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Michaela: Welcome back to the show. Today we're looking at bold business beliefs you might have or not have and how they're vital to your easy success. And I'm here with Holly Worton. She's the author of bestselling books on business beliefs, and business blocks, and business intuition, and being visible in your business. And as well as a bestselling author, she is a podcaster and a business mindset coach for women entrepreneurs who want to get unstuck in their business and maybe they're frustrating because they feel they have great potential, but they're just not achieving it. And she does lots of amazing work with people. We’ll hear about that in a moment.
So, coming up in the episode, we'll look at what business beliefs are and why they are vital to your easy business success. And we'll also look at how they may be hurting you, and keeping you stuck in your entrepreneurial journey, and what you can do about it. And we'll also look at the business beliefs that are blocking you. Maybe yourself sabotaging or holding yourself back with limiting beliefs and how you can shift those. And you may be amazed that just how a little bit of time shifting this stuff could leapfrog your business to the next level without having to go through that ‘H’ word; the hustle. [Laughs] So welcome Holly.
Holly: Thank you for having me.
Michaela: Oh I'm so glad you're here. So, let's just clarify for people listening what you mean when you talk about business beliefs and give us some examples when you explain it, please?
Holly: All right, so business beliefs are things that we believe about our business and about our ability to be successful business owners. They could be things like… and of course business beliefs, everything is related. Let’s say business beliefs are going to be related to your personal beliefs, you know things like, “I am enough” that doesn't necessarily speak of your business but that can affect all areas of your life including business and personal things.
Michaela: So, let's just drill down onto that because a lot of people have that in my experience they don't feel they are enough. How would that translate into their messing up their business?
Holly: Yes, so that is a big one and that is one that comes up with just about everyone that I've worked with. It's a big thing for me. “I'm enough” if you don't believe that you're enough then you might be under charging for your business, you might be terrified to put yourself out there, afraid of visibility, you might not be marketing your business, you might be sabotaging sales conversations, you might be over-delivering. This is something that I was spectacular at in the previous incarnation of my business. Remember running an online course, started the course, it was supposed to be an 8-week course.
Along the way I realized my goals, these people need to know so much more. Turned into like twelve weeks plus like two bonus weeks and these poor, poor people. [Laughs] They got so much, they got more than they paid for but they must've been tremendously overwhelmed. And that related to the fact that you know I didn't believe that what I'd set out to teach them was enough so they just needed more and more and more so…
Michaela: And that's because you have this inferior belief back then you weren't enough.
Holly: exactly
Michaela: But nothing you could do would make you enough and you just had to do too much and not charge enough.
Holly: exactly
Michaela: yeah
Holly: exactly
Michaela: Yes, I can resonate with that. I think a lot of people listening probably can if they think a bit deeply about it.
Holly: Yea. If anyone has ever felt like they're under charging or they're not happy with what they're making in their business, but yet they're afraid to increase their prices, you might want to look at that belief and how you feel about that belief – “Are you enough?” Just as you are today. Like this is another thing, a lot of people think well, “Okay so, you know things are good but I need to take another course. Once I take that next training course, then I will be enough” or “Once I read 300 books on whatever my area specialty is then I'll be enough”. It's I'm enough today just as I am with everything that I've got; period.
Michaela: That sounds like a great belief to have. Now maybe we'll talk a bit more about that… the big one again and later in the episode but what are some of the other big business beliefs that get in people's way that you come across?
Holly: Oh, things about self-confidence, self-esteem. Again, all this stuff is related, but people just not being confident to state their prices. People not being confident to speak. People not being confident to be interviewed on a podcast like this. People not being confident to write a blog post because, how do you know I don't know enough or are people going to want to hear me or are people can be interested in what I have to say? Lots of things around confidence and self-esteem and again that relates to, “I am enough”
Michaela: That makes a lot of sense. And I know a lot of people are reluctant to share themselves. And even it can come in multiple layers, they might be okay writing a blog post.
Holly: yes
Michaela: But of the idea of getting on life video freaks them out. [Laughs] I know it did me, right. I did a 90-day video challenge last year and right at the beginning I was really frightened to do it though, and that's why did it.
Holly: Yes and how did that change for you. How long did it take you through that 90 days before you realized that it was starting to feel easy?
Michaela: One or two.
Holly: yes
Michaela: And here's personally what I did in the first video, I talked about all my fears.
Holly: [Laughs]
Michaela: I am like, “Get over them.”
Holly: Yes, exactly.
Michaela: That was one of the tricks I did. So and also, I had another friend who done a 30-day video challenge about vulnerability, where she talked about stuff she felt vulnerable about and that inspired me. Like it was something I was afraid to speak about on video I would choose to speak about that to get over it.
Holly: yes
Michaela: So, instead of hiding.
Holly: Yes and that's being willing to be vulnerable, so that could be another business belief. I am ready willing and able to be vulnerable in my business and open about my fears because you know as long as you're not freaking out about it you can share these things. And say, “You know, I'm doing this video challenge, I'm nervous. I'm not sure what's going to happen but here I am I'm showing up.” And people can relate to that, so once you have that belief that it's okay and that it's safe for you to do those things that can really support your new business as well in terms of making connections with people.
