Wait, there’s an anti-hustle movement? What does that even mean? In this episode we are so grateful to interview podcast host(Confessions of a Crappy Christian) and entrepreneur, Blake Guichet. This candid conversation about life as an entrepreneur, mom, and woman hits on a variety of topics, including some quite unexpected ones. Tune in to find out what Blake has learned about pushing herself too hard and where that journey has landed her. If you feel like your work life has taken over your personal life and are struggling with balance, this is the conversation for you.

The following is a rough transcript provided by Otter.ai.

0:00
All right, but don’t say Hi y’all right. Okay, go can you cackle in our intro?

0:07
Let’s just have her tackle the whole intro. Okay, you ready?

0:13
Not really go ahead.

0:14
Hey friends welcome to hustle humbly.

0:16
It’s Alyssa and Katie and we are two top producing realtors in the Baton Rouge market working for two different companies where we should be competitors. But we have chosen community over competition.

0:26
The goal of our podcast is to encourage you to find your own way in business. So stop comparing

0:30
yourself and start embracing your strengths.

0:33
This is episode 10. It’s episode Tim. I’m surprised. I mean, I’m happy and excited. I wouldn’t.

0:39
I don’t know. 10 seems like far away. And we made it to double digits, right? Yes. And it feels like it’s different vibe now because it’s actually released in the world. So now people have actually given us feedback. I’m a little more nervous. Yeah. Like I know, people are actually gonna listen to this. So

0:55
this morning, we had two emails with episode topic requests. Oh, that’s exciting that that’s starting to happen. Yeah,

1:06
it’s different. Okay. Tell us who we’re here with.

1:08
Okay, so we’re here with Blake. Gi Shay. Good job. Okay, Blakey, che, I met Blake at a friend’s wedding. And we became really good friends. And we were very similar in a lot of ways. And she recently helped me with my logo and my website, which I’m super excited to talk about also. And I follow Blake on Instagram, and Blake has a podcast called Confessions of a crappy Christian, which

1:37
I liked the name of. Yeah.

1:39
Yeah, it’s a great name very relatable. And so I knew when we were talking about like, hustle and work and all of that. We had to have you on the podcast. So that’s, I’m really excited that we made it happen. Now that summer is over. Yeah. And you have life back. The main reason when I thought of you for hustle is because on your Instagram, you actually have anti hustle, written? Tell, tell us why anti hustle.

2:09
So, last year, I bought the hustle culture, message, hook line and sinker. Okay, like, read the books, listen to the speakers bought in on the lifestyle, even like knowing truth about Jesus. Yeah. Okay.

2:32
About whatever you just realize, Oh, my God,

2:36
you go. Yeah. Okay, so knowing truth, knowing where my worth and identity, why I abandoned that and allowed my worth to become completely consumed by what I could achieve, what level of success I could reach, how hard I could work, and actually put my body in danger. Like it was a mental issue, obviously. But I ended up at the doctor with like, adrenal failure, right. From how hard you were working, how hard I was working, not taking care of yourself, not resting. Stressed out all the time I struggle with generalized anxiety disorder. Yes, already. And so this was that on steroids. Yes. Yeah. Um, and so I mean, crashed and burned. I was told, like, foggy couldn’t, like, keep my eyes open. I was irritable. I was miserable to the point that my husband, who I think has been to a doctor five times in his 37 years of life was like, You need to go it’s time to adopt, like, something is wrong.

3:49
What do you think introduced you to that? Like, how did the How did your love for the hustle start? Was it you starting your company? Like, what was it?

3:57
No, because I’ve been in business. So I’m a graphic designer, a branding designer now. But before that, I was a wedding planner. Oh, right. For like, 10 years. So I had been self employed entrepreneur for like, my entire 20s. Yeah, so this wasn’t a new concept of like being my own boss. It was a very popular, prominent, yes figure. Yeah, in hustle culture, who I fell in love with and believed that I could achieve what she had achieved and went for it.

4:30
Was that the draw? Was it trying just, oh, well, I can mirror this and get somebody else did it

4:35
with your kids and

4:37
right, and you could do it too, right? And I love that because it taught so much of what we have talked about on the podcast so far is that people find other people and try to be like that person. Exactly. Instead of trying to find what works for them, and how if your goal monetarily is less than somebody else’s that’s okay because it has to fit your life, your family what works for you, and having you know, there’s a difference between a mentor and an

5:03
idol. Oh dragon probably isn’t so true.

5:07
And people just idolize, you know, people that they think have it all together. And really even if you met your idol, you would realize that there might be things in their life that you don’t want. It’s just not how you operate. We were laughing because Katie at one point even had hustle on her screensaver. Yeah, I did, too. Yeah.

5:28
Well, and I’m not in on either side of an argument about hustle. i The word two means to me something that probably doesn’t mean to everyone else. But I liked that. It was like, hey, when I got to that computer, I could work. And that was important. And yeah, it made me feel good. But I also wasn’t like driving myself into the ground.

