Small Business Bestie
Entrepreneurship is hard, and sometimes we could use a friend to walk a mile in our shoes. Small Business Bestie is here to provide that friendship, support, and inspiration that small business owners need from time to time.
Small Business Bestie
BONUS! Creating Change Through Community and Compassion with Jess Upchurch King
What drives a visionary entrepreneur and nonprofit founder like Jessica Upchurch-King to leave behind her roots in Stanford, Kentucky, and forge a path of empowerment in Uganda? Discover the transformative journey ignited by a mission trip to Peru that led Jess to dedicate her life to providing safe housing and education for women and girls living in extreme poverty. Her story is a testament to the power of intuition and a higher calling, revealing what it means to truly make a difference in our world.
Get ready for the second annual EmpowHer Brunch Gala, where delicious brunch, bottomless mimosas, and vibrant performances by African drummers await. This celebration of the strength and resilience of the women and girls supported by Jess's organization, YOU ARE CO, and be inspired by stories of community impact and personal growth. With limited seats available, seize the opportunity to connect, uplift, and be part of a movement that champions the power of kindness and empowerment. There are still opportunities to donate to the raffle prizes.
Experience the heartwarming resilience of a 17-year-old girl who, in the face of personal loss, found hope and a sense of belonging through education and the kindness of a nurturing family. As she masters a new language and advocates for her sister, her journey embodies the transformative magic of community support. We also celebrate the vibrant connections fostered by Michelle through the Small Business Besties Facebook group, emphasizing the profound impact of solidarity among small business owners.... and Michelle definitely does not cry.
Get tickets to the Gala: Gala information here!!!!
Follow YOU ARE: https://www.instagram.com/youare.co?igsh=OW9qYXA2eGF4YTJk
Follow Jess: https://www.instagram.com/jessupchurch?igsh=YWtlYnFzejcyYm0x
Donate to YOU ARE: https://www.youareco.org/
Check out the Small Business Bestie Website
Follow along on the Small Business Bestie Pod Facebook
Connect with Michelle on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/bestiemichellesmock
Check out the Small Business Bestie Website
Check out Cultivate Accounting
Small Business Bestie is edited by Bourbon Barrel Podcasting
Welcome to the Small Business Bestie podcast. I'm your host, Michelle. We are creating community and coaching women entrepreneurs, and we are so glad that you're here. Let's meet this week's Small Business Bestie, Jessica. Talk to me, let's do it. I am so excited to be chatting with you today. I know that we have so much to bring to our community and I am just thrilled that you were able to come. So tell everybody who you are and what you do.
Speaker 2:Perfect, I am Jessica Upchurch-King. I am a non-profit founder, visionary entrepreneur and I am a certified life and sales coach. A lot of people in the Lexington community know me through Women League Kentucky. Women League Kentucky is a marketing client of mine and that's where a lot of people see me, but I do a lot of other things behind the scenes.
Speaker 1:I love that. I think that that's why you and I are just like on the same wavelength so much of the time is because we're both like wearing all the hats and just running around like crazy.
Speaker 2:Right, we love all the hats, but what is cool is that it's overarching like one mission usually, yeah, and I think that's the thing for you, like for me, it's like in all the things that I do that I want to help prioritize and empower women to believe in who they are and, like show up and make the impact that you know they're capable of, and I feel like you're. The same way, it's like you're helping small businesses, whether it's women or and I feel like you, I mean you can for yourself, but especially small business besties like majority I would say, are women, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and I think you're right Like that's the, that's the mission. We may have a different avenue of the you know the way that we're approaching it because we have different skills or tools or you know opportunities but absolutely that's the mission, just the one mission. Yeah, I love that. Okay, well, we're done. Talk to you guys later. Have fun on your missions, all right, so let's break it down. The first one that you mentioned was you are a nonprofit founder and I mean, I'm excited about all the things you do, but I am in love with this particular aspect of your mission, so please tell us about it.
