Leah: Hey, visionaries, welcome back to the Your Biggest Vision Show. Today we have the privilege of hearing from my friend and my own business coach, Lacey Sites. Hi Lacey.

Lacey: Hi. I’m so happy to be here.

Leah:Mm-hmm. Thank you so much for doing this. How are you?

Lacey:I am so good. I am so excited for this conversation. And I also feel like, uh, you know, we just had you on, on my podcast and I love that conversation, so I’m just excited to talk to you again,

Leah: Yeah, we’ve had so much overlap, which I’m sure we’ll get into. We have had a really beautiful relationship. 

So if you are, uh, just listening to this, this is part of a series I’m doing at the end of this year called What It Takes, and this is just supposed to be a fun but really enlightening conversation with some of my own clients, some of my own colleagues, and Lacey, one of my coaches, um, that I really look up to and I really admire and I think have really found not only success, but sustainable, long-term, sturdy success. 

Now, every business has its weak points, and that’s totally okay, but there is a sense of awareness that needs to be had if you truly want to see sustainable success in your life, whatever that looks like. I know for many of you listeners, that is a six figure business. 

That might be  seven-figure businesses that probably involves quite a bit of work life balance. So we want to be honest about what that’s looked like for all of us, and that is what we’re here to chat about. 

So, um, Lacey, there’s so much she’s taught me and there’s so much that I admire about her, so I think we’re gonna learn a lot from her. Lacey, why don’t you just introduce yourself and a little bit about your business now?

Lacey: Yeah, absolutely. So, um, my business is called a Lit Up Life. I work, um, primarily, well, pretty much entirely with one-on-one clients, um, and have skilled seven-figure businesses doing that. And we do a partnership model and a revenue share model. 

And basically, um, my goal is to help our clients create more income and impact and, um, really just, I, I kind of have like a, a terrible relationship with this word right now. We could talk about that a little bit, but really scale and grow to a place that, you know, gives them the lit up life. I think that that, that is super important to me and I know it’s super important to you, that it feels like the both is there of having the income, but also having the life that supports that.

 And so, um, that is pretty much our goal and what we strive to help all of our clients with. And we do that through one on one and we also do it through our framework of mindset, strategy, and execution. So I really believe it has to be all of those things that get us to what we want.

Leah: What I love working about, what I love about working with Lacey, there’s many things, but she really does infuse your life into your business and doesn’t just leave it at a full stop of what’s going to be best for your business period. And that’s something I really try to do with my clients too. 

And, um, I started working with her when I was pregnant and then she got pregnant, so we went through pregnancy together. So I think we both have a very deep, um, value about having a work life balance and making sure that your life is, you know, supported by your business, not the other way around, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to work and that there aren’t things you need to really do. 

  So Lacey, why don’t you just take us back a little bit to like when your business started and what was the hardest thing you had to overcome and you would say the first year?

Lacey: Hmm. Uh, for me, I think one of the toughest pieces by far I bought my first year, um, was finding the right support and being good at delegating, which for me personally was super frustrating cuz I, um, I went to business school, my MBA concentration as an ethical leadership. 

Like, I saw myself as a good leader until I had this business. And then it was like, I think I went through five, maybe six, even I think five VAs before I found the right one. 

I, um, really struggled to feel like this sounds a little bit, um, you know, ego tickle, but it’s just true. It’s how I was feeling. I struggled to believe anyone could do it the way that I could do it. I really struggled to let go of things and I found that to be incredibly challenging my first year. 

Leah: So what do you think it took for you to start letting go of the reins a little bit? Find people that could help you and eventually dare I say, scale in your scaling it? 

Lacey: Yeah, I think what, um, I think what it really took was kind of one just realizing that I just couldn’t do the work anymore. I think, I think there’s such an important thing at the beginning of business, and we can maybe talk about this too, but it’s like you kind of have to be super willing to do all the things, right? 

Like you have to be willing to like, you know, almost like to be the social media manager and the CEO and the VA and the whatever in your own business, right? Right. And I, I am so glad I had so much of that willingness, but then I think it also came to a point of being willing, um, to let someone not do it the way I would do it. 

Like I really had to give up some of my control tendencies, um, to see that like, just because that’s the way I would go about doing this process, does it really matter if we still get the end result? Like if it’s the thing that still gets posted or the work still gets done, but like at the end of the day, what I had to realize is like the work still has to get done. 

And so unless I want to be the only one doing it, like I’m gonna have to like not be such a control freak.

