Episode 50: Get Anything You Want With Consistency

Join Bella 1:1 for the 50th episode as she opens up and talks about what it means to be consistent in your life. Hear how you are a product of all your choices in life and how it applies to your business, relationships, and life: When I first started this podcast, I was just trying to do it because I knew I should be doing it. But the problem with doing things because you should be doing it and not because you have intent makes for a sloppy or inconsistent work. As an example, here is the publication date of the first few podcasts: 6/11/2014 7/3/14 9/15/2014 11/7/14 3/28/15 It wasn’t until Oct 2016 when I got consistent with doing episodes with my team….Posting every single Thursday for the past 9 months! Now it has grown to 50 episodes and 600 downloads a week! I was pondering if I should break the routine and just talk to you on this 50th episode? Then I turned on the TV and a local church I love was on TV and guess what he was preaching about? Consistency. I have also started reading this awesome book called The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy and guess what he talks about? Consistency. So I took it as a pretty clear signal that yes - in fact, I should break the routine, and let’s talk consistency. I got to really thinking about small businesses in general. There are so many things that we are all told we HAVE to do. It is so overwhelming, right? You don’t know which to focus on. You feel like a dog chasing it’s tail… you just don’t know which direction to run. Are your communication systems something you should focus on? What about marketing? What about hiring? What about pricing? What about office manager? What about keeping existing clients happy? What about…. what about…. what about…. So what happens is we try to do it all and then end up spread so thin we feel like we are about to crack or you want to speed down the freeway and throw your phone out the window. Am I right? My friends…. we are not a microwave business. Darren Hardy talks about how we live in a microwave society and want everything NOW. We don’t want to wait. We don’t want to put in the long and hard work. It is a tough thing to stay consistent because we don’t see the fruits of our labor for a really long time. It reminds me of relationships and dating days.Think back to your own dating days or maybe you have a child who is dating? Those relationships that are quick to start, often end quick, don’t they? The ones that are slow and steady tend to be much more fruitful. Heck, it is like our marriages. What are we consistently doing in our relationships? Are we avoiding? being negative? are we not spending enough time? Are we always absent physically or emotionally? Or are we pouring into the other? Working on it daily? doing the things we know the other person wants and needs and vice versa? Something that also struck me are YOU make your choices and then your choices make YOU. Isn’t that right? Let’s think about hiring. You make the decision to hire someone, and if you made the wrong choice, then that choice will shape part of your company. So today - if there is one thing that I want to resonate with you is I want you to take an inventory of your day. Then I want you to compare it to your life. You are exactly where your choices led to you be TODAY. It isn’t someone else’s fault that your business is exploding or not growing… it is your own. It isn’t someone else’s fault that you are loosing weight or packing it on. I know you can be consistent because we are all consistent right now… and it is a direct result of where we are today. Thank you so much for being here for my 50th episode. Let me know what you thought of this one as it was from my heart to yours. Did you like it? Or what didn't you like about it? Your feedback is everything to me :) Thanks for allowing me into your airwaves and trusting me with your mind. Always Keep Jumping, Bella Subscribe To The Show: Transcript: Welcome to Bella in Your Business, where Bella will discuss anything and everything about your pet sitting business to help you land on target. So get ready, Bella’s got your chute. Let’s jump. Welcome to episode 50. I can hardly believe that this is episode 50, and because it’s such a big number—a number I never really thought I’d reach—I decided to go solo this time. Thanks for joining me today. I’m about to share some thoughts with you that hopefully will fulfill my life’s purpose of motivating, inspiring, and encouraging you. When I first started this podcast, I was just doing it because I knew I should be doing it. Have you ever had moments like that? Someone told me about two years ago, “Bella, if you really want to make an impact, podcasting is the way to go. It’s a great way to get into people’s ears and get your message out without an algorithm hiding your stuff.” People who listen to podcasts tend to consume a lot of them, and I’ve definitely seen that happen. So many of you have written to me saying how much you love the episodes, and there’s no greater joy for me than that. It was the same way with blogging for me. When I started blogging at my previous pet sitting company, which I had for 14 years, I wrote over 500 blogs. At Jump Consulting, we’re now at 300. Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing when I started blogging or podcasting. But the problem with doing things just because you should, without intent, is that it leads to sloppier, inconsistent work. At the same time, it builds habits. Too many of us get caught up thinking we can’t start something unless it’s perfect—but there’s authenticity in imperfection. When I started this podcast, my very first episode was June 11, 2014. For those who don’t know, I had a baby on July 21, 2014—one of the smallest surviving female babies on the planet. She was born at only 12 ounces, the weight of a soda can. We were in the hospital with her for six months. So, admittedly, the podcast schedule was rough. I never intended on being consistent. In 2014, my episodes came out June 11, July 3, September 15, and November 7, then I took a hiatus until March 2015. It wasn’t until October 2016 that I started releasing them consistently with my team. That brings me to today’s point: consistency. I was pondering whether I should break the routine and just talk to you directly, and the more I thought about it, the clearer it became that this was the message for today. Consistency. It came up everywhere—in my life, in church, in the book The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, which I highly recommend. I took it as a sign to talk about it. As small business owners, we’re told to do so many things that it’s overwhelming. We don’t know what to focus on, so we end up like a dog chasing its tail—exhausted and dizzy. Should we work on communication systems? Marketing? Blogging? Hiring? Keeping clients happy? There’s always something. We try to do it all, and then we’re spread so thin that we feel like we’re about to crack. The result? Burnout and self-doubt. We live in a microwave society, as Darren Hardy puts it, but our lives aren’t microwaves. Success takes time and consistency. You see the fruits of people’s labor, but not the years of steady effort behind them. For example, in nine months of consistently releasing episodes every Thursday, this podcast grew to 600 downloads per week. It took time, persistence, and faith. The same goes for relationships. Quick, intense starts often fade fast, but slow and steady ones thrive. You make your choices, and then your choices make you. That applies to business, health, and relationships alike. Take inventory of your day and compare it to your life—you are exactly where your choices have brought you. It’s not someone else’s fault that your business is growing or not, that you’re fit or not, that your relationship is thriving or failing. It’s the sum of your choices. For me, that means maintaining my faith, continuing podcasting, hiring even when the team feels full, spending time with my family, being present, and keeping perspective. I see people constantly on their phones, disconnected from one another. Be conscious of that choice. Prioritize presence. As pet sitters and dog walkers, it’s easy to always be gone. Fight for time with your loved ones—date nights, dinners, coffee, whatever keeps you connected. Keep blogging, too. Even if you think you’re doing it wrong, just do it. Every client question is a blog topic waiting to happen. Keep taking care of yourself. In January 2017, I hit a breaking point. I was 125 pounds, tired, anxious, and overwhelmed. My PTSD from my daughter’s hospital days was still with me. I wasn’t sleeping or taking care of myself. I survived on sugar and caffeine. I was in the swamp. Then I decided enough was enough. I started working out, eating better, and being consistent—five small meals a day, Shakeology, and daily exercise. The first two weeks were brutal. But I kept going, and five months later, I was down 26 pounds and 18 inches. I had more energy than ever, and it completely transformed me and my business. Consistency built that transformation. It’s the same for you. You can’t lead a thriving business if you aren’t well—physically, mentally, or spiritually. You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight. Start small: cut 100 calories, make one networking call a month, write one blog, go live on Facebook every Monday for two minutes. Do it consistently for six to twelve months, and the compound effect will show up in your life. I hope this episode inspires, motivates, and challenges you. Let me know what you think—good or bad, I love hearing from you. I’ll keep producing this podcast, bringing incredible guests, and being consistent with my team. Subscribe, share, and always remember: keep jumping. Thanks for jumping with Bella in Your Business. For more information, free articles, and coaching sessions, go to jumpconsulting.net. And remember—Bella’s got your chute.