Speaker 2:It's called you Are, and we provide safe housing and education to women and girls, and our whole vision is to give more equal opportunities for women and girls living in extreme poverty. So right now we're working in Uganda, and that started out with because I used to live there, and when I tell people that they're like what, how did you end up in Uganda? Africa?
Speaker 1:Where are you from?
Speaker 2:I'm from Stanford, kentucky, and you ended up where In Uganda. All right, you know the story. It makes sense, right? I grew up and I was very involved in mission trips, and I think the first time I went out of the country was to Peru, and that was actually the first time I ever experienced just seeing the impact of telling a woman that she's beautiful and she's worthy of love. And the reason why I say that is because the first time I went to Peru is my first mission trip abroad and we had this princess night is my first mission trip abroad and we had this princess night and that is where we went on a group of women and girls. I was a senior in high school and we went on the streets and we met with the prostitutes that were sitting on the street. We just went up to them and gave them a rose and just said, hey, you are so beautiful and you are so worthy of love. And that moment really stuck with me. And it's cool how my life like what I do now, because before I never really connected it together, but that was really the start of it. And then so I went to school to be a PE teacher and that's what took me to Uganda is so, since Peru, I was really interested in going abroad and being immersed in different cultures and specifically empowering women and just reminding them of who they are, and so that led me.
Speaker 2:I always had a feeling like I would always I would love to go to Africa and Africa's huge right like there's so many places to go in Africa. And so I was talking to my cousin randomly and this is so divine, but I was like I would love to go to Africa. Do you have any recommendations? Because she's a well-known traveler. She's like well, actually my midwife lives in Uganda and she serves at an orphanage. We can go there, and the next thing you know, we're going there the next summer. And I noticed that they never had a PE teacher. So here I am going to school to be a PE teacher and I played collegiate basketball, and so I also noticed that they never. They love basketball, but they didn't have a basketball coach. And so I asked the directors I said, hey, when I graduate, can I move here and teach PE and coach basketball? And they're like why not? And so I raised leave every part of my life that I know that's comfortable and I'm going to go somewhere and see if I can be of service.
Speaker 1:That's amazing, great job.
Speaker 2:Thank you. You know a lot of people give me that compliment and I take that in. I appreciate that so much. I think that there's moments in life where, like your intuitive inner knowing, speeds louder than any uncertainty or fear, and I think those are moments where I wasn't really afraid. Like you know, a lot of people call me brave. I didn't feel brave, I just felt like this is right, this is what I'm supposed to be doing.
Speaker 1:Oh man, to be so tapped into that intuition and that higher calling is amazing. That's so cool. Thanks for sharing that story, thank you. So that's how you got to Uganda the first time. Yes, how did that transpire into you are? Yeah.
Speaker 2:So that's a really good question. And I so I lived in Uganda for eight months. I wasn't ready to come back to the States, and so I'm like, well, where am I going to move after this? So let's go to Beijing, china. So I moved to Beijing, china and I taught PE there.
Speaker 2:I continued teaching and this whole time like I went back to Uganda in the summers and one thing that I noticed immediately just being so. So I guess like now, gosh, I've been to Uganda eight times, like for eight years now, and so at this one specific orphanage, I was able to develop deep relationships, build trust, which took a long time because most of the kids there they are orphans and and there's a lot of trauma and there's a lot of barriers to build that trust. Over time, though, because of building now, I was able to learn a lot of stories of the girls and a lot of disparities and societal standards they set for girls and there's no standards. It's ultimately just like they're not worth going to school.
Speaker 2:And so, living in China, I was like I kept going back to Uganda and I'm like I want to do something. And it was actually my wife, devani King now wife and she was like Jess, would you ever open up a nonprofit or start a nonprofit? And you know what my initial debt was? Absolutely not. No, I went to school to be a PE teacher. I'm not smart enough to do that, and so initially, that's what I told myself no, I can't do that.
Speaker 1:If y'all could see my face right now. There's tears in our eyes, there's tears in my eyes, there's always tears in my eyes, but there's just the, the shock. The shock because I see you as such a confident, like capable woman. I can't even imagine that that thought went through your head, that like I'm not, I'm not capable, I'm not smart enough. Yeah, oh, I'm sorry to interrupt you.
