strengths the more ease you’re having in making the money that you’re making, and the more fun and enjoyable it’s become, which is not easy. It sounds simple but that is not easy, right? And that has taken you I don’t want to BS anybody, that’s taking you over a year.
Erin: And to shed all the layers and to come back to… It’s coming back to who I knew it was but it’s also believing it and I think that’s when if you have this idea and when I want to be started working with you like I believe in all these things, but now I’m like, “I believe it” Now I like capital BELIEVE because before it was like, “Yeah I’m great.” now I’m like, “Oh no really like it’s coming together.” But there’s a lot of different layers to it.
Tara: Right. So like I was gonna ask you what are some of your breakthrough moments and just you’re reminding me, you’ve grown so much I’m like, “Who were you when I met you first?” I’m remembering now that you did have this little bit around like we all do. We all do. I’m actually struggling with this too. And I’m struggling with this a little bit right now around this toxic positivity. That you have to fake this belief and that you have to like really grin and bear it and put on the happy face and I’m like, “No, Erin, like we need to talk about what’s not working we need to talk about the things that you don’t like we need to talk about the things that feel hard.”
Erin: Yes. And I think one of the other big things is to I actually in my journaling this morning, I wrote my current I hate list, which is not positive at all right? But it’s like the thing that, normally it’s just I’m frustrated list, but I was tired this morning. So it was a little bit angrier. I think it’s one of those things like this is what’s frustrating me now, this is what I can’t stand anymore. And that fueling from that energy. And I know what you’ve shared this with me and I’m like, “Yeah, because sometimes things do suck, but what are you going to do about it?” And I think that’s acknowledging it instead of being like everything’s rosy and awesome. But I think there’s also that it’s acknowledging and then alright, like I just said, what are you gonna do about it? And I think that’s what you’ve helped me because last year, oh my god, I don’t even know what I said in a podcast last year because it was so just challenging but now I still think there’s a lot of things that I need to hone in on but at least I’m like, “Okay, at least I got the puzzle pieces, to know what I have to do what I have to work on.”
Tara: Yeah, and I think I also want to drive home the part about systems and your willingness to implement those systems as someone who we had to teach you how to work again.
Erin: Seriously I was like, “I don’t know what to do.” And you’re like, “Write down three things and do three things a day.” Which shout, I can’t, when I get confused, “I’m like Erin, three things, do your three things.” And as basic as that sounds, that was a life-changer for me, right? I didn’t know how to work and how to prioritize.
Tara: But I mean, we can laugh about it, because it sounds funny, and because you and I have a good sense of humor. And I think, we deal with our trauma through humor. But that’s really like women are often having to relearn how to work in a way that’s not patriarchal, that doesn’t prioritize overwork, that doesn’t value, traditional productivity because I get tripped up here. Because I think it’s important that we make good use of our time, I think it’s important that we prioritize, I think it’s important that we utilize everything that we have. So we can spend less time working, and more time doing enjoying the fruits of our labor. So I think productivity gets a bad rap, but I get it. So, really kind of navigating some of those traditional, the conditioning that we have around what it means to be productive and verses like what it actually means to be productive and, and really retraining you to work not as a high achiever, but as a high performer.
Erin: Yeah. And I have to say, too, I think one of the big things like as I was reflecting this year is the whole, I manage my energy first now. And when you start to realize how much better it is when you do that, I feel like I can never go back, right? I can’t go back to not getting myself. I guess that’s what it is right? That the more eliminating all the nonsense having you helped me focus in on what actually needs to get done, and doing those things and realizing that I’ve had some good sales, I’ve had some referrals. And it’s not doing more, it’s doing what’s already working, which again, sounds I feel you’re like “Yeah, right, of course.” But it’s actually working, and now I look at my to-do list from the beginning of the year. I’m like, “Why would I do some of those things?” Because they’re just, it’s almost busy work, and then when you realize you only have so much time to get the stuff done, it’s doing the stuff that actually matters.
