Ep 360: The Soul of your Business

[00:00:02] Deborah, with her 30 years of being an entrepreneur and creating over seven companies, knows exactly what it means to accept the mission. When you make that decision, when you accept the mission to become a solopreneur, to take yourself and your talents to market, then you embrace a life of not only unlimited possibilities, but also the unknown. It's an elixir of fear and bravery that only someone who's taken the leap really understands.

[00:00:28] On our show, Deb digs deep with her guests to highlight what you, the listener, wants to know. The stories, the whys and the hows to navigate the journey to success. Get ready to hear from some of the most incredible mission takers from Generation Z to boomers. So sit up, perk up and get ready to be blown away. Now here is your host, Deborah Drummond.

[00:01:14] Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome back, my friends. And if this first time that you've landed on Mission Accepted Media and Mission Accepted Podcasts, welcome to the team. Welcome to the team. Because once you come, you are going to continue to come. So here is a very cool thing. You happen to have landed on a group show. And so lucky us, we know experts in many areas of people that have taken the mission. And they all agree to meet at the same time on the same day.

[00:01:41] And you may not know how difficult that is, but it is. And we're so happy that everybody's here and available. These are busy people doing a lot of things. And you don't hear me say the word busy very often. But let me tell you, these people have things going on. And not only that, but they are soulful in their business. They're going to talk about that today. They're going to say what it means to them. And I know, I know, you guys know it's coming. You always know I tell you how you're going to feel.

[00:02:09] You ever said like, don't tell me how to feel. Don't tell me how to think. I'm going to tell you how to think. And I'm going to tell you that at the end of this, you are going to feel purposeful. You're going to feel purposeful. You're going to see things different. You're going to see when people do things differently. And these five people that are with us here today very much do things differently. And we are so happy that they are willing to share that. Because it is a major part of who they are. And it's a major part of their business success. And you can have both.

[00:02:38] You can have both. So Karen, Karen, Karen, Karen, you are our favorite over here at Mission Accepted Podcast. We love and adore you. Thank you for always being available to come back. And we want to ask you the first question, which is please tell people we know who you are, but please share with who you are. And if you love these people that you see here today, there's other shows that they've done. So go look in the archives. If you want to share with us a little bit about who you are in your business and what creates a soul based business. Like what does that mean to you?

[00:03:07] And have you had to do anything differently to make that happen? Great. Well, thank you for having me. I always love dropping in to see you, Deb. And you're always great at pulling such a great community together of people who are out there doing fabulous things, honestly, like just to make the world a better place. And I really love this topic. When I think of soul, I think of purpose and calling and values.

[00:03:33] And I know in my heart of heart, I was called to do the type of therapy that I serve clients with. And there's so many different ways of doing this. But my soul, my purpose, my calling was to create therapeutic conversations that just didn't float away. And I probably have like lived this way for a long time.

[00:03:59] So when I had the inspiration to create therapy programs, that was at the soul that's at the heart of my business. And that's what people have come to expect, mostly because by the time somebody comes to my door, they want change and they need change. And then they turn around and get in their own way of making that change happen. So my measuring stick for soul for myself and my clients.

[00:04:26] Do you know what you're going to do differently when you wake up tomorrow morning? And that just breathes through every conversation I have. So that is the heartbeat of my practice, my life. And that's my calling. So that's my soul business. Well, if you were ever wondering what soul base meant, you got it. What a great way to kick off the show. Thank you so much. And let's head over to one of my favorite photographers, which is Carmen. Please introduce us. Tell us what you do. And same thing.

[00:04:56] Same question. The soul piece. Thank you, Deb. Thank you, Deb. And Karen. Thank you. I'm going to play off of that because I love it. My name is Carmen DeValas and I am an artist. I use my mediums photography and, of course, my voice in speaking. And for me, early on. So I'm kind of a later bloomer as an entrepreneur and even from the nursing world and holistic nursing, though.

[00:05:23] So I'm giving a blend of some of the great things from all different aspects of healing. But as a business person and I'm learning, I'm learning all about the what to's, how to's. And but the really important how to for me was how to tap into my creativity, because we've said it so many times that we're creating, we're creating, we're creating. But how do I create?

[00:05:48] I, I knew how to create as an artist, but I didn't understand business as my palette. Right. And that's that part of my creativity. And that was really a turning point for for me. Definitely. It gave a changer all the way. Well, I think so many people can relate to that because, well, with many things to running a business. Right.

