Info

Christy Wright Podcast Channel

Hey, I’m Christy Wright, and this is my podcast channel. I’m a best-selling author, keynote speaker and business coach. I’m also a mom to three kids, a dog, and a hamster that I regrettably agreed to get my oldest son for his birthday. Most of all, I’m a storyteller and teacher. I love using stories to give you practical advice to grow in every area of your life. Whether you need encouragement in your life, practical advice for your business, or hope for your faith, you’re in the right place. Every Monday, you can start your week with my faith-based show, Get Your Hopes Up, as I show you how to get to know God, get closer to Him and get your hopes up again. And every Tuesday, you can learn how to build, run and grow your business with my new show, Business Bootcamp, where I give you the practical steps you want and the tough love truth you need to succeed in business. Whether you’re a loyal subscriber that’s been with me since the Business Boutique days in 2015, or you aren’t even sure how you ended up on this channel, I’m glad you’re here. And I hope you find the hope and help you’re looking for. For more encouragement in life, faith and business, check out ChristyWright.com.
RSS Feed Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
Christy Wright Podcast Channel
2024
March
February
January


2023
December
November
October


2022
January


2021
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2016
December
November
October
September
August
July


Categories

All Episodes
Archives
Categories
Now displaying: Page 7
Mar 17, 2020

How to Handle Sales Rejection and Make an Impact   1:32 How To Learn From Your Experiences in Sales 5:39 How To Make an Impact In Sales 13:08 Overcoming Sales Rejection with Sarah Sloyan 36:55 Encouragement: Put Yourself Out There If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. We've all had bad experiences with sales. I can count at least 10 times in the last couple years that I've had a bad encounter with a pushy salesperson or someone who just wouldn't take no for an answer. I bet you have too. You see, every single time this happens, we create associations in our minds. For instance, if that pushy salesperson selling lotion at the mall shoves lotion in your hands every time you walk by, you're probably not going to walk away feeling too good about sales. I'm willing to bet that every single one of you has had a bad experience with a pushy salesperson. The problem is that these kinds of negative experiences form our views and beliefs about sales itself. Think about it. When you think of sales or salespeople, you probably think slimy, sleazy, pushy or shady. None of those are positive. But here's the good news: Sales doesn't have to be like that. You don't have to be pushy, aggressive, annoying or get on people's nerves in order to sell. In fact, I hope you don't-that's not good sales . . . or even good business. Whether you realize it or not, you're all in the business of sales. Sales is how you stay in business, make money, help people, solve problems, and make an impact in your community.  Sales is serving people. Sales is telling people how you can help them. Money is just an exchange of value. It's a transaction. Life-change is what you're really selling, and that's what they're really buying. You aren't selling a thing. You're selling life-change. You're helping people make their lives better. And if you believe that-which you should-then you better get to selling. Remember, if you don't believe in your business, no one else will. Stop playing small and calling it holy. God never called you to shrink back and play small and apologize for the dreams and gifts and message and business that He gave you. Start standing up and start speaking up on behalf of this thing that you say you believe in. Start solving problems and making people's lives better. Start selling. Overcoming Sales Rejection with Sarah Sloyan I'm so excited about today's interview because I'm showing you a behind-the-scenes look at the Business Boutique Academy, my online training and coaching group. In this interview, I'm talking to Sarah Sloyan, the vice president of EntreLeadership at Ramsey Solutions who also happens to be an expert in sales. On this episode, Sarah and I talk about: Overcoming fear and how to handle sales rejection Understanding pain points and gaining trust How to handle Making the ask Believing in what you do and what you're selling Encouragement: Put Yourself Out There No one likes to be rejected, especially when it comes to sales. But what's interesting is that our fear of rejection actually keeps us from putting ourselves out there and making an impact in people's lives. My friend Tiffany Peterson says that 60% of sales occur after the fourth interaction. So that means people aren't necessarily saying no to you because they don't want what you have to offer or because they don't like it. People buy from those they know, like and trust. Maybe that "no" you just heard isn't really a no. Maybe it's a "not right now." Maybe what they're actually saying is they don't know you well enough, like you enough, or trust you enough yet. Don't give up. Keep building that relationship so that one day they will be ready to buy from you. Failure is a stepping-stone on your journey to success. You will fall down....

Mar 17, 2020
Stop People Pleasing and Live Life On Your Own Terms   1:16 Find Ways To Do More of What You Love and Less of What You Don't 9:19 Four Areas of Life Where You Can Live True to Yourself 19:14 Taking Control of Your Life with Chris Hogan 39:41 Challenge: Make Time for What's Important If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Find ways to do more of what you love and less of what you don't. Have you ever thought about what it looks like to actually live life on your own terms? That might sound simple, but if we're honest, most of us have a hard time actually doing it. I love to do things on my own terms. And because of that, I've done a few things that you might say are a little . . . weird. For instance, when I came home from college, Dancing With the Stars was in its first season. One week, an advertisement popped up for Latin and ballroom dance lessons in Nashville, and I thought, I think I'll do it. So, I did. For almost two years, I took Latin and ballroom dance lessons, and I even competed in a dance competition. Now that's weird. But that's not the only weird thing I've done. When all my friends were living in the city, I moved to a 40-acre farm with fainting goats, horses, and a mini donkey. While my friends were working their corporate jobs, I was mucking stalls. That's not normal. And then I decided I wanted to play soccer. So I went to the YMCA in my area and signed up for the adult league. I didn't have a team to play with, so they put me on a team with all Guatemalan men who spoke no English. And it was one of the most fun experiences of my life (not to mention, my Spanish got really stinking good). It was amazing how all of these experiences, though weird, were a lot of fun. But what was even more important was that they were things I wanted to do. They were things that were true to me. Here's what's interesting: Not everyone is quite as comfortable being a little weird, going against the "normal" logical path and plan for their lives, and doing some things that might be different. Do you struggle with this? Maybe you feel like it's not logical or practical to do something different. Maybe you're worried about what people might think. Friend, I don't want you to wait until it's too late to decide that you want to live your life. I don't want to look back with that regret and feel like I always made the safe choice or did what other people thought I should do and I'm guessing you don't either. Do you know that your life is just that-yours? You don't just have the right to create the life you want. You have the responsibility to. No one can change your life. You have everything you need and all the power in the world to make different decisions today about who you are and what you want for your life, your family and your future. You have permission to create a life that looks like who you are. You can be true to yourself without worrying about what everyone else thinks that you should be. 4 Areas of Life Where You Can Live True to Yourself I want to give you four practical areas to explore in your own life that will help you be true to yourself. Maybe you're already doing it. Maybe you feel confident in all these areas, but maybe not. Maybe as we walk through these, you'll start to look at these different areas of your life and realize you're making decisions based on what other people think. And if you are, would you do anything differently? 1. Career You have the right and responsibility to pursue a career that's right for you. You don't have to choose between being happy and making money. You actually can do both, believe it or not. So, what's the right career path, business path or money-making income path for you? How could you use your skills and gifts and talents in a...
Mar 3, 2020
How to Create an Amazing Customer Service Experience   1:14 Create an Amazing Customer Service Experience 4:30 Five Ways to Improve Your Customer Service 15:14 Customer Service That Disrupts the Competition with Shep Hyken 33:45 Encouragement: Use Your Experiences to Shape Your Customer Service If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. When I wrote my book Business Boutique-a book entirely about how to start your own business-I left out something that I believe is crucial to winning in business: great customer service. Do you know why I didn't write about it? Because I believe, as women, we naturally excel in customer service. We're relational. We're great at connecting with people, serving others, nurturing, and thinking about how someone else feels. However, there's always opportunity to grow, right? Well, several years ago, I had a pretty frustrating experience with a customer service representative. It was so frustrating that I now use it as an example when I teach on what not to do when working with customers. Here's what happened: I got a notification in the mail that my dental insurance had been canceled. As you can imagine, I was really confused because there had been no other conversations about any problems with my dental insurance. And then one day, poof-it was canceled. So naturally, I called and spoke with a customer service representative, and she told me, "Well, you didn't pay your bill. You pay it every six months, and you didn't pay it the last time it was due." I responded, "I'm so sorry. I pay my bills. I wasn't aware that it was due. I don't remember getting a bill in the mail or hearing anything about this." And her response was, "Well, we decided to become a paperless company a few months ago, so we just send emails now." It turns out, they had an old email that I hadn't used in years. So, I kindly asked the "nice customer service person" if I could pay my bill right there over the phone and reinstate my insurance. Her response? She threw out three words that still makes me cringe to this day: "Our policy is . . ." Is there anything that makes a customer more upset than hearing, "I'm so sorry, but our policy is . . ."? Nobody cares about stinking policies! We don't have to run our businesses that way! In fact, your business will be more successful and more fun when you provide incredible customer service and put your customers before your policies. 5 Ways to Improve Your Customer Service I want to give you five ways you can improve your customer service and help your business succeed: 1. Don't be late. Always, always, always be on time. Whether it's a shipment going out, returning a phone call or an email, showing up to a meeting-whatever it is, do it on time. When in doubt, I always want you to underpromise and overdeliver. This one is convicting for me because I'm not great at it-I'm working on it. But this is the most basic way to keep your customers happy. Just be on time and do what you say you're going to do when you say you're going to do it. 2. Don't be emotional. Listen, I've got a lot of feelings. I have so many feelings that even my feelings have feelings. But whether you're having a good day or a bad day, your customer doesn't care. Every day, your brand and your business should be having a good day. Nothing will break trust with your customers like being Dr. Jekyll on one day and Mr. Hyde on another. You've got to be consistent in how you take care of people. Don't be emotional, and don't take your bad mood out on your customers. 3. Don't forget to listen. I know this sounds really basic, but when we're having a conversation with someone, whether it's a normal conversation, a positive conversation, or even a really heated conversation, we're always thinking...
