PP 627: Parentpreneurship and Partnership with Jessica and Dave Lewis
“The more that we put ourselves out there and take those risks, the more we see in return.” – Dave Lewis
Amazing conversations can come out of chance encounters, and that’s exactly how today’s conversation came to be. (Hint: Kim met Jessica through Instagram — listen to hear the full story!)
Are you struggling with saying no — to yourself or others, do you wonder how to stay authentically while making money, or are you challenged while working with a significant other? If so, this conversation is for you!
Join Jessica and Dave Lewis and Kim for a hilariously authentic conversation about the struggles associated with being an entrepreneur who serves.
Highlights:
02:17 Overcoming fear
02:53 Being on the same page — but different
06:23 Why Kim’s Dave doesn’t work with her
09:27 Jessica and Dave’s entrepreneurial journeys
12:51 Chronic Idea Disorder
15:27 Keeping on or stopping
16:11 Caffeinated showers
17:32 Talking and processing
18:43 The mental music playlist
20:36 Getting better at saying “No”
25:08 “Serving”
32:17 Coasting
35:59 “Someday Syndrome”
36:07 Beta launching courses
38:29 Staying authentically you on social media
39:13 Purposeful Parentpreneurs
Resources:
Pinterest Look Book
Instagram Look Book
Chronic Idea Disorder
Spirit Driven Success by Dani Johnson
The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni
Dare to Lead – Brene Brown
Brene Brown TED Talk
Purposeful Parentpreneurs
Profit First by Mike Michalowicz
Inspirational Quotes:
“It’s being honest with each other, and being able to tell each ‘Hey, this isn’t really what I’m looking for.’ And the other person saying, ‘Okay, no problem. I’m not attached to that. It doesn’t define me. Let’s do what’s best.’” – Jessica Lewis
“Just because I can do something doesn’t mean I should — or that I want to.” – Kim Sutton
“I don’t need to do everything just because I’ve been doing it for so long.” – Kim Sutton
“I think just giving her the space and being patient and just letting her spill it out is easier than… “ – Dave Lewis
“We can continue giving 1:1 free time, or we can take that same time and impact hundreds, thousands, millions of people.” – Kim Sutton
“If we don’t value the services we provide, and we don’t have the confidence to voice the value, then we’re going to be struggling.” – Kim Sutton
“The less people pay, the harder they are to work with and the pickier they are.” – Jessica Lewis
“And then you’re not burnt out. You can actually give your best in all those situations and you still have more left over to serve people… When you’re doing your best work, you’re giving those clients the best of you, so that IS serving them.” – Dave Lewis
“Each new level is going to come with new struggles.” – Kim Sutton
“There are days, and there are moments in any given day, where I’m not necessarily positive but I try to snap out of it as soon as possible, or use whatever wasn’t positive as fertilizer for whatever is coming next.” – Kim Sutton
“The more that we put ourselves out there and take those risks, the more we see in return.” – Dave Lewis
“We find our answers by asking the right questions.” – Jessica Lewis
About Jessica and Dave Lewis:
Jessica and Dave Lewis started working together — and met — in the early 2000s when they were traveling with a band. Seven months after meeting, they married! Jessica and Dave now both have their own businesses, and often collaborate on projects.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION – DAVE AND JESSICA LEWIS:
Kim Sutton: Welcome back to another episode of Positive Productivity. This is your host, Kim Sutton. I’m so happy to have you here. And I’m thrilled to be introducing today’s guests.
But before I introduce them, I have to tell you a little story…
A few months ago, I created the Instagram and Pinterest Look Books because, if you haven’t heard me talk about it before, I have a little bit of OCD. When it comes to social media profiles. I like them to have some type of order or aesthetic and let people know that your profile or my profile or whoever’s profiles I’m looking at, that they put as much thought into that profile as they did into their website.
Kim Sutton: So I came across the profile of one of today’s guests, and I knew I immediately wanted her in my Instagram Look Book so I put the book together after going through thousands, thousands of profiles. This is what I do in my spare time, spare time as a joke, put it together and then realized I really should be letting everybody know that they’re included.
Kim Sutton: But I was scared. I was scared to let people know that they were included. But I decided to just go for it. And that’s how today we have Jessica and Dave Lewis on the show. I am so happy to have you here.
Jessica Lewis: Thanks for having us.
Dave Lewis: Yeah, we’re excited to talk with you today.
Kim Sutton: I am so excited as well. You’ve been hearing my brain farts and in pre chat and everything. I’m so excited to talk to you. But I have to just ask before I ask how you got to where you are today…
I actually kicked my Dave out of my business within the first year. Okay, so you two work together in your individual businesses. I want to know how that works. I mean, do you have some type of communication practice set up so that if you don’t like something that’s going on that you can talk instead of fight?
Dave Lewis: Like a safe word or something?
Kim Sutton: Yeah, exactly. Yellow.
Dave Lewis: Right.
Jessica Lewis: “I’m leaving. You got the kids tonight? I’m going out.”
No… Do you want to take this?
Dave Lewis: Go ahead.
