Q & A with How to CEO Clients

Kris Plachy: Hey, I'm Kris Plachy, host of the Lead Your Team podcast. Running a million dollar business is not easy, and whether you are just getting started with building your team or you've been at this for a while, I'm going to bring you honest, specific and clear practices you can use. Right now today to improve how well you lead your team.

Let's go ahead and get started.

So thank you for being here. Sonya and Erica, what we're gonna do on this call is just chat about the how to c e o program. I also would love for you to talk a little bit about your business and your experience so that everyone watching has an idea of kinda what it was that made you say, yeah, I wanna do that.

So, um, Erica, you and I have worked together a little longer than Sonya and I, so you're, you did the Hadda c e O program and then you are now in the lab. So tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do and all the things. Yeah, so my name is Erica. Uh, I started a commercialization company. We help pharmaceutical companies launch their brands.

Um, so small startup pharmaceutical companies that aren't the big Pfizers and the Mercks of the world. Um, helping them set up processes in place to get important products out to patients. And so from a, I started the company because I believed in what I did. I love. The work. I love what I do. I think it, there was a moment where I realized I could do more if I hired more team members and we try to do, you know, more com help more companies.

Mm-hmm. Uh, what I didn't realize in that time is just how hard it is to manage people and manage teams and manage emotions. And so as much as I loved the work, I, I felt like I couldn't figure this out. And when I found your program, I just, it has changed my life. So there's that. It's changed your life.

Okay. Why has it changed your life? I think you've, you know, you can read books that talk about, you know, how to have hard conversations. You can read, you can watch podcasts, you can take classes in terms of, you know, the right way to manage. Here's how you format one-on-ones. I read them all. I've have stacks and stacks of leadership books.

I think the difference is the way that you teach. The team in terms of how to fundamentally set up your business. It's what I do for these companies, you help me do for my company, in terms of really outlining the structural foundation for us of the vision, the mission, our core values, and then laddering everything back to that so it wasn't emotional.

In terms of how to manage the team, everything was around what do we do as a company? What do we do as an organization? What are the things that we've committed to each other to do? And it's just changed all the conversations we've had, and it's also changed the way I react to situations as they come up with a team.

I just always just kept telling myself, you know, it's not rocket science. I don't know why I can't figure this out. And I've felt very like, inadequate. So here I am launching billion dollar brands, and then at the same time, feeling so inadequate and being able to see other women here going through the same thing.

You realize if I'm not broken, there's nothing wrong with me. Mm-hmm. Um, but I just needed these processes and it's just been, it's been really life changing. So good. I love all of that. I love the juxtaposition that you shared too, right? Like, here I am launching billion dollar brands and why am I losing my mind over this issue with my employee?

And that kind of thinking is really common. Like, I'm so good at this, and yet over here I feel so. Incapable. Yes. And I know that a lot of my clients before we start working together, kind of hide and like shame. Like somehow you should know better. Somehow you should just have this information. Or because you're, maybe, cuz you're a woman, you should be good at it.

I think a lot of women think that like, we should just be naturally good at this stuff. So I love just you being vulnerable and sharing that that's true for you. Okay, so zk, why, what do you do and why are you here? Hi. Hi, I'm Sonya and I, so I am the c e O of Affinity Residential Care and Affinity Care mn.

So I'm based in Minnesota and we have residential assisted living facilities. Mm-hmm. And we also do homelessness outreach. So in 24 hour care, what was it that made you say, yeah, I gotta do this? Yeah, so I did, um, do one-on-one coaching with Michelle, and so that was a little bit before I hit the seven figure mark.

Mm-hmm. And things were kind of, the wheels were kind of falling off. Yeah, just a little bit. Um, just a bit. And then like literally as two nights I was hitting like the, over the seven figure threshold, the wheels fell off. I only had two left and I was at my complete, like breaking point. I had ineffective team members, you know, I was like working out of.