Feb 18, 2020
Become A Woman Who Supports Other Women   1:22 Become A Woman Who Supports Other Women 8:42 Five Ways to Become A Woman Who Supports Other Women 18:49 Women Supporting Women with Liz Cox 33:45 Encouragement: Shake Off the Shame If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. I'm the product of countless women who have invested and poured into me-and I bet you are too. In fact, I don't know where I would be in my life today without the support of other women. I'm so passionate about being a woman who champions other women, but you know what I've realized? It's incredibly hard for us women to do. There are just so many things in our world that divide us. Sometimes the division looks like mommy wars and parent shaming. Other times it looks like being jealous of the woman at work who got the promotion instead of being excited for her. Or maybe it's rolling your eyes at how your neighbor parents her child differently than you do. Regardless of how the situation plays out, there often seems to be an ugly division between us and other women. It's like no matter where we stand, we're always looking down on someone else. But here's something I deeply believe: The reason we're so quick to judge women with decisions different from ours is simply because we're not completely comfortable with our own choices. It's not because we think she's so wrong. It's because we're worried that maybe we're wrong. When we're constantly insecure about our own choices, we project that onto other women by judging their decisions. But if you want to be a woman who supports other women, you have to do what that kind of woman does! You have to connect your desire to be one with your behavior and your attitude-you know, actually walk the talk. It all starts with the woman in the mirror. That's why I want to talk about five intentional behaviors you can choose to do to become the type of woman who champions other women. 5 Ways to Become A Woman Who Supports Other Women 1. Love yourself. You have to love yourself before you can love anybody else. The reason we're so hard on others is because we're so hard on ourselves. And if there's no love in you for yourself, I promise you, you'll have no love to offer other people. The truth is: You can't offer something you don't have. So if you want to offer love and champion other women, you need to love yourself first. 2. Be confident in your own choices. You can't champion someone else's choices if you aren't sure about your own. 3. Give grace. Choosing to give grace when the women in your life disappoint you will allow you to champion them despite their imperfections. Because what we all really need more of is grace. I'm going to mess up, you're going to mess up, and she's going to mess up. We're all going to mess up. That's why we should not only offer more grace to others, but we should offer ourselves more of it too. 4. Have Empathy. Empathy is simply putting yourself in someone else's shoes. It's giving them the benefit of the doubt. It's imagining what it would be like to be them. All day, every day, all we ever think about is how we feel. We look at the world through our lens, unique situation, or personality style, which makes it hard to understand why someone else would respond or act differently than we would. That's why it's so important to have empathy. And what's amazing is, when you do that, it's so easy to champion people who are different from you. 5. Give what you want to get. If you want people to champion you, champion them. If you want people to love you, love them. If you want people to be kind to you, be kind to them. Give the things you want to get, and I promise you, you'll get what you want and more. Y'all, being a woman who champions other women is a beautiful...
Feb 4, 2020
Embrace Your Past and Tell Your Story   1:20 Sharing Your Story 6:38 Three Reasons You Should Tell Your Story 14:44 How to Tell Your Story with Jamie Ivey 39:10 Encouragement: Wisdom Is Not Weakness Resources 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. For years, I've been sharing my story of growing up with a single mom who built a business (a cake shop) when I was six months old to raise and support me. This story is a huge part of my passion and heart behind Business Boutique. I love sharing the memories I have of our late nights and early mornings in her cake shop. I learned so much from those years helping my mom build her business from the bottom up. But you know what I don't share as often? How hard it was. There were so many hard times we had to walk through together. Like the time her cake shop was broken into at two in the morning, or the time we ran out of gas on the side of the road while it was raining. Many of those early years were spent in the trenches watching my mom raise a child and build a business completely on her own. But it was both those good times and those hard times that made me who I am today. See, there is power in telling your story. When I share my story, it really ignites the passion in me to champion women from all walks of life who are chasing their dreams like my mom was. And this is the same reason I'm constantly telling you to tell your story too. I tell you to not worry about selling, but to just tell your story-to start with your why. But the truth is: A lot of people are scared to share their story. When we start to explore our past, we tend to focus on the negative parts of it. And when we see only the negative parts of our story, we immediately feel inadequate and disqualified to do the things we want to do. But I want to encourage you today: It might just be those parts of you-those "inadequate" beginnings-that position you to do something that no one else can do but you. So, let's talk about some of the unbelievable benefits that come when you tell your story-both the good and the bad: Three Reasons You Should Tell Your Story 1. It creates connection. Sharing your story causes a ripple effect. It's contagious! It's amazing how many people think they're the only ones who feel the way they feel or have experienced what they've experienced. But when you open up and share your story and your heart, others realize that there are actually other people out there who can relate to their situation. And you know what? Realizing they're not alone gives them the freedom to open up and share their story as well! I love how Craig Groeschel puts it: "We might impress people with our strengths, but we connect with people through our weaknesses." 2. It brings hope. Think about it this way: Your story's not just yours. Your story is something that God wants to use to give other people hope for the future-to give them hope through hard times and scary moments. Are you going through something hard right now? Maybe God wants to use you to shine a light to others. It's not just an option for you to share your story. It's your responsibility to steward this story that God wants to use to bring hope to other people. 3. It can become your passion. Dave Ramsey has built an incredible business helping millions of people get out of debt. How did this become his job? He went bankrupt and lost everything in his 20s. Because of that experience, he vowed never to take on debt again-and today, he's successfully...
Jan 21, 2020
How to Be Authentic and Live Confidently as Yourself   1:19 How to Be Authentic 17:03 Being Authentic with Sarah Dubbeldam 41:10 Encouragement: God Did Not Create You to Berate You Resources 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Be confident in your authenticity, even when life and other people try to push you around or tell you to be someone you're not. A couple of years ago, I was asked to write an article for a very professional publication. Their readers are intellectuals, academics, and probably more conservative and elite. So, you can imagine my surprise that they wanted me-someone who prefers to be more casual and down to earth-to write an article for them about starting a business. I submitted the article and was a little surprised when they came back with feedback that the tone of my writing was "too chatty." I was like, Really? You're surprised by that? Have you not heard me speak, read my blogs, or listened to one of my podcasts? Because that tone is actually my entire brand! I remember thinking, If you don't want chatty, then you probably don't want me. Related: Ep 86: Be More Confident by Believing in Yourself I felt like this publication wanted me to be someone I wasn't. They wanted me to write like an academic with big fancy words, and that's just not how I write, talk or connect with people. Thankfully, we ended up getting to a good place where they felt like the article met their standards and could be published while staying true to my voice. But it was really eye-opening for me to realize how important it is to not only be authentic, but to be confident in that authenticity, even when life and other people try to push you around or tell you to be someone you're not. That's why today I want to walk you through how to be authentic in your daily life. This is going to help you not only be authentic, but also remain authentic no matter who tries to push you around. Let's jump right in . . . How to Be Authentic 1. Be vulnerable. Let me go ahead and start by saying this is not my idea. Brené Brown introduced this idea of vulnerability years ago with her book Daring Greatly and her TED Talk "The Power of Vulnerability." It's a brilliant concept that says, as we step out in vulnerability-as we open ourselves up, not just to pain but also to love-we're able to have deeper connections and a deeper sense of confidence in who we really are. As an Enneagram eight, vulnerability is really hard for me. So often I want to put up a tough exterior like I've got it all together. But the truth this: Authenticity is about trueness, and you can't live your truest self without being vulnerable. If you're always holding back a piece of yourself or hiding behind a tough exterior, how can you become who God created you to be? That's why vulnerability is so important when it comes to being authentic. 2. Tell the truth. There are two extremes when it comes to telling the truth: There are those who never share the truth, and those who refuse to accept the truth. Those who never want to share the truth lack the ability to be vulnerable. They want to act like everything is always great, so when someone asks how they're doing-even if they're going through a hard time or their kids are driving them crazy-their response is always, "Oh, I'm fine. I'm doing great." The other extreme are those who downplay or don't acknowledge when things are going well in their lives. You know, this person: You give them a compliment about a beautiful...
