023: Too Little, Too Late
“If I return this work laptop, I won’t be able to afford my own.”
I was on the brink of financial ruin. How could it come to this?
Just a few months earlier, I was driving a Porsche 911 down a Memphis freeway with my music blasting and the biggest smile on my face. Just last week I clinked glasses with Adam Levine at one of Nashville’s hottest clubs. Before him, it was the Black Eyed Peas ...
Now I didn’t know if I would have a laptop, and perhaps even an apartment.
My success story had gone terribly wrong.
Have you ever felt like you were born for greatness? I thought I could build an empire. I’d built my network, advanced my way up the ladder, and landed a job at one of Nashville’s most respected concert promotion agencies.
Then, through a series of missteps, I was cast out of my industry. Bridges were burned and I couldn’t return.
Not long after, I was on the brink of financial disaster, clutching my laptop and unwilling to part with it, knowing what it meant.
I was confused. How had this become my reality doing what I considered and society considers “all the right things”?
They say when you’re going through hell, don’t do anything to make it worse. But that’s exactly what I did. Because when I found myself in this terrifying position, I just froze. And I was unwilling to ask for help.
I couldn’t see the way out and was afraid to tell other people for fear of judgment.
Years of struggle and hardship could have easily been avoided if I had the right support and guidance at the time.
Was all that needless suffering necessary?
After years of coaching online entrepreneurs, I've observed this all-too common pattern. It’s where an entrepreneur will wait until the 11th hour before they are willing to admit that they need help.
And just like that confused, misguided “Phil” in my youth, their comeback is often harder than it needs to be. I wish I’d asked for help earlier, and I wish others would do the same.
It’s not anyone’s fault, really. We lean towards the optimistic side, are independent, we want to believe we’ve got our shit handled.
It’s easy to look at what other people are doing online, mimic what appears to be working, and repeat the mantra “If they can do this, I can too”.
If you are feeling stressed out in your business, experiencing overwhelm, and confused as to why all your best efforts aren’t making an impact on your goals, then it may be time to consider asking for some support. Surface-level tactics never cure an underlying problem.
And if you let the pattern of “I’ve got this” play out for too long, when in reality, you have no plan, then you might find yourself in a situation where your options are severely limited.
For me, that was admitting I was in over my head and getting a "real job" while I regrouped and rebuilt my finances.
Going back to a “real job” was painful, and it could have been avoided.
It’s time to call out the elephant in the room: Waiting too long to get help for unnecessary struggles and even failure.
It’s like waiting until your car is out of gas before looking for a gas station. By the time you realize you need help, you might be stuck on a lonely mountain stretch where it’s too late to turn things around easily.
This is a common mistake that many entrepreneurs make. In my coaching sessions, and knowing my own story, I’ve found this “help-rejection” is often due to pride or not wanting to appear weak to peers, friends, and family.
But there’s no shame in asking for help. In fact, it’s a sign of strength and wisdom. To recognize when you’re in over your head, which happens to all of us who strive, is not something to be condemned—but commended.
In fact, you deserve credit for even reading this far about the topic of asking for help. Want to keep it going?
Here are three questions you can ask yourself to assess whether or not it’s a good time to reach out for help:
How often am I feeling stressed and overwhelmed?
How often do I get stuck in a cycle of trial and error, with more errors than successes?
How often do I feel my business vision and goals are muddy instead of clear?
If the answer to these questions is “too often,”, you could likely benefit from outside assistance.
The best time to seek help is not when you’re on the brink of a crisis, but when you first start feeling overwhelmed or unsure. When you sense that things are starting to go off track, that’s your cue to reach out to someone who can provide guidance and support.
Even the most successful business leaders had ongoing assistance as they rose in their careers.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. If you’re experiencing warning signs in your business that you might not have a sustainable path forward, find someone whose guidance you trust and reach out now.
And if you would like to explore what support could look like working with Carolina and I, we’re opening up the space for 5 conversations this month about our Be The Flow Coaching Program where we guide you through a holistic process of creating an action plan for growing your business, while being supported and held accountable to showing up powerfully in service to your highest vision as the true you.
Join us for a Harmony Map Discovery Call
Haven’t taken the quiz yet? You can do so here.
Happenings
We are headed to Austin Next Month!