Tara: So how do you feel, you and your business have improved or benefited from being in the mastermind, but I think I actually want to first talk about the different components of the mastermind because this is not a mastermind that’s run like, I think a lot of traditional masterminds so it’s a small group 10 to 12 people. It’s not just about peer support, and networking, like some masterminds are it’s very important for me that everyone in the mastermind has a tangible asset that they are taking away that they are building their skills and competencies in a tangible way. And that it’s not just we’re gonna sit around and like my grandmother would say kibitz that would be that the Yiddish word for that, kibitz, we’re not kibitzing, right? So there are different components in the mastermind so how do you feel that you and your business have improved and benefited from the mastermind.
Erin: I think one piece and this is one of the reasons I joined it and this actually happened we had an online retreat this year and I think it was one of the highlight moments was when everyone did an update or shared and I remember the first day it was one of those I didn’t want to go because sometimes they don’t want to talk and then someone else in the mastermind was like texting me she’s like, “You have to share, share, share, share.” So I share and I’m glad that I did but because the reason why I was pausing on sharing and was everyone seemed to be quote-unquote more ahead or it was the total comparison game and I’m aware enough now to know that I was doing it and I do remember then it was two days and then I went to bed that or I got off the call at night and I was a little bit in my head and then the next morning, I turned it around because I’m like, “You know what, Erin, they’re in different places in your business. Don’t be the smartest person in the room.” These other people are further beyond where I am. This is good. And I learned so much from their shares and then on day two, I went first because I am celebrating the fact that before I would be on my head and comparing and now I’m just like, “This is where I can go” and one of the women in the group said you know, she’s like, “Listening to you is where I was a year or two ago.” I’m in this growth phase of business. Not everything’s gonna is figured out.
So I think that was one of the big things, learning and seeing. And it was also somewhat of a relief because her business is doing great that I’m like, “Cool in three years, and I’ll be there too.” So it was cool to be inspired by the other women. And I think for me, too, the hot seat group has been good. And that I think our group, there’s another, verbal processor. So I get to verbally process but also come with kind of what’s on my mind and get the feedback. And those I think, have really kept me on track. Because I can get in my head, I think that’s the biggest thing for me, I get in my head, I get distracted, and I can get down on myself. And it was a lot of utair. Being like, “Okay, Erin cool. And now let’s focus and focus on what you’ve done. And where are you going next?” So I think those I mean, that’s what’s standing out to me right now.
Tara: Yeah, I think it’s really important for women to be in a group setting, like that, and hear what other people have to go on. Because I know sometimes, and we’re changing this up next year because a lot of the women are, have said, like, “Well, sometimes I don’t have something for the hot seat. But like listening to somebody else’s hot seat really gives me a tremendous amount of ideas.” So, we’re going to be really playing on that next year where you don’t necessarily have to have a hot seat, but we’re going to be able to elevate the conversation so that it’s relevant. It’s always relevant to everybody who’s there, and everybody is getting a takeaway.
The other thing you mentioned is really interesting around comparison because I think this is always really good for me when I’m masterminding with my peers is when I get into a place of comparison, or when I get super confronted by something that somebody else has done or said, it’s like a goodie trail for me. It’s like, “Alright, why is this here? What do I need to learn?” It’s somebody who is safe for me because we’re in a group together and we know each other somewhat, and I’ve often even reached out, and then it’s been like, “Okay, what you have going on is like so confronting for me. Can we like hop on a call and grab some coffee? And can I just tell you about how you’re triggering the hell out of me?” I need to have that conversation, to move through it, and to have that conversation in a really productive and supportive way. And some of my biggest breakthroughs have come from being in comparison to somebody else. I have women who I’m still connected to, even though we might be in different masterminds now, that that’s still confronting for me. I’ll be like, “Hey, you’re doing it again. Can we talk about this?”
Erin: Right. Yeah. But I think it’s because there’s something there, right? There’s something that’s saying, “Right, what am I doing it? Or why am I not doing it?” I think for me a lot, I always go to like, “Well, yeah”, I think it used to be more if they can do, I can do it. But in the mastermind. And I think the other thing that’s interesting in the group is that this year, there weren’t a lot of B2B people, it tends to be more B2C people. And so it’s not exactly comparing myself with other speakers or other people. So and that’s what was also understanding like, “Okay, look at where they are in their businesses, look at what they’re doing. Is it relevant for me? Is it triggering me because I’m not doing it? Or is it because I think I need to do it, and I don’t have to do it.” So there’s just there’s a whole lot more awareness. I feel like when it came to hearing the other woman’s stories and checking in on what it was really about.