Jan 7, 2020
How to Set New Year's Goals That Will Transform Your Year   1:29 The Difference Between New Year's Resolutions and New Year's Goals 8:48 The 3 Qualities You Need to Set Smart New Year's Goals 17:13 New Year Goal Setting with Rachel Hollis 28:31 Challenge: How to Love the Enthusiasts in Your Life Resources 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Forget about New Year's resolutions this year. They're a waste of time. Instead, set smart New Year's goals you'll actually accomplish. Believe it or not, they're not the same thing! The Difference Between New Year's Resolutions and New Year's Goals Resolutions might as well be considered a wish. It's an idea of something you want to try that year. Sure, it's fun and inspiring. But the truth is: We fall off the wagon by February. It's the reason why you can't find an empty treadmill at the gym in January. But by February, you can walk right into the gym and start running. Goals are different from resolutions because goals are action oriented. Zig Ziglar made goal setting popular with something he called the Wheel of Life. We talked about this in a recent podcast episode so if you haven't listened to that already, go back and hear me deep dive into the Wheel of Life in episode 88. To give you a quick recap, there are seven areas in your life you should prioritize and set goals in (especially New Year's goals!): Career (or business) Finances Spiritual growth Physical health Intellectual growth Family Social Today, I want to help you start 2020 on the right foot by setting New Year's goals in each of these areas. Because your ability to set goals will completely affect not just how you start the year, but also how you end it. The 3 Qualities You Need to Set Smart New Year's Goals Every goal you set should have these three qualities: 1. Specific A New Year's resolution like, "I want to run more," doesn't work because it's not specific. And when you're not specific, you can't track your progress or even know if you've accomplished it or not. For example, if you told me you wanted to run more, I'd ask you, "Well, how? Do you want to do long-distance running? Sprints? Do you want to run on the treadmill or outside? Do you want to do trail runs on your own or join a running group?" There's a lot of different ways for you to run more, so get specific. 2. Measurable Then, I'd tell you to make the goal measurable by asking, "How much more?" Maybe you can run one mile right now without stopping and you'd like to work your way up to running five miles. Or maybe you want to sign up for a race and run a 5K or a half marathon. What is the measurable distance you want to be able to run in order to know that you've actually achieved this goal? 3. Have a time limit Finally, I'd tell you to give your goal a time limit by asking, "By when?" If your goal doesn't have a time limit, you won't be able to measure whether you actually reached it or not. Related: How to Write Smart Goals Incorporating those three qualities into your New Year's goal of running more would turn it into something like: I want to do more long-distance running and complete a half marathon by March 30th. Now, that's a goal! You'll know exactly what you're working on and working toward. And of course, because you have these different ways to measure your progress, you'll know if you achieved it or not, which is great accountability. Set Even Stronger New Year's Goals Let's take this one step further. If you really want to...
Dec 23, 2019
Reflect on God's Faithfulness with This Christmas Tradition   0:53 My Favorite Christmas Tradition Resources 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Merry Christmas, y'all! A million years ago, before I was married and had kids, and before life got so busy, my mother encouraged me to try a new Christmas tradition-one she'd been doing most of her life. Even before she had me, every year my mom would sit down and write a letter when she was packing up her ornaments after Christmas. In the letter, she would write about all the major things that happened in her life that year. She'd write about the highs, the lows, and everything in between. When she was done, she'd fold up the letter, pack it up in her box of ornaments, and put it away in the attic, not to be seen again until the following year. Related: What People Want the Most From You This Christmas A year later, when it was time to bring out all her Christmas decorations from the attic, she would open that letter and read it. She loved this tradition because it amazed her to see how much could happen in just a single year. Well, I loved this idea so much that I also started doing it in 2006. Now, I'll tell you, it wasn't very sophisticated. I would sit down with a couple pieces of printer paper and just write down all my thoughts-in true Christy fashion, I rambled on and on and was very honest. For example, in my letter from 2006, there's a line that says, "Dear God, please let me go on at least one date next year." Well, bless my heart. Apparently, that was a tough year in the love department . . . But you know what's so amazing? Year after year, as I've written these letters and then faithfully put them away to open the following year, I've always been blown away at not only how much can happen in a single year, but also how faithful God continues to be. I start every letter by talking about what happened that year, and I end every letter by writing out prayers, dreams and hopes for the next year. When I read the letter from the year before, I feel like I'm living in the fulfillment of God's promises that I had prayed for (and forgotten about). I remember, in December of 2014, sitting on my couch, reading my Christmas letter from 2013. One of my prayers that year was that Matt and I could start a family. And y'all, I was holding that letter over a giant belly-my son Carter was due the very next month! Of course, every year isn't like this. My letter from 2016 had prayers that Matt's grandfather, grandmother, and our 11-year-old dog Jackson would get better. But all three of those loved ones passed away that year. Tears streamed down my face as I read those heartfelt prayers. That was hard to read. Related: Ep 70: How to Be Content in Every Situation But you know what? Even in the despair, even in the grief, and even when it seemed like God didn't fulfill that promise or answer those prayers, I was still able to see God's faithfulness in how those events played out. Writing this letter has looked differently since marrying Matt because-I'll be honest-he writes them reluctantly. But we've gotten into a rhythm. Here's how we do it: Every single Christmas, I'll sit down with our notebook (we upgraded from printer paper!) and write my Christmas letter for the year. And then I'll give the notebook to Matt so that he can write his letter. And the following year, I read my letter aloud to Matt, and Matt reads his letter aloud to me. I'd like to point out that my...
Dec 10, 2019
How to Be a Successful Woman and Live a Balanced Life   1:26 How You Can be Successful in Many Areas of Your Life 4:39 Seven Areas of Your Life to Find Balance 11:30 Making Time for Both Your Family and Career with Sarah Sloyan 31:04 Leading with Grace and Strength with Jen Sievertsen 43:51 Focusing on Goals to Be Successful with Suzanne Simms 54:53 Challenge: The Best Way to Have What You Want Resources 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. You can be successful in many areas of your life. Work, Sleep, Family, Fitness, or Friends: Pick 3. I recently stumbled upon an article online with that title. And I have to tell you guys, I disagree with it. The idea that you can't work, get enough sleep, and have time for family, friends and fitness is crazy. I'm tired of hearing the message that if you're winning at work, you're failing at home. Or if you're winning at home, you're failing at work. What's interesting is, not only is this message common in media, but it's also reinforced by the narratives in our heads. So many of us have this broken record on repeat in our heads telling us we're always failing. It's not if we're failing. It's which thing are we failing at today. But you know what? It's simply not true. Now, I know you can't do everything in the world (of course you can't). But you can do the most important things. You can't take advantage of every single opportunity, but you can do the right things, and you can do more than three things. The truth is: You can be successful in many areas of your life. Related: Ep 84: Cultivating Good Habits in Every Season of Life 7 Areas of Your Life to Find Balance I love Zig Ziglar's Wheel of Life. It paints a great picture of the most important areas of a person's life. If you're not sure where you should be prioritizing your time, these seven areas are a great place to start. The Wheel of Life isn't a prescription for every single person, but it does hold true for most of us. Just like a bicycle, when one wheel isn't working, the entire bicycle will have trouble moving forward. That's why it's important to find as much harmony and balance as possible in each area. Let's go through each of the different spokes of the Wheel of Life and what they each represent. This list is not in order of priority. You should prioritize these different areas based on your season of life, and then set appropriate goals in each. 1. Career (and Business) You spend a lot of hours of your life at work or in your business. So this should be an area of your life that brings you joy and fills you up. 2. Finances Your money affects everything. It impacts almost everything you want to do in life. That's why you need to be intentional about how you manage your finances and set goals in this area of your life. 3. Spiritual growth Growing in your faith is not going to happen accidentally. Your relationship with God is like any relationship. It will grow in proportion to the amount of time you invest in it. 4. Physical health I'm not talking about being skinny here. I'm talking about how you feel. How's your energy? Are you sleeping enough? How are you taking care of yourself? We only get one body, so taking care of it should be a priority. 5. Intellectual growth Are you investing in your personal development? What books are you reading? What conferences are you attending? What podcasts are you listening to? What are you putting into your mind that will change the actions you take and the decisions...