5:47
Right? Well, and I think it’s important to differentiate because I mean, the title of this podcast is hustle humbly. So you don’t want to like totally. You know, I don’t I don’t want to.

5:58
To sound it’s just a word. Well,

6:00
I think it’s when it comes when it changes from a word to a mind at heart yet. And so we’ve talked about that a lot on my podcast, and on my platform, that hustle is a mindset. And it’s a hard set. And rest is a mindset and a heart set. And hard work is biblical, hard work is good, hard work is important. But you can work hard out of a place of rest and knowing what your identity is and who you are in your own right. And be probably significantly more effective than you are. If you’re hustling yourself into the ground, you’re making everyone around you miserable. You’re, you know, burning your body out, burnout is so prevalent and so real. And we’re like doing terrible, sometimes irreversible harm to our bodies, just with burnout.

6:55
Right? When you went to the doctor, what was the advice that they gave you when they told you what was going on with you?

7:02
Yeah, so I my cortisol levels were like, off the charts. my adrenals were like, failing.

7:11
Like, literally, these are things they can actually test for.

7:13
Yes. But I had like a huge blood panel done. And my doctor was like, I don’t know how you’re standing up. Like, my vitamin levels were ridiculous, like low. So I mean, I did, I got put on a lot of medications, which I’ve successfully outside of the vitamins been able to like wean off of over the last year. But I think even doctors basically like you have to chill out. Yeah, you got to calm down, he

7:42
literally prescribed you to rest and to just like, let it go for a few minutes. Yeah.

7:46
And having like the, like, minor amount of medical knowledge that I have, I was able to look at my results and be like, this isn’t okay, this is not okay. And that was a turning point. For me.

7:57
What’s funny is recently, like in the last year, I have struggled a little bit more with anxiety. And I think that in the past, you know, you know, I’m very driven and very like motivated. And sometimes that can feel like anxiety. And I have to sometimes sit down and be like, is that anxiety? Or is that drive? Because you have this like anxious sensation that drives you forward to achieve and do what you need to do, which is healthy in some ways. But it’s funny, because in February 2019, I gave up caffeine. I did it for lint. And I felt like a new person once the withdrawal, headaches and all of that went away. And then on one of your podcasts, you talked about the science behind caffeine. And when Easter came, which is you know, usually when I celebrate whatever I gave up for Lent. I never went back. Yeah, I was like, it makes sense that caffeine blocks the neurons that can act that calm you down and right. Is that kind of what it is. Yes.

9:08
Yeah. I’ve been off of caffeine for like three years now. I’ll have the occasional coffee. Yeah. And I drink a lot of decaf, because I actually like you like coffee drink. Yes. But yeah, and now of course I can’t remember all of the like specifics of the science, but it’s it’s significant, especially if you struggle with any kind of mental health, anxiety, depression, anything like that. It is combating not only your body trying to help you kind of heal itself, but it can combat your medication. Which once I learned that I take Zoloft and once I learned that I was like wait, yeah, taking this medicine is

9:49
exactly so I think it’s good to know like if you are struggling with anxiety or depression or anything like that, that affects your business that affects your family. It affects everything and People are so quick to not even think about just the things that they’re eating and drinking and we did a whole topic on self care and boundaries. Yes, I heard this guy on another podcast. I don’t even know what podcasts. Say, you know, there’s all these people out there that are drinking 12 Diet Cokes today and having you know, 200 grams of sugar a day, and then they’re like, I don’t know why I feel like a crazy person. And that’s like, you have to take care of yourself. Why we call it garbage.

10:26
Oh, because I’m eating garbage.

10:29
Right.

10:30
I had someone say to me once junk in junk out.

10:33
Yeah, that’s what it is. Yep. So when you got diagnosed with adrenal fatigue or failure? Had you started Magnolia aim? Yes. Okay. How long had you been running that combat a year? Okay, that kind of makes sense. Because we also speak on how in the beginning, when you’re launching, when you’re reaping? Yes, yes. The launch is such a big deal. Yeah, yeah. And just managing those hours. And how old were your kids at that time?

11:05
One and three.

11:09
Yeah, and you launched a business and this was what led to adrenal fatigue. Also,

11:14
it was a lot and but it’s funny because I say a lot when we talk about the hustle that I actually have more on my plate now. Oh, than I did when I crashed and burned. Okay, Magnolia Inc is still like up and running and thriving. I have a podcast Yes. I’ve been writing a book for like two years now. And I don’t mean that’ll happen eventually. I volunteer more I have more on my plate. But kind of going back to when we were talking about hustle and rest being heart and mindsets. Functioning out of a place where rest is a priority. I rest to work. I don’t work to rest. Okay, that I know who I am. I know who’s I am. I know what God says about me. It doesn’t,

11:57
because you’re resting, you can actually do more than you were doing before. So much more productive and handle it. You can handle the load without totally collapsing. Yeah. Okay. How does that work, though? You

12:09
have a set schedule? Do you like have scheduled rest? How do you keep from regressing? It’s really hard? Right?