[00:06:14] When and that's one of the things we're going to dig into a little bit is how, how do you take that into your business? And honestly, how do you implement it into things like, oh, social media or funny and so whatever. Right. There's so many things to learn. Thank you for highlighting that. We're going to dig in a little bit. And Miss Melissa Heathers, screen screen queen today. The set of death on fire. But there's been the change. But Karen, thank you for that.

[00:06:39] And Karen, Karen, I know you've learned at the right time and divine timing because what you've learned is it's beautiful. Anyways, on that note. So I'm Melissa Heathers and I'm an author, visionary, media personality, and the executive producer of the book crawl. It's a platform that helps authors step into visibility. And as a thought leader through, you know, television and podcasting and social media.

[00:07:07] But creating a soul based business for me means building something that's aligned with who you truly are. And I'm aligned with authors and supporting authors. It's not just about making money, but it's what's meaningful. For me, I chose purpose and creating something that reflected my heart, my creativities and values. I chose. Sorry. I didn't want to know today.

[00:07:36] It's been a long day. I just need authors to have that same belief in themselves. And I really want to give them the visibility so that they can see themselves as powerful and soul aligned and aligned with who they are. Um, yes. Sorry. Oh, but no, that's great. That's perfect. And look at, I think that's the important thing about no matter what it is that you do and, and what that purpose is.

[00:08:05] It's like, it can choke you up. Like it literally can choke you up. I'm sure all of us that have had that moment where that client had that turnaround or you see one of your friends because we get to work with friends and people that aren't friends yet. Really. That's the cool thing, right? Biz ships. And you see that magical place. And sometimes the passion is so strong inside you that you just want to like, there's nowhere else for it to go, but tears. I mean, it really is. It can really grab you by the throat at times.

[00:08:34] And you know, ironically, that's when you know, you're in the right place. If you're tired, you're in the right place. If you're choked up, if you're in the right place, if you're tired, if you're happy, if you're exaggerated, if you feel stretched, if you're doing things you haven't done before, welcome to taking on the mission. You are on the right show. All right. Um, and ocean, ocean Baker, share with us what it is that you do, why you do it and what it was that soul piece that making that mission for you. Yeah.

[00:09:04] So what I do, I have my own clothing brand called, uh, that's the question, Inc, which means good feelings and nostalgia, which I really wanted people to have that feeling when they wear my clothes. And that's why I chose that name specifically to fit what I was going for. And, uh, what I do is really put the two passions of mine, art and streetwear into one line to

[00:09:29] showcase, um, both things that, you know, I've always wanted to do and really wanted to showcase into the world. And, uh, to keep me going and keep me motivated was really seeing people like enjoy it and like, out in the day and randomly see something who's actually wearing it. So that, that's definitely what keeps me going and can see motivated. And, um, that's, that's what I really wanted my goal to be. Nice.

[00:09:56] It's kind of like you, Carmen, when you know that a piece of you, a piece of your art is hanging on someone's wall or, um, ocean, when you see someone walking down the street, wearing your clothing and knowing that it's giving other people, you know, some kind of pleasure, some kind of emotional attachment. I know that you both maybe have different businesses, but it's the same as creatives where you feel like it's a piece of you. It's something that you've created and it's actually something you've created, giving somebody else joy.

[00:10:23] And then it's giving them, like you said, ocean, good memories and nostalgia. And that's why you pick the name of your company. Um, you know, and I think that's very interesting talking about the name of our companies or talking about some of the taglines that we do or some things as entrepreneurs, those matter. And Karen, I know you're nodding your head because words matter, messaging matters. And I think that, you know, looking into what it is you're calling your company, there's an alignment there that reflects too. So, um, yeah, thanks for sharing that ocean and lines out.

[00:10:53] How about for yourself? What do you do? What's your business? And, and I know it's very soul based. So I'll just let you take it from there. Um, thank you, Deb. And thank you everybody. I love listening to all of your journeys. Um, so yeah, I've started doing sessions, both one-on-one and in groups. Um, in fact, Deb will be hosting one next month, um, where I help people return to a deeper

[00:11:19] sense of clarity and steadiness and calm, especially in moments when life can feel overwhelming. Um, I'm attuned to a spirit guide, uh, uh, which I call Oriel and I share the guidance experienced in that connection. And I use AI simply as a tool to format the words that come through. Nice. Nice. Very nice.

