Show Notes

Scaling a business can feel daunting and overwhelming and it doesn’t have to be. Listen in as Jennifer discusses how to use what you know to scale your business

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Jennifer: Hey there, welcome back to marketing matchmaker. So when this podcast airs, it will be November, which for me is all about giving back, giving back to my audience, giving back to my clients, and really just focusing on how we can help people grow and scale their business in a different way. So this month, I’m focusing all around bringing on special guests that can help you to really focus on different areas of your business that will help you scale and help you grow, and really focus on creating that revenue that you’ve always dreamed of. So today, I have my friend Donna Ashton on board. And Don, it is a strategist and time goddess, leading you to four day weekends in your business. With 14 years designing and marketing, leverage programs working just a few hours per day, she built her time rich business, using her work less make more formula, and has helped hundreds of experts make impact, allow time for family travel, and to work less. Her mission is to free overworked business owners to do what they love when they want, and give them back the one thing they can’t buy time. Thank you so much for joining me today. Donna, I’m super excited to dive into this because I think there’s a lot of misconceptions out there that in business, you have to work 40 6080 hours a week, and put all of your time and well. I’ve never said that you don’t I’m sure there are times in your business that you do. I love your philosophy of working less and making more. So tell me about you your business and really how this happened.

Donna: Thank you so much. I’m super excited to be here. Yeah, I mean, there certainly were times, especially at the beginning, you know, getting started in my business, where I did scramble around and work more than I would normally want to or launching things out, I think, you know, just like because I had no idea what I was doing for a while, you know, we kind of have that. And I understand that like in that startup phase or in if you’re like bringing something new out a book or a new, something, you know, there is a little bit work involved. But I always had it as a temporary thing and how it all got started was by necessity. When I started my business. I had twin girls who were seven, and I was homeschooling them.

J: Oh my.

D: So I did not have a lot of and I was like and I want to start my own business. So I had wanted to start a business and I had done a little dabbling and other little businesses before even like my girls were born. But once I had them, you know, they took up a lot of work. They took all my time and energy for the first, you know, years. And then finally when they were around seven, I was like, Okay, maybe now’s the time, when I can breathe just a little bit. You know, and kind of start thinking I want something of my own. And I wanted. I just knew I was an entrepreneur at heart though. In my past live. I had worked in corporate for a while. And I had done other little things. Like I said, I had started to do some little businesses, with a Master Gardener with plants I grew up here. So interesting fact I had grown herbs to sell to restaurants. I sold hummingbird gardens, at the garden shows. So I had done all the that I was doing like natural organic garden design. I thought it was too hard. It was too hard to leave the house to do that. And that’s when my kids were young. And I was like, I just need to have something I can do from home. My husband always said if you could do something that’s on the phone from home, you’ll make a million dollars. So I was like, Okay, let’s see what I could do. So I literally started a homeschool support website for people like me who were working in a very like small percentage of homeschoolers. We did Waldorf homeschooling or Waldorf inspired homeschooling. So it was like I didn’t really know what I was doing. And I knew there was a ton of other people. So it sort of started as that and I was so busy that soon I realized I’m only going to be able to do some kind of courses or programs because I couldn’t do like one to one, coaching or helping with people. I just had no time and even if I had time I was I was like dead by the day when my energy was gone. So I was like, I just went right into the one to many model. Now I don’t know this was like way back in 2010. So I don’t necessarily recommend that if you’ve never done things before. You know a lot of people will come to me and say they want to have a course or a program. And they’ve never taught it before to other people. And I really highly recommend that you do at least have some clients ahead of time to kind of work through your process. Many people are like, I’ve lost 150 pounds, and I want to show others how to do it. But it is a little bit different. And even as my own my own case study, because I had this business for eight years, which was my homeschool business, which I started running like clockwork with all my courses, I launched dozens and dozens of courses, they were there. And then people started asking me the moms in my group were like, hey, I want to make some extra money while I’m homeschooling my son, can you help me do these courses, so it just naturally evolved into that. So I started, like, on the side helping these people do courses, and I realized I really loved that part of it. And I loved the marketing. And I loved creating the courses and helping people do the business see part of that I loved all of that. And my kids are now in school. So I started the second business and I ran both for two years. And then I was like, I cannot do this. Like my, my passion was on helping with courses and the homeschool chapter had already closed for me. So weirdly. And at the time, I didn’t tell anybody but I sold the business. I don’t know why I sold my business. I don’t know why I thought that was like a bad thing. I felt like I was selling my passive income streams or something.