My trunk, um, I was like, everything was just so unorganized and I had no clear vision and. Mission and I didn't really have clear values. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So I feel like it's hard. It makes holding people accountable and managing people tough when you don't have those values figured out. Right. It really does.

Mm-hmm. Um, so kind of what brought me to the program was of course doing the one-on-one coaching, but also just. Seeing that. Oh, okay. There's a camaraderie here. Like there are other female business owners, female founders, female CEOs who have the same issues that I do. Mm-hmm. Um, and then, yeah, I've just met some amazing.

Other CEOs that are just like doing so many boss things. So I love it. It is pretty empowering. Right, and, and you know, I'll say this about Sonya. I think Sonya takes the prize as being our youngest c e o ever. She just had a birthday, but doesn't, she still doesn't have a three. In front of her number.

She's a baby. But what's so fun is she's so successful already, right? She's not even in the threes yet. We've all sort of taken her also under our wing. So in addition to her getting coaching with me, she's got this gaggle of women who are managing her. I kind of feel emotional about it cuz it's kind of like, it's just this like amazing, like it's a mix of like a mother and sisterhood.

For you. The rest of us, it's sisters. For everyone else, it's more like sisters. But for me, since I'm the youngest, everyone has really like, showed me so much of, like I, I look at a lot of, you know, you guys and I'm like, wow, this is, this is gonna be me, like with the confidence and all of that. So I love that part.

So good. I love it. And you know, assisted living in the time of covid, that's no joke either. And so you really reaching out when you did was critical because this has been such a rough year, just in general, let alone learning how to manage and lead and grow the team, right. Deal with all those team issues.

Glad you're here. Okay, Rebecca. Hi. You know, uh, when you run your own business and shit doesn't go the way it's meant to go. I've had to jump onto my. Some zoom link. Oh God. Yeah. I saw William. I'm like, oh, that's Rebecca. Okay, so Rebecca, we, the first question I asked really was what do you do? And you know, kind of why are you here?

Why did you decide to do have a CEO e o you? You were just with this last, have a CEO group. Same with Sonya, and then Erica and I have known each other for a little over maybe about a year, a little less than a year maybe. I don't remember. I'm terrible. So . What do you do? Why are you here? We're, we're a real, we're real estate developers, so we buy old mill buildings in the northeast, quite large, like from a hundred thousand square foot to about 300,000 square foot.

We buy them environmentally contaminated, not very, it depends on what it is, zone them. Design them, build them out, and then hold them as rental. We used to send selling condos in the early nineties, but now we just do rentals and that's what we do. You know, we do real estate deals that just come across the desks.

Could be land, it could be, could be anything. Whatever we fancy or whatever. Mate's gonna make money at the end of the day. Yeah. Now, why did I come to the CEO program? I've been following you on a podcast. Mm. Initially, so I, you know, I was just looking, I'm like, oh, I like this woman. Just kept following.

Yeah. And then one of the big issues that I, I was gonna initially join it and I didn't, and I think the investment, it wasn't a financial investment that I was worried about. It was more that I was, why do I need this and why do I not know this already? This longing to the business. So I fought with that idea a little bit like.

Why are you going on a coaching course and you're meant to know this and you know all the things that swirl in your head. So that I had a big fight with myself for that. We actually just talked about that right before you hopped on. Oh, we did that. That is one of the more common things I hear and there's a lot of shame with that, right?

Like, I should know how to deal with this. This is shouldn't be over my head. Yeah. I'm so good over here. Listen. Look at me. I have cajillions of dollars in property. Yeah. Why can't I tell Tina? How to get over her attitude. Right. Or whatever. I'm not going, yeah, okay. Yeah. Anyway, yeah, but then I, then what really switched me to think it was, I was like, well, I came out of college and one of the things me and my husband decided from a coming outta college was, we are never gonna work for anybody.

