Crazy Orchids, Instagram Queens and The Onion Effect

Guess what? Your business is just like my crazy orchid.

For over 2 years I’ve been watering and feeding the damn thing, with nothing to show for it but lots of scraggly roots.

Because unlike warm and humid Miami, where an orchid used to grow wild in the palm tree outside my window and I first got hooked on growing them myself, here in the dry high desert of Colorado the only blooms you see are the ones in stores (coming straight from a greenhouse).

Or so I thought.

Get this: In late January, a little stem popped up! Right in the coldest, darkest, driest part of the year, months away from the growing season.

Ahem, Jenna, so happy for you. But why is that worthy of my inbox?

It’s because there’s a deep, raw pain floating around the online entrepreneur community.

And usually it’s suppressed under all the talk of leaning in, and no excuses, and girl wash your faceness. And all the pictures of chic dresses, spotless child-filled living rooms, or silly-me-I-goofed-off-and-only-worked-for-an-hour-today-but-omg-my-launch-did-$40K!!

But that only makes it worse.

Because even though "Why is this business thing taking me so long, and costing me so much, when other people do it so quickly?!" doesn’t exactly rate a 100 on the life-tragedy scale . . .

It actually stems from the "not enoughness" that we’ve inherited, internalized, learned, assimilated, and otherwise come to fear and believe.

And THAT is super painful.

(We’re talking bury your misery in Netflix, avoid that friend who you know is going to ask about your business, or crumple into a bawling heap in the middle of your hallway painful.)

But I’ve figured something out during my years as an entrepreneur and coach...

Your business is like my orchid.

It may seem like it’s never going to take off . . . but then it does.

And there are REASONS why some women grow their business more quickly than others, and reasons why you can’t and wouldn’t want to anyway.

CLICK HERE to see the video where I break it all down.

It’s where I share . . .

[0:30] The time I almost threw in the towel (but knew I wouldn’t, really)

[1:45] Why it’s so important for us to talk about this in as many different ways as possible

[3:40] Why it’s totallyyyy worth it to choose the right ICA, even if it takes a bit

[6:00] A quick thought reframe for whenever you start counting the months "lost"

[6:15] Moms and working girls, this is for you!

[8:45] The GOOD way to think about and implement that ‘hustle’ energy

[10:00] Deep thinkers and perfectionists, this is for you!

[11:15] The "Onion Effect" that (partially) takes your timeline out of your hands.

This last one is the most critical piece for you to understand to increase your resiliency and sense of peace during the days ahead!

So if you’re kicking yourself because you should’ve been so much further ahead by now, ask yourself this:

What if your business timeline is EXACTLY what you ultimately need to get where you’re going in the quickest and most successful way?

Here’s to all of your hard work (because it’s putting the wheels in motion even if you can’t see it yet),

Jenna

The Day My Quarantine Began

The day before 9/11, it felt like I’d finally arrived.

Boutiques and galleries across the city were rolling out the red carpet with parties and events for Fashion Week. My posse - broke but stylish - knew all the best ones, and we patched together a dinner off the free wine and hors d'oeuvres.

Times had sure changed since moving to NYC as a naive young thing with a hope and a dream but no job and no place to live . . .

Now I was an actual New Yorker! I OWNED this city. And hell ... if I could make it here, I could make it anywhere! I was drunk with my limitless potential (and champagne).

The first plane struck the next morning on my walk to work.

Have you ever noticed the weather when you look back at the footage? It was perfect. Not even a little puff cloud! I grabbed a cardigan because the air felt so crisp and light. That sticky summer heat had broken, and everyone was buzzing with the fall energy.

It would be a long time until I felt that good again.

It began as a murmur … those voices from shopkeepers … and then morphed into a roar:  a plane had hit the World Trade Center. (Obviously a tourist plane had malfunctioned, right?! I mean, what else could it be?).

I rushed up to my office and came face to face with the view of that raw, smoldering black hole. And then the second plane hit.