J: Which I mean, that’s a that’s a fabulous thing. I mean, looking back now…

D: Now people are like, What do you mean, you need to tell everyone like how often do like coaches get to sell their business very usually, it’s like when they’re done their businesses. Yeah, but I had so many I had built this huge like list and a huge community and I had these courses and a colleague and friend came in it was a Waldorf teacher. And so she just sort of like kept selling my stuff. And I was able to it was so turnkey, I just sold the whole thing. So now I realize the you know what that means and what that could mean to other coaches who are, you know, want to step back and don’t want to do it forever, or, like I have no intentions of ever selling the business. But who knows, right? Like, there I was, at the point going, I needed to do something else. So I sold that. And so since 2016, I’ve been doing this full time. And I just continued that same like I don’t have a lot of time, I have to fit in my business into my life. And it just became this. This is how I run my business. And over the last year, I’ve also done a lot of soul searching on like my bigger mission, like besides just horses. And I realized after a long night of the soul going through a little dark night of the soul of all of this, that I’ve been doing a lot of this since I like was a kid of helping people be more efficient, doing things quicker, easier, a better away. And so I started coaching on that this year in conjunction with courses, and it’s become my whole, like, what I stand for and out the four day weekends. It’s like how can other people not just have courses? But how can they look at their business in a different way? And make it simpler, make it easier? Why are they doing things? The way they’re doing it when there’s just a much easier, simpler way to do it. So I’ve been like looking at all of people’s business on the front end, like why their offers, why do they have eight different things they’re selling? why are things so complicated? Why are they doing things that aren’t working in your business? Why have they not hired the right people to help take over some of these things, and really helping them regain time immediately. And then a little bit of time and then looking long term? How can they pull back and not necessarily lead their business because the people that I’m working with, they love what they do, just like I do, I love what I do too. And so, but three days a week is when I love to do it and the rest of the time. I want to do other things right? I want to I have so many hobbies, I feel like there’s not enough time in the My lifetime for all the things that I want to see and do and create. So instead of like just trying to cram it in on Saturday and Sunday, I’m like why can’t we do it? Why do we have to flip things like why can’t we just have our our business fit into our life and three days I feel like is a good time for a while I was doing three day weekends like taking Friday’s off and then I’m like, it’s not enough time. I really feel like I could probably get all my work done just in three days and not like 12 hour days either. Like really just working, you know, four hours or, you know, give or take some days. There’s more some days there’s like less it just depends. So it’s just getting it all done. Understanding what you’re needing to do. And then you can decide when it’s, you know, when you’re ready to kind of push that. And I’m like, well, let’s turn Monday’s off and see what happens. And I haven’t looked back. So it’s like-

J: That’s fabulous. So for those out there that obviously love the idea. I mean, I’m one of them. I love the idea of working three days and being able to be flexible, and in the rest of our time. What is your tip for them to get started? Like, what’s step one that they need that they need to do?

D: Well, step one, I think, and this is what I do with my clients is you need to see like, where all of your time is going. Because I had, you know, I thought, and again, this is one of those things that I just assume people all know, but they don’t. So my clients are like, Oh, they think that they’re doing I mean, they probably have an idea. Well, I spend a lot of time either doing zoom calls, or I’m doing work for clients, or I have these coaching sessions, you know, I have 15 calls a week or whatever, like, but if you really take a look and do this, and it is kind of a pain, but really the only way to do it is to really track yourself for at least five days, you know, a good work week, I think if you could do it longer, it depends, like some weeks, maybe you’re not doing something so you won’t get the thing but at least five days, right of what are you actually doing? And how much time is it taking you because I feel like a lot of us, me included, are like, Oh, I’m just gonna go work in Canva, my total like down the rabbit hole. Quick logo, it’s gonna take me 10 minutes. And then two hours later, I’m frustrated. And I do have a nice logo. However, that was two hours or whatever. So I feel like many of my clients and probably your listeners are super creative. They’re visionaries, and they want they they like doing those things. And I do too. But you know, there’s a there’s a better use of time. And I think some people just don’t realize what they are doing and how much time they’re spending on social media, or how much time they’re spending doing reels that aren’t bringing in any clients, or whatever. Or maybe they are doing tick tock like I had this woman, she’s like, I spend about three hours a day doing like, tick tock videos, and I’m like, “Oh my God!”