Michaela: That is a great point. Now, I think the other thing I've seen in entrepreneurs is that they have difficulty hiring people to help them or if they do hire people, they're not good at delegating.
Holly: yes
Michaela: Have you seen that?
Holly: Oh yes. Yes and that can stem from practical things such as the person has never had to manage people before. But it can also be a mindset stuff as, “I'm the only person who could do this, no one could do this as well as I can. I can't trust people, I can't trust people get the worked done, I can't trust people to get the work done well.” Let's see, there are so many beliefs that can go into fears around outsourcing. And a lot of it has to do with trust.
Michaela: Yeah, that makes sense and also I think, there's a fear that if they're not the only person in the world who can do this in their business then who are they?
Holly: yeah
Michaela: You know it's got kind of identity belief in there. They only matter if they're like the most important person in the business.
Holly: Yes and that belief that you have to do absolutely everything which is ridiculous. Because it makes sense to focus on the thing that you're good at and get help with the things that you're not so good at, whether that's book keeping, getting your taxes done, admin, customer service whatever, figure out what those things are and then get support for them. So that you can do the thing that you are here to do.
Michaela: That makes a lot of sense. Now, that sort of relates to people wanting to be busy all the time is that another belief?
Holly: Yes, that can be yes, if you wanting to be busy all the time and can be a workaholic. That can be kind of a symptom of other stuff going on in life like maybe not happy with other personal life and so the business becomes the entire life. Or it could be something has limiting beliefs that, “I have to be busy all the time in order to make my business is a success” or “I have to hustle to be a success in business. I have to be a hard worker to be a success in business.” A lot of people have beliefs around hard work as opposed to ease. And a lot of people have beliefs that the money that they make in their business isn't as important or valuable if they haven't worked hard for it. So there are a lot of limiting beliefs that can be going on there.
Michaela: Yes, I mean I know you have a whole thing where you help people have ease in their business and there is no need to work hard. It doesn't mean you don't do any work.
Holly: Of course.
Michaela: right
Holly: Yes, you're working but you're not necessarily suffering the hard work of you know 18 hour days which I have done in the past. And that led to burnout and that was not a good thing. [Laughs]
Michaela: No, definitely no. Can be fatal actually you know. I've seen people get sick or die or their marriage breaks up or their family relations you know don't do well. And also you know generally if someone's doing that they're probably not getting on great with their clients and stuff because they're so tired?
Holly: Yes. Energy, managing my energy levels is really, really important to me, because in my first business I did not do a good job with that, I was working so hard. So, I think that's why ease is so important to me and that language comes up a lot, not only in my website but in client sessions because I think there is an easier way to do it. That doesn't mean you're not going to work as he said but you don't have to be stressed about it all the time.
Michaela: Oh we've talked about a lot of different beliefs and I'm sure there are hundreds more in fact you wrote a book with a called, “600+ Business Beliefs”
Holly: yes
Michaela: [Laughs] so, I know there are hundred more.
Holly: Yes.
Michaela: Where, I just want to ask, you know people are probably thinking, “Oh yes, I have that one” but where does these beliefs come from. They don't seem particularly useful?
Holly: [Laughs] some of them are some of them aren't. So they can come from any stage in our lives. They can come from childhood. I have helped people clear a lot of things from school, teachers telling them they were stupid or that they weren't good at learning. And so now I have this belief that they can't learn the things they need to learn to run their business because they're not good learners because they heard that when they were six years old because some teacher, you know didn't take the time to teach them in a way that they understood.
So many things from school, from parents, from siblings, from other family members, from partners. We pick it up from all around us, things that we've read, things that we've seen other people do and we kind of take these things on. Some of these beliefs are positive, some of these beliefs are limiting, so it all depends on what we've taken on more of the limiting stuff and often that's the case until we start doing this work or otherwise.
Michaela: I think that makes a lot of sense. I just want to add to that list of where these beliefs come from, I think movies are potent source of beliefs?
Holly: yes
Michaela: And it can go in all media, it can go in very subconsciously. You know, you saw a movie when you were 13 years old and yet the beliefs still portrayed in that may still be reverberating around.
Holly: yes
Michaela: And even things like songs. I mean there's a song from I think the '80s called “You Must Work Hard for the Money”. [Crosstalk] I think it was number one, a very populist song. But like, if you have that going around your head and it goes in your subconscious you going to start acting that way right?
Holly: Yes, and it's songs especially, they very just kind of they stick with you.
Michaela: yes
Holly: Because they, if you know [inaudible] [12:23] like it get in your head and it can be playing it's kind of a soundtrack to your life and business.
Michaela: yes
Holly: And you might not even be aware of it.
Michaela: Yes, I mean in the last few years I've got a lot more conscious about what music I'll listen to particularly if I'm working because I'd say 95% of song lyrics probably more, are you know have some negative beliefs running in them. You know, “I'm not good enough on my own. You know why I'm going to suffer or you know I have to work or there's not enough money” or you know you name it go into it.