12:17
It’s really hard Alyssa and I don’t like you’re cured now. No, it’s not like it’s the

12:21
easiest thing in the world for me.

12:23
If you have that in you too. Want to if you have ambition, it doesn’t go away. Now. You could slip right back into I’ve got to do all the things. Right, exactly. And

12:32
I do and I have absolutely I have like, I’ve hit the wall and realize, Oh, I haven’t taken care of myself at all. And honestly, a lot of the time it traces back to that. I think that I can do it all. Yeah, the reality is that I can I’m not supposed to no one is nobody is and so I’m, I’m, I have really great time management skills. And I know that about myself. And I know what is important. And I know I actually just was talking on my Instagram not that long ago, I have like my five non negotiables which are like, take your medicine, move your body, drink water, get in the Word, and go to bed on time. Okay, those are my day to day non negotiables. And those are kind of built in things that helped me from regressing that’s good. And when one of them falls off, yeah, I can feel myself starting to backslide.

13:32
Yeah, husband’s like, hey,

13:33
which one’s missing? Right?

13:38
Yeah. And I know that you’re speaking the truth, because even this summer, I had reached out to you and was like, Hey, let’s get together and like your answer was, the kids are home this summer. Um, you didn’t say no, but you didn’t say yes. You let me know that. Not right now. Yeah. And then when the kids went back to school, we just immediately lunch.

13:59
I mean, they went to school, and that really were like, brunch. And

14:03
I was like, She’s sticking to what she knows she needs to do. And your boundaries are there. And I tell people to like, you know, I have lunch by myself once a week. So good. And lunch is like a big thing in our industry. Yeah, we’re very social. Yeah. Like Who are you lunching with? Where are you going? Who are you seeing and talking to? What relationships are you building? But once sometimes twice a week, if my email is out of control, I have not earned the right to go to lunch. It’s like if my email is under control, yeah. What do you consider out of control

14:37
though? Five emails in my inbox, my email is out of control. So

14:44
funny how subjective that particular thing is. That’s an email when I have seen other realtors or other humans with their little email alert badge that says you have 1000 emails. Yeah, absolutely. Like a red 1000 out wooden wood below. Oh, mama no 50 in my inbox is where it’s like, ooh, things have gotten way out of because my inbox is my to do list. Yeah. And if it gets to 50, like if I’ve had a few days of like appointments or a couple of days of vacation, or whatever it is, when it gets to 50, and it’s not on the first page,

15:16
then 1000 I’m just scrapping it.

15:18
Right would literally start a whole dress. I’m done here. reared up that. Yeah, yeah, just shame

15:26
people that have 1000. I just couldn’t handle that, oh,

15:29
well, in my Gmail class I was I just did at our office, I explained to them that the red number, some of them thought the red number is how many emails you have. But that’s just how many you haven’t opened

15:41
to like, friends, you got to address that. address it or just get off those lists. I mean, most of that’s junk, right? I mean, but you still have to weed through it to get to the stuff you need to really respond to

15:51
right. And I say that to say one of my non negotiables is my email. It is like, yeah, for me, if my email is not is out of control, if I’m taking too long to get something back to somebody, I have not earned the right to go to lunch with friends. I have not earned the right to go get a pedicure. Yeah, like until this is done. I’m not available. And sometimes it sucks. And sometimes I miss out. But it teaches me that if I use my time better, right, I can go to lunch whenever I want. I can do whatever I want. And so it just kind of goes back to the boundaries. So you don’t really have set hours because you you do

16:27
tell us tell us what they give it to you.

16:30
That’s I mean, that’s a big boundary for me. And I’m a recovering people pleaser, okay, but I am in very advanced recovery. I would say I’ve come really, really far I tell the story a lot about I used to be such a crippling people pleaser. And this has partnered with anxiety. There were days I couldn’t go get gas in my car out of fear of standing at the pump and what the people around me would think what’s so that wow, crippling Yeah, anxiety. And now. I mean, you’re my friend. Yeah. Like, I don’t care. I literally don’t give a crap no, about anything come so far. I’ve come so far. And it’s Jesus. And it’s therapy. And it’s medicine. Yeah. And it’s a lot of hard work. I think we forget that those personal development things and growth in areas of struggle. I mean, it takes work. It’s not it doesn’t just drop in your lap, right? If you’re doing all of the things, you’re doing the counseling and you’re doing the digging in, you still have to work on it. And so all that was a tangent to say now I have very established boundaries, my email signature has my office hours. Oh, that’s good. So I mean, if somebody emails me out of those hours,

17:44
they know, they know that affectations are set properly. And those

17:49
office hours are Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 930 to 130. Okay, that I am. That doesn’t mean that’s when I’m the only time I’m working. But that is when I am readily accessible for people. Right? Okay. That’s when you’re available. That is when I’m available to like, you can shoot me a text and I will answer immediately, you can email me and I’ll answer immediately. Outside of that, you have to schedule time with me. And that time gets a lot allotted to doing creative work, pursuing, you know, my own personal dreams, being with my family doing housework, what you know, all of the others, but I’m not at my client’s beck and call outside of those hours.