J: That’s a lot of time, my friend.

D: I’m like, Are you seeing some results? She’s like, well, not really. But I really like it. And I’m just like, okay. So I mean, sometimes there are things that you have to do. I mean, and I realize sometimes you’ve got to give things a chance. But I think it’s like taking a look. So if nothing else, take a really good look at your time and see where you’re spending it. Like and then try to put it into some kind of categories of, you know, your genius, or you should know what you’re good at doing and what you love. And there is a sort of an overlap, because I think for those of you haven’t read the big leap, I totally, like resisted why I have no idea until last about this time last year. It was one of those things where I heard it like three times in the week. And I’m like, okay, universe, I get to download an audio book from the big league. And I was like, oh, no, here he is, again, talking about discovering your brilliance. And but there were some really good things in there. Because it’s like, what you’re like the ultimate genius. And then there’s other things like what you’re really good at and you like to do to like me working on logos, like I do like it and I am really good at it. But and then there are the things like, I don’t really like to do it, but it’s kind of working. And then it’s like, I hate doing this. And I never want to do it again, right? You know, so you can like look at your paper and kind of put it into four quadrants of what’s working at the top and what’s not working that you’re doing. And then on one side, what’s working, that you love what’s working, you don’t love on the bottom, what’s not working, that you love, what’s not working, that you don’t love, and you can start to look at that and see where you can let go of things where you can start like, you know delegating out to team or hiring somebody to do it. Because if it’s working and you hate doing it, you know, can it be replaced? Can you start doing it? So these little things, I think is like the first things that are the easiest to get into, because there’s probably an hour or two in there that you could regain. And while that may not sound like a lot, most of the clients that come to me are working a lot of hours and are working five, maybe six days and they’re really trapped in their business. You know, it’s sort of the dragging this chain, they’re successful. But there’s they they’re like they’re drowning, right? They’re drowning and they want it they want to continue to scale but they’re like I can’t take on anymore. I’m done. *laughs*

J: I got a feeling that a lot of your clients are like my In that they are they basically created a job for themselves, right, they left corporate or whatever. And then they created this 40 to 60 hour weeks. That mean that that goes around all the time that, you know, entrepreneurs are the only people that are willing to work 80 hours for themselves to avoid working 40 hours for somebody else. Right. And, and the fact of the matter is, it’s, that’s not what we did. That’s not why we did it. Right. Like, not, that’s not the reason we left corporate, we wanted to work for ourselves to do exactly what you said earlier, which was make our business support our life, not our life revolve around our business. So for your people that do come to you for this, you know, four day work week, where are they in their business? Like who who’s who’s really ready to step into that?

D: Yeah, I mean, I think it has to be someone who’s had who is successful, like they are making, they have clients or patients or whatever, like, they have a good business going. And they have a good, like process that they take people through, whether it’s even, like service base, where they’re even, like doing websites or something, it doesn’t necessarily have to be like a coach or a consultant, it can also be like, I’m working on their social media, or I’m working on, you know, their, whatever launching or they’re doing their, you know, like websites, so but they have sort of a, this is what I do, and they can go through and kind of have this process. And then in many times, they’re also very, over giving over delivering, which I mean, it’s nice to over deliver, but not at the cost of your of you. Yeah, because suddenly, you know, they start taking on other little things, that’s not really what they should be doing, Oh, can you just add this to a contract that they’re not really even being paid for, they just, they’re, you know, most of them are women who just love to work and do their gifts and help people. And, you know, there’s a big piece of that I teach about boundaries, like, you’ve got to stay within the boundaries, and people will respect you for it. So they’re also they love what they do, right? They want to help people and they want to get their work out in a big way. They want to make the impact. So they think like, Okay, well, then I have to just take on more people, I have to, how can I get even more I start, you know, they start taking calls on Saturday mornings, or evenings or whatever, like, they want to make the impact. But they’re ready at this point to create a group a course a program, or some kind of leverage, you know, some kind of model Yeah, a one to many. And they don’t necessarily have to sell this course, as like, I’m selling this course on my website as a one off, but it could even be they could, of course, many of them do want to have like an extra stream, or like a down sell for people who are not like ready, or can’t afford their high package or some high. But it also could be for people who have the high package and are like sick of saying the same thing over and over again to the every time. So like, create some like video modules, create a library, a training library of that you can go like, go watch all of that. And then when they have their calls, or calls don’t have to be an hour or an hour and a half long, they can have a 30 minute call and answer the questions. Like if you had 20 clients a week at an hour, and suddenly you just cut that in half to like, instead of an hour, I’m gonna give them 30 Minute Calls. You’ve just gained all that time. That’s a lot of time.

