Jeffrey: Welcome to the light in your launch podcast today, we're talking about the entrepreneurial slump and how to overcome it. So stay tuned.

Jeffrey: Welcome back to the show. I'm Jeffrey , I'm back again with Katie Collins. And today we're going to get real with you. We want to talk about kind of the shadow side of business. Um, and to be honest, uh, it's not all fun. It's not all profitable. And when you plan on certain results, you're reaching for a certain goal.

You know, you don't achieve it. Let's face it. I mean, we get bummed out. Um, it puts you in a slump, so. How do we overcome it? How do we get out of it? We've often found ourselves there and what do we do when we're there? So, Katie, how do we get out of it?

Katie: Just get over it.

Jeffrey: yeah, just get over it. Just move on.

Katie: Um, am so glad we're doing this episode today because, um, I know for myself, I've experienced slumps in my 10 years, I just passed my 10 year anniversary being in business and it hasn't always been fun and profitable. Um, and so I think this is such an important topic and we know, you know, there is that traditional advice of like, just get up and keep going.

It has to be that advice because if you don't get up and keep going, then you're giving up and that's the only way you'll fail. Now. I don't, you know, I don't mean to say, if you want to give up and not be in business, you know, that's your choice. It doesn't mean you failed. It's just like this. Isn't working for me too stressful, whatever.

But if that's not your intention, then at some point we do have to pick up and move on. But what we want to talk about today is really the gray area. Between the slump and the, I don't wanna like little kid in you, you know, and, and how to, how to get through that. So, um, you know, some of the things that I do, I mean, number one, I just have to take a break.

Like if, if I'm. Really bummed. And I just have like a bad attitude and I can hear it. I can hear it in my words. I avoid talking to people cause I don't want to be negative to other people. Right. So if I can feel myself crawling into a shell being really negative and just self-doubt yada, yada, I know that for me, it's time to really take good care of myself, take a break and renew like my body and soul so that I can show up to. So that is my number one. And people often when they don't have a profitable launch or they didn't have a, um, you know, if they had a, um, strategy session like sales call and it didn't convert often the fear around money is what prevents us from taking a break. You know, who am I to take a break? I've got to keep working till I make money.

Um,

Jeffrey: that hustle mindset.

Katie: Yep. And that never works. And so I really feel like when I take a break, I can just speak for myself. When I take a break, I am putting out to the universe that I trust that money is on its way and I'm going to take good care of me because I am the face of my business. And if I can't take good care of me, I can't take good care of my clients.

Right. And no client wants a grumpy coach, right? That's in a slump. So the only way that I can like move out of that is, um, is really taking good care of myself and just not worrying about the cost that that might have on my financial bottom line.

Jeffrey: Yeah. And before we get too far in the weeds of how to do this, how to get out of it, what causes the slump? What, what gets us there in the first place,

Katie: You know, I mean, to me, it's really

Jeffrey: the obvious we didn't make any money.

Katie: the, the law. Yeah. The lack of results I think is, is a big one. Um, but also, um, things that feel out of your control, like maybe your, your email marketing system crashed, or it didn't send out your sales email or your Facebook ads account got shut down, like things that

Jeffrey: I've never experienced that.

Katie: Oh, oh, is that right? Right. Things that

Jeffrey: Bard and banned.

Katie: so out of your control, that can get very frustrating for me. Right. It's like, I don't even like this damn company and somehow they still have power over me. That just makes me so angry. Um, you know, and just to see some of the other kind of BS that, that gets onto that platform, like, why are you.

Blocking my, you know, purpose and success event, right? Like God forbid, I teach about purpose and success. Um, so that those create like those get me into a slump because it feels like there's nothing I can do to fix it. And I don't like feeling out of control. Um,

Jeffrey: Yeah. I also think like there's, uh, if you're, if you don't have, um, collaborators and you're not working with anybody and you are literally a solo preneur, trying to do everything on your own by yourself. I think that's a really lonely place. And I mean, that alone compounded with maybe, you know, you didn't get the results or you try to launch and it didn't work or something like you put that altogether.