Speaker 2:Oh, my gosh, thank you for saying that. But I think, like a lot of, especially for women and people who want to do big things, there are some things subconsciously that our brain reminds us of and I honestly, like I go back to, like elementary school and I don't know if you were in like Gifted and Talented or if you know of that program, but I was not selected for gifted and talented and I remember that was the first time I felt like I was not enough, I was not smart enough, and and I think that that one thought, that one memory like kept like oh, I don't have this experience, I'm not gifted enough to do that. And so that's why I'm also really passionate about helping women reframe their mindset, because you just never know what they're carrying. And so, yeah, I was like absolutely not, I'm not smart enough.
Speaker 2:And at that time I'm like, if I did, what would be the purpose of this? If I did start a nonprofit, what would be the message? And so, and I kept having this thought, I'm not smart enough, I can't do that, I can't lead a successful nonprofit. And so there's this spirit, intuitive, inner knowing that one day just said hey, jess, like I know you doubt that you're not smart enough, but you are. You are smart enough, you are capable of doing this, and that is why my nonprofit's name is you Are, because that's the message we want to bring across.
Speaker 1:I've heard that story before and it makes me cry still. I love it so much and you are bringing that message across in everything that you do, but also with your nonprofit. So, kia, you are capable and you are doing it. Great job, so you provide safe housing and education to women and girls in Uganda. Yes, are there more details that you can give us about how that's happening or kind of what, like boots on the ground, looks like?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely Well. Initially and I know that the people listening to your podcast they're small business owners, so they totally get like starting a business and you're going to have to evolve over time. So initially, like when you are started, we taught PE, like I created a PE curriculum and coached basketball and actually in 2023, I knew that I had this gut feeling and reminding me, like that time back in Peru, like I've always had this gut pull to empower and focus on women. This woman in Uganda and her name is Grace and if you've been at UR's events or anything, you know who Grace is. But she was telling me she started a vocational training school for women in sex work and so I was asking her questions and, of course, I'm like applauding her for taking this initiative and this drive, and she was telling me how the youngest girls that she's met with are like 10 years old.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:And so I'm like whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait, why are these girls not in school? And so then she's telling me well, the reason why they're coming to her for vocational training is because they have no other option. They're either orphans or their family is mainly single mothers. Their father just left them, was not non-existent in their life and their family couldn't afford to take care of them. Or it's the family members who doesn't see girls as a value, like the uncles to see girls as the value of investing in. So when that comes, they're either out there on the streets sexually exploited, encouraged for early childhood marriage, or or just outer survival, trying to figure it out. So that's sort of where we partnered with Grace.
Speaker 2:Grace is our local lead, and any of the girls, she's this powerhouse that she's built so much trust and credibility for helping women and girls, and so that just didn't sit right with me. That girls are one like. They're so young and so very much capable of going to school. They just needed an opportunity. And so that's where you are steps down, we come in and we help girls. One number one have safe housing so they go to a safe boarding school, and we have ages from our youngest one right now is 13 years old and our oldest is 23 years old, so that's majority of the girls and they dream now like. Initially they were like, okay, I need to develop skills to maybe like hairdressing or beekeeping to keep me on my feet. But now, with safe housing and you are coming in, they're like wait, I could like be a nurse and I could go back to my village and help people.
Speaker 1:I saw so many, so much suffering, so now their, their frame of mind is completely different yes, oh my gosh, I love that so much the transformation that you can create in those communities by the spark of one girl you know. So you think about like, yes, you've got how many girls are in your program? Right now it's 20, so 20 individuals being directly touched by you, and then they're all going to touch however many hundreds exactly you know research actually shows that when you prioritize and empower one woman, she brings at least four people with her.