J: For sure, and quite honestly, (D: It is!) -here’s the other thing is when you do something like that, you’re providing a ton of value as well, because you’re giving them more than just that one hour call or whatever. Or even if it’s a mastermind, that group coaching program, whatever it is, you’re by having those kinds of training programs available to them to like, get started. You’re giving them so much value that they would not necessarily have gotten otherwise.

D: I totally agree. Sometimes people have to watch a video several times and go What was that again? I need to see that or and what I say is when you are recording these, you’re recording them at your highest level hopefully, when you’re not tired when you’re like the people who get like the four o’clock calls. I’m wondering like how great are they if they’ve been coaching all day, like I have a colleague, she’s like eight to six I’m on calls. I’m like I wouldn’t want to be the one at five and six o’clock because you’re gonna be no matter what you might be tired by that time.

J: Yep, I have a client that does that she has 12 hour days on. She only does coaching two days a week but she has 12 hour days on each of those days. (D: Yeah!) -And so yeah, I’ve I’ve actually, I’ve had that conversation with her multiple times, I’m like, “oh, my friend…” *laughs*

D: I can barely get through a few calls that alone, at least give them the main trainings, you know, you can answer just specific questions, and you don’t have to go through the big song and dance and do the whole thing. So it feels like I’ll just like a waste of your energy. To do that. I mean, I know, there are some things that you have to do that are more specific, and you can still do that. But you can give the bulk of it inside of a training and let them just watch it at their convenience when they’re, you know, ready to do it, or on their breaks or whatever, instead of having to show up for these hour calls. And-

J: It also allows you-

D: -what if they have a headache? *laughs*

J: Right? Or even, like, when you’re on a call, and someone says I, you know, whatever their problem might be, and you have a training and you know, you’re not going to be able to fix that problem. Within that call. You get to offer that, you know, where they can go in and continue to learn and grow and develop their, their process. So I love-

D: Yeah, I’m very adamant about like, it’s people think, Oh, well, you know, that one to one coaching is there’s nothing can that can replace that. But I don’t I beg to differ in so many ways with that. Yes, I think, you know, there is a way that you need to be available to answer questions. And I think you know, that can’t be replaced very easily though, you can still have a library of of frequently asked questions, (J: Right?) -but like at least have these root programs. And so many times people learn by listening to what other people I’ve always run group programs and had this and I find that they’re I love them for that reason that somebody’s like, I didn’t even know I needed to know that but listening to you, like talk with her coach her now I have that answered. And it saves me like having to repeat myself. And they’re like, oh my gosh, it’s so amazing that I just learned that and I didn’t even I’m just sitting here listening right in the in the group.

J: I love that. Okay, so for those that are struggling to get out that are working 80 hours a week and and they’re they’re struggling to, to even sit down to plan out. What would you suggest to them? Like? What’s what’s a suggestion? Not necessarily step one, and how to do it more on the lines of kind of mindset shift? Do they need to check like, where do they need to start?

