PP 108: Confidently Creating Success with Nicole Hoglund

Quick Show Notes: Nicole Hoglund

Nicole and I chat about how we need to set up our businesses, products, and pricing in ways which feel good to US, rather than doing what “everyone else is doing.”

Connect with Nicole Hoglund

Resources Mentioned

Episode Transcription

KIM: Welcome back to another episode of Positive Productivity. This is Kim Sutton and today I am thrilled to have guest Nicole Hoglund. I got that right?

NICOLE HOGLUND: Right. You get that right.

KIM: Awesome, So thank you so much for joining me today Nicole.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Thank you for having me. I’m excited to be here.

So in our pre talk or pre-show talk Nicole and I were talking a bit,and I should introduce her. She’s a small business and confidence coach. We’re both New Yorkers originally living in the Midwest now, Nicole is in Tennessee and I’m in Ohio. And I actually just want to jump right in to something that came up in our conversation because Nicolle is launching her new coaching program in this upcoming week, and I thought that some of what we talked about was really important, and a message that definitely needs to be spread. So, do you want to give a brief synopsis. Is that the right word. I don’t even know, of what we’re just talking about, and what your feelings are about how you’re offering your program.

NICOLE HOGLUND: I am a small business and confidence coach and I started my business back in December, but I only launched it in March. And what we were talking about is – on August 1st, I’m going to be launching a new package called the “Name Your Own Price package” and the reason I am doing this is because, even though I’m going through this coaching training right now, and I’m getting really good at figuring out who I am. When it comes to the business side of it I’ve always been told: “Well, you really have to have packages of three months, six months or 12 months or people aren’t going to see results. And this is the price point that you have to hit, in order to actually make a return on investment for you.” And any time a created those bigger packages they never sat right with me, because me personally, I’m not open to receiving a lot of money right now. If you were to actually pay the retail price for like three month or six month coaching package, I probably would have almost a panic attack, because that’s just where I’m at my business. And it made sense and clicked about two weeks ago, I was having a conversation with one of my girlfriends. She really was telling me that: “If you really aren’t comfortable receiving this money. Why can’t you just create a package that you are comfortable with?” And I realized it makes sense. I’m not willing to invest three, four, five thousand dollars in a coach for myself right now. So, how can I ask someone else to pay me that, if I’m actually probably giving off that energy of: “Oh! I don’t really want that money right now so probably go see someone else.” So that’s how the “Name Your Own Pricing Package” came about, because I realize as a small business owners there is not really a lot of time that you want to commit to like a three or six month program if you don’t really know what you’re getting out of it yet. Because when you’re coaching, you have an outcome and you have a goal, but there are so many different things that you can work through in that time period that maybe the end doesn’t necessarily look exactly like you thought it was. So, between that and knowing that as a small business owner there’s not really a lot of expendable cash. It makes sense to name your own price. And then I can work with my budget, and what my values are, and kind of what myself were this to figure out a custom program that works for both of us. If we’re also a right fit for each other, because I have realized that not everyone’s going to be the right fit for me. So, being able to put those boundaries up, and doing discovery phone calls to say: “OK, I do really like you and I think you really like me, let’s figure out a really great custom package for you or the end of it.” or just say: “You know what, probably not the right time right now. I’m going to refer you to someone else” So, that’s really how this package kind of came about is: “I really don’t care what other people are going to say about it when it launches, because it’s really something, I’m passionate about and it’s the only package I’ve created that I’ve been excited about.” But I’m also standing in my own power and saying: “This is really what I want to offer you guys right now and let’s see how I can make it work.”

KIM: That is so huge. I’ve been on Discovery calls with coaches in the past where I was shocked when they would actually ask me: “Well how much credit you have available on your credit cards right now?”

NICOLE HOGLUND: Oh my God.

KIM: Really. Well personally I don’t think that’s any of your business because I do not want to max out whatever credit cards I do have. And to be totally honest my husband and I have one credit card, and it’s a very low balance, very low credit because we don’t want to get into massive credit card debt, like if we’re having to continually pour money onto her credit to build the business and we’re not doing something right like we shouldn’t be having to maxed out credit cards to build business, right?

