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In this episode, we discuss:

• The self-trust required in allowing your business to evolve and change over time
• Empowering questions to ask about your business to find stability and profit
• Key parameters to move your business forward in 90 days
• How to increase sales by cultivating relationships with your social media followers
• Why you need to stop the comparison game in your online business
• Steps for determining what you’re good at and leveraging it in your business

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Transcript Episode:

Welcome to the Uncensored Empath, a place for us to discuss highly sensitive energy, illness, healing, and transformation. My name is Sarah Small, and I’m a life and success coach for empaths who want to create a thriving body, business, and life. Think of this podcast as your no-BS guide to navigating life, health, and entrepreneurship. You’ll get straight to the point, totally holistic tips from me in real-time, as I navigate this healing and growth journey right beside you. This is a Soul Fire Production.

Welcome to the show. Today’s guest is Kristen Hinman. She is the host of, ‘Cut the Crap Podcast’, which delivers unfiltered business advice and strategies to entrepreneurs who are truly committed to doing what it takes to achieve the growth and success that they know that they are capable of. Kristen is also the founder and creative director of a digital marketing agency, Peare Media. And works with brands day in, and day out, to leverage their success into new opportunities. She is the woman to talk to for a no-nonsense approach to finding stability and profit in your business. In today’s conversation, that’s exactly what we’re going to be talking about. She has a wealth of knowledge that I could have just kept asking her questions, and questions, and questions, but there’s so much value packed into this conversation. So let’s dive in.

Sarah: Kristen, welcome to the show. I’m super excited to have you on today.

Kristen: Thank you. I’m excited to be here.

The self-trust required in allowing your business to evolve and change over time

Sarah: So, you were just telling me that your intuition and it naturally guided you to make a few changes, some shifts in your business before all of this global crisis started happening. Can you tell me a little bit about that story and what your intuition was guiding you to do, and what the results of that has been?

Kristen: Yeah. I didn’t know that it was guiding me. It kind of hit me over the head to be honest.

Sarah: Oh, that happens sometimes too.

Kristen: But there was sort of this series of events that had led up to it. It actually started last summer when I actually brought on an employee. One of my weaknesses running my business has always been looking at the finances and really understanding what is, what isn’t, and how it all plays together. And so, I thankfully found someone here to support me with that. Who I just adore, cause she just lays it all out. And so, sort of through this process of understanding that, I was really able to see. Now fast forward to earlier this year, there were just things that were happening in my business that, one – I wasn’t totally aligned with; two – had kind of shifted since I started my business in March of 2016. So that was over four years ago now. And that I was still doing because they were profitable, and making me money. And so, I started looking at all this information, I think in February, and having support around that. I felt it not really going in the direction that I’m feeling pulled in right now. And so, I have some major life things coming up. I’m pregnant and I’m having a baby, and at the end of September, our third kid. And so, all of these things happened at once. And we’ve talked about this before, I’m a sacral authority. And so, as soon as I sort of heard that question, What is that? It was a no. This isn’t the direction I want to keep going, as soon as I asked myself that question. And so, I ended up having to tie up a lot of loose ends.

I downsized my business, and really only kept and took on the clients that I really still love supporting. And I let go of an employee I had been working with, and actually helped her transition to a different agency. And I was wrapping things up, and I remember talking to someone who I was ending a relationship with. And I was, it needs to be done by this day. This is our day. And we were going back and forth, and she’s well, why? I was, I don’t know why, but it has to be this date. And it was within a week, about that day the pandemic hit the U.S., it felt like. And it was thank goodness. Cause we were traveling to see my family in Hawaii. And my husband also has his own business. So, I was with the kids and, it was just during this very uncertain time. That I, all of a sudden had pulled back on the commitments, and almost the hustle or the force of continually trying to drive forward. Where I knew I still want to go forward, but I’m not exactly certain how, but that’s kind of eh. So that’s it in a nutshell of how it happened.

