Welcome to the Level Up with Katie B podcast, where performance meets spirituality and you get all the tools you need to unlock your next level of badassery in life and business. I'm Katie B, airline pilot, human design coach, side hustle extraordinaire and crazy cat lady and I know what it's like to have a vision for your life that is so big that it feels bananas. I know what it's like to be busy and still want to live an abundant and fulfilling life and I know that you have everything you need to achieve all of that without burning out.
I know you're going to bring your dreams to reality. How do I know? Because if I can do it, so can you. Each week I and a series of guests will share human design insights, manifestation secrets, energetics and mindset tools that you can use to start stepping into your power as the conscious creator of your most aligned life.
Buckle in baby, because it's gonna be a sweet, sweet ride. Hey hey, welcome back to another episode of the Level Up Katie B podcast. So, so happy to be here with you.
I'm really excited about this episode. You know I'm always excited, but I'm particularly excited because I have had a lot of conversations online, a lot of Facebook group conversations that have been going on with women who are really thinking about starting side hustles, right? Why? Because people are feeling the financial pinch, right? And there is this real energy out. I'm sure you've probably felt not just online, but in the greater community in general of like, fuck, I'd love to have multiple streams of income.
And so more and more people are thinking about starting a side hustle or about, you know, starting a business in general. But there's a lot of confusion. There's a lot of like, ah, what am I going to do? Like, what would a side hustle look like? And you know, that's why I am in the middle of building side hustle startup school.
Yes, it is still a work in progress. Don't worry. You will be the first to know when side hustle startup school doors open.
So stay tuned. It is still in the works. But you know, that's part of the reason I wanted to create side hustle startup school, because it's a really easy entry point for you to lay solid foundations for your side hustle or business.
But this episode in particular is designed to be a really quick and easy way for you to just keep your eyes peeled, keep your intuitive wisdom kind of feelers out for any sort of fuckery that's going to convince you to start a side hustle without being properly prepared for it. Right. So these are the things that I wish I had have known before I started my side hustle.
Now, you know, I am so passionate about my side hustles, but I haven't done it the easiest way. I really haven't. I've made so many mistakes and I'm so grateful for them all because it's led me to where I am now, which is honestly, I am in a very grounded, stable, really fulfilled space with my side hustles.
It doesn't mean that I've cracked the code, but I feel very much like I'm on the trajectory that I've been kind of scrapping towards for the last three years, three and a half years. So now when I reflect on sort of what could have expedited me through that process, what could I have avoided to be able to really create my business with a little bit more ease, with a little less stress? Because I have been stressed, like I'm not going to lie. I have not bypassed the stress in my business, but it's all down to, you know, a few of the mindsets I had around what a business should be, how it should look and the things, most importantly, the things that I didn't know that I know now.
And so that's why I'm really excited to bring you these three things that I wish I had have known before I started my side hustle, so that if you are in that space where you're pondering it, you can really like check these off your list and know, okay, sweet, I've got these down. I'm clear that these are some things that I'm going to maybe not do or not take on board so that I can expedite my business process. Now, I actually also created a free download for you for this because you know, I like to give you resources to support the podcast episodes.
And this resource is called the Size to Hustle Success Blueprint, and it's actually just a two-page customizable business plan. And the reason I did this is because it's actually just, it should be the first thing you do if you're thinking about starting a business is just like really an overview of what your vision is at the moment. And then a few more specifics to make it tangible, a few more specifics to actually make sure that you kind of have some direction to that beautiful vision that you have.
And there's also some energetic tips and tricks in there as well to help you, you know, align your human design with your business plan. So the Size to Hustle Success Blueprint is available to download just from the link in the show notes in the usual place where I leave all the goodies for you. I also just wanted to let you know, because if you listened last week, I was talking to the incredible Nikki from the Digital Exchange.
Now, Nikki is a search engine optimization expert. And the reason I love Nikki and her work so much is because she's supporting solo preneurs like you and I to get off the social media treadmill and actually set up our businesses to work for us. You know, her work helps us work smarter, not harder.
And like, that's what we want, right? If you're inside hustle life, that means you probably got a full time job. You've probably got kids. You've probably got all these beautiful hobbies.
And so you don't want to be chained to social media. SEO or search engine optimization is one of the keys to helping us get off that treadmill. So Nikki's got a course open at the moment.
