Amy Walker Author

Why I said goodbye to BALANCE

Human moment: I haven’t felt consistent balance for weeks, and that isn’t going to change for at least a month.  (Could be two.)  Does that make me a hypocrite?  Does that make me a bad mom?  Does that make me a bad wife? Does that mean I am off track in life?  The negative voices in my head are telling me every one of those things.  And guess what I say back to them?  SHUT UP!

I am in a season of massive growth.  I am hustling to launch a new book, 2 new programs, a new website, and a new division of my company.  All of this has taken place between January and September of this year, with the majority of it happening right now!  At this point balance is an unrealistic expectation that will just make me feel like I am failing. So I’ve said goodbye to balance.  For now…

Would I work my business this way all the time?  Heck NO!  But I am doing it now and I would like to share with you WHY I made this decision, HOW I am managing, WHEN you might want to consider this as an option, and WHAT you need to do to make it successful.

WHY?

I realized towards the end of 2014, that my company had grown to it’s max capacity as we were currently structured.  We were doing as much as we could do.  I was working a little harder than I wanted to work.  At that point, I had a choice.  I could either shrink the company so that it would be comfortable for me, or I could restructure and move up to our next level.  I chose growth.  I also chose to do a lot in a short period of time.  Massive growth is actually easier to do in a short period of time than it is over a long period of time.  That is because of the nature of atrophy.  Not everything you work to create will stick.  There will always be clients or team members leaving your business.  There will always be an idea, program or product that is no longer relevant and is on it’s way out.  If you want growth, you have to generate more into the business than is going out of the business.  If you want rapid growth, you need to generate a lot more into the business than is going out.  I opted for rapid growth.

HOW?

How am I managing this?  I have days where I great, and days where I feel like I am hanging on by my fingernails!  Just to be even more real and raw, today is a fingernails kind of a day!  And that is okay.  The bottom line is I am being very patient with myself and very forgiving of the imperfect nature of my execution.  I am however holding myself and my team to being highly committed to our daily activities.  We are working with focus. I am working when I don’t feel like it.  I am working when I do feel like it.  I’m working with discipline.

On the personal front, I am taking 20-60 minutes depending on the day, to get myself spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically grounded each morning.  I am creating quality time with my children and husband each day.  This morning we spent an hour outside before I started working.  I was fully present in the moment.  We weeded our garden, picked some berries, and I caught a frog for the boys.  (Side note, never catch a frog for my boys unless you are prepared for it to end up on your back when you aren’t looking.)  The biggest danger to my family right now is not how busy I am in reality, it’s how busy my mind can get if I am not careful.  Make sure you unplug from work to fully plug into family.

WHEN?

I would not suggest that I or you should work our businesses this way all the time.  Before you consider saying goodbye to balance for a season of massive growth, make sure you enroll your family.  Get your team on board.  Make sure that you have the income producing activities lined up and the people in place so that you are not just spinning your wheels.  Make sure it is really a short term commitment.  Make sure that the benefit outweighs the cost.  And make sure that your emotional and mental bank account are full enough that you can pay the price right now.

What?

If you feel you are ready for massive growth and that the time is right to say goodbye to balance, the first thing to ask yourself is, “What do I need to learn?”  The growth and education will go hand in hand.  Remember that education is an investment that pays you for the rest of your life.  Be a good student and be thorough in learning any new skills required for your next level.  Do not fight to do things the way you have always done them.  This is a time to innovate.  Innovation requires a willingness to change.

Then get ready to run!  Have fun!  Don’t expect to love every minute, but don’t allow yourself to hate every minute either.  Celebrate the little wins and enjoy the journey! << See More >>

Executive Business Coach

Are You The Worst Boss You’ve Ever Had?

I giggle a little evil giggle every time I hear a brand new entrepreneur gushing about how excited they are to be their own boss.  They talk about freedom to set their own schedules and make what they are worth.  They are excited for the new challenge and are ecstatic to be free of their previous boss.