Leah: I I love that this is like, this was your biggest problem because I actually feel like there’s equally as many people, if not more, that have almost the opposite experience where right away they know what they just don’t wanna do and they’re almost just not willing to do it.

Like Facebook ads is probably one of the biggest ones I hear, and I, and I do understand that cause that is so specialized, you know? Yes, that’s a bit different than like, I just don’t wanna do my inbox or something. But people will just not wanna learn how to, how to create a website or how to, you know, edit a video to create a reel or how to use Canva or whatever.

And so I guess what, from in, in alignment with this theme of what it takes, what would you say to someone like that or, or someone in that situation?

Do you feel like there is a benefit to kind of knowing how to do everything in your business before you delegate? 

Lacey: Oh my God. Like I ca I mean, so much. So, um, when I, prior to having my own business, I, um, worked in a nonprofit and I had a pretty big team underneath me. I think we had like 35 people or something.

And, um, I was such a proponent at that time of like doing the things I was asking them to do. So like, if I would ask my team to do something and I got some pushback on it or whatever, my go-to was kind of like, Cool, let me like sit and do this with you for a week and we’ll figure out what’s wrong so we can fix it.

And that worked really, really well for me in that arena. And I think it made me a much more InTouch leader. And I think it, um, made me much better at my job because I really understood what the things my team was doing were I wasn’t just kind of like managing from this like super high level place.

Um, and so in my own business I really brought that mentality and like really feeling like the best way that I can, um, you know, truly make this the business. I wanna make it and not feel like I’m, again, it’s a little bit control, freaky, but not feel like I’m just like handing the reins of my literal baby business to someone else and hoping they’ll get it right.

And like, yes, I did struggle with that and go through, um, different team, but now that I have the, the team that I have, I’m so grateful that I did all of those things because

One, I feel like I can just have better conversations with my team. Like I just know what they’re talking about when they have questions or when they’re talking about how long a task takes and things like that.

And then two, it also makes me feel not so, um, I don’t know what the word I would use here is, but like I don’t feel like my business would fall apart if my team left. Like I feel like at the end of the day, like, I want to have my team and it’s so supportive to have my team, but I know that I could run this thing if it was just me and I had to. And like that feels really, really helpful.

Leah: So it’s, it’s, there is a sense of like, you need to be willing to understand, at least understand the majority of what goes into your business, even if you’re not the one doing it. But then you also need to let go of the reigns when the time has come,

Lacey: Exactly. It’s kind of like that mentality of what got you here won’t get you there. Like there are different things that, different seasons, but I think what happens and, and I think what you were talking about earlier is that like what a lot of people do is they take the advice from someone in a totally different season of business, right?

Like they’re taking advice from somebody that’s seven years into business or something that’s saying like, work in your zone of genius, delegate. Don’t do, don’t spend time on things you’re not great at.

And like, like that’s super true when you’re at a certain point in business and it’s absolutely impossible to get your business off the ground if you’re in that mode from day one, you know? 

Leah: I totally agree. And that’s such a good point. I remember reading the Big Leap early on in my business and that’s such a popular book, you know, such a popular personal development book. And he talks about that. He talks about knowing the value of your time and knowing to delegate if you could be charging so much more.

And I just like, that has such a different meaning to me now than it did in the beginning when it was like, well, I don’t even, you know, I’m still working on getting people to know who I am. Like just because in theory I could charge for that time doesn’t mean that actually would happen, and so it doesn’t mean I’d actually save money.

Exactly. Um, when you look back in the first years, do you feel like you had a hustle chapter? Dare I say

Lacey: For sure.

Leah: Okay. Can you tell us a little bit more about some of the things you would maybe have considered sacrificing during or what you sacrificed during that time?

Lacey: Um, I, I think it was just time really. I mean, I, I was just willing to do the things and I think it, I also, I mean I think a trade off is like being willing to fall on your face a lot too to a certain extent, right?

Like, um, you know, I think within, I had um, you know, like a pretty big win in my business. I think I had a 20 k month, like my second month in business. So that was like awesome, right?

But you know, when people hear that, it’s kind of like, oh, amazing. Like that must have been so, so easy for you. And it’s like, the reason I had that is cause I think leading into that two months I did probably 40 free calls.

Leah: Wow. Wow.

Lacey: Like I just did the things, right? Right. And so like I, I didn’t sign 40 clients, so another trade off that I made was being willing to coach a lot for free, get on calls with people that never bought, like I really just had a willingness to go out there and do it.

What I do, 43 calls in my business now. Absolutely not. If my whole business burnt to the ground and I wanted to build it again, would I do it. Yeah.