And that is give up material. That is like, why am I doing this? You know, that's, you know, some low points, a recipe for some low point.

Katie: Yup. Yup. Yeah. I, you know, any sort of, um, disappointment and then also when life has disappointments, it has nothing to do with your business, but you're so damn bummed. Whether it's a breakup or someone you love got sick or right. Like, uh, the death of a pet. Like things that just, it's just awful, you know, and your heart is broken and it's really hard to get out of that slump just because of something personal going on.

Um, you know, is also a time to admit that you're in a slump and let yourself heal a little bit and take the time. You know, I remember when my dad had. It was the worst financial time for me ever. And in fact, I was planning for a three-day event and I was projecting like $35,000 in income. And then all of that just kind of went up in smoke when, um, when you.

And then I, um, and then things kind of moved and I S I moved states, and I remember coming back to Colorado, I had like barely two nickels to rub together. I spent all my money on moving vans, which is such a waste of money. Um, and it was really hard for me to get back into the swing of things. And I ended up working for another coaching company just to give myself a break. Right. It was like, I didn't give up on my business, but I just kind of put it on the back burner and thought, I just can not mark it right now. I have a broken heart, you know? Um, so, you know, um, all those things that just gets you into this place where you just can't imagine being motivating to other people, like showing up on Facebook, live like, okay guys, let me show you the five steps to blah, blah, blah.

Even though on the inside you're crumbling. Um, it just doesn't

Jeffrey: paint a smile on and show

Katie: Yep. And I've done that. I've totally done that. And I can tell when I watch my own Facebook lives, like later on, I'm like, oh my God. Delete that. Like, cause I can tell and so can other people, you know, so, so that, so that's, you know, those are examples of how that slump gets created and you know, really like number one.

And I know if a lay over here, she would say like the self-compassion for. Like it's okay. That I'm in this place and it is what it is. And, um, you know, I was joking with Jeffrey earlier today. Like you can't gaslit yourself out of the slump. Like that's not happening. I'm not sad. I'm fine. You're crazy.

Jeffrey: I'm fine. Everybody. I'm fine.

Katie: Um, yeah, that, you know, it, it just exuded a deeper hole. So. What we want to really share is how to navigate that gray area between I'm in a slump. And there's a really good reason for it. And I'm not quite ready to climb out of it just yet, but how can you just start to feel a little better day by day or hour by hour?

I mean, taking from someone me who's been through a major depressive episode. Um, I just said to my friend, the other night, I was like, oh yeah, it was me and Harry Potter for six weeks. She's like, that's a good title of a book, but I laid in bed and read every single Harry Potter book for six weeks. I could not move.

Um, so, you know, things

Jeffrey: That actually sounds like a really good

Katie: It was actually, it was like probably the first time that I had decompressed in my life. You know, I went through a, um, I lost a job, so I had lot of time and I had a lot of shame around losing the job and all that. And I just could not get out of bed. I had social anxiety to run into people cause people knew I lost the job.

Like it was just a really tough, tough time. So Harry Potter, he got me through it. Um, you know, but

Jeffrey: he always does.

Katie: it was a, um, you know, my therapist at the time had said like, if you can admit to yourself that you're feeling better than you were a minute. Yeah. You're doing something right. If you're feeling better than you did an hour ago, you're doing something.

Right. Right. And just notice that you're feeling better and, and find things that made me feel better and, you know, getting a dog made me feel better. Cause then I had to take her, take the dog for a walk and it got me out of bed, you know? So

Jeffrey: right.

Katie: it's that whole like, notice that you're feeling just a little bit better, right?

Allow yourself to feel better. Um, and then, yeah, I thought, you know, we could kind of share what are ways that you and I, and ways that we re you know, recommend our clients, because, you know, I've had tons of former clients get bummed out in the time that we work together. You know, I work with people for six months to a year.

There's no way you're going to be happy, successful, profitable. With no, no down stuff in six months to a year, it's like shit happens. Um, so self care taking a break is my number one.