It's open for registration. It's called Search Engine Optimization SEO Made Easy. And it is a really simple step by step course that helps business owners and entrepreneurs score first position in Google so that they can boost their website traffic and sell on autopilot.
So Nikki's six week course is designed to take us solo preneurs, business owners from feeling lost and overwhelmed about where we should be focusing our marketing efforts. Hint, it's not social media. To being able to consistently reach more people, drive traffic to our websites and make more sales, all without having to spend any extra money or having to constantly show up on social media.
Now, disclaimer, I haven't actually done Nikki's course, but I am going to do it. So I am in this round. The cart closes tomorrow.
I would love to see you there. How cool would it be if we got to do this together? Now, what I want to say to you is actually, if you are in startup phase, there is no better time to get in this course. So if you're like, oh, but I've only got an idea at the moment, this course is actually going to help you.
Plus that download that I've provided as well, because it means that right from the start, you are not going to have to just solely rely on showing up on social media, which is a huge time and energy suck at times. So honestly, I truly believe that it doesn't matter where you're at in business. If you want to drive more traffic and make selling more effortless, then you will benefit from this.
So click the link in the show notes. If you just want to find out more information, click the link in the show notes, have a read up on it. I'm going to be there.
I'd love to see some of you guys in there. It'd be so cool if we all got to go through Nikki's course together. All right.
So beautifully aligned with this episode, though, right? Because these are things that I wish I had have known before I started my side hustle. Now, honestly, SEO is one of those things, but I am kind of talking more broad terms than very specific throughout this episode. But I do have one specific story that I will resonate with a lot of you and is really important for me to share.
I haven't felt ready to share the story before, even though I have talked on this topic. Do you know, I think mostly because I felt embarrassed for making this mistake and especially because of my ethos in business, which is totally about authenticity and transparency. And so this first lesson that I learned the hard way and I really don't want you to make is really being clear on when you are being marketed to to poke your core wounds and to give you unrealistic expectations about what is possible in your business.
You know that I believe in infinite potentials. I believe everything is possible. But I think selling to us business owners and startups, side hustles, entrepreneurs, this dream of, you know, do the certification and you will have a multi six figure business in X amount of time.
I think it's unethical. And I think that it's time to for all of us to stop believing the hype. Now, what I would like to say to you is you are absolutely capable of making multiple six figures in whatever business that you are dreaming of 100 percent.
But the lies specifically that I'm talking about and that I was sold was if I do the certification, then I'll have a successful business. And it's just not true, because what it actually takes is a structured plan, the energetics and mindset skills and the skills. Right.
You you need obviously you need to have the skills to provide the service or you have to have the skills to create the goods that you want to sell. That's a no brainer. You need to do any sort of certifications or training or life experience, whatever it is that you actually are selling.
You need those things. Right. But having a skill set does not make a successful business.
And I and how it showed up for me, what happened to me is I did my certifications. So if you've been listening to the podcast for a while, you know that I became a life and success coach because of my challenges around performance anxiety. I overcome performance anxiety and that led me to do my certification as a life and success coach, hypnotherapist, NLP practitioner, emotional freedom techniques practitioner and become a learn how to teach human design and read human design.
So I did all these certifications because I had a desire to help people. And I know that you probably feel the same way. You've probably got this really big drive to help people live a better life.
And whatever it is that you've overcome, that is usually what is infused into our business. It's what helps drive us. So because we know how much better life can be on the other side of conquering these challenges.
Right. But so I was sold the. All right.
So you've got these skills, get the certification, and then you'll have a successful business. But I was never taught any business foundations. Now, it seems obvious, right? But if you're sitting here thinking, what does she mean by business foundations? I mean, you want to have a look at how much time it actually takes for you to run a business.
I want you to have a look at things like what does it look like to pay tax? How much money do I think I can actually make out of this? What is a starting point financial projection to see? Is this is the time I'm going to put in feel worthy of my efforts? It's also thinking about marketing. Marketing, it can really easily start on social media, but it is going to eventually you're going to have to grow beyond social media because social media has changed. It's not the same place as it was five or 10 years ago.
And so we need to be smarter about how we market, right? We also need to understand that like look at how much money you have to invest, right? How much money have you actually got to put in upfront to build your business? A lot of people don't have a lot of money and that's okay. You can build a side hustle from virtually nothing. Like I honestly believe you can start a side hustle with a hundred dollars, but you need to be aware of what the costs of your startup are.
