Business Must Do’s Vs. What You Can Let Go in a Busy Season

Hey Friend!

The TOP Business Must Do’s that I believe will continue to grow your biz (without the busy) vs. the things that can wait so you can relax and focus on what actually matters as Christian Entrepreneurs.

In today’s quick tip I answer a question from Joy, “Stef, as a busy podcaster with too much on my plate, which balls should I make sure don’t drop, and which ones can wait?” I love this question so much because there are seasons in everything we do.

There are seasons for doing more in your business, seasons of rest, seasons of surrender, and everything in between.

So, for those of you who are not in a growth season, but a season of sustaining – here are the things that I believe will continue to grow your biz (without the busy). I also share with you the things that can wait so you can relax and focus on what actually matters.

I pray this blesses you!

FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION:

(00:03):
Hey, friends! Happy New Year! Today we have an awesome Quick Tip Tuesday question from Joy and Joy asks what are the things she must continue to do in her business? And what is the stuff she can kind of let go of? Being a super busy mom, running a podcast, running kids all around town to different sporting events, and also trying to get this thing growing and flowing, but not having like a ton of urgency to force success.

(00:31):
Joy’s wondering what do I do so that I can manage business and life? And what’s the stuff that is a nonnegotiable as I’m building this business and building this podcast. So today I’m going through just three simple, easy things that I think you cannot and should not ever take your eyes off of. And then I’m also gonna go through four or five things that I think can totally wait.

(00:52):
If I’m just being super honest with you, guys, here, I’m just gonna tell you what I think can wait. And I hope this blesses you and those of you that are in seasons of growing or slowing down, in seasons of rest, this is the episode for you. You if you’re in a growth season, that’s cool, I’m here for you too.

(01:08):
Head back to episode 379, check out The Blow Up Your Biz series. And you can also get ready and excited for the next week which is a podcasting growth series as well. So we got lots of growth coming up, but this is for my sisters who are like, I need me a hot minute. Let’s do it.

(02:28):
Hey, Stef! It’s Joy from The Joy Loving Home Podcast and P2P graduate of yours. I’m so grateful to have learned from the best and to have been part of that experience with you. As you know, I serve moms with ADHD and I am one as well. And so there are parts to this podcasting journey that can seem a little overwhelming.

(02:53):
You’ve done an amazing job of creating the path, but for people like me, who can get easily distracted and feel overwhelmed kind of easily, I am so excited to be making connections with my listeners and I don’t wanna let them down.

(03:08):
And so my question is, are there certain balls that you’re like, do not let these drop, keep these in the air, cuz that’s most important. And then are things that if I’m starting to feel overwhelmed, that like I can have permission to let those balls drop for a little bit until things get a little more smooth and then I can pick them up later. Looking forward to your answer. Thanks, Stef!

(03:31):
Hi, Joy! I hope you are doing great. Happy New Year. Here we go, girl. So first of all, I love that you brought me this question and I just smiled and laughed because I know you so well. And I can just imagine you over there in your adorably well outfitted closet with your adorable background, just spinning your wheels with like, what the heck am I supposed to focus on right now?

(03:55):
I feel like I have 20 million things. Stef said, keep my head down but yet I can’t keep my head down because I have 20 million things to do. I can just visualize you and I just love you for it. And so I’m super glad that you brought this question up.

(04:07):
I think when we’re new in the podcasting journey, there are a million things that we could do, but there are not a million things that we should do. And this is such a perfect segue actually into the next three episodes of the show that are coming up January 6th, 10th, and 11th where I’m gonna take you through what to focus on based on where you are in your podcasting journey.

(04:30):
We’re gonna be going through what to do when you’re working on your first 10,000 downloads. What to focus on when you’re working on 10,000 to 100,000 downloads and then what to focus on when youre are in that a hundred K to 500 K download arena.

(04:44):
So this is such a beautiful segue into that series that’s coming up and Joy, I would also have you go listen to episode 368 of the show, The First Five, because these are the five things you should be doing in your business. And they’re not just the first five, but they’re the consistent five, they’re the always ever present five that I want you guys to be doing.

(05:07):
If those five things are not happening, forget the rest. And I know that it’s so enticing and everywhere you look, you see people with their cute little reels and their pointy musically designed Tik Tok’s and all the things. And you’re like, I should do all of that. No, you should not do all of that if it’s not in the first five.

(05:29):
It may be something that makes you feel good temporarily, but it doesn’t convert. It doesn’t grow your business. And truly it takes so much time for the tiniest amount of return. So episode 368, please be subscribed and you’re gonna check out the next three episodes of the show.

(05:46):
So I’m not gonna go too deep here, Joy, but I did wanna answer your question by telling you the things that I think you should always focus on every single week and then some of the stuff that can just wait, you mentioned, what can I let go of? So here’s my 2 cents.

(06:01):
Number one, the thing you should never let go of is your podcast content. There is a commitment that I’ve made and that I’ve asked all of my students to make. And when you’re in P2P I ask everybody to make this commitment, this vow with me, that they’re gonna show up every single episode for one full year.

(06:20):
I’m talking through sickness, through holidays, through life getting you down, you are gonna be gangster enough to have some batched episodes in the queue so that you can keep showing up. This is so important because if your person doesn’t think that you’re consistent and that you’re gonna continue to be there for them, they will go find answers elsewhere.