[00:11:46] And the whole base business for me is, um, similar to everybody else. I truly feel that it is the deepest core of your essence. And I don't think it has to be one thing. It could be, um, a various expressions of that throughout your life. Um, but yeah, something that just gives you that incredible passion as Melissa was experiencing

[00:12:12] and as I feel right now, um, in sharing it and helping others with it. And yeah, I was, I've trained in healing and mediumship and in acting. So all of them to me and everything really involves healing of some sort for others. So that's what I focus on. Beautiful. Beautiful. Well, now we're going to talk a little bit about the business part of it. Um, because whatever we do, there is a business that's tied to it.

[00:12:41] That's how we maintain ourselves to be able to serve as many people as we do. So Karen, I'm going to go back to you. Um, as you were building your business and your mission was at the forefront or your, you know, your soul based mission or whatever those, that meaning for your company was at the forefront. Um, how did you mindset yourself? What was it that you had to do to be able to create your business strategy for success, but not being a major piece of it? Yeah.

[00:13:09] So this is quite clear for me that my mindset in my deep belief that change is harder than we want it to be, that that had to be the driving force behind all of the strategies and frameworks I built. And it keeps getting refined, but I think that commonality is like, let's roll up our sleeves together and get down to work to not just be sure that you know what some of the tools

[00:13:37] are you can use to manage any triggers in your day to day life where you will get in your own way and sabotage yourself. But at the same time, deal with the root causes. So I developed very clear assessments in the first session with people. And I developed really clear treatment programs that reflected that mindset that if somebody is going to hire me because they want change, I'm going to make sure they have the clarity

[00:14:06] and the tools they need to live as consciously as they can to get out of their own way. So over many years, I developed very specific programs that I customized with clients. But it always comes back to that mindset that we need that clarity of how and why we're getting in our own way and have tools that are accessible to us to be our go to's. And that just lives and breathes through everything.

[00:14:36] And I know that's what's made me successful. That's fabulous. I think that we hear about clarity in many different ways. But knowing that clarity, it sounds like it's almost the conduit of that soul based decision of what's really important for you and your work and keeping that at the forefront. And like you said, you refine it. And don't we, you know, don't we all don't we? Don't we? As we were fine, we were fine. All right. And Carmen, what about your for yourself when you're thinking about your business and your mission?

[00:15:06] Like, how do you implement that in a way when you're strategically laying out the goals that you've achieved or still want to achieve? Yeah. Well, I come a long way. I'll just say. You've come a long way, baby. I go along again from my initial objectives, say, and and mission. And it wasn't until I thought about a mission. And then really, I mean, someone said, make it bigger, make it your moonshot vision. And I thought, what does that look like for me?

[00:15:35] And I did like spend some time walking around in nature and all the things to have my mission is to foster a movement where creativity and presence and compassion and kindness are essential, like deemed as essential for human beings or and not as optional. Right. And so I have that really big in front of me. And when I think about what projects I'm going to take on or what I'm going to do next or whether

[00:16:03] and it's when I'm photographing nature, I'm I'm I'm just enveloped in this and in my through every cell in my body. Right. It is just a part of that. And I do a project every year and photograph this year. It's women, mostly young, but not all who have been incarcerated and have a history of trafficking and a substance use.

[00:16:29] And I'm photographing them and their natural state and in showing that beauty in that and in trying to show their journey. Right. And that means a deep dive and being present in that. And so whether it's in how I'm expressing myself in my words or through my art, it comes that mission has to come through for me. It's such a part. So that is all.

[00:16:55] I love how you not simplified it, but simplified it for yourself in terms of these are the keywords. Right. So we do the same thing with us. But kindness is what you're deciding to participate in and also bring through like you made some great titles for yourself that reminds you that keep your own purpose. I love that. I love it. And I love that moonshot mission. Oh, my goodness. So now we're trying another class.

[00:17:24] How about for yourself? For me, it's about I have to have a shift first within myself and like that transcendence so I could have alignment within myself so that my mission and call to action could be at the forefront and that shift that I had has changed everything. My mission has always been simple to help authors and entrepreneurs, but I didn't realize that until I had I saw alignment.

