Social media overwhelm and finding your passion with Shana Recker | Ep. 20 Content Magic with Lindsay Smith

This episode is a real spicy one!

I'm welcoming Shana Recker, the very first coach I worked with when I changed my business model to include done-with-you in addition to done-for-you.

Together, we're diving into the coaching industry. The ethical, the unethical and why Shana left the industry to pursue something she's more passionate about - graphic design and art.

Shana and I talk about why authenticity, honesty and vulnerability will also win over flashy marketing tactics.

We're also chatting about the very real social media, content and marketing burnout and why it's SO important to avoid the comparison trap.

If you're tired of fake success stories or have ever felt the pressure of having the perfect online presence, you're not going to want to miss this fire-y episode.

05:40 First impressions on your website are crucial.
08:11 Expertise in content creation crucial for uniqueness.
11:59 Provides business coaching for marketing and design.
14:10 Authentic coaching business in integrity is harder.
17:50 Marketing without full disclosure leads to unethical behaviour.
20:54 Started as network marketing coach, then succeeded.
23:06 Call for ethical standards in coaching industry.
25:35 A coach helps with strategy and mindset.
29:16 Left coaching, took break, found new success.
33:36 Create exceptional content, focus on serving audience.
37:42 It's okay to change for happiness.
41:13 Supporting entrepreneurs in overcoming financial stress with job flexibility.
43:00 Steady income from retainer clients every month.
47:13 Graphic designer offering services for websites. Portfolio available.
49:13 Participants create amazing art in minutes, surprising themselves.


CONNECT WITH SHANA!
Instagram: @shanarecker_art @iamshanarecker
Website: shanarecker.com
Podcast: How It's Really Going With Shana Recker

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Lindsay [00:00:00]:
I put that out there because I'm trying to get something from somebody right.

Shana [00:00:03]:
Versus having strategy where it's like, hey, listen, I would rather post less, but have my content be really fucking good and like, have a really strong message that that post is enough to carry me through the week.

Lindsay [00:00:16]:
If you have an online business, you're creating content. And the way you create content is more important than ever. It's really noisy out there and learning to stand out is the only way. Hey, I'm Lindsay and I'm the host of the content Magic podcast, all about being an entrepreneur and creating kick ass content to market yourself and your business. I have a not so secret superpower for copywriting, marketing and content, and I've helped hundreds of folks just like you show up with a ton of confidence in the online space. I've been doing this content thing for 20 years, and I believe the real magic is a combo of intuition, creativity, and strategy. You can create content for your business without losing your mind, I promise. So you tune in every week for tangible content tips, inspiring guests, and some real spicy opinions.

Lindsay [00:01:08]:
Probably mine. Ready to dive in?

Lindsay [00:01:11]:
Let's go.

Lindsay [00:01:12]:
Hi, gang. Welcome back to the podcast. And guess what? I have another guest. So, yeah, my friend Shana is here. Well, Shayna, I'll let you introduce yourself, but I will say that. So when I switched from doing content for other people to doing content with other people, Shana was the first person I went to and I was like, hey, can I not do this anymore? And, like, turn this into some sort of business? And she was like, yes. So. So Shayna and I, well, I guess I'd known you, like, since network marketing days.

Lindsay [00:01:51]:
Yeah, but. Yeah, but we didn't work together until I don't know when. Three years ago? Four years ago?

Shana [00:01:58]:
Yeah, it was like. I think it was just at the start of maybe COVID. I think, like 2020 maybe.

Lindsay [00:02:04]:
Yeah. Anyway, so, I mean, I'm going to let you introduce yourself. Tell me who you are. Well, tell me who you are and what you do now.

Shana [00:02:12]:
Yeah, absolutely. So, hi, everyone. I am Shayna Wrecker. And I have been in the past, as Lindsey mentioned. I have been a network marketer. I've been a graphic designer, I have been a business coach, and I currently do more. I'm kind of full circle back to doing graphic design, website design done for you, services for clients for multiple reasons. And I feel like now I feel like I'm in a good place with that.

Shana [00:02:44]:
I love helping and supporting my clients who are like yourself, building their own businesses and being able to help them with the technical side of things so they don't have to worry about it and they can focus on what they do best. Like, for Lindsey, creating content and helping her clients make content. So, yeah, that's kind of what I do now.

Lindsay [00:03:04]:
Yes. Yeah. So if you haven't seen my website, I'll just name drop that. Lindseysmithcreative ca so it's in kajabi. And, yeah, Shana designed it all for me. She did the colors for me. She kind of redid my logo, so she's really good at it. I love your website.

Shana [00:03:23]:
That was actually my favorite one to create because when, I love your color scheme and I knew you would be open to sort of some fun, you know, graphics and things like that. So it was a lot of fun to work on.

Lindsay [00:03:35]:
Yeah. And I feel like. Well, and because, you know me and you know, my personality and it's a bit loud, so.

Shana [00:03:42]:
Branding, pink photos?

Lindsay [00:03:43]:
Yes. Yeah. And I have pink hair in my. In my photos. So, yeah, you did such a. I feel like you, you know, like, I did it myself to start, which was fine, but it was kind of wussy and wimpy, and you took it to, like, a whole other level. Yeah. Anyways, I love my website now.

Lindsay [00:04:00]:
It's awesome. Thank you.