Jessica Lewis: Go ahead. I think it’s a it’s a simple question, but maybe a complicated answer, though. We’ll try to simplify it.
Jessica Lewis: I think it’s knowing that Okay, we’re on the same team. And we have to make sure that what is our end goal? So even though we’re working on these different businesses, we work together as podcast hosts, what is it that we’re trying to accomplish together? Because seeing that it’s going to be able to help us get through all those obstacles getting there. And there’s lots of obstacles.
Jessica Lewis: I mean, we’re definitely not on the same page. We’re two very different people,
Dave Lewis: But also very similar. We’re both more in the middle as far as right brain left brain Jess is probably a bit more creative, a little bit more on analytical side, but we both fluctuate quite a bit in between the fields that were involved in have a lot of overlap and similarities as well. So it works out pretty well that we’re both working in somewhat the same fields and of experience, we can speak into each other’s work and we can help each other in our work too.
Jessica Lewis: Yeah. Snd we started working together… 15 years ago?
Dave Lewis: Yeah.
Jessica Lewis: Maybe? We were traveling with a band. And so he would do all the sound and production, I would do the merchandise. And so again, kind of working together, but yet doing our own separate tasks.
Kim Sutton: Is that how you two met?
Jessica Lewis: It is!
Dave Lewis: Yeah, I was with the band touring and she was working at a radio station, and they were hosting a big, huge concert. And she actually introduced the band live on stage and we met backstage in the catering or something. And we kind of hit it off. Talked most of the day and then got married seven months later.
Kim Sutton: Wow.
Jessica Lewis: But we would never let our daughter do.
Dave Lewis: Yeah.
Kim Sutton: I met my husband on Craigslist, and I’m still alive.
Dave Lewis: Nice. There you go.
Jessica Lewis: That’s such a good story. That’s awesome. That’s probably before…
Dave Lewis: Craigslist was not so common.
Jessica Lewis: Match.com?
Kim Sutton: No, actually, it was 2010. So Match.com and YouHarmony and them were all out by then. They were buzzing, but I actually wasn’t looking for a significant other.
I was on there looking for furniture. And a little link that said men looking for a woman popped out at me? And I told myself, I’m just gonna go in there and laugh at men. And it wasn’t men. Yes, that wasn’t the word I used, but I try to keep those you know, kid friendly. Started with an “A” and ended with an “E.” But it’s like I’m just gonna go in there and laugh at you know these guys.
Kim Sutton: So The first one, the first person that I clicked on, I laughed at him and closed it back up. And then my husband Dave was the second one.
Dave Lewis: Nice.
Kim Sutton: Yeah.
Dave Lewis: So meant to be.
Kim Sutton: We met two days later. We drove the exact same csr, same color, just one model year apart.
Jessica Lewis: How funny.
Dave Lewis: That’s cool.
Kim Sutton: But the reason why my Dave doesn’t work in my business is because, well, he wanted to design logos for my clients. But he’s a video game background.
Jessica Lewis: Right.
Kim Sutton: And video game art is so different from the design styles that business and life coaches want.
Jessica Lewis: Yeah,
Kim Sutton: That’s, that’s awesome, sweetie. But I think I’m gonna go a different route. I just stopped asking.
Jessica Lewis: Right?
But see, that’s the thing though. It’s being honest with each other and being able to tell each other “Hey, this doesn’t quite this isn’t really what I’m looking for and the other person going, Okay, yeah, no problem. I’m not attached to that. It doesn’t define me. We need to do what’s best.“
Dave Lewis: Yeah, and it helps, too, that we’re both pretty laid back people. We don’t have…. I don’t think we have huge egos and we’re not trying to get our stuff. It’s not about us. It’s about helping other people in both of our careers and professions. I think that helps quite a bit, too. We’re not trying to prosper our own agendas..
Jessica Lewis: Yeah.
Dave Lewis: We’re trying to help each other and other people too.
Jessica Lewis: And I think our personalities… We don’t really have that strong of personalities either. So I think… I guess it depends on who you are, and if you want to work with your husband, and realize, okay, we both have really strong personalities. How do we… What’s our communication method? And how do we be honest without attacking the other person or feeling like I got attacked?
So it’s really working out that communication line…
Dave Lewis: Which we don’t do perfectly at all.
Jessica Lewis: No.
Dave Lewis: If… We try.
Jessica Lewis: Because you know, throwing three kids… trying to communicate is impossible in the van.
Dave Lewis: Yeah.
Kim Sutton: Oh my gosh. Yes. Do you ever feel like you can get two words in?
Dave Lewis: Oh no,
Jessica Lewis: No.
Kim Sutton: Momma.
Jessica Lewis: Mom.
Kim Sutton: Mom.
Jessica Lewis: Mom.
Kim Sutton: Do you not hear me trying to have a conversation? No. Momma. Momma.
Jessica Lewis: Dad.
Kim Sutton: Yes. And they can be quiet for ages.
Dave Lewis: Yeah.
Kim Sutton: But the second thing you try to have a conversation?
Jessica Lewis: Yep.
Dave Lewis: Yep. They know.
Kim Sutton: I came out to my office this morning, or yesterday and my littles. So we have five in the house and my husband has two more who are with their respective other families.
