Expand Your Fempire Podcast #137 Transcript

Three Important Ideas to Help You Thrive and Bliss in Your Business

Welcome to Expand your Fempire with Caterina Rando, the podcast for women in business on a mission. Sharing ideas to support you to grow and thrive. Now here’s your host, Caterina Rando.

[00:00:00] Caterina Rando: Welcome back to another episode of the Expand Your Fempire podcast. I’m your host, Caterina Rando, and I am blissing to be with you today.

[00:00:38] As you know, this is a podcast for women who have service businesses, who see their business as their mission.

[00:00:48] I’m assuming that’s who you are. When we’re in business of course, we talk about sales, marketing, operations, finance, how to continue to upgrade all of these things.

[00:01:03] What I want for you is, of course, that you’re thriving in your business. I want also, though, for your business to be your bliss, and I’m hoping that you feel that way too.

[00:01:18] Now, of course, you may have family bliss and health bliss and maybe even style bliss. I want you to bliss with where you’re putting so much time in your business also. That is what we are going to focus on today in our time together.

[00:01:37] Because here’s what I know. The more you are blissing in your business, the more you are happy being yourself and doing your thing and serving your people, the more vitality you have for your business, the more ideas will flow, the more you’ll be open to new possibilities, and also the more productivity and efficiency you will have in your business.

[00:02:08] Here’s my request of you personally for our visit today – that you also take this time to reflect on what might be different today than when you started or when you last reflected on the bliss factor in your business.

[00:02:29] I remember when I started my first business, which was Angelina’s Italian cafe named after my grandmother. And to be clear, my sister started the cafe. Then I took it over when she moved to Hawaii. Wasn’t expecting to be in charge of the food business. And today, my sister is celebrating over 40 years in her business. She came back. She’s thriving.

[00:03:00] She makes the best granola that she sells wholesale. They have the best baked goods, the best cappuccino you ever met in your life. Whenever you’re in San Francisco, please go to 6000 California Street, Angelina’s. Enjoy the tables outside. Enjoy the sunshine while you have some sandwiches and some salads.

[00:03:26] I remember in my 20s, sitting in my therapist’s office, because, I thought that’s what you do when you’re not super happy in your life is you go to therapy. And believe me, I have great respect and have gotten much value from therapy when I’ve used it over the years.

[00:03:47] This therapist was not the best therapist. I remember occasionally she would fall asleep and don’t ask me why did I keep going back to a therapist that fell asleep on me? This is definitely not good for your self esteem when your therapist falls asleep. I remember though one day I was in her office and I was blissing about how much I loved my cafe and how much I loved having my food business and how I wanted to do it forever.

[00:04:19] Now that was many years ago. The thing about the food business though, is that even though I loved visiting with the people, and I love getting to know all my neighbors and I loved meeting everyone and building relationships and being a mostly, I’m an extroverted person, although I think I’m more in the middle between introvert and extrovert.

[00:04:45] The daily interaction really made me bliss. The challenge with the food business is the preparation of food. I did not like chopping and mixing and stirring and fixing food all day long. Plus, I didn’t like wearing an apron and wearing tomato sauce all day. If I had to walk into my walk in refrigerator one more time and feel that cold…ohhhh.

[00:05:23] It did not make me happy.

[00:05:25] I was trying to figure out, what did I want to do with my life? What was my thing? See, really, I always wanted to be an actress, but I didn’t really know how to do that or pursue that, and I really wasn’t sure if it was right for me anyway. Plus, all that rejection did not seem very alluring.

[00:05:50] And one day, and you may have heard me say this before, I don’t know because we’ve recorded many episodes of this podcast, but one day the scout comes in my cafe and she says to me, thank you for some advice I had given her for her business. And the truth is, I don’t remember the conversation, I didn’t remember the conversation, but this one I’ll never forget because her gratitude literally touched my heart and I felt a pang of bliss in my chest and I knew that was my thing to help women grow their businesses.