Shana [00:04:01]:
I think that's important that you say that, because the software that I work with the most is Kajabi, as you know, and I've been with Kajabi since 2018. I'm a Kajabi expert. I'm part of their program. There's lots of benefits to kajabi, and one of the benefits is that they are, they do have templated websites, so somebody could technically sign up for Kajabi and literally create their own website without having to hire somebody, which is great if you can. But I will say, much like anything, when you hire a professional to take it, it does take it to the next level, because we just know the ins and outs and little nuances. And as a graphic designer, I know what's visually pleasing to the eye. I know how fonts should look. I know you know what, you know, sort of looks good, I guess you could say, versus where somebody who doesn't have that same eye can get the content on a page, but it might not have that same effect when someone looks at it, you know?

Lindsay [00:05:01]:
So, yeah.

Shana [00:05:02]:
Makes sense to have somebody professional at some point when you can't afford it, take over the design, for sure.

Lindsay [00:05:10]:
Yeah. And I think it's, you know, and I think I was at a point where I was like, okay, you know, my professional life and my business was moving in a, you know, like, like, I feel like your business can't really outgrow you. And so I was growing and moving and shifting, so it was time for an upgrade. Yeah. You know, like, and I think that's something to be aware of. Like, yeah, your website, or whatever it is, can start out at some place, but eventually you're going to outgrow it. Right.

Shana [00:05:40]:
And I think because when people come to your site, they can tell right away, you know, like, the first impression is huge and it's like, if this is sort of, I don't want to use the word rinky dink, but that's kind of, you know, if it's just kind of slapped together, that reflects on you as a business owner and your, what you, what you can provide and you are really good at what you do and your website should reflect that. So when people land on your site, they see that you're a professional and that looks professional and it makes them have a different mindset around your capabilities. And it's just the way that it is. It's not right or wrong, it's just the way that it is. And I think that that's important to remember when it comes to creating and building your brand is that that first impression is oftentimes your Instagram, your website, your lead magnets, and those things should, in my opinion, be done as best as possible to reflect your level of service well.

Lindsay [00:06:36]:
And I think it's, you know, it's a different energy when you feel like you're proud of your website and you're proud of your branding and you're proud of your colors. And I think you show up differently because you're. Yeah, right. Like, it's. Which is opposed to like a rinky dink, something that I made myself, which served great at the time. Yeah. And, yeah, knocking that.

Shana [00:07:00]:
Just saying when you can.

Lindsay [00:07:02]:
Yeah.

Shana [00:07:03]:
You know, have a professional at least do a once over on your stuff. And oftentimes with my clients, what I like to do because I create all of their assets in their canva accounts so that I'll build their brand in their canva accounts. Anything I create for their websites, I build in their canva accounts so that they have access to all of that. So when it comes to creating their Instagram posts and stuff, the brand is in there and they can easily continue on my work in social media because I think that's important, too, that everything looks cohesive. So.

Lindsay [00:07:39]:
Agreed. Yeah. So if I'm gonna, like, even if I'm creating a header or something in canva, use that same little star that you use and use the same little bubble that you use, because I want it to look all the same. Yeah.

Shana [00:07:51]:
You do a great job with it.

Lindsay [00:07:53]:
And I know, and over the years, sometimes I'll, like, you know, like, my podcast cover, I asked Shana to, like, look at it graphically. And over the years, you've sent me stuff to look at your copy. Yeah, yeah. So I feel like, yeah, you're like, the image stuff and I'm the word stuff.

Shana [00:08:10]:
Exactly.

Lindsay [00:08:11]:
Yeah.

Shana [00:08:11]:
And that's the thing. This, what we're saying about the visual stuff, also applies to the copy stuff. Right. Like, you have somebody who knows words and knows the proper grammar and knows how to do things, that also reflects in those first impressions. And I think it's really important to, I mean, you know, there are tools, let's just say out there, that can help you. But I even think that those tools, not to mention any names, are all starting to look and feel like a tool, you know? And so to have an actual voice, an actual person who understands you and understands your vibe, to be able to create content that is unique to you is important also.

Lindsay [00:08:50]:
Yeah. And, yes. And I feel like that tool will always. It spits out, like, the same information level up level your something rocket emoji. Like, you can tell that it's AI immediately if there's rocket emojis. Exactly. I agree. It is a tool.

Lindsay [00:09:14]:
And I think, and again, maybe that's a good starting point for somebody who doesn't want to invest in a copywriter. And people ask me all the time, what do you think of chat GPT as a copywriter? And I find it interesting because I'm not. I don't think I'm the target market for chat, because, like, my brain is chat GPT. People have asked me before, you know, the first ever program that I launched with you, the copy code, somebody was like, where'd you come up with that name? Like, what app did you use? My brain is the app.

Shana [00:09:45]:
There was no app then.

Lindsay [00:09:47]:
Yeah. There was no app now. Yeah, now there's lots. Yes, I agree. And I think, same, like, you can diy your website copy if you're starting out. Absolutely. It's very tough. Same for me.

Lindsay [00:10:05]:
Like, when you were redesigning my website, and you were like, okay, Lindsay, I need you to fill in these areas. And I was like, what? What do I say? So it's very tough when you know so much to write your own copy. And this is what I find with a lot of my copywriting clients. There's so much information because they're just like, oh, I have, I have all this information. I'm going to put it out here to the world. So sometimes you just need like a third, like, you know, like a bird's eye view to be like, this is important. This is not important.