Tara: Yeah, we have a variety of business owners because I have a really strong belief and desire not to work with a specific segment of the market. Because I personally learn more from people not in my industry, than I do from people in my industry. So, I’m really big into using email as a primary sales tool. And I tend to not learn from people who are in a service-based business arena, I like to go learn from the econ people, and like, how are they using email in E-com? And what can I learn from that? It gives me more ideas.
Erin: Totally, totally. Yeah. And I think that’s what’s cool about it, and they also have a different perspective for my stuff. I mean, I use my husband as an example. He’s a golf course superintendent, he actively only likes to deal with plants and not human beings. And I’m on the other end of the spectrum. When I need a perspective, I asked him because he has no idea. He doesn’t know what I’m doing. So if I need some clarification, he’ll be like, “Yeah, that makes sense or doesn’t make sense.” So sort of the same thing with the women. They have a different perspective. So I can know what I’m trying to do if it’s actually connecting or not.
Tara: Yeah, so another way to talk about this just for everybody who might be listening right now, it’s like Tara wants to have a teaching moment. So the way I think about my best fit client, and the way I teach best-fit clients is not about demographics. It’s not about being a life coach, or a corporate trainer, or a real estate person, I look at my best-fit clients from a perspective of psychographics. I look at my best-fit clients situationally, but not demographically. And so that’s why these groups wind up getting can be a little more diverse. Which, again, is something that I really enjoy.
So alright, you’ve had a couple of these breakthrough moments, you have learned how to work again, you have built systems, you have learned how to navigate when you’re feeling in comparison to you’ve learned how to learn, how to take what somebody else is saying and decide whether or not that’s relevant to you, and whether or not you want to take that implemented or not. Your most recent breakthrough that we touched on, but we didn’t actually talk about at any level of depth was around how to navigate your emotions in your business, so you can do the things that the business needs.
Erin: Yeah. And I think it’s really, I’ve been contemplating this as of late, it’s easy to slip into letting the emotions overtake you. Because things are hard in general, right? Because the world whatever, and you talk about this too. It’s just owning a business is hard. Even if it’s good. It’s hard work. And I think, for me, I’ve had in the past, I’ve slipped off the rails more, or I’ve let those things overwhelm me. And now I’m realizing and I said this, I think I already said this already. Well, I’ll say it again, it’s the acknowledgment, and then alright, what can we do to move forward? Because then even the comparison stuff, some comparisons, good, but when I find myself getting really angry, or whatever, or like when I find myself and catty comparison, that’s when I’m like, “Erin, you’re out of alignment, get over yourself, because you’re like, pissed off that she’s wearing those sneakers, or on stage or something.” And I’m like, “Whatever, sister”, but I think, for the most part, it’s saying, “Alright, acknowledge, move on.”
And I think where I’m at now, now that business is picking up again, is, I think I messaged you this the other day, right? I want to tap back into my ambition, I’ve got my favorite line from you all year, right? Like, I got fucking goals, I want to work more. And because I love what I do, like, I enjoy what I do, I want to teach. When you’re like, “I’m having a teachable moment.’ I’m like, “Do it, sister!” I love teaching people. And I’m realizing that the more I sell, the more I’ll actually be able to work. And so how do you regulate this stuff? I just used to do a lot of stuff that wasn’t beneficial to me, and now I just have seen the other way, and I think not even seen it, I’ve experienced it, right? I experienced that if I go for a walk, or if I turn on a song, it’s gonna be better than grinding through or powering through. And I think that’s one of the big things is that you hear all this stuff. And a lot of times you’re like, yeah, that sounds like a great plan. For me, I will say that I’ve actually done it this year. I’m not just giving lip service to shit, I’m doing it. And I see a difference. And I feel a difference in how I’m showing up.
Tara: Yeah, so I think a couple of things here. Erin, is an emotional being like all humans are emotional beings. She has big feelings. I have big feelings. Most people do have big feelings. And you can have big feelings and still move forward. You can have big feelings about something and still take action. We have a place where we can have our feelings, in our routines and how we care for ourselves as an emotional being prioritizing mental health that allows us to experience and I can take action and I can have goals and I don’t have to be perfect and I can still be successful. I can be healing from trauma and still move forward. It’s this end right and there have been a lot of things that have come to try and disrupt your peace to take us out of our energy to you know, that we have had to process through in the last 18 months. And there are still things that we can control. Which is comforting, not from a control freak perspective. But from here are the things I can’t do anything about. And here are the things that I can do something about where am I going to place my attention?