Holly: Life's hard.
Michaela: Yes, life's hard.
Holly: And a lot of people who create art out of hardships, it's a way of kind of working, which is fantastic but that doesn't necessarily mean that we have to feed our brains with that.
Michaela: Yes, and I'd add on to that and say not only does artist, authors, musicians create art from hardship and use it as inspiration, often they doing as self-therapy.
Holly: yes
Michaela: I've seen this recently with a few books I've read where the author had some horrible traumatic experiences or they knew people who'd had them. And you know, and they say in the book themselves, “I wrote this book in order to get clear my mind or how or to get over whatever the stuff was. And not only did they write a wonderful story but they also like threw that negative energy into the book and then when I read it I'm like [inaudible] [13:47]
Holly: [Laughs].
Michaela: So I think the same is probably true about movies and music you know.
[Crosstalk]
Holly: [Inaudible] [13:57] aware of that, when they are using these medium. And of course advertisements as well.
Michaela: Oh, yes. I forgot about advertisements. How many ads to a year do people watch? Because I know it's a hundred thousand, a million, it's a lot?
Holly: yes
Michaela: Because they're everywhere right?
Holly: yes
Michaela: There billboards, magazines, radio, TV, everything has ads, Internet ads everywhere. And how do ads sell to us?
Holly: They make everything so appealing. I know Denise [unclear] [14:27] Thomas has this thing that she always says talking about luxury, because she's the money mindset person. So she's she talks about dishwashing detergent and how they'd market it to women as being like this luxurious thing that keeps your hands soft as you're washing the dishes and she's like, “What is this, like dishwashing detergent is not luxury. Like it's, you're washing the dishes. How do women like women hear this for decades? This is so luxurious to keep your hands as soft as you wash the dishes. This is ridiculous.” But we take these things on. I feel so inferior, now that I have this special washing up liquid.
Michaela: Well, and I think the important thing for the book business beliefs thing is that most advertising works on making you feel like crap.
Holly: yes
Michaela: Their product will solve you feeling bad.
Holly: Yes, you're going to feel amazing if you just buy this detergent.
Michaela: Right. So, and often the side effect is that you're left with the feeling like crap and even if you buy the product you only feel good for like thirty minutes.
Holly: [Laughs]
Michaela: If that right, so lots of sources for these. So if someone listening wanted to find out what their business beliefs are I'm kind of guessing that's a little tricky. Sort of like a fish trying to understand is in water or not right?
Holly: Well, I think there's a lot you can do on your own but I think to really dig deep it does help to work with someone else because you're in your head all day see you often can't see things that are obvious because it's just become a normal part of your life but you absolutely can get started identifying these things. And that's how I started on this journey was just paying attention to as I was running my business and taking action or not taking action procrastinating.
What was coming up for me was afraid of? Why did I not feel good about taking a certain action? What was going on there? What were my beliefs about my ability to take those actions? That kind of thing I started writing them down and that was really what got me started on this because I realized how much stuff I had coming up throughout the day as I was writing my business that was just not supporting me.
Michaela: So it's, the first step is noticing what areas of your business you're having difficulty with or the way you are delaying or procrastinating or afraid.
Holly: yes
Michaela: And then either with someone else like you or yourself figuring out, well what's behind that where you know?
Holly: Yes, exactly. I think we have the tendency to sweep the stuff under the rug and say you know, “I'm just going to ignore it, avoid the hustle on. I'm going to feel the fear and do it anyway” and that works for some people but it doesn't work for everyone. So if it doesn't work for you, you know pull back the rug, bring that stuff out to the surface and really look at it and then do the work to make changes and get the beliefs that you need to get to take the actions you need to take to run your business.
Michaela: Well I would suggest those things you said there like you know I can't remember them exactly, but they were all motivating kind of things. That kind of positive beliefs that you can do it, you are powerful or you can overcome any problem.
Holly: yes
Michaela: And the kind of image that came to me with that is sort of like your business is a car and those positive beliefs are you putting your foot on the gasoline pedal.
Holly: yes
Michaela: And those negative beliefs are like the foot in the brake pedal but the problem is in most businesses people have their feet on both pedals.
Holly: yes
Michaela: And then they're wondering why their business is not working good and it needs to go the shop for repairs too much.
Holly: [Laughs] exactly. Like go stop, go stop, and you go with [unclear] [18:08] [laughs]
Michaela: Yes, so even for the people who find those beliefs empowering they could be going twice or ten times as fast and that business with much less stress.
Holly: exactly
Michaela: If they could just get rid of the brake?
Holly: Exactly and it is possible to hold both the positive and the limiting belief. Which is also very confusing for your system. So you can on one hand belief, “I am enough” and you can on the other hand belief, “I am never going to be good enough” or “I'm not enough or whatever you know, your particular flavor of that negative one is” but we can't hold both and so it's about kind of releasing the limiting belief and really focusing on the enhancing belief or positive belief because it could be very confusing as you say it kind of stop go, stop go.
Michaela: Yes, and that's where.