Leah: Right, right. It’s so that’s such a good point because if, so, if you made 20 k, I don’t know how much you were charging there, but like, just for argument’s sake, let’s say you signed five clients, right? Five, five out of the 40 calls that you had or something like that, that means you got 35 nos or, or whatever. But

Lacey: Like exactly,

Leah: Anyone listening to this really think, can you sit in rejection 35 times or is it like the third time you hear it, you’re like, I can’t do this. No one wants to work with me, this isn’t happening.

I don’t even know why I’m bothering.

And is it kind of like sending you down this mental spiral? You know, and we’re all, I think we’re all human. It doesn’t feel good to have rejection, but I always say that like when I hit my million dollars, which you remember Lacey, you were like metaphorically there with me during, when I made my first had my first seven figure sales year, something that I really profoundly remember journaling, like in that in those first few days was like, I’ve never been rejected more.

I’ve never received more no’s than I have like, getting to this point.

And I think when you are like just starting out or seeing people make a million dollars, you think that they must just be getting yeses like, you know, candy or whatever, Like people must just be throwing things to them.

And that was, you know, completely the opposite experience. I only got enough yeses to make that much money because I got so many more no’s. And because I didn’t let those no’s define me,

Lacey :I could not agree more. I have a client who, um, now has, uh, multiple seven-figure businesses and I think when we first started together, there was a period of months in which she founded and got 40 nos. Yeah.

And it like, maybe it was even 45, I can’t remember. It was like a staggering amount. Right, Right. And it would’ve been the easiest thing in the world for her at that point to just be like the, come on, if 40 people aren’t gonna say yes, like this is just not viable, Like what am I doing? But because she stayed in it, she has all the things on the other side of that. But yeah, I think like that willingness to stay in it just one I think isn’t that present with a lot of people, but honestly two, I think our industry just makes it seem like that shouldn’t

Leah:Wrong,

Lacey :You shouldn’t have to go through that or, or that’s wrong. Exactly. So it’s really confusing.

Leah: It’s, it’s, you’re getting a lot of messages and something that I think you and I both do, dare I say, a better job doing than a lot of people in the coaching industry is just not running away from data and running away from numbers.

And I know that it can be scary and sometimes it’s like the last thing people wanna do, and I’m not data obsessed. It is like definitely not the number one metric I look for. I believe in how I feel and, and, and tuning into what feels worth pushing through versus what’s not.

But, but rejection is data. And if you’re able to get information about why, what people are saying no to, why they’re saying no to you, and almost take the emotion out of it, which is, is hard. It’s hard.

But if you can do that, you have so much more content and like information and feedback than someone who’s just starting out.

So even though you might seem like you’re very far behind, you actually have more of a leg up than you might realize if you can look at it that way.

Lacey : It’s so true. I mean, something that I really like live by and preach in business is like the data is there, whether you look at it or not, like the fact that you’re not looking at it doesn’t make it not exist. Do you know what I mean? Like use, it’s, it exists. It is there.

So like use it to your benefit. Learn from your business, learn from your business more than other people’s seven-figure businesses.

Like, you know, if you get on 30 call, like 30 calls and get it, I’ll use my example, say it was 35 no’s that I got right. Like I turned all of that into content and I learned from every single one of those.

And it’s, it’s what made me so good at sales today. Like I gained so much from that. But if I had ignored all of that and just been like, Okay, I’m just gonna learn sales from somebody else and like ignore all of these conversations I’m having, I guarantee you I would be much further behind.

Leah: Right, right, right. I, I totally agree with this.

Um, another thing in this series that I feel like I’ve really pulled out, and I’m sure you agree with this, is that those who have, you know, who feel successful, I think that that’s really the only like metric that matters is if you internally feel that way, have been incredibly consistent with whatever has helped them build.

And I can see that with you. You have a Facebook group that’s very active, you post on it regularly.

I don’t actually know that it’s not you that physically does it nowadays, but could you tell us a little bit about some of the things you have been consistent with for the past five, six years, however long you’ve been doing this?

Lacey: Oh my gosh, I, no, like nobody wants to hear it, but it really is consistency. Right? That’s true. Like, you know, like for example, the Facebook group, I have posted content, like you said, whether it’s me or someone else, but content I created has been posted in my Facebook group every single day for like five, no, it’s probably six or seven years at this point.

That’s why it’s the way it is because we’ve literally put time, energy, and attention into it every single day. I think that it’s just so easy to look at that now and be like, Oh, I’m supposed to post in this way, or Lacey does this and I’m supposed to do this.

And it’s like, well Lacey did was just be really consistent over time.