Nov 26, 2019
How to Enjoy Thanksgiving Even More   1:02 How to Enjoy Thanksgiving Even More 1:24 Write a Thoughtful Note 2:58 Be Hospitable 3:40 Disconnect Completely 6:12 Plan to Be Generous 7:55 Rest Resources 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! I'm keeping this week's podcast episode short and sweet because I want to get back to spending quality time with my family-and, of course, I want you to do the same. I really love this holiday. Not only does it feel like the official kickoff to the holiday season, but it's also such a sweet time to remember all that God has blessed us with. Whether you have plans to spend this week in a crowded house with tons of extended family members or you plan to keep things low-key, I want to encourage you to be fully present. This holiday will be what you make it, and you can make it great. Before I let you go today, I want to share five simple things you can do this week to make your holiday a lot more special: 1. Write a thoughtful note. I think nice things about people all the time, but I always forget to tell them! Do you do that? I once heard someone say that thinking something nice about someone and not telling the person is like wrapping a gift and not giving it to them. That is so true! I actually save every handwritten note I'm given. No matter what anyone says, handwritten notes are not outdated-they're gifts people treasure. So, this week, spend a little bit of time writing notes to people who come to mind. You can give them a word of encouragement, say thank you for something, or give them a compliment that will make their day. Receiving a handwritten note is rare in our digital age, so brighten someone else's day with a sweet and unexpected note. 2. Be hospitable. 'Tis the season to show love to the people God has placed in your life by inviting them into your home. But the truth is, the holidays are a difficult time for many people. Maybe there's someone in your life who doesn't have a place to go during the holidays. Maybe there's a neighbor or a coworker who doesn't have family in town. This is the perfect opportunity to build new relationships by sharing your home, a meal, or even a simple cup of coffee with someone new. 3. Disconnect completely. I'm not just encouraging you to silence your phone or put it in airplane mode. This Thanksgiving, I want you to put it out of reach and out of sight completely-at the very least, for one full day. I often pick up my phone out of habit if I can see it. So if I'm sitting at the dinner table and I can see my phone close by, I'll pick it up and check it-even if there's been no ring or notification. But that doesn't happen when I can't see it. That's why I want you to put your phone in a different room, where it will be out of sight and out of mind. When you do this, you're giving the people around you an incredible gift: your undivided attention. And if you want to take photos, why not do something crazy, like buy a disposable camera that you can pass around? How fun would it be to see what kind of photos you get out of it? 4. Plan to be generous. This is the time of year when we're all acutely aware of how much we have to be grateful for, and it puts us in a generous spirit. But you know what? You've got to plan for that in your budget and even put it on your calendar. Believe it or not, a lot of nonprofit organizations have cut-off dates for their Christmas giving-some cutoffs are as early as the first week...
Nov 12, 2019
Be More Confident By Believing in Yourself   1:22 Choosing to Believe in Myself 5:59 How to Believe in Yourself 17:51 Faith and Belief with Mignon Francois 51:57 Challenge: The Right Time to Play Small Resources 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. At our company, we get to go to church every single Wednesday. That's right, every Wednesday morning at Ramsey Solutions, our entire team of more than 850 people gets together to hear from amazing speakers, authors and pastors, like Max Lucado, Christine Caine, Donald Miller, Dr. Henry Cloud and Bob Goff-the best of the best. For years, our leadership team has asked Ramsey Personalities, like me, Ken Coleman, Rachel Cruze, Chris Hogan and Anthony ONeal, to prepare one of these devotionals for our company. And to be totally honest, we don't love the idea . . . like, at all. I'll give you four reasons why: It's a lot harder to speak to close friends than it is to speak to complete strangers. When you see the kind of speakers we normally have, it's easy to feel unqualified. We're supposed to teach Scripture, which is intimidating. Committing means writing a talk, practicing and preparing, which is a lot of extra work. All of this together was enough to make me never want to do it. Related: Ep 60: How to Face Your Fears and Do It Scared But you know what they say: Never say never. Choosing to Believe in Myself A couple of years ago, I felt like God was taking me through a season of growth where He was teaching me many different things and stripping me of my pride. One morning over Christmas break, I was sitting on my couch reading my Bible and journaling when, out of nowhere, I did the weirdest thing. I picked up my phone and texted my leader, "Hey, God's been taking me through a season of growth. So, if you ever want me to do a devotional, just let me know." I dropped the phone and couldn't believe that I'd just sent that text. I thought to myself, Why did I do that? I don't want to do a devotional! I don't have any confidence in doing a devotional. My leader texted back almost immediately saying, "Love it. Let's do January 2."-which was one week away! I spent the following week pouring over Scripture, praying, preparing and practicing. It was one of the most exciting and life-giving experiences I've ever been through. Related: Ep 68: Inviting Faith Into Your Business And you know what? I wasn't even nervous. In fact, I felt this deep sense of responsibility to deliver this message that God had so clearly given me. I share this story with you to show you that I still experience imposter syndrome. There are still situations that put me outside of my comfort zone and make me feel unqualified. But if we let these feelings drive our decisions, we'll never step into what God has called us to do. That's why I want to spend some time today talking about believing in yourself and having confidence even when you're scared. Let's get right to it. How to Believe in Yourself There are four things you need to "get" in order to believe in yourself and grow in confidence. 1. Get secure. If we're honest, 99% of our fears, doubts, insecurities and anxieties come from worrying about what other people think about us. But what if you didn't care? If you're secure in who you are and whose you are, then when someone says something hateful on Facebook, or your crazy aunt makes a passive-aggressive comment about a decision you made, it doesn't fluster you. It doesn't rattle you. It doesn't...
Oct 29, 2019
LIVE From the Business Boutique Conference 2019!   3:09 I have so many passions and dreams. How do I combine them enough to feel fulfilled, but narrow them down enough to create a focus that creates more success? 12:10 I know I need to set goals, but I don't know how or where to start. How do I learn how to create goals for my business? 16:00 What do you do when you feel like you are spinning your wheels and not moving forward? 20:31 If I launch before my journey is complete, do I risk failing from the start? Or is this simply a case of imposter syndrome? 24:13 What is the best way to handle copycats in your business? 28:24 Where is the first place newbies should start to attract ideal customers? 30:52 How do you create an email marketing plan? 35:27 How do I get my husband to realize, with owning my own business, I have to bring work home? 41:16 I have come from a 7 to 4 job. Now I have a blessing of working my own hours and enjoying my family. I don't want my hours of work to take away from my family. How do I balance my work and family? Resources   2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. This episode is just like having lunch with some of Christy's best friends! Get to know photographer, business strategist, and host of The Jasmine Star Show, Jasmine Star; coach, consultant, and host of the Marketing Your Business podcast, Stu McLeran; comedian, musician, speaker, and host of The Kelsey Show, Kelsey Humphreys; and founder and CEO of The Cupcake Collection, Mignon Francois. They'll answer your questions, and more! This podcast was recorded during our Business Boutique Conference 2019 VIP Lunch in Nashville, TN.