Holly: [inaudible] [18:52]
Michaela: Right that would be the start, that's taking you know one step forward two steps back. You know you delegate to someone and then you micro-managed them.
Holly: yes
Michaela: Or you start a new marketing initiative but then you don't follow through or yes.
Holly: Yes, or you let the hosting run out on your website and people go to it and it doesn't exist [laughs]
Michaela: Oh.
Holly: Those types of things. [Laughs]
Michaela: Yes. Or you get leads for sales but then you don't call the people.
Holly: Yes yes yes, or, I had a client once, she had $80,000 in invoices that she hadn't collected on work that she'd done, clients she had served. And they were just sitting there.
Michaela: So she didn't have a system or a person to delegate to who would follow up and collect that payment and she didn't have a way to last for the money upfront in the first place?
Holly: Yes, [sighs] she had some beliefs and there was a specific thing that only she could do to like drive it forward and she knew how to do it and it was very simple but she wasn't doing it because the beliefs weren't in place to make that easy so.
Michaela: So if you've worked with someone or journal done in introspection or meditated or whatever you did to figure out and you know you've got a list of some of your beliefs. How do you figure out which of them you want to keep and which you'd like to adjust or throw out?
Holly: It's all about what would serve you and what would not serve you. So you also need to know what you're doing in your business like what's your vision for your business. Where do you want to be going with your business? And what beliefs of that list are going to help you get there and which beliefs are going to keep you stuck? So that's kind of how you filter them out to different piles.
Michaela: Okay, but I can see some people might get confused because earlier we said that like thinking you have to work hard for the money actually is disabling belief. But people might actually you know, “Oh yes that's useful I'll keep that”
Holly: Okay, so that's what helps to have someone else going back and forth, if you're saying, “Do you really want to work hard like is working hard what you want or do you just want to get the end result of what you think you're in to get from work hard?” See, you kind of got to pick it apart a little bit and that's where it does help having someone else because people think, “Okay, I'll work hard and then I'll get I don't know seven figure business whatever”
Is it that you want to work or do you want to have the seven figure business? So, then you figure out what it is.
Michaela: And do you even want this seven figure business or do you want the result of having a seven figure business whatever you believe those to be.
Holly: exactly
Michaela: I recently was reading a new book, I'm forgetting the exact title was called something like “Exits” It's by a guy, a friend of mine called Dan Andrews and he talked about how he and his partner sold their business and then it really wasn't the bliss they thought it would be and they had some regrets. And then he came up with some questions he wished he'd asked himself before he sold it. Not that he still might have sold, it, they still might have sold it but at least they had to have been more conscious of what they were getting into.
Holly: yes
Michaela: And some of the alternatives that might have been better.
Holly: Yes, that makes sense.
Michaela: So, and that was all based on the belief that turned out to be false for him that the ultimate successful entrepreneur has had an exit from the business.
Holly: Yes, well because when you think about people say, “Oh I'm a serial entrepreneur” you think of the person that wildly successful business they sold it and they did it again and again and again and woo now they're you know, super successful. But that's not necessarily what everyone wants you know some people love building a business and then running the business. Some people, you know everyone is different so you've got to get clear on what it is that you want and why? And what lifestyle do you want as well because you know you might have a wildly successful business financially but you're working 18 hour days and you're super stressed. So, what's the lifestyle you want that's going to fit into the business that you want and is that possible?
Michaela: Oh it's everything's possible because we're all powerful beings you know.
Holly: yes
Michaela: [unclear] [23:09] a little more consciousness in asking right questions.
Holly: exactly
Michaela: I mean I have a friend she she created a fourth business and she had some business where she was working long days or she always had to be there. And she decided this business I wanted to be successful to grow whether or not I'm there in the office or not. And she went from like zero to a million dollars in annual revenue equivalent in nine months and she spent three months in maternity leave during that nine months.
Holly: wow
Michaela: So, very inspiring lady her name is Laura Rhoda, so.
Holly: Oh yes.
Michaela: So, it's definitely possible and that inspired me, that yes you can consciously choose what kind of business you want to create and the beliefs you have about it.
Holly: Exactly. And I think it really helps to be clear on those details in the beginning otherwise you might end up with something that you don't really want. So getting clear on that vision is really really important.
Michaela: Yes, that makes a lot of sense to me. So, okay you've now figured out what business beliefs you you have or at least some of them.
Holly: yes
Michaela: Because, probably it's an ongoing process to dig into all of this stuff. You're really, its archaeology of your whole life really.
Holly: Yes. [Laughs]
Michaela: So you uncover one belief and then a week or two later you might find something else underneath at a lower level.
Holly: Oh definitely. And sometimes you can't get to that lower level until you've peeled off the layers of the surface level stuff so.
Michaela: Yes. Yes it makes a lot of sense. So, if you wanted to know what would be good beliefs that have to create a successful and easy business? How could you do that?