Sarah: It’s so interesting. And actually, that really reminds me of just the hesitation I’ve heard so many people express around evolving within their business, pivoting within their business. I think there can be some fear around rebranding, downsizing, saying no to money. And what does that mean? And am I allowed to say no to money? Or am I allowed to downsize? Am I allowed to make changes? And my personal brand and business has evolved two major times now. So this is the third evolution of me and my business. And I’m curious what your thoughts are on allowing businesses to evolve, and to change over time?

Kristen: Yeah. To your point, it certainly was, I was saying that the person was, why this day? It felt very sudden, but for me, it felt right. I have always been someone where I make a decision. Once I make a decision, I can move full force through it. And that doesn’t always happen for everyone, I know. But it’s the power of stepping into that decision. I don’t know if it’s the right decision. All I know is that it feels like the right decision. And it feels like the way I should go. But I think a lot of people get stuck in, Oh, what if? And then you’re stuck in between both. You’re stuck with a foot forward and a foot behind you, and you can’t be effective in either. I mean, the opposite end of that decision is, I could have kept driving forward down the path I was going. Which I think also would have been really successful. But it wasn’t quite aligned with where I necessarily want to go. And even though I’m not a hundred percent clear on, let’s say a final destination, so to speak. I still know that this is the right direction. And so, I think for a lot of people, it can be really difficult to first, actually make the decision. And then, have to make the decisions that support you going in that direction. Because that’s actually the hardest part, is then, downsizing and trusting that you do know, that was for you.

Empowering questions to ask about your business to find stability and profit

Sarah: Well, it sounds to me like there’s a lot of self-trust that is required of, I trust that my mind, my body, my spirit, are guiding me in the right direction. Even if it doesn’t make perfect sense right away. I still trust that this is the path that I’m meant to take. And, I just think that it requires us to garner up that courage to say, I am going to do this. I’m going to pivot, or I’m going to downsize, or I’m going to hire more people for more support. And I’m going to grow my business, regardless of what the change is. There’s a lot of listening to intuition and a lot of trust, I think required. And so many business owners talk about inconsistency and income. And one of the things that you teach and mentor on [inaudible] is out how to find stability and actual profit in business. Cause I think there’s also misconception around. I mean, it’s amazing and celebrate the hell out of yourself, when you make your first dollar in your business. But those first few dollars don’t necessarily mean profitable. And so, what approach do you take when you’re coaching people on finding that stability and profit in their business? Also with keeping in mind that most of the business owners listening to this show are in the coaching, self-development, personal development industry.

Kristen: That’s a great question. First of all, I would say that I think what happens a lot of times is, to your point, you start making a little bit of money or maybe you’re on a bunch of different platforms, and you’re really busy. And so, there’s definitely a difference between staying busy and actually doing the things required to move your business forward. And the way that I sort of dissect that, that’s maybe the bigger picture overview. But the way that I dissect that is I actually have people start with, how do you want to feel? And I know you’re big into this, I’ve listened to a couple of your past shows recently, of, where are you sitting? How does it feel and what kind of money do you want to make? What are you? And that’s the manifestation process that you have described. And once you can get that, that’s really helpful for me, when I work with clients to understand where they want to go. And how they want it to look, and what it’s going to look like for them.

And so, even just doing that process for yourself, specifically around your business, and setting measurable goals that are in a timeline of when you want to achieve that, that’s really helpful. And from there, the second part of that is understanding where you’ve been, and where you are. And being really honest. I spoke to this earlier, is what have you sold up to date? Because when I have people do this, what’s really interesting is often they’re really passionate about, let’s say a certain product that they’ve put out or a retreat. For instance, I remember talking to someone who just loved doing these retreats. But when she really looked at it, she loved it, but they weren’t her profit centers, something else she was doing. And it wasn’t until she actually had it listed out in black and white. I was, this generated ‘x’ amount for me in this year.