Like I had no idea about all this stuff, right? So what I really, this first lesson is really about you having your spidey senses on, trusting your intuition, trusting your wisdom and knowing to look out for any sort of marketing that is teaching you, that is trying to tell you that if you get, if you do this course, you will have a successful business. Any course that does that is not giving you the full vision. Any course that gives you this idea that if you do a certification, you will have a successful business because there is so much more to it than that, right? There is business foundations, there's marketing foundations, there's all this other beautiful stuff that comes into it.
And that's actually why I'm so passionate about side hustle startup school. I'm not telling you that, and I never will tell you that if you join side hustle startup school, you're going to have a multi-six figure business. What I am telling you is that through doing side hustle startup school, you will lay incredible foundations for creating a long-term sustainable business.
And that to me is more important than anything. We talk about tax, we talk about human design, we talk about mindset, we talk about marketing, we talk about all aspects of business. Now, I just want you to be armed with that knowledge.
I want you to have your spidey senses on. I want you to not pour your money down the drain into these, what I consider to be unethical marketing practices that are rife on social media. So that's my little, my first lesson that I wish I had have known because I definitely would have done things differently if I had have known that myself.
Okay, so point two, the lesson two that I would really have been so grateful for someone to have said to me is your business, your side hustle is an extension of you, but it is not you. Now, the reason this is important, well, there's a few different reasons this is important. On one level, this is because when times get tough, when you launch a product or a service and you maybe don't get the results that you were looking for, maybe you don't create as much income from that first launch as you thought you might have.
If you are so connected to your business that you can't separate your business from you as a person, it impacts your sense of worthiness. It's like, this launch wasn't a success, therefore, I'm not worthy of success. Now, I know that that sounds really dramatic and if you are at startup point, you probably won't resonate with that a hundred percent because I don't think you can until you really start launching your products and services because that's when your heart and soul is on the line, right? It's like, it's such a vulnerable space to be when you've created something, you put it out to the world with the goal of creating huge impact and then one or two people sign up.
And if you have really spent all your time and energy on your business, if you've gone down a rabbit hole of not setting up structures in your life that support you to be a fully well-rounded human, managing, having a life and all the other goodness, and also being able to see running your business as a separate entity to you, then it gets messy and you can really feel quite, it can really affect that sense of self-love, sense of self-worth, and you deserve so much better than that. So, that's the first thing is that if you are, when you start your business, it's so easy with all the excitement to put every moment of your time into your business. And yes, there is an element of that that is required because, you know, you've got to get shit going, you've got to do stuff, there's got to be aligned action that happens to bring your vision to life.
But if you have not set up structures, supportive lifestyle structures that allow you to be the well-rounded human, that allow you to have the life that you want to live, as well as grow your business, then you end up tied, your sense of self-worth can be extremely closely tied to how much money you make in your business, and that's not helpful for you, right? So, how do you avoid doing this? One of the best things to do to avoid going down that rabbit hole is before you start your business, actually look at the non-negotiables in your life that your business will not penetrate. So, for me, that looks like my health, my fitness, specifically my physical fitness. I will always prioritize going to the gym, going for a walk, doing yoga, having a sauna, any of that stuff before I start my work day, and that is a non-negotiable for me.
And so, my business gets to work around my health goals, because to me, health is wealth. It's one of my core values, and it's very important to me. For you, it might be your family, right? Your non-negotiable is going to your daughter's dance class after school.
Your non-negotiable is getting to spend quality family time around dinner time at night. And so, with that, you create a structure that is so fiercely protected that your business can't penetrate it. And that helps us also keep our person, our humanness separate from our business.
It helps us create a sustainable business because you've actually got a life outside of it, right? And it's so important to keep your life outside of your business. Now, how I learned this lesson is that I didn't do any of that, right? I didn't allow myself to be a human. Every moment that I had spare, I would sit down at my desk, and I would start to work.
And I, for the longest time, was like, it's because I love it. And I actually saw a social media post that I posted probably about two years ago that was like, actually, I won't go into the details, but it was the energy of like, I can't stop working. And the reason for that was because I had conditioned myself that every spare moment of my life had to be dedicated to my business.