Holly: I have 600 beliefs in my book. I mean I think that's a good start to get an idea for what this is like because sometimes people are so stuck when I do beliefs work with them. You know, I be like, “Okay, so what do you need to believe in order to make that happen?” And they'll be like, “I don't know” and then I'll start kind of throwing stuff at them and they would be like, “Oh that's good, that's good, that's good,” and so we kind of have to you know grab one and then dig deeper. But I think it helps to have examples so whether it's you know going online looking at affirmations or finding belief statements for the book, it can help to see other people's examples and then kind of craft those examples to your specific needs.
Michaela: That is a great thing and if you can find an entrepreneur who inspires you from the easy way they have success, see if they have a biography or if you can take them out to coffee if they're local, you know that's a good way to find out I think. Now let's talk a bit about the subset of beliefs that are actually blocking people with those limiting beliefs or self sabotage. Can you tell us any more about those causes I think if people listening could understand this and shift at least one.
Holly: yes
Michaela: Belief, they would like to improve their business and reduce their stress.
Holly: Yes, so limiting beliefs you know as we've said are the things we pick up from all around us our entire life. They could be fears. They could be things that are keeping us stuck as you said you know got your foot on the gas, foot on the break. Could be things like change is hard for me. So maybe you want to work on personal development, maybe you want to work on your mindset but if you believe that change is hard or change is slow or I'm not good at making changes.
[Crosstalk]
Michaela: I don't have time to make changes.
Holly: Yes. I don't know how to make changes. Change is hard for me. That kind of thing is it…
Michaela: Now, that's almost a matter of belief about changing beliefs.
Holly: yes
Michaela: You know I can't change my beliefs, right that would be another.
Holly: exactly
Michaela: So, those are really powerful beliefs in a negative way because they lock in place dozens of other beliefs that you have.
Holly: yes
Michaela: I could improve my business profitability but change is hard for me so I'm not going to go there?
Holly: Exactly. I'm just stuck. You know I can never get unstuck. It's impossible for me to shift.
Michaela: And I just had a realization that one way I can tell if a belief is helpful to me is notice how I feel either in my body or my energy. Am I contracted or expanded when I have that belief?
Holly: Yes. However as I said before we got in the recording, lots of times I'll be working with someone and they'll have identified a certain belief and I feel like it's just not quite big enough it could be bigger and so I'll suggest something that's bigger to them and it's judges them so much they kind of go, “Oh God I feel sick to my stomach.”
[Laughter]
Holly: Can I possibly have that and then you know we talk about whether or not it's too big for them right now do we need to have a kind of a milestone belief before that or are they ready to go for the big one? But also sometimes we can be afraid of the bigger beliefs, sometimes we can be afraid of success and fear of success is another block that people can have.
Michaela: oh
Holly: My life's going to change when I'm successful. Do I want those changes? What if I lose all my friends? What if my family hates me or what if my family is constantly asking to borrow money from me? or you know it's the unknown.
Michaela: Absolutely I mean, I think that's a very common thing. I know when I wrote my first book I had some beliefs around you know the fans would be hassling me and sucking my energy and I'd never have any time to myself.
Holly: yes
Michaela: And I did some work to released that.
Holly: yes
Michaela: To shift the reality so it wouldn't do that. But and the same thing with becoming more successful. You know if you're a millionaire or I don't know what the words are for tens of millions or hundreds of millions, we don't really have words or billionaire you know. Yes, what happens if that changes your relationships?
Holly: yes
Michaela: You know, can you ever trust anyone to be honest with you or real or will they be sycophantic and you know not tell you the truth?
Holly: Yes. Are my kids going to be spoiled brats you have kids? Because you know they are going to expect everything, that I buy them everything you know?
Michaela: yes
[Crosstalk]
Holly: yes
Michaela: Or, will things just get, you know if you have the belief that, you know, you have to work hard for the money or related belief, perhaps you think if you were you know had a million dollar business you'd now be working ten times as hard.
Holly. exactly
Michaela: And you, don't want to and of course that's not how people make million dollar or 10 million dollar businesses, they have systems and delegate.
Holly: Yes, exactly but if you've never had that experience you think more money equals harder work and I'm already working as hard as I can I can't work any harder so therefore I can never be a multi-millionaire.
Michaela: Yes, and this isn't necessarily conscious, they're not like saying, “Oh I can't take extra money in” and you know if someone gave them extra money they'd probably receive it, yes but then they'd self sabotage by like creating extra expenses or losing the client or doing something else to avoid having that extra money because they have the subconscious belief that it's dangerous to have that extra money.
Holly: Well, I think we always hear stories about lottery winners who have won multi-millions and they lose it all within a year because of many various factors, a lot of them probably relating to beliefs and mindset.
Michaela: And it's all relating to beliefs a mindset.
Holly: That's what I think.
Michaela: In fact I think some of the smarter lotteries actually pay to have some kind of wealth coaching thing to help people you know do something sensible.
Holly: Yes [laughs]
Michaela: Because it doesn't look good for the lottery if someone won the lottery and then they're homeless next year you know.
Holly: yes
Michaela: But yes, absolutely that brings up all kinds of issues because I think I mean if we're looking at the money, my feeling on money is it money itself is just energy.