[00:06:27] Because I felt very empowered having a business. And I felt very free having a business. Even though sometimes you don’t feel free, like when people call in sick and you got to go to work for them when it’s supposed to be your day off and you’ve already worked 10 days in a row. Still, though, having my own business, it made me more confident. It brought me many personal gifts. And I’m hoping that you can say the same about your business.

[00:07:06] The thing is, I didn’t know at the time that, “you know what, Caterina, you don’t have to be behind the counter and you don’t have to be…” well, really I liked being behind the counter, that’s the part I liked. But I didn’t have to be in the kitchen. I didn’t have to be doing all the catering. I didn’t have enough sense at the time to know that, “you know what, Caterina, your job is to be the front person and get someone else to do those things that you didn’t like.” Now, even though we had a lot of employees, I still felt like I had to pitch into that part.

[00:07:42] No, my friend, I want to remind you, I wish someone had told me, “do the part that you love. Do the part that you love.” And I loved being with the people.

[00:07:55] But see, here’s what I didn’t know at the time. I didn’t know That not only was it my job to run the business and connect with the customers and make sure they got outstanding client care, the part I didn’t know is that it was my job to master all those things. Master negotiating with the vendors to ask them for an extra delivery and not get charged for the delivery part when they were popping in three times a week, unexpected, because we got more catering. I didn’t know that these were the skills that I had to master.

[00:08:35] So I want to tell you right now very clearly, get clear on the parts of your business that make you bliss so that then you can master those parts. Because it is really about mastery.

[00:08:51] You’ve heard me say it, I’m going to say it and remind you again, that as the business owner, as the CEO, until there’s a time when your business is so big, that all you’re doing is strategy and spokes personing, that you have five jobs in your business. Speaking, which is being the spokesperson, which is doing the videos, which is being the guest on podcasts or having your own, which is doing the speaking. All those things that represent you and your business as the spokesperson. Those are your job.

[00:09:34] What goes along with that? Of course, as you know, is the selling unless you have a sales team. Even though when you do, you know, that you’re going to always be the best salesperson. Not in all cases, in many cases.

[00:09:52] The speaking, the selling, then there’s the serving of your clients. Now, of course, you have a whole team helping you with the serving, or if you’re just getting started, it’s just you. But at the same time, we’re looking at all the things we can do to provide outstanding client care with onboarding, with their client experience, with being responsive.

[00:10:15] I remember I paid big money one year. I’ve done it many times, but I paid big money for a particular coach. This is in the beginning of paying big money for coaches. And every time I called her office, I never got a call back. Never got an email. Never got a text. No response. Really wasn’t even sure if anybody was minding the store, but clearly nobody had their attention on excellent client care.

[00:10:44] And I know that that did not feel good. Therefore, I’ve always sought to be super responsive to my clients and make sure they have an outstanding client experience. And that is what we do in our company. And I’m saying to you that that is your job. Not only is it your job, it’s your job to master that as the business owner.

[00:11:10] Speaking, selling, serving, strategy. This is your goal setting, your calendaring. When are you going to do what? Who’s responsible for what? All of that strategy, that’s on you. And you know what? We don’t talk about this enough because strategy is a huge skill in your business.

[00:11:30] Even if you didn’t come in your business being a master of planning and figuring things out and blocking off time, sweetheart, you can learn. Strategy is essential.

[00:11:47] And the last one is self care. And you know, I don’t propose to be a master of self care, although I’ve gotten better and better and better. And as I get older and older, of course, I put more attention on self care. And self care is so many things.

[00:12:07] And part of what we’re talking about today in continuing our discussion is self care because our mind and the thoughts that we allow ourself to have, what we expose ourself to, our intentions, the things we read and reread over and over, this all impacts us. Not only our attitude and impacts, of course, our level of fulfillment and bliss.

[00:12:37] It also, though ,does impact our efficiency and productivity. And of course That all impacts our profitability.

[00:12:49] And I want you to be blissing in your business and part of what I know that looks like is financial ease. Having spoken to one on one hundreds, if not thousands, Of businesswomen the biggest challenge I hear about is financial stress. And it breaks my heart because having surplus in your business can create financial ease. Having a line of credit, having good credit, these things help create financial ease. And I don’t know why so many women do not pursue this adamantly and determinedly.