NICOLE HOGLUND: Yeah.

KIM: I think that what you’re doing is great you’re staying true to you but you are also providing your potential clients the opportunity to get to know you, and you can under-promise necessarily, but under promise and over deliver knocks the socks out of them so that, at the end of the month hopefully, they’ve seen the results that they’re looking for, and maybe they would be ready to go for the 3 or 6 or 12 months package with you.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Exactly, and the biggest thing that I’ve kind of come to see as I’ve gotten deeper into who my client is and specifically since I’m targeting small businesses, unlike corporations that maybe have like a chunk of change set aside like a corporate coach or a career coach, these small business owners really don’t have that expendable income to be like: “Yes, I can part with 3,4,5 – $6000 without there being a sense of fear of needing that return on investment back for them. And that’s what I’ve realized is when you are actually so tied to money and there’s a fear around it no matter how much you click with a coach, that fear is always going to be in the back of your mind every phone call you have. And the only way to work through it is to actually see the return on investment because that’s what it’s tied to. This is a level playing field. I’m willing to work with you on your budget. You’re still going to get value out of it. But I’m not gonna actually make you pay something that youre also uncomfortable with. So, that’s kind of where it stands from, and it’s true like, if I ever ask someone: “What’s the limit on your credit card?” Please, feel free to come to my house and like slap my face because, it’s so utterly uncomfortable for someone to ask, and then perhaps someone to actually answer that, just to work with someone else. It’s utterly ridiculous that you’ve had people actually ask you that. So I’m sorry.

KIM: I mean I would never even ask my parents or my siblings.

NICOLE HOGLUND: No!

KIM: Forget the balance on our credit card ,  but, I mean I would never ask what’s in your 401k or what’s in your bank account like is none of my business even as a family member and thus I’m speaking to a financial advisor and it’s nobody’s business, right?

NICOLE HOGLUND: Yeah. Even with financial advisers they’re still like legalities and limits as to what they can ask you and what you’re comfortable with giving them. And as a coach in general, there are ethics of what we have to accomplish in our discovery calls, just to make sure that not only are we providing the value for our clients, but they understand that we come from a place of ethics, and we’ll never make them feel uncomfortable and if they do it’s a safe place for them to say: “Listen, I really don’t want to answer that. Or can we go in a different direction or I really don’t think I can afford that” because we don’t want them to feel pressured into the relationship because, really at the end of the day a coach is supposed to be like your biz bestie. You know like the best accountability partner you have. So, being able to have a safe place and being comfortable with that person actually matters more than the price tag attached to it.

KIM: It’s like buyer’s remorse right?

NICOLE HOGLUND: Uhhmm..

KIM: I don’t want to feel like, I’ve got buyer’s remorse after I invest in a coach.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Yeah. The thing is if you do feel buyer’s remorse, I am more inclined to give you a refund and say: “OK, let’s figure out why you have buyer’s remorse? And I can help you find a coach that’s actually going to give you what you need.” So, in all of my contracts it states after the first session or if they’re doing a longer contract in all state after the first month, that they are more than happy to cancel it with me and get a refund, and I’ll just refer them on their way. I also don’t want a bad review. I want my clients to be happy with working with me so, I never want them to have buyer’s remorse. And what I’ve learned in coaching too is people really do have the power of choice. They just don’t know it. So, when you empower someone to realize that they can get out of something that they’re not really happy with it, it makes them more comfortable to stay because they understand, what any point in time in the 30 days or the 60 Minutes or what not I can say: “No, that is way more impactful” than having them be nervous and scared and being like: “Oh God, when am I getting out of it”

KIM: I think this is all really impactful especially considering you are a confidence coach because, I know that after I became an Infusionsoft certified partner I came onto the scene, I started offering Infusionsoft services at a larger scale, but I had a lot of reservations and actually lack of confidence in the amount that I felt comfortable asking people for. Right. So Infusionsoft certified partners are out there charging 150$ to 250$ an hour and that scared the socks off of me. Like there was no way I could feel comfortable going into a call and asking for that. And when I tried it I got flustered and quickly backed down when people squabbled or squawked. I don’t know what word I’m looking for there but I think you understand it, but starting lower within the amount that I felt comfortable with. I started building rapport, and getting the testimonials I was looking for, and felt more confident as time went on to raise my rates. And no they are no longer at $50 an hour, and I don’t know when U.S. listeners may be listening to this so, I don’t want to quote my amount right now, but…

NICOLE HOGLUND: -you always want to have an air of mystery of where you’re going to go.