Jeffrey: Definitely number one. And I want to add to that, like, you know, as you know, Channing channeling Alayah here, she would say, you know, get out in nature, connect with nature, talk to your pets, love them up, you know, like, and part of that, part of the big message of this self care is forgiving yourself.

Right. Being able to forgive yourself for, and I'm going to put air quotes of this failure, whatever whatever's happening, whether it be outside circumstances, a loved one passes away, and you just can't show up, forgive yourself for not wanting to. It's okay. Right. If you're going to have down days, that's okay.

I'll tell you that there's no benefit to beating yourself up about feeling down. That's just a downward spiral, right? You've got to accept it. You got to say I'm owning this. I feel down. I feel I'm in a slump and that's okay. Be here for a little bit, and then I'm going to move on.

Katie: Yeah. I mean, I had a mentor that, um, had said, you know, have your pity party and you get to decide is your pity party, seven seconds seven. Seven days, seven months, seven years, you get to decide. And I, I loved that. It was just like permission to have the pity party and, you know, I've got some, you know, a couple dear dear business besties that I can share everything with, right?

Like that I can be vulnerable and share my fears or whatever. and, and so I have people where I can have the pity party and just be like, wait, this isn't going right. This isn't, you know, let me tell you, in my 10 years in business, I've had a couple of those. Um, you know, and so it, it, it's the, you know, I'm going to express my disappointment.

Um, and, and for me, you know, um, it wasn't like I needed a pity party when my dad passed. That was completely separate. But I mean, when I didn't get results, I wanted, if I launched and it didn't go well, um, or I didn't sell as many as I wanted to, or if I had a sales conversation that should have absolutely closed and didn't, and especially if I kinda needed the money, I just got into this.

W T F space, I would be so angry. Like I'm doing everything that I'm being told to do. I'm showing up, I'm doing the work. Um, uh, and it's still not working right. That kind of pity party. So get it out,

Jeffrey: Yes. Yep. Get it out.

Katie: and I love the connect with nature, connect with your pets, um, that kind of thing. And then for me, I'll I really like Oracle cards, messages from spirit, the universe, anything that I can remind myself I'm not alone.

Um, and I also like to read either like personal development books or some sort of business model book, or, um, article or listen to a podcast about something that I'd like to try. So, as an example, if I'm mad that my launch didn't go well, And it was because I launched to a really small list. Ultimately, what I'm angry at is that my audience is still small.

And then I might whine about Facebook ads and, oh, it's all out of my control, blah, blah, blah. Right. Well, at the end of the day, my business bestie or my coach or whoever I was complaining to would be like, okay, so the problem is your audience is small. So what do you need to learn? I need to learn how to grow my audience.

Okay, great. Read a book about that tune into a podcast about that. Right. And it just got me out of the fear and anger and into curiosity. Do I like this idea? Is this something I think I could do? And that would ultimately what I would do that test of, do I feel bet better than I did 10 minutes ago? I actually feel better because now there's a little bit of hope there is like a bandaid or right.

Like some sort of fix. Um, yeah.

Jeffrey: And this that's really what this is all about is moving up the, um, the emotional guidance scale, right? I mean, if you're in despair, how do you get from despair to hope? Right. And that's kind of what this is all about. So the first thing to do is care for yourself. Right? Take care of yourself. You'll never find inspiration.

If you're burnt out, grumpy, depressed, whatever, right. You've got to take care of your body, your mind, your soul. That's where you're going to find motivation and inspiration. Right. And then definitely second thing is just list is just to willfully listened to it, bring it into your life via podcast, a book, audio book, a uplifting movie.

If you're, if you're into that stuff, uh, Um, one thing that I like to do is have a routine or change my routine. And if you don't already have a routine, definitely create a routine. I can't tell you how much energy is wasted on making decisions throughout the day. If you can minimize. The amount of decisions you have to make before you start work.

And even during work, then you're saving on a lot of wasted energy, And a great way to minimize that rent, that energy waste is to have a routine to do somewhat the same. I mean, you can't, it can't be all of the same, but yeah. How you get dressed the order in which you brush your teeth and take a shower, you know, walking the dog, feeding the pets, um, whatever it may be.