18:33
Oh, my god, that’s amazing.

18:35
I know, it’s such a different lifestyle, obviously, because we deal with the general public’s perception of Realtors work all the time. I mean, it’s just because you work on the weekend, or you do an open house. It’s sort of the doors open, but you have to set those and we sort of talked about in the boundaries, you have to set it yourself, right. So there are realtors that can easily get to burnout because they don’t set it at all. And so it’s you know, I’m at everyone’s beck and call all the time. And then there’s others who work office hours and can make it work. You can make it work. Yeah, yeah. And

19:06
here’s maybe more extensive than mine.

19:10
In some ways, and in some ways, no, I think that we have done it to ourselves. Yes, exactly. We were in one of our earlier episodes, the stat from the National Association of REALTORS is that 13% of licensees make it to your five Wow, it’s a very small number of people who get their real estate license and who make it to your five because they’re burning out there. They’re burning out they’re not making the money, they’re disappointed their expectations weren’t set, right finances, all all of that, all of that. However, if you’re not treating it like a business, the burnout is going to happen so much faster. You’re never gonna survive like how can you possibly be that available? Your whole life?

19:55
You can no you can’t.

19:56
And I think that goes for anybody that has started their own business. They want to be the best. They’re on the high of the newness. They’re an entrepreneur, they want to never miss a phone call, never miss a client. And in doing so get to this place of exhaustion, which ruins their energy depletes the excitement. And next thing, you know, it’s just you want out? Yeah. And people are not setting boundaries.

20:22
Yeah, and I’m not saying setting boundaries is is easy, right? By any stretch of the imagination. I mean, I definitely I’ve gotten pushback from clients in the past that want to have access to me at all hours of the day. And

20:36
do you fire clients? I have? Yeah, in the past, sometimes you can’t set them. Right, right.

20:43
I’ve gotten really good between wedding planning industry and dealing with brides. Right, fill up rides and transfer, you know, jobs doing graphic design at that time to but very like kind of under the radar. And then once it kind of flourished into a full business of its own. I’ve learned to kind of pick up as I do when they don’t realize they’re being interviewed. But I interview clients, okay, the same way they interview me. And I can pick up pretty quickly on that’s not a fit, this is not a fit. And here’s the thing, I’m doing both of us a disservice. And I feel like this maybe translates into real estate world, but like, I’m doing them a disservice and myself a disservice to bring on a client that I don’t I know, we’re not going to work well in the future, and wasting our time. Right, right. Because there is the right fit out there for them. There is a designer out there. Who has their inbox and their text messages open 24/7. If that’s what you want, go find them. Yes. I mean,

21:50
I want to ask a question about Instagram. Yes. Specifically, I watched your stories and your you are great on video, when you talk to your followers. Tell me like how that’s been what it’s been like to have people. I mean, what what do they slide into your DMS and say like, what does it feel you does sometimes that make you feel overwhelmed? Like what? What do you get out of that?

22:11
Yeah, I can remember when I recorded my first

22:14
video.

22:16
And I was like, This is the worst. Everybody that’s a big name, and the Instagram game or whatever tells you that Insta Stories is everything. Right? And they’ve been saying that for years. And so I can remember the first time I was like, Okay, gotta do it. I’m gonna do this. I’m gonna do like you did it. I hated it. It was like, I never want to do that again. And I had a really, really small following the time not that I have a giant following now, but I had a really small following at the time and people loved it. Yes, they loved it. Because it’s real, because it’s real. And it’s your face, and they feel like they’re connecting with you. And so that has grown over. I guess I’ve been in the Instagram game for like two years now. Which I feel like as

23:01
is earlier than like, I feel like I’m new to Instagram. Yeah, some way there’s no like, I mean, it’s not like it’s been like I feel like you were one of the first friends I had that was like

23:12
into it. Yeah. Using all the features. Yeah, and all the thing yeah, like I was like, I didn’t even know Instagram

23:17
could do this. I’m doing all this magic is magic,

23:20
but it feels you when the

23:23
people have the Good Feet? Well, yeah, obviously you know, there has to be like a healthy balance there as well that people are so kind and so encouraging and my hope and my heart for my platform and my space is to build it to be an actual community. I want people to feel like they know me because they do and I want them to you know, feel like they can talk to me or whatever Right? Um, but I mean people are terrible on the internet too. Yeah, obviously and there has been plenty of times I have a whole highlight reel that’s literally called unpopular opinions. That’s where the like not really caring and knowing you know, I think that we get this really backwards view of what Jesus and His message was about and it was the truth is truth was unpopular a lot of the time and that continues to carry forward 1000s of years later and I don’t that sounds like I’m liking myself to Jesus and I don’t mean that at all but just that

24:22
you know I’m things are unpopular Yeah. And uncomfortable and

24:27
so people feel in climbing cleaned or like they have the right to come after me. Yeah. And I mean, it is what it is. I mean, it’s the ratio of ugly to kind of encouraging is very unbalanced, right? Because

24:47
you get more kind way more

24:49
so it makes it okay.