KIM: Yeah! You’d need to reserve the right to go up higher in the future. And if you don’t have confidence in the price that you have, then you’re not going to sell it.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Exactly. One of the things that I really truly believe in is if you don’t have byan in yourself you can’t actually be confident in selling anything or even marketing yourself. That’s where the disconnect was for me. I wasn’t bought into thinking that my self worth was $200 – $400 a session yet. Like, I really was uncomfortable with that. And there’s a really great intuitive coaching Lindsey and Landry who I was gifted a session for in one of her Facebook groups and she actually put it into good terms with me. I’m not all with receiving large amounts of money, because I had a really great corporate job that gave me a lot of money, and then I immediately went from that to no income. So, it’s almost like in the course of three months, I slammed the door on that, and I haven’t been able to actually break down the bolts to get it open yet. So of course the flow of money isn’t going to be able for me to receive yet, because I’m not able to open up the door. So, I slowly open up the door with packages and prices that I’m more comfortable with. And eventually, I’ll get to the place where I can up my prices and really make it to where I eventually want to go, because there is that goal.

There’s always that goal, what you want, but actually breaking it down to really be in line with your values, who you are and what you’re comfortable with, can open up the door to getting more clients and then raising your prices steadily over time, and having that confidence about it.

KIM: I have literally just come off, of like a six hour marathon session of listening to Abraham Hicks on YouTube and one of the things that really impacted me the most, and I came out I went into the session at the recommendation of a friend, because I was frustrated. I kept on seeing other people in Facebook groups who were who were having huge lunches, and bringing in hundreds of thousands if not millions to him. I think I’m in the same places as Unical where I don’t need, and I’m not really open to that right now. Like, I’m happy getting the bills paid. So, last night though one of the most impactful things I heard was rather than getting unhappy, when you don’t meet the big goal. Be constantly happy in the smaller blessing is that you already have in your life. So, am I driving my dream Mercedes 12 passenger van right now? No, but I have a van that works and I’m not having to put any money into it and I’m very happy about that. And the more you can become happy about the little accomplishments that you have every day like you’ll just keep on drawing all the big things to you in the bigger opportunities will start to come.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Exactly. You can’t go from like zero to 60. That’s just not sustainable. And if it is sustainable, because there have people that have done it and successfully, that’s truly what they wanted right off the bat. And what I’ve learned is, as long as you go slow and steady in your own manner and creating your own version of success, because the people who have done zero to 60. Their version of success probably was getting six figures or seven figures, in you know a 30 day time period, that’s not success to me. My version of success is being able to spend more time with my husband allowing us more time to start a family and being able to really help small business owners who truly want to be coached by a business coach. That’s my version of success. It’s not tied to an amount of income right now which took me a while to realize I really shouldn’t be tied to that, because that’s really not why I got into business. I’m in business to empower others to be confident in the decisions that they’re making in their business and also help them create their own version of success. And you never want to push your version on someone else, because then you’re just diminishing them. And when we’re going through all of these different things about how to price or services or even how to be confident in how to sell our services. When you find that there’s those misalignments there it’s just working it back to those baby steps those, that “baby wins” as I like to call them to get you to see the success and progress you’ve made so far, and get you comfortable with: “OK, well I’m not exactly where I want to be right now. This is what I have done up until now and I know in a couple months or a couple of weeks or even a couple of days, I’ll get there, it’s just needing to do it in a strategic way instead of going from zero to 60.”

KIM: I am laughing over here about the fat baby wins, because I have one of those fat babies like he’s got rolls on his knees.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Oh, I can’t take complete credit for it, “Samantha Parker” – Hype Social Strategies. She actually turned me on to it, but I love it so much that I say it, but I always give her credit for, because it’s true like if you think about it, people always think they need to celebrate the big success, graduating from college, getting your first job, or launching your first business, having your first six figure months. But there were little things within that time frame that helped you achieve those things. And if you don’t actually look back, and celebrate those fat baby wins, it actually can seem almost daunting the amount of things that you still have to get done to reach that end goal.