Speaker 2:And so I do want to preface Michelle is a catalyst, and a catalyst is our monthly sponsorship giving program, and so Michelle is a catalyst for one of these girls, and the girl that you're actually sponsoring is one of our first girls, and when I say like when you invest in one girl, she brings four people on, so I want to share the impact of her, and I'm actually going to share this, go more into detail at the gala, which we'll get to later, but I'll call her O. So she came in. She's 17 years old. Her parents died when she was very young. One, like some family members just didn't see her as an investment, and also she was about to just go get married Go get married so we don't have to take care of you pretty much and so she was just trying to live on the streets and so she started school. She didn't know how to speak English or read or write. She's 17 years old, so we got her in to school, thankfully, because some schools won't take girls in if they're a certain age it's so much older, but thankfully we're able to do that. So now she knows how to read and write. She speaks English to do that. So now she knows how to read and write. She speaks English. Now.
Speaker 2:It started with her. She started a family took her in because she didn't have safe housing and this family is a husband and wife and she came in and she started helping the wife during holidays. And this wife has two younger kids and so just at holidays, just bringing them so much joy and the way that I've seen her make an impact on the wife and just making their family like so much stronger and more connected, and not only that, but just give her some, some relief, some girl time has been very powerful. And then with the husband, I have seen so much purpose in him. He has just taken taking her in with so much purpose and he wants to help so many other girls. He's also one of our local leads, so that's that's two people right there.
Speaker 2:Then on top and then children. Actually they have two kids and so she's like big sister to them, so that's four people right there. But later, it was actually a year after she was in the program we found out she had a younger sister, 13 years old, at home in the same situation and guess what? She advocated for her and now she has safe housing. So that's five people.
Speaker 1:That's incredible.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, how beautiful is that? That's very beautiful, I love. Every time I walk into my office, her little picture is sitting on my bookshelf so I can remember like there's people out there who need us doing what we're doing, so that we can bring people up with us, you know.
Speaker 2:What I love about you, michelle and I told you this actually yesterday and I'm going to repeat it for everyone to hear you are so influential, like you really are. I am so impressed. I don't know if y'all are on Small Business Besties Facebook I hope you are if you're listening to this podcast but if you go in there, like I don't know if y'all have ever tried to start a Facebook group, but it's hard to get people engaged Let me tell you like it's hard to get people engaged and grow something so incredible and Small Business Besties is so impactful, like people are really on that group and not even they take it outside of that group and they really they're being, their lives are being touched in that group and that's all because of you. This started with an idea. Thanks so you. You create massive waves wherever you go. My love.
Speaker 1:Thank you, I am doing things, you are, yes, yeah, oh, thank you so much for saying that. Yeah, the group is. It's kind of grown organically and I love hopping in there and seeing when people are making connections that they need to make or providing support to one another. Yeah, it's so needed. Okay, so you mentioned the gala. Yes, I want to hear about it. I mean, I know about it, but I want them to hear about it. I mean, I know about it, but I want them to hear about it okay.
Speaker 2:So this is our second annual empower brunch gala and it's going to be at the signature club. Shout out to seasons catering. They are this presenting sponsor and, uh, they helped us get this venue and this is. It's going to be so much fun. We're going to have a brunch by jay renders southern table and bar with bottomless mimosas. It's going to be so fun. And we're going to have african drummers there's. We're going to have parts of cultures. You're going to hear directly from our girls. Some of our girls hear from our local leads just hear firsthand experience from their stories and their impact they're making. We're gonna have merch. That's and this is the kind of merch that you put on and like. You're gonna be taking that encouragement in, but you're also gonna be like advertising that encouragement that's.
Speaker 1:I cannot wait. Can that be my whole wardrobe? Just every day is a UR. Come get some UR. Swag man, I'm there, I'm taking it all. One of all the colors.
