Mar 20, 2023
Amy Porterfield is an ex–corporate girl turned online marketing expert and CEO of a multimillion-dollar business. During her corporate days, Amy worked with mega-brands like Harley-Davidson and Peak Performance Coach Tony Robbins. After one fateful boardroom meeting and witnessing the lifestyle, financial, and work freedom an online business has to offer, Amy developed her nine-to-five exit plan and never looked back. Amy has helped hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs turn in their two weeks' notice and trade burnout for freedom, income, and impact through her best-selling courses and top-ranked marketing podcast Online Marketing Made Easy. Amy's action-by-action teaching style provides aspiring business owners with the tools they need to bypass the overwhelm and build a business they love. Amy is also the bestselling author of Two Weeks Notice: Find The Courage To Quit Your Job, Make More Money, Work Where You Want, and Change The World. Amy empowers women across the globe to take their futures into their own hands and find professional autonomy, independence, achievement, and success far beyond what a corporate glass ceiling would traditionally allow. Amy's work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, CNBC, Business Insider, Entrepreneur, and more. Her company has twice been awarded the Inc. 5000 Award as one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the U.S. today, she runs her growing business from Nashville, Tennessee, where she lives with her husband, Hobie, and their Labradoodle, Scout. Learn more at AmyPorterfield.com.
This is a question Amy and I both get often, and I loved her answer. While becoming an entrepreneur is not for everyone, you’ll know it’s for you if you have a calling in your heart. The only way to really know if you’re an entrepreneur is if you have a strong desire to do it. If it’s in your heart, you will figure it out. Amy shared so many nuggets of wisdom that I only wish I had years ago when I started my own business. So, whether you’re already an entrepreneur, thinking about going for it, or just sitting with the idea of doing something on your own, this conversation is the key that will unlock how to move forward.
Before getting started, you’ll want to first think about what kind of lifestyle you’d like to create. Amy shared that her first two years were a disaster because she was so burned out from hustling without a clear plan about what she wanted her lifestyle to feel and look like. You want to make sure to create a business that is authentically you and on your terms. That is suited for your ‘You-est You’. The best way to do this is to get crystal clear about your why. Knowing your why will help you stay connected and committed to your greater desire to have your own business when the going can get tough.
You’re not for everyone, and that’s a good thing! We dove into this idea that you can’t make everyone like you or be for you in business (and in general). What you can do is laser into who you want to serve and why. If you keep your focus too broad, no one will find you. The magic comes from getting clear about who you’re speaking to, serving, and ensuring everything you do and say is directed to that person. Looking around and comparing yourself to others in your space can be easy. Don’t do it! I loved Amy’s advice to put on your blinders (like you would with a racehorse) and run your own race. Keep coming back to your why and if you find yourself caught up in envy or jealousy, ask yourself what they have that you want and create a plan.
What matters is not necessarily having the confidence (this comes with time) to start a business, but having the courage to take a leap of faith and course correct when needed. My friend, it’s ok to do it scared, anxious, and with blinders on!
Amy suggests finding one platform and focusing there. For example, choose to do a podcast, or a YouTube channel, write a blog, and find ways to create content on the regular. As with everything else, tap into what feels most aligned for you and where you want to spend your time and energy sharing wisdom and content.
Here’s the thing about building an email list…most people wait to start building one but find it’s the one thing they wish they had started earlier. Amy shared that even with her robust and engaged email list, she wishes she had started building it earlier. Social media is a great tool to pull in leads, but in the end, you’ll want to put your energy towards building an email list that adds value and creates engagement. Social media rules always change (think Facebook algorithms and Twitter ownership), but your email list will always be something you have domain over. The goal is to pique interest and nurture your community with helpful content and products that will be of service.
The real secret to building an email list is to take action and get started wherever you are. No list is too small. The key is genuine engagement.
It’s important to get clear on your finances. It can be terrifying to leave a paycheck, so you’ll want to start planning out what you need to make to pay your bills, where you can get scrappy and clarify your financial goals. Many let the fear of finances hold them back, but, in truth, you’re not as safe as you might think in your job. A good way to plan your exit date is to determine when you’ll have enough savings and prudent reserves saved up before you leave. Remember, you get to determine what amount of money makes you feel comfortable leaving and what lifestyle you want to have. A good way to do this is to reverse engineer your expenses, lifestyle, and how you want to live – especially during your first year in business.
And remember, my friend, all of this takes immense courage. So do what you need to connect with others who are supportive, make a plan, take a leap of faith, and go for it. Your future self will thank you when you have the freedom to live life as you desire, make money doing what you love, and help the world in a bigger way.
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Want your own powerful deck of 33 You-est You Intention Cards? These cards were channeled by Julie. Each card has an empowering intention and deeper questions to ask your ‘You-est You’ for greater self-awareness, higher consciousness, and spiritual growth. You can get them now at juliereisler.com/shop.
As always, this community is a sacred, safe place built on love and acceptance. It was created to help you evolve and expand into your highest self. Please share your wisdom, comments, and thoughts. I love hearing from you and learning how you are being your truest, you-est you. Please join us in our Facebook group: The You-est You® Podcast Community.
Join host Julie Reisler, author and multi-time TEDx speaker, each week to learn how to tap into your best self and become your You-est You® to achieve inner peace, happiness, and success at a deeper level! Tune in to hear powerful, inspirational stories and expert insights from entrepreneurs, industry thought leaders, and extraordinary human beings that will help to transform your life. Julie also shares a-ha moments that have shaped her life and career and discusses key concepts from her book Get a PhD in YOU
Here's to your being your you-est you!
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