Episode 19: How to Strategically Overcome Objections

Hello, dear friends. I hope you are having a marvelous Monday. I am just feeling so excited because today I wanted to record a podcast, which is going to give you these three different prompts that I have used every day that I've done, um, journaling and what I call thought work that have helped me to create this incredible business over the past five years. Um, I'm going to talk to you about how to access your future self and how you can create today, starting today, whenever you listen to this podcast, how you can start to create this new identity that you can live into, that I know that your future self is going to. Thank you for so very exciting episode for you all. Um, I just saw, as I'm recording this, I'm just seeing all these people that are joining the mastermind, and I just got a little, um, just emotional because I thought about, as I started this business, I decided in 2020, and I was terrified to ever even charge for coaching. I, um, was an elementary school teacher, as many of you know. And as I was teaching, I got life coaching for my personal life. I had never heard of a life coach before. And my, um, uh, amazing manager and the person who led my yoga teacher training, because I was also a teacher, you know, working five jobs at one point, the teacher life so wonderful. And as I was, uh, doing yoga teacher training, she decided to get certified as life coach. And when I heard that Jackie Murphy, my amazing former coach, was getting certified, I was like, what is a life coach? I need some of that. I started working with her for. We did, um, six sessions for free. And then I paused until life circumstances brought me back to coaching. And I was like, I definitely felt like I needed someone to give me some guidance in my life. Uh, I was going through some relationship struggles, and coaching just blew my mind. I don't know if any of you feel like this, um, but, like, just the light bulb goes on and I'm like, things just start making sense. I really felt like when I was growing as a human being, no one had ever taught me about how my mindset, my frame of mind would affect the way that I was existing in the world. And I kind of felt like at that point in my life, I was, um, very much like I would fall into the victim route. I felt like life was happening to me if, um, things weren't going my way. I just felt like I would just spin in this frustration. And when I found coaching, I learned that I could control that. And no one teaches you that you can control the way that you feel about your life, you could control the way that you think and it can control the way that you act and the results that you create. Like, when I heard that, I was like, no, no, no. I'm pretty sure the reason why I'm frustrated today is because this student threw a pencil at me. Not because, and they would. I adored my students, but, like, one time there was a student and, um, they were banging on the table and it flew out of their hand and accidentally hit me. I was feeling pretty frustrated. It was hilarious. But I thought that circumstances dictated the way I felt, and I learned that it's my thoughts, it's my frame of reference. And from then on out, I. It was like just the light bulb went on. I became really obsessed with coaching, and I would listen to, I got certified from the life coach school, and every day going to school, I would listen to the life coach school. I work as co and I would listen to podcasts and I dreamed of one day, like, and I would do, um, I would coach myself every day. So if you're not familiar with coaching, it's where you take things that are happening to you and you. For someone who is doing self coaching or journaling in the form of thought work, what you would do is you would coach yourself around the circumstances around you. You would put it in this tool called the model that I will definitely do another podcast on at another time. And you would go through and you would change the way you would be experiencing the exact same circumstance, the exact same frustrations, and you'd be able to shift it into a positive way, like I would. For laundry, you know, it's like something that I really struggled with. I could change my relationship with laundry just by controlling my thoughts about it. It was the coolest thing. So I would coach myself every day, along with getting coached by my coach, I would listen to it all the time and I, um, decided so. And I never actually thought I was going to become a coach. This is becoming a longer story than what I intended. So just, like, buckle up, it's going to be fun. But so what happened is I realized that as I was building this just experience and positive life, like, just everything in my life got so much better. Like, I was able to heal my relationships, I was able to, um, really build stronger relationships with my family. And I just felt like coaching was kind of magic. Like, it was a thing that helped me. I know it sounds like very coach speak, but it was like, I felt like I had all this untapped potential that was within me, and I was finally able to reach my potential. And when I found coaching, I also went in, and, um, as I was getting coached, I realized that I could work on things that were tangible, like things that I could touch more than just, like, my intangible relationships. And I actually decided to. I hate, still hate, vehemently running. And I also, not a fan of writing, don't love it. If I could go the rest of my life without writing, I would, but