008 // Thriving Mindset

Natalie talks with Taylor Gage, a BS-free health + mindset coach, the host of top-rated podcast She Thrives Radio, and the woman behind "She Thrives" -  a platform designed to teach women how to TRULY take care of themselves (mind, body, and soul). She is a CrossFit L2 and USA Weightlifting coach and the founder of  She Thrives Academy, where she leads her students through the deep inner work that creates transformations from self-conscious and health-obsessed to freedom with food, peace with their bodies, and an unshakeable trust in themselves.

[03:05] Finding Direction
[06:00] From Photographer to Crossfitter.
[09:16] Personal journey that led to where you are now.
[10:24] From a blog to making money? (5 years of trial and error)
[12:50] "There weren't fireworks yet, but I was committed."
[13:54] Involving your community in your product
[18:45] Not waiting until things are perfect
[20:00] Shifting into the She Thrives Podcast
[23:30] "If I had to think about it, nothing would actually happen"
[24:40] She Thrives Academy
[30:10] The power of an investment
[37:34] Being a rockstar at social media!
[39:02] Being there for the people who want to be there
[43:00] Different components of your personality - Ritu Bhasin
[44:40] What to expect from the She Thrives Blog

Instagram: @shethrivesblog
Website: SheThrivesAcademy
Podcast: SheThrivesRadio
Ritu Bhasin - Life Coach and Authenticity Advocate

Transcript

Natalie:   0:04
you're listening to on your bolts and interview based podcast for female entrepreneurs and leaders in business. I'm your host. Natalie's in his belly. Today's gas to Taylor Gage is a B s free health and mindset Coach. The host of top Aryan podcast, she thrives radio and the woman behind she thrives a platform designed to teach women how to truly take care of themselves. Mind, body and soul. She is a CrossFit l two and USA weightlifting coach and the founder of She Drives Academy, where she leads her students through the deep inner work that creates transformations from self conscious and health obsessed to freedom with food piece for their bodies in an unshakable trust in themselves. Taylor, thank you so much for joining us today.

Taylor:   0:54
Has to be here. This is so fun. Oh,

Natalie:   0:57
my God. This is so full circle for us. Um and I'd love to start there, actually love thio to share kind of our origin story. So, Taylor, you came to me as a 25 year old aspiring photographer when you were here in Rochester for a minute and 1/2. How

Taylor:   1:14
did that even happen? Actually, can we start there Yeah, I decided that I wanted to reach out. Well, I mean, I decided that I wanted to pursue photography, and it was sort of like, you know, it was sort of like I had discovered photography in general, like the year prior, when I was living in the Rockies, and I really liked taking pictures of, like, last game since senior, you know, I was like, Well, maybe this is good. People seem to like it. I really seem to like it, but, you know, trees and rocks don't pay your bills if I want to learn. You know, if I want to make this, like, any story, anything you like, a fragment of a profession. Like I need to learn how to take photos of humans. And so we left Colorado. We moved to Rochester, like you said, and I, um All

Natalie:   1:54
right, well, I

Taylor:   1:54
guess you know I'll get, like, a day job or whatever. So I worked in a restaurant and I started doing some research in the area to find somebody who might be able to take me in, and just I wasn't asking for a paid position. I was just like, I just like watch, you know, Can I just, like, help? Can I hold your bed while you do? The thing is, I can just sort of observe. And so I emailed a few people and you sent me, like, a super enthusiastic, like, quick reply. And I mean, I e like, the rest is history. I know. We just want t o.

Natalie:   2:24
That is the rest. The rest is history. And I feel like it was a brief history, but we definitely, um you assisted on a few weddings. You second shot for me for like, I don't know for if I'm on something. And at the time, like my my overall impression of you was just that, like a You're the funniest person I've ever met, which No pressure, guys, that she's hysterical. Just wait and see if you were really Ah, phenomenal photographer. Your skill was undeniable. But you really lacks direction at that point, your life and you were just sort of

Taylor:   2:55
kind of

Natalie:   2:55
believe blowing in the wind like, yeah, I like taking pictures. I'm good at it. Kind of one bag. I want him to the West Coast. I like I'm with my boyfriend. He's really cute. It was just kind of like a

Taylor:   3:06
I don't know, class of

Natalie:   3:07
25 year old stuff kind of didn't have a time direction. So since then, I feel like I've seen you make so many huge moves. And that's really one of the things that I want to share with our listeners. Because I just feel like you're such an insane success story for for this whole transformation in that you didn't know what you wanted to D'oh! You moved out. You moved 3000 miles west, started over in a brand new city. You kind of like you got in the car and you started driving. I mean that figuratively and literally. But like you didn't really know where you're going with your career. But you just started doing some things. You were taking pictures to make money and then you also started working