[00:13:38] How many times have I heard gals tell me, well, I don’t have good credit. Okay, sweetheart, you don’t have a good credit. It happens. But guess what? Credit can be rebuilt. Let me have you pursue that unabashedly. Let me have you unabashedly pursue having surplus, which means cash reserves, because then you will have financial ease.

[00:14:04] As somebody who has been through it financially, let me tell you, I want you to bliss in your business and this is one of the big ways that you can do that.

[00:14:15] So as we’re talking about these things today, my intention is for you to bliss more in your business. Please get this. These five pillars that I talked to you about and talked to you about and talked to you about. It’s not about doing it. It’s about mastering them. But the only way to master them is to get all that other stuff off your plate, all the stuff personally and professionally that is not the highest and best use of your time that is not in your genius zone that you don’t seek to master.

[00:14:54] Here’s a guiding principle, my fabulous friend: only do what you seek to master.

[00:15:02] Why are you fooling around with bookkeeping and Canva and trying to update your own website and edit your own podcast. Because the more we do what is not the highest and best use of our time, the more we do what we don’t seek to master, the more we push off mastery.

[00:15:23] And mastery is where you’re super blissing. Because mastery is when you do something without a lot of resource. Meaning, without a lot of time and money. Without a lot of emotional angst. Without a lot of thinking about it without a lot of worrying about it. Because you’re already so good at it. That’s mastery and that my friend is what I want for you. So get all that other stuff off your plate. I want to encourage you for a day, if not a week, ideally a week, but a week is a long time.

[00:16:00] For a day write down everything you’re doing. And take a genuine, real look, what am I doing and it’s ridiculous that I’m doing it?

[00:16:11] The more we’re getting off our plate, those things that we shouldn’t be doing anyway, and making space for those things that move us towards mastery.

[00:16:22] Give you an example. Not too long ago, I was having a lovely chat with a gal over Zoom and she was very kind and she was telling me how much she enjoyed a recent speech I had given and she was saying how she felt I had masterful skills at presenting.

[00:16:44] And here’s what I said to her. I said, “my friend, thank you so much. You know, you’re only seeing a snippet. You’re not seeing the 30 years with thousands of platform hours that brought me to that snippet place, where it looks like it’s so easy.”

[00:17:06] Well, today it’s easy. Why? Because of the thousands and thousands of hours before it.

[00:17:13] But what I want you to know is you never get to that place of ease and bliss if you’re doing all the mishigas that is not your job.

[00:17:22] Okay, my friend, I think you got it. Now, I want to bring in something that is left field, you know, I wanted to have this time together with you to support you to bliss more.

[00:17:36] So this whole discussion that we’ve just had is really intended to have you move more towards mastery because mastery equals bliss in your business.

[00:17:50] The other thing that will support you to bliss is pursuing your thing with an attitude every day that everybody you come in contact with… from the person you talk to when you’re booking a medical appointment, to a potential client who you’re excited about the possibility of working with, to somebody who clearly is not your client, who you’re giving some time to, to explore that possibility, but you know in the first minute that they’re not a match, to everyone you talk to… My request, my recommendation to you is that you have the intention that everybody leaves every interaction with you more uplifted than when that interaction started.

[00:18:46] Did you hear that? I remember one day I had just given a speech somewhere and I was driving down the highway on my way home. And I had plenty of time on that day for whatever reason, and I saw that there was outlets that I was driving by. I drove into the outlet parking lot. I walked into a Lane Bryant outlet store.

[00:19:17] I think it was raining, and there was nobody in the store except myself and the manager and a sales associate. And because I was in such a good mood after my talk and because it was raining and because there was no customers in the store, I started chatting with the sales associate and the manager. And she helped me pick out a bra, which I thought would be the best bra ever. Didn’t turn out to be the best bra ever. Although I have found the best bra ever. If you want to ask me, I will tell you. Very affordable.