Holly: yes
Michaela: But, it magnifies any beliefs we already have.
Holly: Yes. And it triggers a lot of stuff for people.
Michaela: Yes it can trigger a lot of stuff for most people I'd say you know. Just as relationships do you know or having employees or customers. Any of them or out of other activities we get up to on this planet.
Holly: Yes, [laughs]
Michaela: So. Is there anything else you want to tell us about business blocks or basically we go through the same process you do for beliefs?
Holly: Exactly just bring them up to the surface, pull back that rug, bring all the stuff up, write it down look at it and do the work to shift it. Whether that's doing the work with yourself or hiring someone else to help you can absolutely do it on your own that's how I got started in this and it's very very powerful. And the thing is you start to see changes. And in some cases immediately, and in some cases it takes a few days or few weeks but if you can look back and say, “Oh right I changed all those beliefs and suddenly things are easier I'm taking action more easily and you know things are changing in my life” So it's a kind of thing we do see the results quickly.
Michaela: That is fabulous Well I think these are both really powerful things and I'll put the links to your books.
Holly: Thank you.
Michaela: Into the show notes. One of them is called “600+ Beliefs that make up a successful business mindset” and the other one we talked about was “Business blocks, how to identify and release your blocks to create a successful business mindset” so and you've written a couple of other books as well.
Holly: yes
Michaela: People can find on your website which we'll link in there. But what I'd like to talk about now is have you always been this intuitive in your business or?
Holly: No, I was so not intuitive. [Laughs]
Michaela: Oh.
Holly: This is a new thing for me. This is absolutely.
Michaela: okay
Holly: I would say for the vast majority of my life I was totally out of touch with myself. I was not even aware of personal development you know that kind of thing. It kind of started in my first business because part of the business was we had [unclear] [33:44] and so we had therapist and I kind of started opening up to energy healing and things like that learning more about that but I was still very out of alignment with myself. And it really wasn't until the last, I don't know five years I would say, that I started working on my intuition because I thought that. It was like you either have it or you don't have it. I didn't really see skill that you could develop and so I was just thought well I'm not intuitive and that's that. And I didn't realize.
Michaela: Well there's a disempowering beliefs.
Holly: yes
Michaela: Right about your business and yourself.
Holly: Exactly, exactly.
Michaela: So let's just look about a bit more because I'm imagining some people listening have that, “Oh, I'm not intuitive all right or I'm only 10% intuitive and there's nothing I can do about it.”
Holly: exactly
Michaela: You're born with the level you got, so.
Holly: Yes, can't develop it, it's you just stuck, you just.
Michaela: yes
Holly: Poor you, you've got terrible intuition.
Michaela: Yes, it's just like you have bad breath you know.
Holly: Exactly, [laughs] nothing you can do about it. [Laughs]
Michaela: No, there are no cures for bad breath, you know you just have to not breathe.
Holly: [Laughs] around other people? [Laughs]
Michaela: All right, there you go around other people.
Holly: Yes, right.
Michaela: So, how did you develop your intuition?
Holly: [Sighs] Part of it was by just getting to know myself and accepting myself and doing the beliefs work and doing the ones that work. And also working with there was one particular coach that I've worked with over the years, of the last couple of years Lisa [unclear] [35:10] And her business name used to be “Practically Intuitive” and she just really taught me to trust myself and tap into that intuition and kind of turn up the volume on the intuition so that I could hear the messages more clearly and take action on them and it's gotten to the point where I feel in this aspect I feel like a completely different person because intuition is such an important part of my life. I do not make decisions based on my head, I make them based on my gut.
And I always say now my gut is smarter than my head because it leads me in the right direction and when I ignore it that's what, that's when disaster happens. [Laughs]
Michaela: What was the last disaster that came from your head Holly?
Holly: [Laughs] this was probably, it was before I got started in the mindset stuff. It was hiring a business mentor that wasn't right for me but I finally gotten amazing results with her and I went to this kind of you know big sales event where they like get you all riled up and I was like, “My guts [inaudible 36:19] and she's not right for you, you don't like her energy” I'm talking to my friend and my friends like, “Well I don't know but she made a huge difference in my life and my head's going go for it you know you need this, and my guts going no, it's not right” Back and forth and back and forth back and forth I put down the money and, so yes. That was an expensive lesson in listening to the gut. [Laughs]
Michaela: Well, what would you have told your younger self now if you'd been in the room next to you?
Holly: [Sighs] in that moment that I was [inaudible 36:51]
Michaela: right
Holly: I would say, first of all there's no magic bullet it's not like you do this course and it's going to fix everything or you don't do it in disaster. Second listen to your gut like, “How you feel about this does it feels like are you making this decision based out of fear because you think this is the only thing that's going to help you?” How you feel about this you know? Forget about everyone else forget about how this woman has helped other people because there are other people there not you.
Michaela: Yes, there's nothing wrong with this particular woman?
Holly: Of course not, no she's fantastic but she wasn't a good fit for me at that time.