KIM: So, with that said, I’m curious do you have a to do list.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Oh yeah, I have to do lists, eight different places. I am a task oriented person.

KIM: Yeah. How many of your to do items do you keep in front of you at any given time?

NICOLE HOGLUND: I only try and keep book five, because if it gets to be more than that, that’s where the overwhelm happens for me. I’m one of the things that I’ve realized is, I don’t have a good enough boundary to really disconnect myself from it. If I see so much going on, and that just from my work ethic of – if I’m going to dive into it, I’m going to dive into a fully. So, I really try to go into this business that the mindset of: “OK, I know that I’m really good at working between 7:00 in the morning and 11:00 and then I need to shut down for a couple of hours and then I’ll come back to it and do it again.” But if I put too much on my plate, I’ll kind of actually go past those boundaries and then work, work, work, work, work, which is what I did before and I don’t want that. So, I really only have about five tasks, I put in front of me and if I don’t check them off, I don’t have that anxiety, like panic attack anymore. I’m really giving myself grace. You know if I didn’t get this done there’s a reason for it, and I can always move it to tomorrow. There’s no life or death situations here. Like I’m not going to die because of that this task didn’t get done. It’s OK to push off tomorrow.

KIM: I love that. And I’m the same way. And like I used to have my list of like 30 items in front of me all the time, but it really was anxiety and panic attack inducing. I cut that. I have 3 to 5 in front of me. And what gets done, gets done. I think it was Brian Tracy in “Eat That Frog”. Have you read that?

NICOLE HOGLUND: I have not read that.

KIM: OK. It will be in the show notes if anybody’s interested but it’s a great book about procrastination. But he actually talks about the fact that every time you can check off an item from your to do list, you get an adrenaline surge, and it gives you that little high and it’s so right, and it feels better for me to see one, out of five checked off than one out of 30. So if you’re feeling totally overwhelmed by your massive to do list, stop looking at it.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Oh yeah, and it’s one of those things too we’re such a task oriented society right now, that the list just keeps – can keep on growing if you don’t set those boundaries and only putting an X amount on your plate at a time. I personally like to, if I get like all five in a day, I will like give myself a dance break, because it’s just – besides giving like that endorphin and adrenaline rush, it gives me the sense of not just accomplishment, but I can close down for the day. So, if I get done before like 5:00 in the afternoon I’m like all for like celebrating that win because that didn’t happen for a very long time.

And what also helps me realize of shortening my to do list is decision fatigue. I literally had no idea what that was until I started learn coaching and figuring out things of what I wanted to shape my business to be, and I was reading an interview. I think it was from “Lacey Craig” from “A Lit Up Life” and she really went into – how decision fatigue can really be a detriment, if you don’t recognize what you’re putting out of worlds.

And for me I didn’t realize it wasn’t the big tasks that were giving me decision fatigue in business. It was what do I wear for the day? When am I going to walk my dog? What am I going to eat for breakfast? What am I going to make my husband for dinner? Even though they’re like small simple decisions. That’s actually what made me be inactive because they were so overwhelming to me because it was almost like every day, I had to decide something new, whereas in business I already had my set tasks done list on for the day so, I knew what I needed to do.

So, being able to take the decision out of those little nuances really helps me to have more energy to put back into my business, and back into my tasks to make sure I was able to either accomplish them or if I wasn’t able to accomplish them give myself grace, you know, let’s just get done tomorrow.

KIM: You just blew my mind. Because seriously what I’m cooking for dinner is the most stressful part of the day. And again it’s not cooking in my house it’s burning, what am I burning for dinner? What am I going to go? And we are horrible, like we don’t plan on a menu in advance. I can’t wait until Sunday when we can have like a personal chef. Actually my husband loves to cook, he’s just not at home most nights for dinner right now with his work schedule. But I’m having to figure out: “OK, I’m going to stop working a little bit earlier so I can go to the grocery store, before I have to pick up the kids.” Trust me if you’re a mom or not a mom and listening you understand that taking three, under three to the grocery store is like a panic attack on itself. You have no idea what extras you’re going to walk out of the store.