Oct 15, 2019
Develop Self-Awareness and Turn Your Weaknesses Into Strengths   1:21 The Difference Between Goals and Habits 6:24 Five Good Habits to Cultivate in Your Life 20:05 Building Good Habits with Anthony ONeal 42:31 Challenge: A New Habit for the Decision-Making Process Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Business Boutique Academy Waitlist We are opening enrollment for the Business Boutique Academy on October 25! Text the code ACADEMYWAITLIST to 33444 to sign up for the Business Boutique Academy Waitlist and be notified the moment enrollment opens! 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. There was a season in my life when I'd get up every single morning at 4 a.m. to work out. There was a season in my life when I'd get up every single morning at 4 a.m. to work out with my friend Rachel Cruze at our local YMCA. Yes, you read that correctly-4 a.m.! We got up day after day, week after week, and month after month at that crazy, early hour. Honestly, we didn't have any lofty goals. We didn't even necessarily want to lose weight. We simply wanted to be healthier-and, I'm telling you, it paid off. I was in the best shape of my life. Do you know why I saw such improvement in that season? It wasn't because I exerted high, intense effort over a short amount of time. It was the result of being consistent with a new habit over a long period of time. The result was looking better and feeling better-and y'all, I even had biceps! Related: Ep 82: Succeed at Anything By Understanding the Importance of Discipline You know, when I look back at the last 10 or 15 years of my adult life, it's easy to pinpoint the reasons why some years were really good and others were not so good. I can almost always trace the good or bad of any particular season to the habits I was cultivating (or not cultivating) that year. Believe it or not, getting up at 4 a.m. to work out with my friend wasn't super difficult. Sure, getting started that first week was hard. But after that, it got easier and easier because it became a habit. It became something I did without thinking. The Difference Between Goals and Habits We talk about goals all the time-y'all know what a major role they play in my life. But goals are different from habits. Goals tend to have a starting point and an ending point. They're an intentional action where you take initiative to do something new, big and impressive. Related: Ep 38: Hitting Big Goals By Winning Small Habits aren't exactly like that. Habits are a recurring action you commit to doing day in and day out. They're often not new, big or impressive. They're small changes and tiny tweaks you make to your daily routine. When you first start to cultivate a good habit, it feels insignificant and like you're not making much of a difference. But over time, you begin to see the dramatic impact they can have on your life. For example, cultivating a good habit might look like: Choosing water over Coke every time you eat out at a restaurant Reading Scripture first thing in the morning rather than scrolling through Instagram Those are tiny, unimpressive habits. But over time, as you continue choosing water over Coke and Scripture over Instagram, you'll notice a change in your life. And it...
Oct 1, 2019
Develop Self-Awareness and Turn Your Weaknesses Into Strengths   1:22 What Is Self-Awareness? 6:32 Three Ways to Become More Self-Aware 18:53 Becoming Self-Aware Through the Enneagram with Ian Cron 40:56 It's Not the Thought That Counts Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Business Boutique Academy Waitlist We are opening enrollment for the Business Boutique Academy on October 25! Text the code ACADEMYWAITLIST to 33444 to sign up for the Business Boutique Academy Waitlist and be notified the moment enrollment opens! 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. I've always been a huge fan of personality assessments. DISC, Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder-they all fascinate me. I love reading the results of these different assessments because they're usually pretty positive. You get an entire report that focuses on your strengths-who wouldn't have fun reading that? Well, earlier this year, my friend Rachel Cruze convinced me to take a different kind of personality assessment: the Enneagram. I took the test, not expecting to learn anything new about myself. But y'all, I was so wrong. This assessment was so different from any other I'd ever taken. Rather than telling me what I was good at, this assessment revealed all of my weaknesses (Some I didn't even know I had!), and the deeper motivations and fears associated with those weaknesses. Related: Ep 79: Take Control of Your Life With the Power of Personal Responsibility Not only did I feel like there was finally a personality assessment that truly understood me, but I also felt like it helped me understand myself better. Learning about the Enneagram has been transformational for me. It's made me so much more self-aware. And you know what? Knowing your weaknesses and being self-aware is one of the best gifts you can give to both yourself and those around you. What Is Self-Awareness? Being self-aware is about knowing your strengths and your weaknesses. For example, self-awareness is about knowing how you come across to others-not just your intentions, but how you actually come across. I've noticed a pattern in my life where people describe me as being intense and aggressive. But here's the thing: I don't intend to be aggressive, and I don't think I'm intense. I describe myself as enthusiastic and passionate. I'd never use the words intense or aggressive. But you know what? After hearing enough people use those words to describe me, I started to pay attention. It turns out, intense and aggressive is how I come across to other people. Do you know what paying attention to those patterns did for me? It gave me a better understanding of how I actually come across to people so I could learn to adjust my tone, behavior or volume level based on who I'm talking to. It's pretty easy to be self-aware when it comes to our strengths, isn't it? And it's important to know what your strengths are so you can leverage them in your life and your business. But I want to spend this episode talking about the other side of the coin: what we should do with the not-so-good stuff. Three Ways to Become More Self-Aware We all have blind spots. You know what a blind spot is, right? Think about when you're driving in the car and want to change lanes. You...
Sep 17, 2019
Succeed at Anything By Understanding the Importance of Discipline   1:21 What Is Discipline? 5:05 What Does Daily Discipline Look Like? 14:14 How to Become More Disciplined 20:42 Maximizing Social Media for Your Business With Jasmine Star 40:56 Challenge to Just Be You Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Business Boutique Academy Waitlist We are opening enrollment for the Business Boutique Academy on October 25! Text the code ACADEMYWAITLIST to 33444 to sign up for the Business Boutique Academy Waitlist and be notified the moment enrollment opens! 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. I have a lot of feelings-even my feelings have feelings. The worst part is, my feelings can easily drive my actions. But you know what I've learned? If you build your business, your life, your dreams, or your goals based on feelings, you're going to be on one heck of a roller-coaster ride. One day you'll be up (excited, motivated and charging forward) and another day you'll be down (tired, disappointed and on the brink of quitting). That's why I think it's so important to talk about a skill that will help you create stability (something feelings don't have) as you reach for your goals and chase your dream. What's that skill? Discipline. I know, discipline is not an exciting topic. In fact, the word itself can have a negative connotation. You might think of the word in terms of disciplining your children or being disciplined in school or at work. But that's not the kind of discipline we're talking about. We're talking about being a disciplined person. Why is discipline important? Because discipline will help you be successful no matter what dream you're chasing-it's that simple. Related: Ep 58: Perseverance in Your Business: How to Keep Going When You Want to Give Up What Is Discipline? Like so many qualities I teach about, discipline is not a gene only some people are born with. Discipline is a choice and a skill you can learn. You can actually cultivate discipline in your own life, even if you don't feel like it comes naturally to you. The author Stephen King is a great example of this. He's written countless bestselling books- many of which have become box office hits. He says there is one reason behind his success. You guessed it: discipline. In fact, he doesn't even believe in writer's block. He says it's just an excuse writers use when they don't have any motivation to write. Talk about some tough love. Stephen King writes 10 pages a day, even on birthdays and holidays. While you definitely won't find me working on Thanksgiving or Christmas, I love the emphasis he places on the importance of discipline in making your dream a reality. I believe your success is not dependent upon your situation, your feelings, or how nice the weather is. It's dependent upon your level of discipline. I love how my friend Christine Caine puts it: Vision will inspire you, but discipline will get you there. What Does Daily Discipline Look Like? When you break it down, discipline in your day-to-day life is pretty straightforward. It looks like: Following through on what you said you were going to do, even when you don't want to Holding yourself accountable, even when no one is watching Honoring...
Sep 3, 2019
Balancing Social Media in Business and in Life   1:20 Five Ways You Can Create a Healthy Balance with Social Media 18:51 Maximizing Social Media for Your Business With Jasmine Star 40:20 Challenge to Just Be You Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Business Boutique Academy Waitlist We are opening enrollment for the Business Boutique Academy on October 25! Text the code ACADEMYWAITLIST to 33444 to sign up for the Business Boutique Academy Waitlist and be notified the moment enrollment opens! 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner  The NEW Business Boutique Goal Planner is almost here! join the waitlist today by texting BBPLANNER to 33444. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Let's be honest: Social media is hard to balance. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with it, right? We love to check Instagram and know what's going on. But then we hate ourselves for wanting to check it all the time. When we open Facebook multiple times a day, we feel guilty for not paying more attention to our kids or our work. So, we swing between two extremes: being on social media all the time or feeling like we can't be on it at all. That's why I think it's so important to talk about how to balance social media. Because the truth is, social media in and of itself isn't evil. It's all in how we use it. In fact, social media has a ton of great benefits: It allows you to stay connected with family and friends who live far away. It gives you a place to share exciting updates-from new babies to new homes. It's like having a giant virtual album of multiple years of your life. It allows you to connect with different groups of people who have similar passions. When it comes to your business, it's free marketing! I want you to take advantage of these awesome benefits, but I still want to encourage you to build healthy boundaries around your screen time so it doesn't consume your life. Here are Five Ways You Can Create a Healthy Balance with Social Media: 1. Know when not to use it. There are times to use social media, and there are times not to use social media. Some examples of times you shouldn't use it are when you're: Having dinner with your family On a date with your spouse Having lunch with a friend In the middle of any kind of conversation with another human being Related: Ep 70: How to Be Content in Every Situation  When you check social media while someone is trying to spend quality time with you, you communicate that they're not as important as whatever is happening on your phone. To avoid the temptation to even look down at your phone when you're spending time with someone, put it out of sight completely. Before you take out your phone to check what everyone else is doing or to post what you're doing, you can also ask yourself some important questions like: Is it more important that I know what everyone else is doing right now, or is it more important that I experience what I'm doing? Is it more important that the outside world knows what I'm doing right now, or is it more important that I experience it myself? I'm willing to bet, almost every single time, these questions are no-brainers. So put your phone down. Keep it in your purse or your pocket and be where your feet are. Be present in the moment. 2. Pick your balance. I can give you all the tips and tricks to balance social media, but at the end of the day, you have to decide the types of boundaries you need. You have to decide what time you're on and what time you're off, and what times...