[00:17:53] I really want them to be valued for their wisdom that they carry and their missions that they carry and the decisions that they need to become cleaner, cleaner, clearer and on a different platform. I I'm sorry. No, no, no. That's really that was that was really clear on. And I think that that's important.

[00:18:19] I think all of us can talk about that, how if we're here to shift other people, then some things probably come to our awareness, whether you call it a shifting yourself or a transformation. All of us become aware. And I think even when we talk about keeping it in the forefront of your business strategy, I think that Carmen, you put it beautifully. It's like and even for Ocean, I know our conversation. Like, do you use a supplier and a supplier? Do you ask them this question? Do you ask them that question?

[00:18:47] Like what is you and having that shift in yourself allows you to be able to even maybe lay new and more groundwork in terms of being able to activate and utilize your soul based mission, those things that are important to you and for other people to have. So, so. Yeah, I don't know if you want to add anything on there, but I think that's super critical to have that shift before you. Right. Kind of hard to take people where you want to go if you've not gone there.

[00:19:18] Yeah. All right. Ocean for yourself. So you have this mindset of your mission, making people feel good and making them have that nostalgic feeling and good feelings, good times when they're wearing your clothes or watching your art or whatever it is. And how do you keep that in the forefront of your business? Well, I always want to make sure everything's done with care and especially for my quality.

[00:19:44] It is very like high and took us two years to get the quality that I wanted. So that's something I do to make sure that it's forefronted. And sometimes people will be like, oh, it's $9.99. And then they're like, oh yeah, but like go ahead and feel like the fabric and stuff. And then they always say, oh, it's really good and stuff. And then, you know, it's not a question. Sure.

[00:20:11] So that's something I do to make sure that I have that in the forefront. Yeah. Yeah. Hanging in there. And I know I was around those days and two years pick up as the fire is a long time to keep searching when you want to build this business. Right. Absolutely. All right. And Liza for yourself, same question. Same question. Yes, I would say that because my mission at this time is to help people maintain that steadiness

[00:20:41] in their everyday life and especially within this world that is so full of change and noise and distraction and technology and conflict, everything right now going on. So because that's in the forefront of what I want to create and help others with, it's definitely been at the forefront for myself.

[00:21:03] And so whenever I feel like I am veering off in some direction of I should do this, I need to do this, I got to do this better, I got to do it faster, I just bring myself back. Or if I'm getting distracted by things or something, I just really am sensing that better and more clearly that it's got to bring it back into that place of clarity and coherence and streamline it forward. Thanks.

[00:21:34] Beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful people. Look at what you guys doing all these incredible things. Right. I think when people look at businesses, they don't know how much time and care goes into making sure that when those, that impact is important to you. And that's what we call soul based businesses. The dedication. Right. Like I'm hearing dedication. I don't know about you guys, but I'm hearing dedication, whether it's pulling back in and meditating, making sure like transforming yourself. Like that's a big deal.

[00:22:03] Like that's not just necessarily, you know, old paradigm, you know, round table conversations. Well, I need to transform. I need to shift. I need to make sure. Right. It's usually like, what's your branding look like? And you know, is it attractive and all those kinds of things. So let's flip it. Let's flip it a little bit. So you all need people to help you get to where you're going, whether it's coaches or guides. I would say coaches, guides, therapists, guesters, suppliers, people that you're doing your printing

[00:22:31] with people that you're doing your work with people that you're all of it. We all have people that help us do what we do. So what is it like for you? Like, what do you look for in the services that you use and the people that you hire and the products that you use in your life? How do you run that by that? So, Karen, I can't. I'll go back to you. Great. Thank you. I love this question. So two things, Deb, keep coming up for me for my own journey, for my client's journey and the team I surround myself in.

[00:22:59] It is commitment and comfort in being bold. So I don't give up. Maybe sometimes to a fault I hang on, but I don't give up easily. And I want to be surrounded by people that have that same level of deep commitment that we keep our eye focused on what we're trying to achieve and how we start off. It may, you know, weave back and forth. We can pivot and adapt. But can we keep our eye on what we're trying to achieve?

[00:23:28] You know, it took me three years to write this baby of a book. And yeah, I probably could have edited it for three more years, but the commitment and the commitment of people around me. But secondly, and almost I think most importantly, is the comfortability in being bold. And I work really hard with clients in my messaging that it's always nonjudgmental, but it is so much the bold truth of what people need to hear.