So we've nev besides doing like the waitressing job in college and the odd jobs getting through college mm-hmm. We just made that decision very early on, like at 21, 22. So then I thought to myself, well, I've never really had a corporate or, uh, working for someone else training. Mm-hmm. I've just never experienced somebody tell besides college job, somebody telling me what to do in, in a career or in my job.

And then I thought, You've gotta forgive yourself, Rebecca, because you don't know. Yeah. But some stuff I just don't know. You know, we started off very small and we've just built this big business. And I've, we've relied on ourselves to teach ourselves. So then I just went, you know what? I need some training, I need some help.

I need some coaching. And then assigned. Yeah, that's brilliantly. I think that's really common cuz a lot of my clients are like, um, uh, experts in something. Right? They're like, Sonya's a nurse, right? And Erica, I don't know what your education is. What did you do? What did you focus on? Like marketing and mass communications?

There we go. Marketing and mass. So we get like our skillset and, but I would say more than a majority of my clients were or have been like doctors or physiotherapists or, yeah. They inherited a business from their parents or, right. So they didn't ever work in that sort of traditional. Environment so you don't have that to leverage.

I, that's great insight. Yeah, yeah. No, no. So yeah, I've really never been, no one's ever told me, oh, you need to do your spreadsheets like this, or you need, so really, in reality, I was thinking about this when I was listening to you on Instagram. I was like, God, we really are a little bit self-taught. Mm-hmm.

You know, so there are indis discrepancies in some things we don't know, or I choose, I've not been trained in. So I've just learned, we've learned as, you know, we've just developed this business and. That was my draw to that and that, and now I know, and well, well, somebody mentioned coaching a couple years ago, and I'm like, uh, like a life coach or any coaching, I'm like, what the hell is a life coach and why would I want one?

And I'm like, why would I want, I, why would I want someone to tell me how to run my life? And now I'm like, oh my God. Like, why can't, why don't you have one? Right. Well, how can you function without this? I don't know how people live without coaching, and that is not, I'm not even saying that because I'm a coach, like I have my own, I have a personal coach.

Yeah. And then I have a coach I work with to help me take care of my health. Yeah. And then I have seriously, I have a best girlfriend who happens to be the world's best life coach who I talk to several, twice a week. And I, anyway, I, I don't know how people get through a week without having someone listen to their brain and say, I don't listen to me.

This over here is a, no, I'm not an, it's really, it's really, it's actually interesting is. I mean, I just, I mean, I'm gonna join the c e o lab as well. I need to get on that as well. Yeah, you do. Yeah. But, uh, yeah, I'm like, yeah, now, now people ask me, I'm like, you haven't got one? What's wrong you? I'm like, why haven't you got one?

Oh, it's a must. Well, I have to tell y'all we met. I met Rebecca. I did some small group consults before the January group and I met her in that consult and Miriam was on the call and we both got off the call and slacked each other and we were like, please let Rebecca sign up, please, if nothing else.

She's such a ray of sunshine. She's so hysterical. And yesterday she was, we were doing in office hours and she was talking about something and she's like, I just wanted to tell our stuff. Being such a cheeky bitch, I know like everything is better with you on the call. So here's the. Yeah. That I think is so important because I know a lot of people don't know me.

They listen to my podcast. One of the things I hear a lot about people when they listen to the podcast is they like that. I laugh. Yeah. And the truth is, I, I do. That's one thing that tickles me about you as well. Sit here all alone laughing. Yeah. Which is funny. But we have a really good time. I think we have fun.

And you know what? Managing people sucks a lot of the. And so I do love that there's this place you could come and you could say O M G, right? What did somebody say today, Tanya? Someone said, doesn't she know like, That was the way they started the sentence Was that on the office hours this morning? Or maybe it was, was and Yeah.

They don't, doesn't she know that? No, she doesn't know. That's, no. That's why you have to know how to manage her. Common sense is not so common. No, it's not. And really managing is like a whole different job. Yes. You know, I, I'm like, oh my God, I need to speak to somebody about managing because I need to do my work and what we do, but.