Shana [00:10:34]:
And it's also sometimes hard to, I always found it hard to write my bios because it's hard to about yourself and be like, I'm the best at everything I do, you know, and it's like, how do you write that without. It feels funny. So having somebody who knows and understands you and gets you to be able to write that for you, it's easier because you're not, I don't know, your ego doesn't get in the way, I guess.

Lindsay [00:10:54]:
Yes.

Shana [00:10:55]:
And I find that the same with branding photos when I'm doing websites is oftentimes clients will be like, oh, I.

Lindsay [00:10:59]:
Just, I don't like that picture of me.

Shana [00:11:01]:
And I'll be like, what are you talking about? That picture is amazing. Like you've got to remove yourself from sometimes your own stuff so that the good stuff can get through because you're your own worst enemy. You know, you're, you're the bottleneck for a lot of the times of things that need to be created because of your own sensitivities that no one else sees or no one else, you know, thinks. So it's good to have somebody else sometimes, you know, touch your stuff to make it that next level higher.

Lindsay [00:11:30]:
That next level. Yes, absolutely agree. So let's shift gears a little bit. So you were a business coach for many years. You were my business coach and you were a huge help. And you were like the first person that, you were like, yeah, you're an expert in all these things. Of course, you could teach these other people stuff. And I was like, what? So, and now you do some other stuff? Yeah.

Lindsay [00:11:55]:
What made you decide to leave the coaching industry?

Shana [00:11:59]:
Yeah, absolutely. Well, first of all, I still do some business coaching with the clients because it's just a natural thing when I'm creating, helping somebody create their lead magnets or helping them create their website design. The business coaching and the marketing side of it always comes through because oftentimes the clients who come to me for a lead magnet don't understand one. The technical side of what's required when you have a lead magnet, it's not just creating a freebie, it's creating the email sequence it's creating the landing page, it's creating the welcome message. Like, it's the nurture sequence. And so I'm oftentimes coaching my clients as well as creating the elements for them. I don't market myself anymore as an online business coach to just specifically coach somebody how to start a business, because I just found the industry was taking a bit of a turn that I didn't know that I wanted to really get invested into. You know, I've worked with a lot of business coaches myself.

Shana [00:12:57]:
I've invested. I don't even want to say how much money I've invested in different coaches over the years. Some of it was great and some of it was helpful. Some of it was not so great and was a lot of money wasted. And I think there was just. For me, there was just this turning point in my life where I had to kind of go, is this, is this a space that I really want to build a name for myself in? And when I was seeing what was going on with some of the negative side of the online coaching world where there's a lot of, you know, fluffy marketing, there's a lot of, you know, pressure tactics, there's a lot of, you know, no refunds, and a lot of, you know, using money as, as the carrot that they dangle in front of people to get them to sign up for their programs because they've made so much money and there's a lot of inauthentic marketing, and I didn't want to, even though I know for me, I'm somebody who lives, I feel like, fairly, in, in an integrity place. Like, I I think that's one of my core values, is integrity. So when I started to feel like the industry wasn't in integrity anymore, it started to feel like it wasn't for me, if that makes sense.

Shana [00:14:10]:
And I'm not saying that all business coaches are not in integrity because there's a lot that are. But I will say, and I truly stand behind this, that to build an authentic coaching business, coaching business in integrity, it is a lot harder to make money and be a successful business coach when you are competing against the coaches who are working in not in integrity and who are flashing, you know, private jets and designer handbags and big numbers and all of these things. Because when people are looking for a coach and you see somebody who's, you know, doing well but maybe not making $100,000 months, and then they look at this other coach who's flashing all this money and all of this success, you know, it makes sense that they're going to choose the one that's being more flashy. And again, I'm not saying that people who don't, people who are running their businesses in integrity, not doing that, can't be successful. They absolutely can. I personally just found it a huge struggle to try and compete against that. And I also, I think the other piece of it for me, and you and I have had conversations about this, is I'm 48 years old. I'm going through a little bit of that change, I guess you call it the menopause change, and my hormones are fluctuating, and I feel like I just, I would just not.

Shana [00:15:33]:
I'm not at a level where I can just put myself out there so much anymore. Like, I was finding it hard. I was like, social media burnout. Because that's the other piece of the online business coaching world, is that you need social media, and you have to be on social media in order to grow your business. And I just was exhausted. You know, I was exhausted. I've been doing it since 2000, beginning of 2019, like, kind of the end of 2018, but really full force 2019. And I just.

Shana [00:16:01]:
I just came to a point where I was just like, I don't. I don't want to do this anymore. And to be honest, the other thing is I was having people coming to me wanting to start coaching businesses who just simply weren't qualified to be coaches. And. And that was difficult for me because I. It's hard to say no to somebody who wants to work with you. But then when you get into the meat and potatoes of things, you realize they really just didn't have anything to be able to come to the table with. And I was just like, I can't keep doing this.

Shana [00:16:27]:
Like, this is just. It just wasn't for me. It just wasn't for me.

Lindsay [00:16:31]:
Yeah, that's. And I feel like you touched on a couple points there. So, one, this, like, irresponsible marketing piece, which I don't. And it's so, like, when I worked in advertising, and I'm sure it was the same for you in, like, graphic design, it's like this insular community. So, you know, there's all these advertising awards. There's graphic design awards, too. And nobody outside of advertising cares if you have a golden pencil or a can lion or whatever. Nobody outside of the industry gives a shit about any of that.