24:53
It makes it okay, because like I try to remind people that I’m a human being right, yeah. And that there is more to me. I like than these little squares Yeah. Because it’s easy to forget that when somebody is choosing vulnerability and openness in their space, it’s really easy, I think, to think you know, everything right, and they they don’t. But you know, anytime I, you know, I staunchly don’t talk about politics in my space, because I think that it’s divisive and somebody is going to feel unwelcome. It’s not the space, and it’s not the space for that, but I will talk about social issues, or, you know, I get I get pushback about hustle culture, like going after hustle culture. Right. Right. So I mean, it’s

25:37
very interesting that is, so do you feel like now you like to do the videos? Or do you just do them, because you know, you need to do them or where, like,

25:45
I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with it, obviously, and be, you know, having a podcast and more comfortable. And it’s funny, I go, I go back and forth between being more comfortable talking and being more comfortable writing. And I just kind of honor that, like, you can kind of watch there’s an ebb and flow in my space, where I’m writing all of my thoughts and the things that I want to share, and then I’ll transition into speaking them. And I think it’s just about not forcing it, you don’t

26:13
Yeah, and that’s something I’ve always loved about you is that you are very in tune with yourself. Like you know, how you’re feeling and what’s going on. And if you’re feeling extra anxious, you know, you shouldn’t have that coffee today. Yeah. And if you’re in a good space, you know that you can give yourself permission to do this. You weren’t good at holding yourself accountable. From what I see. Yeah, you know, and I know you’re not perfect, and I know that you have struggles. And I just think that more people need to be aware of how they’re feeling, and why they feel that way so that they can recognize it and remedy it and just block out all of the people that they’re listening to absolutely focus on themselves. Yeah. And that’s really, I mean, that’s a hard thing to do.

26:59
It’s a very hard thing to do. Yeah,

27:00
I mean, I think but especially as we as women. I just shared, I just spent a really long time on my Instagram and my blog, and on my podcast talking about, like, cycles thinking, yeah, that like we as women go through these, like four seasons through a month. Yeah, that is biological and scientific. And nobody taught it to us. And it’s, it’s not even about like your game. It’s about your body. But it’s so much more than that. And so learning about that and learning, there’s going to be a week that I feel more administrative. Yes, there’s going to be a week that I feel like nesting. Yes, there’s going to be a week that I’m like, I can conquer the world come at me, let’s go and honoring that right and, and, like instead of four, we force ourselves to be at the same level of energy and the same capabilities for four weeks in a row. And our body’s like, I can’t do it. Like,

27:59
we have an off week. We’re like angry with our site. We’re like, what the hell wow, like, where’s my energy? Why do I feel so bad? Why am I so tired?

28:06
Right? unrealistic expectation? Yeah. They’re all it’s totally unfair. And it’s set up. Not I don’t mean this in a bad way at all. But men reset every 24 hours. Right? Exactly. So the system and the mindset of the collective Yes. Set to 24 hours when women need all that yes, space in between, like, you need the whole week of this and then the whole weekend, like, I would love to know how to set myself up for that. I can’t figure it out.

28:34
Okay, there’s an app. Oh, my Flo. Oh, okay. Which sound is f L? Oh, okay. But it literally notifies you when you enter a new phase, follicular, ambulatory,

28:48
whatever, that just gives you more grace, tell me like I am entering a week where I’m going to be more low energy. Yes. So maybe this is not the week to schedule a class that I need to teach 100

29:00
More because there is going to come a week where you are optimized for public speaking,

29:05
right? Yeah, your energy is at its high. It’s your social,

29:09
like you’re physically drawing people in. I work my work schedules around my cycle. That’s pretty amazing. So I blocked I don’t take interviews during like my low energy week, because I know what it’s like to drag myself through six interviews a week when I have no energy.

29:28
Wow. It’s very interesting.

29:29
It is and it gives you grace for yourself. It gives you permission to say this is my slow week. I am just going to clean house this week. I’m going to clean my email my office, I’m just going to like nest I’m going to naturally then take naps this week. And then next week, I’m gonna kill it. I’m gonna kill it. I’m gonna be back because I’m rejuvenate. Exactly. I love that.

29:53
I love that too. I’m all about taking the naps.