(06:40):
You wanna be the one where they’re like, I know that Joy has new content for me every single week. How often? Once a week at a minimum, you, guys. So that’s something that should never go to the wayside period. End of story. In my opinion, it is the most important driver in your business. Period, hands down 100%.

(07:01):
Number two. The second thing that I think is extraordinarily important is actually list building. So getting signed up with an email host and I use Get Response. You guys can actually find every single software and program that I personally use in my business at stefaniegass.com and click on resources or go to stefaniegass.com/resources.

(07:27):
And I have every single thing up that I’m personally using. This is updated once a quarter for you, guys. So you know that whatever you choose from that list is Stef approved. I love Get Response. It’s epic. So that’s what I use. You can also do MailerLite or MailChimp if you need a free option, guys, those are just fine. And what I teach you in Podcast to Profit is how to use your podcast as your freebie.

(07:55):
I don’t believe that you need seven freebies. I don’t even think you need one freebie when you’re getting started, guys. For the first six months to a year in your podcasting journey, you don’t have to have a freebie to build a list. Isn’t that amazing? Crazy, we were able to get to 6,000 email subscribers without ever having a freebie.

(08:15):
And now of course we do have freebies, but those are more advanced strategies that you don’t have to do right now. So focus on where you are at. Like the biggest thing I can tell you is to stop trying to skip to where you wanna go and to get gangster with where you’re at, each step is a foundational piece to you building your forever home, to you building this business and this purpose work of your dreams.

(08:41):
But we have to go step by step. And sometimes the hard stuff is not fun and shiny, it’s not enticing to sit here and just pump out hours of content and to drive people to a Facebook group so we can start growing our list and use our podcast as our list builder.

(08:58):
That stuff is not super sexy, but that is the stuff that’s going to be super sustainable and evergreen for you forever. So in Podcast to Profit, I teach how you can actually do this without a freebie. And I think it’s so much better because it’s actually a double whammy. We’re growing your list and we’re growing your community at the same time.

(09:17):
So in my opinion, that is another thing that should not be put to the wayside, building a list. Now, sometimes you guys freak out like, well, I don’t have anything to send a list. I don’t know what to send them. All we’re sending our email list, y’all, is your episodes for the week. That’s it.

(09:32):
It doesn’t need to be fancy. It doesn’t need to be all glittery. Just send them. This week we talked about this and this, and you have links to the show and you have a little blurb in there and you’re done. It’s just to be front of mind with people and to go a little bit deeper with people.

(09:49):
I guess what I’m trying to say here is stop focusing on how to get more people when you haven’t even stewarded the house that God’s already gifted you. You already have these 10 people, these 15 people, these 20 people. And instead of going deeper with them and serving them well and really getting to know them and getting to know your avatar and the messaging that they’re speaking and getting locked in with their SEO, you’re over here focused on a real to go pull in five more random people.

(10:16):
Focus on where you’re at and get so great at knowing who you’re serving and solving their problems, that you can’t help, but be pushed into the next phase. And something else, you have years to perfect this business, so do it right, do it well and go slow to grow big.

(10:45):
Now here’s what can wait, Joy. Here’s what can wait, a blog. Please, this is not a starter strategy. A blog can wait, six months, a year. A blog can absolutely wait. Pinterest marketing. It can wait. It’s not urgent. Freebies, those can totally wait. Here’s one that’s gonna blow your mind. Even your website can wait.

(11:11):
Now, one thing I put a big question mark by was monetization. So this one depends on who you are and where you’re at. Some of you who are building a ministry or it’s not on your heart to monetize right now, let monetization wait until you truly know your person, until you get past between 10 and 100 K downloads. Let that wait.

(11:31):
Now, some of you who are like in really urgent need and you know what your person’s number one problem is, and you’re ready, great, move monetization up on that list. That’s fine.

But when you’re really looking at just sustainable foundational growth and the systems that are gonna get you truly where God’s calling you to be it’s podcasting, content, working on building your list and community, that’s it. That’s the stuff you’re doing every single week without fail. All the other little pieces are icing on the cake.

(12:04):
All right. So I hope you, guys, are ready and excited for our next series coming up, which is our podcasting series, focusing on what to do in each phase of your show. If you haven’t started a podcast yet, well, girl, head on back to episode 379 cuz we have a lot of work to do in 2022.

(12:24):
And hey, if you wanna be featured on a Quick Tip Tuesday episode just like this and have me answer your question ivle on the air, head to stefaniegass.com, scroll down that homepage or click the contact button and leave me a SpeakPipe question.

(12:37):
This can be anything related to getting clear on your calling, building an online business, where you’re stuck, where you’re frustrated, how to grow in your faith, how to manage motherhood and business, productivity, tips, whatever you need, girl, I’m here to serve you.

(12:51):
Again, stefaniegass.com/contact. Scroll down and leave us a SpeakPipe and we’ll get you featured on the show. God bless you, sister. May you have a blessed and provision filled and favor filled new year. May you just be excited and lit up with God’s size confidence as you leap out into the unknown to what he has put on your heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen. See you soon!