Lindsay [00:17:06]:
And I feel like this irresponsible marketing part of, like, look how much money I made, and look at my fancy car that I would call irresponsible marketing, because even if somebody has this million dollar business, somebody you can say, yeah, my seven figure business, but maybe they've earned seven figures over ten years. And I feel like that type of marketing attracts a certain types of person, and I feel like it attracts kind of like an insecure type of person.

Shana [00:17:50]:
Which is out of integrity in the sense that you're marketing. You know, these. It's like low hanging fruit. It's like, hey, I can market this number even though how I got here, because that's the other piece, is everybody's story about how they got there. They might not be lying about how much money they make, but they're not giving you all the details around how they made that money. And, you know, I know somebody who, you know, claims to make seven figures, multiple seven figures, but was given a ton of business from her business mentor. And it's like, well, you know, when no one, you don't disclaim that. So.

Shana [00:18:25]:
So that means it's an unequal playing field for those coming in to work with that person. It's like, oh, you made seven figures. I want to make seven figures, too. But if you're not coming the table with the same privileges, unfortunately, it's not going to happen. Right. Or if it happens, gonna happen in a totally different way, it's probably gonna be a lot harder. And so I just think that there's a lot of dishonesty. And unfortunately, the only way to really know of someone's program is, well, there's a couple ways.

Shana [00:18:55]:
One is do your due diligence and talk to other people who've been in that program to see if it actually is what it says it is. And that's something that I definitely didn't do enough of, for sure. But to asking them, tell me, exactly how did you make this money? Where did it happen? How did it work? What does your program teach me that's going to help me make that same thing? You just have to do that due diligence.

Lindsay [00:19:23]:
I agree. And I agree that there's tough. Some of the things I've been focusing on over the past couple of months is super nerdy stuff, like my data, you know, like, you know, my ideal client, like, writing all this stuff down, like super actual strategy. Yes, actual strategy, which I feel like is a lot of, like, nerdy stuff that not many people are talking about and. And something. Yeah. And I. And I think, you know, I don't know what I feel like we're in a time of, oh, I listened to a podcast about marketing now I'm a marketing expert, right.

Lindsay [00:20:09]:
And I feel like we're in a time of that.

Shana [00:20:13]:
Well, it's easy. Information is easy right now. And so you can spend a weekend diving into a topic and turn around on the Monday and start a business saying that you're an expert in that topic because no one's going to stop you. There's no real regulations that say you can't do that. Now in time people will discover if you are really good at that or not. But yeah, it's never been easier to start an online business and really make a go at it. Now that was the opportunity that I saw when I started as a business coach. Like I was a business coach because I had one created a multi million dollar business in network marketing.

Shana [00:20:54]:
I know that's not the same, but when I first started online coaching, I started as a network marketing coach. I learned how to build an online business by building my own online coaching coaching business that did generate six figures and then I was able to say, hey, listen, I did this. I have these experiences. I did work with a lot of different coaches. I had a lot of experience but also a lot of teach, like a lot of knowledge from other my teachers. And then I started teaching that. And it wasn't just from a book, it was definitely from experience. But then you find there's people that come to the table with not that experience, no real strategy and especially in the mindset space because it's so easy.

Shana [00:21:34]:
Like law of attraction. I listened to Abraham Hicks, I can go teach this now, you know, and, you know, I have mixed feelings about all that too. But as somebody who used to totally believe and preach in that stuff, now I'm just like, yeah, I just think there's a lot of brainwashing going on out there and people are making a lot of money off of it.

Lindsay [00:21:55]:
And so, I mean, yeah, and I think, you know, like I've been thinking about what sets me apart, what makes me different and I'm like, well, and somebody asked me, who's your competition? I was like, I'm not sure. Like, I'm not sure anybody teaches content the way I do. I'm sure there are, but I, yeah, it's tough to decipher who has real world experience and who just invented it yesterday. Yeah, yeah, well, and I mean, you.

Shana [00:22:32]:
Know, every teach is own, but there will be at, and this was another reason why I was like, you know, I think it's time for me to get out of this industry is because there are going to be at some point. I know in the US they have some guidelines in place already about what is valid for an online coaching business. What's allowed, what's not allowed. You can actually file complaints about other coaches in the industry if you see that they are breaking the rules in Canada. It's not. We're not quite there yet, but it's coming. It will come eventually. But how long that'll take, I don't know.

Shana [00:23:06]:
I think that there is more and more voices on the side of, hey, everyone, we need to look at what's going on here because there are coaches out there who will charge astronomical amounts of money for their time and, like, more than surgeons and people who are literally saving people's lives daily. And I just don't think that that is ethical and I don't think it's. And the people who are paying it, I mean, you know, I guess to each his own. But I just think that there needs to be some standards in place for what the coaching industry, you know, just some think rules around the coaching industry because it literally is the wild west. And I mean, like I say, I didn't want to spend tons of time into something that, you know, one will change, but two that just, I can't compete with that. I can't charge $800 an hour for my time. That is just not an integrity at all. And it doesn't feel right.

Shana [00:24:09]:
Even if someone's willing to pay it, I'm still like, you know, it just feels not. It just doesn't feel right. So. And that's. That's probably low to compared to what some coaches out there are actually charging.

Lindsay [00:24:19]:
So that's wild.

Shana [00:24:21]:
It's very. It becomes very cultish. And that's the piece that I was, you know, starting to notice is that there's a few coaches that are out there that just seem to have these people who follow them and, you know, just. And every word they, they say, they just, you're amazing and all this stuff and it's just, it, it just feels icky.