Jessica Lewis: Yeah.
Kim Sutton: But our three youngest that we have together — are four year old twins and a six year old.
Jessica Lewis: Oh my goodness.
Kim Sutton: And they found… I don’t know where they found it, but they found a watercolor set this weekend. And somewhere — completely separate — Again, I don’t know where they found it. a paintbrush. I mean, you wouldn’t think that those things would be that hard to find in our house, but we purposely hide them. Throw them out? And came out to my office yesterday morning. And someone has water colored my wall.
Dave Lewis: A little artist.
Kim Sutton: Yes.
Jessica Lewis: Sounds beautiful!
Kim Sutton: Yes. So okay. Dave, you were traveling with the band. Jessica, you were working with the radio station. How did it happen that you two started your own businesses and now you’re here?
Jessica Lewis: That’s a great question. I think… I had done Mary Kay in college. So that kind of started the whole like, Oh, my own business thing. And very quickly, I knew Mary Kay and makeup was just not my thing. And so we had a whole bunch of Mary Kay products. In fact, my daughter’s using some…
Dave Lewis: I didn’t know that?
Jessica Lewis: 15 years later. Yeah, she found some eyeshadow.
So it kind of started with that. It started with working with the band. Merch table. Making merchandise with the band’s name on it for the merch table, I think that kind of started the entrepreneurial… Hey, I could make something and sell it…
Dave Lewis: Yeah.
Jessica Lewis: …to an audience.
Dave Lewis: Yeah, it was a kind of slow progression, but… and even working with the band. I mean, the band themselves were their own business. It was four guys. We’re all the same age and we’re kind of like a family. So watching them run this business that we were kind of a part of, but not necessarily owners.
Jessica Lewis: Not the business decisions.
Dave Lewis: Yeah. We learned a lot from what we watched them do. And then Jess always had a bit more of that entrepreneurial drive and..
Jessica Lewis: Stubbornness maybe.
(Transcription still being cleaned up. Thanks for checking it out!)
Dave Lewis: Yeah, and she started…. She started her businesses before I did, I was working for some other jobs until just recently other than helping her with what she had started but she started a packaging company actually started doing photography, and then a packaging business for photographers
that came out of realizing Oh, there’s a plastic jewel case that’s gross to put a CD and so coming up with like a craft paper and stitching it up and I’m creating this really beautiful packaging for my own clients and thought, oh, maybe I should stick this on Etsy. So that’s when Etsy was just starting to start
blooming.
Yeah, sewing kind of got in the ground floor of that, yeah, kind of exploded grew really big and she ended up selling that business. And then we moved to Virginia to help some friends start their business immediately. Not eating meat, but honey wine, it’s called Mead. So we started helping start that business. And then a year ago, moved back to Pennsylvania, and she went full time into a voiceover business. So she’s doing voiceover work. And I started this AV company, and again, they kind of overlap with each other and we help each other out. And because just as a lot of towns obviously she does quite a few different things creatively well, and so she can help us actually design our website. She helps us take pictures and and then I’ll help her edit her. Her voiceover work sometimes too, and, and then we have a podcast together too, because we had so many people that kept asking questions about how we’re doing these businesses and what we’re doing. We kind of originally started the podcast as a way to help other entrepreneurs get going and get started and just trying to tell their stories and give people encouragement. So
and I think what we found is, you know, there’s a lot of ways of how you can start your business. But I think what we’re realizing is that the world is changing faster and faster, the rate of change is happening faster and faster. So how do you start something and go along with all those changes? I think it’s more of just having conversations with people about how to be flexible and how to pivot and how to get creative and think differently,
and take some risks and see things differently.
Yeah, absolutely. I love that. I love it and Okay, so I have chronic idea disorder.
I saw that on your website.
I have that I was thinking that because just in the same way, I have so many different ideas, I can do so many different things. And that has been an evolution of mine during this seven year, eight year entrepreneurial journey in that just because I can do something doesn’t mean I should or that I want to.
Yes.
I’m the one that says that to her. Yeah. She’s the one that pushes me to take risk and do some of those ideas.
Well, my husband said it to me too, so many times. Don’t you have enough on your plate? It’s like going to the buffet. No. I want to
and, and I
heard you say, Dave, that just as stubborn or maybe just said that she is stubborn by I will compete any day for the world’s most stubborn female award. And I don’t want to hear it from somebody else. Right. It’s not that I maybe that’s the wrong way. Putting it. It’s not that I don’t want to hear it, but I’m not. I’m often not ready to hear it, or it takes 18 different people to tell me the same thing before I’m ready to really digest it. I mean, I told you just before we hopped on yesterday, I decided to cut back the podcast from two episodes a week, to one episode a week. So that is coming listeners. Go back and get, you know, all your two episodes a week in now, but just a year ago, I was seven episodes a week. And people would say, isn’t it too much? I mean, don’t you have work to do? Yes, I had a ton of work to do. But somehow I thought that recording 10 to 15 episodes a week was the best use of my time. And I love the conversations. I’m an introvert but I love the conversations. Yes, but I needed to really be ready on my own to make that decision. And what I realized yesterday was that still today A week is too much. There can be one episode a week. And then I’m just starting to get into Facebook Likes and took me four years. Anybody who’s been listening for a while you’ve been hearing me talk about it for four years, how I’m going to do it, how I’m going to do it, how I’m going to do it. Whatever. I’m finally doing it, and I’m loving it. And I realized, so I can be doing a podcast one day a week and then be doing a video another day a week and repurposing that. And I don’t need to do everything just because I’ve been doing it for so long. Did you have to make that decision at any point, like just because you were doing it? Doesn’t mean that’s how you need to keep on doing it.