And that ends up leading you into burnout. It actually also leads you to resent your business. And the same way that when parents put all their love and attention into their children and start losing touch with what lights their fire, when their kids grow up and get older and then leave, and there's this resentment because like, oh, fuck, I've just dedicated my life to you.
Now what? I've got nothing to show for it because you've just left and you probably don't even want to talk to me. Do you know what I mean? And so we don't want to get into that in our businesses. We want to be so firmly grounded in the, like, you are whole, you are worthy of creating success, and your business is a separate entity to you.
It is an extension of you and there is your energy will flow into your business. Your personality is part of your business, but it is not tied to your business and your life is not your business. So I really want you to know that if you want sustainable success, write a list of things that are really non-negotiable that you'll fiercely protect in order to stay whole and healthy, mentally well, energetically well, emotionally well, as you grow your badass business.
And these are things we're going to talk about and do in Side Hustle Startup School as well. And the download that is available for you is a really great place to start that process. So although Side Hustle Startup School isn't open yet, this is a great way for you to start that process through the download that I've provided you.
Okay, so I hope that really makes sense to you. The first lesson is, like, have your spidey senses on in terms of any quick fix. Like, do this and you will be hugely financially successful sales on social media.
Just let your spidey senses guide you. Trust your intuition. Know that there is no quick fix and it is a journey of learning and trial and error.
But just have your spidey senses on in terms of unethical marketing practices online. And then the second lesson is really tune into the energy of your business is an extension of you, but it is not you. And you can be a healthy, happy, whole, thriving human outside of your business and still have a successful business.
Okay, we're just going to take a short break. And when we get back, you are going to get to learn the last thing that I wish I knew before I started my side hustles. Hey, how's your self care game at the moment? You know, I am all about prioritizing your mental, emotional and energetic health to ensure you feel the magic of an aligned and fulfilling life.
And you know, the fact that you're listening to this episodes means I know you get it. You know that this is an important part of being your most badass version. But let's not forget our beautiful bodies, the vessel that allows us to be the bridge between your soul journey and rolling around in the bliss of your 3D reality.
Your skin and hair health is absolutely a part of that and goes far beyond just slapping some cream on last minute before you walk out the door. It goes beyond that. The truth is that a nourishing skin and hair care routine can be a sacred part of your day.
A beautiful ritual that helps you reconnect with your body, be in reverence for it, and on top of all of that, help you feel confident with glowing skin and healthy hair. Rodan and Field Skin and Hair Care is premium dermatologically designed and results driven solutions with something for everyone. Blending premium ingredients with cutting edge dermatological science, whether you're fighting the signs of aging, tackling skin imperfections like acne, scarring, pigmentation, or dealing with hair concerns like hair fall or frizziness, we have totally got you covered.
And because we believe in our results driven formulas so much, we offer a full 60 day money back guarantee. Do you know of any other skincare brand that will let you use their products until the bottle is empty? And then if you don't get the results you're looking for, you can send the empty bottle back and get a full refund. Why? Because we believe in our products so much and we are here to support your journey towards radiant skin and luscious hair risk-free.
We want to make it so easy for you to look and feel amazing no matter what age, no matter what stage of life you're in. You don't have to put up with dry red skin. You do not have to put up with acne or thinning hair.
You can start looking and feeling younger and more confident and you can start today. If you are intrigued and you want to find the right solutions for you, take the Skin and Hair Solutions Tool Quiz. The link is in the show notes and it's so much fun.
It's like having a derm in your pocket. You'll get a skin analysis and personalized recommendations. It is super simple and such a fun way to discover beautiful solutions unique to your needs.
Remember you're not just taking care of your skin and your hair, you are taking care of you and that is the most beautiful form of self-love. The last lesson that I have learned and I wish I had known before I started my side hustle is one that actually feeds into lesson two but it is that when you start your business, no matter whether it's a side hustle or it's you've gone full-time into your business, no matter if you're in direct selling or if you are in a service-based or product-based industry, you need to look at your business as if it is a business. You need to know that you're doing more, this is more than a hobby and the reason that this is such an important mindset to have is that it actually makes it so much easier for you to do all those foundational things that you know I missed from lesson one.