Erin: And that second list is a whole lot more clear than the first list, right? I think it’s easy to get swept up with everything going on and things that you can’t control. And now, I mean, I have a filter in my head right now that I’m like, “Am I going to do something about this information? Or if I’m not going to do something about it?” And if it’s a no, then I’m like, “Yeah, it’s not.” I just feel like we have to be really conscious of where we’re putting our energy. And like I just said, I want to have energy, creative energy, excited energy, nervous about pushing myself bigger and challenging myself energy with my business. And those are all big energies to have. So I don’t have a lot of fucks to give about a lot of other things right now. I really think that for me, and how I operate like that’s empowering to me, even though that word kind of makes me roll my eyes. But I think back to when am I more ambitious days? Or am I times when I was more, like a true Erin, that’s how I used to be and I got lost and confused for a little bit? And that’s why I feel I just got back in that and it feels good to want it feels good to be ambitious.
Tara: Yeah, normalizing ambition is important, I think, normalizing wanting things, normalizing having goals, normalizing wanting to achieve, and move ourselves one step ahead. But in a healthy way. I think a lot of times, some of us have done this not so healthy. And then, we make a story about how ambition is evil, and how work creates burnout when none of those things are true. It’s how you approach it. And that’s really where I’m watching my clients is like making sure that as they work, I’m concerned with how they’re working, what their approach to work is. And that’s where I’m having honest conversations.
Erin: Yeah.
Tara: So what specific skills have you been able to hone over the last year?
Erin: That my sales process, I would say, I guess the business development side of things, the skills of asking the right types of questions to know how to create a program that’s going to match for them, because my stuff, I have some general programs, but it’s tailored, and I tweak it depending on the people, so I need to know how to ask the right questions, to give them what they want. So I think that has been really big. I think the other thing is, is and I’m working on this now like systematizing my content. I don’t mean like social media content, I mean, delivery and curriculum, things like that. So it’s like, “Okay, I’m infamous for rewriting the same outline for a workshop and every piece of paper that’s around me.” And so now I don’t, now it’s in my Trello. Here’s my outline for this. So systematizing the delivery. And then I think the other thing is, the profit first that my bank accounts are set up, I’m doing the allocations, they’re still more to learn around that. But having more awareness, and acknowledgment of my money, that has also been a big skill that is huge for me, knowing the numbers, which as mentioned earlier, I’m still again, WIP with that work in progress for that, but I know more than I did before.
Tara: Yeah, so consultative selling skills, which we all need regardless of how we’re selling profit first, systems. I’m really damn proud of that Trello board.
Erin: That Trello board is awesome. I love it. And the other thing I the other skill is energy management. I was like, “Oh that major thing the energy and the mindset.” The EMS framework, and yeah, it’s one of those things like, “My coach Tara has this framework.” I tell everyone about it because it’s that I think it’s probably been the biggest life changer.
Tara: Yeah, just quickly I’m just gonna spout off and correct me if I’m wrong, but you moved and rented a place near the beach because that’s what you need for your energy. You are walking regularly, yoga. I know you’re like chatting with friends and do friend walks.
Erin: Yeah, we live a block from the ocean now like, I can hear the ocean from my house, the yoga studios on the other end of the street. And you just realize, I mean, I prioritize yoga, it’s on my calendar. And I and because that I just need it for everything you know. And there are more things that I can see, next thing is I’m actually going to get a grocery list together. So we don’t have to eat out all the time. Yeah, I mean, I think that’s just been huge for me, I was a journaler anyway, I do my journaling. I go for my walks. I do my yoga, I have scheduled downtime. And that just happens now, because if it doesn’t, it’s a hot mess.
Tara: Yep, we’re buying you back your time. All right. What were your hesitations? If you had any before joining the mastermind, and I know you may or may not have had any before you joined the mastermind, you’re already working with me. In general, maybe what were some of your hesitations?
