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Well, you know what that means it’s time to expose the money lies. Let’s get started. Well, it’s October and this month, we are talking about freedom. And one way that I created freedom in my business was by hiring a VA. Now, when I started using a VA, it was before I thought I was ready, I didn’t think that I could afford it. I didn’t think I had the money for my business. But really a lot of the things that I’ve done in my business have I’ve done before I was ready. And as an entrepreneur, you have to do a lot of things before you’re ready. I think if you can, if you feel completely prepared, then chances are you have over prepared. And that comes from scarcity mindset. So many times thinking it’s not good enough or shooting for perfection. 

 I just want you to notice how you’re preparing and how you’re moving forward. And if that is actually slowing you down, to get to a point where you feel prepared. I know that was the case for me. And a lot of this will depend on your risk tolerance, the more risk averse you are, the less freedom that you will probably have in your business, because you’ll want to feel certain before you move forward. And that can actually hold you back. You can test the waters and go slowly, but at some point, you do just have to go. Now you can also learn to push the boundaries gradually. And when you do that, you’ll actually find out what you’re capable of. And that is what will give you more freedom. Now as I said, I hired a VA before I thought I was ready. I also hired a coach before I thought I could afford one and that move my business forward. I’ve launched new programs before, before I felt ready and that move my business forward. So when I push the boundaries when I do things before I’m ready, it generally does move my business forward. 

 So I pushed the boundaries. When I hired a VA before I thought I could afford it. And it was a decision that moved my business forward. So today I’m having a conversation with my VA Lynda Carlini. She’s my online business manager. I call her my VA but she’s actually on my business manager she graduated she promoted herself by getting a certification since I started working with her. And she’s the founder of Aqua Blue Virtual Services. Lynda is a Certified Online Business Manager. She enjoys helping female coaches and solopreneurs get back their time and grow their revenue by streamlining their processes. She founded Aqua Blue Virtual Services, say that 10 times fast in 2018. After 16 plus years helping her husband run his construction business. She really longed to make an impact while having the freedom to spend more time with her family. And she found that she loved to strategize with business owners and help them improve their systems, automate tasks and really get more done be more productive. She loves knowing that she’s making an impact every day helping business owners reach their goals and grow their businesses. She lives in sunny Florida lucky with her amazing husband and her three awesome kids that have grown up way too fast. She says her family is her number one pride and joy and she enjoys spending every minute of her free time building memories with them. Her mission is to make more time for other business owners so that they can enjoy making memories with their families and growing their revenue at the same time. So Linda and her family spend a lot of their time on the lake at the beach or in the past year with their horses and cattle. So I want you to enjoy this fantastic conversation that I have with Lynda. 

 Hey Lynda, thanks so much for coming on the podcast. I love that you’re here. I can’t believe that I didn’t think of this before.

 Yes! So happy to be here today and I love chatting with you every week anyway, so it’s good to be able to be on the podcast this week.

 Yeah, that’s awesome. So I always Ask my guests, because I’ve read the formal bio. But you know, that doesn’t always tell us everything that we need to know about you, as the person living your everyday life doing the daily things in your business. So tell me a little bit more about who are you really? Who is Lynda, the person?

 Oh, that’s a really good question. Dig a little deep there. So, um, me as a person, I guess it would kind of go back to what my, what my core values are, why I’m doing what I’m doing and what my purpose is, right? So first and foremost, my family is my most important piece of my life. And I feel like everything leads to them, everything that I do is because of them. And so it starts with the things that I do in my business, making sure that I am there for my family all the time. And I really feel like I want to make that possible for other people in their businesses as well. And so I think that’s where I would say, definitely family is my first value, always. And then I fall into impact because I want to make a difference in other people’s lives. And it can be either that they are serving their clients and making an impact in their lives as well. So I feel like I, I can reach even more in that aspect. But yeah, I just, I was kind of stuck. About five years ago, I wanted to do more, and I didn’t feel like I was doing enough. And so this is where I’ve really found my zone where I can help people get out of the overwhelm. And I just I love, like just figuring things out how I can improve things and get people back to, to loving their businesses and enjoying that freedom to be with their family, and doing the things they enjoy. Because we only have this one life to live, and we’ve got to be able to enjoy every minute of it that we can. And so being able to go off and spend time with my family on the water or in our pasture with our cows. That’s, you know, my happy place. Yeah, that’s me.