NICOLE HOGLUND: It’s like a circus.

KIM: It is! Every time I go into the store with my group, I hear all these people say: “Oh my! You’ve got your hands full” And that’s when the kids are being quiet and good. They don’t even see them acting out. Yeah. You want to take them on with you because when you start cooking dinner that’s when it’s going to get burn and ugly. I know what my business activities are, I know all my work related activities are. But as all those other personal activities don’t get me stressed. Thank you. You just give me an action, I need them for the week.

NICOLE HOGLUND: You are welcome! And it’s one of those things is as I keep learning and honing his coaching skills, I’m going through the ITech certification right now, and what that means is – I’m also an energy coach so they teach us, and we’re learning how to actually figure out – what type of energy you’re putting into the world, because you only have so much you can excel in 24 hours, before you need to recharge. And if you’re putting out more energy, and more negative energy onto those decisions. The positive energy actually is going to be depleted before you can even get to it. I come from an Italian family. So, like I need to give my mom complete credit because every night there was a fantastic fully cooked homemade meal on the table by 6:00, and she was taking care of four kids two of which were twins, that I’m one of. And to me she got joy out of that. And I love cooking, but I don’t get joy out of like having to create these masterpiece meals each night, because I’m working and my husband has told me from day one: “I really don’t care what you cook as long as there’s like a meat and a side, like a meat and a veggie or meat and a carb, but I really don’t care.” and I really don’t listen to him until this year, because that’s when it really dawned on me. I put the pressure on myself. So, that decision fatigue and that negative energy I was actually creating internally.

So, if I really just said: “OK, well I’ll just buy a bunch of chicken, and a bunch of veggies, and I cut of what I want to cut at night and we’ll put the seasoning on, and we’ll cook it” and that literally took all of the stress and the pressure off of me from having to cook like is a gigantic masterpiece meals. Not saying that I don’t do that on the weekends, because I do get joy out of cooking, but during the week really let me focus more of my positive energy on like business tasks, and doing the things that I really love and fire me up as opposed to: “Oh God, what do I have to cook? Do I really have to pick up outfit today? Do I really have to do this?” So, when I find myself doing that that’s when I realized I need to take the actual decision out of that and just kind of let it be.

KIM: I’m still here laughing, because I’m thinking about, and this is coming from the mom side of me. I watched Ratatouille a few too many times, and the chef Cousteau says anybody can cook. And if you’re out there listening and you’re just like: “Oh my gosh, you know, I can’t even imagine preparing a gourmet meal.” Don’t feel alone, because the chef Cousteau is wrong, not everybody can cook. Some of us just to really are better at burning macaroni and cheese out of a box. And then yesterday I actually had a lunch meeting. This is very embarrassing but it’s actually the first time I’ve gone out for lunch with anybody besides my husband, and like years, because I’ve been so glued to my monitor, but I was trying to prepare to go out, and maybe a lot of you can relate but I have plenty of shirts that I can put on for a Skype or Zoom session. But most of the time I’m here in sweats or yoga pants, and I’m just comfortable, because I don’t need to be just up to the nines to do my best work. It’s like 20 minutes, before I’m supposed to leave and I can’t find a pair of pants that’s not yoga pants or sweatpants.

NICOLE HOGLUND: I have been there or I’m actually still in my pajamas right now for all of you, listeners. That’s where decision fatigue can be really exhausting. But the thing is, I actually don’t mind going out on yoga pants now, it’s kind of just become part of my wardrobe. So, if I really get dressed up people are like: “Oh wow, where are you going?. What’s going on?” I’m like: “No, I actually just made the effort to get dressed.” I just trained my – like friends and family to be like: “Oh, if she’s going out in yoga pants that’s just normal now.”

KIM: Right. But I find that like the days, I don’t care about what I’m wearing, and I don’t put on any makeup and I really do look like the exhausted of mompreneur. Those are the days that if I go into the grocery store, I will run into like 18 people I know.