And I think that a lot of times we’re not, we’re not asking ourselves the question of like, what can I be consistent at?

Lacey: And then let me do that thing. We’re saying like, what do I see that’s worked from someone for someone else and then I’ll force myself to do that to get the result. Right.

And it’s like, that’s sort of the wrong question. It’s more like I just really like the Facebook group. So it’s been easy in many regards for me to be consistent at that for a really long time because I believe in it, I believe in community.

I like the vibe there. Like everything about that makes it easy for me to be consistent. It’s not like I was like, Oh, I have to have this thing and then I’ll figure out how to muscle my way through it until I get the result, you know?

Leah: Right, Right. I mean, I feel the exact same way about a, like Facebook ads have have been great for me and email, those two things have just been a really great foundation that I’ve built upon for years.

And it’s so funny because all the time people ask me how I built my business and what my secret is and all these kind of questions that you and I talk about all the time, which is that people are looking for kind of this, this recipe.

Or that you see perfect steps. And it’s like, I tell them , I run Facebook group or I run Facebook ads every single day of the year, pretty much. There’s not really a day that I take it off cuz that’s kind of my, you know, I don’t love Facebook groups, uh, personally, but I love ads and then I love emails and I do them almost every day, at least a few times, times a week.

And I’ve done that for five, you know, coming on six years. So it’s like, there it is. That’s the recipe that’s the secret. It’s just that it either doesn’t happen fast enough or like you said, maybe people, maybe ads aren’t their thing and that’s fine.

Or email’s not their thing and that’s fine. But you have to find your thing and be very consistent with it. And you know, now someone could look at your Facebook group and be like, Oh my God, she has all these people and she has, you know, all these clients in there talking about how great she is and it’s just working very well for her. But it wasn’t always like that.

So I know that this might feel mirrored with our rejection conversation, but what did it take in the beginning when you didn’t have anyone commenting on things or when you didn’t know if it was working or you had to grow up from scratch?

Lacey: It’s so interesting cuz I will answer that question, but what’s coming up for me too is that this feels really, really relevant to my partnership model too.

So basically in, in my business for context for the audience, obviously you know this Leah, but, um, all of my clients pay me 10% of new revenue generated through our work together. And like when I started that, like think about new revenue generated and the fact that I had clients that, you know, were not on the plan, it took me years to get to the point where the revenue share model was producing really great revenue in our business.

Um, and there were a lot of times where that quote looked like it wasn’t working until it gave us  seven-figure businesses. 

But like, it only worked, but like literally the only way revenue share works is if you stay in it.

So I just wanted to give that as an example too, where I spent multiple years potentially before that paid off. And I think the willingness to do that is just really important.

Um, and like, again, it’s what gave us the thing that we have now, but like I, there is not a possible way I could have had seven-figure businesses with that model had I not been willing to stay in it for a few years, you know? Mm-hmm.

Leah: Right, Right. Like you watched your own clients have  seven-figures businesses before you because you were, and you were still so willing to sit in this.

Lacey: Yep, exactly. And, and with the Facebook group, same, I mean like, gosh, like even, even to this day, I just wanna say sometimes like, we’ll post something and it just doesn’t Sure take off or it just doesn’t like get the traction I would hope.

Or like I’ll go live in there and sometimes it’s, you know, bananas and sometimes it’s not. And so, um, that was true at the beginning too.

You know, I hear like a lot of people kind of saying things like, Well, I only wanna go live if I know a bunch of people are gonna show up. And it’s like, I went live for a long time with like one person showing up kind of thing. And like that’s, that’s how it worked.

Like being willing to do that and and feel like it’s was worth serving that one person was kind of what grew it over time because I cared about serving.

Leah: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I couldn’t agree more. And, and I think this is kind of like a sideways comment, but it’s something you just wanna clear up.

I think our industry also pushes a lot about, um, doing things purely out of service. And I think service is important, but also you get to be excited about the revenue that this will bring you, or the money that this will get you or the wins that you can have from it, or the wins that your clients from have from it.

That’s okay to be motivated by those things, but you still have to be consistent in order to have those wins.

So don’t I, you know, I just don’t want anyone to listen to us and be like, I just don’t know if I have the goodness in my heart to like get nothing in return for something and like, show up and do it time and time again without getting any benefit. You will get a benefit and you’re allowed to be excited from that benefit.

You just have to sit in it long enough even when you’re not before you get it.

Lacey: Well, I think it’s almost like you have to find the benefit in the moment so that you can get the benefit long term. So for me, the benefit in the moment was like, Oh, I really enjoyed serving this one person that came and that’s what kept me in it long enough to get the bigger outcome.