Speaker 2:Yes, and so it's at the Signature Club December 15th from one to three, and a lot of people I know, like when you hear about a gala, they're like, oh so is this formal and something with you are especially at a brunch. We are come as you are, so anyone is welcome. Whatever makes you confident, know that this is going to be a space where there's going to be opportunities, opportunities for you to meet like-minded people, make connections that can also help grow whatever you want to grow. You know, I don't know if y'all have ever seen Ted Lasso, but Ted Lasso says, like you know, here's one awesome person meeting another awesome person and that's just going to be the whole vibe.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Well, if it's anything like last year, it's going to be a room full of really amazing people who are all on the same wavelength of helping and supporting one another, and even people that you don't know, and you're probably also gonna cry, because there was a lot of shed tears last year. I was looking around the room and I was like, finally, I'm not the only one crying at an event.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, you're gonna cry.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, and I think too, because and I think too because what is so important to me is that the world is so big. The world is so big and it's hard for people to one go and see it all, but truly to understand what's going in the world unless you've never been there. And I think, like when this opportunity came to me, it's sort of like seeing something and like, once you see it, you can't let it go. Yeah, and like, if you don't do anything about it, it's just saying like it's okay, yeah, you know, I condone this, right, exactly, yeah. And so I think what's really special and what gets so emotional is because really, like I know, when you think about like a nonprofit or charity, you're thinking about like, oh my gosh, like they're helping the people that they're serving so much. But really what you are is about is that these women, these girls that we serve, they teach us so much. They teach us how to get up and choose joy every single day, no matter what your circumstances are. Like, that's what they teach you.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so I think that's why you see that resiliency and you're inspired by it. Yeah, it moves you.
Speaker 1:Yeah for sure. Like I mean to say that there was no like empathy and empathetic tears would be a lie, but honestly, the majority of the tears that I had last year were just like damn. I am so floored by these women's strength and resilience and drive to keep advocating for themselves and keep trying, even when the world seems to be stacked against them. So, yeah, it was like that moment where it's like, man, if they can do it, I can do it, absolutely yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, that moment where it's like, man, if they can do it, I can do it Absolutely, yeah, well, and that's like a lot of times, you know it's very nice. People give me compliments. I'm like love bug, Thank you so much. But golly, like they teach me, they're the ones who's inspiring me. Yeah, you know, like they're the ones out there doing the real work, I'm just here just like cheering for them, like giving them a stepping stool, you know, yeah, so oh, it's so beautiful.
Speaker 1:Okay, so there are seats still available for the gala, correct?
Speaker 2:yes, so there are actually. Now we're getting close to it. I want to say like 20 like and our goal is 100. Now listen, when it gets 100, I'm gonna push and be like let's for more, but minimum is 100 and there are 20 seats left, which is crazy, because last year we could have 45 people and we sold that out quick.
Speaker 1:Yeah and it was, yeah, it was a tight 45 people.
Speaker 2:It was and we outgrew the space. Which. How beautiful First year, Because you know, like throwing an event, you never know how it's going to go, and especially like you are. So I founded you are in 2019. And, like I said, we've evolved since then, In 2023, that's when we really started shifting our focus. So this is we started doing the work that we're doing now, so it's really new.
Speaker 1:And so yeah, okay, I'm sorry, let's back up for a second. So you're like, in 2023 is when we started shifting our focus to do what we're doing. That was like last year, I know.
Speaker 2:And we've already purchased land. I how?
Speaker 1:crazy is that, like I wish we could just get up and like dance and like can we do it Like I was? That's, that's incredible.
Speaker 2:Thank you Honestly. Like teamwork makes a dream work. Like I couldn't do it without people like you. There's several people that come to mind Um, actually, sherry and Megan Holly slaughter. They got married in 2023 and actually they're like huge catalyst for you. Are they got married? Instead of asking for registration gifts for their wedding, they asked people to donate to. You are, and that's yeah, man, it's really just amplified our new mission? Yeah, but it's really cool.
Speaker 2:And I do want to say I think that, like, for the business owner who is out there, like and maybe, maybe it's not sticking or working for them, or you know, like something's got to give and you're not really seeing results, and I and I think that I don't know, the more you listen to your intuition, like everything will work out, it ends up working out. Yeah, because there were times where I was just like, should I quit? You know, you, before we started doing yeah, like even deciding to do this was super scary, because we're like we made a career, like we did stuff. We've made things that are good. They're also good. Yeah, but it didn't give us the impact that we really wanted to do, and so sometimes letting things go it can be hard, but it's worth it.