Right? All of those little things that happen from the time you wake up. To the time you go to bed and, or get to work and then in work, what do you do? Do you have routines in work? And, you know, part of the routine in work is like, time-blocking being able to say, okay, I'm dedicating this portion of my day to this and this portion of my data and that, and, you know, and, and having it set, um, kind of set in stone, but having that guideline so that you don't have to think about what comes in.

Katie: Um,

Jeffrey: That that is a huge, huge energy saver. And if you're not wasting energy thinking, oh, what should I do next? How should I do this this morning? Should I brush my teeth before or after I put on my clothes? I don't know. You know, like you're making these decisions, that's wasted energy and you're, you don't have enough energy leftover for the.

Katie: And, you know, you also, like when you waste time, um, you know, you just feel like, oh, I just can't get it all done in a day. And it's like, you could, if, if you had a routine right. Or a schedule that you were going to commit to, um, and, and getting realistic about what you can accomplish six, sometimes I'm reigning people in.

Cause they're like, okay, I'm going to go through the three modules in your program. I'm gonna, you know, Like today, I got a lot of

Jeffrey: Yeah,

Katie: Um,

Jeffrey: Yeah. And that, that is a good point because at the end of the day, if you don't feel accomplished, you're compounding your slump. Right. So if you're like, oh, I put my, I wanted to get all of these things done and I only got one thing done. Oh, I'm such a failure. You're compounding. If you, if you do time blocking and you're putting the routine in place, you get a lot more done and you feel you end the day feeling accomplished.

And that is a game changer.

Katie: yep. Um, all right. So, uh, so we said self care was number one, number two, uplifting and motivating messages in general, whether you're going to learn a new thing, that's going to advance your business forward or reading books. Like you are a badass by Jensen Cero, or, um, any sort of, you know, just, yeah, uplifting.

Like you can do this kind of book podcast, you know, audio book. Like I like to take my dog for a walk and listen to audio books. Um, What what's the third? Oh, the third one was routine. So if you don't already have one, create one or change it. If you're doing a routine, that's making you feel like you're in a slump.

Like I go to the gym four days a week at six 30 in the morning and I just feel so tired. It's like, okay, take a week off. Go go to the gym at night or go to the gym at lunch and just see if you can break up your day a little bit. Like, what would your morning look like if you didn't go to the gym and you could, you know, read inspirational quotes or make a breakfast and take really good care of yourself or sleep in, how might that shift the slump?

Right. So

Jeffrey: Yeah.

Katie: a routine is a

Jeffrey: I'll say this, if you don't have a morning routine, check out how L rod, how L I'm butchering his name. I'm so sorry. Um, but the miracle morning is a great place to start.

Katie: Mm. Awesome. Yeah, I haven't read that, but I've heard you mentioned it several times, so, um,

Jeffrey: Yeah, it's, it's a great place.

Katie: And then, and then the fourth way to kind of get through this gray area of I'm still in a slump. I don't feel better. Um, it for us is really to, to connect with, with other people that get it, um, or that, you know, might be able to give you words of wisdom or even just. Um, finding ways to collaborate, like setting the intention to connect so that you can collaborate with people. Um, often when you're, when you've got a new project, you know, you do end up feeling better. So setting the intention to connect and stop being alone with your thoughts or embarrassed or shameful.

And instead just say, okay, I'm going to show up and say, looking for connection, I'm looking for friends. So. Um, that's a, that's a big

Jeffrey: A hundred percent.

Katie: Yeah.

Jeffrey: That's

Katie: I noticed,

Jeffrey: solopreneurs in general. Like the more you can collaborate and just get feedback and ideas and conversations with like-minded entrepreneurs, like that's, that's the.

Katie: yeah. Um, so yeah. What, what are ways that you'll connect Jeffrey? Like w what's your cause? Cause I, I think our listeners know I'm more of like the extroverted, like, yes. Who can I connect with in your more of the introverted? Like, don't talk to me.