29:56
Me too. And there’s a time when there’s a week where I don’t need a nap you couldn’t Make me now, right? But then there’s a week where every second I get, I’m laying on the couch, right? And if I can plan for that, then it makes you not feel like you’re letting yourself down. And I think we’re focusing a lot on like the downside of it. But man, the upside of like, knowing the week that I am killing it, yeah. And stalking that week, right?

30:19
I look out at week like,

30:20
I just did this. Well, I

30:22
mean, it really it’s, it’s, that’s when I heard it on a podcast it was about as a productivity hack. That’s why they were trying to teach that particular so you do the things that you can do well, in that time, but it also makes me think back to the Australian story, you can get a lot done in a short period of time, if you plan for it. Yeah, exactly. I mean, I just can,

30:40
and, you know, even our business is so seasonal, that we’re coming off of a super busy summer. And I could call it quits for the rest of the year and be okay, right? I’m not going to because I don’t feel like starting it up again. And like, you know, all of that, but I’m not freaking out right now. When I’m don’t have as many pendings in the queue. I don’t have as many buyers as I did this summer, you know, I’m instead I’m like, Oh my gosh, I’m slowing down, I can breathe. I’m gonna clean out my database. I’m gonna follow up with these people I haven’t talked to in a while, like embracing that. It’s okay, that business has slowed down a little bit and taking advantage of the downtime instead of being like, oh my gosh, I’m never going to be busy again. And my business is over. But

31:27
you know what it is so much is the same thing. I’m just thinking about it. You have to trust the real estate cycle the same way you have to trust your own cycle your body, or your business,

31:37
the business cycle.

31:38
It’s going to come Yeah,

31:39
I mean, my my business is extremely cyclical. What time of year is busier for you? I’m busy beginning of the year, okay, like, slammed.

31:49
So for our listeners that don’t know, tell us about Yes, Magnolia Inc

31:53
is a branding and Website Design Studio. So I help people build more than just a logo, but a full established brand. That is web presence. Its social media presence. It’s um, it’s really everything you mean to launch into or relaunch into your business sphere successfully.

32:18
That’s awesome. And I can see how January would be that time and people like your business. Yeah, this is going to be my year I need to

32:25
January’s like our slow times, right?

32:28
Well in summer is slow for me. Because anybody that is going to be starting a business is home with their kids probably or it’s just like summer is super slow, which I am thankful for. Because I’m home with my kid, right? So you like the way it fell? Right? And so I pick up in August and I’m i I was gonna ask with with real estate being cyclical, which I didn’t realize it is do you take off? Do you block off time that you’re off?

32:50
We I take off either Saturday or Sunday?

32:54
No, I mean, like a chunk of time our whole like in the year are you Oh, like, do you take like a vacation that you’re not live vacation pretty regularly. Okay,

33:03
she’s good. I’m terrible. Okay. i We went on a three night vacation during the summer, and we’ll go again in October. I mean, if I was smart, I would plan for it and said in January when it’s slow, or even February, I mean, the real estate cycle doesn’t start to go up until probably March. Okay, January, February are the months when as a realtor, if you didn’t plan, you’re going to be lying. You’re not going to be having money for a vacation. Yeah, but if you planned it’s the perfect time. Perfect time. Yeah,

33:33
it’s the perfect to see I block off December the last three years. I don’t interview I don’t take clients. My birthday. We travel for Christmas. That’s fine. I take the whole month I can I realize that not everybody can do that. I take the last three weeks. So I’m open the first week. And then like everything is closed. And it requires but it’s kind of like what you’re talking about. I bust my butt from August to November, right? Yeah, I mean, I am like, yeah, boots on the ground the whole time to allow for a three week break.

34:09
Do you feel like that sets you up, though, for success? When you know your busiest time is coming? Like you’ve really done a serious rest? Yes,

34:16
I’ve done a serious risk. And because I’m not fielding existing clients, and I’m not interviewing for my podcast. I can therefore devote attention and time to marketing and to the administrative side of onboarding new clients. December end of December when I’m closed, I started they start to stack up so January starts to turn into like my next open date is April may look like I start to so I was booked through the summer, but it wasn’t onboarding new clients. Because nobody’s starting a bid and they’re not having the idea of oh, I need to brand this right but they got an idea in January and I didn’t have an open spot until June. Got gotcha, because I take one client at a time. Oh,

35:03
how long is a typical process with one client? Three weeks? Okay. That’s cool. Yes. Alyssa has been through the process. I have been through the process. I’m not gonna lie.

35:11
I sort of like and Katie was my mic. My my.

35:16
Are you? I don’t know. Just like, check this out. Yeah. Well,

35:19
I have not creative and I the thought of even telling you what I wanted in a logo. I couldn’t fill out the questionnaire.