Taylor:   3:44
out. Yeah, we have moved here in the fall of 2011. I want to say, sort of threw that fall. I did. I started kind of like trying to build this. Photographers look, because here's the thing all through my twenties and like my very late teens as well, like I moved like I was getting paid to do it like I moved cities all the time. I was like it was just sort of like what I was doing. I loved it. It was like, OK, I've been here for looking here. It's too much. We gotta go to any place. You know, it was sort of like how I was just sort of my m o point at the time. I mean, I had moved out to Colorado completely. You know, I didn't know a soul out there I've never been to call on before. I didn't know how to ski. I just had to drive out, moved to the mountains, which was, like, ridiculous and also the best decision I've ever made. So this is sort of an extension of that, you know? But we have decided that we wanted Thio, you know, try by we I mean, like, you men should be in my life at the time. Now, husband actually give the go in like a necessity in the location of any variety. Just like pause. So we moved out here and, you know, this was like, I felt like, my first opportunity to actually, like, pursue photography because we like if you're looking for, like, a huge part of your businesses, like word of mouth, you have to have a network. You have to know people. And when you're moving around, that's just missing. So was like Okay, here's a chance to give it a go, and then you're right through that winner. I sort of dabble and do the best I could and meeting people and get out there. And I did involve myself in the wedding and photography industry out here, so I still have some contacts from that. But then you're right. I did also start CrossFit in May the following spring, and that sort of took everything on a little bit of a left turn something spring roll happening all together. And then we're kind of in the year for a while And then, you know, Heston settled down, but yes, that was sort of the transition into that for sure.

Natalie:   5:29
And I remember everything we talked about your photo business. It was always like you. You're like, Yeah, I love temperatures. I'm good at it. But it never was like you're burning passion in that I didn't think you were all in on that business. Like every time you were tryingto make a move or like, we were just kind of talking shop. And I was, you know, maybe helping you along in certain ways on that it was always sort of like you want us to do the work, But you didn't really want to do the work you were good at. Like, you still are very good at it. So sometimes that can be hard to walk away from. When did you really stop identifying as a photographer and started identifying yourself as something else? Uh,

Taylor:   6:08
like last month. Wait, I'm not a photographer. No, it's actually really interesting because you're right. Like there was so much about it because, you know, look, the wedding industry is sort of like the go to with that, right? And he doesn't have to be, but it just sort of seems to be the place. That kind of a lot of things end up when they're sort of trying to find your footing and make a living as a photographer. And so I shot a few weddings. I shot a few with you, and then I shot a few on my own as well, and there was a lot of that action really did enjoy. But he said there was a lot that I didn't like. It wasn't really front to then act like everything that I was super excited about. So I sort of started to pull back from the wedding industry as the CrossFit start to take a little bit more precedent, priority in my life. But as cross it started to take more precedent and priority, I started sort of building a little bit of a business with that. So I met a great friend in the gym and she was a certified holistic health coach, and we just decided to join forces and just, like, started blob, you know, fancy. We didn't have, like, a big vision for your life. Just because people always have questions for us. They always wanted nutrition or guidance or coach. I mean, we just we're getting so many things. So we started a bog justice where to start answering some of this. So that was where she fries was born. She left the business after a year because she had a baby. I was just kind of like had other things going on to see didn't pull back. So anyway, I sort of have had it since then. But while I had, I was still doing photography. Sort of like you touch on, However, I wasn't doing weddings. I found a way to sort of pull photography into the blogging, and I was really cool, actually, because I was like interviewing women athletes, authors for the blogged and the kind of tying in a photography component to that. So I mean, I've photographed Olympians and New York Times bestselling authors, people who never thought I'd have the privilege of getting and find my lens. So it was really cool from that regard. It was much more from like a portraiture standpoint. I wanted to photograph these women and athletes in a way that they just generally have not been portrayed. I want to kind of show a different side of them on the blood. Um, and so I sort of had like, a foot in the photography for quite a while, and you know it. Like I said, I wasn't kidding when I said, Look, it's literally last month. I just put something up on because I still have my website. I still have all this stuff, and I still periodically get pulled requests from people like in the Seattle area or other athletes and people in the industry to do photo shoots. And I would always say yes. Um, I just decided that I'm gonna start saying no because I just feel like since it's happening so irregularly for me these days, I feel like I'm a little bit out of practice on. My confidence isn't quite as high as I want to be. Plus, it's again like I enjoy it. I really do enjoy it. But I have my hands full with something that fills me up so much more right now. They just decided to push pause on that so literally, I'm not kidding. Like it was like last month that it put a thing on. I was like, You know, we're on hiatus, and I just got a request this morning, actually, from a friend who asked, and I'm like, no doing. So it's been sort of Yeah, a slow phase out, and it definitely something I enjoy. But like I said, I have my hands full of something else right now.

Natalie:   9:16
Yeah, before we get to the present of what your hands are currently full with all that is, she thrives and she thrives. Academy injured, thriving podcast. I want to just rewind a little bit because I think there was an important nugget in there. So you started a blogger about working out and health because that was a journey that you were personally going through. And people started maybe identifying you as an authority in that

Taylor:   9:39
area. Yeah, it was I experience a transformation and change. When I started across it, I just fell. So in love with it for a lot of different reasons. It was, like, just hit everything that I love. Like it was I just I adore and I still do. But yeah, it was really interesting because not only within the gym, but also, like, you know, these days on social media like you can you're in touch with all these, like people from your past. Whatever. I have people like reaching out from like, it was like friends with baseball coin from, like, first grade nephew. Hey, how things are going Well, I just You know, I saw that like you're, like working. I'm just curious. Like, what do you you know, eating or what do you do? Like just really things coming out of the woodwork. And so yeah, it was both kind of like in the gym, like, locally, but can also be on that was started getting questions. We had answers. So provided what we knew at the time.