Jeffrey: Don't talk to me, I'm working. Uh, how do I connect? Uh,

Katie: Because you and Aaliyah have such a really great connection every day, like a time, right? Like I'm sure more than once, but you've got like your coffee where I felt like you, your morning coffee, you guys like sit on the couch and you know, whatever you do. And then maybe even walking dog at the end, walking the dog at the end of the day.

Jeffrey: Yeah, that that's, that's pretty much it. It's so funny, like we both work from home, but we, we see each other in the morning before work and we see each other in the evening after work and it's, it is like we leave and go to work. Right.

Katie: Sometimes you see each other on zoom meetings with me. You're like, hi honey,

Jeffrey: true.

Katie: how's your day. Um, but yeah, so, so just to, you know, I wanted to say that because I think for the introverted people and they're like, oh, connection is like the last thing I want to. Like what I'm feeling this way, but just a reminder, like there's lots of different ways you can connect and you can like connect with your pet.

You can connect with your family, people, you already love, you know, you don't have to put yourself out there and make new friends. If that's not going to work for you.

Jeffrey: I will say definitely one of the best things to do when I'm in a slump is. Watch a movie with my daughter, hang out on the couch with my wife, you know, go for a walk with my dog. Like those, those are things that fulfill my connection without like the awkwardness. The, I say awkwardness, cause not, it's not awkward to everybody, but when I'm meeting new people or trying to talk with, you know, friends.

Acquaintances and stuff like that. I do feel awkward. So that's my introvertedness, but you know, so, so I, I connect with my family and my pets and I really kind of, uh, fulfill that connection need there.

Katie: Yeah. Um, okay. And then. The fifth step and these are, I guess they are kind of in order, they really are. Right. It's like self care, like calm down, relax and reset. Right. Then start reading some uploading, motivating messages or listening to them. Then take a look at your routine. See if there's something you can change just to change, just to get out of the slump, we gotta make some sort of change.

Right then invite some sort of connection into your life. And the last step is asking yourself the question what's next. I can't sit here and wallow in when, and I say Walla, when it's business-related I can't sit here and wallow in my failed launch or wallow in my, you know, conversation that didn't close, um, or wallow in the fact that Facebook is, you know, screwing my business. Right. Okay. I can't wallow in that. So what's next. And you know, um, I had worked with a coach a few years ago and, um, audience growth has always been something that's been frustrating to me. And Facebook ads in general has always been a struggle for me. They just don't like me. I don't know. And, and so, you know, if I would like complain to her about that, I remember her saying, okay, Underneath all the complaining and the, you know, kind of feeling pissed off, what do you need?

Like, what are they preventing you? So I was like, I need audience growth. And she's like, okay. So it sounds like what's next for you is an audience building thing, right? Whether that's a summit or an interview series, or you're going to go live for 30 days, or you're going to, um, you know, create a new free gift and get it out there.

And. What's your next thing. That's going to solve the problem that you're wallowing in right now. So whether it's I need more revenue. I need more audience. I need to figure out a different game plan for ads. I need to launch again. Um, I need more collaboration partners or affiliate partners because I've already exhausted my list, but I like my launch and I want to do it again.

Who do I know? Right. That all of that is wrapped up in the what's next. What's the game plan. And really just, how do you get started? So it's not, you know, now go do it, but it's kind of like, all right, what do I need in place to do that kind of thing? And that is truly what helps me move on up on that emotional guidance scale.

Right. Like keep checking in. Like I am actually feeling better. Right. Usually my coach would be the one that would pull me out of it, but you know, a lot of my business besties, um, you know, would also remind me of my greatness and then, you know, what is so cool you guys, and this really happens a lot is if you leave the doorway open, say for example, the revenue example, right?

So the launch didn't go well and, or you had a sales conversation that didn't convert that should have. And you just say to the universe, show me. Show me what's next, or show me where this is going to come from. I thought it was going to come from this launch. It didn't I know it's coming. So that's like a really important place to be in is I know it's coming.

I know it's coming. And I remember this one time, I was just in a total slump and I did, I kind of like got on my knees practically and prayed, and I'm not really a prey person. And I just was like, show me like what, you know, where's the love universe. Where's the love Katie? And like, I'm I kid you not the very next day.