Aug 20, 2019
Dream Bigger and Build the Life You Want   1:24 Why We Stop Dreaming and Three Steps to Dreaming Bigger 21:17 Pursuing Your Wildest Dreams With Bob Goff 48:47 Encouragement to Remember that God is a Personal God Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner  The NEW Business Boutique Goal Planner is almost here! join the waitlist today by texting BBPLANNER to 33444. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Growing up, I had this aunt named Gloria who I thought was the coolest person around. She was beautiful, independent, drove an amazing car, and had a Rottweiler who went everywhere with her. But the coolest thing about her was that she lived on a farm by herself. She had horses, chickens, pigs, goats and everything that went along with the ideal farm life I fantasized about. To me, her life looked like the greatest life ever. I would often look at her and think, That's who I want to be. That's the kind of life I want to have. Well, fast-forward a few years to my early 20s when I was working 80 hours a week at a nonprofit. I was looking to downsize from a three-bedroom apartment with roommates to a one-bedroom apartment where I could live on my own. During my search, I came across an ad in the newspaper for a 40-acre farm for rent just two miles from my job-not exactly downsizing, but gasp! I immediately picked up the phone and called the number on the ad. It was perfect for me. Okay, so I couldn't afford the rent they were asking for, I had no idea how to run a farm, and I was working insane hours at my day job. So, if we're being completely honest, it didn't make any sense at all-everything about it was impractical. But, y'all! It was my dream to live on a farm, so you better believe I wasn't going to let "practical" stop me from pursuing it. Related: Ep 60: How to Face Your Fears and Do It Scared The next day, I went to visit the farm in person. Once I left, I scrounged up enough money for the deposit and moved in a few days later. At 23, I was living my farm dream. Sure, I had to start a side business boarding horses in the empty stalls so I could afford the rent, but I couldn't have been happier. Looking back on that experience, I could've easily missed out on living out that dream. Because the dream wasn't happening on the time line I thought it would happen on (like in my 50s when I'd have more money, a spouse and kids), it would've been easy to convince myself that it wasn't the right time. But you know what? More often than not, dreams aren't practical, and they certainly don't always come to life in practical ways. Thinking practically is just one of the many reasons our dreams get smaller and smaller as we get older. Why We Stop Dreaming It's so easy to dream when you're little, isn't it? You believe you can do anything, be anyone, and accomplish all the big dreams in your heart. But at some point, life-and other people-gets to you. You get bogged down by people telling you to do more practical things that have a guaranteed path to success. So your dreams slowly start to fade into the background. Related: Ep 74: Find Your True Self and Get Back to You And if you do dream, you play it safe. You keep your dreams small and doable so you can control and contain them. You also convince yourself that dreaming any bigger is selfish when so many people (your kids, your husband, your church, etc.) are counting on you. Does that "logic" sound familiar? So often, we women believe our heart's desires are...
Aug 6, 2019
Take Control of Your Life With the Power of Personal Responsibility   1:25 Three Reasons You Might Not Be Accepting Personal Responsibility 19:39 The Importance of Personal Responsibility with Rachel Hollis 33:12 Encouragement to Choose Could Over Should Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner  The NEW Business Boutique Goal Planner is almost here! join the waitlist today by texting BBPLANNER to 33444. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Taking control of your life sounds like a nice idea, doesn't it? But let's be real: So often we feel like we actually don't have any control at all. We feel like we're tossed left and right by the seasons of life and the people in our life. You know what, though? We actually have more control than we think we do. Your situation right now might be really hard-maybe it's harder than anything you or I have ever been through. But here's the great news: That's not your only story, and it's certainly not the end of your story. You Can Take Control of Your Life If you've ever seen the hit ABC show Shark Tank, you know the story of how Daymond John built his clothing company, FUBU, from nothing. Daymond was raised by a single mother. When he was 10, he started working to help his mom make ends meet. The hip-hop movement inspired him to start a clothing line, so he started sewing sweat shirts and hats in his mother's living room. (By the way, when he first officially launched his clothing company, he was still working as a server at Red Lobster!) Today, FUBU has brought in more than six billion dollars in global sales.1 Let's look at one more example: Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. (Who else is grateful for this shapewear brand?) Nobody handed Sara her fame and fortune on a silver platter. In fact, she failed the LSAT twice, worked as a chipmunk character at Disney World, and even spent seven years selling fax machines door to door before she ever started working on her idea for Spanx. When she pitched the idea for Spanx, she was met with rejection after rejection, until finally she convinced one manufacturing company to produce her product. Today, Sara is one of America's richest self-made women.2 Do you know what stories like those reveal to me? We often fall into the trap of believing our situation is impossible to climb out of. Meanwhile, others-like Daymond and Sara-are refusing to be defined by their circumstances. Instead, they're taking control of their lives and changing the outcome. Related: Ep 70: How to Be Content in Every Situation The truth is, you have control in the good and the bad times. The way you view your life-and your belief about the amount of control you have-will have a major impact on how your life turns out, whether you reach your goals, and how your story unfolds. Your ability to take control of your life is connected to the amount of personal responsibility you're willing to take. It's also connected to the amount of determination you choose to have in your life. The important thing to note here is that taking personal responsibility for your life is more dependent on you, your choices, your beliefs and your actions than anything else going on around you. Whatever your situation, I know it's real. I'm not discounting what you're going through-I know your situation is a factor in your ability to be successful. But I also believe your circumstances should not define you. Because there is a person who can change circumstances, who can fix broken...
Jul 23, 2019
How to Be Successful at Anything by Starting Small   1:21 The Importance of Starting Small 6:06 How to Start Small 21:07 #AskChristyWright Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Give yourself permission to be a beginner. We have a bad habit of calling successful people an overnight success-as if they just woke up one day on top of the mountain. But, in most cases, that's just not true. In reality, most successful people started small doing something unimpressive. Here are just a few examples I can think of: Television pioneer Oprah Winfrey started her career as a news anchor in Nashville, Tennessee-way before it was the cool and popular city it is today.1 Y'all, she was even demoted once from an anchor job she had in Baltimore.2 (I bet that person still regrets that to this day!) And then there's self-made millionaire Dave Ramsey. He grew his business from a card table in his living room to a multimillion-dollar company with more than 850 team members-and he's helped millions get out of debt and change their family tree. Did you know that world-famous author J.K. Rowling was living on welfare when she wrote the first Harry Potter book?3 And finally, let's talk about Ellen Latham-a name many may not recognize. But I bet they recognize the name of the business she started: Orangetheory Fitness. The massively successful chain of fitness studios actually started in a spare room of Ellen's house.4 Do you see what I'm talking about? The early stages of their careers did not look impressive by any means. But, eventually, because they were consistent and refused to let their humble beginnings define them, their careers surpassed even their wildest dreams. Related: Don't Be Sorry for the Struggle The Importance of Starting Small Let's just go ahead and acknowledge that starting small is not fun. You're probably not going to update your friends about it any chance you get, or post pictures about your journey on Facebook. But you know what? Starting small is actually one of the most important steps in building your business-or anything for that matter-wisely. That's why it's so important to give yourself permission to be a beginner. Aside from the fact that it works and is proven, starting small makes your dreams and your goals so much more attainable. As you begin to think about your big dreams and goals, what usually happens? Fear creeps in, doesn't it? You start to doubt that any of your dreams are even possible, because they're just too big and overwhelming. But when you embrace the idea of starting small, your dream doesn't feel so crazy after all. How to Start Small The commitment to start small requires persistence, dedication and a go-getter attitude-qualities I know you've got in you! That's why I want to give you a few do's and don'ts that you can use as a guideline as you chase your dreams. 1. Don't wait until you're ready. "Ready" is a myth. Because let's be real-do we ever feel ready for anything in life? Related: How to Be More Confident There'll always be a new doubt or excuse that will try to convince you it's just not time yet. But the truth is, the only way you figure anything out for yourself is by doing it-by learning on the job. Early on in my career, I learned something important: Say yes before you know how. When an opportunity comes your way and you don't feel ready, qualified or educated enough, it doesn't matter. Just get out there and get moving-ready or not. 2. Do take baby...