Natalie:   10:29
Awesome. So then you started building a following through this blogged. I mean, currently have 20,000 followers on instagram, so that doesn't happen overnight. So how, I guess, where did that journey start for? You? Like post lots. Like you. Sort of the blogged. You're working with your friend at the time and still friend, how did that turn from a block to something that makes you money?

Taylor:   10:52
No. Oh, my God. That was That is so easy. It's so easy, Guys. That happens overnight. That was a five. You tax, right? What's that? Yeah. People just started mailing your money. It was quite literally I mean, I am in your five right now, and it was a five year exercise in trial and error, and all sorts of that comes in a lot of flavor. So it was a lot of that There was no intention originally to have has become, like, really anything that was made money or replaced our day job necessarily. Like it was really just sort of like a resource is something that we enjoy doing. Andi After she left, I kind of was spinning for a while. I was like, Okay, uh, way do I don't know. So I don't want to see what on the back burner, but it wasn't like this double down kind of thing. But I remember I did have a moment where I was like my audience had kept crawling and things were going really well. And I had people who were, like writing me and telling me how much they enjoyed. But I was doing a cheering whatever and also do I remember I literally said to myself, I did not come this far toe on Lee go this far, right? So I was like, If I want this to be anything more than a hobby, I have to stop treating it like it's a hobby. And so that was the first time that I kind of like and I remember it very clearly. It was just during the summer, and I was out there working on 12 where it is just writing. I was drafting up my first concept of, like, a course, or he products like that I could sell and hopefully start turning this thing into a real business. And so I did that. I sold that. I created another one, sort of lots of finals and all sorts of fancy shit and trying to get that off the ground. It was it was going and people were buying. And it wasn't like, okay, like, struck him down to the bank kind of stuff, you know what I mean? But people were buying. I'm like, Okay, there's something there. And the people who are like going through the program, which was sort of looking nutrition based program, were saying that they really enjoy it. So there was, like, the makings. There was, like, seeds of something happening that but it wasn't quite, you know, like, yeah, there weren't more. There were fireworks yet, but I was, like, committed, you know,

Natalie:   12:59
So that first product was an online equals. What were they videos that people downloaded, or how did that work? What was the delivery mechanism?

Taylor:   13:06
Yeah, it was all through email and people would buy it. Think my original. My original like first launch of that was, like $99. Think the 2nd 1 was maybe, like, 1 50 And then I think I tapped out, like 1 99 Or maybe 2 50 of this product. I mean, I think I only did a few launches like a handful, and then I created a new product. That was a lot more mindset, and, um, just a lot more mindset focused. But yeah, it was, you know, based 10 weeks or something or eight weeks, and it was you'd get, like, videos. You have some homework, you'd have some. Focus is for the week Was pretty hands off that they would buy. You can take themselves through it. I wouldn't like to take them. You know what I mean? Like those pretty hands off. So, yeah, did you?

Natalie:   13:55
I mean, that's a really big That's a departure from the blog's. So you went from having followers that were like, Hey, tay things. What? Your You know what? You post about two people that were paying you money for your brain, your heart, your soul, this thing that you're putting out in the world. Was that a shift for you? Or were these just the people that you already had relationships with? I guess. Where you attracting a different audience? At that point?

Taylor:   14:17
I don't think it was like a new audience. No, I think it was. I think it was like the people who have been following for a while who had really enjoyed sort of what I was putting out. It was fun to sort of release that is also really scary. And I learned a lot in that process and sort of what to do and what not to do with that entire, just like, you know, being an online business and online coach. Like I learned a lot you got. So it was NASA's area, like I had to kind of go through these these steps, you know, to be able Thio have a little bit of wisdom on the other side of it. But it was the best of times, and he was the worst of times. Do not a man like it was it was really fun, lot of ways. But also it was like really frustrated because, you know, I think a lot of us put together these programs on the back, and we spend so much time like an energy like building them out than the leasing them into the wild. And we expect people to be lined up around the corner. Cam, when they're not, is like, Hello, is this thing on right? And I think that was one of the biggest things that I learned that was like Don't create a program in the shadows in the back room and then announce it like concrete it with your people But yes, So, like I said, it was a necessary thing. It definitely brought me to where I am today. So I'm happy I have the opportunity to kind of go through that stage. You know,

Natalie:   15:25
let's dig into that a little bit. So you know, it's one thing to create the content like you mentioned. So you have, like, a 12 hour writing sash where you're like, Okay, like, this is it. This is the content. That's what I want to share. What were a couple of the concrete lessons that you learned? I love what you mentioned about not creating the content, the shadows and then just being like, hey, do you guys want to buy this? Um, you know, really working with your community. So, like how? How do you involve your community and the creation of a product? And then would have you found to be the most effective delivery system?