You look at your business and you go, all right well I'm a business owner now so I need to have my financial projections in order, I need to know how much tax I'm obliged to pay, I need to look at my expenses, I need to do all these things and the reason this is important is so that you can actually create income from the very beginning without just pouring money down the drain. Because when the lines get blurry and I see this a lot with soul-led, heart-led entrepreneurs, the lines get blurry because we are passionate about what we're doing right and it might be that it's something that we would quite happily do as a hobby right, but the reality is if we've started a business there are going to be costs involved and so we want to be making money. We're not doing it for shits and giggles, we actually are wanting to have impact and to have impact you need to have solid financial structures.
So when you start your side hustle, no matter what it is, I want you to know that this is your business, it is not you, it is an extension of you, but it is a business and it is an entity, it's a living breathing entity that is there to help you attract abundance, to create abundance and you will therefore by having that mindset of like I am a business owner, not just a hobbyist, you will actually start interacting with your clients and your community in a way that is really supportive of you being able to create income, but also that income is important because it's actually what you are then reinvesting to grow your business right. The more money you make, the more you can reinvest and the more you can create bigger impact. So what I really wish I would have thought about more when I started my business was that I am a business, I am not just a hobby that is helping people and taking a little bit of money, like I need to be profitable so that I can help more people.
So I really hope that you can see how these three simple mindset shifts and tools that I have learned the hard way can help you not just launch a business, get excited about it, you know, go all in and have a lot of fun and then end up burnt out. These tools, these mindset shifts are designed to show you that business is not a quick fix, get rich scheme. It is a long term plan that you really need to be so excited about the long term vision for your business that you can A, see it as a business, B, see it as an extension of you, not part of you and also C, not get sucked into any unethical marketing tactics, which happens if we are looking for a quick financial hit, right? Now, one other thing that I just want to leave you with is if you're really stressed about finances right now, if you are panicking and looking for ways to make money quick, it is not a good time for you to start a side hustle.
It is not a good time for you to start a business that is coming from a scarcity element in your life. And it actually your nervous system is probably a bit tapped and starting a business with a tapped nervous system is a surefire way to end up so stressed, so overwhelmed and really disappointed and disillusioned, which is so, so sad, because if you actually want a side hustle, if you actually want to start a business, you deserve to go into it feeling really confident. You don't have to be 100% confident, but confident that you will create income, that you are going to build a sustainable business rather than just panicking and grasping at any opportunity to make money.
It's not a good time to start a business if you are really, really stressed about money, if you are deep in debt, any of that. So again, keep your spidey senses on for any sort of unethical marketing that's going to tell you that that will solve all your problems. On the flip side, if you feel like the one thing that's holding you back is that you're scared that you're going to fail, I want you to know that you probably will fail.
You'll fail multiple times. That doesn't mean that your whole business is going to fail, but business is really about failing, learning, pivoting, growing. These three lessons that I've shared with you today are a testament to that, right? I've failed my way through all these lessons and learnt them and now I'm here with a business that I have really learned to ease into, feel really grounded, relaxed, and I know that it's going to be sustainable.
I know that I'm going to have big impact because I'm not stressed as fuck about it and I'm not getting convinced that I need any quick fix to make it viable. I'm just taking the aligned action and knowing that I am growing each and every day. And you can have that too.
You absolutely can have that too. So if fear of failure is holding you back, then look, stay in my world, stay listening to this podcast, gobble up all the free resources that I've got available to you to support you in navigating that, because I believe that you are capable and I really want you to know that it is the most fun, it is really one of the most rewarding things I've ever done in my life is have my side hustles and to be able to support you guys in doing the same. So I really hope this episode helps open your eyes to a few mistakes that you don't need to make to have a really thriving business.
All right, my love, that's it from me today. I just want to remind you there is the free download available in the link in the show notes, which is the Side Hustle Success Blueprint. This is your customizable business plan.
It is by no means exhaustive, but it is the best place to start. If you are someone that's thinking about starting a side hustle or you've had one for a while but you're not gaining traction, this will help you see what you might have been missing, help you refocus, help you get more clarity. And then also don't forget Nikki's SEO Made Easy course, Doors Closed Tomorrow.
So if you want to get in amongst that, grab the link in the show notes and make sure you get on board and hopefully I'll see you there. I'm so excited for this course. All right, my love, until next week, take care, keep milking the shit out of life and I will catch you in the next episode.