Now you get into this management side. I'm like, oh God. Yeah. But what I love too, like we had a, um, I had a lab call today and one of the women who I've worked with for quite some time, she came to the call and she'd just taken a two week vacation and she said, and so then I came back, um, and there wasn't really anything for me to do.

So I took another vacation and took another week off. And then she said, and. I've actually made twice as much money this year as I did last year. We were laughing cuz it's stupid. It doesn't make any sense. But she said, you told me this three years ago, you said there will be this day where you'll be bored and you won't know what to do with yourself.

And that's to me what management buys you over time. Yeah, right. And I usually, you know, like the bigger your team. Hmm. The bigger the turn. Hmm. So if you've got five or six people, that goes faster. If you've got 18 people. Hmm. Right. I told someone the other day, she's 300 people. I'm like, that's 36 months.

Yeah. Are you in it for that long? Because then it's worth it. Yeah. And then I think another thing that really struck cord is on the hiring process. Maybe I've not hired yet, but one thing I, I've definitely learned is who not to hire. Mm. That's been key because prior to this program, I would've been like, yeah, you are God coming.

Mm-hmm. Oh God, that didn't work out. Oh, you are God coming. Mm-hmm. Now I, I'm realizing who not to hire. Mm-hmm. And wait for that right person to come. Yeah, inside all the other stuff we teach as well. But that, well, no, but I think, I think that's, you know, it's all, that's actually a question I was gonna ask you in the, in the time that we've worked together.

So Eric, I'll throw this to you. Like, what, what do you think has been kind of the most, um, I don't know. Potent, powerful, meaningful moment or learning that you sort of didn't expect either, like, oh, I, that struck me and now I you get to keep it, whatever that is. That's a great question. I, I'm not sure how to say it, but I, I think the, the biggest turning point for me and what.

I think has allowed me to accelerate my business so fast is by being able to take the emotion out of the conversations that I'm having with my employees. Mm-hmm. I'm not thinking about it all of the time. I remember like years ago reading a Harvard Business Review article and it said, you know, if you're a line in bed and it's 2:00 AM and you're thinking about your employee, like that's a problem.

Because the only person you should be thinking about at three in the morning is your husband or your kids, or, right, like family. The guideline next to you or the gal with you. Yeah. Like that's, yes. That's kinda who you should be thinking about it. Two in the morning if you, yes. Yeah. I'm thinking absolutely agree.

I wanna do this. They tell you compartmentalize, manage your emotions, and you're trying and you're trying and you're trying, but it is draining and it's still not at the core of the issue that you haven't managed. How you think about the conversation and how you think about how you're going to. Talk to them in reference to your core values or into your vision or your mission, your, it's still a very personal, because your business is personal.

You've built it and you care about it, and it is like your baby. Mm-hmm. And so everything feels very personal. And so like this course being able to change, like the paradigm shift for me of that conversation. Mm-hmm. Has this allowed my mind to free up so much space that now I'm thinking about. What are the subsets of my company?

I'm gonna build out? What teams do I need to have? What other new markets am I gonna go after? Like it's exciting again, and it's exhilarating again, versus this draining emotion of, I can't believe I have to have this conversation, or I'm still thinking about what somebody said, or, I mean, just all of it.

Yeah. Oh my gosh, that's so powerful. What I heard you say, if I could synthesize, is when you learn how, right, when you learn these mechanisms of leading and managing without being so attached, you drop lag. And drive. Yes. Right. Because it slows you down when you're afraid to talk to them or don't know how to say it, or resentful of their behavior.

All the things, all of that creates like I imagine like a parachute behind you, slowing you down either emotionally, energetically, or even just literally physically because you haven't advanced something. So that's super powerful and insightful and I, that's one of the things that I've always liked about.