Taylor:   15:55
Yes, I think there's a lot of things on on both of those points. What I did was really early this year. I decided to start taking on doing one on one coaching. I didn't have a system. It didn't have a method. I didn't have a guaranteed result. I didn't have anything at all. I just said, If you want to come in and have me, you know, in your corner for a month it was like amongst her mom's kind of a thing, like very, very, very affordable and accessible. Then help me, you know. And so I had a few people do that. I didn't quote. I didn't like, advertise it really loudly. I sort of like quietly reached out to some different pockets in my audience and just this is available if you're interested. So that was a pretty instrumental part of building out or like working with my people. I heard us talking about. So it's basically basically market research ultimately, that I was doing there. But I was obviously getting paid to do it and working with people. And I mentioned earlier that I had another program, like More mindset focus program that I had built, how it's sort of in the space between here and that one. I really kind of threw together on I say three to get on the limb, but, like, it just kind of came to be like I just put together pretty swiftly and I put it up on the Internet and I got e mails like that was just like it's for sale all the time. Go ahead, buy it if you want. Like I said, I think was like I know I think it was $50 like it was, and I had people coming into my inbox. Being like this changed my life like I've you know, I've been in therapy for like a decade, and this helped me more than that. And I was like, Maybe there's something in here. Maybe I should charge more than $50. Yeah, so that was sort of like I had that kind of in my back pocket while I was doing this one on one coaching and sort of like, kind of getting some feedback. And I realize that every single thing that I was like pulling from these people basically linked back to this program. And so that's sort of how that framework began when I originally was doing the Z products. Like I said, I was just delivering them through my email service provider. So is male Champ, and I was just like, sending out a sequence that they like that like they signed up. They were on a roll of the sequence. I didn't investment like, you know, and like a job, which I have now. But it was a big investment. And at the time I was like, I didn't have, you know, I couldn't do that. So it was really It was like very, very, very scrappy. To be clear. Everything I've ever done has been very, very scrappy, like I know I didn't wait until I had all the pieces there to, like, press play, you know, to go on. So it was definitely that kiss. So with, you know, my first program on the nutritional have Yeah, I was just emails on Ben, really kind of like doing market research of diving into coaching and really talking to people in my audience is seeing what they really had. Questions out super helpful, of being able to emerge this into a new, a new product

Natalie:   18:46
that's incredible. And my favorite thing about you among I mean, it's a really long list of things that I love about you. But my favorite is that you you don't wait until things are perfect. You you literally just do them. And I think that's the key Thio to success in general because from the outside someone looking at you now like people that have just heard about Jim this podcast, and they're gonna go looking up there like, Wow, she's a badass and like, you know, she must have always known what she wanted to do and like, she's really got her shit together and like, you know, she's got this really sick.

Taylor:   19:18
So until they look at your instagram stories, but like, uh, you know, she has this

Natalie:   19:26
thriving business and it's just so easy. Thio. I think that people that have it, chief such success have maybe always lived in that success or that they had a really straight path from start to, you know, arrival and arrivals in with anyways, cause, like, none of us are, you don't reach a point where your business is just, like, good. And then you don't think about it anymore. Uhm it za constant evolution. I've had a business for 12 years and like every year I learned like a lot of new things and we change things every year. And we have to because if you if you stay stagnant, you die in business, in my opinion. But I just love I love that about you. I think that you've always just been such a well, I'm just gonna do it, and I'm going to learn things, and it's not gonna be that pretty, but like I'm gonna do it, I think is one of the best one of the best ways that you can behave as a as an entrepreneur. So when did you stop focusing on blogging and shift more into delivering your free information in a podcast form?

Taylor:   20:21
Yeah. So we are Where are we? We are recording now. In the middle of December, it waas almost exactly two years ago. Um, it was the end of December, and it was little. I truly don't even know what inspired. It was kind of things. Things that I was like, Maybe that would be interesting. And I did it. I was like, Okay, let's go get something on her. I cooperated. Podcast. No big gels. Really? E I just you know, I was realizing that readership on the block was sort of going down. Um, and I just like I was noticing, just like in general, just setting the culture of how people er's already for you. She was shifting like people just like don't say every articles anymore. Like I was just realizing that people really like to absorb information on the go through audio. And so I had kind of dabbled in some ways to kind of like bring that into the block, like offering, like an audio recording of the walkie post kind, including the audio and the thing that I was like, Dude, if I'm doing all this, why am I not just making it into a thing? So I looked I just decided to go for I pull the Beyonce. It was like a total like no promo. Just surprise Drop like it turned into the New Year. And I was like, Here we go, my past And, um, honestly, it floored me, floored me with the feedback, like people liked it a lot. And it was interesting because for the first, like great many episodes, I was literally reading verbatim block trusts that I had some in some cases written years prior and like, had had out and shared and talked about forever and ever and ever, and also included in a podcast farm. People are like, you know, like it's the hot new thing. It was really interesting to see how that connected. So that had just that completely switched out my weekly content that I was sharing people and I completely went into audio. And, you know, I don't Sometimes I'll kind of do about close to you and never for the most part, it's all my cast. Now

Natalie:   22:22
that's amazing. And so you just self taught. I mean back to your scrappy nature, like just were like, OK, I guess, and Mike and I need some YouTube videos like How did you How'd you learn everything that you needed to do for starting your podcast. Um,

Taylor:   22:36
the Internet. Yeah. I just Googled everything. I just found you. I found a couple websites that did, like, some walk throughs, and I kind of followed them as best it could. And it's still super confusing, like a literally solo. Understand how podcast work? I have no idea. But somehow by some fucking miracle gets up every single week and still call himself. I don't know. I just Yeah, I was really just pulled it out. Like it's just I

Natalie:   23:02
you know, how many followers do you have for your podcast? Um,

Taylor:   23:07
it's you can't get the dig on subscribers, but for downloads right now, I'm almost I'm almost 1/2 a 1,000,000 total downloads, which is pretty cool. It's about 25,000 or 30,000 month. Uh, I mean, that's that's, like a big fucking deal. It's really I said, like, I still Yeah, and I'm not getting I'm still it surprises me is so much, especially since half of my podcast on you, just like rambling or quoting a movie or laughing my own jokes just like, How