I love it. Yeah. And you said, um, I mean, what a lot of what you said is, you know, how we ended up working together. Because when I was, you know, in overwhelm in my business, you know, I came to start my business with some of the same core values, I had retired from my corporate job. And so I definitely wanted a life that was more free than what I was working in my corporate job, which, you know, my corporate job was my life at that point. And, you know, my husband had retired around the same time, and so I wanted time to spend with him. So when I started my business, I had no intention of working full time in my business. And so I had to make some decisions, when there were things to do, that went outside of those boundaries that I set for the amount of time I wanted to spend in my business. And so finally, you know, for a long time I lived with the money lie, that you know, well, I have to be making money before I hire somebody, or I have to be making a profit before I hire somebody. In the same thing, you know, I believed for a long time, like, you know, I can’t hire a coach until I’ve figured my business out. So some of those same money lies that I believed and what I finally decided is that I don’t care I am getting help with this. 

 And what I learned from that was that it actually gave me the freedom to build my business and until I made those decisions until I got a coach until I got a VA to help me You know, my husband was already helping me with the accounting piece until I did those things until I gave myself permission to give myself a support team you know, until I did those things, I didn’t start building my business so once I gave myself the permission to create a support environment, a supportive environment for myself, I was able to do those things and you took so many things off my plate that freed me up to do what I love doing and that you know what I’m best at which is coaching and which is you know, helping people who need coaching and talking about coaching and talking about the value of coaching and talking about the money aspect of our business and and the mindset aspect of our business. So what do you find? Are the are the challenges that when people first hire you? What what are some of the the biggest challenges that they have? either in hiring you? Or? What are the biggest challenges that you sort of relieve for them? Yeah, so it definitely starts with very, are probably most of my clients, I would say doing everything, they’re doing all the things like they don’t have anyone else to delegate to, and they don’t even know even how to start delegating. So it’s kind of like, you know, you just push forward, right? 

 That’s why you’re such a successful entrepreneur anyway, because you just get it done and do what you need to do. But that’s where the hard piece comes in, I think with a lot of my clients is they have to learn to let go of some of the things. And they also have to figure out what they need to let go. And that’s where the freedom comes in with, oh, you know, you open up this space, and you’re delegating these things to your VA or OBM. And it’s like, oh, I can really focus on this, that I really enjoy doing that I’m at my best that instead of spending hours trying to even figure out how to build this page on my website, or how to make this edit in my CRM, or you know, any of these things. And so yeah, just really that first step of letting go and learning to delegate and then I kind of helped pull out you know, things to delegate Oh, and you know, you’re doing this, do you really need to be doing this? That’s a question, you need to ask yourself, Is it really something that you have to be in? And so just those little things, kind of get things moving? to help them, my clients step into their freedom?

 Yeah, yeah, you’re almost like a coach to me sometimes. You know, I feel like one of my superpowers for my clients is asking very powerful questions. And sometimes you come with some pretty powerful questions that I had never considered, you’re like, well, what are you doing about this? or How are you doing that? And I’m like, Oh, I hadn’t even thought of that, you know, that’s something that you could do. And so that has been, I mean, um, you know, everything that I’ve learned from you has also, you know, been such a great tool to move my business forward, because you’re not only a great resource for the things I know, that I wanted to delegate to you, but also things that I hadn’t even thought of to do in my business that maybe need to happen. And so yeah, because I mean, we’re gonna set out on a on a huge project, you and I in 2022, to kind of get a lot of systems and structure in place in my business, because as I scale I’m going to need those things to help me continue to be successful without burning out in my business. So good. So I heard about that, too.