Evil Amy cackles in a witch like voice, “Just you wait my dear… just you wait.”  Because I know exactly what is coming!  Trying to reason with this brand new entrepreneur is like trying to tell a child on Halloween that they will regret eating too much candy.  They are drunk on the dream and there’s no way around it.

But, if you can hold off the entrepreneur endorphins for just a minute, I promise it will be well worth your time.  Before you celebrate getting rid of the boss, take a look ahead and realize that you will very likely turn into the WORST boss you have ever had.  You may just take the cake for Jerk of All Jerks.

Think about it.  As our own boss we often:

Ask yourself to be on call 24/7. It doesn’t matter if you are at the school play, if that important client calls, you have to slip out.  It doesn’t matter that you pulled a super late night cranking out a project until 2 am.  If there is a pitch scheduled for 8 am, you’ll be in the office.  You may be in your PJ’s (unless It’s a video meeting), but you’ll be there.

Beat yourself up for every little mistake. I am positive I have never had a boss be as rude to me as I have been.  I’ve never had a boss that expects me to be perfect to the level I do.  And I’ve surely never had a moss that will criticize things totally unrelated to my performance like my weight, disorganized closet, or messy basement.  But as my own boss, nothing is off limit to criticize.

Expect yourself to work when you are sick or when your kids are sick. There’s no rest for the weary!  And you can’t take a day off because then business will shut down.  And business cannot shut down because there are bills to pay.  And we need cash to pay those bills, so sweetie, you better just suck it up and power through.  Take some Dayquil.  That will solve everything.

Don’t pay ourselves. How long would you work for a boss that said, “Oops, sorry, slow month, I’m just not going be paying you this month.”?  I wouldn’t last a month!

Never give yourself help when you need it.  Imagine you were overworked at your job and you went to your boss saying, “Sir, we need help on this project or I don’t see any way we will be able to get it done.  I’d really like to bring in someone who can help us do XYZ.”  Now imagine that his or her response was, “I’m not paying someone else to do that?  Any idiot can figure it out.  You can skip your family BBQ on Thursday and pull an all-nighter and you’ll be fine?”

Hello horrible boss, meet yourself!  How long do you think you will want to continue working for yourself?  Many a business owner has reached burnout and become completely frustrated with their business for these exact reasons!  And the craziest part is that they are ALL optional!  You can be successful and not be on call 24/7.  You can make mistakes, forgive yourself and move on.  You can take days off!  You can and MUST pay yourself!  And you can hire help when it’s needed.  If you are feeling some guilt as you read this and realize you have been a horrible boss to yourself, it’s a simple fix.  Fire that horrible boss and hire a version of yourself that honors and respects that you MUST maintain healthy boundaries and expectations if you are going to survive!  Then we can really celebrate being our own boss! << See More >>

Executive Business Coach

There are many different leadership styles. I’ve been blessed to work with and learn from some phenomenal leaders in several different industries.  One thing they all had in common is that they were focused more on their service than on their glory and fame. Before you jump into a leadership position, it is important to ask yourself the question, “Why am I here?”  Chasing opportunities for the money does not work long term. Because of my experience, I have the ability to jump into a business or team, and create results quickly. That does not mean that I should. If I am only there for me and my gain, I lose interest as soon as it gets hard. And when it comes to working with people, I can guarantee it will get hard. Having a greater purpose will pull you through the challenging times. Are you passionate and committed to developing people?  Are you passionate and committed to a cause?  Are you passionate and committed to creating change in the world?  If you are coming from a place of service and passion you will be easier to follow. We like to follow thought leaders. We like to follow people who make a difference. We like to follow people who know where they are going. Have you taken the time to get really clear about your cause?  I’ve been privileged to work with some high-level network marketers as clients. 

The ones who are 100% product focused struggle to get and keep their team motivated. They are always trying to figure out some new promotion or contest that will excite people into working. The ones who are mission focused and have a cause bigger than their product rally people together. Their team feels like they have something to fight for and that they are making a difference in the world. I have had the misfortune of meeting a few high-level network marketers who seem to care more about their paycheck and prizes than they care about their teams. As a result, they do not reap the benefit of loyalty and support from their downline. Scripture teaches, “the last will be first, and the first will be last.”<<< See More >>> 

life consulting

What is your marketing budget?