Natalie:   23:38
do you guys? Okay, That's not true, though, So let's let's talk about that Like another one of my favorite things is like, you're really good at creating content. And you do have so much meat to what you d'oh! And you're so irreverent. Like you're so goofy. You are 100,000% you all the time. Is this like something that you Is this crafted as this

Taylor:   24:01
like something you thought about, or did you literally just Or you just are You You just told me that if I had to think about it and nothing would ever happen like that, I think that that's sort of like, you know, ties into what you were saying thinking we're sitting in the background trying to crack this, like, this perfect persona or this perfect product with this perfect approach and how to do X y Z like you're gonna be waiting for a minute. You know, like you're gonna be waiting for a really long time,

Natalie:   24:25
Like your life, your whole life, Actually,

Taylor:   24:27
yeah. No, I just Yeah, just coming out. I hope across the fingers, and I hope that people enjoy it. And I to my I'm pleasantly surprised to report that people seem to so I just keep doing that. So let's talk about

Natalie:   24:41
she thrives Academy. What is that? And what kind of results are you getting with that?

Taylor:   24:47
Oh, it has been. It is new to me this year. So, like I said in the beginning of this year when I started doing a little bit of, you know, one on one coaching and more like market research, I also invested in a business coach because I knew I wanted to switch my business like the whole structure. I wanted to the whole business model on its head. But I had some questions about how to go about that because nobody in my immediate sphere I was doing it that way. And so instead of kind of a chance appears, I knew I kind of had to find a new space, So that's why I did so all these pieces when it came together and, like you said, created this academy, uh, which, you know it's funny because the foundation of this program, I mean, it's been built up quite a bit to be clear, like there's a lot in between. But the foundation of this is that second e, a program that you course that I made on that. I was signed for, like, $49 that I was getting all the great feedback on. And so that's I sort of took that. And then I built it up as much as I possibly could. I stopped having it be a thing where you just buy it on her own accord. You know, good luck. Take yourself through it, have a great time, whatever. And it comes now with my hand holding through the entire process with a lot of action, a lot of implementation, a lot of conversation and support like it's very high touch, um, and therefore a lot of results, A lot of transformation. Um, and there's a lot of components I think, into what has made this, you know, a really awesome for RIM, both in my experience and my my students experience. But that's really kind of hot was born. And, um, it's like I'm just in love with it. I love doing it. I love taking people through. I love seeing how impacts people. It's just it's very fulfilling.

Natalie:   26:38
How many students are you working with at a time? Through this program?

Taylor:   26:41
It's very limited. I am but one woman and I have found in order for me to protect my sort of like mental space and energetic capacity like I have to keep it pretty low because I really I think of my my students as like, my baby is like my Children. And like I think of them all day long. Like when I'm walking one about the car. She stole our thinking about the minute. So I have to kind of keep it a cap. Otherwise I will literally drive myself mad. I'm 20 at a time, is who I'm working with you.

Natalie:   27:09
So now that you're really upping the level of personal time investment and by personal in your time investment in these clients, what is the price point? Look, versus when you were just simply allowing people to download off the website and it was kind of a scaled back version.

Taylor:   27:25
Yeah. So, like I said, that first generation of this program waas I think I started selling at 40

Natalie:   27:31
nine. I think it may be updated. It updates like 97 at one point before pulling it

Taylor:   27:35
off on these days. This program, I mean again, it's not identical by any stretch, but it is interesting because so much of it is related, and now it costs several $1000 for me to take you through. Um, this program, which is the time week stretch, like I said, you know, has me in your corner the whole week and got tons of support implementation. But it's quite a big difference. And, um, when I have found it so interesting is like, I really like I had to work my face off to try to get people to comment, to try to convince people of the value of this products that have a sign for $49. Like I said, I was getting e mails. People were telling me like people who had bought it like I'm going through it absolutely, like I loved it, But I couldn't get people to buy it. And now I'm literally turning people away and I'm charging. I don't even know what the math is on that, but it's Redox Ulis. How much more on really the bottom line there is? I mean, of course, there's a lot that goes into that, Of course, like my my energy. My hand holding is a big factor of that but also like I am now am charging what I know that this program is worse and not 100% of the people who walk out of it. But I'm gonna go so far as to say, 60 to 70% of people who walk out of this program literally used the this sentence. This program changed my life, and that has value a lot of it. And I think, like I was so scared, too, to ask that to insinuate that I knew that much or knew how to do that or had it, you know, I think there was a lot that I need to learn on the way. So I'm not saying that that's like a wrong thing. But it's amazing what happens when you also decide, understand, declare and ask for, you know, you, your energy, your product, your knowledge, your teaching is worth. People respond to that. It's pretty amazing.

Natalie:   29:32
I think it's twofold. I mean, for you. It's definitely confidence situation, like any any of us that are setting your own prices. We kind of have to battle our our inner demons of self worth and, you know, make sure that we feel justified in putting our product that demands that much investment. However, the other side of the coin, I would argue that your clients or your, um do you call

Taylor:   29:55
them clients? Yeah. Students. Yeah, they're both okay.