 Oh, yeah, I’m sure you are, because you get like super fired up when it comes to systems. So tell me a little bit like where does that come from?  Oh, gosh, you know, so I guess it’s just my my natural personality. I’m my Colby I’m a nine on the information, I love to pull in all the information. So nine out of 10 is super high. So like I love all these details in I am. I guess my numbers 9615. And Colby actually say I’m a strategic advisor. So I like to look at things and decipher, like how I can improve them. And so it’s just, it comes easy to me. And I’ve learned that just because it’s easy for me doesn’t mean it’s easy for everyone else. So I’ve really dove into that this year, because it’s just something I’ve done. I’ve helped my husband with his business, you know, just I need to do it. And he needed help. And so I just figured things out. And I had three little kids at home that I was you know, raising, so I need to find an efficient way to do it. So it’s just yeah, I guess yeah, I’m just really honing in on my natural strengths. And yeah, I don’t know. It’s just it’s weird that I like to, you know, figure things out like that.

 Yeah. You love all the little details, which is not what I love, which it makes it makes it makes this a perfect, perfect relationship, perfect working relationship is that, you know, and I don’t ever feel guilty about giving you something because I know that that would be like somebody giving me you know, sending me somebody to coach you know, it’s my superpower. So it’s actually a blessing, to get That you get to do that work. And so it’s hard for me to imagine. But, um, but yeah, but giving somebody what they’re really good at and what they enjoy doing for work is is actually a blessing and not what is not a burden.

 Exactly. It makes me feel fulfilled that I’m, you know, making my impact in that way. What I’m what I’m good at. So definitely never a bad thing. Yeah, so I’m wondering, I mean, you’re, I think you’re familiar with my concept of money lies, it’s just basically limiting beliefs that keep people stuck or hold people back. Now, when it comes to either people hiring a VA or when it comes to people. You working with the VA and maximizing that relationship in that resource? What are some of their limiting beliefs, maybe when it comes to technology systems, processes, or even just the hiring of VA or maximizing their relationship with you? 

Alright, so I would start with an OBM. Sorry, we started as I hired you as a VA and then you became an OBM I still call you a VA, even though you’re in OBS. So sorry. Sorry, to demote, you know, it’s all good. We’ve grown together, right? So yeah. Yeah. So and, and it applies for both, because really, you start out with the VA, you grow into an OBM anyway, so it kind of we’ll talk about both of them and and whenever you start with the VA, it would kind of you would, I guess the first limiting belief is thinking that you’re not at the level yet that you need a VA, that’s like the first piece to step over it. Because you always second guess yourself, you’re like, Oh, well, if I can do these things, why am I going to have someone else do these things. And so I think that’s the first limiting belief is really getting over that, that you need that support system in your business to get to the next level, otherwise, you’re going to kind of stay stuck at that beginning level, and you can’t grow.

 So if you continue to do the things that you can do, just because you can do them, then you’re not going to give yourself the freedom to do the things you are best at. Which is exactly what will help you grow. Is that what I’m hearing you say? Yes, that is exactly right. Because I mean, we all have the same number of hours in the day, and where are you focusing that time? Is it in that zone, that you are most efficient and your best self that that you’re really serving your clients the best that are you spending half of your day trying to do all this backend work, that’s not even moving the needle needle forward in the sense of making an impact with your clients is just stuff that has to be done to get to that point. And yeah, it definitely it gives you that freedom to open up more space. And it says, even though it does, it is an investment. And I won’t say it’s a cost, it’s an investment whenever you work with a VA, and so it is an investment. 