[00:23:57] And I so respect that when I surround myself with people who do the same with me. I just believe strongly that we can hit that spot of like raw truth that truly sets us free. And I know that's a bit cliche, but when we can sit compassionately with the truth, that's where I think we all grow. And I surround myself with that and I deliver that and I see it happening every day how powerful that is. Wow.

[00:24:27] I think it goes back to that whole red truck thing. When you buy a red truck, you see a red truck. And when you make a decision to associate with or purchase with or play with, then that shows up. So thank you. You said it much more elegantly, but and Carmen, what about for yourself in terms of who you need to be able to do what you do? How do you play your, you know, how does that work for you? Yeah, I can say again, I come a long way. Yeah, I come a long way. Yeah. Yeah. You've been hanging for a while, right? Yeah. Yeah.

[00:24:57] Yeah. Yeah. And I think before I would look at, well, who's who's going to supply the needs I want? What do they have to say? Now I look at a word that I heard you've used so many times as solidarity is like this is, yes, it's a simple decision. However, I look at things exponentially. And then what? And then what? And so, yes, there are those somewhat simple decisions, but I also look at like, well, what are they looking to do? Right.

[00:25:26] And is that in alignment with me? And then I also want to know, are they willing to not play it so safe? Can we ask what if, what if, what if this? What if that and think about some of the more bizarre, odd answers and go, well, maybe, you know, because that's where magic is made. Right. And so when I'm looking now, depending on what level, right, what level that's that's who I'm looking to play with.

[00:25:58] Well said, I had nothing to say to that other than a big smile on my side. That's awesome. You know what that reminds me of? It actually reminds me of me and Ocean went to go get our tattoos and we were getting different tattoos, but similar tattoos and they went together. And so he wanted to have a tattoo when he was younger. I'm like, Hey, that's going to be your 19th birthday. Go through some research. And he researched and then he came up with this guy and we both looked at it. And before we went and got our tattoos done, we went and met him. We went and met him and said, like, what's your energy like?

[00:26:27] Because dude, you're putting your energy, you're putting your ink on our skin. You know what I mean? And then he wanted to get a little creative and he's like, oh, your wave could match your wave and it could turn into a heart. And that was cool. That was exploratory, but he had good vibe. He had good energy. He wanted to meet us. We wanted to meet him. And it was like we were doing a whole back or a sleeve that he was going to make a lot of money from. Right. It was, you know, two bands. And that was exactly, that was exactly why you just, you reminded me of that, of how important

[00:26:55] for me, the energy is who I play with. And then can you build from there? I'm going to just really fast add something, Deb. I met you a year before we started working together. But see, I never forgot. Right. I'm like, I never forgot. It was just the right time when I was ready for to take that next step. But I didn't forget about you because I'm like, oh no, that's my space right there. I know that. I just need to be ready or almost ready and then do it anyway. Yeah, I bet. I'm not ready.

[00:27:25] Thank you so much. Melissa, over to you. What are you looking for? I'm going to look for you. I'm going to get trick this question without getting emotional. I really, really do try to look for alignment and integrity. And like Carmen said, energy. You know, skills, they do matter, but character for me matters more. And when I work with a service provider, I want to know they care about excellence and

[00:27:51] communication, bigger vision, not just the transaction. I look for people that are heart led and dependable and take pride in what they do. Like Mission Accepted 262. People who bring solutions and people who understand that how you do something matters just as much as you do. With products and service, I'm drawn to quality and attention and authenticity. And they love supporting business and humans where you can feel the human heart behind their brand,

[00:28:21] which I feel here. And with all of you on canoers. I did it without crying. Well, it is a soul based conversation today. So you can pretty well do whatever you like, sweetheart. All right. And Ocean over to you. Who do you look for? What do you look for? And what's important for you in terms of who you're hiring to help you do your work? Yeah. I mean, we're talking about hiring to do how you would work. I mean, vibes is always the most important.

[00:28:51] You know, that's vibes with everything. You know, even with clothes, you know, you want to have a good vibe. You want to have a good feeling with it. And people, obviously, you want to surround yourself with people you like spending time with. And people who help you go forward, not necessarily, you know, cause you stress and push you back, to be honest. There's been a couple of those people in my life that has caused me too much stress.