Speaker 1:Man, that's like such a timely message for me right now. I'm just going to take that and tuck it in my pocket. You have to be open to like what the universe is bringing to you or what you know God, or whatever you call the thing you know. You have to be open to what is being presented in any moment and like trusting that intuition of, yeah, if that's what's here, I'm gonna trust that.
Speaker 2:It's good, yeah exactly let's see what happens yeah, and what's cool is because you know, I told you that story about peru. That was like when I was 17 years old and looking back now it just makes sense. Yeah, like why that affected me so much. And then it makes it did. I was my dream to do what I'm doing right now? Absolutely not, but my dream was to make an impact. Yeah, and so it just yeah. Keep going with your where your inner knowing is flowing, oh.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I like that Okay is flowing and oh, yeah, I like that, okay. So there's still opportunities to be at the gala for our small business owners out there. There are still opportunities also to contribute to the raffle drawings. Yes, yes, and my idea what I would love to see happen and we can pull this off is if you are a small business bestie yeah and you are donating to the raffle because you're a small business bestie.
Speaker 1:I want you to indicate that somehow on your Google form that you turn in, and then I'm going to claim all of those as a small business bestie and we're going to make one giant basket. Holy moly, that's like the mother load, goodness of that.
Speaker 2:Would that not be the coolest? Oh yeah, but also, we're manifesting it, so make it happen. I think that would be so cool.
Speaker 1:That would be so cool. I was thinking about it, though, like my business, for example, I'm an accountant, right, which very important work that you do, might I add. I mean, I don't do the work, let's be honest. Well, but you're a messenger, thank you. But it's hard to donate to things like this as an accountant, you know, because we can't do like an in-kind donation, like yeah, here's one tax preparation, you know, like it's just, it's a weird thing to donate, right. And I was just thinking I wonder if there are other businesses that are like that but they'd want to contribute in some way, or like maybe they feel like, you know, I can only afford to contribute something that's $50 worth, is that?
Speaker 2:enough, but like if we just all put those things together in a one business bestie basket, absolutely it would be well. When I said that, um, when you were like, oh, can I? I just want to donate, I, I can just donate something. 50 is that enough? And it makes me think and I'm also going to talk about this at the gala.
Speaker 2:But the average person person in Uganda makes a dollar a day, a dollar a day, so for a month they're making about 30 or 31 dollars a month. So when you ask yourself, is $50 enough? That's the person's whole monthly. You know that's the average, but that could be a person's whole monthly salary. I'm almost doubling it. So that would be my response to that. I love that. There are also other ways where, if you do have a service and it's not necessarily like a raffle item, there are sponsorships where you can build some brand equity, some brand awareness. Get that logo out there, get your promotional items out there for people. There's opportunities for that. There's three different levels that can fit your budget based on what you want want to work with. So there's that also that option awesome.
Speaker 1:You know, if you hear this episode and it's past December 15th, don't worry, because you can go to the website.
Speaker 2:Yeah, which is wwwurcoorg and a lot of people think it's like with the letters, but it's spelled like you are worthy, you actually spell you are Y-O-U-A-R-E Coorg.
Speaker 1:On the website. You can sign up to become a catalyst and sponsor someone, or you can make a one time donation, right, yes, yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I do want to say and no one knows this, so this is really cool, because on this podcast it's exclusivity, first to know, I don't know what she's about to say really cool, exciting initiative where, if you've ever had the heart of stepping on the grounds of Uganda, there may just be a way you can do that.
Speaker 1:I am first in line. Please, that's incredible. I cannot wait to hear about that. Sign me up, let's do it. I'm there.
Speaker 2:What can we do? That would be so fun, and you'll hear more information about it at the gala.
Speaker 1:So sign up if you can. Okay, I love talking about you are, but I don't want to leave this podcast without also talking about you and the other things that you do outside of your nonprofit. So tell us about the other hats that you wear.