And not to say that, that you’re going to follow those numbers, so to speak. Let’s say, retreats are your thing. Now we know though, how can we put more energy and effort behind what it is that really lights you up? But also, in a way that’s not going to, if you’re making six times the money selling a group coaching program, but you’re burnt down on it. How can we now transition you into doing something else, that you like, whatever that next step looks like for you? And so I have a process that I take people through, and that’s the bigger picture of it. It’s understanding where you want to go, where you’ve been, and then filling in the blanks in between, with the data and information you already have. So that you know, what it looks like to make those steps. And is there a decision that you can make right now, in the short-term that’s going to move you forward? Or is this sort of decision that you’re faced with, or time that you’re spending? Is it going to be better suited to serve you in the long run? Is this going to build up your podcast following? Is this going to build up your Instagram following? So yes, maybe you should be doing a little bit every day, but you shouldn’t be spending all your time on it.

Why you need to stop the comparison game in your online business

Sarah: Yeah, that’s, it’s so easy. I’m putting myself back in my own shoes of, year one inside of my business. And I was just desperate for any money, and any client. And I really never zoomed out. I never zoomed out to ask myself. I mean, I wasn’t doing P and L’s at the end of the month. I wasn’t looking at my numbers. I was just kind of flailing. And it was a business, but I didn’t look at it from the big picture. I was more stuck in the everyday. How can I build this community? How can I make my money? What program should I launch next? But not looking at it as far as, how do I want to feel, and what is most sustainable for me? And I think I was just asking a lot of the wrong questions unknowingly.

I didn’t have a coach that helped me from the beginning. I didn’t hire anyone to start and I didn’t really know what I was doing. I just was listening to my heart that said, do this, go forward and do it. And I just think that guidance, the tips you just shared are so helpful. Because it allows us to zoom out a little bit, and look at the big picture. And ask those empowering questions around what do I, how do I want to feel, what do I love doing? But also what’s most profitable within my business, and then build more of a framework, and a structure around that. And I think even just having framework and structure is something I did not have in the beginning of my business. And having that makes everything feel so much better.

I also saw on your Instagram recently, posted about how to gain more clients or customers based on whether you have more of a service-based or product-based business. But again, most people listening, I would think have more of a service-based business. But how do we consistently attract people into our space without, I’m quoting you now, without feeling like you’re flying by the seats of your pants? And instead, let this feel like a natural, more organic process, or an easier process. Versus again, if I put myself back about four years ago, myself, too when I started my business. It felt so hard. It felt so hard to get those clients. And now, they just trickle in. But I’d love to hear your take on how we can all do that, in a way that also protects our energy?

Kristen: To your point, I have started working in more of a consulting and coaching capacity in the last year. And up to that point, I had worked with pretty traditional businesses. I still have an agency that I run, and operate, and we focused a lot on paid traffic. Which just means spending money online, doing advertising, and how to attract people. And what I realized is that these businesses are service-based businesses too. And so, a lot of that translates into exactly what probably your audience is listening to. And one of the biggest things, what you’re speaking to about in year one of your business, which I’ve been there. I have had almost the exact same experience. And I think a lot of people do, because you’re excited. And it’s also good because you have to figure out who you want to work with, and who you don’t. And what you like doing and what you don’t. And what’s worth your time. All these things that you’ve learned, you have to learn on the fly when it’s just you.

And I think the best way that I have found when I guide people’s through this is, what happens is we get really overwhelmed. Because we start seeing all the other people. I think we’ve talked about this before, of this idea of creating more than you consume. Because when you start looking at other people’s Instagram accounts or their YouTube channel, or their podcasts and, Oh, I’m not doing that, and I should be doing this. And you start getting pulled in all these directions. And then, you hit that point where it’s, Oh, nothing’s working, this doesn’t work. You might even have hired a social media consultant or different people. Maybe it’s been a virtual assistant and is, Oh, this doesn’t work. They don’t understand. And what we actually have to do is, again, it might be the same answer, no matter the question you asked me. But it’s to take a step back to understand where do we want to go?