Jul 9, 2019
How to Attract More Customers to Your Business   1:21 Four Ways to Find More Customers 17:29 Attracting New Customers to Your Business with Reina Pomeroy 33:23 Encouragement That That Will Transform Every Relationship Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. "Christy, how do I get more customers?" The most common question I'm ever asked-more than questions about social media, goal setting or time management-is how to get more customers. I get this question almost every single day. But before we go any further, I need to bust a myth you might be believing that is keeping you from getting more customers. For as long as I can remember, I've heard people say: "If you build it, they will come." How many times have you heard that line? How many times have you believed that simply creating a website meant people would visit? Or opening a store meant people would stop in? Related: Market Research: How to Know What Your Customers Want I hate to tell you this, but it's just not true. No matter what you build, customers don't show up out of the blue. Why not? Because . . . They're busy. They're distracted. They're tired. They have hundreds of other messages vying for their attention. We have to stop building these big, awesome, impressive things and wondering why customers aren't showing up. We have to do something different. Instead of sitting back and waiting for customers to come to you, it's time for you to go after your customers. You have to figure out where your ideal customers hang out and build relationships with them. And only then, when you've added value to their lives, can you invite them to become a customer. So, how do you actually do that? I've got four different tips to get you started! Four Ways to Find More Customers   1. Get scrappy. Some of you are sitting around waiting for some sophisticated formula or fool-proof plan to attract more customers. I hate to break it to you, but business doesn't work that way. Business is a science and an art, which means that while there are certainly best practices to keep in mind, there's no perfect path to success. Most business owners become successful not because they're sophisticated, but because they're really stinkin' scrappy. They're willing to get their hands dirty and try a bunch of different things to get the word out. They're willing to show up at other businesses with donuts, coffee, samples and a business card. They're not afraid to pick up the phone and do some cold calling. The bottom line is, you have to be willing to do the hard work of building relationships-and that takes a whole lot of scrappiness. 2. Get referrals. When you need your hair colored or your house cleaned, who do you want to hire? Someone you trust, right? And how do you find someone you trust? You ask your friends! Y'all, this is so important! Referrals are just another way of describing word-of-mouth marketing-the most effective form of marketing. The best part is, it's free! So, if you're not actively incentivizing your current clients to refer their friends and asking them for testimonials, you're missing out on an amazing opportunity to find new customers. 3. Improve your marketing. I want you to take a good look at your marketing efforts as a whole. Look at the different ways you're marketing your business-from your website to your social media posts and the emails you send. Then I want you to ask yourself:  Is the design clean and beautiful? Is the copy clear?...
Jun 25, 2019
Practice Self-Care and Give Yourself Grace   1:22 The Importance of Making Self-Care a Priority 18:00 Giving Yourself Grace with Ashley LeMieux 44:15 Challenge to Act the Way You Want to Feel Resources Get Christy's 10 Ways to Take Care of You by filling out the form here! Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. The Importance of Making Self-Care a Priority The moment I became a momma, everything changed. My first son, Carter, was born in January of 2015, and he instantly became my entire world. This tiny human consumed my every thought, concern and desire. It was beautiful and awesome, but it was also really hard. Now, I'd gone through many hard seasons before this one. I've walked through seasons where I worked 80 hours a week, lost all my friends, and didn't have much of a life outside of work. But, for whatever reason, there's nothing quite like that feeling of losing yourself when children come into the picture. Not only do they instantly become the center of your universe, but they also just need you a lot. And that's exactly what happened to me. I lost myself when I first became a mother. I no longer felt like Christy. I no longer felt like the young, independent, fun person I'd always known myself to be. I had so many interests-and I still do-but I wasn't doing any of those things because taking care of Carter consumed my world. Related: Find Your True Self and Get Back to You I know many of you have probably experienced this as well. You begin to create habits and grooves where all you think about is your kids. That was definitely me, even more so when Conley came into the picture a very short time later. I got into a habit of identifying myself as Carter and Conley's mom. That was my first point of identification. Now, I love being their mother. It's the greatest joy of my life. But it's not the only part of me. I quickly realized that, in keeping up with the day-to-day demands of my job, my children and my household, the first thing to go was me. The first things to go out the window were my interests and anything that brought me joy and rest (outside of my family). This was the first time in my life that I experienced this kind of guilt. Anything I wanted to do for myself felt selfish in the grand scheme of being a mom, so I wasn't taking care of myself. Related: Getting Rid of the Guilt Doesn't this happen to so many of us? We forget about the things that make us feel like us: exercise, shopping, pedicures, time with girlfriends or time alone. Those things become luxuries we'll indulge in only if there's time leftover. And you and I both know there is never time leftover. There will always be something more demanding of your time, attention and energy until you put yourself at the top of your priority list. Self-Care Is Your Responsibility If you feel rushed, run down, busy, burned out, grumpy or resentful in your own life, it's probably because you haven't taken care of yourself. And there's only one person who can fix that: you. The most important truth you need to know about self-care is that it's up to you. That's why it's called self-care. No one can do it for you. No one can make you take time off work, take a vacation, soak in a bubble bath, get a pedicure, or make you value yourself but you. So, if you're sitting around and waiting for someone to give you permission to take care of yourself, it's not going to happen. Now, don't get me wrong. Loving your children more than life is...
Jun 11, 2019
What would you do with a nine-hour layover in Chicago? Would you: Keep it safe and sit at the airport reading a book to ensure you didn't miss your connecting flight? Grab your best friend, do as much exploring as possible, and make it back to the airport just in time to board? I don't know what you'd pick. But can you take a wild guess which one I'd choose? That's right, I'd choose option two any day. But do you know what I've noticed? There are actually people out there who would choose the first option every single time. Crazy, right? Even more shocking, one of them is a very good friend of mine. Related: 5 of the Most Important Qualities You Can Teach Your Kids When I was a junior in college, I got the opportunity to travel to Europe for my Western Civilization class. The week before we left, I remember receiving a very detailed itinerary from our trip leader, and the first thing I noticed was a nine-hour layover in Chicago. Normally, I wouldn't get pumped about a nine-hour layover anywhere. But, I was a 21-year-old southern girl who had never been up north. So, the potential to have a big chunk of time to sightsee, shop, and eat my way through a very cool northern city got me pumped. I immediately called one of my good friends who was also going on the trip. Our conversation went a little something like this: Me: Guess what? We have nine hours in Chicago! We can go sightseeing, tour the city, and try new restaurants! Friend: No, we can't. Me: We can't? Friend: No. We can't do that. We can't leave the airport. Me: How do you know? Did you read something I missed? Friend: No. I'm just sure we can't go. Me: Did someone tell you that? Like a leader or a past participant? Friend: No. I'm just sure we can't go. Me: That's so interesting, because I am so sure we can. I learned something about myself and other people that day. There tend to be two personality styles when it comes to trying new things. There are those who, when in doubt, assume they can't. And there are those who, when the information or rules are not clear, assume they can. But you know what? Regardless of how you're wired, you will go further and faster in life when you assume that you can. More importantly, someone who assumes they can do whatever it is they want to do is more willing, able and confident to try new things. And trying new things in life and in business is vital to growth. Your life will be small and predictable if all you ever do is what you know-if you only ever stick to is what is safe. That's not the life God wants for you. He wants you to push the limits, get outside your comfort zone and try something new. Related: How to Push Past Your Comfort Zone and Try Something New Oh, and in case you were wondering, a group of 21-year-olds who were paying for a trip to Europe can, in fact, leave an airport to run around Chicago for a few hours. And once my friend got all the approvals she needed, we had an amazing time exploring the city. I don't want you to miss out on all that God has prepared for you. That's why I want to encourage you to train yourself to assume you can. Because when you do, you'll try new things, see new things, experience new things, and grow in new ways. Now, don't get me wrong: I'm not saying you need to change things just for the sake of changing them. If something in your life is rocking and rolling, keep doing that. However, don't let things get stale in your life. Don't keep doing what you've always been doing simply because you've always done it that way. Bring renewed vigor into your life by mixing things up a bit. Here are three tactical things you can do this week to try something new: 1. Add some personality. Maybe, up until this point, everything has been strictly business-in work, in your parenting, and in your marriage. That's no fun! I want to encourage you to add some playfulness and humor into the mix. Don't just...