Lindsay [00:24:41]:
Yeah. The die hard fans. Yeah. I don't even like the term coach.

Shana [00:24:49]:
Yeah. So tell me about that.

Lindsay [00:24:50]:
Yeah, so, I mean, obviously I've been calling myself a copywriter. At first it was a content pro, content expert, and then I started saying content coach because I felt like that was more consumer facing. But I don't like when that word comes out of my mouth. Like it's right up there with pantyhose. That's my least favorite word. So I, you know, and just this morning when I was out with the dog. I was like, am I a content strategist? Am I like, do I, do I do strategy? Kind of, like, I don't know. I'm definitely more on the creative side than on the, like, type a plan, everything.

Lindsay [00:25:30]:
But, yeah, I have a tough time even with that term because I kind of, and you have to think about.

Shana [00:25:35]:
What is a coach? A coach is somebody, in my opinion, who, when we were working together, part of the coaching side of what I was doing is helping you believe in yourself. The fact that you could do this business on your own and giving you the strategy. Like, hey, you need to have a lead magnet, an email list, you need to have a social. These are the things that you need in order to be able to create this business, but also helping you believe you could. And there was some mindset to it, too, but really, at the end of the day, when you build a business, you need that strategy in order to be able to reach people and bring in a client. So it's almost like there's a bit of that coach sort of mentality, but then it is also, like you say, a strategist or a consultant. It's almost like a business consultant versus just somebody who's, you know, rah rah ing you into doing something. And I think that's the thing.

Shana [00:26:32]:
What I was finding in the business coaching, like, the last business coach I hired, which was costing me about $1,200 a month for not even any real personal one on one access with this person. This person did all group things in a Facebook group kind of thing, and it was a lot of fluff, a lot of rah rah. A lot of it's you and your mindset is the reason you're not successful. There was no real strategy except for be on social media and post all the time. It was all just fluff. And that was when I was like, wait a minute. This person made a lot of money doing this. There was a lot of people in this person's realm, and I just felt like this just doesn't feel right.

Shana [00:27:16]:
And that's where I think that coach word is starting to get that icky feeling because there's a lot of that going on, and I think a lot of people are waking up to it. And now coaches kind of getting a, a bad rap because of it. And it's unfortunate because there are some really good coaches out there who are coaches and are, you know, trying to do a good job and help people, but they're just kind of mounded in with the other ones. And it just becomes, it just becomes, it loses its value.

Lindsay [00:27:45]:
If you go on threads. I don't know what, I don't know why the algorithm on threads is showing me, like, a lot of the other side, which is marketing and the like, it's like, I seem to keep engaging with people are like, it's not what it looks like. I'm like, okay, so anytime I need to. Yeah. So I don't know why threads algorithm keeps from that. I wanted to talk to you about something else. So the social media sort of overwhelm burnout, which I think a lot of my clients come to me with that. Yes.

Lindsay [00:28:20]:
So how. And I, and it's interesting because I've seen people tell other people, oh, you just have to make more content. You just have to be on social media more. And I'm like, the complete opposite. I'm like, no, get off it. Go take a walk. And I find, and I get real ragey when I see people say, oh, you're just not making enough content. You have to show up more.

Lindsay [00:28:48]:
And I feel like when people come to me and I'm kind of like, but why? Why do you have to show up on social media 18 times a day? And they're like, I don't know. Somebody told me I should. So how can people listening avoid that social media burnout? And here I'm going to record another episode after I get off with you called, is social media dead? Yeah. Very interesting.

Shana [00:29:16]:
Well, here's an interesting fact, and this is what happened to me, is when I left the coaching industry, as you know, I put it out there on my social media accounts that I'm leaving, that, you know, I shut everything down. And I actually kind of took a bit of a break from everything for a few months. I got a part time job to help pay the bills because I just didn't know what I wanted to do. And I just. But I still needed to make some money. And in that time that I took away and I stopped posting on social media, one of the things that came up for me when I sort of gave myself a bit of that break was to put out the fact that I could do done for you services, because here's the thing, I have skill sets, so why not utilize them? So I did a little bit of social media on that, but not too much. And it was more word of mouth. And I have more business reoccurring business in my business now than I ever did in my coaching business.

Shana [00:30:16]:
I'm the happiest I've ever been. I still am on social media, but not for my actual design business. Like, I have an account. I post a few things in my stories every once in a while, or I'll show off a new website that I've created, but I'm not posting regularly on that account at all. And like I say, my business, I'm thriving right now. Now, I also, during that time, started doing art, and I started a little art hobby that turned into a business where I paint and I sell my paintings, but I also do these paint nights, and there's a lot of fun things that came out of that. Now, I did create a social media account for that, but when I show up for that account, it's much different. It's because I'm really enjoying what I'm posting.

Shana [00:30:59]:
I'm painting and I'm showing my paintings, and it's. There's no. There's not a. There's not this overwhelming pressure of having to show up in order to get my next paycheck. Like, it's just fun. And I think that's, for me on the coaching side of things, because I had to compete against all of that inauthentic marketing that was happening out there. I felt like I was showing up twice as hard, three times as much, to try and compete against the people dangling the Gucci bags and all the shit. And it was like I wasn't seeing the results, and I was just, like, exhausted.

