Mindset – “The Thriving You” – April 2020
At this point, I’ll assume you are on my weekly email list and have read at least in part some of my messaging around how to not just survive Covid19 but to thrive both personally and professionally during this crazy time in our lives.
The lessons we talk about this month at The Thursday Club really have nothing to do with COVID19 but everything to do with how to react to situations in your life.
PS: You are living the life you want.
You are CHOOSING how to react to situations – including this COVID19 one.
To be honest I got caught up in the hype and constantly sharing how our government isn’t doing enough and how awful everything is. It was sucking the life out of me. Not that I’m taking any of this pandemic lightly – I’m not. What I am doing is focusing on the light, the sunshine and NOT dwelling on the negative.
Mindset. What you focus on you become.
Say it with me: “What I focus on I become.”
This my friends is the secret to happiness and success.
If you think you won’t – you won’t. If you think you can – you will.
I shared a story on my personal Facebook page the other day via video while I was taking a break from running in the Texas afternoon heat. Here’s a recap…
About 3 years ago Jenn and I made a huge shift in our business. The writing was on the wall – marketing firms like ours were dying left and right. What I was once getting paid 6 figures for I was now getting 20-30K for. I had to do a lot more work for a lot less money. I had to lay off employees.
It was either reinvent or close shop. For me – closing shop was not an option because I knew deep down in my soul I had something to offer the world. I had a talent that is valuable that others need. I just had to figure it out.
Jenn and I decided to scale back and reinvent. We began to teach versus do. People wanted to learn how to DIY their marketing – OK.
We created courses and masterminds
We helped others do the same.
We taught others how to manage their digital marketing – much of it for FREE.
We served and we served and we served.
I went months without a paycheck. There were times Jenn had to defer getting her paycheck until cash came into the biz.
I took out loans.
I maxed out a few credit cards.
I was all in.
I failed a bunch.
Things I tried didn’t work.
In the midst of it all – I trained for a marathon, I sold my house and everything in it to go live in our RV fulltime. Why – because those were goals I committed to.
I wanted it all badly enough to just DO.
I wanted my company to succeed.
I wanted to keep Jenn on the payroll because she is the best damn employee ever and I needed her to do what I had to do.
I had shit I wanted to accomplish – so I just said “F*ck You – road bumps – get the hell out of my way!” When I fell – I got back up.
My marathon – everything went wrong. I finished out of pure determination.
You see the secret to success is grit. It’s your will to do it.
You WILL FAIL. If you are smart – you will take those failures as lessons.
Here’s what I know:
Q1 was Red Barn’s best quarter in 3 years. All the hard work, all the sacrifices paid off. Jenn and I created multiple streams of income – both at Red Barn and in our personal lives. We made ourselves COVID proof.
If we had quit 3 years ago we wouldn’t be able to help so many businesses who are struggling now.
If we had quit – we may have been at a job right now that doesn’t exist due to COVID.
If we had quit – I would be miserable and so would Jenn.
HOMEWORK:
What can you do right now to shift what you are doing?
If you are struggling with your business – what can you offer your customers in our New World?
Go back to your journal – are you focusing on what you want versus what you do not have?
EVERY SINGLE DAY – show up with the attitude that is positive.
How you react matters.