Speaker 2:Yeah, a lot of people know me from Wembley Kentucky, so I'm going to talk about my coaching, of what I do with that. Like I said before, I help and coach women to believe in their ideas and create the impact that they deep down know that they're capable of. And so a lot of times of times, you know, we spoke a lot about like our inner knowing, our intuition and even my and this comes from my personal story of like having an idea, deeply wanting to make an impact. But then I had that thought I'm not smart enough. And so I think about how many other women out there and we've already talked about too like when you empower women, like she's bringing everyone along with her. So like how many women good women, who would make ripples of massive impact are being held back by a thought that's not helping them take action and doing the things that they really desire doing. And so I do that with my coaching.
Speaker 2:We do a lot of reframing our thought work and getting super clarity around who you are, who you want to be, and a lot of times and I used to do this this was a trial and error for me as an entrepreneur, but as we're taking action, we think, oh, like I thought I had to have a degree before I could do anything to be successful. Or oh, I have to have this amount of money before I can invest in myself and then I would be successful. You know, you think or especially with women the more I do, the more productive I am, then the more successful I'll be, and then I'll be happy, and then I'll feel confident, but it's all, it's not leading. And then we just still say, like it's like a hamster wheel, you know just doing the same thing. And so I help women really get clear and really dismantle those thoughts that are no longer serving them, get clarity about what they desire in their life and use sales skills so I said I was a certified sales coach and just really go after what they want audaciously.
Speaker 1:Yes, let's do it Audaciously. I love that. Like I don't't know. I think there's so many like cliche words that we could use, but audacious is like at the root of it, like that's what we need to be. Yeah, we need to just say I'm going for it. Yeah, you know, I'm not gonna let anyone or anything or any thought get in my way. Why are you gonna do it?
Speaker 2:yeah, I actually did like a team training this morning. So this is this podcast is perfect because it's like top of mind. But there's a quote I shared today and it says disruption follows intention. And so what that essentially means is that anytime we go after a big goal or something new, there's always going to be disruption in your life. There's always going to be something that happens like oh, am I really supposed to do this? Maybe I shouldn't do this? Yeah, maybe I can't do this. And then what do they do? They go back and they still. Their life stays the same. Yeah, but if you handle that disruption and you expect it and you follow it with intention that intention is reframing your mindset and really having the tools to manage your thoughts and emotions Then those disruptions don't stop you. Yeah, keep going, going up and up and up. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I need, I need your coaching for sure. I think that I handle those disruptive thoughts really well when I'm out, yeah, like in the public eye, and I'm like at events, and you know like I do that. And then I get home and I'm just like, oh my gosh, did I mess all of that up and I should have connected with this person and I maybe said the wrong thing to that person, and I get really like ratted on my thoughts again. You get in your head, yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, and you know, michelle, that's and I just want to say you're not alone, and I think that's why it's so important to and you've done this through Small Business Bestie is surrounding with people. That like you're not alone, like there's a certain type of like when you go into an energy with people. And this is why I think group coaching is so important, which I'm just now launching a group coaching, by the way but being in the room with other people and just reminding yourselves, like having that framework right of, like grounding yourself on that, that it will help you when you're alone, yeah, you know, like you're not, you're not going to be alone yeah, I mean, I think that type of um, of coaching or, uh, community is important.
Speaker 1:I was in a mastermind group for like a year and a half with a life coach and then other people who were just very dedicated to personal development and you have professional development and all of that, and it was much easier when I was in that container.
Speaker 2:You know, incredible.
Speaker 1:It was much more effective for me to be able to carry throughout my day, because it's like you get that, you get your cup filled back up with those people you know and then you're able to kind of sustain throughout the week. And then just about the time you're like, oh, I'm starting to feel low again, you know, like low energy, I don't know, and then you go back in the room and you're like, oh, yeah, no, we got reminded, yeah, yes well, even too, like in, and I think that this is why I'm so passionate about it, because, like when you said, like you're good out in public and I and I am too I I can totally relate with you.