May 28, 2019
Do you remember dreaming about what your first job would be after college? Maybe you pictured yourself putting on business clothes every day, sitting in creative brainstorming meetings and-arguably the best part when you're a broke college student-finally getting an adult paycheck. I know I sure did. Unfortunately, that wasn't what happened-not even close. My first job after graduating was as an advertising coordinator at a local newspaper in Nashville, TN. I was so excited about this position. From the name alone, I thought it sounded perfect for me. I envisioned myself working across every department and helping them come up with creative ways to market their messages. Well, it wasn't long before my little fantasy was crushed. Turns out that "advertising coordinator" was really just a fancy title for data entry. I spent my days inputting data into a decades-old software program that crashed every few hours. Every day, I walked into a gray cinder block building with gray walls, gray ceilings, gray cubicles and fluorescent lights. I died a little inside every day I worked there. It was a mind-numbing, miserable job for someone like me-creative, energetic and a people-person. But the problem wasn't only that the job made me miserable. I couldn't be myself. I wasn't doing something I was good at. I wasn't in a position that made me come alive, gave me energy, or brought me joy. I wasn't even using my strengths or talents. I wasn't being me. Related: Recognizing Your Gifts Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever been in situations, gone through seasons, or even spent years feeling like you lost yourself? Feeling like you didn't even recognize who you were anymore? I meet so many women who feel like they've gotten lost in motherhood, their careers or in other people's expectations of them. That last one-other people's expectations-reminds me of a fascinating book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware. Bronnie spent years working in palliative care. During her time caring for the terminally ill, Bronnie wrote a blog that later became a book about the most common regrets of the people she cared for. The number one regret was having worked too much. But the second one really surprised me. It was not having lived a life that was true to themselves. What Bronnie learned is so important. It's an opportunity for us to adjust our perspective and start making choices today that will help us avoid that same regret. Because a life well-lived is one where we live as our truest selves. Women often tell me they've lived for other people for so long they don't even know what they want anymore. Even worse, they don't even know who they are anymore. If this is you today, I want to encourage you: You don't have to stay there and wonder who you are or where "the real you" went. I want to give you five questions you can ask yourself that will help you get back to you. Consider them road signs to point you in the right direction. Related: Push Forward and Get Unstuck Five Questions to Help You Discover Your True Self 1. What do you want? Don't ask yourself what your spouse wants, what your kids need, or what all your friends think you should do. Ask yourself what you want. That's a tough question to answer because we so often consider our own desires to be selfish. But the truth is that the desires of your heart are not bad things. They are God things. In fact, Jesus asked this same question. A blind man once approached Jesus asking for mercy. Jesus responded by asking him, "What do you want me to do for you?" (Luke 18:41 NIV). Don't you think Jesus knew what this blind man wanted? Jesus didn't need the blind man to tell him, but I believe Jesus wanted to draw out those desires in him. And He wants to do the same for you.  2.Where do you want to be? If you don't know where you're going, you're never going to get there. That's why...
May 14, 2019
Several years ago, I met someone I've admired from afar for years. I was on the road for the spring Business Boutique event in 2016, and we had booked someone who I consider to be a mega-celebrity speaker: Christine Caine. I couldn't believe I was going to meet her in person and share a stage with her. I would have been grateful simply for the privilege of shaking hands, taking pictures, and hanging out with her. It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But it was even better than that. We became friends in real life. The following year, she even invited me to speak on her conference tour, Propel Women. Of course, I agreed. We traveled around the country and spoke at six different events. And this relationship has only continued to grow. She was one of the first people I texted when I found out I was having a baby girl. And she is someone who I continually lean on for mentorship and guidance. Christine is just one example of the many incredible people I've had the privilege of building relationships with through Business Boutique over the last five years. Not only have these connections benefited my personal life, but they've also helped my business as well. It's true what they say: "It's all about who you know." The quality of your life is a direct reflection of the quality of your relationships. The same is true in business. The quality of your business is a direct reflection of the quality of your relationships. Every opportunity that you will ever have in your lifetime will come through people. So regardless of what type of business you're in, you're in the people business. Related: Building Business Relationships That's why I want to help you with something that many people find intimidating: networking. I meet so many women who are terrified of it. They often feel like making new connections is only for outgoing personalities. But I don't believe that to be true. So today, I want to bust three myths we believe about networking so you can stop believing these lies and take advantage of all it has to offer. Three Myths We Believe About Networking Myth #1: There's only one way to do it. When you think about networking, you probably picture talking to strangers at a formal event and a lot of awkward interactions. It's no wonder you want no part of it! But do you know what networking really is? Meeting people and making connections. That's it. It's really that simple. And you can build relationships with people anywhere and at any time. I'd be willing to bet you're already doing this every single day. As women, we're naturally relational and enjoy connecting with new people. It's what we do. You don't need to have a pitch or an agenda or be in a formal setting to meet someone new. Stop thinking about networking as anything more than making a new friend. Related: 4 Friends You Need for Your Business Myth #2: You have to be extroverted. Introverts might experience more anxiety when walking into a roomful of people, but they actually have the advantage. Why? Because introverts are gifted at connecting one-on-one and building deep, quality relationships. They may not want to work the room or be the life of the party, but they're going to walk out of there with at least one real connection. Here's a tip for you introverts: Start small. Scan the room and see if you can find just one person who looks inviting (bonus points if they're also alone). Walk up to them and introduce yourself. I guarantee that anyone in that room who is standing by themselves will welcome a friendly face because they're probably feeling exactly how you are. Keep in mind that this doesn't have to only be in-person. You can make connections online. For introverts, it's a great way to get out of your shell and get some practice under your belt. Myth #3: You'll come off as self-seeking. We all have this fear that people will think we have an agenda or we're...
Apr 30, 2019
You know those awful dreams where you're desperately trying to run away from someone or something and you can't get away? You feel like your feet are stuck in blocks of cement. And when you try to scream for help, all that comes out is air. I've had that same kind of dream more times than I would like to admit. Regardless of the scenario, the theme is the same: I can't get away because I'm not in control. Sometimes we can feel like that in real life too. You want to get ahead in your business. But no matter what you do, you just can't take it to the next level. Or maybe it's your relationship. You used to laugh and play and go on dates. But not anymore. Or maybe you feel like you've lost a piece of yourself, and you can't figure out why you just don't have the same gusto or energy you used to have. Related: Perseverance in Your Business: How to Keep Going When You Want to Give Up Feeling stuck is hard. But you know what? This is not a bad dream where you can't run away or scream for help. This is real life, and you are more in control than you realize. With a few small changes, you can regain momentum and get unstuck. Today, I want to share five practical steps you can take to get back to pursuing your goals. Five Steps to Help You Get Unstuck Step 1: Go Back to Your Why We talk about your why all the time at Business Boutique. Knowing it will answer questions like: Why are you doing this? Why is this important to you? Why does this type of success matter to you? I love that these questions can apply to any area of your life-parenting, goal-setting, your marriage, your business, etc. Wherever you're feeling stuck, remind yourself why this thing or person or work is a gift from God. When you go back to your original motivation, you return to a perspective you probably lost along the way-when you got busy, tired and stuck. Let your why reignite the fire within you. Step 2: Get Moving The very meaning of the word stuck means a lack of movement. But it's a lot easier to stay moving once you get moving. That's why your only objective in this step is to take a baby step toward some kind of physical activity. For some, that might be just getting out of bed and putting on clean clothes. For others, it's putting on makeup or going for a walk. Don't think about all the things you need to do yet; focus on the smallest step you can take to get moving. It doesn't have to be directly related to your end goal either. Even just going for a run can you give you the energy you need to get back to work. Step 3: Focus on One Thing at a Time A long to-do list is overwhelming. When you look at all the work that needs to get done, it's easy to believe you can't accomplish all of it. Instead, I want you to pick the most urgent task and focus on completing just that one thing. Checking off the first activity from your list will give you a great sense of satisfaction. It's a quick win, and it's progress. And any progress is positive. Step 4: Change What You Say We have a tendency to make our problems bigger with the words we use. Confession: I'm the queen of this. If I'm a little overwhelmed, I magnify the issue by talking about it a lot. Related: Is It Fear, or Wisdom? If you only think about how overwhelmed you are and how stuck you feel, then that's exactly where you're going to stay. You fan the flame when you talk about it day in and day out. That's why Step 4 is to change your attitude and change your words. I love how Brené Brown puts it: "Talk to yourself like you would someone you love." Step 5: Pray The power of prayer is real. If God cares about every dream in your heart, don't you think He cares that you're feeling stuck? He's a way-maker. He makes a way when there seems to be no other way. If you've never experienced this, start now. I want to encourage you to pray about the big things and the small things and everything in between. Related:...
1 « Previous 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next » 10