Episode 50: How Having Kids Helped Me Scale My Business

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Welcome to the Pursue You Podcast, where we are empowering you to continually reflect, design and pursue who you were created to be so you can give the gift of your best self to your family, community, and business!

This is Episode 50! I made a commitment to myself that I would premier 1 podcast per week! I am close to a full year of the Pursue You Podcast and have learned so much along the way. Today I discuss how kids connect and relate with business. I think having children has actually helped me grow and scale my business and has positively impacted my life. I used to think you could not have a family and a successful business and I share 10 reasons that having kids has helped me grow my businesses.

[4:40] #1 – I learned kids change your heart. It changes what you feel is important and it gives you this perspective about why you are doing what you are doing. Before having kids, real estate was my life! An epiphany told me that God put me on this planet to make an impact on the world, leaving it better than I found it.

[6:54] #2 – I realized that I can no longer do what I once did. I used to be able to run 100 mph all day long then come home and crash. I can no longer do that. I have to determine what is most important and show up at home.

[8:51] #3 – I began to delegate. My coach shared a great quote with me: “You have to add before you can subtract.” In other words, when I wanted to start a team, I knew I was fine until I had to leave town for 21 days. I ADDED something (my absence) in order to get myself to delegate out. Others on our team handled my duties until I returned. Ask yourself, “what do I no longer have the ability to do?” You will eventually realize others can do what you can do just as good. It may take time and practice and a bit of training, but you will get there.

[12:29] #4 – I realized how important my energy was. I share an example of when we had our first daughter and how we had to become mindful of our energy. When you know how to have a handle on your energy and you are aware of when you are up and down, you are able to protect your energy and have a better foundation to scale your business.

[15:55] #5 – I simplified my victories. I tried to do maternity leave with my daughter and then would fail to accomplish my goals and was frustrated. I said to myself “If I have to do 1 thing today, what would that one thing be?” Simplifying victories helped me understand that I am most productive when I get rid of all the stuff that doesn’t have to get done. I was focusing on the 80% tasks instead of focusing on the 20% tasks, the right things.

[18:23] #6 – The feeling that time expands. This idea that work expands to the time allotted might also qualify for life. I asked myself, “What did I ever do with my time before kids!?” After kids, you feel like you have so much more on my plate. I started to recognize the power of small windows of time. I can hammer out a ton of work in 20 minutes. I want you to create the things that you want to put in your time, in work, business and life, because you are going to start to realize the power of time (and how easily it gets sucked up).

[21:43] #7 – It modified my success list. Gary Keller discusses this in The One Thing. You cannot have a list of To Dos and label them all the same importance. Kids change this because when you have a child, you don’t have 3-hour blocks where you can focus. I learned the power of distraction. My sister always told me, “when I get to turn my mom ears off, I can work completely different than when I have my mom ears on.” I noted my 20% then broke down the 10-minute-or-less tasks versus more time-consuming tasks. 

[25:33] #8 – Increased empathy. In order for me to offer the service I want and be the kind of leader that I want, empathy can help me understand my team/clients better and, in turn, scale my business.

[26:53] #9 – Motivation! I share my love for Lululemon pants early on in my real estate career. When I was teaching exercise classes pre-Real Estate, I got a complaint because my pants were see-through! So, my motivation became Lululemon pants. It was a carrot for me. After having kids, getting home to them was the best motivation ever.

[28:43] #10 – Inspiration. It may sound corny, but having kids changed what was important to me. I ask myself, “What would make me feel proud to share with my kids? How can I be a role model for my kids?” I want to make sure the words I am using with my kids impacts them so they are being raised properly. They become this inspiration for me to live the life I want to be living and the way I hope they show up for their kids one day.

Kids can inspire us to think bigger, to be a role model and leave a legacy. Parenthood does not have to have an indirect relationship with your personal growth or the growth of your business. Yes, it is hard. But it can absolutely help you scale your business.

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More Episodes You’d Be Interested In

Episode 49: 4 Ways to Find More Time

Episode 48: When You Just Need to STOP

Episode 47: Focusing on Your Net Worth