Shana [00:31:34]:
So when I let all that go and I just started focusing on what I'm good at and not worrying about what other people are thinking about me on social media and just reaching out to a few people saying, hey, listen, I'm doing done for your services. If you need anything, let me know. One thing turned into another, and before you know it, you know, here we are. And I've done the least amount of social media, you know, than I have in the past five years. So when you're saying that you don't need to be on social media all the time, I totally agree with that. I think when you are on social media, the energy behind what you're posting is important, because the energy behind what I was posting when I was actively working my coaching business was a needy, I need to find my next client who's going to join my program. I got to pay my bills, energy. And I think that's what can happen in that industry is you get a lot of that.

Shana [00:32:28]:
A lot of. Because there's a side note, there's a lot of pressure when you start in entrepreneurship, especially in the coaching industry to quit your full time job and do this, and you can make $10,000 a month so easily. And so people do that and then they don't have an actual regular income and now they're in this hamster wheel of trying to continue to generate new sales and so they rely on social media to do that. But then that creates that constant need to be showing up for the next client. The next client who's next, right. Can you relate to that?

Lindsay [00:33:01]:
Yeah. Like, so, 100%. Yeah. And there, and there's like, you know, if you show up in your content with like, this desperate energy. Yeah. Your, your, your people absorbing that content are gonna feel that. And I think, yeah, and I've fallen into that trap for sure. And I, you know, I, there was, and I think that there's, you just have to kind of be aware of it and just be like, oh, I just noticed that I put that out there because I'm trying to get something from somebody right versus having a strategy.

Shana [00:33:36]:
Where it's like, hey, listen, I would rather post less, but have my content be really fucking good and like, have a really strong message that that post is enough to carry me through the week. Now, I'm not saying that it's wrong if you enjoy being on social media and you want to be in your stories and do all the things 100%, like it's not going to hurt your business, especially if you are loving the process, but if you are not, and people will, they will feel that. And I was definitely in that space. Now it's like, like I say with my art account, I just show up there because I love it. I'm like, always, like, what can I post today? That, what did I create this weekend? Or what did I do? You know, and even with, even with the done for you services, if I do a new website, I love being able to say, hey, look at this website. Look how cool it looks, you know, and I love to be able to show that off. But I'm honestly, my business comes from word of mouth. And that's more because when you're good at what you do and you actually serve people and give them what they are asking for and they get results from it, they tell other people.

Shana [00:34:33]:
And that's, to me, that is just clicking for me now, when I say that is that that's what's helping me grow my business, not social media. And those who rely on social media that are, let's say, a little less integrity, they have to be on social media constantly flashing the carrots in order to bring in the people because there are people like myself. I left that coach early because I was like, this sucks. And she actually tried to come after me for them like it was a whole thing. And I was like, I'm not paying for this. You can sue me if you want to, but I'm out. Like, this is bullshit. And so that's what's happening in that industry.

Shana [00:35:09]:
So then those people have to be on twice as much because they need to attract more people to continue to keep making the money. Where when you actually have a service like what Lindsay does or what I do, it's the results of your service that continue to bring more clients because people recommend you. I don't know if that makes sense, but that's how I feel.

Lindsay [00:35:31]:
Yeah, my copywriting clients for sure is, is a lot of referral. And something you said was that your art account? It's fun. It's fun. So, and this is something I talk to my clients about, too. I'm like, what, what type of content do you have the most fun with? Because, you know, like, I'm working with somebody now and she's like, she's not having fun on Instagram. She is having fun. Like, she wants to launch a blog, so she is having fun writing long form content. I was like, okay, let's do that.

Lindsay [00:36:06]:
And that's fun for her. And this is the question, right? Like, how can, can you create content for your business and look at it as art and not this, like, you know, this chore, right? Yeah.

Shana [00:36:25]:
And there are people out there who might be business coaches who do have fun creating that content. And that's great. I know that's just where things started to feel out of alignment for me was creating content to try and find that next business coaching client. So, you know, everybody's going to be different. But the gist of what we're saying is that if you're doing something just to try and make a dollar, you know what I mean, versus doing it because you really want to help a person and really want to make a difference in the world. Those are two, they carry two different energies. And I found myself in the beginning. I loved doing the content and doing what I was doing as a business coach, but what it ended up shifting over into was me doing this to try and pay my bills.

Shana [00:37:09]:
And I just felt it's the same with network marketing. Same thing happened with me in network marketing. I love network marketing while I was doing it, but then once I saw, kind of fell out of love with it, I just. It just. It didn't feel good to do it anymore, whether it was posting or hosting parties or whatever we used to do back in the day. And so that's just, I think, a personal awareness thing that, you know, we have to be aware of. But also, this is a totally different message here on the podcast. So don't mind me if I just take this on a totally new angle.

Lindsay [00:37:41]:
Please do.

Shana [00:37:42]:
But also, like, it's okay to change. Like, it's okay to change your career. It's okay to do one thing and love it for a while and then not love it anymore and then do something else, because that was also really hard for me when I transitioned out of both my network marketing career and out of my coaching career was. But. But people know me as this. Who am I without this? If I change, what are people going to think if I stop doing this, how does that reflect on me? Do people think I failed? Do people think I'm not good? And there was a lot of mindset work and, like, just personal development stuff that I had to do to be able to say, you know, what? I could, like, I have to do what makes me happy. And if that means going to get a part time job or doing art or going back to graphic design, because that's just what I need right now. Fuck everybody else.