I won’t describe what else I saw that day, but by the time I got home to the surreal scene of tanks and barricades on my East Village street (Manhattan was closed off at 14th Street to anyone but residents; I lived on 11th) I couldn’t fathom how I’d ever be able to recreate the joviality and sense of rightness that I’d felt the night before.

And for a long time, those feelings and images stayed with me . . . until they started to dim. It was as if the smoke that filled our downtown streets for weeks was slowly erasing them.

But there was something else that stayed behind much, much longer.

It was a pattern I put in place to protect myself from being caught off guard in the future. And it made itself known via a feeling that popped up whenever things got "too good."

It said: "Watch out. Times like these are when the rug gets yanked out from under you."

And so I’d pull back. Because living "real life" with its typical mild-to-medium disappointments and frustrations was infinitely better than accomplishing your greatest dreams and "having it all" one day and then being engulfed in heartbreak and tragedy the next.

And what I find, as I work with more and more women, is that most of us fear success in some way.  

Do you, ? Do you ever feel a nagging anxiety about the good times?

If you’re not sure, tell me if any of these are true:

-- I tend to yo-yo between success and stagnation
-- I know I haven’t even scratched the surface of my potential
-- I tell myself, "Careful! Don’t jinx it!"

The beliefs and stories that hold us back don’t have to come from 9/11-scale tragedy.

A client of mine remembers skipping home from school with an A- on her report card, only to feel her inner balloon pop when her father criticized, "Why isn’t it an A?"

The underlying mechanism is the same, and deceptively simple:

Event happens →
We decide what it "means" about us or the world →
We live our life according to it.

What isn’t always so simple is figuring out what that story actually is. That’s because our brains know us better than anyone. And they’re really, really good at keeping us in the dark so we don’t alter the status quo.

Getting clear on YOUR story and what’s driving your decisions and behavior isn’t just the first step to making a change … it’s the ONLY way to make change.

And here’s a really simple 2-question process that will help you illuminate and then start rewriting your story.

Ask yourself:

1) What annoying pattern keeps repeating in my life? OR What’s the status quo that I’d like to change?

2) When in my past do I remember feeling that same underlying feeling? (Can be your earliest or most impactful memory.)

And if you aren’t sure, or already know the answers but just haven’t been able to untangle yourself from their web . . . that’s what coaches are for, ahem ahem.

Here’s to getting out of autopilot and creating an uncommonly intentional life,

Jenna

You FEEL unclear, but maybe it's something else . . .

Real quick . . .

"The question is this: What is it that has some of us find our way to the top of our game, to overcome adversity and challenges, resistance and self-sabotage, to rise from the ashes . . . .


What is it that has everyday people just like you and I act boldly in the name of their passions and live out their wildest dreams in THIS lifetime? That is the question, and this podcast has the answer . . . "


And so begins the Choose Unstoppable podcast, where I’m featured in MY FIRST PODCAST INTERVIEW!!!

With an opener like that, it’s easy to see why host Kerri Macaulay and I totally hit it off. I mean she EASILY could’ve called this show "Women Taking the Leap" :)


The interview is a short 7-minute episode where we talk about the connection between clarity and making things harder for yourself, aka why clarity is such a tricky thing (I should know - I spent TWO DECADES searching!).


(And stay tuned for Part 2 on the way where she somehow managed to get me to open up and talk about things I’ve never shared before . . . even with you, ).


If you believe, like I do, that the best way to help the "You can do this!" voice overpower that "But can you, really??" voice is by coming together and peeling back the veil (aka talking truth),


. . . then head over TODAY to SUBSCRIBE+DOWNLOAD+REVIEW so we can get this message and this new podcast the exposure it deserves!


💛 Jenna


P.S. You can join Kerri’s launch party in the Choose Unstoppable Facebook group to win free tickets to see Rachel Hollis, Grant Cardone, and others.

Is this your $623,250 mistake?

Back in my yoga teacher days I took a 3-week dream tour of India with a world-renowned yoga teacher and a bunch of fellow yogis, starting in Kerala and ending in the Himalayas.