[00:29:20] So you really want to have something in your life that's important to you and that keeps you going and keeps you motivated to get out of bed every day. Nice, nice, nice, nice. Thank you for sharing that. And Liza, yourself. Well, I just say ditto. I mean, I'll say what I was going to, what I think myself, but it's pretty good from what you guys all said. But, you know, what's really important to me is consistency and integrity. And none of us are perfect.

[00:29:49] And I try to offer that. Also, I haven't worked with a lot of people in this. I've been doing a solo thing. I've been posting videos online, sharing the guidance there. Some private sessions have started now through that. And I've been doing lives online. So interacting with people and sharing the guidance in the moment.

[00:30:11] But now that I'm going to be moving into more group sessions and different things, it is just about really aligning with people who you just have that vibe with, like Osho was saying. And that communication is so important. And this is the clear communication, reciprocated and really supporting each other to go forward. Wow. Beautiful. I mean, I think like Ocean said, you said five.

[00:30:40] And, you know, Carmen, you described it well as well. Like the word solidarity about when we exchange. So if I'm sitting down in a conversation with Karen and Karen's needing something, it doesn't necessarily have to be a collaboration in relationship to you help me and I help you. That's beautiful. Holding space for somebody is beautiful. Like that is an exchange. Holding space and to all my organizers to hold space or people that hold space, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Right. But I know that if I help Karen, Karen's going to help them.

[00:31:10] I don't know them. She may not know them. I don't know my them. Do you know my them? Probably 40 angels hanging out. I don't know them. But or the people I'm going to meet. Right. But there's something about that exchange that's super powerful. And, you know, same as with Liza. I mean, I met Liza. I was pregnant with Ocean when we met and I was teaching aromatherapy in her massage course, the courses she was taking. And we're like, hey, how's it going? And, you know, then we massaged each other for a month forever until we decided to not do that anymore.

[00:31:39] But that's all, you know, that's how long that's been. And there's been lots of healing going on all the years. And it's interesting even for you how now that's changed into something different. Right. So it's a really beautiful thing. Anyways, we're going to wrap up. And I love this question that we're going to wrap up with because it's about what would you tell a lot of people come in to mission accepted to meet you, hear about you and then learn from you and and then want to continue that learning.

[00:32:03] So what would you tell an entrepreneur who's starting or seriously restarting because there's lots of restarts that we do or we shift missions in our businesses partway through or I wish and change the name of his company two years through. I still have some other words with different name, but like we make changes as we grow. What would you say for them is one of the best ways for them to keep their business soul based?

[00:32:28] Like what are some of those fundamentals that might be easy or not easy to do? Right. Not easy to do. Karen, I'm going to start with you. Great. Well, thank you. Great. Another great question. So here's my thing on this is is when you take a step back and think about what you truly believe in, like who you really are, what you believe in, what you actually want to create with your business. Right. Right.

[00:32:56] And you align what you do with that passion and your strong beliefs about, yeah, what you believe in, what you want to offer the world, how you want to make the world a better place. Let that be your compass. Let that be your direction. You will fill in details and maybe make some modifications along the way. Okay.

[00:33:44] Right. Oh, my goodness. And Carmen, what about for yourself? Boy, I do love the easy solutions here. I will just say I think there's a lot of noise, right? Noise outside of us and a lot of noise going on in our heads, too. And for me, the answers are already there when we're thinking, what about what about the answers are there? It's a matter of stepping out in nature, right? Walking, taking it easy, taking some breath.

[00:34:12] I mean, I'm looking, I've got like 20 houseplants here, so I may have overdone it. But I've got a lot of nature around me. That makes me happy. And I feed them in my water. And then the answers land in my lap because I'm not thinking about it. They're there, right? The best answers come when we're not forcing it to happen, when we just allow it to happen.

[00:34:37] And so however that is for you to take, maybe I have some like little cards that I read for daily inspiration, whatever it takes to get a little bit grounded. Do that every day, not just sometimes, but like every day, just a little bit. That's the best advice I have. I love how you surround yourself with things like for you, it's plants. For me, I always say it looks like a Tony Robbins garage sale. I've got everybody's books. I got your books and all that kind of stuff.