The, you know, the teachers I learned from, that I now share with you over the years, many, many years ago, is that I can love you deeply and care for you deeply and think fondly of you and respect you as a human and not manage you from my emotional state, and that that's actually the best gift I can give our relationship as employee and leader.

And that my emotion isn't, your job is my employee to make me feel good and vice versa. It's our job to get the work done, but I can love you and still tell you that was a terrible job. Right. And not, not feel like I'm being mean. So I'm glad you said that because I think a lot of people think those are oxymorons.

Like the only way to actually hold people accountable and deal with performance issues is to be a jerk. And I, I love that you, I love that you're seeing like, cuz you're, you really are self-identified also empath, right? Mm-hmm. Which means that you really feel what other people feel and that just makes this even more heavy as you, if you don't learn how to manage that.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Thank you. Sonya, what are your thoughts? I, um, something came to mind too, like, one thing about the program that I do love are the guest experts. Mm-hmm. Like, I mean, just epic. Come on. Yeah. Seriously. Come on. Really. That's like my, like one of the favorite parts of this program. But I do also wanna say that something that, like an aha moment that I had was that, I can be picky.

Mm. Like I can be picky. I can be particular. Mm-hmm. And I can have expectations. Mm-hmm. And not feel bad about it. Mm-hmm. You don't have to tolerate stuff. I don't have to tolerate anything. And like that was like, you know, just from my like kind of immature behavior seeping in like from the past, like people pleasing and passive aggressiveness, I find myself being a lot less passive aggressive.

Good. So it's just waste time. It's a waste of time. Yeah. And that is something that I will say that was impacted by this program. Mm. Like, okay, my expectations are high. Yeah. They're, my expectations have always been high. I've just never been able to communicate that correctly. Mm-hmm. Well, that's what I say, right?

Like, no one has, there are no expectations that are too high. All we have are expectations that we haven't clearly defined and explained, so then they can feel high. But if I tell you exactly what I want, then it's up to you. It's yes or no. Yeah. It's up to you if you're, if you're gonna do, and if you're not, then I, okay, so somebody will.

Mm-hmm. And I've fired two people since starting this program. Mm-hmm. Important people. I could never fire. Someone just like that. Mm-hmm. Like I have to be 100% honest. I'm like such a worm. Like I was You're a nurse? Uh, yeah. I'm a nurse. Love all the people. I love all the people. And I was like falling apart.

It was eating me alive and so I was able to terminate. Mm-hmm. Like. Look at her face, I would say Terminate. Terminate. I like, yes, you were. Um, it's not an employee's job to save you either. Yeah. Right. And that's this dynamic We get into sometimes this dance of like, well, they, I need them. And so I have to tolerate that because I need them.

And we just did this unhealthy dynamic when. You're gonna be fine. I talked to somebody yesterday who's like, well, if that doesn't work out, then I'm gonna have to do their job for a while. I'm like, yeah. But you'll be fine. I could have never imagined that. Right. I could not have imagined that before.

Mm-hmm. With everything you think, like with everything going on, that's not a possibility. Mm-hmm. But like after it's done, it feels so fresh. Yeah. And so clear and so, yeah. It feels amazing. And then when you hire someone, right, like you've hired someone recently and you hire them with your expectations and what you want to achieve with your business, and now you're like, oh my gosh, they're amazing part of it because you're clear about what you want from them and they know how to, they know how to deliver.

Um, another thing I wanted to talk about too is that, um, just like she said, taking me out of it is the owner. Mm-hmm. As the founder, as the, you know what I mean? Like, if you affect it or if you don't do things in alignment with the vision of the company, you are disrespecting me. Mm-hmm. And that's not the case.

So that, that was huge for me and that really like, Made a turn in my, in my thoughts. And then, yeah, Chris has so many good quotes, like I just have to like write stuff down. So many good quotes. I never remember anything I say. It's a good thing it's all recorded because, yeah, I don't know. It's all good. So much fun.