But early in the trip, things started to go wrong.

Travel times were much longer than expected, so we didn’t have much time at our destinations or we’d miss them entirely because they were closed.

Next up on the itinerary was an overnight bus trip to Jaipur. Originally that sounded kind of fun and adventurous, but by now it was WAY less appealing!

Not only was my body already sore from so much sitting, but because of delays we were only going to have one day in The Pink City before leaving again. (On another bus! Nooooo!)  

I started thinking there HAD to be a better way . . . and then pulled out my map and realized there WAS.

We’d be passing through a city with an airport! I could FLY to Jaipur!

My two most like-minded tourmates immediately booked flights, too, but the rest of the tour declined.

Because just a day earlier, in an effort to lift everyone’s spirits, our yoga teacher stood up on the bus and delivered a lovely speech about resilience and sticking things out and finding happiness right where you are . . .

Which is all fantastic advice when you’re stuck on a bus in the middle of the jungle with no other options.

But now we DID have options!!!

And the three of us who seized the opportunity ended up having one of the most magical and serendipitous afternoons of our lives . . . .

Our tuk tuk driver mistakenly dropped us at one of India’s most lavish hotels for dinner. (If you’ve been to India you’ll totally get the hilarity of rolling up to the Rambagh Palace in a rickety little tuk tuk 🤣.)

For the first time in weeks, we sat in a serene, modern lounge and indulged in fresh watermelon martinis. It was like peeking behind a curtain and seeing a completely different India.

Later we wandered into the hotel gardens and found ourselves in the middle of an extravagant wedding party! We got invited to join, experienced what few foreigners will ever see, and eventually returned to our hotel happy, stuffed, and covered in gorgeous henna designs. That night we slept more soundly than we had the entire trip.

As for the rest of our tour group . . . well, the bus ended up getting delayed AGAIN!

By the time everyone rolled in around noon the next day - exhausted and smelling to high heaven - there wasn’t a single person that didn’t wish they’d come with us instead of toughing it out.

And I think what it all comes down to, and what happens so often, is this:

We convince ourselves to take the looooong route even when there’s a faster option right in front of us.

It happens in business, too, when struggling entrepreneurs create a million reasons NOT to get personalized support.

But when it comes to business, decisions cost you A LOT more than a missed visit to the Amber Fort.

Let’s get real with some numbers . . .

Say Mary and Jane have both been in business for a year or two but haven’t really made any money.

Jane invests $10k in courses over 5 years (those sales pages are just sooo good!), and that’s when her business reaches 6 figures.

Mary goes all-in and decides to invest $80k in coaching, and her business reaches 6 figures in 2 years.*

Now check out the profit:

Jane’s yearly earnings look like this: $2750, $7000, $22k, $49k, $100k. Total earnings are $180,750 and profit is $170,750.

Mary’s earnings look more like this: $49k, $100k, $160k, $240k, $325k. Total profit is $794.



The difference between the two isn’t just $623,250k.

It’s what you were able to DO with that money. It’s how you were able to LIVE, and how you FELT during those years of earning 6 figures or multiple 6 figures.

Is it stressful to invest when you don’t know the exact timeline or ROI? You bet. Entrepreneurship takes cha chas.

But if you’re determined to make it work, you have to weigh that stress against the greater stress of multiple years of disappointment and uncertainty (and later, regrets!) if you take the long route.

And besides . . . If you’re going there anyway, why not get there sooner?

So whether you feel like . . .

. . . now’s not the time to really lean in, or
. . . how could you ever justify spending or borrowing that money?, or
. . . you can’t bear to tell your partner you’re investing AGAIN

Stand back and look at the big picture.

Because instead of the 13-hour bus ride, you could fly and be THERE, where you want to be.  

And that’s true whether you’re waiting to finally see the wonders of Jaipur or waiting to feel the wonders of a business that runs like a well-oiled machine.

Here’s to the fastest route possible,

Jenna

How to lean on your "inner visionary"

Late on Friday we heard the words we’d been wondering about ever since the stay-at-home orders started:

"We want you here right away."