Michaela: Right. I mean it's like you're buying clothes and you go to the store and there's a dress that's beautiful for someone else but it doesn't look good on you and your head can try and convince you that yeah just because it looks good on your friend it's going to look good on you but the reality is it won't.
Holly: Yes, exactly. Let say you wanted to, you wanted to fit because it's such a pretty dress but it's just not right. [Laughs]
Michaela: right
Holly: exactly
Michaela: And if I was there in the room I think I would have told you can you just go for five minutes outside away from everyone else go into a park and just listen to your body.
Holly: Yes, exactly. Well the worst thing was I didn't buy it in that moment I went away and agonized for like two or three more days.
Michaela: Oh, wow.
Holly: And I still, this is how [inaudible] [38:13]
Michaela: wow
Holly: I still, had that like back and forth, back and forth and still did not listen to my guts. So, this evolved over several days that I made the bad decision, so.
Michaela: That's impressive, we should make a movie about this.
Holly: [Laughs] I have made bad business decisions.
Michaela: Yes, there you go. Yes, you can agonize for a few days or you know if you are else on mask you could just tweak your business going bankrupt as a joke and lose millions of dollars on your company valuation in a few days.
Holly: Yes, not a good idea. [Laughs]
Michaela: Not, really probably he was a little out of touch with his gut there perhaps.
Holly: yes
Michaela: Perhaps not, maybe that was what his intuition told him to do, you know.
Holly: Yes, maybe.
Michaela: It could be. [Laughs] So, is there anything you'd suggest people do to improve their intuition?
Holly: [Sighs] spend more time being quiet, being still, getting in touch with yourself. Listening, because I think we can switch… our lives is so external. We are always doing stuff, we are you know hustling, running doing doing doing but it's really very helpful even if it's five minutes. Just sit with yourself and just tap into your body. What's going on? How do you feel? Do a body scan, kind of pay attention, like, “How is my face?” Like, “Is it all like you know, tense and…
[Laughter]
Holly: How are my shoulders, are they like “argh” What's going on in my body, how are my, you know my abdomen. is that all like tight and constricted? Like, what's going on basically? That could be one of the easiest ways to get to tap into you know what's really going on with you because we can all feel what our bodies doing just stop and kind of scan it.
Michaela: Actually not everyone can feel a lot of people have a belief that they have no body sensation. I have met people who have great difficulty finding their emotions because they had some abuse or trauma when they were younger and they just closed that off.
Holly: yes
Michaela: And I've met other people who just don't feel anything from the neck down.
Holly: wow
Michaela: They are just totally out of touch.
Holly: Wow, okay.
Michaela: And if that applies to anyone listening you know I would encourage to get some work to release the trauma and bodywork or yoga or any or dance or swimming or anything that involves moving a body around can help me anyway. [Laughs]
Holly: Yes, absolutely.
Michaela: Yes, we are very clever powerful creatures and we can create any reality we want to.
Holly: Yes, we can. And at the same time our bodies are very smart and create amazing coping mechanisms that serve us for a time but not necessarily always so.
Michaela: So, you mentioned you get gut feelings?
Holly: yes
Michaela: I am assuming you mean literally you have sensations in your gut is that what you mean or what do you mean something else?
Holly: No, that's exactly what I mean. [Laughs] yes, it's like as you said earlier does this feel constricting or does this feel expansive? And that's where I get it like in the gut feeling it's like, “Oh that, you know that feels right or that's like.”
Michaela: Now, do you get your intuitive messages other ways as well or?
Holly: Yes, I do a lot of it, I'm very [inaudible] [41:28] a lot of its feeling like how does it feel? I do get kind of not a very auditory person but I do get auditory messages sometimes. Yes or Iike it can be visual, I can kind of see signs or see, my attention could be drawn to something.
Michaela: I mean I just liked to emphasize to people listening you know there is no best way to get your intuition. Some people hear stuff, they see stuff. Some people get dreams. Some people have signs like you know maybe a weird animal appears that we haven't seen recently or maybe synchronicities happened when these coincidences suggest stuff.
Holly: yes
Michaela: So many different ways.
Holly: And I think that's really really really important to point out because everyone's going to have their own kind of preferred kind of language for their intuition and there's no right or wrong just kind of pay attention to what's going on for you.
Michaela: Yes, and I'd like to suggest to people that they keep a journal of whatever these messages are because the way to improve your intuitive language abilities is to practice. And if you like write down what these little notches are, some of them a very subtle or they are for me.
Holly: yes
Michaela: It is only by looking back in a journal or like you know I made a hiring decision and I had some feelings in my gut. And then it doesn't work out and then I go back and look at the decision a month later and see, “Oh yeah I was really getting a message there”
Holly: Yes. Another thing that can help for people's pulling Oracle cards because it gives you that really clear visual and then you can say, “Okay, well what does this mean to me?” and kind of tap into the artwork or you know what if you see there so that can be another way for people who are going to pay attention to these things.
Michaela: Yes, and I think for people who haven't used Oracle cards or Tarot or whatever they may have beliefs that that's evil or dangerous you know is a pretty common set of beliefs around that. Or they may have a belief, “Or how could this work?” You know.