I had a referral email in my inbox, you know, um, this person came to me, you know, and I thought you were a better fit. And I booked a call with the person and she ended up signing up to work with me. And it's like, there it is. There's that revenue. Right.

Jeffrey: Thanks.

Katie: you know, and that really, that happens all the time.

You have a failed launch, um, and you know, it's like you've had this amazing program and nobody bought it, but then two weeks later, someone bought it anyway. Right. There's so much energy that you put out in the work that you're doing that just because you didn't get the results from the project, you thought you'd get results from doesn't mean that the results aren't coming your way and the longer you stay in the slump, you're blocking it. So you have to open yourself back up again and just say, show me the way I surrender. I'm willing to do other things. I'm willing to do things that scare me. Um, you know, but really just stay open because it's. It's coming.

Jeffrey: well, I think that kind of also brings up the, the concept of. People doing the work of manifestation, like, um, beliefs, uh, hope and faith, having faith as, as a manifestation tool, I think that's all kind of wrapped in there. If you're in a slump, it's because maybe you don't have faith that you're actually doing something that matters or that you actually building something that works or, uh, you know, that kind of thing.

So part of, part of this is reminding yourself that you are doing something good. You're doing something worthwhile for the world.

Katie: Yup. Yup. I was going to say, I remember in the earlier stages of my business, um, and I would say to friends, I don't know how it happens, but every month I have enough to pay my bills and to live my life, even though I don't yet feel successful. Like it's, there's always something coming in. Um, so you, you have to get.

Firming like it's working. It may not be working without kinks. Let me tell you what people that have seven figure businesses, eight figure businesses. Those businesses have kinks. Right.

Jeffrey: They do they

Katie: I mean, you know, you have this beloved team member who decided to quit on you. Maybe didn't give you any notice.

That's a slump, that's a tough, you know, whoa, fill this role real quickly or, you know, and, and even, I mean, I've worked for. People that have seven figure businesses and they've had launches that didn't do well. It doesn't mean that you're without strife and trouble, as you get more and more successful, you have to kind of admit, you know, it's going to, it's going to come up, but it's always an opportunity for growth and learning and move forward movement based on what you learned

Jeffrey: yup. New level, new devil.

Katie: Yes. Um, awesome. Any final words from our five steps to get out of the entrepreneurial skills?

Jeffrey: I think that's it. We want to do self care and I think you're right. There are kind of an order, right? We need to care for ourselves first. And part of that is, is bringing in positive messaging surrounding ourself with positive messages. Creating or changing a routine, uh, you know, just so we can save energy and conserve energy and get our minds in a place where there's comfort and familiarity, um, create connections.

Um, that could be friends, family, new friends, if you're extroverted, that's weird, but whatever. Or family. Uh, and then, and then, you know, that, that gets you to a point where then you can say, okay, what is next? What am I going to do from here? And hopefully that point comes sooner than later you to definitely don't want to sit on this for seven years before you say, what, what can I do later next?

Um, but yeah, that make a game plan, create a project. I identify what's not working and move forward. And I think that's, that goes back to the traditional advice that everybody hears and hates. Oh, just pick yourself up by the bootstraps and continue on. Right. How do you do that? Keep going. Yeah, but how do you get there?

And you've got to do all those four things first before you can say, okay, now I'm picking myself up. I'm moving forward with a plan.

Katie: I'm ready. Yeah. Awesome. Well, if this spoke to you, we'd love to hear from you. Um, if you enjoyed the episode, we'd love for you to leave us a five-star review and hit that subscribe button. You can check out our show [email protected], episode Ford slash episode 51. And you know, we love to hear from you.

If you want to send us an email success at the launch squad, lab.com. Let us know if you're in a slump. Rah, rah, cheer you on to help you, you know, uh, find your greatness again. And if you're, um, you know, needing some support, let us know and we'd be happy to help you find the holes and,

Jeffrey: and if we missed any steps, let us know too.

Katie: Yup. Awesome. All right.

Thanks for being here, everyone.

Jeffrey: you next time.