And what that means is that -- In just about a month from now -- Ben needs to be in Pennsylvania to report in for his new assignment. I’ll follow a week or two later, after the movers come, with Dylan and Skye.

So in the next six weeks we need to

sell our house
ship our cars
and move two households, a toddler and a dog across the country (my mom is moving too).

During a pandemic.

Which brings up all this uncertainty. And the whole hassle of it all.

And the possibility that the movers will damage beloved heirlooms … and lose every single one of my blouses, dress pants, and belts ... many of them painstakingly collected in NYC sample sales and Morrocan medinas ... and NONE of them fully reimbursable because of course nobody saves clothing receipts from those places … or ANY places!!

(That actually happened when we moved here to Colorado three years ago. So it could totally happen again, right?! Or worse!)

As you can imagine, none of this feels very … comfortable.

But then again, the icky feelings that come with moving are just like the ones that come from ANY change in life.

Because the truth is that where you are right now reflects EXACTLY where you feel you should be.

(Not where you feel you WANT to be, but where deep down you feel you should be. Because it’s what’s safe or known or COMFORTABLE.)

So it stands to reason that it’s inherently UNcomfortable to change ...

We think about that new destination we want to get to and it sounds so GREAT! Omg it’s going to be amazing.

Until it’s really time to do something, and then we start thinking about ...

… what could go wrong in the future
… the extra time, effort or money we’ll "waste"
… what went wrong in the past

That’s when lots of people feel the discomfort, and they pull back.

They think it means they chose the wrong destination.  
Or they need to prepare more first.
Or it was never really realistic anyway.

Or maybe they busy themselves with something else so they don’t actually have to think about it at all!

But hopefully, not you …

Because the visionary in you knows it’s time to find out what’s truly possible.

So what's a girl to do to actually get from "here" to "there"?


Here's one way I'm leaning on my inner visionary:

It’s a Wednesday in August, and I’m sitting down to write you a note...

I’m telling you how much I love my new little East Coast town and the way the ivy covers the old brick buildings just like you see in pictures. I’m sitting in the beautiful home office I created, and Dylan is delighting in the magical fireflies that come out at dusk.

Skye thinks she’s died and gone to heaven because the neighborhood kids regularly come play ball with her, and Ben strolls home each day for lunch and again when he’s done teaching.

Everything’s so compact that we really don’t have to drive anywhere … but if I want to, I can hop on a train and be in Manhattan in just a few hours!

And all that stuff I wrote about back in May? Sure, I had butterflies. But they were manageable. And it was worth it.

The uncertainty. The hassle. The discomfort.

It was all so, so worth it.

💛 Jenna

P.S. And my things made it here fine ;-)

Crisis to Clarity: How to become the most clear and focused you've ever been

r the last 2 weeks I’ve had the privilege of working towards one goal (below) which -- aside from saving lives -- I believe is the MOST important work to be done during this crisis. 

(And every day, really!)

But today I want to pause and share an overview of this event — called Crisis to Clarity: 30 Days of Transformative Thoughts and Actions (available for free in the Women Taking the Leap Facebook group).

Because it just so happens to follow the same proven 3-step process that I’ve used successfully with my clients for nearly 10 years to help them reprogram their minds and finally uplevel into

• Launching the business … and then creating the 6-figure income they hoped for

• The slow-paced expat life they’d been dreaming about (goodbye, rat race)

• 100% certainty about who they are and what they’re here to do

• Saying goodbye to the toxic boss, the toxic relationship, the toxic self-sabotage … and hello to situations that truly serve them

I call it the Clarity Triad! 👇 Because after all, Clarity is Queen!

PHASE 1: Get clear on the thoughts + patterns holding you back

Goal: Here’s where we’ll reveal and dissect some of the most common thoughts, beliefs and patterns that have likely been keeping your foot on the brake instead of the accelerator.