[00:35:05] I have all that here and it just continues to reflect back. But I love how you use that, those visual pieces as well. All right, Melissa. Melissa, I seriously can't stop crying through this episode. It's the energy here. It's so soul-based. But I would say for entrepreneurs starting out, begin with truth. Like ask yourself, who am I? What do I care about? Who am I going to truly help out? Get help here and build from that place.

[00:35:34] Don't build from comparison or fear or trying to copy someone else's formula. A soul-based business isn't about being perfect. Clearly for my experiences today is about being real and letting your story be that part of you and help you build your brand and letting your values shape you in your business. And letting kindness be a part of your strategy as well.

[00:36:03] I love that. I love how you talk about guidance because if someone is new or they're making a new shift, right? They've decided to restart because what they're doing isn't vibing or working, whatever you want to call it. I think, I mean, that's why people are dialing in to listen. If you hear someone speaking today, call them. You know, there's, I wait, people's like I say, counselors, guides, coaches. You know, sometimes you can't go internally because that's internal because that's never been your way of doing life.

[00:36:32] This might be a new concept to you. Or you are nervous because you've built a bit of a business. Now you're at a restart and you don't trust yourself, right? You didn't kind of, you'll say didn't do it right the first time. We'll say that it was all divine, but you were just in university. People forget that you're in, you know, you're an entrepreneurship university. So you probably, most of you have an MBA that are on this, on this right now. But here's the thing. You're got trusted enough to guide you to the right coach.

[00:37:00] Trusted to bring it to the right show, to the right book to fall on you. Like sometimes your advice is way to come in ways that you didn't know, right? So sometimes you don't have to be able to follow on the inside. I think I know all the answers, but you might find someone that's like, I'm going to coach here. I get a coach here. I never knew anything about this or writing or whatever. And I think that also can be a tap in like your intuition or your, how can I say it?

[00:37:29] When you put it out there, it doesn't necessarily have to come back to you with a full business plan for the next five years. It can be just direct you to the right person as well, right? So I love that. Thank you so much. I really shook that off. Okay, Ocean, you're talking to a new entrepreneur or someone who's restarting. And they're wondering like, how is one of the best ways to be able to keep their mission alive in their business and also stay alive as an entrepreneur, you know? Yeah.

[00:37:59] I mean, I always say that, you know, step by step always helps. And doing something even a little every day kind of pushes it forward and keeps you more motivated than before. That's something I really believe in that can really help somebody keep going and starting a brand all over again. And, you know, we just changed our names and we had that.

[00:38:26] And, but it's always a point to keep, you know, keep going a little step by step. I kind of, that's how I think about us, what I truly believe. So I know that you got excited at 12. You really started your business at 15, but didn't launch to 19. What was one of the things that kept you going for four years? Well, it was, I mean, it was because we're doing each little things every day, right? It was like next week we're designing that.

[00:38:55] And we're going to talk to that person. He was going to get us to this. And, but yeah, because we kept doing little things each time that got us closer to it. So that really helped us a lot. He motivated. Cool. Very cool. And Liza, you're going to be wrapping up this party, but don't leave yet podcast listeners of yours. Cause I have an even better question. All right. So for you in talking to entrepreneurs, you've been in this world, you've been an actor, you

[00:39:25] know what it's like to put yourself out there. You still are an actor, but you know what I mean? All the additions and otherwise. So what is one of the best ways that you can tell somebody to be able to keep this soul based mission that we've just told them to do to keep it at the forefront of their business? I also agree with the checking in with yourself each day, whether that is meditation, whether it's five minutes of sitting quietly, whether it's music or dancing or walking in nature,

[00:39:52] whatever it is that you can shut out everything else and listen to yourself is crucial. And there was one other thing I was going to say. Well, through that, to listen to your own discernment as to whether a direction is in fact pushing you too far, whether it's your own pushing or someone else suggesting or supporting, but it's just too much to listen to what is true for you.

[00:40:19] And a little push is good out of the comfort zone, but not to any place of, you know, just too much anxiety or whatever. We have to maintain our own health as we go along with this. All right. All right. Thank you. All right. So we are going to completely shift. We have poured into people. I am sure that they are feeling very soul based, even if they don't know their next step. And I'm pretty sure that they know what their next step is. So I kind of want to clear that.