All the time. I think it’s a constant thing, because we’re always coming up with more ideas, right? So then it’s like, well, how do I how do I fit that in my big suitcase? Yeah,
sorry, David. I don’t mean to interrupt sharing but just this morning, that we were going to do zoom audio only because I am. I am in mombi mode this morning. And I have to say So I did not shower listeners, you know that I will admit that. I did not shower this morning. I did yesterday and the day before, even though I’m clean, you know, but showers are caffeinated, having noticed that either of you showers are needed and yes, like the ideas pour out of the faucet. You need to be selective what day you shower? Do I have time for the new ideas that will come today?
I can’t tell you the amount of times like get out of the shower. And I think Dave looks at me and goes, Oh boy, here we go. And I’m like, okay, so I had this idea. And, like, just barf out all this. All of these ideas. And I think Dave just looks at me and goes hmm
I totally get it. My Dave Poor guy. Okay, we had there’s a lot of kids in our house. We all know how that happens again, gonna keep it g rated. But he’s come to realized Yeah, let me Try proper grammar there, he’s come to realize that there are some days after specific activities that I just can’t go back to sleep, or I can’t go to sleep. And I’m sorry, that is so TMI. But it’s like, are you sure that you want that right now? Because I’m going to be talking your ear off after because it’s going to spark huge ideas.
I know that is so improper. So I’m sorry.
It’s part of life right
now, but I think that’s one of the biggest things I’ve learned as far as communicating and working with her is that I just have to let her talk because she has to get it out and part of her like processing the process. She she communicates by speaking it out where I’m more internal and like to think about it so for me, it’s almost overwhelming hearing all the ideas, but it’s easier to let her get it out. And then she can kind of she almost answers the questions herself. Sometimes I’ll
be like, Dave, what do you think here’s the options. That’s one, two and three. Do you think we should do this then? No. Okay. Yeah, we should do all right. Thanks, bye. Yeah, he doesn’t have to say a word.
Yeah. So I think just giving her the space and being patient, just letting her spill it out is almost easier than
in him knowing that he doesn’t have to do anything with that. Like, I don’t have to process all this really. I can just listen. Yeah, I don’t have to fix anything. I just let her talk.
I think Originally, I did feel more overwhelmed because I she would spill these ideas and all I’m thinking is, oh my gosh, how am I gonna do all this crap with everything else that’s going on? It doesn’t make any sense, but
I’m over here laughing because Jess, I think you must be my sister. Seriously, and Dave?
Okay, just close your ears for a second because I’m not sure you want to hear this answer
your muffs.
Dave Do you have like, a music track that you listen to ever when Jess is talking just like is
I just play in my head? Yeah. Yep,
full disclosure. I have a music track. My husband starts going
and I know that is so not right to say because I really do want to listen but A lot of the time I’ve already heard what he’s saying 15 times. So I just have a mental playlist that hey, yep, yep, I heard him. I heard you when you first set it
a year ago,
and then the 18 times since then. But I love you still. I’m just listening to the music in my head. And no, I’m not crazy. Yeah. Yeah. So what are some of the I’m going to start that again, since I started my business in 2012. When I started it, it was for the income that was the primary and only driver of the business. And well, we all know that we have to make money income is no longer the primary driver. Has your have your businesses seen or you I should say, experienced any similar evolutions?
Yeah, I think we’ve had to, I think Originally, I think the income has always been a really nice side. bonus for, I guess I asked the questions. Well, how can I help someone? Or if someone comes to me and says, Hey, you can do this, how much would that cost? And so it’s like, oh, I can be creative and figure out how to help someone. And then I have income coming in on top of that.
Yeah, I think our evolution might actually be a little bit slightly reversed. Not to an extreme, though, but I think we’re both Yes, people and we like to help people out a lot. So I think we’ve talked about before we came on, we’re just now getting better at saying no to things because we say yes, so often. We just really want to help people. And so our careers and our jobs a lot of times have been all about helping and serving people but never really got a lot of great income from that, to now. We still have that that base desire to help people and to serve our customers and our clients. But we are looking at a little bit more strategically, how can we actually make income from this to? That’s not our end goal, our ultimate goal, but it’s definitely something we focus on more than we used to. And we actually are seeing more return from that too. I mean, we have three kids, obviously. So we’ve got to support them and provide for them. So income has to always be part of that equation. But I think we probably look at it a little bit more now than we used to before. But
I think that’s just being a good business person, right? I think there’s business people who come from I want to build a business and make money. And we’ve always worked kind of learning the business side of things as we go.