PHASE 2: Access your clarity 

Goal: To help you see that this current situation presents an opportunity to transform your life, starting with getting more clear and focused than ever before. I share my Connect the Dots method (described by one client as the “how-to of finding your purpose”), the truth about why so many people remain unclear — like I did for TWO DECADES, and why it’s so important to calm your nervous system so you can access those insights!

PHASE 3: Get clear on how to develop the mental toughness to make it happen

Goal: To give you tools to manage your mind so you can rise above perfectionism, failure, disappointment, rejection, resistance, fatigue, life setbacks and anything else coming up for you.

So… a word of caution:

The next 15 days might be exactly what you need to clear any excuses and finally DO the damn thing.

Ready??


Here’s to your best life,

Jenna

P.S. I’ve put together a free training called The 3 Keys to Getting Out of Your Own Way that talks about each of the topics above in more detail and helps you workshop what’s going on in your brain. This isn’t a typical “webinar” but an actual workshop where the focus is on YOU and uncovering what’s going on for you. sign up here.

They Say THAT, But it Might Mean THIS

You know how there's all this business advice out there that gets repeated like it's the be-all end-all?

(And yet humans are filled with unlimited creativity and no two businesses are exactly alike. Hmm....)

Maybe you've heard things like

...You've got to focus on list building first!

...Grow your following, or you won't be taken seriously!!

...Never let a prospect off the phone until you've CLOSED THAT SALE!!!!

With so many competing priorities and a lot of alarmist rhetoric out there, is it any wonder we get stressed out about doing the wrong things or develop major FOMO around not doing the right things?

Deep breath...

In my opinion, these are all bullshit and were dreamed up to help people sell courses.

After all, nobody's going to buy a course if you say, "It's different for everybody."

No. So instead what they (basically) say is, "I'd like to make a lot more money than you can pay me if we work 1-to-1, so I'm going to tell you that I've figured out these universal tricks that work for everybody. Hurry and buy now, because I'll NEVER offer this magic pill again!"

Luckily, you're not the kind of person that rushes into things just cause everyone else is doing it...

You'd rather do what works for YOU, instead of creating a carbon copy of someone else's biz.

So if you think you want to reject the hard sell, launch a Facebook group from Day 1, say "screw the following (for now)," or focus on something other than list building, I say ... Go for it. It's totally doable.


Jenna

Let me introduce you to some people who’ll GET you

You know how you love love love your friends and family dearly, but they don’t always totally GET you?

You hope they’ll be supportive, but then you get hit with a question like...

... Isn’t it a little unrealistic to think you can quit your 9-5 though?
… But who would actually pay you to work at home in your pajamas all day?
… What are you complaining about? You’ve got a great life!

Or something along the lines of, "Your neighbors do it, and your neighbor’s neighbors do it … so why can’t you be happy doing it, too?"

That’s exactly why you need to click this link and join The Uncommon Way Community before you even finish this blog!

(Did you do it yet? C’mon, action steps!)

Because the longer you surround yourself with those voices rather than the voices of people that are actually doing the things you care about, the harder it will be to transform your life.

We don’t care how audacious or crazy or unrealistic your ideas seem. This is a place for people with big ideas and an inner voice telling them that somehow it’s ACTUALLY POSSIBLE.

We’re betting you can do it … because we’re also making it happen for ourselves. F*ck conformity!

Here’s what you can look forward to when you join us:

MAKE IT HAPPEN MONDAYS: Build in some accountability by setting a goal for the week, and/or share wins/challenges from the past week.

TRAVEL TUESDAYS: Where are we planning on escaping next? Share tips or ask questions.

WHAT IT'S ALL FOR? WEDNESDAYS: We're giving ourselves this freedom for a reason, right? Share what motivates you, or something you did this week that was a great use of free time.

SHARE THE LOVE THURSDAYS: Got some inspiration or a big a-ha this week? Have a tip or something to offer the community (promo allowed)? We want to hear!

FEEL GOOD FRIDAYS: Share all the little ways you march to your own drum. Challenge us to think differently! What makes you YOU, and not your neighbor and neighbor's neighbor?