So you have to play with both angles, like you’re saying. Yeah. Like, it’s not like just serve forever and never want anything, but it’s also like, that could be the one, like on those free freaking 40 calls that I did, like sometimes that can be what keeps you in it is to feel like, okay, well they didn’t buy for me, but I really feel like I made a difference for them today.

And like, that can’t be it forever, but sometimes it can be it in the moment enough to keep you going, you know? Mm,

Leah: Absolutely. And something that I has been so helpful for me, especially this last year, is realizing that like giving myself permission to be motivated by my business wins, and then equally finding other things that feel just as good and not making any of it wrong.

Cause I think sometimes we feel like, well, business can’t be, we can’t be so reliant on our business wins. You can be excited for them for sure.

I don’t think that anyone should resist that if that is something that motivates you that will keep you going.

But you get to be also equally fulfilled by a client having a win or someone on a lie being really fired up by you or your personal life, like, you know, you and I becoming moms and, and being able to see our, our kids and things like that.

And I think just having the variety of things to keep you going is a really helpful kind of toolbox instead of only letting business wins, keep you going, but also not trying to resist the fact that you are excited about whatever win you’re working toward.

And consistency is what will get you there.

Lacey: I agree with that so much.

It reminds me of, um, this psychologist that I really like Esther Perel, who talks about how like, your relationship can’t fulfill every need you have.

And that’s like one of the biggest issues we have in kind of like modern day relationships is we expect someone to be like our best friend and our like lover and our like housekeeper and, and, and like, there’s like all this pressure and someone just can’t be right. Can’t meet all of those.

And I think that’s the same with business sometimes is like, your business can really serve you and meet some of your needs, but it for sure, for sure can’t meet all of them. And if you’re looking for it too, you’re gonna feel consistently disappointed by it and it’s gonna feel harder to stay in it it.

Leah: Right, right. I totally agree. So bringing it back to this theme, I just would love to ask you, I have two questions for you, and you can just choose whichever one you wanna answer, which one you wanna answer first or whatever one.

What does working hard mean to you, especially if you’re a new entrepreneur? And I think I talk about this a lot, but I think the disconnect amongst people creating something new online, whether you consider yourself an influencer, a coach, an entrepreneur, um, a blogger, it’s, I don’t think it’s specific to any one of those, but the disconnect between what people think it takes and what it actually takes comes largely from a lot of personal development and thought leaders talking so much about mindset and, and doing a very good job doing it.

But then almost people not realizing that mindset is only there to inform your actions. It is not there to substitute your actions or help you bypass them or have you skip out on them. It’s only there to like, have you backed up with the action you’re going to take.

And I guess I would just love to hear what that looks like for you, like mindset into action and how you, what you would wanna tell people who are feeling like whatever they’re listening to isn’t emphasizing action enough and that is what they’re missing.

Lacey: Yes. I love that. So I’ll, Well, I like, can I answer both?

Leah: Yeah, please just talk however you feel is helpful. 

Lacey: Um, so in terms of the working hard thing and what that means to me, for me that really means willingness is like how I would frame that. Um, I don’t think it’s about the number of hours you put in, I don’t think it’s about, um, you know, how tough it feels.

I think it’s more like, do you have a willingness to do the things that get you more of what you want? Right.

And I think that what I see in our space is that there’s been a lot of messaging that has made people think that like they shouldn’t have to be willing to do the tougher things sometimes. And I think it just is like a wording issue because it’s almost like what does hard mean? Right? Like, is it hard to stretch out of your comfort zone? Yeah, I think it is.

And do you have to be willing to do that? I for sure think so. So if that’s our definition of hard work, I think you have to do hard work. Right? Does it mean you pick the hardest thing that’s the least aligned for you and that feels terrible to you and that you hate in every way imaginable? No, of course not. Like they’re just different things. Right.

Um, but for my, for me, I’m always working on my own willingness. And with clients same, it’s almost like, okay, you’re saying you wanna get more visible, Are you willing to do what it takes? You’re saying you wanna make more sales, Are you willing to go out and sell? You know what I mean? Like you’re saying you wanna sign clients, are you willing to be rejected six times? 

Leah: Right. Right.

Lacey: Right. One of my clients, um, like had a big goal of like finding her, her person and, and finding a great relationship. And the conversation we had is like, are you willing to get your heart broken along the way? Right. Right, right, right. So I think for me that working hard is just like, are you willing to stretch yourself and do the things and take risk? And like that’s the foundation of entrepreneurship, right? There’s no

Leah: Bypassing it. Yeah.