Holly: right
Michaela: And I think what you just said there is really important it's not necessarily what the card is, it's what you get by looking at the card, what you notice because most of these Oracle Cards have really complicated images. They sometimes come with a book of like, quite interesting text that goes with the card.
Holly: yes
Michaela: And it may prompt you to become aware of something you weren't to aware of before.
Holly: Yes, exactly.
Michaela: So, yes I mean when I've worked with people who do card reading or a room reading or astrology, you know there something in the technique itself but also those like they get their own intuitive information through that method. So, do you have a favorite Oracle card you currently use or?
Holly: No, I'm just looking at my bookshelf I've got several decks.
[Laughter]
Michaela: Well pull one out. What one wants to pull down and show us you know.
[Crosstalk]
Michaela: What is it?
Holly: The Druid plant Oracle.
Michaela: okay
Holly: That's dry my mind so I'll just grab that will pull a card right now.
Michaela: Yes, let's grab it out and show it to the viewers who are watching on YouTube.
Holly: Are we asking a question or we are just pulling a random card?
Michaela: No, well I'd like you to show the box to people so we can see this wonderful set of cards.
Holly: This is, it's absolutely gorgeous.
Michaela: Oh fabulous.
Holly: This is a box.
Michaela: yes
Holly: And then you pull it out. You've got the book.
Michaela: Let's ask a question.
Holly: yes
Michaela: I am going to ask the question I ask everyone on the show which is. You know I'm on a mission that every entrepreneur openly uses her intuition in a business because she will make more money, be less stressed, more joyful, be an inspiration for all her staff and vendors and customers. And I also believe if every business leader on the planet openly use their intuition as well as their rational mind they'd make less stupid decisions that hurt other people or hurt the planet you know.
Holly: yes
Michaela: So, my question for the cards and you.
Holly: [Laughs]
Michaela: Should you decide to accept this mission Holly, this tape will self-destruct in five seconds.
Holly: Oh, no. [Laughs]
Michaela: Yes, what would it take to make business intuition more openly use this year?
Holly: For me or for the world?
Michaela: For the world.
Holly: Yes, all right.
Michaela: Let's go big why hold ourselves back right?
Holly: exactly
Michaela: [inaudible] [46:01] have limiting beliefs.
Holly: exactly
Michaela: [Laughs]
Holly: All right, so pull your card.
Michaela: yes
Holly: And, oh. So its camel [unclear] [46:12] woo.
Michaela: All right
Holly: I love the outlooks of these cards are words yes certainly and cards.
Michaela: yes
Holly: I want to [inaudible] [46:19] card.
Michaela: And just to describe for people who don't have video.
Holly: right
Michaela: We've got some beautiful [unclear] [46:22] white, have this gold in the middle. And then it's like a tree.
Holly: yes
Michaela: There's a lake behind, it's very peaceful.
Holly: yes
Michaela: In fact camels are tea that you drink in order to feel your calm so.
Holly: yes
Michaela: I think the message is chill out or something like that.
Holly: Exactly, chill out in and as we were saying earlier, just kind of tune into yourself, be still, be quiet, see what's going on for you.
Michaela: Yes, which kind of resonates with, if people could just get five minutes where they were quiet and I know that's so hard because knowing we have beliefs about hustle but we have all the smart phones beeping at us, social media. And I think you know relate to that, a lot of people are sleep deprived you know.
Holly: Oh yes, absolutely.
Michaela: So they're kind of in this caffeinated sleep deprived not able to relax.
Holly: Yes, and I think it takes, again [sighs] putting yourself as a priority and your own self wellness and wellbeing and self care and you know because if you're not functioning properly then how are you going to run a business? How are you going to help clients? How are you going to create products that are going to change people's lives?
Michaela: Absolutely. How are you going to connect with all those people you need to connect with? And how you going to enjoy your success?
Holly: Yes, exactly. [Laughter]
Michaela: So I'm going to ask the other question I've asked all my guest. Why are you proud to use your business intuition?
Holly: [Sighs] because my gut is smarter than my head. [Laughter]
Holly: Because it's makes everything easier. You know I never second guess myself any more. I never have those moments where I'm going, “Should I sign up for this thing, should I not, should I do it, should I not, should I do it? I ask other people for their like, “what should I do, what do you think I should do?” I don't make lists of pros and cons. I remember being a teenager and making lists in my journal of pros and cons for a decision. I don't do that anymore because my intuition just tells me, “This is it, do this. Don’t do that” It's makes everything easier. And just so enjoyable.
Michaela: Absolutely, well if people want to find you online Holly. What are the best ways to do that?
Holly: My website is the hub for everything so it's my name hollywharton.com And that's got links to all my social media, it's got links to all my stuff, so it's probably the best place to start.
Michaela: That's great. I have links to all your books.
Holly: yes
Michaela: And to your podcast.
Holly: yes
Michaela: So, all good stuff is there. Fabulous, well thanks so much for coming on the show today.
Holly: Thank you for having me. I really enjoyed speaking with you.