Erin: I don’t think I had any. And I think you were I mean, not if I don’t remember, because I think you were saying, you’re like Erin from where you are right now, I think you would benefit from having this circle of women. And then for a second, I was like, “Wait, am I too much for Tara does she need to disperse me among other people.” But it was more, and again, I think that master or the retreat moment was a perfect example of that, me learning and being around this community. So I think I mean, I knew I wanted to keep working with you. And then when you syrup suggested the mastermind, having more community again, with my work, having changed from being around people more to just being home. I think that was, I wasn’t hesitant, I don’t think about anything, but that was more of a big selling point for me.
Tara: Yeah. Now, in your other episode that we did, and I’m going to just send people back there for a minute, the hesitation before joining the Bold Profit Academy had some to do with feeling like you’ve been burned or duped before, and having to work on healing some relationships with past mentors or coaches. And I believe we talked about that extensively in that podcast because I know that comes up a lot with people who want to join the Bold Profit Academy or want to work with me. But that’s been an issue. So we do have that conversation in that podcast. And now, what would you like to share with people who are considering the mastermind for 2022?
Erin: I think it just keeps you focused on your business. And I’m hoping for next year, too. It’s even more of that. We just talked about it, it’s feelings. But also, this is a place where we talk about how to do things to work that actually works. And I think that it’s the calling up, and how are we showing up? And I think it’s this year for the rest of the year, and next year, it’s going to be like, I’m showing up as a businesswoman. Yeah, who has feelings, but who really wants to put the pedal on this business? And I think with the expertise that you bring Tara, and then the other women, the different perspectives, it’s just the type of group that I feel like is a good balance of business, humaneness, but also back to business.
Tara: Yeah, so one of the ways that we do this just for everyone to kind of understand is we have different containers for different things. In the Bold Money Mastermind, we have a once monthly workshop call, where we are going to this year we call it an implementation call next year, we’re calling it a workshop call, where we’re going to come together on a theme. And we’re going to workshop, this theme, where we’re breaking it apart, getting into it in more detail, getting people’s perspectives, maybe we have a guest expert come in, we bring in guest experts. So maybe we have a guest expert come in and talk about this topic for a little bit. That there is a tangible strategic dialogue going on.
Quarterly, there’s going to be the theme is to sit down and go through a quarterly business review and set your goals and we’re going to run them past everybody and we’re going to get input and then kind of that strategic planning piece that I know so many women, either A, don’t have the knowledge on how to do. B, don’t prioritize because it’s working on the business, not work in the business. C, input an outside perspective on it. Because the goals that they’ve picked might not be the best goals that they should be picking at that moment.
Then we have hot seat calls us as you like you can process you can express your feelings have like a bigger level conversation. We’ve had conversations around, some of the more ones that I’ve really appreciated over the years have been around, like, how to integrate, how do we do a big thing, and then, integrate, afterward, we’ve had conversations on not working all the time. And it’s okay to be bored in our businesses, and how to not start making a mess out of things that aren’t broken. And where we can be putting our energy instead of those conversations on, on the difficulties and the challenges of being a human being who’s managing a team of people and having to make hard decisions and tough calls and, and things like that. So that’s really that space for those things. And then there are some one-on-one calls with me, which sometimes you don’t get in a mastermind that can be can be done differently. Any final thoughts, Erin?
Erin: I just want to set the quarterly business review. I think that’s another thing that’s been so big. Checking in on the mission and the vision and the values and doing that I really have done that. And that’s been really, again, it’s like making me feel like a grown-up businesswoman.
Tara: Keeps the momentum going.
Erin: Yeah, totally. So yeah, even having this conversation with you, I’m like, “Oh, yeah. And that and that, and that.” There’s just been a lot of things that pieces are falling into place. And I think that this has just been a great foundational in some ways foundational year for me to then just build and grow and rock it off next year. And I made some really great connections in the group and just having that support out there. I think, no matter what times we’re in, being in business by yourself, you need the support, you need the validation, even though we shouldn’t be giving it to ourselves, but it’s just nice to have that with the mastermind, I think.
Tara: Yeah, it’s okay to have external validation from people you trust.
Erin: Yeah, for sure.
Tara: Alright, thanks for coming by Erin.
Erin: Thanks for having me, Tara. I’ll see you soon.