 But that investment does give you an ROI. As far as is helping you get you to where you have more space, you’re enjoying the things that you’re doing, and you are working with where you could work with more clients even because you have more space to bring on those clients, or connect with them. Because all those pieces kind of flow together. And and Yeah, definitely. getting past that first step is is hard to think about because it is an investment. But whenever you can compare it with what your return of your investment is, then yeah, it pays off.  Yeah. And I can definitely see where, you know, I I thank myself all the time for making that decision to, you know, just jump in and hire you. Because it has an I didn’t even realize truth. Truth be told, I didn’t even recognize it because it’s easier to see when you’re in pain than when you’re absent of pain. And so I didn’t realize the pain that I was absent from until I really intentionally thought about, okay, yeah, what would it be like? What would my business be like today if I hadn’t hired Linda to do all of the stuff that she’s done for me from, you know, creating my my landing pages, my sales pages, posting my blogs, and then my podcast and, you know, running the reports for me and, you know, at one point you were doing all of my social media and Like I can’t even list all of the things that that you do for me because I don’t ever think about I don’t miss them at all. And yeah so um yeah and that really did create so much space for me to go out and start talking to more people and start creating those relationships and start thinking about what do.

 I want my business to look like and how do I make it look like that right all of that freedom all of that margin that I created and it was an investment because and the way I distinguish between an expense and investment expense is something that you don’t have future benefit from right but working with you has created future benefit for me because I am learning the things you know from you because you work with other business owners right and you’ve done things that I haven’t yet done in my business so I’m actually learning from you which does create future benefit and not only that, but it creates future benefit in the things that you know how I get to grow my business because I have you on the team and and have you working hard for me and bringing me different ways that I can make my business more efficient the different ways I can structure things to make it easier make it less painful all of those things so definitely an investment definitely an appreciation in value and great appreciation for what you do from here and all that because yeah that’s what like I want to partner with my clients I don’t just want to be you know get stuff done like I want to partner with you and really help you grow and so it’s it’s great to hear that you feel that way yeah, yeah and it’s exciting when I you know, bring the winds and the the you know, like what’s causing me pain right now because of you know what, how I’m growing and you know and working with you to kind of brainstorm solutions for those things that that’s really it’s nice to have somebody to bounce that those ideas off of and get your intake input because you always think of things that I haven’t thought of you know you always take into consideration like the entire process whereas I might not always think things all the way through we’ve had that happen before I know so how do you overcome some of those limiting beliefs with with your audience or even with the clients that you are working with so that they feel comfortable growing and increasing the work that you do for them.  

 So really to help them get over that limiting belief of thinking that they can do everything and and even like they might think oh this task or that task but really getting into it a little bit deeper and and having that first meeting with them and really going over everything they’re they’re doing like how they’re doing this and what all the little pieces of their business that they don’t see because you know they’re in it every single day and so that’s you know having that meeting and really is like a strategy session you know we’re kind of diving deep and and getting to know each other and what our possibilities can be and so once we can have that and I can learn more about a business because every business is different every business owner is different so the way I serve them is not going to be exactly the same because I do want a personalized approach with each of my clients and so that’s like really the key is digging in a little bit deeper during a strategy session and and getting to know those pieces and that’s how I can help I guess.  

I learned what their their zone is like what they like doing and what you know they don’t like doing and what they’re doing that could be improved and so we kind of start from there and I I don’t want to wait just and wait for somebody to give me something either so I that’s why I feel like those meetings and meeting regularly is important because if I’m just sitting here you know waiting on you to give me something I feel like that’s more work for you anyway because you know you’re having to figure out what can I give there next where whenever we’re having Yeah, you know, chat about together and get it you know, so it’s easy to delegate it’s like I think that’s again that’s the hard part is learning what to delegate so Yeah, before I would start, give people an example or you know a few examples of all of the different. I mean, you do so many things, obviously, you can’t list them all here. But some of the biggest things that you help people with and what you’re offering in your business,