35:28
I was just I was like, salivating as a questionnaire. Fine. Yeah,

35:33
I know. I couldn’t even type a sentence. And so it came out. I was like, What do I like? What do I Okay, there’s this house. I like maybe this house can be my logo. There’s a New Orleans agent who has a house has a logo, I love it. I’m just gonna like that. And I. I sent it to her and we made a house logo was terrible. It wasn’t bad. She was paid. And we were done. And I couldn’t. And she messaged me a week later and said, Alyssa, I just am not happy with your logo. I cannot even sleep at night. I painted after after just being your friend knowing you knowing your heart working on your website, all of that. I have made a logo that I think is your hand painted a tree. painted a tree.

36:26
Yes. And when she texted me that logo, I was like that is it. That’s what it was supposed to be the whole time. And I

36:33
was like, John supposed to be why couldn’t I verbalize this? Why don’t but it’s like you had you

36:39
had said you very specifically wanted it to be household. Okay. And then you didn’t want it to be a tree because you didn’t want people to think that it was like a gardening business. I

36:49
know. I was like, I’m not an arborist.

36:53
But, but that’s like the hardest part of my job is when you it’s hard

37:01
to give people

37:03
an example. You tell him what I wanted, but it was wrong. When I was telling you I wanted

37:09
was wrong. Well, you’re I

37:10
think you have to be a brand therapist. Yeah. Oh,

37:13
I’m a brand coach. Yes, yeah, yes. Well, I think your original color palette, I was like, this is horrible. I can’t, we can’t do this. And that was not because you are my friend. I’ve done that. Like my existing client is a physical therapist. And his like, I was like, No. Can’t do it. We’re not doing that doesn’t look good. So much like color psychology. And he wanted it to be like black and gold. We’re not the saints like, like, No. And now his color palette is like orange, blue. And like it’s really pretty gold. And it’s athletic. And it’s vibrant. And it communicates his heart of getting people out of pain and back into their athletic lifestyle. And I was like, just listen, listen to

38:01
me, this is why you hired me, right? So I get to know you and hear. So basically, you took what I told what I said, but you didn’t like you took what? You took all the things I didn’t say because I didn’t know how I didn’t know how to say who I was in my business and put it in a logo, which seems like so much pressure, and you’re paying money. So you feel like you need to be really invested in it. And then at some point, it’s like no, she’s the expert. I hired her. And at the end of the day after we were closed out done and paid for and you were like, you just texted me a picture of my now logo. I think I texted you.

38:37
It’s like hi, yeah, I did a thing

38:40
you did. And I’m sorry. But that’s not your logo. I can’t do it. Right. I think I’d literally told you I hated it. Yeah. And then you

38:52
texted it to her. And I was like, that’s that you said something

38:58
really funny. And that was very much like what she would have said, Oh, it was I was like, Oh no, like, I

39:04
love this so much. It’s stupid.

39:08
She was like Yes, and it’s funny because now I’m like now that it’s I’ve had it for several months. I’m like don’t like this Oh go this is exactly who I am. It’s clean. It’s simple. It’s fresh. It’s hand painted by my friend. And I still haven’t launched my website but I’m working on it like you know announce it or whatever but it’s perfect. And so much more goes into branding than a logo and I didn’t know that an iceberg Logo The logo is yes I think that the whole concept of branding yourself is somewhat newer agree it especially in the real estate

39:49
what’s new in the real estate world

39:50
okay kind of yourself in the in business right

39:55
but actual physical, right? Existing

39:59
that As usual, like consistency on your websites and your social media, and your email signature, and your documents,

40:07
all of it,

40:08
I mean, and what you choose to post like it was probably two years ago when I was like, I’m gonna give this Instagram like the good college try. I want to put more of like what I actually do every day out there. People are interested in kind of the behind the scenes of real estate, right? Like, why are we watching HGTV? Right, even though that’s not realistic, but we won’t get into that. And I really that my brand has evolved through what I have realized, I love that also resonates with the audience, which is so important that it’s both right. So it isn’t just the colors and the logo. And it’s like, what is my actual message? Like, right? Well, who am I as a person? Why does that work for me? And for whoever it is that does want to follow?

40:49
Are you the one that does all the blue? Yeah, navy, you do so well with that. Thank

40:54
you. So Well,

40:55
I think the person you showed it to me, I was like, Oh, she’s good. Yes, there it is back and it’s

41:01
not good. And it evolves. So like changes change. And it’s sort of like flows into the next thing.

41:08
I just changed my like podcasts like the I post Vaughn podcast every week, I just changed it. There’s nothing wrong with a very on brand store. very cohesive, yeah, but it’s just a little bit different. Because you evolve and you grow and you change and you learn what your audience like reacts to and is, you know, wants and is looking for and what and then you go into the logistics what gets reposted right what gets interacted with what are people sharing shareable content is so freaking important in social media, you know, and so that’s just a whole world.

41:43
I have just been impressed with your level of professionalism. You have your your work boundaries in place, you say no, when you need to say no, you are you have seasons, you time block, you have branding, you have consistency, like you’re just a really good example, that Realtors could implement because you’re doing a lot of things that realtors are not doing. And it’s things that we need. Yeah. That’ll make for a good video.