[00:40:49] Liza was talking about some of the things that you can do. And one of the things that I love absolutely think is one of those highest vibe things you can do. I just did two nights ago. I went to a concert, listened to some incredible music, did some dancing and all the things. So look at, you know, there's a famous saying, like if you, if you want to live successfully, if you want to live like someone new here, read the books they read, listen to the music they listen to and all of this. Let's share with people the music that you are loving and gig into right now, because you

[00:41:17] guys have just shared a ton of beautiful information. That's really success based on so many levels. So Karen, you want me to look it up? You want to give me a few minutes? No, I am looking at this because I'm like you. I am a huge music lover. That's why every chapter in my book starts with a lyric. So I'm flipping through my book. But the byline to my book was, you know, learning to live again.

[00:41:45] So I love Foo Fighters. I have a tattoo as well. I don't know if I can show it here. It's time medication. Yeah, it's times like these we learn to live again. And that's the Forrest Gump feather underneath because there's a big thing in the book I believe in too about Forrest Gump. But times like these we learn to live again. And I love that lyrics. If I look it up, I'll see the whole song here. But it doesn't matter. The spirit of it is like we're always rebuilding.

[00:42:15] We're always learning. It's never too late. We always want to keep growing. And yeah, I think there's so many fabulous lyrics out there. But that's one of my favorites. Oh, my goodness. OK, Carmen, who is it? Who are you gigging to? Who do you love? OK, so my top one is going to be Let It Be, the Beatles. Let It Be. Love that. That's fine. Now, we could have figured that out, right? You got that job.

[00:42:43] But as a surprise, I listen to the Rolling Stones give me shelter when I really want to get moving. So that one speaks to my soul, too. Awesome. Awesome. All right. Melissa, who are you listening to? What are you loving? Well, like you on Friday, I was out at an 80s party. And I'm going to bring some soul heaver here for Ocean and Strike Poe by Vatron. That's what I was going to do this week. Oh, my goodness. OK, so 80s music. Is that what you're saying?

[00:43:12] 80s music. 80s music. All right. And Ocean, how about you? Who are you digging to and who do you love it? Well, I mean, I have so much people, different kind of people. I like to listen to so many different genres. I like to listen to. And if we're going old school, I'd say one I've been listening to a lot. I don't know why, but is this love by Whitesnake is something that's been stuck in my head. I don't know. That one I've been really listening to a lot. I say, OK, I say that one for now.

[00:43:41] Or I Want You to Want Me by the Cheap Chick. That's the one. Oh, Cheap Chick. Yeah. Oh, my God. I like that one. I like that one. Yeah, this is open for heart, but then they change. But yeah, Whitesnake's pretty cool. Let's bring it back some memories. Let's bring back a certain attire that we all use. All right. All right. And Liza, who are you giving to and whom are you loving right now? Well, I have a playlist of basically classic rock favorites. So there's just so many. And you better take one.

[00:44:09] You're on your way to a blind island and you can only take one song with you. What are you taking? Well, I'm terrible with that. I'm terrible with the title. The band. The band. Give me the band. Well, I love ZZ Top. OK. Top it in. ZZ Top it in. And a modern one. I love Benson Boone. That one song he does. I don't know. That just makes me crazy. I love it. All right. So there you go. We ended with some really great music listeners and viewers for you to take a take a good

[00:44:37] peek at and take a listen and have like a nice dance in your living room. I always say the best place to dance is your kitchen because no one's going to come and bother you. They're going to be like, oh, crazy lady is making dinner. So thank you so much for sharing. And thank you so much for sharing from the heart. This was a completely little bit of a different podcast where you're really sharing something that is a very important piece of who you are, as well as something that has helped build you, builds, you know, businesses, some of you, several businesses.

[00:45:06] So thank you for being with us today. Audience, we absolutely love and adore you. We expect you to come back next week. I'm just going to put it out there. This group of people are people that you want to be sitting with. It's called sitting at the right table for the right reason. So reach out and say hello. So thank you. We'll see you next week. If you think you need to be sitting in this chair, you know, this is not difficult. It's devdrummond.com. Just go there, have fun, travel around the pages, and you'll see at the bottom of at least

[00:45:33] half of them a way to reach us and say, I have something to say. It's important. And I want to be sitting there doing that. So thank you. Thank you. My guest is amazing. And as well, audience, I always end with this and I always mean it. I want you to be well and I want you to stay groovy. Bye for now. Bye. Bye.