Lacey: Yeah. If we’re trying to take that away, we’re just making it so much harder on ourselves. Like, I truly think that more pe most people in our industry are working harder than they need to because of that exact reason. Because they feel like they should be making the sale sales without selling, or they feel like they should be having the seven-figure businesses without rejection.

And so they’re just stuck spinning their wheels all the time instead of being like, Oh no, I have to sell, I have to take the risk. I have to, you know, get the rejection. And like that’s when it actually does get easier ironically. Mm-hmm.

Leah: Right, right. I totally agree. It’s, it’s always so interesting because so much of what you have to do when we’re talking about like, are you willing to go out there and sell is actually not hard. Like, it’s not hard to write a sales email.

Like how is it different writing a sales email than writing an email to your aunt, like asking how they are? Either way you’re physically doing the same thing. Yeah. It’s like the the emotional charge that we put behind it, what we make it mean, how dramatically feel what we fear about the rejection.

And so I think that that’s what it comes down to is like, are you willing to tolerate or experience, it doesn’t even have to be a negative. Are you willing to work through the emotional charge that comes behind the actual tasks that go into doing these things? Because the tasks themselves are not that hard and you do not need to work 25 hours a day and you do not need to sell your soul and all the other things that hustle culture has, you know, kind of sold some people, which is why we’re rejecting it. And I get that.

But there has to, there is a different way to look at it, and I think that people need to be more honest about it,

Lacey: Right? Like, if you really take what we’re doing right, to, to have seven-figure businesses, it’s like mind blowingly nothing to a certain extremely

Leah:Simple, right? 

Lacey: It’s like I make posts on Instagram, I I’m recording this podcast with you, I have some phone calls, like it is like wild y’all. How not a thing that is. But at the end of the day, it is the mindset behind it that kicks our butt. But I think that that’s why, like you were saying, it gets confusing where then it swings the opposite way where it’s like just all mindset then, Right.

And then, Right. And that’s not it either. Um, I, what I always find interesting is watch what the people are doing that are telling you it’s all mindset. Totally. Because you can literally know if that’s true for them or not. Because if they’re saying it’s all mindset, but you see them posting on social media

Leah: Right?

Lacey: 15 times a day, you, you literally can know that it’s not right. It doesn’t mean they ha are obligated to tell you about that, or that they can’t just teach on mindset or sell you mindset, but watch more what people are doing than what they’re saying in those regards. Right. Because like, yes, mindset is everything and I think there’s such a place for people who want to, to teach just on that, but like you’re, you’re still seeing them take action, y’all, that’s so important to recognize, you know

Leah: Mm-hmm. . Right? And like, like you said, they don’t, they’re not obligated no shade to them. Like they probably are using their mindset work to take action and to have the courage to show up so frequently and to be able to delegate, like you and I have talked about, like, to, to do the things that make it happen, but they are doing the things completely.

Lacey: Yes. And it’s just helpful to, to like, it’s almost like lifting the veil when we can see that, where you’re like, Oh wait, duh. They’re not actually just over here staring at their vision board every day. Cause I see them on stories selling to me 16 times that day or whatever. So, you know, like I think that we have to stop taking people so literally and actually really watch more of like what they’re doing and how they’re operating.

Leah: I agree. Okay. My final question for you on this topic is you having an inside look at so many successful seven-figure businesses and having you yourself coached people from, you know, relatively new to quite high up in income numbers, is there anyone you’ve seen who has over a, I would say quarter of a million dollar business that hasn’t had by all intensive purposes a hustle chapter?

Lacey: Not at all.

Leah: I mean, I don’t, I don’t think so either. I’ve never, never heard of it.

Lacey: And like, again, it, it depends on definition. Like do I think that they worked 70 hours a week? I really don’t. Right. Right. Do I think that they showed the f up really consistently and were really willing to put the work in, do the things like get their hands dirty, make the lead page, like whatever, Right? Yes, a hundred percent.

In fact, I would say the clients that I have seen grow the fastest had that willingness the most in some regard. Yeah. Because they were just like, I, I want that and I’m gonna do what it takes to get that kind of thing. And, um, you know, it, that doesn’t always have to be true, but I think at the end of the day, like we have to recognize that like seven-figure businesses are built to serve a purpose and, and like it takes work for them to serve that purpose.

And so of course work has to go into it. Like, it’s almost funny that we’ve gotten to this point where people are just preaching that it like doesn’t take that, you know what I mean?

