Well, hello there gorgeous business owners welcome back to another episode of business straight up the podcast and place to be if you want to actually make a living, doing what you love moving forward. I'm really excited that this podcast will actually have a new name. It will be bold with Brooke, or the Bold with Brooke podcast. I am so happy to have you here today. Thank you for spending some time with me. Whether you're dropping your kids off walking the dog, just working, maybe editing, doing some of the mindless tasks where you can actually listen to something. I'm so happy to have you here. I know it's been a while.

Some people are like, Brooke, where you been? And a lot has been happening. I am so grateful to see that the numbers actually aren't going down. People are still listening, going back to older episodes. So whether it's your first episode, or your 99th, whether you're newer or an OG, I am so happy to have you here today is going to be kind of a quickie episode. I wanted it to be short and sweet.

I wanted to give a little update on what's been happening after WPPI, which is a very large photography conference that I spoke at in March. And I wanted to tell you what's coming because the podcast will be changing around a little bit. I want to give you a little bit of encouragement today's episode. It's a little nudge, a little hey, you're doing a good job. Because today we're going to talk all about the goals that we have. You know, we've done a lot of episodes on goals. But what to actually do when you reach that goal.

No one really talks about that. Right? Okay, we reached the goal. Yay. Now what so we're gonna talk all about that I do want to let you know that my very popular, it's actually my most popular class, all about email marketing is happening again next week on April 20 at 1pm Mountain Time, which is 3pm. Eastern. And if you want to sign up for that go to build with brooke.com/workshop It is free. And if you can't attend live, that's okay, there will be a replay that goes out to everyone that is registered. However, if you can make it live, I really recommend that you do. It's amazing to me how much more I actually like, retain and hold on to when I'm able to attend live. I know sometimes life is gonna live I feel like that's my new favorite phrase. But it really makes a difference if you're able to attend live. So go to build with brooke.com/workshop to sign up again, it is free email marketing, we're gonna talk about getting your first 500 email subscribers if you're already past 500 We're gonna get you 500 more. And if you have subscribers and you're like, I don't know what to say. We're gonna talk all about that as well.

So for today, though, in today's podcast episode, let's dive in. We're going to talk all about goals. What to do when you actually get there and what that finish line actually looks like. Let's listen.

Hey there awesome people. I am Brooke summer and you are listening to business straight up the podcast for creative entrepreneurs to learn, connect, grow and build the business and life that they dream. Welcome. Let's get going and dive right in.

Hello, hello amazing business owners. Welcome back to another episode of business straight up which you will hear next episode will have a different name. I have been waiting to get my branding shots done until that is complete. But in the meantime, I just wanted to kind of give you a little bit of encouragement and motivation. I know I've been gone for a while I actually lost my voice. For almost the entire month of March I taught at WPPI on the expo floor on March 7, and after that I lost my voice and it was gone for almost the entire month. If you are not following me on Tik Tok or Instagram, you can actually hear the way that my voice was sounding because I was doing some videos. I had COVID I was in isolation. And I was bored. So I was like we're gonna create some TikTok videos including one of me cooking a case to deal with a hair straightening iron. So if you don't follow me on Tik Tok, my handle is @boldwithbrooke, you really should. I'm pretty funny if I do say so myself. My husband always goes you know, you're not as funny as you think. And I said, that's a bunch of bullshit. I have photo that say otherwise. Because I have so many pictures of clients laughing. He didn't find out for me either.

So welcome back. I'm so excited. I feel like this podcast is evolving, and it's ever changing. And that's kind of what I want to talk to you about today. Because sometimes when we start learning a specific set of skills, we seem to think that there is like a finish line, that once I get there, I will feel this way I will have these things I will have this confidence I will have these skills that will be solid. And the reality is that, yes, we do learn skills, but I'm going to tell you right now, what is this 2023 I am 14 now. Apparently, I can't do math today, yes, 14 years into specializing specifically my boudoir business, and several years into teaching. And I still like you can probably see how my makeups a little messed up. Because I just got off of a call with my coach who had to remind me that nothing is super fast. overnight success is bullshit. There is no finish line there is no, once you get there, you're done.