You and me both. So earlier this year, I realized that I needed to politely stop working with a client. I was giving away a lot of free time. Yeah, because the client was in a really tough spot and I felt bad and I wanted to support but I realized that while I was doing a lot of work the client wasn’t. Yeah, it was really like. And as a marketing automation specialist, I can build the funnel, but the content has to come from the client because that is their passion or their passion, right? So I realized, I am giving this client dozens to hundreds of hours for free. And I’m not working with the clients who did pay, so they’re getting irritated. And that’s not leaving a good taste in their mouth. So I said goodbye. And it didn’t go very well. But what I learned was that we can continue giving one on one free time, or we can take that same time and impact hundreds, thousands, millions of people. So just by taking back that time, I mean, that freed me up to do things like Facebook Lives and podcasts. Wow. Was it painful? Oh my gosh, it was Yeah. So that’s a whole nother story for her.
Well, we can talk never it But,
you know, if we don’t value in this, this was by far the biggest lesson that I’ve ever had is if we don’t value the services that we provide, and we don’t have the confidence to voice the value, then we’re going to be struggling and I totally hear you on three kids. I mean, how old are your kids?
are 1210 and six?
Oh my gosh. Okay, so the 12 and 10 year old Well, I have a 17 year old and a 14 year old and I don’t know where they put food.
I think they have hollow legs for leg
in the three younger ones are starting to do the same thing. I don’t know where it goes. any given day, you know the Velcro on a pair of shoes might stop working. I need I need new shoes. Nike new shoes yesterday. Yeah.
Yeah, so ever ending?
Yes, absolutely.
Hey there, my friend. I hope you’re enjoying this episode of the positive productive podcasts, I wanted to take a quick moment to invite you to join the work smarter, not harder challenge over the course of 30 days, these free, yes, free short videos will teach you a few of the systems and strategies I set up in my business so I can get away from my computer and back to the people I love. I invite you to sign up now at work smarter, not harder. challenge.com. Again, you can sign up at work smarter, not harder. challenge.com I don’t know what your spiritual beliefs are. And I’m not, you know, I’m not going to dive into that. But this year I read spirit driven success by Danny Johnson. One of the things that she talks about is that nowhere and I think this was my biggest challenge is because I’m because my spiritual beliefs are so important to me. I’m Christian. I felt like I needed to give gift gifts. What she said was that nowhere in the Bible this is say that we need to be poor. Right? And that blew my mind. And I love how you said Dave serve. I had so much resistance that word for the longest time because it made me feel like a waitress. I realized this year that serving is an amazing thing.
Yeah, absolutely. There’s it, there’s definitely for us to that huge spiritual aspect of it. It’s really that deeper layer of why we do what we do. And I think that’s part of you know, as Christians, it’s that serving part of it, you know, Jesus taught about, the last will be first and the first will be last. You know, and I think that’s kind of the position we want to take. Patrick lencioni wrote a great book. Is it called humble, hungry and smart, or is that called the advantage and inside he talks about being humble, hungry, smart, I think it might be called the advantage but he kind of comes through that
how to how to be humble, hungry and smart when you’re coming through to your businesses.
Yeah. And I think I mean, we talked about service, I actually worked at a church for a few years. And I was caught talking about giving service away, but not for much income gain. And even with the band, we didn’t make a whole lot of money in that. But it was more of a service to our fans and the people that we worked with. Were now I think, I think that in sometimes in the Christian world, or the service world, you can get taken advantage of in some ways, because it’s like, oh, you just need to serve. It’s what God wants you to do. But there is still like, if you’re providing a service that you’d like you were saying, I think you hit the nail on the head, like you should value yourself and value the services that you have. And that’s something that we’re still continuing to figure out more and to wrestle with, because I think we both have a bit of that, like, Well, why would anybody want to pay for what we’re doing or we’re offering like, it’s just us like, we don’t we’re not special? Like, why would we Like also imposter syndrome somewhat too, or we just want to help people. So why should we charge them for that? I think there, there’s a balance there that can be achieved.
And what I found is with a voiceover work, the less people pay, the harder they are to work with and more picky Dr. And so I decided, man, I don’t know, it’s the weirdest thing. So I’m like, I’m gonna raise my rates. And I feel really awkward doing this, but I raised my rates significantly, and now I’m working not all the time at all. But now I’m working with amazing clients that will pay for me, and they’re not picky. They’re like, Oh my gosh, I love it. Thank you.
And then you’re not burnt out, you can actually give your best in all those situations and you still have more leftover to serve people to give back and you’re serving those clients to like when you’re doing your best work. You’re giving those clients The Best Debut so that is serving them.
Oh, I like that, Dave. Yeah, I love that too. Yeah. I realized that the the 11 o’clock to 1am text messages stopped when I stopped working with those clients. And also the freak outs about random tech issues. Because as much as we might want to control it, things happen. Yeah, things happen in my own stuff. And I have, I am a lot more careful. And I must say this I’m a lot more careful about my clients work than I am about my and I will triple check. But sometimes I just want to get to an email. I just realized actually that I had an email scheduled to go out to my list 45 minutes ago that I’ve never edited.