[00:19:59] And in our exchange on this day, We’re chatting as she’s checking me out. We had introduced ourselves to each other. I had told her how great the store looked. I’d asked her for her help. We had chatted a little bit about fashion trends. She was smiling. I was smiling. And then she grabs this big, like, bigger than a bread box, like a traditional bread box, big blue box on the counter right next to her, and she, she moves it over between us. And she says to me, she says, “Caterina,” because of course she knew my name, as we discussed, ” I’ve just pulled this jewelry off the floor. The company told me to do that and send it back to headquarters. Not sure why, they’re not going to sell it. Why don’t you pick something out of the box, on me.”

[00:21:07] Now, my friend, she opened the box. There was 50 pairs, and I’m not exaggerating, 50 pairs of fashion earrings, necklaces. There were some rhinestone pins. It was lovely. And, blissing, I quickly grabbed a pair of earrings, gold, and I thanked her so much.

[00:21:36] And it really uplifted me, this act of generosity. And then I said to her, “You know, I’m taking some gals on a Bliss cruise retreat in a couple of weeks, and I’m wondering if you have any items like this in the store that are affordable, that perhaps I can give them as prizes.”

[00:22:04] And she looks at me, and I watch the smile on her face get bigger and bigger. And then she closes the box, and she pushes the whole big blue box towards me and she says, “Caterina, take it, take them all, for the ladies on your retreat.”

[00:22:33] Now my friend, as I said, there was a lot of jewelry loot in there. And in fact, I did have more than enough jewelry for all the gals to get a pair of earrings and then we had extra prizes for next time for necklaces and pins. I mean, I’ve even still got a few pieces of this jewelry treasure trove.

[00:23:01] And of course I expressed my gratitude profusely and I told all the ladies on the retreat about it and this made me super bliss. As I’m driving home on this rainy day, I’m thinking about how I got so lucky. Why did she do this for me?

[00:23:25] And this is my hypothesis. Could be true, maybe not, but here’s what I surmise. She felt seen. She felt heard. She felt appreciated. She had fun. She was blissing all from this 10, 15 minute interaction.

[00:23:50] Now, what if me and you, we did that every day with everybody? More blessings, more gifts, more moments of wonderfulness will come our way.

[00:24:06] What I have seen over and over and over and over is that the more we help other people bliss, the more we are generous with other people… and generosity is not just money. Generosity is kind words. Generosity is showing a genuine interest. Generosity is being a good listener. Generosity is connecting someone with someone you know they will be grateful to meet, sharing resources. These are all acts of generosity.

[00:24:49] Absolutely, my friend, do a test. By the way, if you’re depresso, go lift up somebody else. You won’t be depresso. I promise you.

[00:25:00] Recently, I went to this new place to do red light therapy. Red light therapy is my new favorite thing. It’s supposed to help with sinuses and inflammation and slim down and help you get a better night’s sleep and it’s supposed to help with a ton of things. And after you do the red light therapy, which is like a tanning bed, you lay in there, then you get on the vibe plate and it vibrates and vibration is definitely great for your mood, if not everything else.

[00:25:33] Anyway, I’m at the red light therapy place and I start talking with the gal and you know, she’s telling me a little bit about one of her challenge areas in life and I can tell that she’s not too happy and she’s very distraught about this particular area.

[00:25:52] And you know me, I now have a lifetime supply of resources because I have a lifetime supply of amazing women that I’m connected to and I gave her the perfect resource for her situation, somebody who can absolutely help her and someone who would be so kind and gracious to give her some free time to help her on her path.

[00:26:17] And when I exchanged the information and put it in her phone, I could see she was blissing and felt a sigh of relief. And that made me bliss.  See, here’s what I want for me and what I want for you, is I want us to both get to the place where we’re unconsciously uplifting others.

[00:26:43] Now, what does that mean? That means when you get on the phone or you talk to somebody in person, you’re pleasant, you’re kind. Your voice has a smile in it. You’re happy. And that impacts them. You take extra time for the interaction, and you go the extra mile, and you do everything that you would do if you were their best friend.