NICOLE HOGLUND: That’s why I like where we live right now, because we know people but like everyone we grew up with is not here. If I run into some of the like: “Oh, Nicole how are you?” I really don’t care how I look. I mean it’s bad. But I will get dressed up for like my husband, like when we go out on date nights and whatnot. But for everyone else, I mean they just get plain old Nicole. Well there’s nothing special about me when I go in like grocery shopping or do errands or whatnot. And I truly have embraced the mindset of people who are just going to get me the way that they get me and if I’m wearing no makeup and yoga pants running around doing errands, I’m the same person as if I slap on some makeup and in a dress and heels.

KIM: I love that especially because just recently in a Facebook group, I saw somebody post about – If you have professional head shots taken, and I have to say I did, but you showed up on a Facebook Live Video and you’re not like dressed to the nines, like you are in your head shots and you’re creating brand inconsistency. And I actually responded, and I don’t usually respond when I don’t agree. I’m of the mindset that if you don’t have something nice to say then don’t say anything at all. But yes I took special care on the day that I had my head shots taken. My hair was done my makeup was done both professionally. But that’s not how I live my life everyday. If somebody is going to judge me based upon how I show up on a Facebook Live. No, I don’t look like death and I don’t look like, I’ve been mauled by bears. But if they’re going to judge me based upon how I look on the Facebook Live, then their not my ideal client anyway.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Exactly. I think it’s almost like if you compare it to like online dating almost, If you’ve ever been on like Match.Com or eHarmony or even like Tinder or whatnot. I personally have only been on Match.com so I don’t really know that you others. This is before my husband and everything. But if you are putting yourself out there, as this hot to trot person, and then I meet you and you’re literally not the person you said you are. It’s going to make me discredit you. And there’s not maybe any trust to go that relationship off. So, the same goes for business just like you said: “You want to build that trust with your audience.” So, why are you going to get all glammed up and make yourself look super super pretty and almost to the point where when people see you it’s like: “Are you sure you’re the same person?” If you’re your own brand you’re going to be comfortable whether you have makeup on, or no makeup on. And I just started doing Facebook Live this week. And at first I was like: “Oh, I have to get all dressed up, and have to make up” and I’m like: “No! That’s not how I actually am. Throughout my day.” So, I mean yes I showered and blew out my hair just because my hair is like one of my beauty points and I am kind of a little bit high maintenance with it always has to be, you know, not perfectly but I do like a nice blow out. So, if you do ever see me, my hair is probably normally good my face probably just looks like a nightmare. So I started doing that and it just got really comfortable with it, because people who are seeing me are actually seeing who I am. There’s no layers of makeup, there is no filter that needs to happen, it’s just raw authentic me, and that’s who they’re going to connect with, and I love that you already know that about yourself, because that’s who your audience is going to be drawn to.

KIM: Definitely. I have a couple of more questions in the whole being more productive. We know what tasks we need to accomplish. I’ve gone through two different schools of thought this year I went through a 90 day year which I definitely learned a lot of and that ‘ s by Todd Herman. And then I also read the “The Desire Map” and ” The Fire Starter Sessions” by Danielle LaPorte and to me they were completely different. One of them was all about massive action to produce big results. In my opinion if any of the listeners disagree I’m sorry and you post comments and I’ll respond. But Danielle LaPorte’s viewpoint came from your desired feeling. So I’m curious how you go towards your goals.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Interesting that you actually would bring out “The Fire Starter Sessions” I just opened the book this week. I’ve had it sitting on my desk since April when another business bestie recommended it to me. And the sheer size of it for some reason just was daunting, but I knew it could be impactful. So, I started reading it for me being productive. I go with the things that I actually enjoy first, and accomplish those right off the bat, because that’s the only way I’m going to get to the items that I don’t really like doing in my day. So, that’s how I am productive and I know that, and “The Fire Starter Sessions” book is actually just redefining, how I can actually be more productive in figuring out more things that fire me up, working from home it actually can be a little bit unproductive because you think like: “Oh, I have a vacuum. I have to go, do some laundry. I have to go clean the toilets. I have to go do all this stuff before I can sit down.” And I realized I’d be more at home for three years now. And it’s one of those things, I enjoy cleaning, but it’s not on my fire up task so, I’m going to do that when I actually get through everything that fires me up during the day, because of my energy at least a little bit higher, than if I immediately wake up, and do laundry, or go in the bathrooms, or whatnot because then I’m not productive, then I’m going to do a sit on the couch and watch Netflix and probably have wine at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, as opposed to the normal standard of 5 o’clock.

