3 Lies to Stop Telling Yourself Now

What lies are you telling yourself? We teach our kids not to lie, but for some reason we still tell them to ourselves. Maybe it’s because it’s hard to believe we could actually accomplish something big. Whatever the reason is, we must stop. We tell ourselves a lot of lies as business mamas, but it boils down to these 3 lies to stop telling yourself now. 

As you know, I’m a mama and an entrepreneur. There’s no way I could have accomplished what I’ve done today without recognizing the lies I was (and sometimes still am) telling myself and pushing them out of my head and replacing that space with the actual truth.

The truth is, we all have a unique light and we MUST shine it. 

 

 

3 Lies to Stop Telling Yourself Now

 

Lie #1: I can’t be a good mom and run a business.

OK, how many times has this lie crossed your thoughts? For some reason we think if we choose to run a business somehow that equals our kids not turning out well. We may even think that we’re robbing our motherhood to run a business. 

These thoughts of guilt come from the lie that we’re not supposed to do anything else other than motherhood. Not true! Not even for a second. 

If you have a burning desire in your heart like I do to share your talents with the world outside of your family, do it and be proud of yourself for doing it. You can run a business and still be a good mom. Trust me, I’m doing it and have been for the last 14 years. 

My mom worked when I was growing up. She was a nurse, so you can imagine how demanding that job was on top of her job as a mother. I look back at her example of being active in her community and family and I am so grateful she showed me that women have a large capacity to do good. 

You don’t have to be present in every moment of your kids’ lives in order to be a good mom. I played a ton of sports growing up and my parents weren’t at every single one of my games, and I’m OK! I’m there for my kids when I can be and I love every minute of it. I also love the time I devote to my business. I’m fulfilled by both roles, and I couldn’t be full if I only had one without the other. What about you?

 

 

Lie #2: It’s selfish to do the things I love (like run my business). 

It’s so necessary to have something you love. My mom always said everyone needs something to get them out of bed in the morning, and laundry isn’t it. 

When I was little, before my mom went back to work, I remember falling asleep to the sound of her sewing machine in the other room. Now being a mama myself, I know how exhausted my mom must have been at the end of each day–yet she still chose to create. 

My mom inspired me. Her example encouraged me to do the same in the quiet hours of the night. When I could have been sleeping or relaxing, I chose to create too, just like my incredible mother. 

Whatever dreams keep you up at night, sister, is what you should make a reality. For some women, being a mom fulfills them. For others, different hobbies in their free time is enough for them. For me, I feel called to run this business and I am fulfilled by it AND my motherhood every single day. 

I’ve realized the more talents I nurture, the better mom I can be. I am aware of my boundaries and when I start to spend more time in one area more than the other, I notice it and realign myself. For me, being a mom and running my business is worth the balancing act because of how it makes me FEEL. I feel whole, happy, and sure of my purpose on this earth. 

I want you to feel that too. You can love motherhood AND other things, and you can do both. And, you can do both well. 

 

 

Lie #3: My little business is not that big of a deal. 

I’ve come a long way since my Etsy shop of selling little girl dresses. It’s been almost 13 years now. Although my career is completely different than it was back then, I’m grateful for my Etsy shop because it’s what got me started on this journey. 

I remember this experience that happened those 13 years ago that still gets me emotional. I was with my dad one day and he ran into a friend. My dad told him a few updates on his children and mentioned how I had an Etsy shop selling little girl dresses. That friend turned to my dad and said, “That can’t possibly make that much money, can it?” 

Hearing that made me shrink inside. That comment completely crushed my confidence–but just for a moment. No, I wasn’t making tons of money, but I was making enough. I was fulfilling my passion and doing something I loved. 

I share this story with you, sister, because when we do the things we love, hurtful comments will come. There will always be someone who disagrees with what you’re doing and when that time comes, I want you to be ready for it. 

Yes, it will probably still hurt, but you must not let it paralyze you. Your business is a big deal! I don’t care what your numbers are. If it is what you feel called to do on this earth, that is all you need for it to be a big deal. 

 

 

3 Pillars for a Built to Last Business 

I want you to have a business built to last. I’ve done so much work and research and I have the tools for you to help you create a long-lasting business. The best part is that it doesn’t involve an insane amount of hours creating content or posting on Instagram. I have tons to share with you, and I’ll start with these 3 pillars for a built to last business. 

 

Pillar #1: Lighthouse Keeper Principle

I recently visited the Point Loma Lighthouse in California. It looked just as you’d picture it. Majestically sitting on the edge of a cliff, surrounded by water, right next to the small home of the lighthouse keeper and their family. The home is now a museum and as I walked through I learned all about the life of a lighthouse keeper and their family, and how it was kind of lonely because they lived all by themselves right next to the ocean.

There was a plaque inside the museum with this quote on it by George Bernard Shaw:

“I can think of no other edifice constructed by man and as altruistic as a lighthouse. They were built to serve. They weren’t built for any other purpose.”

And then it hit me. YOU are the lighthouse keeper of your business and your business is the lighthouse. Your business is built to serve others by shining it’s light out to all those wanting to come into your harbor. 

Being the keeper of it can sometimes be hard or lonely, but sister, you must keep going. You keep going because the reason you’re shining the light means more to you than the lonely moments of running a business. Lonely moments will come, but sharing your message with others brings a feeling of joy that will last forever. 

 

Pillar #2: Iceberg Principle 

I recently taught the iceberg principle, but I want to bring it up again because it’s crucial to use this principle when setting up the foundation of your built to last business.

Imagine if you were making posts on Instagram without any plan or purpose behind it. You were just posting, hoping something good would come from it. This would make you a tiny ice cube mindlessly floating in the ocean and getting tossed by the waves every which way.   

What if you had a foundation underneath the Instagram posts? The foundation would add layer upon layer underneath the water surface turning your business into an iceberg–strong, sturdy, and powerful. 

 

Pillar #3: Core Content Code 

I’ve spoken about this one for quite a while now. I still bring it up because it WORKS. Having your own core content code will turn you from feeling exhausted to excited, and scrambling for content to having a creative content strategy. 

Your core content code is when you choose one piece of core content where you create new content at least once a week. This could be a podcast episode, YouTube video, blog post, etc. After you’ve created the product for one medium, now you stretch it to cover more platforms. 

For example, my core piece of content is my podcast. I create a new episode every week. Then, I take the content in that podcast episode and stretch it. I create a blog post, Instagram posts, pins for Pinterest, and sometimes a YouTube video all focusing on the content shared in my podcast episode. 

You don’t have to come up with new content every time you post on a different platform. That would only lead you to overwhelm and eventually burn out. You never have to feel that way using the core content code. If you want to learn more about how the core content code can make your business built to last, click here. 

 

 

Now you know the 3 lies to stop telling yourself now. What will you do about it? You matter to this work and we need you. The message and the messenger matter A.K.A your business and you matter!

Practicing these tips will help you see your confidence increase, your energy renew, and your business shine even brighter to your people. If you want an extra push on where to get started, take this free quiz. Also, follow me on Instagram @iammichellegifford for more tips and pep talks on how to have a built to last business.