Yeah, oh, I love this because I do I, I want to focus on my zone of genius as well, which is the systems. And so that’s why I created my group program, which is the systems for freedom accelerator. And so in my group program, I actually, it’s a hybrid, kind of like, you have training videos to do things. But then we have group sessions, where I’m kind of coaching you through and answering questions and helping you build up or it could be your VA, if you know you or you have someone on your team that doesn’t really know a lot about systems and you need systems, which every business does, by the way. So I figured well  the way I can serve more people is by creating this group program and kind of guiding them through the process. So they don’t feel lost and overwhelmed. Because I know systems are, you know, big scary things that people don’t like, even want to think about, especially when most my clients are creatives and that they don’t work with that side of their brain like that it’s not, they don’t think about you know, the processes or anything, they just want to get the point B and skip point A. So it’s a matter of, you know, me just being there to guide them through and make it simple. I don’t want to overcomplicate anything. And I think whenever things are over complicated, you’re just not going to do it. So. So yeah, so that’s why I created my group program. 

Because I really,  I like said, I want to serve more and be able to help people get those systems in place, I do offer one on one support as well, to create those systems. And then I have also started growing my team to where I can actually support more at the VA or OBM level of clients. So where I’m more of the strategy piece of it and meeting with my clients and pulling everything out, like we talked about, but I do have people on my team to help me accomplish everything, because I was definitely maxed out to where I couldn’t help any more people efficiently because I have such a high quality of you know, outcomes that I like to provide my clients and so, so yeah, so I definitely, when it comes to getting the overwhelm out of your business, there’s a few different ways that I can partner with you to make that happen. And so yeah, it makes me excited. Like I said, my goal and started my business was making an impact in other business owners lives. And so I really feel like I’ve gotten there. And I feel like, you know, I just want to keep going and helping more people. So I’m just pivoting a little bit to add a little more to it.

Yeah, cool. So what was one of the questions that I like to ask every guest is what was the money lie that you had, at some point? Oh, this is you’re growing your business.

This is This is tough. Alright, so this is really when I started my business, because when I started my business, I actually had I told you, you know, I helped my husband run his business. I work in an elementary school that my kids were at, because I wanted to be there with them. That you know, my family’s my wife for everything. And so I was it wasn’t about money, and money. And I’m sure everyone knows teachers are not paid well. And so my limiting belief was just thinking, I just wanted to replace my income of what I had at the school and thinking I couldn’t do any better. How am I going to make more money than that working from home, like working online? Like that’s, you know, a myth. You can’t do that. And so limiting myself to thinking, Oh, I only want to make this in a month. And now I’ve like, surpassed that well over what I am now and I’ve gotten through that mindset piece of it. But yeah, just limiting, you know, what I thought was possible in terms of what my revenue could be. It is a huge money lie. And just my worth, that would be I think part of it, right? Like, yeah, what my worth is because it was definitely much lower when I started out. And I feel a lot like my money mindset and a lot better place than what it was back then.

So sure, so So now that you have grown your money mindset, what’s your favorite thing to think about money, your favorite thing to think about growing your business?

Oh, goodness, oh, favorite thing. Just the possibilities, I guess. I mean, it’s not only whenever I’m growing my business like I have a few different things here. And so for one I’m helping other people grow their businesses and get, you know, their money, you know, coming in a lot more than what it was before we work together. But I also my team, they their money, I’m helping them provide more financial freedom for their families as well. And so and of course, it’s bringing in more freedom for my family, as well. Because, you know, that’s all the possibilities that are, I guess, is what I’m trying to say all these possibilities are coming from me just getting past that limiting belief, and, and realizing, oh, I can charge my worth and oh, people are gonna pay me for my, my thoughts and my strategy of how to do things. And, you know, and again, back to this is easy for me. So why would somebody pay me to do this? And so it’s just exciting now like, Oh, you know, the sky’s the limit now, because I’ve come this far. So let’s just keep going. And I think getting past that little hump is been it’s been great night. I’m just excited to see where we go next. So it’s Yeah, it’s good. Yeah.