[00:27:11] You probably have people in your life that you think, “man, that person is really lucky, or wow, all these amazing things seem to happen to them.” Well, maybe they’re a factor in that, and why don’t you and I test that and see if you can be that factor in your own life by uplifting others.

[00:27:38] Now, in order to do that, my friend, you got to do something else. And that is that you have to choose to embrace bliss for yourself every day. See, you can’t walk around life with the “faccia lunga”, that’s Italian for long face, and think everybody around you is going to be uplifted. No, you got to start from an uplifted place yourself.

[00:28:13] I work from home as you possibly also do. Love working from home. Sitting at my dining room table right now. Blissing. My beautiful Italian couch is in view. I got a glass of water next to me. Well, Pellegrino, actually. I’m in my relaxed clothing because it’s Sunday.

[00:28:41] Even though I got a beautiful center where we have lovely chandeliers and sunlight and tables with a satin tablecloths and an espresso machine, love my center.

[00:28:57] I don’t go there by myself. I work from here because it does make me happy at the same time.

[00:29:05] You know what I do every day, Monday through Friday? Not on Sundays. Monday through Friday. I get up. I take a shower. I have already picked out the night before what dress I’m gonna wear. I like to wear dresses. I’ve picked out my earrings. I’ve picked out my hair accoutrements.

[00:29:26] Here’s my point. Even when I’m in my home, I get up and I make myself look beautiful every day. Why? Because it makes me bliss. Tassel earrings and hair bling and sparkly dresses makes me bliss, whether or not anybody sees them.

[00:29:51] You may not be a sparkly dress gal. My point is, you set yourself up to bliss every day.

[00:29:58] By the way, got up this morning, got on my recumbent bike for an hour. My friend, I’m not a fan of exercise, but you know what? I know what makes me bliss. So I do it anywhere from three to six days a week. Why? Because I’m setting myself up to bliss more every day. And this whole thing that we’ve talked about, about uplifting others, is for you to bliss too.

[00:30:28] Here it is. Three things that I want to recap with you.

[00:30:35] Pursuing mastery and letting the rest go. Please pursue mastery, let the rest go. And here’s where you might say to me, “well, Caterina, don’t got the time or the money to get all that support.”

[00:30:48] And let me tell you, the more you push off your mastery, the longer it’s going to be before your business grows. The more you push off your mastery, the less you’re blissing, which makes you inefficient and makes you depresso. Mastery is a priority in your business.

[00:31:07] Second thing we’ve talked about- really embrace this idea of uplifting others every day as S. O. P. Standard operating procedure in your life, not just in your business.

[00:31:26] And in your business and in your life every day choose to embrace bliss for yourself and do everything that you know, which, by the way is a lot of those self care things. Like getting a great night’s sleep and drinking plenty of water and keeping excessive beverage consumption to a minimum. All of those things. You know, my friend, what makes you bliss.

[00:31:54] And pursuing bliss as your job and let me say it differently, making you bliss in your business is an essential part of your business. And then making others bliss an essential part of your business because it’s good for your business and it’s good for your bliss.

[00:32:23] Okay, I think I’ve gotten my point across to you. I’m hoping you’re embracing all of this because I want you to bliss. I want you to thrive.

[00:32:33] If we haven’t already met, please join me for one of my upcoming virtual live workshops that I do free every month. I promise you will leave more uplifted than when you showed up.

[00:32:47] If you have not checked out my many resources at caterinarando.com/links, including my “bliss in your business checklist” and many others. Please go embrace it. See what’s there.

[00:33:07] If we’re not friends on Facebook, send me a friend request. Let’s follow each other. Let’s connect. And I want to hear from you how our time together today has supported you. And if you haven’t listened to the other hundred and fifty, I think now, episodes we’ve released of this podcast, I promise you there’s a lifetime supply of value there for you.

[00:33:36] I’m sending you bliss. That’s me blowing a kiss. I’m wishing you much bliss. And I look forward to seeing you bliss more in your business and your life. My love to you. Can’t wait to be with you again soon. Bing, bing, bing.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Expand Your Fempire with Caterina Rando.