Carolina and I are headed to Austin next mont for a mastermind event and have a few extra days planned in the city for connection and fun. If you are are in Austin, we would love to meet you!
And likewise, if you are able to make an introduction to someone you feel we should connect with doing awesome things, we'd be grateful!
Drop us a line by replying to this email!
We've started work on the book!
It's always been a long-term goal of Carolina and I's to write a book, and this past week, we took the first steps towards writing the book on Sacred Business together. We've got a few working title ideas, and we'll share more about as it all begins to come into focus.
But for now, it felt powerful for us to make a commitment to each other which I'm sharing here now: we'll have our book ready to share no later than December 31st, 2024!
And we are creating some powerful incentives for ourselves to stay the course when it feels like life is starting to get in the way (something I always suggest clients do as well).
We'll be sharing more ways we would love to have you involved with the book soon!
FREE ASSESSMENT
Sacred Business Harmony Map
The Harmony Map is a powerful yet simple tool that allows you to visualize how you relate to yourself, your business, and the divine.
FREE ($27 Value)
Who We Are Celebrating This Week: Shauna Wetenkamp
Shauna is a walking miracle (literally). I met Shuana for the first time on retreat in Encinitas, and beyond just feeling a deep connection with her, I was blown away when I heard her incredible story of resilience and determination. After a life-altering accident where she was run over by a Ford F-150 pickup truck, she defied all odds and made the choice to not just survive, but to thrive.
Shauna's use of holistic practices, such as essential oils, meditation, and the power of positive thinking, propelled her towards miraculous healing and an extraordinary comeback.
I was so happy to reconnect with her last week after far too long to set up a time to talk about how she might be able to support us in creating custom oil blends for each of The 9 Fundamental Frequencies.
I'm hoping for good things to come!
Watch the video below to witness Shauna's remarkable journey and be inspired to embrace the power of choice and resilience in your own life.
You can also learn more about her work here.
Things I'd Like to Share
Unleash the Dragon (Click Here)
Carolina and I have been working a lot with Dragon Energy the past couple weeks in our Radiant Flow practice group, and the idea of shedding old skin and protective layers that may no longer be serving us, in order to create something new.
Here's a playlist I created that is perfect for breath work and movement practice. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
The Future is Here (Click Here for A Free Month)
Earlier this year I declared an audacious goal that I wanted to experience having a true six-pack for the first time in my life. While, I'm sure it will feel amazing to hit this goal, for me it was more about allowing myself to go for something that I had never really considered for myself because it felt too hard or out of reach, and the realization that the only reason I've never accomplished this goal is I never believed it was possible for me.
I'm happy to share that I'm likely only a week or two away from fully realizing this goal, and I wouldn't have made the progress I have without two incredible apps that I'm sharing this week in the spirit of Fundamental Frequency #3: Vitality.
Future is bringing human connection to digital person training. I can't recommend it enough if you are looking for some affordable personal support, in a way that leverages really smart technology to pair you with a coach that you can select based on your specific priorities and goals.
Check it out, and get a free month on me (I do get a small credit towards my own monthly fee if you choose to try it out using this link).
Macrofactor (Click Here)
Continuing with the theme of Vitality this week, I invite you dive into the world of smart nutrition tracking with MacroFactor, the app designed to adapt to your unique metabolism and dietary needs.
Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain muscle, or maintain your current results, MacroFactor offers a personalized approach that evolves with you.
I had no idea there was an app out there quite like this!
Key Features:
Dynamic Nutrition Coaching using Artificial Intelligence: Experience the flexibility of a nutrition coach that adjusts your macro plan based on your body's changing needs, ensuring you're always on the right track.
Effortless Food Logging: As a past MyFitnessPal user, I can say this is light years ahead. Macrofactor claims to have the fastest food logger on the market, and I would agree that this is the quickest and easiest way to track your meals while ensuring accuracy.
Memorable Quote:
"As you embrace the infinite self, it will show you things that you have never seen before...your inner and outer selves enter into a delightful conversation and soon melt into one, and the outer reality changes to reflect the serenity of the Inner you ...you will ask a question of yourself, and a bus will pass with an advertisement pasted on its side, and the text of the ad will answer your question.” - Stuart Wilde, Infinite Self