All right. Rebecca, over to you or William? No, I, I would dovetail a lot what, uh, Erica and Z are saying. I think taking the personal aspect out of the decision, some of the decisions and how you deal with your staff is so important. I mean, cuz relatively, these are our babies, aren't they? We've grown them from.

Being a little baby, and now they're adults and they don't need to be taken care of in the same way as we did before. Mm-hmm. So I think that's been a, for me, really now, I, I approach a lot of things, a lot more calmer. Mm-hmm. You know, if I have a pro, like yesterday I went and dealt with my gu who told me I should do it myself.

And I took it in a very, I took it in a very way different approach. Then I would've been like, well, this is just the way I want it done. And that's just it, you know? Now I'm just, I, I, I try and step by step my, the suggestions you say, and I just find, I find more relief in it. Yeah. I just find a lot more relief in myself and just a lot more, you know, This is not too bad.

I can do this. And if the outcome is the outcome, I'm okay with that outcome as well. Mm-hmm. Rather than like, oh my God, if she walks away, I'm gonna be screwed. No. I just deal with it in that way. You've talked us and I'm, it's, and the outcome is better anyway. And I feel better and I'm, I just feel more in control without that emotional stuff coming out.

That's what always is the hardest part because when we react out of that emotion, then we know we show up in a way we don't love. And then there's a re, there's like a rebound from that or a boomerang. Yeah. And what's cool, and it's a great example, right, is that's one of the values of the office hours, is I do enough of those that you can come, if you do have a thing that comes up in your work that day, come to an office hour.

So we'll talk through. Right. And then I think expectations, you know, but leveling up the expectations slightly as well. Mm-hmm. Is definitely, definitely worked for me. I'm not just gonna put up with. Shoddy work. You know, it, I, I just want it done the way it's meant to be done now. You know, and just really setting them expectations out so they know.

And really probably that was, I think, the key thing that I've, one of the major things I've, there's a lot of major things, but another thing is, is really checking myself as a leader. Hmm. You know, and really what am I doing wrong? And in the reality? In reality, if I was true to myself, I'd probably. I've not done a, not done a lot of things right.

And not expressed myself correctly or not being clear. Mm-hmm. So I'm really taking onus of all that as well. Yeah, I agree. I think that Chris is like, I. There is no other forum where you have somebody that you come to the meeting feeling like they're truly appear. Everyone else works for you. Yeah. So it's very lonely and there isn't anyone who can actually check you to, you know?

Mm-hmm. For me, one of the things you had said, kind clear is kind. Like, be clear. Tell them what you're asking for. And you also helped me get this idea around, well, wouldn't, shouldn't. They know this, this, even just saying that, you know, we've done it the other time, so wouldn't they think that we would just do it the same way again?

And they don't. It's not something that stays with them. And so then it's this perpetual disappointment every day that your team lets you down when really it's me that hadn't said anything to them. And it wasn't until I had calls with you where you asked questions. Like, well, how did you communicate?

What did you, did you ask them to do? Did you tell him when you wanted a gun die? No. You know what I do now? I have this little thing on my shoulder. Ooh, I gotta go and ask my boss that. And, and I think I said it out loud once. Right. Yeah. And my sales, my rental person goes, who are you talking about?

Rebecca went, oh, Chris, you don't know her.

It's a little bit of wisdom on your shoulder, but that's, I mean, ultimately that is the goal I have for everybody is. And I don't, I stand on the shoulder of giants too. So like everything I know is through my own experience and I have the benefit of working for some really terrible, but also really amazing leaders.

And so, you know, I think we're in an, I've taught, I get on my soapbox a little bit, but I really do think we're in a very evolutionary phase of leadership right now, and leaders who can. Create spaces for people to thrive without. Playing to the lowest denominator or the lowest vibrational level of human behavior.