Shana [00:38:31]:
Like, who cares what people think about you on social media? And if you change gears, that's okay. You're allowed to do that, you know? And I think that's another big thing with this online social media space, is that we're so open and available for everybody to look at us. And then when we want to do something different, it's like, oh, we have to now worry about what all of these people are going to think.

Lindsay [00:38:53]:
Like, you know, the tiny square. Tiny square of people in your phone.

Shana [00:38:58]:
Right. It's exhausting. It's exhausting.

Lindsay [00:39:01]:
And you touched on something else. So the part time job, which I think, like, nobody talks about when you become an entrepreneur, right? I've had a part time job at a toy store over the years, back and forth, and like. And I have clients who have full time jobs, and their entrepreneur thing is sort of like their after hours thing because they make the most money in their house. Right. So, yeah, there's. And I've talked about this before in the podcast.

Shana [00:39:33]:
There's no shame in it.

Lindsay [00:39:34]:
And there's no shame in it. There should be. No, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter.

Shana [00:39:39]:
I just said this to a friend of mine who she's an entrepreneur and just literally is just about to accept a full time position as well as continue on in her entrepreneur business. And I said, you know, she was like, you know, my ego is fighting this a little bit. And I said, you know what? What entrepreneur? If you're a true entrepreneur, you know that you have to do whatever it takes for the love of your business. And if that means you have to get a job to help supplement your income so that you can continue working your business, that is what entrepreneurs do. We do whatever it takes. And if anybody looks bad at that, they have no idea what entrepreneurship is. Right? Like, and, and at the end of the day, when I took my part time job, I took it. I was working.

Shana [00:40:22]:
I still have one day a week. At the same time part time job, I work at a salon. I work the front desk. And when I took that job, my ego had a lot of things to say about it. And I started at three days a week. I'm just down to one day a week there now. And the reason I hold on to that job is because I love it. I love the people.

Shana [00:40:43]:
I love that I go on Wednesdays, I open the store, I'm there until three. I love the people. I love the break that it gives my brain. I love what I do. It's like, I will have that Wednesday shift for the rest of my life, probably because I enjoy it so much. I didn't know that that was going to happen for me. And it really did teach me that we can have, one, we can have multiple things in our lives and be okay with it. And two, do whatever makes you feel good.

Shana [00:41:13]:
Who gives a shit what everybody else thinks? I think that we need to be having more of these conversations because how many entrepreneurs out there are struggling? And this is what with my friend, we went out for breakfast one morning and she was like, I am struggling and it's really stressful. And we were, I was like, dude, get a job. Like, even if it's part time, like, there's so many jobs that are remote now that you can work from home. And here she is today, you know, about to accept a full time position and a lot of the stresses, you know, are going to dissipate for her. And that's what, again, going back to, you know, posting on social media and being happy, what you're doing when you're not super stressed about paying the bills, your social media kind of becomes fun again because you're not relying on that to make the next deal. You're, because you're back to being able to see through that and be able to post and do things because you love what you do and you love helping the people and you're not having to think so much about. Is this post going to bring me another client?

Lindsay [00:42:14]:
Yeah. Yes. Agreed. And I think any way you can sort of take that desperate energy out of the content you're putting out there, whatever it is, if it's an email, if it's a blog post, if it's an instagram post, if it's a live whatever, like any. I agree. Any way you can take out that desperate energy of, like, what I need to get somebody from something, right? I gotta hook someone with this.

Shana [00:42:41]:
Like, I gotta be in my stories eight times today because I need to find one more person up for this program. And it just becomes, it's almost like a never ending battle because then when you get that one person, that's great, but then that one person is one person. It's one pain.

Lindsay [00:42:58]:
You're like, more, more, more, more next.

Shana [00:43:00]:
Month to deal with and the month after to deal with. One of the things that I said when I started doing the done for you services is I made it my mission to work with retainer clients, like clients who need my services over and over and over again. And because I, I didn't like that one big job and then that person's gone. I mean, I still do one off jobs for sure, but I also, with all clients, I'm like, just so you know, I work retainer as well. I can do different houred packages based on your needs and then I'll take care of all your tech stuff. And that has been one of the best things that I've set up for myself because now I know, you know, clients do come and go. That's going to happen. But, you know, there's a set amount of, of income that I know is happening for me every month.

Shana [00:43:48]:
And I do a good job for them. I do the work and they're happy. I'm happy. And so, yeah, so it's just that there's, there's just not that stress anymore. And I agree. I think much like you're saying you're going to do a podcast after this, I definitely need to put that on my list of podcasts to do is talk about getting a job as an entrepreneur and how that, if that's what you need to do, like do it. Like, that's what we need to be. We need to be proud of the fact that we can do that.

Shana [00:44:17]:
Like, you know what I mean?

Lindsay [00:44:19]:
Mm hmm.

Shana [00:44:20]:
So, anyways, I'll just step off my soapbox right now.

Lindsay [00:44:24]:
I love your soapbox right now. And I'm not. I don't use video, but I'm nodding my head. Thank God. I know. I know. Well, and now the. Like, I know now that people are like, oh, but your podcast has to be on YouTube because it's a search engine and da da da.

Lindsay [00:44:40]:
I'm like, the whole reason I started this podcast is so I didn't have to put makeup on. And.

Shana [00:44:44]:
Yeah, well, here's the thing. On YouTube without makeup.

Lindsay [00:44:49]:
What? Oh, my God. Oh. So another thing. Okay. I realize I keep talking about threads, but there was this one woman that said, you're building a business, for God's sake. Put on some mascara and lipstick. Ooh. The people came for her.