Natalie:   30:00
My doctor, friends always hate when I call their people clients. They're like their patients, and I'm like, it's all the same. Uh, it's probably legal ing up, but in any case, I would argue that part of the value that your students get out of this program is directly tied to the amount of money that they invest in

Taylor:   30:16
it. 0 100%. The track list of reasons why charging ex $1000 like is the unofficial is it goes all the way out the door around the corner. It's like it's literally bonkers, like the people were buying a product for 50 bucks like it's a throwaway thing, right? Like they may listen to the first like audio. They make kind of like, interested in it. But it's just one of those things. Like I think we all kind of have some experience of some level Lucas, where we buy it really gets with leader. However, when you're spending something that you either had to, like, take out a like a credit card for or like, have like, a huge conversation with your partner or whatever about because it's a big deal. You show up to that work, you pay attention, you do not miss a call, you do your homework, you get the shit on it. And that is the space between walking out with life changing results were just being like, Yeah, this is the first thing, like, whatever. So yeah, it's huge. The other part of it on my part is because I know how this price point so high I don't sell or do anything else prior to this problem. And like this entire business model, I was like, I was kind of laughing that earlier is thinking about it cause I was thinking about this year kind of like making back, and I mean, my income has gone up about 250% at my. The amount of work I do in a week has gone down by about that much like I'm making more or less nous so interesting because I was like in years prior I was like pulling my hair out pulling myself into, like, a state of burnout and constant distress because I was trying to create so much free these funnels weekly content, instagram like sand top of my Facebook groups, like all this bullshit, having pulled a 1,000,000 directions And now I do my podcast and I do s t A period and so basically have that relates to the client experience the student experiences like I'm there and then there's the whole time I don't have anything else that I'm warning about or doing my attention is 100% on them and that that admission fee allows that, like that gives me the freedom to do nothing else but work with, um, and so everybody wins in this base. Everybody was

Natalie:   32:24
that is so well put. Taylor and I completely agree when I think a lot of business owners, they feel like when they charge more that they're taking money away from their clients and they feel icky about it. I always challenge them to think of it in the other way. It's like, No, you're giving so much more to your clients, and you're able to give more to your clients in a sustainable manner. you mentioned Bernau. That is such a problem with service providers. We feel this is insane, Dr. To Give, give, give, give, give. We can only keep that up for so long unless we're properly compensated. I mean, if you're worried about paying your bills and you're unable to invest in your business in the way that you want to and conduct your life in a manner that supports your own health, you're not of any more year of so much less value to everyone that you serve in that state, that it's just it's really it's It's misguided, like people think that they're doing a favor to all of their clients, and you're really doing them a disservice and yourself.

Taylor:   33:23
I could not agree more. I literally had it. It was it was this time last year. It was like it just had turned the New Year into 2019 and I I remember so vividly having like an hour, like several hours long, like legit meltdown, like just ugly, crying just good. That whole thing with my husband just thinking back I like it had been another year where I worked my funky face off, and I really didn't at the end of the day had nothing to show for it except for an inbox filled with people telling me how valuable my work was to them. How much they love my podcast on my podcast is to use My free shit has changed their life. And while it was like it always meant so much to be able to know that I had that impact, there was this dissonance that was started to build and it felt so awful to be able to like to get all this amazing feedback and see that the value was putting out there was so impactful to for people. But the end of the day, like the energy exchange, was not equal. I did not have what I felt compensated that level of energetic output. And this is the first year in this business that I am able to say with a lot of confidence that that has finally been met and to be able to deliver both the impact while making the income to be able to balance those two things has been really, really fulfilling and sort of like a long time coming. But like I know that all of these things needed to happen to get here, but yeah, one of

Natalie:   34:56
you, Great. If we could just skip that whole part in the middle And I think it's both right. I mean, we definitely I would describe you and I both as having learned the hard way with business. And so I hope that episodes like this and, you know, some of the resource is that that I put out it embolden, like, can help people skip over some of that pain. However, a lot of it, you just simply have to go through, and that's okay. But staying there or like giving up, which I think is probably the more common outcome. Unfortunately, that's that. That's a disservice, because somebody will have so many gifts to share. And they just maybe never get out of that forest of like, I'm too tired to continue running this business. Yeah, yeah,

Taylor:   35:41
I definitely have my my fair share. It's sort of like I can't, like, kind of count on it like it's pretty like it's kind of clockwork, like there's a couple times a year. Well, I'll just have this, like thought of like, what if I burn it all down. I just burnt. What if I did delete everything and burnout down? What? Maybe maybe we'll do that. Maybe that should do that. That's what I should do. So, like, right? Like I just don't know. I expected. And I'm like, Okay, that's here again. Here we go. We have to kind of, like, wait this holding on so little usually pull back. I'll get off instagram all stopping. I'll just push pause on everything and I'll just like turning where it'll fight things down the hall to mountain. But like, aside from those things that I know are expected, like I literally have never once actually like, very seriously considered stopped stopping doing this Look in any capacity like I will do this, you know, in some way, shape or form for quite some time. Yeah, I'm

Natalie:   36:34
laughing because, like I am, there's kind of the candid conversations that have been between business owners, which is like, Oh, my God, why do we fucking do this? Or like, you know, you kind of casually say to everyone like, don't ever start a business. And I mean, meanwhile, I'm like,

Taylor:   36:49
would you like to start a business like I'll coach you on.