But holding it up here like, no, no, no, no, no, no. Come on up here. I can hold it, but I'm going to create the space and show you what it looks like. I think that's how we change the world and we change the production of the world and we change engagement, and we change performance, and we change how much money people make, all the things.

So I love that it's all landed. Okay, I'm gonna wrap up, but I have one more question. Because this is what always is the thing, right? It's not, it's not a drop in the bucket. I asked this on the Instagram the other day, right? Like, you're spending some money to do this program and it's not buying you leads, and it's not buying you customers and it's not right.

So like why? Why invest in this kind of work? When you, you might have also competition for your dollars to buy to help you with marketing or to help you with revenue or to help you with it or whatever. So what are your thoughts? I invested in this is, as I said before, I thought I knew everything. I realized I didn't.

I think it's a great investment in you as a person and I'm really a, a woman as I'd rather invest in you. Than a new bag or a new pair of shoes. Because as you mature and get older, you start to realize that investment is so, so important. And I think we as women, I was actually in a meeting not long ago, they want me to join a really a group and I'm like, we as women, we.

We tend to shy away from the investment in ourselves. Yes. We think it's, it's not important. Yes. And it's, and to me it's really at the top of my ladder, at the, at the moment. Love it. And carrying forward, it's gonna be at the top. I just think it's a great program. You've taught me so much. Uh, I talk about you so much, Chris.

People go, well, can we get Chris to come? I'm like, oh, Alaska, Alaska. I'm right. If they all sound like you, I might be there, but yeah, I'll come to New York, so I'm gonna see you in person in a couple months. Oh, yeah. Great. So I just think, I think it's worth every single penny and the time and the value you give.

I, I don't think, I mean, I was even thinking this the other day. The amount of value and time we get, we get with you. I was going to assume it is like once a week and now I'm like blown away. Uh, how many time, well, how many times I've had to miss because I can't make it, but blown away by when I've needed something or I wanna jump on it's, it's either alive or there's a recording.

Yeah, I can always catch up. I think there's just, I think the value is really priceless. Well, thank you. And that's, that's a goal for me because I love what I do. So there's a lot of platforms, a lot of environments where you can go and you don't really get the founder person anymore, which is fine. I don't, I don't begrudge anybody that, but that's not the business I have any interest in creating.

To the extent that I can continue to support the way that we do this, I will, because I listen. I don't understand why I get paid to do this. I think it's ridiculous because I get to hang out with gorgeous, amazing, smart people all day. Like why wouldn't they do that? And I just love all the women on the program as well.

Yeah. I know it. I, I will give myself a lot of props. I attract really amazing people. Seriously. I, there isn't one person I wouldn't go like on a weekend vacation in Tahoe with, like, they're, everybody's super fun, interesting, thoughtful, honest, supportive, all of it. Yes, I have, I have a few things to say.

Okay. Because I forget things all the time, so I have to write things down. You do it. Uh, okay. So, um, when we went to Hawaii mm-hmm. That was, she came to the Hawaii retreat, which I came to the Hawaii retreat, which was offered. Within this program. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Which was invaluable. So me and another, uh, one of the amazing CEOs, Mary, we were having a conversation and we were just talking about how, like, I feel like through this program, like in this program, like there's nothing that's gonna come.

About mm-hmm. That I can't handle. Mm-hmm. Absolutely. Like there's nothing that's gonna happen in this business that can't be figured out all over my body. Like, and that is like, 100%. We like had a very deep conversation about that at dinner because I feel like the tools that I've learned in this program have really set me up for success.

It's something that it's not only a professional shift, but it's also a spiritual shift. Mm-hmm. And so, because I've had that spiritual shift mm-hmm. Like there's no money in the world that. That can, you know, that you can buy that with Yeah. So also, yeah, I, I just simply could not have seen myself make the moves that I've made and I've made more money.