Leah: Right, right. And yeah, I think that there’s like two schools of people that really need to hear this. One is like those who are, um, either believing or hearing or consuming this idea that action is either not essential or that it can all be done through mindset and, and through an anti hustles culture and, and through staying in your comfort zone.

And then there’s also, and I think that even like I go through times like this where it’s, it doesn’t even have to mean you’re a new entrepreneur, but you’re starting something new where you feel frustrated that you don’t have what you want yet. And then you look in the mirror and realize you’re not actually doing what it takes to get what you want. And that is actually such a freeing moment. I know that it can feel like a slap in the face because you’re like, Oh my God, I’m so frustrated.

I haven’t signed a client in a month. Or I’m so frustrated that I haven’t made my 10 k month or whatever you listening to this are wanting and not getting. And then when you honestly look at, well, did you send a sales email this month? Did you send 10 sales emails this month? Did you get on free calls? Did you do anything to actually sell?

And if the answer’s no, sure, it’s a little bit frustrating at first, but also it can mean that a lot of that negative talk you have going in your head is not effing true.

Because if you’re telling yourself that no one wants to work with you, you’re getting rejected, you’re not good enough. Absolutely. You have no backing for that because you haven’t done anything for anyone to prove you that.

So all of this, like self hatred or just self doubt is, you know, just fear getting louder because you haven’t actually done anything to prove it wrong. So don’t bury your head in the sand if you’re wanting something and you don’t have it yet, use this as an opportunity to just honestly look at whether or not you’re doing what it takes to do that before you make any decision about whether or not it’s not working.

Lacey: And honestly, I think this is such a testament to coaching too, because it’s so hard for us to self recognize that sometimes. Like I, I literally had this situation happen recently with a client where she had a launch and she was like saying to me like, I have literally done everything. I’m talking about this 24 7. Like, I could not be talking about it more. Duh.

Like, she was just in such a head space of like, almost like feeling like the universe was like conspiring against her or something. Right. And so I looked at her social media, I looked at her stuff and I was like, Oh my God, she’s barely talking about this. 

 See this so funny. Yeah. Right. So I did a loom for her and I was like, Okay, I’m only seeing it here. I’m only seeing it here. Like, am I missing something? Are we right? And she was like, my mind is literally blown. I feel like I’ve been talking about this 17 times a day and like now that I’m watching this bath, like I can see that logically that isn’t true. Like this is wild.

But it’s like, it’s so hard to see that in ourselves sometimes. But honestly, and I’m sure you would agree with this, Leah, like when I have clients that are coming to me and they’re like, I’m just not getting the thing I want nine times outta 10, that’s why it’s because they feel it feels heavy and it feels like we’re doing everything right. But when we look at it, that’s not always what’s happening in practice.

Leah: Right. Because you’re inside your mind, it’s happening 24 7

Lacey: Exactly. Cause you’re thinking about it all the time.

Leah: Right, right. The voices in your head are really loud about it. Yeah. that that doesn’t actually mean that what you’re doing is really loud about it.

Lacey: Yes. Which is why the mindset and action have to line up together. You know what I mean? It’s like we have to look at both, both of those components, but realistically you can’t have one without the other.

Leah: Yeah. Totally. Uh, so I was about to ask you just like what source of inspiration or like what in, what would you wanna tell people who are like realizing that they need to do what it takes? But in my experience, it’s almost hard to cultivate that willingness. It’s like you, when you’re ready, you’re ready. And nothing really like stops you after that.

You kind of have tunnel vision of going for what you want and just getting in it. And I think there’s only so much other people can tell you before you just within you are like, All right, I’m doing this. Like, nothing’s gonna stop me now. And that is a big thing I’ve noticed in this interview too. Would you say you found that to be true?

Lacey: Yeah. I also, you know what I would add to that too. I think you’re, you’re spot on. And I would add to that, I think sometimes we need permission to do that because I feel like, especially as women, like we’re so quick to make ourselves wrong or feel like we should be doing it better or different or it should be easier.

And again, I think our industry feeds that a lot where it’s like, if you make a post and people aren’t just banging down your freaking door, right? Um, something’s wrong with you. I, I feel like I had a really, really fortunate start in business and I wanna just like give this to everybody else who’s listening, but like, uh, a lot of my family were entrepreneurs and they were like, you know, pre-internet entrepreneurs, right? So like, they like had brick and mortar businesses and stuff like that.

Lacey: And when I started this business, um, so many of them said to me like, It’s gonna take at least two years to be profitable.

Are you willing to hang in for it? It’s gonna take two years. Like there was this huge theme of like, it will take years.