Key parameters to move your business forward in 90 days

And so, if we want to grow your podcast, for instance, you’re going to spend your time and your energy in a different place. Then if you really want to enroll five clients in your group program right now. And so, the energy that you put into those different things only comes from being clear on what your goal is for the month. And so, I like to tackle it in 90-day cycles. And I do a process that I call, identify, test, and refine. And so first thing is to identify what is it that we want to focus on in the next 90 days? Because if you are really clearly focused on that thing, for 90 days at a time. You will be so much further, then if you tried to focus on 10 different things in that same period. And maybe, there are certain authority types that thrive in that situation. But for the most part, what I found is that, when you can be really clear about let’s use the podcast. I want to grow my podcast in the next 90 days. So now, how many listeners do you have? How many do you want? Or subscribers. How many downloads are you getting? How many do you want? So that you have something real and concrete. And it doesn’t necessarily need to be monetary. It doesn’t need to be, I want to make $5,000 next month. It can be, I want to gain 10 followers. It could be something that’s more achievable for you. So the first thing, one, identify it. And then, you want to test it. And so, the only way you can test it is by having those parameters. I like to use 90 days, I do it with my clients on the agency side and consulting.

So that we’re really focused, because in 90 days, it’s enough time to gain momentum on something. And it’s also enough time to review what you just did. It’s a good sample size if you will, of time spent on an activity. And so, if it’s to grow your podcast, what are we going to test in those 90 days? Am I going to post every day online? Am I going to run Facebook ads? Now, you’re brainstorming. You dump all the things you could possibly do. And you look at it from that perspective of, what’s really going to move me forward in those 90 days? And let’s write down what we’re going to test. And then, at the end, you refine it. You look at what just happened in the 90 days. What did you like? How did it feel? And I want to be clear too, sometimes you might, let’s for instance, I actually picked a month where I went live every single day on Facebook. And this was maybe a year and a half ago. And I looked at it at the month’s end, again, you should use 90 days, not a month. But I looked and I was, it doesn’t feel like anyone watched it. And again, that’s just how I felt. I didn’t feel anyone watched it, but I actually then, went back and looked. And I had more engagement than I had ever had. And then, what started happening is when I would see out in the world, in the real world, they’d say, Oh, I saw your video about this, and what about this? And so it was that consistency of setting that clear goal, for that certain amount of time.

And then, looking back at it and seeing what worked, what didn’t work. For me, it wasn’t realistic to go live every single day. But it was a short time period where I’m, I could do this every day for a month. And again, it’s the perimeters of I think that would move me forward. Because I wanted to get more in that goal specifically, I wanted to get more comfortable speaking on live video. And I already felt pretty good at it, but I noticed that I just wasn’t doing it. So, I wanted to one, get in the habit of doing it, and two, be more comfortable doing it. So, that’s actually a good example of something that’s not monetary too.

Sarah: That’s so helpful. And we can all utilize that three-step process in different ways. As it applies to anyone who has a business or even just a non-monetary goal in their life.

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How to increase sales by cultivating relationships with your social media followers

Sarah: Have you found working with any clients specifically, or just notice any themes that have worked well, as far as that more experimental phase in gaining more clients, more one on one clients?

Kristen: Yeah, a couple things. So, especially when you are using something like social media to gain clients. And you probably teach on this too, is that you can’t post every single day, with buy my thing, buy my thing, work with me, do that. And so, really having the structure in place. Am I going to tell stories, am I going to, what is happening in my real life that I can share? And then, almost, I’m not Type A or OCD, but this is helpful again when you look at it in 90 days. Let’s say in 90 days from now, you have a certain number of clients you want to have. So, that needs that promotion on that, it needs to start now. And maybe you do more the promotional launch style stuff. Where you’re enrolling people and really pushing for a course towards the end of that 90 days. But now, you have a framework to work within, knowing that you’re really going to provide a lot of value on the front end. So that by the time you get to your offer, people are now, more invested in you. That’s just one strategy. There’s a lot of different strategies out there. The biggest one is just, there’s a person on the other side of that message. You can tell when you get a direct message, or if you’re on LinkedIn, when you get one of those annoying messages. You know it’s just a bot regurgitating something. It’s this long thing that you don’t want to read. You’re, delete, get out of here. But when you can remember that it’s a person, and your job is not necessarily to sell them in DMs. But it’s to listen to them, because the more you can just ask questions, what are they struggling with? Why? How does it make them feel? Then you can actually see if what you have to offer might be a good fit for them. So that’s the second strategy in itself. If you’re constantly working with the DMs, for instance, just getting really good at listening to people and not following a script of asking three specific questions. And then saying, do you want to get on a call? It’s, No, I don’t want to.