You know, it happens. And I think the people that you work with, understand like we’re all human, right? So if you find the right clients that understand we’re all vulnerable.
Yeah, and I actually started putting it a PS and all my emails. Positive productivity is not about perfection. Please pardon the typos and the grammar errors. I love that You would not believe how it cut down on responses telling me that I spell the name wrong or spell the word wrong. And it’s amazing. Just value the content. I mean, there’s still some that come through, and I will just smile about the person, you know, because I do in some way feel bad for people. I mean, there are people who do it very constructively. Hey, Kim, I just want to, you know, I just want to be helpful. I noticed that there were a couple typos in this, but I know you have this PS in here. But I just wanted you to be aware in case you didn’t see it, those I love but the other ones, you are so unprofessional, sending out an email with that many typos. I mean, there really aren’t that many, like really, you don’t have anything better to do with your time than to send me an email like that.
Well, then, you know, my what, I don’t say that by the way, I just, I know what I would do is like I’m going to add some more typos and then we’ll just go ahead and get rid of those. Just make
it a contract. If you can find every typo, you win a prize.
Seriously, like I should send out an email using as many versions of the word of the Yeah, the word there. Right? And just mess them all up on purpose. Right? Yeah. See how fine I would have a blast with that actually. Yeah, this interchange the mall and drive people crazy. And the ones who stick around are meant to be on my list and the rest are not the litmus test. Absolutely. Another thing. I want to go back to the book that you mentioned, just because I know I’m not alone, and there’s other listeners and listeners that will be in the show note, and I’ll get that number, the show notes page for you in just a moment. But the advantage Who did you say about that? Patrick lencioni.
Okay, well, he and CIO and I, I believe
number time, l
le NCIO. And I, okay, I’m pretty sure. If you type that in Google, it’ll correct it if it’s wrong.
So I am just finishing the Purpose Driven Life and I was serendipity, you know, and and I was thinking, What am I going to read next? Because I really want to start every day with something. Amazing. And thank you. You just fed it. Amazon appreciates you as well.
Yeah. Oh, we give you a whole list. Yeah,
yes. Oh, that. So another thing that Danny Johnson said is, the more we make, the more we can serve. Yeah. And that was another huge aha for me, because my Dave and I both have a mission that we want to, like a nonprofit that we want to have some new, I want to help victims of domestic abuse and he wants to help disabled veterans, both sides, or both of us want to help them with rehab and getting their feet under them so that they can move forward into the next part of their life. But unless you’re charging appropriately for services, we’re not going to have money to do that.
Right. Yep, exactly. I think that’s true. It goes into like being better at our craft and being better at customer service. And it’s not something you learn overnight, right? Like you said, You’ve been figuring things out for the last four years, years, eight years years. Yes. And I feel like at some point, I have got to be able to like, just coast. I don’t think you do.
Yeah, I’m about to ask, do you think that is actually possible? Or do you think, because I, I’ve gotten into the mindset on that. And I don’t mean this in a bad way people because this is positive productivity podcast, but each new level is going to come with new struggles.
Yes.
I think it’s like each level or each age that your kids enter into. It’s just a different kind of hard.
Oh, yes.
diapers are hard, but so is watching your kids drive off in their car for the first time.
Oh my gosh, yes, my 17 year old thankfully, he’s not interested in his license yet. But he’s in all these college level courses. So we need help. He was looking at his math, like a month ago. And I looked at it and was like, I I aced math in high school. But that was not the math. I did. Talk to your dad because that’s like, that really is college level math. And I do not understand that. That looks like Greek. Yeah, so yeah, yeah. And then it’s I don’t know what, I don’t know if it’s just this age of kids. But my 14 year old I mean, he has a girlfriend, and he’s kissed her and yeah, okay, this is who de bras. I know. Like, Okay, thank you. I love that my kids feel like they can share anything with me. But at the same time, like, Oh, I really didn’t need to hear that. But I’m glad he’s sharing it because only gonna become more and I need to be there for him if he needs anything, but holy moly. Did I really need to hear that?
Yeah. Oh, have you heard of Bernie Brown? Are you familiar with her?
with Bernie Brown? I’m reading lead right now. No,
yes, I was just thinking she, you know, she talks about that she had one talk a TED talk or something. I can’t remember. Maybe it was a huge on YouTube, she talked about like, just that letting your kids go and having that, like, it’s gonna be okay, they’re going to have a great time instead of the catastrophic, you know, how you know how our minds always go to like, they’re gonna drive off and die. Yes. Um, but she she had, I think with that message of Daring Greatly and vulnerability is, you know, not having the mindset. It’s going to be costly, catastrophic, in anything we do. But it’s going to be okay. It’s going to be good. And that’s why I like the positive productivity, like you just have to choose.
Yes, yes, a positive. Yeah. And there are days and there are moments in any given day, we’re not necessarily positive, but I try to help out of it as quickly as possible, or use what wasn’t positive, to be the fertilizer for what whatever coming next.
Yep. And I think that’s a great position to take. And I think that’s probably what has gotten you so far in what you’re doing is having that mindset.