I can tell you 2014, I think was my first six figure year. And it was kind of a letdown, like that sounds, that sounds bitchy to say and I know people are gonna be like, Oh, must be nice, you have a six figure year and then you're still upset about it. But here's the reality, you think that your life will be different when you hit these goals. And in some ways it is I can buy a studio set if I want to, or I can hire someone else if I want to. There are things that are different money is a resource, we cannot ignore that. But you're still the same you, you're still the same person, you're gonna keep growing, and you're gonna keep moving every single day of your life. Like if you're not growing, you're dying. If you're not growing debt, I always tell my kids this all the time, we are never going to stop growing, it's just not going to happen. There is no magic finish line. And if I'm being completely honest, when I hit multiple six figures, which was 2018, it kind of led to a little bit of a WHAT THE FUCK moment. Because I thought that I would feel different, I thought that something would look different in my life, I thought that I would be in a different place. And to be clear, I was in a different place. We had our own home, we custom built, that I had my studio, and it was glorious. It was absolutely beautiful. But I didn't feel any different. I was still me, I didn't know what I was expecting. I don't know if I was expecting some sort of glorious transformation. And now I'm this person who never has any negative thoughts or negative self talk. And now I just have all the confidence in the world and no one can ever get to me ever.

And it doesn't work that way. And here I am several years into running a successful studio running my teaching business. Being a person who is an educator, I'm on stage, I am reasonably confident like I would say pretty confident I don't deal with a lot of negative self talk, but it still comes up. These things still come up. And it may not be an everyday thing. This may not be a consistent thing where I'm constantly, you know, fighting these voices in my head, it is definitely improved, but it still comes up, there is no finish line. And when you reach goals, the very fact that you have started a business tells me that you're probably a very driven person with ambitions. And as soon as you reach your goals, you're gonna have a new goal. And that's not a bad thing. It's really not.

There's a book SPOILER ALERT boss book club is coming back. But there is a book that I have wanted to read called the gap and the gain. And from what I understand, I have not read it yet. It is basically about the idea that as driven individuals, and not everyone is and that's okay. As driven individuals. When we reach one goal, we are immediately looking forward to the next one. Instead of looking back at how far we've come. And there is no finish line there is no you get to six figures and you're like, Yes, I have made it this is it done. Or yes, I'm at multiple six figures. Yes, I'm in a million. Yes, there is no finish line. We are all consistently growing and learning and changing. And even for me, my makeups messed up today because one of my coaches was calling me out on some insecurities that I'm still working on some things that I'm still working on.

So why am I telling you this? Why do you care? First of all, I want you to know that you're not alone. And that some of the things that you might be going through some of the thoughts thoughts that you might be having some of the struggles that you might be facing, are not because you're a horrible piece of shit, who will never have a successful business because that is not true. Those thoughts come up for everyone. These insecurities come up for everyone. Some of us are just better at getting through it than others because we've been through it for years, you are not alone. And second of all, because my next episode is going to be episode 100. Fighting a little motions here. And it is a number that I have worked to get to, through so many things. In the last year, I have been sick three times. And this is the first time in my life where I have been so sick that I lost my voice for an entire month. Now, if you have read any of Louise, Hays books, if you believe strongly like I do, that our brain controls our body. And a lot of the things that we are dealing with as far as stress, or mental thoughts or struggles actually manifest in the body. And they do. There's so much data on that. And so many really, really cool experiments that if you know anything about that, I was immediately asking myself, why is it that as soon as I get momentum going in my podcast in my business and teaching, I get sick, and I don't just get sick, I lose my voice for a month, almost three weeks to a month. This has happened three times in the past year. That is abnormal for me. Because I'm moving forward. And it's scary. My brain is like, Huh, no, that's scary. I don't want to do that. No, no, no, no. And so instead of me second guessing and sabotaging myself, my body will just do it for me, which is great, right? But it's okay, I can look at it. And I can have compassion for myself and say what Elizabeth Gilbert says fear gets a vote. No one does it. Fear has a voice, but it does not get a vote.