42:11
Yeah, we’re just

42:12
thank you. There’s so much I mean, as realtor as individual realtors, there’s not a lot of specific branding, we need to be better with our boundaries. We need to be better with our work hours. And the reason I wanted to bring Blake here is because she’s not in real estate. This is an entrepreneur, a mom, right wife. And in order for her to successfully run her own business, she has to self care boundaries. Be professional. Why would we be any different? Right? You know, why? Why do we why are we texting each other at 11? o’clock at night? Right? business stuff? business stuff, right? Like that’s ridiculous. No offense, but like, oh, ridiculous. Well, in your what other industry is doing that? Oh,

42:58
I think more than you think you think I think I do. I mean, I think teachers struggle with boundaries. I think my husband is in the automotive business. And there are days where I’m like, Hey, get off your phone. Yeah, you’re with your family. Yeah, I think it’s pretty rampant. I’m not saying that. It’s not like worse in the real estate business. Because I do think that y’all are very at your client’s beck and call. But I think that this is producing allows them

43:26
it’s a choice is the choice. Well, it’s because all humans have their work email on their phone.

43:30
Now. I don’t have notifications on my email. And that’s really good.

43:33
That’s awesome. You are the example. Yes, we’re gonna look to you.

43:37
My number one tip would be to turn take a week and turn notifications off on your phone. Okay, turn social media, not text and like calls but like turn social media or turn your email off. I don’t know if there’s like a

43:50
real estate anything that beeps on your phone or that shows up as a red badge.

43:54
Yeah, turn it off. I like that. And like set a time to check your email right right and knock it out so that like

44:02
you’re not just like, oh, red button let me go into my email right now just constantly

44:05
logged in did you’re constantly in like your body is doing fight or flight even though you may not be in distress. You’re, you’re working and so I mean, it’s funny because the day that we’re recording I’m actually doing the sounds so freaking annoying, but I’m doing like day in the life on my Insta Stories

44:27
because people asked for it. Which is nice.

44:29
Yes. Today Yes. Like today like okay, I’m doing like it we’d be in your Insta story when we’re done recording

44:38
as well like take a picture like this. Yeah, so like I ate AAA in my car in your driveway. Work to here and I was like, this is like so great. Like it’s weird what

44:50
they’re curious like, how are you really doing it? What’s the real truth? Right? Exactly. Don’t want the glamour fakeness

44:55
and I don’t remember why I brought that up now.

44:58
I don’t know boundaries. And you were telling us to turn the notifications notifications off. So like

45:03
I have, and again, this is the sounds like I’m tooting my own horn. I don’t mean to crap ton of notifications right now, right? Because people are eating it up there and telling you about my day. I don’t know why, but they’re not showing up on my phone. Now. Open Instagram, they’re

45:16
all there. They’re waiting for you waiting

45:18
for time. I can knock them out chunks at a time because my DMs are a dumpster fire most the time. And I just I publicly apologize for my inability to keep up with it. But like, I have, I wake up in the morning and eat my breakfast and drink my coffee and get my kids set up. And I sit at my computer and knock out a chunk of emails. Yeah. And then I get my kid on the bus and I take my kid to carpool for the little one. And then while I’m like, on my way, I listened to my podcast. And then when I get wherever I’m working, I knock out another chunk of email, right? And because it’s so it’s not constantly in my face. Yes. That wouldn’t be my challenge. That would be step one. I like ending with a child that

45:58
does a great tip. A great challenge. That’s perfect. The perfect place to end. That’s awesome. Oh, that was so good.

46:03
So at the end of every episode, we cheers and toast to somebody and to their success and to someone that’s just awesome. So we do want to hear about your successes, or if you want to nominate someone for us to toast to, but today

46:18
I’m so excited. I’m gonna cry though. Who

46:20
are we toasting to Blake, my

46:21
sweet bestest friend Jeanette Tapley who is the producer of hustle humbly. She is also the producer of Confessions of a crappy Christian. Yeah, she runs it’s time for coffee productions. She also has her own podcast, which is it’s time for coffee. She is the freakin best. She’s

46:41
amazing podcast guru. Like, I just she’ll answer every single question with joy and like, just so much exciting.

46:49
And I love that we have three podcasters here that have worked with her. Yes, yes. Yeah, Jeanette, it’s cheers to you, Jeanette.

47:00
And I’m gonna shameless pitch. She has a podcast course coming out. Oh, so if you have ever thought that you might want to start a podcast, go to her Instagram, and you can get all the information for it’s time for your podcast. Podcast course. That’s

47:15
awesome. Go check her out.

47:17
Okay, bio. Thank you so much for tuning in to the hustle humbly podcast. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at hustle humbly podcast. If you have an episode, topic or question please email us at hustle humbly podcast@gmail.com Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. See y’all next week.

47:43
This is the good lie.