There are some days that I’ve joked with my husband and with clients actually, in Actually, I will have a question after this, but about how if I had a manure farm, I would be rich, because some days are just full of it. Yeah. Right. Like I would be I would have black gold isn’t that what it’s called? Like? I was so wealthy some days. I forgot what my question was gonna be. That was what you mentioned in the in our pre chat and then earlier in this episode, as well, you know, someday there’s, you’re going to be monetizing this even further. But have Have you thought about what you might like to offer course wise, in this is coming off as something that I’m doing right now because I had that Sunday. syndrome. I have never heard of that before. I’m gonna have to look into that someday syndrome, right? But I’m actually beta launching two courses right now. So I’m recording them live, or I’m running through them live with people, and I didn’t charge for them. Mm hmm. listeners, I hope you’re taking note of this. If you want to do a course, you can charge for a beta course and you can make it up as you go. Just have the general idea of what you’re offering. Pick a time sell it to your people. And go I’m doing two of them right now because you know what isn’t enough? Of course.
Sorry, David. No, there’s not.
What have you thought about what you might want to offer?
Yes, I’m working on a mini course right now that’s Canva mini course. Because that has been just such a huge help in doing all the things that I do keeping like the same consistent branding on the website and Twitter Instagram, you know, all these different places. So
if you had my social media OCD
I Well, maybe you know, I suck at social media I really good at like creating content. I’m really bad at engaging with people. I don’t know why maybe it’s just a much better on like podcasting maybe there’s our thing.
Yeah just Face to Face
Face to face over coffee we could talk for hours. But for me to sit down and gauge making comments, I don’t know. I’m really I need to work on that.
You and me both. Oh my gosh, seriously, you’re my sister. I just don’t like I love to get on look, but I’m like the what’s the word for somebody who’s standing back and just watching? Yes, I so am I’m a social media stalker who needs to be more comfortable with stepping you know, it’s a social media and introvert, I’m not just ever in real life, I like to stay. Yeah. Back and observe. And once in a while, I’ll say something. But I need to be more regular. Well, maybe I don’t need to be. I don’t know that there’s all those gurus who say what you need to do. Yeah.
But then if you do that you’re not being authentic. Right? It’s like, well, I’m logging my five comments today.
That’s been our biggest struggle with social media and stuff like that is how do you make it authentic? Even with offering courses or things like that? I think it’s gotten so gross by so many people that even when you do want to do it to authentically help people and and still charge, which is okay, but you offer a service that really will help people it still feels like it’s kind of I think there’s been so many that have come out that feel gross that they’re just it’s just a marketing tactic that we’re trying to figure out how do you do it without making it feel that way? Making it still, I guess that It just takes building that trust with your audience and building the community.
Yeah, I am so loving this because in I shared with you and listeners, you’ve caught wind of it already, if you’ve been listening for a while, but purposeful parent partners is about to launch with a couple co founders. And one of the most important aspects to us is we don’t want to be shoving products in our, in our community throat, like we’re going to have the membership that will start. But we don’t want it to be a sell fest. Like we want them to know that they can get an email from us and know that there’s not going to be an offer in it. We’re going to be sharing the crazy stories that happen around our houses that day in we want to create such a culture, that if they want to work with us further that they feel like they can come to us at any point and say, hey, how can we work with you? But we know that we’re not going to I mean, I don’t remember who said it I’ve heard multiple people say it, but there’s nothing worse than somebody trying to French kiss you on your first date. Right? And that’s not what we want to do. Hey, you just came to our live event. So we’re gonna Yeah, we’re gonna pitch you on our $40,000 coaching package even though you don’t even know us yet. Right? And you have to listen to us for six hours. Talk about it. Yeah, like the timeshare thing. Oh, my gosh, exactly. Who wants that? I mean, when they’ve just flown cross country or around the world, they want the content. They don’t want to be pitched yet. Right. And if they do, then give them that safe space so that they can do it in their own comfortableness. And I’m just making up words now. But let them decide when they’re ready to take it to the next level.
Yeah. And I think like as a consumer, there are certain things that I want and I’m looking for, and if there’s a way that someone provides that solution to me, like I’m all about hearing it. It’s not like I’m shunning. Everything you know, there are some certain courses I really want to take. But there’s so many out there. How do you sift through the right ones? And I know and maybe that’s what like you’re the positive parent or what is it? positive parenting purposeful parent, purposeful, purposeful parents. Yes. Parents partners. Like maybe they just need help. I’m thinking like, from our standpoint, I just need help. Going through all this stuff, and somebody just curating This is really good. This is really good. You know, this course changed our lives.
I mean, no, don’t we out there who have made millions because they made accessible courses. For people who were just starting out like $17 2727 they didn’t need to throw right $2,000 course out there. $40,000
package we don’t have, you know, we don’t have $2,000 to throw away at first. I know. It’s like that could go for a lot of groceries. No. But it’s also we need to know where we need to To invest, but we don’t want to just throw money out and try to because our time is really important too. It’s not just money. It’s the time
Have you heard of pay for pay for? Wait hold on let me look at it. Profit first book
yes profit first by Mike mccalla Wits I if I would, if you could have heard it was when I was looking. I haven’t helped me the day I get him on the podcast because I won’t be able to say his last name.