D: Yeah, that’s good. I think it is a big mindset shift. Because like you said, we feel like it even was for me a little bit. Because it’s like, I almost felt like I was almost like playing hooky on Fridays for a long time. I would go do things, but I felt like I should be sitting at my computer just because it was like a day of the week that. And I think that’s been ingrained with us right from the time we’ve gone to school five days a week and then gone to work five days a week, like it’s this thing. So I think it does. I think you have to like if you could wave the magic wand, you know, what would it look like? So start with the end in mind, like, and not like, Oh, I just want to travel and I’m a bajillion air. I mean, within somewhat reason, like, if in a year from now, like what could you? How would you like it to look, you know, we’re coming into that time of year where it’s time to reflect back on last year, you know, years have been super crazy and weird. And I feel like people are more than ever, like now intentionally thinking about how they want their lives to be right. And not just with all the craziness, but it’s like, hey, they realize what’s really important is family and time and connection. And they don’t just want to work work work, right? I mean, we do want to give and do all of that. So for them, like really think about what would like really floats your boat when it comes to a business. If you could wave the magic wand and still make what money you’re making. Now let’s even just start with that. Right? Of course we want to go but if you could make the money you’re making now, or maybe a little bit more, depending on where you are, right? How would it look? You know, how would your business look if you could take you know, a breather and have just even Friday’s off? Like what would or what would it be like maybe you only work until your kids are out of school like I don’t have to do that anymore. But I remember shutting everything down by two to 30. So I could like I was like a 10 to two that was it. Like I’d drop them off I come I do my own little morning routine and then I work and so I have to try to fit in between because it’s like I’m not going to I have time with my kids when they’re home. And that’s it. So look at your life and like what are you currently like? Where are you like really missing out like with family or with I would love to travel but I can’t like what are you really? What is what I’m looking for, like settling for? Right? And how can you like if I had, you know, if I could just be the the artist or be the gardener i because I’m a gardener. Like if you could plant whatever you wanted in your garden to make your garden looked whatever wants, if it’s just an open land open, like little, you know, ready to be planted? How would you do it? And I know it’s hard because sometimes we’ve got so many plants shoved in there, and so many weeds that we can’t even see through at all. But just take a little time to think like, okay, you know, if you’ve got a little meditation time or time to take a walk, go just like, start thinking, if I was the designer of my business, because you are, you’re the design of your business and your life, though we feel trapped, that we feel like there’s no way to get out of it, there always is even if you have to sort of inch your way. And you can’t just fire all your clients, you know, because you need the money, I get it. But there are ways to start moving in the right direction. If it doesn’t, you could immediately take a few hours, probably for most of you and not really see, you know, you’re the hiccup in your clients would see. But you if just gaming, what if you just had two more hours a week to do a fun hobby or see your mother or whatever right? It can be whatever it is for you, if you’re just to relax and have some own time for yourself to read a book.

J: I, you know, I love I, I love the what you just said a minute ago, which is you are the designer of your business, right? Because I think sometimes people forget that. (Yep) I always use the month of October to plan out the next year. Right? Like that’s, that’s what I that way, we can start getting things moving and rolling. And I do that with my clients as well. And has a great time to do that to in, you know, October-November timeframe of sitting down and really planning out what you want your business to look like next year. And realizing that you don’t have to work 60, 80, even 40 hours a week. You have the ability to work what you want. I think that’s so important, and so key. I would love for my audience to be able to connect with you, what is the best way for them to do that?

D: Well, if you can go to my website, and I also have the magical map to four day weekends as a little freebie. I’ll send it over. So you have the link. And I think it’s very new. So I’m not even sure what’s on the website right now. But I’ll make sure to get it on there. So yeah, and I’m on social media. I’m on Facebook and LinkedIn and other places, but I’m mostly on Facebook and LinkedIn. So if you want that, or if you just want to have a call with me, you can book a, you know, a complimentary call just to say, you know, can you even help me you probably think I can’t, but I promise you, I had somebody who was working seven days a week who came to me and now she has every Friday off. And it’s hasn’t been that long. So that’s if you just like I’m not sure where to start. I want I know, I want to have a course or some kind of a program. But I don’t know where to start, you know, I can help you of course, we have a done for you course, service as well. And so I kind of do the four day weekend coaching to kind of help people. And then we have a course package as well. If you’re like great, I want to do the course. But please help me I don’t know what to do with that.

J: I will have all of the links to connect with Donna in the show notes below. Thank you so much for being on with me today, Donna. We could probably talk about this for hours diving really deep into this. And for those of you that have a desire to switch out how you’re doing things if the last two years haven’t taught us anything, they have taught us that it’s time to focus on how we want to live our lives and not allow others to live our lives for us. So I would suggest you reach out to Donna to start that four day weekend process.

D: Oh, yeah, my podcast. Sorry, I forgot. Yes, let’s make more podcasts. Hello.

J: Join us, I actually am going to be on Donna’s podcast as well. So join us over on the work more. Work less make more podcast as well. Super excited to have you on today. Donna, I know the audience. This is probably a big eye opener for a lot of them, but it’s a possibility to create a business like that. So, so thank you for joining us and I will see all of you next week!

J: Thank you for listening to the marketing matchmaker podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, I would love to hear your feedback. Please head over to Apple iTunes and leave a review so we can hear from you If and if you are a coach, consultant or online course creator who are looking to grow your business, increase your income and scale your impact and act with me at your marketing matchmaker.com I look forward to hearing from you