KIM: I love that. That would totally take me off, any type of productivity though for the rest of the day, like one glass and I’m gone.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Oh yeah. Full disclosure. Me and Kim were talking about some health issues, before we got on here. But like the new medication I’m on for my Hashimoto’s, I can have a one glass of wine and I am done. I don’t know what it is about that. I used to be able to have maybe two or three glasses a night and still feel pretty good. But one, and I’m like on the floor ready. Just go to sleep.

KIM: I wonder if there’s a thyroid thing.

NICOLE HOGLUND: It might be it really might be, but it’s just, it’s interesting like in three or four weeks that I’ve been taking it, even my husband’s like: “One glass of wine, you’re good. Give me the bottle back. You don’t need it anymore.”

KIM: So, with that said and then we’ll wrap up and I want to know where listeners can find you just to go into that a little bit further. Nicole and I were talking pre-show about how we started our business and life changes that happen. And listeners, you may already know that I’m a mom of five so, my husband and I had gone through four miscarriages before I started the business, and it wasn’t until after I started the business, and actually gave my notice to my employer that we found out we were pregnant with our daughter who’s going to be three soon. And I think it was the reduction of stress. Sorry Nicole, if I’m getting too personal but you are sharing a similar story, and I don’t know if you want to expand.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Oh no. I am an open book when it comes to this because it really was like that kickstart moment for me to like, really take control of my life and get myself to a point of being optimal if that makes sense. So, I was working for a marketing agency for about a year and a half almost two years. And the thing is – I love people, to this day, I still love them, I still, you know, talk to some of them, they were my second family for that year and a half years that I work for them. In October of 2015, I found out that me, and my husband were pregnant for the first time. And at the time I didn’t know, I actually had an underlying autoimmune issue, which I probably have had for years. Doctors don’t know how far it goes but we recently found out I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis which probably isn’t the correct name for it. That’s what I call it. It’s an autoimmune issue that attacks thyroid gland, and I ended up being way over stressed in the job. And right before Thanks Giving, I ended up miscarrying at about 10 weeks, and it was one of those moments where I saw my life go into different paths. I can either stay on the path ,  or even though I really enjoyed the people I work with the stress level it probably would never let us really have a healthy sustainable pregnancy, or I could finally figure out what I wanted to do in my life, because I love marketing but there was always something that I wanted to really try to do. And those two paths were figuring out how to actually become a cheerleader for others make money for it, which is where the small business coaching comes in, or be a yoga instructor.

And I realized yoga is always going to be a part of my life so, being a yoga instructor would really light me up. But it’s not something I thought I would never come back to whereas, becoming a small business coach – if I didn’t do it right then and there, I would have never come back to it. So, that’s where I made the decision to quit my job. My husband actually helped me enroll in small business coaching through the ITech program, and I’ve been doing it ever since, and I’ve loved it. And just like Kim said – my stress level has been reduced so drastically, that it actually makes me enjoy waking up in the morning, and going to work. And full disclosure again, when we started trying to get pregnant we actually got pregnant for the second time, and I ended up miscarrying six weeks and that’s when all of the medical issues of: “Oh, you have an auto immune issue. This, this and that and you really need to be on medication, because unless you’re actually in the safe range you’re probably never going to be able to have a sustainable pregnancy” which in hindsight looking back now makes complete sense, because my levels were like sort of the roof at the point when I was pregnant, and even after. So full disclosure, that’s really where it came from. I really didn’t want to be stressed in life anymore. I wanted to do things that lift me up and gave a fighter to me, and that’s why I started it because I’m a cheerleader at heart. I’m a National Collegiate Cheerleading Champion, which is really weird because, like I went to SUNY on the odds that most people are probably like where is that. It’s in upstate New York it’s a very small school.