Natalie:   36:52
I mean, both of them, as sincerely

Taylor:   36:55
as this is the

Natalie:   36:56
other. And I I do think, though, however, like that, frequent are not frequent. But like the recurring desire burned everything down will lessen and frequency when you are being properly compensated, which you were in charge of the whole time. Like no one was like, you know, not paying the bills. You just weren't asking for enough money. And

Taylor:   37:17
people associate that with value. Right? They go. That's that. Probably $50. How What am I getting out of that right?

Natalie:   37:23
$50 right? Yeah, we've all been there. This is like we're all there in in some way and and will probably continue to be in various ways. The last

Taylor:   37:35
thing I'll ever talk to

Natalie:   37:36
you about something that you're just so good at is showing up on social media like your instagram is Let's all the time. It seems like to me at least I love your stories. A lover posts, Is it? Is it our hard for youto show up? It's your face. You're doing videos like you're literally you're there. It feels like all the time to me. Does it feel that

Taylor:   37:59
way to, you know? Actually, it's interesting to hear you say that, cause I feel like I literally do the bare minimum on that. And if constantly feeling like I need to be doing more with that, so it's kind of nice to hear you say that, you know, it depends on a lot like my capacity show up. They're really depends on the season of business. I'm in as well because still, to this day I am the only person who works to this. I don't have a V A. I don't have anybody. It's literally like I said, what I'm doing has turned down a lot, so it's been manageable. But there s definitely periods where, like in launch, right when I'm watching for, like, a month, like several weeks, like I got nothing. I can't really difficult for me to show up there so I can have, like, you know, it's it's all it's all relative. But yeah, I do my best to show up there. I know it's something that people really appreciate it. So I do my best to show up and whatever cresting, unable to a time in a way that feels like authentic to me and like it's delivering some sort of value, even if it's just like entertainment or a laugh. You know, Thio my audience, it is

Natalie:   38:59
the top of mine. I mean, I have to imagine that it drive sales.

Taylor:   39:03
Yeah, I think what's most interesting is I have taken to date. Um, I think it's 40 people through my program, like, including all the beta and everything that I did this year. So 40 people total. Not one person came into this program who did not mention my podcast. My podcast has turned into sort of my biggest lead generator, which is really interesting because, like I said, it was like a win, like I don't know, whatever the fuck, Anna. But it's the thing people love it. And that has really been I thinkit's Italians. What you're saying is like, I think it gives people a taste of you, like how I taught what you can expect, how I'm gonna really to you having a coach, you on what we're really gonna be working on and how you can expect to feel throughout the process because it's not just text that could be interpreted any which way, like you're really getting like a feel of who I am, what I do with how I do it. And so you either job without you, don't you know? And so I very okay without saying good bye to all people who leave comments like you cars too much. It's like that you don't even be here, you know? I mean, like, I'm finding the people who go. That's right. And so it's sort of like, really built out like a big divide in the best of ways. People who say are like, they're my people, you know? And so that has really been like the most innovative thing to look My sales, I think. And I think it helps with the stories as well. But I think the podcast has really been like the main thing.

Natalie:   40:27
Cool. And I mean, as far a swearing goes like that's that's branding at its finest. I think good raining should be polarizing people as Muchas people should decide to like you. Based on your rating, you should have as many people deciding to not like you, and that's a good thing because you you want to filter those people as soon as possible. I always think what the difference between my photography studio, an SP, which is definitely a much more buttoned up version of me. Um, I'm very authentically me there, but I am also a a very family friendly version of me. Um, maybe not on shoots. I kind of read people. You kind of can tell by the way someone walks if they swear or not. But, um, on then I kind of judiciously like Jola. Now I'll be like Alsatian. And then if I feel like a ruffle back then like maybe I won't say fuck, But But then if they swear after those that I'm like, Okay, game on. But with embolden, I am so much more polarizing and it's firming. It's honestly, such a relief. I didn't even realize how much energy I was funding being like a really well groomed in curated

Taylor:   41:31
version of myself over it on this feat. And so it's nice

Natalie:   41:35
day. Just be yourself, right? I think that happens. A lot of people, when

Taylor:   41:38
they're starting businesses, not say that this is what happened with you. But I just say a lot like in my industry where people are like. Okay, well, if I want to start a business most people like they reference like their entire association of like their entire reference of what a business is. Anything for a lot of us. It's like you need think back on like, TV commercials or like, you know, like some business that, you know, some brick and mortar that used to go into and have. So there is this very okay, like, I wanna be a business and I have to be professional in our associations with Professional are like, I feel like very boxing and look at it

Natalie:   42:09
and Pedro and kind of old one

Taylor:   42:11
100%. So I think it's like it's really quite cool to be like, No, actually, when you're building a business like you get to have it be, however the fuck you want it to be. And that's an awesome thing because, like you said, your people will find you and people who don't are gonna go, and that's exactly what you want, because the last thing I want is like a lukewarm follower, listener or whatever. Like, I don't want someone who's like on the fence people who there, like I'd rather have, like 100 like die hard fans. Then you know, 100,000 like lukewarm. Take it or leave it like whatever you want. I mean,

Natalie:   42:46
completely. And I mean, it is a bit of a luxury because the product that we're selling is us. So, like we do 100% get to yourselves if you are an accountant or if you're like, ah, Council of it works with kids and you swear a lot in your personal time, I probably wouldn't recommend creating Brandon from mechanism that has that is a core part of it. But I think that you can you could make an informed decision, and then the line is probably a little bit further than you think