it's part of my job now, so I'm glad. I appreciate, and within my business, or within. I didn't have business at the time, I decided that I was going to run a marathon. This is back, um, in 2018 to 2019. And I, uh, like, someone who hated running. I was like, I'm going to run a marathon. My friend was like, I'm going to do a marathon in 2020. Because that was the year both of us turned 26, and a marathon is 26.2 miles. And so she was like, a mile for every year. And I'm like, that sounds cool. Bucket list. Challenge accepted. Let's go. And so I coached myself to be okay with running, and not only was I okay with running, but I finished in under a six hour marathon, which is, if you do the math. And I stopped for water breaks along the whole thing. I. That's a 13 minutes ish mile. Ridiculous. Like, for a marathon. You know what I mean? I'm like, that just blew my mind. Those of you that are watching, that's crazy for me. I was like, this is the craziest thing ever. And then I also hated writing, and I decided to do my national boards for teaching, which, for those of you that don't know, it's writing, like, 300 pages of single space, text recording videos of me teaching, doing audits of my students, all this stuff. And I was able to do that, too. I was able to do my national boards, a nationally board certified teacher, and I ran a freaking marathon. Uh, and we got to this point, it was in the pandemic, and I was just finishing up my national boards, and I was about to finish my time with my coach. And she. This was May of 2020, and she told me, megs, I think you should start a coaching business. You're pretty obsessed with this coaching thing there. You've done all this stuff. Uh, I think you could help other people, too. And I, uh, can't even tell you guys how it also, she told me this previously before the pandemic, and I laughed at her. I was like, no way. There is absolutely no way I can start a business all I ever heard about businesses is it takes all of your time. You are exhausted. You're in your business all the time. You don't make a lot of money for the first eight years, like, you know how old the statistics said? And I was like, absolutely not. And she's like, well, if I helped you, would you want to do that? And she asked me a question that I want to ask you today as you're listening to this podcast. Oh, I'm going to send this to Jackie. She's going to love it. And she asked me where I wanted to be ten years from now. And at the time, I was 26, and I was like, well, I want to be. I love teaching with all my heart, guys. Like, I actually was interviewed by, um, a local radio station, and they wanted me to say all these negative things about teaching. And I love teaching. I still go back to school and I see my former students. I loved what I did, and I just. I, um, had aspirations and still have aspirations to have kids. And when I was thinking about my future, I pictured myself working from home, m having kids, and that's where I wanted to be by 36. And I know this sounds insane for all of you. And she asked me, and she's like, where do you want to be? And I said, I'm working from home with the kids. Just so happy, just delighted. And she told me something that you might be also thinking about. And she said, you can't teach from home, Megan. So I want you to think about where you want to be ten years from now, and if your current circumstances align with what you actually want for the future. And for me, I had this moment of pure panic where I was like, what am I going to do? Like, I. You're right. And I don't. I, um, know so many teachers who do such a phenomenal job of teaching and raising a family, but I knew that that was not what I wanted. And I was like, I just paid. And at the time, this is so much money for me, $3,000. I made 40k as a teacher. So it was a lot of money for this national board certification that I wasn't even going to use. I think it was actually five k. It was like, for me, a ton of money. And she was like, well, you might want to start that coaching business. Could be an option. And so within that, uh, when I was thinking about, uh, just deciding my coaching business, there were three questions. Like I mentioned at the beginning that I would ask myself every day to get me through the marathon, to get me having better relationships. To help me, uh, complete my national boards, I would ask myself these three questions every day that I want you to ask yourself. But first and foremost, if you're not driving, I want to do a quick moment where I want you to picture your future self. So if you're driving, don't close your eyes or anything. But if you're alone and have some time, I like to play. I think it helps. And I want you to just think about, uh, where you're going to be ten years from now. At the time I'm recording this podcast, it's 2024. And so it's going to be 20 or it's 2024. So it's going to be 2034 by the time that it's ten years from now. And I'm going to be 40 years old. And I like to do this exercise where I really tap into that future version of me. And I'm thinking about that future version of me. And I like to first think about how old I am. And I like to picture her right in front of me. And I like to think about, like, what is she wearing? And I see her, I wearing, like, and I used to see her in, like, a white pantsuit. That was one I pictured for a really long time. And now I see her in some, um, jazzy jeans. She's got a button up top that's tucked in. She has her hair down, it's curled. And I can see her so, so