No one really likes to answer that question.  “I want to spend as little as humanly possible and I am hoping for hundreds if not thousands of leads” never quite seems professional enough.  But if that is how you feel, don’t worry you are not alone. Most business owners feel this way.  I feel this way!

The expected thing to say would be, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news but…”  But that is actually not true.  I LOVE shooting you straight.  What I hate is giving people false expectations that they can generate monumental results with minimal time, effort and money.

So I’m going to shoot you straight with marketing!  Most of the “free” marketing strategies people are using are not effective. And one of the most common places people try to build with the “free” model is on social media.  So let’s dive in and help you see how to create a content based marketing strategy that works.

BAD

I kind of want to reach through the phone and shake people when I ask them about their marketing plan and they tell me, “I’m doing social media.”  What that means is, you are annoying your friends and family with constant calls to action and product updates.  It may also mean you are starting up groups, adding people to them and then trying to sell them your products, (Yes I am talking to you mascara sellers!  How many mascara groups does one person need to be invited to?) It could even involve inconsistently adding content to your page.  And maybe you are running online events and adding everyone on your contact list to them.  If you are guilty of any of these marketing misdemeanors, it’s time for a marketing intervention.

BETTER

Better would be to create a social media schedule, where you know what you are posting, how often you are posting, and you are balancing value adds to offers about 80/20.  I have a social media content map that pretty much stays the same for a few months at a time.  You will always see my promotions on Tuesday and Thursday Evenings.  My blog posts show up the same time each week.  Motivational tips on leadership, sales and mindset will come onto your newsfeed at regularly scheduled intervals. (If you are not following my business page, click here, because you are missing out!)  The content I create is regular, consistent, and something I can manage over the long haul. This is your next step to creating a content marketing plan that works, but don’t stop here!

BEST

Matching a great content creation schedule with strategic use of groups and events will give you more opportunities to engage with your followers beyond the output of content that happens on your business page.  It is important that you are proactive about taking readers from content to conversation.  My goal is to take a “like” into a conversation online, and then ultimately to a conversation off line.  A group or event can be a good in between step.  What can be on it’s own annoying and intrusive, can be a great resource when it has purpose and focus that people WANT to participate in.  Now you will be able to establish trust and rapport!  The final step is to take those online friends and bring them to a real life conversation!  Invite them to a webinar, conference call, live event or one on one phone call!

We are in the information age of business. People want to be informed.  They expect great content from you!  And no amount of online content will ever replace good old fashioned communication.  Increase your commitment to engaging with your prospective clients and I guarantee you will see an increase in sales and new clients!...<<< See More >>> 

consultancy companies

I want to introduce you to my nephew.  He is a little hero who defied all odds.  Andy was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder, trisomy of the 4p and partial 4q and partial 5q. As a result, Andrew was born with a hypoplastic left heart, legally blind, agenesis of the corpus collosum, and some serious developmental delays. Before he was even born, the doctor’s knew that he would not live without a major heart surgery 5-10 days after his birth.  His life was going to be an uphill battle. The doctor’s recommended that comfort care be given to Andy until he passed away.  They did not think he would ever be able to have a good quality of life. Through a lot of prayer, my sister and brother in law decided to fight for their son’s life. Andy had his first open heart surgery at 5 days old. He had his second major open heart surgery 4 months after that. Andy’s life was full of “couldn’t-s”.  He couldn’t see.  He couldn’t eat.  He couldn’t talk. He couldn’t walk.  But the “could-s” are what defined him.  He learned to sit up and crawl.  He learned to take his clothes off and spent a lot of time doing it!  He had the best laugh and the most positive attitude.  He loved everyone and everyone loved him.

I tell my clients regularly, “Don’t tell me what you can’t do.  Tell me what you can do.”  I know that way of thinking was strengthened for me by watching my little Andy defy the odds time after time.