Speaker 2:And it's when we go back and we have in our own head, in our, in our, and not having those tools, that's where it's just like it spirals and spirals. But what you do really well, michelle, is you continue to take action. Despite those disruptions in your head, you continue to take action. What I really want to encourage you on, and what I think it would be really cool to anyone who does relate with this, is that when you have those tools to be able to manage your thoughts and emotions when you are alone, just imagine your life and the payoffs of what like being able to instantly like not be disrupted by those thoughts. Yeah, you know, like the payoffs of those, the time and energy you save those, um, the time and energy you save.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that. I'm gonna do. I'm gonna be very cognizant over the next day or two and try to catch myself in those moments where I'm spinning out a little bit. Yeah, imagine what, what I could do with this time or this energy if I didn't let it spiral down, even if because a lot of times it'll even just be like you know, I get upset or like spun up about something, and it's just two or three minutes, you know, before I pull myself back out of it. But like, even that, you know, yeah, because, like you said, like that energetic toll it takes on you, yeah, it just wears you down, down, yeah, you know. Then your high for the rest of the day is already lowered. Yeah, you know what I mean. You can't get all the way back up.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you know, that's a human experience. That's just the way the brain works, right? Something that a mentor told me and I tell my coaching clients is that when you think about, like, if a disruption happens, so we say like, like something happens, we come back home, we start those running circles and then let's say you want to be I don't know, I'm just going to use this as an example like 100,000 life coach, like someone who is making that quality of work full time right now, and so then you think to yourself and like, okay, if, if that was, if that was me now, would she be worried about what I'm worried right now? Would she be thinking about what I'm thinking about right now? Right, you know, yeah, and so, like, when you see yourself at your highest version of yourself right now, some of those things that you're worried about right now it's just like oh.
Speaker 1:I don't worry about that. Yeah, I mean, if I were a nationally recognized speaker and author, for example?
Speaker 2:Yes, okay, can we snap.
Speaker 1:Would I be worried about the fact that the dishwasher didn't get installed today? Absolutely not. I would be like you know what Somebody's going to handle that I've got bigger things to worry about. Exactly, that's a great example. I'm not going to get mad that the delivery driver didn't bring it. Yeah, I'm just going to say, wow, that happened. Let's move on. Exactly, exactly, all right. I mean, I need shirts that say you are on the front, but then on the inside of the front, it needs to say like you are a nationally renowned speaker and author.
Speaker 2:And then I just look down my own shirt for encouragement and I hope you do that in public and everyone's just like what is she doing? But also it's just some people are gonna be like can I look?
Speaker 1:all right, jess. Anything else that you would like to leave everybody with one of my?
Speaker 2:favorite quotes of all time and I think, like this has asked, you know, we've talked about my non-profit coaching or thoughts, whatever, and you know, with with me there were some, like I said, some thoughts that were holding me back, and even like your question of like is 50 enough, can I, is that enough to even donate to? You are, and I think, a quote that can capture all of this episode together. It's a quote by John Wesley and it says do all the good you can by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can. And I hope you take that with you and know that who you are today and the things that you desire in your heart, that's like whispers from your soul, and you don't have to do more, you don't have to be more for that to be enough. You can do all that you can with who you are right now. That's beautiful.
Speaker 1:Love you so much, love you so much. Aw, okay, we will link all of. We'll link the UR website and socials. We'll link your coaching website and socials, and I love this conversation so much, a thousand times over over. Thank you for making times. Thank you all. Right, well, if we don't see you guys at the gala, then we will see you out and about somewhere else, I'm sure yes, and I'm on the.
Speaker 2:I'm on the Facebook group too. If you're small business bestie, you can find me on there yeah, yeah, find her on there.
Speaker 1:Make some chatter in that group, make it lively. Make it lively, all right, guys. Well, we will talk to you all later. Bye, besties. Thanks for listening. Friends, my name is Michelle Smock and I own Cultivate Accounting, a boutique accounting firm specializing in small business, and I own Small Business Bestie, where I help women entrepreneurs go from idea to launch and beyond. Check the show notes for links to my website and socials, and also, please take a moment to subscribe and review. It really would mean the world to me.