VISION SUNDAY: It's time to think BIG. Big dreams, long term goals, what's on the horizon. Reaffirm it each and every week, or see how it transforms over time...

Plus I’ll be jumping in with lots of free advice on building a business FAST, talking your boss into a telecommuting arrangement, moving overseas to a lower cost of living … and will even let the cat out of the bag about the world’s best chocolate now and then :-)

Can’t wait to join you in your big escape.

Jenna

Daijobu

When I moved to the island of Okinawa, Japan, a few years ago, I became totally overwhelmed by the complex characters on street signs and storefronts so signed up for language classes asap.

And on the first day, I learned one of my very favorite words: daijobu.

It’s kind of like saying "ok" or "good." So the teacher would ask us if we understood what he said: "Daijobu?" And we’d respond, "Daijobu!"

(Yay, Japanese is going to be EASY!!!)

But it turns out there’re all sorts of ways to use this fun word, like ...

It’s all good!
Don’t worry!
Everything is going to be just fine!
You can count on it!
I’m fine!

(Which are all totally Okinawan things to say.)

So the reason I’m writing is to ask if YOU are daijobu.

Are you feeling overwhelmed by trying to consistently "put yourself out there" and create content that not only means something to somebody, but also moves them closer to a sale?

If so, I want to reassure you that daijobu.

Everything’s gonna be just fine!

I will take you a step closer to your inner daijobuness in Women Taking The Leap, and show you how to Reduce Your Content Creation Time by 80% While Still Increasing Sales.

Because it’s the MOST effective way to switch from time-losing activities to money-making activities!

(And save your sanity in the process!)

If you haven’t seen these short videos yet, check them out:

Part 1: The easy way to come up with content that actually means something to your ICA

Part 2: Smart repurposing tricks

Part 3: Avoiding the social media rabbit hole + batching your creation into 4 hrs/month

And get ready, because next time I’ll be talking about . . .

SALES STRATEGY.

I’ve never shared this in free content before!

And I’ll do it by dissecting the exact emails (where I kept talking about my new herb grower!) so that we’re not just talking abstract theory . . .

I want you to see this stuff in ACTION!

See you then!

Jenna

Confession time! I've been doing something sneaky

Over the last month-ish, it might seem like I’ve grown obsessed with my new herb grower.

And don’t get me wrong -- it’s great. But the truth is, I’ve had an ulterior motive for talking about it.

(So if you’ve been thinking, ENOUGH already with the herbs! Here’s where it’s about to pay off for you . . . )

What I’ve REALLY been doing is turning 1 story into virtually countless pieces of content, to demonstrate that it’s possible.

Because when you’re still doing most things yourself in your business, every hour counts.

But unfortunately, people spend way wayyyyy too many hours creating content!

There are MUCH better ways to fill your time.

I can imagine some people reading this and saying, "But content is king! So-and-so says this is what I need to do!"

So, ok. Let’s try a quick exercise.

1) What’s the average weekly time you’ve spent writing over the last month, including time spent thinking about what to write?

2) Now multiply that number by 0.8, and you’ll get the amount of FREE TIME you’ll create if you follow the advice I’ll be sharing over the next weeks. (What I’m saying is that you can free up to 80% of your current content creation time for true sales-related activities.)

3) Imagine spending those extra hours on things that DIRECTLY relate to sales (like booking discovery calls, inviting people onto consults, making offers, asking for referrals, etc.).

How much more revenue would you generate each month?
How much better would you understand what truly motivates ideal clients to say YES??
How AMAZING WOULD YOU FEEL???

Life could get really, really interesting, don’t you think?

So if you’re feeling intrigued and this sounds like something that could make a huge difference to your bottom line AND your sanity . . .

Then make sure to look out for my next emails and tune in to my weekly lives in Women Taking the Leap!

We’re going full-in on content strategy, including the underlying sales strategy (so that the content you do create is actually driving sales).

It’s going to be juicy!

Here’s to getting clearer and clearer on what makes your business run like a well-oiled machine.

Jenna