Sarah: I don’t want to get on a call. Leave me alone. I really love the first point you made as well. Which is, I think there can be a misconception that when we’re sharing something, selling something, that we need to in every post, be like buy this thing. And that does not work. And your community is going to get really sick and tired of that. Just like we all know what it feels like to get a gross slimy, DM in our inbox. That feels super copy and pasted or from a bot. And someone’s asking you to jump on an hour call with them. And you’re, I don’t even know who you are. And that hour of my life is precious and you can’t have it. So no. And instead, there’s so much cultivating of a relationship because there is a real human being on the other side of that screen. Even though you’re just seeing maybe their little circle of a picture, or whatever their Instagram handle is, or whatever. Regardless, there’s a human on the other side. And I’ve even heard from some of my clients in the past, well, Sarah, I posted about this offer and no one’s body yet.

Okay. Well, how many times have you posted about it? One time, the first time you ever launched something, you posted about it once? No one bought it and you’re going to throw in the towel? Girlfriend, no. So, we to keep cultivating, and building, and sharing the value, and teachings, and building these relationships, and then sprinkle in the sales. Because we all got to, if you’re running a business yeah, you’re going to sell. And you’re going to need to make money to cover your bills, the way they need to have money to cover their bills. But there’s so much more to it than just that very standard sales post.

Kristen: Yeah. And then to that point too is, let’s say you did post it one time and no one bought. But did you go and strike up a conversation with the 10 people who liked it? Or did you call it back to anyone who is on social media? You have to engage with people. And the biggest thing that I see is that, especially when it’s our own offer, I’m guilty of this too. Our own offering and you know how valuable it could be to people. I see people get really attached to the offer itself and the outcome of making that sale. And I had a mentor tell me, and I actually have it here on a, post it on my computer is, when someone messages you or takes the time to engage in that conversation, listen, to respond to what they’re saying. Don’t listen in the context of, How can this fit into my offer? You almost have to detach from that outcome, because you may not be the right fit for that person. They may not be struggling with a problem that you can help. But they might be, but you wouldn’t know until you actually can talk to them, and hear what it is that they specifically are struggling with. And see if what you have makes sense for them too.

Sarah: I’ve also had clients come to me and I’ve personally experienced this too. Where someone ends up in your container, whether it is a one on one coaching container, or a group coaching container, or an online course. And this person is clearly not the best fit for this offer. And we scratch our heads and we’re, how did this person end up as a client or in this container? And oftentimes it’s cause we maybe didn’t have a great screening process or we didn’t ask the right questions, to really get to know them and see if this was the best fit or opportunity for them to say yes to. And again, I’ve worked with clients who have shared the same kind of sentiments as myself, of then that becomes very draining, and very exhausting. Probably not just for you, but for them as well.

And then, there’s the whole breaking up with a client, which is never super fun. I’ve only had to do it, I think once. But it’s still not a fun process. And it’s something that I think can really be avoided by just taking more curiosity in people on the other end of a conversation. Asking really great questions, and being really intentional about who this offer is for and also, communicating that really well.

Which I think brings up the next point, which is there’s a lot of things that we are told in webinars, and on social media, or in more traditional forms of business marketing, in books, or school, or whatever on what we quote ‘should be doing’, to grow our business. Versus what we should actually be doing to grow our business. So what are your thoughts and opinions on that?