So since joining like this program and like all of the, you know, different things that I've learned, I've made triple, you know, of what the investment is like. Their ROI is not a joke. Yeah. That's so good. I'd love to hear you say that because I think a lot of people investing in themselves doesn't make sense like on paper.

Yeah. Um, and I don't sell that. You make more money cuz I, I don't, but every single one of my clients does end up making more money and in most cases a lot more money. Because when a lot, you're cleaner and you're better. It's amazing what can happen. So, I'd love that you said that. And I, I wanna echo something Rebecca said because this is really interesting.

I used to coach guys. I don't so much anymore. Men never think twice about spending money on themselves when it has to do with business. They don't even think twice about it, and women are always like trying to justify. The, the whole thing. It's so fascinating. So don't do that. It's the last thing I have to say, Chris, um, before Erica goes is, um, yeah, so I, I was talking to my boyfriend about signing up for the lab and he was like, that's an a no-brainer.

Like, he was like, that's a no-brainer. I was like, I never said it was a brainer, but he's like, cause I like this. So whoever, whatever's happening here, can we, yeah. And he came to Hawaii too, and he saw that like, aw, I was just spicy. Like I, like I loved it. And um, yeah, he was just like, there's, this is invaluable.

Like I've seen such a, a transformation in you since you've invested in. This program in you. Mm-hmm. And this is really an investment in myself, in my professional and spiritual development. Mm-hmm. And I cannot thank you enough. Oh, I will. Like everything you do will always be so deeply rooted in my heart.

Like, yeah. Okay. I'm speechless. So Erica, how do I follow that? Um, it's true though, honestly, Chris, I, you know, the first program to go through, um, before I went into the lab, there was a lot of thinking behind that in terms of. Does this make sense for me? I feel like I'm doing all of the things I've set up, everything I've needed to set up, I just have to figure this out.

And there is that feeling of, I should have already known how to figure some of these things out. But I would say to anyone who's considering this program like this should be the same thing as you get. Uh, accountant. As you get an email address, as you have a website, this should just be a fundamental piece.

If you are running a business, you should be investing here because it doesn't matter the size company that you have. If you don't figure this piece out, it will drag you down. As you get bigger, it just becomes a bigger problem. From an ROI perspective, it's true. I think by teaching me how to put processes in place in, we're such a custom business where we come in and we really tailor to the clients so it doesn't feel like it can be automated.

I didn't think it was possible, but it is possible, and by allowing my team to do more, I can now do more and help more. I will also say, when I thought about the moving into the lab, it was the same thing that you just shared around. The best compliment I've ever had is, you know, Erica, you've always been such a leader.

Your passion is clearly there. You love what you do. You pull us with you. We're here because you're so passionate about what we're doing, and we're clear about the mission, but now there's leadership with substance because it's that huge. Huge. That's brilliant. Like we were following you because we believed you, but now this is like, there's this depth to you.

That's gorgeous. How lovely. What a lovely compliment. That's wonderful. Yeah. Well, I am always just so incredibly grateful for you, for your time. You are. All collectively running cajillions of dollars in business. So I know you're busy and you have a lot on your plates, and so you taking the time to do this, both just to share with me, but also with other women like you who will have an opportunity to see this just on everyone's behalf.

Thank you. And it is my honor. To work with you. I feel very blessed every day that I get to wake up and sit at this white chair, talk to people all over the world. But my goal is this coming year, once we're all vaccinated and we can do things, I'm gonna start doing some, I don't know, live events or coffees or cocktail hours around the WO country.

Wouldn't that be fun? I have visions. I have visions of hugs everywhere. I can't wait. So, all right. Thank you for being here. I'm super grateful. One more thing before you go. In a world of digital courses and online content, I like to work with my clients. Live because I know that when you have someone you can work with, ask questions of and meet with, you're so much more likely to get the success that you want.

So head on over to how to ceo live.com to learn more about our very exciting, very exclusive program just for female entrepreneurs. We'll see you there.