You are not alone. If you're thinking terrible things about your business, if you want to burn it all down, and you're like, I just can't do this anymore. You're not alone. We're all constantly growing and learning. There is no fucking finish line. I feel like I need that domain. There is no fucking finish line. There is no point where you will get there and you're like, I'm done. I'm done. My business is perfect in every way. Because I can tell you I have a lot of friends who run businesses, who are seven figure entrepreneurs, meaning they have a million dollars in revenue or more. I am not there yet I aspire to be. And these people are still changing things in their business. They're still learning new skills, they're still changing things up. They're still growing. We all are.

So if you are at a point in your business, where you're frustrated, where you are beating yourself up, or you're thinking that this is never going to work, keep going. Because that is the difference between the 95% of small businesses that go out of business within the first few years. And the 5% that keep going the 5% that are actually profitable in a way that's sustainable, and not killing the owner. Keep going there is no finish line. So I wanted today to be short. To the point. I wanted to say hi, which is why I love video too. If you are listening to this in audio format, I adore you. I'm an audio girl too. But if you want to see this on video, it will be going on my YouTube channel. Possibly I don't know how long I've been recording. We'll see if I can put it on Tik Tok or Instagram or all the places. Either way, you're gonna start seeing more of me and if you're not following me on Tik Tok you really should be because I am really enjoying tick tock. I just have so much fun there. I can do silly things and no I'm not one of the dancer people like that's just not my jam. But the funny sounds. There is a doll on tick tock that is like shocking, scary border life. And I use one of the sounds I didn't even know what it was. All I heard was this super hoarse sound and I used it when I was starting to get my voice back. So it sounded really weird. And then I saw the original video is like, wow, that's kind of creepy. So if you're not following me on Tik Tok, or Instagram, you really should be. And we're gonna start talking more and more about marketing.

My email challenge is coming up next week on the 20th. exactly one week from today, we are redoing that email marketing workshop. And you really should be there. And when I say you should be there live, I totally mean you should be there live because the replays amazing, and replays will be emailed to anyone who registers. But being there gives you the chance to ask questions real time, and to respond real time. Because that matters. I cannot even tell you how much more I get out of workshops when I actually attend, whether in person or online in real time. And I'm really making an effort to do so. So I just wanted you to know there is no fucking finish line. There is no done. There is no, I have reached the pinnacle of awesomeness. And now I will do nothing else. It doesn't work that way. Because you're driven, because you're ambitious. And you didn't start a business to just do nothing. Otherwise you wouldn't have started a business.

One of my coaches so funny. When I was teaching in Mexico, she was on stage and she said, basic bitches don't do this. And she's right. They don't pack up to fly to Mexico to go to a business conference. They don't start businesses. They don't put themselves out there for people to make fun of them. I have had so many people come after me for my weight in the last couple of months, y'all. Like it's anyone else's damn business right? To too often we let fear stop us. And we can't do that. Basic pitches don't do this. There is no finish line. There is no done. Keep moving forward in your business. I have admittedly struggled with these next words that I'm going to say. Because I have a friend who is a dear friend to me, who says, um, to me, and at first, I was like, Are you allowed to say that to friends? Like, oh, no, that feels weird. I thought it was just for romantic partnerships. But I love you. I care for you so much. And I really, really, really want to see your business be successful. As successful as you want to make it success on your terms, your business, you get to make the rules. I want that for you so much. So we're going to start diving in even more clarity in marketing, for photographers, for coaches, for creators for creative business owners. And even that's a service based business owner, I can help really I can have products too. But I want to help those service based business owners because sometimes, when what you provide is a service and not something that you can hand to someone, it's a little harder to explain. So I'm so excited. We're going to talk all the things marketing, Episode 100 is coming. Hopefully I'll get my photos done by then. I can't wait to see you. If you want to sign up for the workshop next week. Go to bold with brooke.com/workshop we're going to be talking about email marketing, how to get your first 500 subscribers. And if you don't have 500, we're gonna take you to 500 and if you're already at 500, we're gonna add 500 Because I'm gonna give you some strategies on growing that list and what to actually say when you're like, what to say, when it's time to send that email. I hope you have an amazing rest of your day and love you I can't wait for your business to be as amazing as you want it to be.

Thank you so much for listening to business straight up. I'm so glad that you could join us today. Check out the show notes for this and all of the episodes at business straight up podcast.com And I can't wait to talk with you again. Have a great day.