Andy passed away in 2013 and we all miss him like crazy.  July 28th would have been his 7th birthday. When he passed away, it was hard to imagine how life would go on. But it had to go on.

This year for Andy’s birthday, we can’t watch him destroy his birthday cake.  We can’t hold him.  We can’t listen to him laugh at whatever new noisy toy my sister would have gotten him.  We can’t kiss his sweet cheeks.  All of those things suck.

But what we can do is celebrate his life.  His entire life was a miracle.  And we can create those miracles for others!

My amazing sister runs a fundraiser for his birthday every year. This year she is hosting a virtual 5K to raise money to buy a wheelchair van for Andy’s good friend Simon.  (Check out the story on KSL, our local news station).

It is a great cause, and I invite you to be a part of it!  Amy Walker Consulting is sponsoring the Hero Run and I want to sweeten the deal for you! For more info...!

Business Coach

What is your marketing budget?

No one really likes to answer that question.  “I want to spend as little as humanly possible and I am hoping for hundreds if not thousands of leads” never quite seems professional enough.  But if that is how you feel, don’t worry you are not alone. Most business owners feel this way.  I feel this way!

The expected thing to say would be, “I hate to be the bearer of bad news but…”  But that is actually not true.  I LOVE shooting you straight.  What I hate is giving people false expectations that they can generate monumental results with minimal time, effort and money.

So I’m going to shoot you straight with marketing!  Most of the “free” marketing strategies people are using are not effective. And one of the most common places people try to build with the “free” model is on social media.  So let’s dive in and help you see how to create a content based marketing strategy that works.

I kind of want to reach through the phone and shake people when I ask them about their marketing plan and they tell me, “I’m doing social media.”  What that means is, you are annoying your friends and family with constant calls to action and product updates.  It may also mean you are starting up groups, adding people to them and then trying to sell them your products, (Yes I am talking to you mascara sellers!  How many mascara groups does one person need to be invited to?) It could even involve inconsistently adding content to your page.  And maybe you are running online events and adding everyone on your contact list to them.  If you are guilty of any of these marketing misdemeanors, it’s time for a marketing intervention.

Better would be to create a social media schedule, where you know what you are posting, how often you are posting, and you are balancing value adds to offers about 80/20.  I have a social media content map that pretty much stays the same for a few months at a time.  You will always see my promotions on Tuesday and Thursday Evenings.  My blog posts show up the same time each week.  Motivational tips on leadership, sales and mindset will come onto your newsfeed at regularly scheduled intervals. (If you are not following my business page, click here, because you are missing out!)  The content I create is regular, consistent, and something I can manage over the long haul. This is your next step to creating a content marketing plan that works, but don’t stop here!

Matching a great content creation schedule with strategic use of groups and events will give you more opportunities to engage with your followers beyond the output of content that happens on your business page.  It is important that you are proactive about taking readers from content to conversation.  My goal is to take a “like” into a conversation online, and then ultimately to a conversation off line.  A group or event can be a good in between step.  What can be on it’s own annoying and intrusive, can be a great resource when it has purpose and focus that people WANT to participate in.  Now you will be able to establish trust and rapport!  The final step is to take those online friends and bring them to a real life conversation!  Invite them to a webinar, conference call, live event or one on one phone call!

We are in the information age of business. People want to be informed.  They expect great content from you!  And no amount of online content will ever replace good old fashioned communication.  Increase your commitment to engaging with your prospective clients and I guarantee you will see an increase in sales and new clients! See more....!

Life consulting

Do you know about this dangerous business expense?

I pay attention to how much I pay for Infusionsoft, website hosting, my text opt in service, my payroll and my taxes.  Sometimes the big expenses get the most attention and your smaller expenses get overlooked.  And sometimes the little ones add up and you look at your bank account in amazement that all those little things can add up to such a large amount going out!

However most people don’t realize they have a hidden expense in their business that is costing them thousands if not millions of dollars a year!  It’s stories. We all have stories in our lives.  Stories that play through our mind about why we can’t do something.  Why someone else can’t do something.  And why it won’t work for us.  I know you have them, because I hear them from you on a regular basis. If you are one of my clients, I call you out on them on a regular basis.