clearly. And I want you to think about your future version of you. I want you to picture them. What are you wearing? What did your hairstyle look like? What's your outfit? Really tap into that future version of you. And then I want you to think about that future version of you. And you can maybe get some more details. Like, for me, I'm living in a home. I have two kids. The business is going so great. My amazing fiancé, Rob, is now my husband. We've created an, uh, incredible bond together. I can see that. We're still in Raleigh, and we are just so delighted, and we've got just this amazing community around us. And I can just feel it, like, oozing from every pore. I can just feel this version of me. It's so real and it's so alive. And I picture her, like, looking right across at me. And I take a moment, and I have her come out of that, uh, future version and I have her looking at me today, and I like to ask her three questions. I ask her, hey, future megs, looks like things are going splendid. And the first journal question I asked myself is, what were you thinking today? What was going on in your mind in 2024? And it's usually related to the circumstances that are going on, any struggles and things that I have. And one of my favorite thoughts that I like to think is like, we're going to figure this out. We're going to get through it. I can't wait to make this happen. So that's just one of my thoughts I want you to think about, what is your future self thinking today? It's kind of meta metacognitive, where you bring your future self to the present self. Then I'd like to ask my future self, what did you do today? And usually, instead of doing something, like I might be doing, like scrolling on the gram, and, like, she got into work, she was ready. She's rolling. She is just on it. She's fireball ready to help people, doing as much as she can. And it pictures that version of that, uh, future present version of me doing those things today. Last but not least, I like to ask her, what advice does you have for me today? It could be about a specific certain situation. It could be about how she handled things. But usually what she tells me is like, hey, everything you're worried about always works out. It absolutely works out. You do amazing. Everyone is. You don't even remember this happening in the future and just show up and help people today. Just show up and serve, help people in the way that you can, and that's the best you can do. And so then, uh, I want you to think about that future self version of you. And then I want you to take a little moment, and I want you to think about, like, having a pinpoint that starts to glow at your chest, point where your heart is. And I want you to imagine that glowing into a white orb. And I want you to imagine that future version of you just taking its time and dissolving into the current version of you. And I want you to imagine that white light glowing and just enveloping every essence of your being right now. And then I want you to blink open your eyes. Sometimes I count back from 20 when I do that. So many meditations that wasn't even planning on doing with you guys today. But, uh, I wanted you to think about, I think it's really important when you're making decisions to think about and just your existence in general. I want you to think about making those decisions from your future self. I want you to think about who you're becoming in the world. And I want you to think about it with maybe a smidge warm intention than you do typically. It's one of the things that I love to have my clients do is think about, like, their five year, ten year plan. I did this with my life coaching clients, and I do it with my business coaching clients, too. And when, uh, you're able to really be in that future version of you, when you can sit in it, it, ah, helps you do different things. I got a little teary eyed because I remember distinctly sitting on my porch and, uh, I'm looking at right now because I live in the same condo I did. And I imagine my life about ten years from now. And I was thinking, oh, my gosh, one day I'm going to have a podcast, and one day I'm going to have a group of people that I'm going to be able to help, and maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to help like over 100 people, and I'm going to be with someone who's incredible. And I just pictured this life that I realized I'm living right now. And that's the version of me that decided to start my coaching business. And I was terrified. I was scared. Every single day I was thinking about, oh, my God, can I even charge people? Like, what is going on? And I started coaching kids for free over that pandemic summer. And then I felt really good about coaching children. And then I found out there was a conflict of interest, so I couldn't coach my students. And I was like, oh, well, God, figure out something else. And just trusting that future vision helped me m every single minute of the way. And what I did is I posted for the first time on Instagram. It took me two months. Just post and be like, hey, coaching helps. And as soon as I posted, all these people from my high school, college friends and colleagues reached out to me and they were like, is that what happened to you two years ago? Because you are a different person, y'all? I was definitely like a hot mess express. I was the teacher that was very kind, very loving, but running late to school, I started. I became the teacher that was like, on time. I actually was the person that some people came to for advice. Even