Kristen: Yes, it’s actually the reason I started my podcast. Is because when I first launched my business, I am also an information gatherer. And at the time I was transitioning from a career in PR and publicity, where I was always on the go and always getting our clients in the press. But I was at their beck and call, of the media schedule, so to speak. And so, when I launched this business, I knew that I wanted to have it fully be online. And I knew that I wanted to be able to serve people, using different digital marketing strategies. And so, I really had to immerse myself in learning everything I possibly could about it. And in a short period of time. And so what I found is that, when you listen to these things, it’s all of these strategies that sometimes have no context.

And then, you get on their email list and you’re getting 50 emails a day, and your head’s exploding. And so, I was overwhelmed all the time. I reached a point six months in, and my eyes are spinning out. Oh my gosh, yes, I consumed all this information, but now what do I do with it? And so, the reason I launched my podcast is because I want each episode to be about something specific, that you can take it or leave it. But if you take it, I want you to go and implement it. Or I want you to think about how it can work into your business. And so, I think that the shoulds come from seeing what everyone else is doing, and feeling like we’re not enough, or feeling like we have to keep up. Feeling like people would look at you and say, Oh, she has a podcast. And she has all these courses. And all I have is a group program. And that’s probably where you started, right?

Sarah: Absolutely.

Kristen: Everyone starts somewhere and you can’t compare where you are, with someone who you see one time on a YouTube video, or listen to one time in a podcast. And so I think the shoulds come from feeling like we’re never enough, and we’re not keeping up. And so again, it goes back to what’s actually really going on in your specific business? And this is why I think my agency has been so successful because we’re able to look at each business specifically. And why people stay with me for consulting, and that type of thing. And say, what’s really happening and what is going to make the most sense for your business right now?

Because I could talk for hours about Facebook ads or Google ads, but your business might not benefit from that. I could talk about organic strategies and content strategies, but maybe that’s not the fastest way to move your business forward right now. And so, when you can understand, what you’re really good at, what people, why people work with you, why they come to you, and how you really help them? You can then tailor the sales and marketing strategy to enhance that experience. So that, maybe you do start small. Maybe you do only start on Instagram or you do only start with a podcast. I wouldn’t recommend starting with a podcast. But if that’s for you, really go all in and maximize it. And figure out how to leverage it so that it fits into your profitability structure and your business model.

I think one of the biggest mistakes people make is actually not having a business model. Which I didn’t, when I first started, I didn’t even really understand the concept. But a business model is really simply how do people, one, find you, how do they retain your services, or pay you? And then, how do you retain them? How do you keep working? And everyone’s looks a little bit different. There are different ways you can set them up, that sort of look the same, but then everyone operates within that differently. So it has to be something that works for you, and understanding that is the first step.

Sarah: I’m loving this. And you actually reminded me of a quote. One of my very first yoga teachers ever said, which is don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. And obviously, this was in reference to yoga postures, because there can be a lot of comparison in that world of how close you get to your splits versus the person next to you. And it’s the same thing in social media and online business as well. Where, you don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle, or they’re in their third quarter, we don’t know. And, it goes along with the saying of don’t judge a book by its cover too. Because on the outside, you could see somebody, and I’ve learned this cause I’ve talked to people. And there are people who have a hundred thousand followers and they aren’t monetizing that at all, zero percent. there are people with 2,000 followers who are making $500,000 a year. And I know some of these people. And so, we can assume that the person who has five, 10, 15, 20 courses are making a shit ton of money, but that may not actually be the case. Versus the person who has the one really solid offer. That’s converting at a high rate or a high percentage might be doing way better and building more abundance in their business. And so, it’s really easy to judge, the outside of anybody’s life or business, especially in the modern age of social media, by that cover. But we don’t actually know, we don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. Unless they’re sharing their financials with us every month or something. Which not many business owners do that. So you also made a really good point around leveraging our skills and figuring out what we’re really good at. How do we figure out what we’re good at, and then leverage that in order to build more abundance within our businesses?