Let me give you some examples. “My team just unplugs every year during the summer.  It’s so frustrating!”  That is an expensive story. So expensive it will cost you your production for 3 ish months of every year.  What if instead your story was, “The summer is the best time of year to find new recruits!  I love working my business during these months because so many people are out and active that I meet the most amazing new prospects and I’m signing up excited people right and left.”

Here is another example. “Everyone is struggling in my industry right now.”  Can you see how expensive this one is?  If you buy that one, you are on your way out of business. Instead replace it with something like this, “This is the perfect time to be in business.  While others check out, I will innovate.  There is always opportunity in any economy.”

And one of my least favorites, “We’ve tried that before and it just didn’t work for us.”  It’s as though you think you are the one exception to the universal laws of success.  Of course it didn’t work because at the time you were probably also buying into the story of, “I’m afraid this won’t work.”

My story is that I get what I want at the benefit of others. That it always works out and there is always a solution. And that success is the natural flow of my life.

Be very cautious of stories in your own life.  Be very cautious of buying the stories of others as well.  I listen very closely for stories in my clients. “I can’t afford it” is a story not a fact!  I’ve seen single mom’s with struggling businesses come up with thousands of dollars to pay for a program because they were determined to write a new story.  And I’ve seen women who are supported by husbands with great jobs and money in savings accounts tell me that they want to grow their business but that they can’t afford my program.  If I buy their limiting stories, I cannot afford to pay my bills!

The stories in your mind will write your future.  If you are struggling in your business, I suggest you look hard to find your limiting stories, and the limiting stories of others.  Cancel your subscription and start creating a new future.  Remember, the wrong stories are expensive and you can’t afford to buy them! Read More....!

Life Coaching

If you’ve ever been strapped for cash in your business you know how easy it is to think, “If I just sell more, I can turn this all around.”  This line of thinking is dangerous!  It is so easy to be a dreamer in business.  It is so easy to believe that $50,000 is right around the corner.  However, selling more does not always equal a financially sound business.  It’s obviously an important part.  It’s not the only part.

10 years ago, I started out every month with a goal for making $50,000.  I had learned from someone that you have to know what you are going to do with the money or it won’t show up.  So EVERY month I would sit down with a notebook and pen.  I would write out $50,000 at the top and then I would write down to the PENNY where all of that money would go to.

That was the best part of my month!  I would get so excited.  I would get these warm fuzzy feelings in my heart.  For that 30 minutes all worry and dread would leave me as I just dreamed about the future.  Dreaming is powerful.  But dreaming without having a solid action plan is a sure fire way to end up discouraged and depressed!  My reality looked NOTHING like the dream.  My reality was financial stress and if I was lucky, $5000 in a month. 10 years later, I have crossed the $50,000 in a month mark.  And guess what?  It didn’t come from me writing down lists.  It came from creating a solid financial foundation in my business.

If I told you today that you were going to work for the next 5 years with no measurable growth, would it be worth it to you to continue?  What if it was 10 years?  But what if at the end of that, you knew you would have everything you have ever dreamed of?  I’m not saying I want you to work without results.   But I am saying that you need to be willing to work without any guarantees.  There is no guarantee that the work you will do will create what you want.  Life is unpredictable.  The ironic thing is, as soon as I learned to be willing to work without guarantees, I really started to create results!  Imagine getting married and saying, “I’ll give it 2 years.”  Do think you would be committed enough to make that relationship work for the next 50 years?  Not likely!  Be willing to commit fully to your success! 

10 years ago, I was in a totally different business!  I have actually done 4 completely different businesses since then!  At first changing directions felt like a failure.  I was so set on the original path I had decided to take that I was completely unwilling to look at any other options. In retrospect, I recognize that the original direction was just my launching point.  It wasn’t a failure, it was just the first place I needed to learn from.  I find that when I allow God to direct my path, and I am willing to change directions when asked, success comes so much easier! Want to see more Info Just Click here.....>>>>.