school leadership was like, what should we do about this? And I'm like, and I've got an answer. Because I was so clear, I was so confident. My whole life had changed because I became. I knew how to manage my mind. I was a coach. I got coached, and it just changed everything for me. And so for me, there were so many things that happened within the past couple of years, so many things that have happened, um, uh, but that future self has always gotten me through. I, um, um, wasn't planning on getting emotional. I don't typically get emotional about things, but I think it's important for you to hear because there are so many things that are going to happen in your life and your business and that are just completely dysfunctional. I mean, there were just so many things that I, uh, experienced, like, so I switched to coaching adults. I felt really excited about it. And then in that, uh, first year, I was like, okay, maybe I can do this full time. I got seven clients, and I was coaching them over ten months because it was a ten month school year. And I, um, had seven months in October. I had my last consult at the beginning of October, and then I went seven months without a consult at all, all the way through April. And I just was posting every day, trying to troubleshoot, trying to figure out what was going on. It was excruciating. But that, uh, future self got me through. And then with my life, I was transferred to, I taught first grade, my first five and a half years of teaching. And then we didn't have enough physical teachers to teach kindergarten, and we had enough to cover first grade. So I left and taught virtual kindergarten for the second half of the year with a group of students I had never known, never knew their parents, different team of teachers, different curriculum. And I was able to do that because of coaching. I was able to like, manage my mind around it and keep my future self in mind. And I'm like, she gets through this. I actually, when I left teaching, I moved, um, with my partner at the time we got together and I moved away from all my friends and family and I was able to get through that because I kept that future self in mind. And then some tried, some just not great things happen to me, um, during traveling, and I was able to really get through quite a dark depression, um, in a really rough time because of that future self. And then I was able to start, I got into different masterminds and things like that and I could see my business doing better. Things were going great. And then your girl was dumped in, um, March of, uh, 2022. And I was able to navigate moving back in with my parents still keeping my business afloat. I really, truly thought about, um, quitting my business at that point. I was like, I don't know what's going to happen. And that future version of me could see this bigger vision of all these people that I could help, and it kept me going. And now I am with an incredible person. I still live. We get the same condo, we move back in. Um, and I have now helped over 100 people. I have my own podcast that you, as a beautiful human, are listening to right now. I was a guest on, um, one of, like, the podcasts that I always dreamed of being on. On Stacey Babet's podcast, I made over $500,000 with this business. And as, uh, I was thinking about this, I just am so grateful for that future version of me for pulling through and also all the coaching for keeping me afloat and the systems that I create for my business. Of course, when my life was dysfunctional, and I know after coaching many of you and talking with many of you, that life is going to get dysfunctional. Your business is going to be dysfunctional. And I want you to offer you, coming back to that, uh, future self is going to help you pull through, and it's going to help. That future version of you is in you right now. And that version of you can help you make decisions when you're scared, rely on it when you're confused. Ask, uh, what that future version of you did today. I know that. I mean, this is the thought work I have done, um, for the past, since 2018. So I relonged that. Six years. Six years. Oh, my God. Yeah. Every day, I would send sweet, sweet Jackie my models and all the thoughts I had every day. And this is the one thing that has really kept me focused. And I think a huge testament to the growth that I've been able to experience and the people I've been able to help like y'all. This is incredible. So I encourage you to think about your future self today. I want you to think about how that future self is showing up. And I'm, um, going to create, I feel like, just so inspired by this, I'm going to create, like, a little download a little PDF that has these journal questions that you can copy and paste into a Google Doc. That's how I do my thought work every day. I just have this little Google Doc that's been running. I do a new one every month, but I have my notes since 2021, which is. Or note, wait, since 2018, I've got all my notes. So I want you to, uh, have this as a tool, something to guide you, as a resource to help you to get a little less stressed and a little bit more confident, even when things are not always going your way. So, with that being said, thank you for listening to my rant and my tirade about my whole life journey. And I hope this prompt really, these prompts really help you, and this future self also helps you to create the life that you want to have. I hope you guys have a phenomenal, phenomenal day, and I can't wait to see you in the next episode.