Steps for determining what you’re good at and leveraging it in your business

Kristen: And I think, especially in this context of people who are listening, who are coaches and that can be difficult to do. Especially when you’re in the earlier stages of maybe you’re about to launch, or you haven’t launched. I just actually worked with someone on developing this. And the very first thing is to make a list of everyone you’ve ever worked with. And let’s say you, haven’t taken on clients, go back and think about in your, maybe it’s a corporate career, or if you’re a stay at home mom, even. Think about interactions that you’ve loved, or people that you’ve helped in some capacity, and just write it all down. And this is just to get the process started, so to speak. And then, I like to create a couple of columns next to each name of, what did I like about working with that, or on that project? Or, I mean, let’s say you’ve spearheaded a PTA fundraiser or something. There are places to look, even if you haven’t traditionally worked yet, in your field. And what did I like? What did I not like so much?

Maybe there was drama or something, or maybe you had a boss who really sucked. But usually, there are things that come out. For instance, I really loved working in PR, there were definitely things I didn’t like about it. But what I loved was really supporting my clients to have this business that then survived. And the reason I then started my agency, is I wanted to take it to the next level. And I wanted to continue to cultivate that. But it wasn’t until I was able to take a step back, and actually list out, I really like this and I didn’t like this. And that’s a good starting point if you’re figuring it out, or you’re just starting. Or even in the first year of business, go back and look at all the people who have paid you, up to this client.

I don’t care if they paid you two cents. If they paid you something, go back and look. And do this analysis on yourself, ask yourself whatever those questions are that are feel good to you. Did they pay on time? Yes or no. Were they a good client? All those things that you could come and take into consideration. And I think from that, typically trends start to emerge of, Man, I’m really good at supporting people in this capacity. But when these types of situations occur either, I don’t like them or I struggle with guiding people through. And I want to be clear too, just because you struggle with it. It doesn’t mean to not continue to pursue it. You have to, again, look at the context. Maybe that’s just the next thing for you to learn. And so that’s one way to start to devote, to figure out what it is you’re really good at. And the next step from there, as you grow into being a business owner and having your business, I think that it sort of naturally happens through trial and errors. You just get better at positioning yourself, which just means you just get better at seeing how you help people, what problem you solve, and how you help people.

And you don’t need to have some formula. Some Instagram bio that says I help people do this and x, y, and z in 90 days. And that’s not necessarily what I’m talking about, but you just get better at explaining concisely how you can help people, and what problem you truly solve. And so, if you’re looking, if you’re out there and you’re listening and you’re looking for, well, I don’t even know what I’m good at. Just start making lists, and don’t use your memory. Cause sometimes even just writing it out, you start to remember things. Or you’re, Oh, I did really help that. I forgot about that person. And then you sometimes, I’ve done it before and I realized, Oh, I really don’t want to be doing that, in that capacity. And then you can even backtrack. How did I get connected with that person?

I really loved working with that client. That was a great client for me. In fact, I’ve reverse-engineered this. I have some clients who’ve been with me since I started my agency. And maybe a year or two ago I sat down, I was, gosh, these guys are fantastic. I love to talk to them. They trust and respect me. They pay on time. They show up to our meetings prepared. How did I find them? What was the course? What did our relationship, how did it evolve? And sometimes even doing that stuff, I was then able to, Okay, I like to go after these types of people for clients.

Sarah: I think, you’re right in that, we may not know exactly what we’re really, really good at, or our zone of genius is. Or the problem that we solve in the very beginning of a coaching business, because you haven’t practiced yet. And so, that practice is so, so valuable to just, even if it’s for a testimonial, or for free. Or it’s just a small exchange of energy. And that’s what I now have a coach training program. It’s eight months long, it’s called Illuminated. And the coaches inside are all practicing with each other. And it is insane. They came in questioning, can I do this? And now they’re practicing. And in that practice, it’s again, so valuable because they’re realizing I really liked this. This was so, so, Oh my gosh, I just held space for that transformation, and she got. I can’t even believe I helped her that much. And they’re figuring out what am I really good at, through that practice. Through doing that repetition of over and over again. Versus it’s just so normal in the beginning, to not be super, super clear on what that is.