But it’s exciting. Yeah. So it sounds like if I were to pull that into like one statement, it’s almost like, by building my business, I’m helping more than just me.  Exactly, yes. Yeah.

Yeah. Because a lot of my clients also kind of have the thought that, oh, I, you know, I shouldn’t. This is selfish. I shouldn’t just do it for me. But you’re actually helping a lot of people by growing your business. And by becoming successful and having that overflow.

So good. I like how you tie that together. And as simple as like, again, my details. I feel like I got through a lot of stuff.

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So that’s something that you can move forward and practice even more and step into even more, I’m helping more than just me. Yeah. Yeah, by building my business. Awesome. Well, I just loved having you as a guest on my podcast, I am sorry that it took me so long to figure out that I wanted you on here. Like I said, You’ve just become a fixture for me. And I just, I kind of take you for granted a little. Oh, no. It’s good. I’m excited to be here. So you know, it’s definitely not my comfort zone to be like out there in front of everything. I like to be on the the back end of everything, making things work. But I’m excited to talk about, you know, 

I think she could talk about that stuff all day long. She just loves it so much. But you know, as I think about this, in order to give myself some wiggle room around what I thought was possible, I made the decision to hire a VA and I heard Linda and I basically decided to change a circumstance that I was in control of, and then I proceeded to change my thoughts around the money that I was investing in that circumstance. And what it did is it made more possible for me in my business. So I want to just have you leave you with a question what will open you up to be able to do more in your business, that will lead to more revenue more impact for you, it might be a VA or OBM. Like Lynda, it might be some other investment might be coaching, it might be systems might be strategies, different ways that you can invest in your business to make more possible for you, whatever you decide to do, you can manage your thinking around it so that it becomes the best decision for you, it can be a tool to increase your belief about what’s possible. Now hiring a VA, I will say is a relatively small investment. Because you can get help from a VA in, you know, the early stages of your business, when you need more help because you’re learning so many new things for a pretty reasonable amount. And the work that they save you will give you the time and the space to easily generate what you’re investing in them. And it’s not that investment doesn’t happen, you know, doesn’t give you a return overnight. But when you’re working on the right things, it won’t take you very long to make that back. Now I talk about my solve any problem toolkit all the time I in the toolkit, I share three ways to solve any problem and one of those ways that you can solve any problem is through resources and a VA or OBM is a resource, OBM again it’s just online business manager and you can leverage that resource to grow your business. I think Lynda’s amazing she’s It’s so talented and knowledgeable and she just loves processes and systems and she really loves to learn. And she also loves technology, which I love that she loves it. And she loves what it can do to simplify your business. So it’s been super helpful to partner with her and growing my business, and I can’t wait to see where she takes her own business, and what she helps me do in the future with my business. Now you can learn more about Lynda at Aqua Blue Virtual Services.com and let her help you create more freedom in your business. 

Now speaking of freedom, I have some very lucky ladies creating their own freedom next weekend, because they signed up for Elevate Retreat, they all said yes to the money party I’m hosting to celebrate the money they’re planning to make when they leave the retreat. We’re going to work on their problems, the any of the problems that they have in their business so that they can love working in their business and so that they can create the financial freedom that is fun and simple. It doesn’t have to be complicated, and it doesn’t have to be hard in tedious, it can be fun and simple. So there’s still time to get on board the money train, you can go to my website at Jill Wright coaching comm to get registered. And don’t forget, you can use the promo code or a code money party to get in to the retreat for just 20 $500. And that’s a steal for everything you get. I mean that is the deal of the century. And I mean if you think about it, that’s just a steal for the coaching you’ll get for me because you can be working with me for four straight days that the like the equivalent of working with me one on one every week for four months, and the coaching you’ll get from me will explode your business. But then you also get the gorgeous bed and breakfast, that we’re staying at the great food branding with Deena Rutter styling with Judith Gaton in a branding photoshoot with Karen Halbert. Not to mention all the fun surprises that we have along the way during those four days. So I’ll see you in Nashville.