Lindsay [00:45:04]:
Oh, man. And so, yeah, and I'm 44, and I feel like. Like you reach a certain age where you just don't give a shit anymore. Like, you give a lot less shits than you used to.

Shana [00:45:17]:
Well, and I just think that. I mean, gosh, you know, if. If we're not at an era now with, like, with all the kind of content that's out there to be able to show up and just be real. And I don't want makeup on today. You don't even have to say it. Like, my husband always says that I'll answer the door, and, like, if it's a friend of mine or something or whomever, and I'm like, oh, hey, you know? And I'll be like, oh, my gosh. So sorry, I don't have any makeup on. You know, whatever.

Shana [00:45:40]:
He'll be like, how do you say that? He's like, they don't even notice. And I'm like, yeah, they do. And he's like, no, they don't.

Lindsay [00:45:48]:
Like, if I go get my hair done or something, I, like, I often will put makeup on because I'm like, well, my hair's done. I'm gonna put makeup on. And my husband will say, why y'all dickied up? This is dicky up to you. Like, I have mascara on. Yeah, that's the new. Yeah. Yeah.

Shana [00:46:04]:
But I do think, like, I think that the more of us that can go out there and just be real and authentic and just show up, however that is, it just gives permission for other people to do it, too. And I think we're at a time now where, you know, that it is, like, it's.

Lindsay [00:46:20]:
It's time. Like, it's time to just show up.

Shana [00:46:22]:
And just be ourselves.

Lindsay [00:46:23]:
Yeah. Totally agree. Yeah. And I think. And that's one of the things that a lot of my clients say to me. They're just like, I like that you're just you. And I say this all the time. Like, I only know how to be one Lindsey.

Lindsay [00:46:38]:
Like, I don't know how to be. I mean, obviously my pictures are very cute because I had my hair done and I did my makeup, but I'll be the first one to say, this is not what I look like every day. Like, I'm wearing fleece pants with leopard print on them. So, like, I didn't go to my photo shoot with that.

Shana [00:46:57]:
Right.

Lindsay [00:46:58]:
Like, it's. Anyways, I don't know where I was going with that. I forget, where can people find you and where. And people who are local to, like, near to London, Ontario ish. Yeah, they're good. Yeah.

Shana [00:47:13]:
I mean, so for the stuff that I do, as far as helping clients with their kajabi websites, I do can work with squarespace as well, doing some of the, if they want lead magnets or branding or any of that kind of stuff, graphic design stuff. My website, Shane, and there's a portfolio section on there. Your lovely site, I think is actually right first on that portfolio. Yeah. So you can find me there for sure. And there's an opportunity, if you want to discuss your project, to book a call with me and to see if we're a fit. Absolutely. You can do that.

Shana [00:47:46]:
And then I do have an Instagram for that business. It's iamshanarecker on Instagram again. I don't post a lot on there, but when I do, it's something good. You can count that. And then as far as the art side, if you are in London, Ontario, and you want to join one of our abstract paint nights at Lindsay, you were at the very first one that we did. That is my shanareckerart.com. So if you go to that website, you'll see the abstract art that I do. And I have an Instagram for that, which is Shaynarecker art.

Shana [00:48:18]:
And I have a lot of fun over there. So if you just want to be a part of the energy on that side and just if you enjoy learning things about art and abstract art, you can find me there. And. Yeah, that's pretty much it.

Lindsay [00:48:31]:
Yeah, that was really fun. And I liked that it was abstract because usually you think of paint nights and it's like everybody paints a bird in a tree and da da da. But yeah, it was super fun. And minor, minor framed sitting over there.

Shana [00:48:46]:
I love it. When people frame them, because it's like, you should be proud of that work because, yeah, that's one of the things with the paint nights is that I really love is letting people or helping people let go of the rules and loosen up and let them explore and with paint and color and tools, and it's so amazing to watch everybody come in super tight and stiff and be like, I'm not artistic. And they're all like, I don't know.

Lindsay [00:49:13]:
What I'm going to do.

Shana [00:49:13]:
And they're looking at this white canvas, and then within a matter of, you know, usually 1520 minutes of them getting started, by the end, they've created these amazing pieces of art. And they're even shocked themselves. Like, you know how we take the tape off and do the finishing and we show them their art and they're like, oh, my gosh, did I make that? And we're like, this is yours, you know? And so it's a lot of fun and it's very fulfilling.

Lindsay [00:49:35]:
Yes, agreed. I know. I immediately wanted to come back. I was like, I want to do more.

Shana [00:49:41]:
We have had multiple people come back multiple times.

Lindsay [00:49:43]:
Yes, I've seen from your photos. I was like, oh, I know that person.

Shana [00:49:47]:
Yeah. So it's. It's been a lot of fun. So, yeah, so that's where I hang out.

Lindsay [00:49:51]:
Okay, perfect. We'll put all that in the show notes. Thank you. I mean, obviously, we could talk some more about whatever, but it's been a while. So thanks, everyone, for joining us, and we'll see you next time. Bye, guys. Thank you so much for listening. If you loved what you heard, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, or share this episode on social media.

Lindsay [00:50:12]:
And don't forget to tag us me on Instagram at lindsaysmithcreative. And if you do all three, I'll be your best friend forever and invite you to all my birthday parties. That's it for today, and I'll see you next time.