Kristen: Yeah. And I think it’s really, when you were talking, I realized sometimes it’s just even looking at your own journey. Having someone to either say it out loud to, or write it down. How did I get from there to there? Especially if that’s what you’re going to be coaching on. And almost realize, almost trying to dig out what were the turning points? When did I make that shift? Why? Who helped me, in what capacity? And how can I now, reflect that or be of service in that capacity?

Sarah: Yeah. That’s so good. Kristen, thank you so much. Is there anything else you’d like to share with everyone listening?

Kristen: I would just say, you know, this time that we’re in right now, it’s, it can really be a time of abundance. Or, it could be a time of rest. It doesn’t necessarily, I want to encourage people, because I’ve struggled with this over the last few weeks. Take what you need during this quarantine time. And maybe this will air much after. But, with any time in your business don’t be fooled or feel this pressure of the shoulds and shouldn’ts, because you see someone else doing it. I’ve really realized that I just need the time to rest, and regroup, and think about what’s next. And there’s no timeline on that, for me. I just need the space to do it. And so, I would just encourage people no matter when you’re listening to this, if we’re in a pandemic or not. Always just remember that for your own business when you want to compare.

Sarah: That’s such a good reminder. And I’ve been leaning into that personally as well, just giving myself some grace. And even though we’re potentially on social media more, because there’s more time to resist the urge to compare, compare, compare, and try to keep up with whatever everyone else’s pace is. So thank you for that reminder. And where can everyone find more out about you?

Kristen: I think the best place is probably Instagram. It’s Kristin_Hinman, which I’m sure you’ll pop down below. And I have a podcast called, ‘Cut the Crap’, which you can, if you just head to my Instagram profile, there are a couple of links in there. Including a workbook that I developed that describes the process that I actually take people through. If you’re interested in having a physical something to write down and you can find useful there.

Sarah: That sounds so good. And Kristen is also part of those Soul Fire Productions family, which we’re very excited. And go find her on Instagram. Kristin, thank you so much for being on today. I appreciate you.

 

Okay. So full disclosure, being part of Soul Fire Productions is the most magical, fantastical thing because it feels like a little soul tribe family of other podcast hosts. Where we collaborate, and we get to mastermind, and it brings so much joy to my life. And, I am somebody who thrives on that community. So I want to introduce you to a few more of the podcast hosts inside of this network. Today, I’m going to introduce you to the most fabulous, which is, their names are, Leah Knauer and Rachel Laforest of Basic Witches. These ladies are next level. It is so much fun to be a fly on the wall during their conversations. And you can ride along during their episodes with Leah and Rachel, as they share their deep thoughts, deep breathing, and deep belly laughs. And open up with celebrity guests and professionals in the spiritual world, that they have on as guests. They ask the basic questions, so you don’t have to. Astrology.com loves them, and I think you will too. So give this fiery Gemini and Scorpio duo, a listen, anywhere podcasts can be found. And as the Basic Witches say, “X-O-X-O”.

Sarah: That’s all for today’s episode, I hope you love this conversation as always check out the show notes for all of our sponsors and Kristin’s contact information. And as another reminder, I have created an Empath Healing playlist for you. And if you want access to many hours of music that is my favorite, and what I listened to. When I’m going through healing, when I’m feeling the feels, when I want to be high vibe, just email me sarah@theuncensoredempath.com, to learn about how you can get this free healing playlist.

Connect with Kristen Here:

IG: @kristen_hinman

Website: ctcpod.com

 Cut The Crap: Business Breakthroughs with Kristen Hinman!

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Online courses | 1:1 coaching | Send show requests to sarah@theuncensoredempath.com!

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