Hey, Mike. Yes, exactly.
Listeners he is coming. He asked me to finish reading the book first. So
one criteria,
yes. Which I’m totally happy to do but this book has
just started to blow my mind is starting on page one and just I think you’ll appreciate this. Because he was talking about let’s say that you’ve a lawn guy. Okay. Who who’s mowing your yard? We have a lawn guy. That was one of the things that we had to give up so that we have time for other things that we want to do in our family in our in our life. But the lawn guy realizes that your gutters falling off the side of your house. I’m using real life examples from this high end house right now. So he decides he’s going to offer to fix your gutter. Like he had we bought that. But now, the lawn guy needs to go buy a ladder. Because he’s offering a new service. And then when he’s up on fixing your gutter, he realizes, oh, you need a new roof. So he offers and you’re like, Yeah, I’d love that too. But he doesn’t have the skills or the materials. Now he has to go buy all that. And I see so many entrepreneurs that get into that trap of Oh, yeah, I can do that. It’s like all those things that you can do. But you shouldn’t necessarily be be doing and all of a sudden you’re in debt because you think that just because you can do it and you get the tools that can do it. But you’re not as good as everyone Videos that’s doing so you really shouldn’t have gotten into it in the first place. But anyway, going back to the book profit first he talks about before, before you, like your operating expenses should be at the bottom of what you pay. That’s what you have left is what your operating expenses are. And you should be paying yourself first. Like, whoa, yes. Whoa, because I was always my expenses. Were at the top, right.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, there’s money in the account. That means I can go buy a new course.
Wrong. Yeah.
Yeah. So what are you most excited about in the next 90 days?
Oh, I’m going to West Palm Beach, Florida in December to do install a luxury rooftop bar hotel. So that’ll be fun.
I’m excited about that. Gosh,
I may or may not fly down.
Yeah, but doesn’t he need a photographer?
Yeah, maybe I’m pretty sure He died. Uh huh. Yeah. And just what are you most excited about?
Um, gosh, I, we’ve done a lot of things the last few weeks that have been really fired that I’ve been excited about. So, I don’t think I can tell the client because it’s like an NDA, but I’ve been working with some major clients and voiceover and so being able to just kind of produce a really good something that they needed that fit with their brand, and then eventually being able to release that. It comes out in mid December, so I’m not sure if like those videos will be out so it’s fun to share my work working with a major cosmetics.
Very cool. Well, we’ll put a link back to your website in the show notes. When listeners I know I would love and I’m sure Justin David love as well to hear your aha was what’s really helps you out of this episode, so head on over to the KIM SUTTON comm forward slash pp. 16 Seven for all the show notes into leave a comment down below. There’s an episode that’s coming out soon right accidently asked listeners to leave a condom down below. Talking to a relationship coach, I have no idea where that came from it just out of nowhere and that will not be taken out in the bloopers. If it’s too bad, it was almost unrecoverable because right we just started rolling But anyway, KIM SUTTON comm forward slash p p six to seven and leave a comment down below. I have loved every single second of this chat I want to have many more and definitely have you on the purposeful parent printer podcast but where can listeners find you online? Your websites your podcast where is all that goodness?
all the goodness probably the easiest way is to send people to you can find us at square one show calm and then I have a link to the very bottom with clarity pro AV, which they works with and Jessica Lewis voice and the peanut square. So everything’s all under square one show calm,
awesome square, one show calm and anything else that we’ve talked about including books will be in the show notes. I think if each of you would take a moment to share a parting piece of advice, or a golden nugget that you would have for the listeners.
How about this? Can I ask a quick question? What do you please say? Where are for your listeners? What kind of where are they?
In life Enlai, I know that. I’m going to throw that out to listeners because this has been a Kim Phil maybe fails too strong of a word, but I have not asked the listeners to tell me who they are. But let’s just think that they are where I was. And they’re there. They’re in the place where We are actually, they’re struggling to determine their value there. They want more confidence to voice their value. And they are walking that line between wanting to make income and really wanting to make an impact. You can there’s if that defines you, let me know if it doesn’t define you let us know where you are in the show notes.
Yeah, I think that’s all go ahead, Dave.
I would just say just encourage them to continue to take the risks and test things and not be afraid of the failure of or be afraid that they don’t have what it takes. Because I think from my own experience and our experience, we know that’s not true. Because the more that we put ourselves out there and take those risks, the more we see in return, not necessarily always success, but every failure even we learn from and we grow, so at the very least you’re going to grow in a major way.
Yeah, be curious. You know, just ask lots of questions. I think we find our answers by asking the right questions. So that might be, okay, I need more income. But what else is surrounding that? You know, do I have a family? Do I have a spouse? Do? What are my responsibilities? And then how can I support them? By doing something that gives back to me that I love to do? You know, how do I say no to certain things? If that’s how my brain is just because there’s a million things I could say. But I think the main thing is just be curious and ask ask the right questions.