Taylor:   43:14
it needs to be. Yeah, I think that, you know, like swearing is one thing, but I think there's all many different ways for you to really be able. Thio, inject your personality and style and what you stand for. What you don't into you're bringing into your business. That I'm in Switzerland is like one thing on a list of 1000 that you can kind of pick and choose from. So it's not like the litmus test of If you're being yourself or not like it's like there's so many different ways. You kind of go about that. And this is just how I talk like my friends know it, you know what I mean? Like, this is just how I am and so like to me, it's not like I would be lying if I wasn't that way within my business or with with my students for anything between, you know,

Natalie:   43:54
completely. I just attended a really great talk with this woman. Her name is way too, and she was talking about authenticity and she had, ah whole slide about different components of your personality. And you kind of can categorize them and things that you are willing to compromise and other things that you're not. You know, maybe you. You wear a T shirt and jeans like every day, but for work, you will dress up and it doesn't bother you. You can put on a tie every day, doesn't chip away at your soul. However, you know, changing your the way you present your religious affiliation like that is maybe a non negotiable for you or the culture that you come from or your upbringing, You know, your value system. And you kind of like that's a very personal decision that you make. And you just really kind of give it some thought and say like, Okay, what is important to me, what's really court, who I am? And what are some things that I'm happy to polish without losing my authenticity? 100%. I love that. Yeah. Taylor, how come people follow you? And I guess, too, because we didn't really even talk about the content of what you deliver. What could someone expect to learn from you, or like what it What kind of messaging are they getting over at? She thrives

Taylor:   45:02
like you said, my business, Amos. She thrives and you can find me. My website is she thrives, blogged How come? And that's also my instagram handle. Um, my twitter handle is located in all things. And really, what you can expect is my business sort of messaging sort of has, um it's a little bit of a Trojan horse, and the Trojan horse is health, fitness and wellness, but really like the meet the real stuff that we're doing has a lot to do with mental health mindset, emotional health, emotional fitness. It's not so much of the things that are moving around like hacks and do this and do that. It's willing. How were we relating? Thio. How are we thinking about how we processing? Um and so it's sort of God components of all of that. I mean, it's really like, you know, I say that I teach women how to take care of themselves. I really mean that in every capacity you could prop possibly think of how to take care of yourself throughout your day. We're through out in a week or your life. That is what I help women learn how to do for themselves. I don't I don't give them like I don't take them. I don't teach them. I teach them how to do it for themselves. And I think that's really like the core of what I do.

Natalie:   46:19
That's awesome. Yeah, I read in what you wrote to me, and we were preparing for the podcast. Was that you? You don't want to create followers. You want to create leaders. So people that are no longer reliant on you after they go through your course like you don't want to just be this, you know, the guru of like Okay, whatever master healer tells me to do, I'm gonna D'oh, You're really trying to create women that can think for themselves and, like, you know, learn a lot about themselves and then take those skills on and adapt them as their lives evolve. Yeah,

Taylor:   46:47
that's really my I mean, it's that it's the truest analogy of teaching Amanda fish like That's really what I want. I want to make myself obsolete on the techniques that we were together inside S t a, um because I want you to be able to know how to take yourself through And you do You do already know these things, to be fair, Um, it's more like an unlearning and like a sifting through an access in kind of a thing that I teach people have to do inside the program so that by the time they lied and they have every single tool that could possibly need and they put it into use that got some reps with it. They know how to do it and access it and use it to be able to take themselves through whatever should come up for them. That's like my biggest dream in the world is to is to the leaders. I'm not just leader should themselves leaders within their community. There's a lot of issues. Obviously, I think we all know the culture that we live in, especially as women and die a cultural. These things kind of like coming in. And I think it's really easy for us to point out there and go into the culture of this, the culture that. But in the day we are culture. But the culture is us. And so if we want the culture to change or any like measurable level it, we have to do the work within ourselves. And so that's really like the foundation of what I've taken on as my business is helping women do this work in themselves so that they could take it out there and not only continue to do it for themselves, but I'm really impacted communities in ways that I think and ultimately, you know, hopefully change the world. So you were That's

Natalie:   48:10
awesome. Do and and how come people find your podcast? Yeah, that is,

Taylor:   48:15
she drinks radio, so you can just put, you know a whole search on that. I think it's in all the the podcast places. And if you enjoy it, you know, we need a little love now on my sins Be awesome.

Natalie:   48:26
Awesome. And if you guys like my podcast, it's only I'm only doing it because of Taylor.

Taylor:   48:31
Okay, Were

Natalie:   48:32
1000%. The wasn't a long list of things that, like I could look into and there was no doubt in your mind when we spoke. You're like, No, this is the thing that you need to d'oh! And not only did you encourage me to do, but you taught me how so. I really appreciate

Taylor:   48:47
that. It's very exciting.

Natalie:   48:51
I hope to prove you proud girl.

Taylor:   48:53
I'm so it's going to be amazing. I already know it, and I can't wait to share it with everybody on. And I'm really proud of you. So excited.

Natalie:   49:00
Awesome. They give so much for your time today. Taylor,

Taylor:   49:02
Thank you for having me on. This is so fun.

Natalie:   49:07
Thanks for listening to the own your bold podcast. For show notes, resource is freebies and more. Visit on your gold dot fitz or comes to you are up to on Instagram and Facebook at emboldened biz till next time