But I do have the title of being a National Cheerleading Champion, and it’s always something that’s been a part of me, I did it for 12 years and to me I always missed it once I stopped doing it. So that’s what small business coaching allows me to do. I’m a cheerleader for other small businesses, in really wanting them to succeed in their passions just like I’m doing with mine.

KIM: I love that. That’s awesome. I love that cheerleader for small business owners. I haven’t seen that many business coaches actually put it that way, I can’t say I’ve seen any business coaches put it that way. Most of the time it’s about the offer that they’re putting out there.

NICOLE HOGLUND: I personally know – I can’t change anyone. I can only change myself. So, if I can help others see that in themselves, that they really cannot change anyone else around them, that can only change themselves and that’s what I’m trying to help them with – is changing how they’re seeing the world to make it so that it’s working for them as opposed to maybe their mindset of it’s working against them. That’s all I’m trying to do and I’m really trying to show them that their goals and dreams and aspirations are attainable. We’re just going to break it down into like the baby steps, the fat wins so that, they’re not overwhelmed or looking at a goal that’s unrealistic to get you on a timeframe that’s not attainable.

KIM: I’m writing down fat baby wins.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Do it! With the FBW’s.

KIM: Little quick public service announcement before we wrap up here. I have suffered from hypothyroidism since birth and Nicole has Hashimoto’s. I just want to put this out there that if any of you are suffering from a lot of fatigue, if your hair is stunning, if you’re noticing that you’re gaining weight. I mean Nicole and I talked about this pre-show she wasn’t really experiencing any of the symptoms they weren’t showing up in her life. Take time for you, visit your physician and get a CBC, I think it’s called a Complete Blood Count or something like that, and just make sure that everything is in line, because hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can really be very impactful on your life both physically and mentally. You have to take care of yourself physically to make sure that you can take care of your business as well.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Especially, like one of the things, I didn’t know until I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism. Exactly just how impactful it can be without the symptoms. My energy was really drained for a while. I was kind of almost in this brain fog, but I wasn’t symptomatic. I just personally thought I was overworked and overstressed and probably had some type of adrenal fatigue. But once they pinpointed it, and I started actually working towards getting my levels back to normal, I have had so much energy in the past three weeks, it’s unbelievable. And if you really do think that something is wrong honestly, go to your physician ask them to get the blood work done. Most of the time they’ll be willing to kind of work with you, because they understand that thyroid issues are so widespread but, they’re also so undiagnosed, because all of the symptoms can manifest in different ways. So, really just taking the time to take care of yourself and asking your doctor to truly go a step further and do a CBC. Like Kim said – it really can help you get back like your life and kind of the energy that you’re missing.

KIM: Definitely. Nicole ,  where can listeners trying you in find out more about your services, and then in the show notes you’ll be able to find the links.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Yes. So you guys can find me at my website its www.HonestlyAble.com. I also have a Facebook page which has facebook.com/honestlyable, my Instagram handle is @nicole_hoglund and my Twitter handle is @honestly_nicole, those are the main places that I am at. And if you do want to email me and you like kind of thinking I could help you in any aspect my e-mail address is high@honestlyable . com

KIM: Thank you so much. This has been so incredibly helpful to me. I can’t wait to get my personal list together.

NICOLE HOGLUND: You are welcome. Thank you so much for having me and I really have enjoyed getting to know you, and your business and everything that you are about and we’re a wonderful person.

KIM: And you as well. Oh, just because it is something that you’re talking about in the pre-show there is a Facebook group that you’re talking about Boss Mom’s.

NICOLE HOGLUND: Oh yes. Dana Malstaff I love her and she has a Facebook group called Boss Moms so anyone whether you’re a mom or just a boss or a boss mom go join her Facebook group. There are so many supportive people in there that will help you in any way shape or form if you have questions or just really want support and accountability from other people.

Great. And that will be in the show notes too. Thank you again so much Nicole. This is fantastic. You are welcome. Thank you so much.

KIM: This has been another episode of Positive Productivity, and I will talk to you next time.