I was very annoyed at that at the time, but looking back, I can see how that served me so deeply because I didn’t actually expect it to happen. Like right away I really was like, I’m willing to put in this work, it’s gonna take some time.

I’m probably not gonna see results and maybe even profit for a little while. And that’s almost what let me keep going because I wasn’t beating myself up about it if I wasn’t seeing it.

Like when I got on those 40 calls, I wasn’t like, Oh my God, forget it. I was like, Yeah, I’m in like month two.

Lacey: Like this is what it’s gonna like. So I think permission is such a big piece of this too.

Like I think like you have to not make yourself wrong if it doesn’t look how you want it to look. Like one of my clients talks really openly about this, but like for four years in her business she made almost nothing.

And then she went from zero to a million in like, I don’t know, 10 months or something like that, basically. Right. I, I can’t remember exactly.

It might have been a year, but like regardless crazy, a wild amount of time to be for four years, nothing. And then it popped.

But like, it doesn’t have to take four years. But the, the thing is like, do you have the permission to let it take what it takes and keep going without like hating on yourself for it?

Leah: Mm-hmm. . Totally. I, I have, my story isn’t that dramatic, but, um, I, I had two years of nothing, nothing. Like I had one month in two years where I made over a thousand dollars one month and that was, that was it.

And like that was such a win to me. And I think people gloss over that part of my story because still in the grand scheme of things, I hit seven figures in six years, which is like pretty fast considering the that that I started with my own money, like literally with a credit card on my laptop.

But make no mistake that like two of those years I made no money and just kept going. You know? And sometimes you don’t even, it’s kind of like breastfeeding .

Sometimes I look back and I’m like, I don’t even know what kept me going. I just put one foot in front of the other one day in front of the next and just like didn’t entertain stopping for a little while.

And that sometimes is enough. You don’t have to like constantly see the light at the end of the tunnel the whole time. Sometimes it really is just about doing the best you can with where you’re at.

Lacey: Absolutely. And, and I think a lot of times you won’t see the light at the end of the tunnel and like, it’s almost like cultivating the ability to stay in it even then, you know, and or that’s when you get support.

Like I think that’s when coaching support can be so relevant cuz someone can hold that for you when you can’t see it. Like I know that, um, sometimes my clients have to borrow my belief when they don’t have it and I’m like, happy for them to be able to borrow that, you know?

So like that’s a reminder too is like even if you can’t always hold that for yourself, like someone else probably can and it’s worth like getting the support there.

Leah: Yeah. I, I totally agree with that. That’s why I will never not have coaching again because after those two years of nothingness, that was what made the difference. Like, that’s when it stopped is cuz I started hiring. Coaching.

Okay. Lacey, this was amazing as always. I feel like you and I could talk about this forever, but I really appreciate you being transparent and sharing your thoughts with your own business and with others.

Um, I have three quick questions for you. Are you ready? Favorite business book?

Lacey: Oh gosh. Uh, oh my gosh. I should have thought about this in advance. I

Leah: Didn’t tell you in advance .

Lacey: I’m like, Oh.

Leah: Just whatever comes to mind.

Lacey: You know, I, I really, I am such a big fan of Yvonne Sheard, who’s the founder of Patagonia and I just think he’s fascinating how he thinks about and runs business and he has a book called Let My People Go Surfing and it’s just about kind of his business philosophy and I think he’s incredible.

Leah: That’s a really good one. Never heard bad on the show. What is your go to when you’re having a bad day?

Lacey: Journaling.

Leah: Cool. Love that. And proudest moment in business so far.

Lacey: Hmm. You know, it’s a toss up. Like, I, I still remember getting that first client and I don’t know if anything will ever quite beat that moment. Uh, like I remember where I was, I remember what I was wearing, like I everything. Right.

Um, and then second product I would say is like when we, um, pressed a million dollars and I was pregnant and then just feeling like both of those things and holding them together.

I know you had the same experience and it’s just like really cool to like hold those two together.

Leah: Mm-hmm. Totally. I relate to both of those. I remember exactly the moment I sent my first client and then yeah.

I also was pregnant. It’s amazing. Yeah. Well thank you so much. Where can people find you?

Lacey: Um, I, my Facebook group is the Lit Up and Loaded Entrepreneur and my website is a lot of life.com and I also have a podcast, which is literally

Leah: Thank you so much Lacey. I hope you guys love this. I hope you learned a lot.

Go check out her stuff. And I hope that this gave you some insight about what, what you’re doing and what more you could do to get to your biggest vision. Bye everyone.

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