IEP020: The Importance of Rest Periods in Business

Brigit:                    Welcome to the Intuitive Entrepreneur Podcast. I'm your host, Brigit Esselmont, intuitive business strategist and mentor. As the founder of Biddy Tarot, I turned my love for Tarot into an abundant seven-figure business. The secret to my success? Making intuition and strategy my entrepreneurial superpower. And now I'm inviting you to do the same. In this weekly podcast, I'll be sharing advice, tools, and real-life examples from some of the best intuitive entrepreneurs to show you how you can trust your intuition, align with your purpose, and create a positive impact through your work. Let's make it happen.

Brigit:                    Hello, and welcome back to the Intuitive Entrepreneur Podcast. Now, this episode is actually the last episode of this season, the season being season one. And in this episode, I'm going to be sharing some of the key takeaways and insights from the past 19 episodes, well, actually, 25 if you count the bonus episodes. And I'm also going to talk about what to expect from here, particularly with season two.

Brigit:                    But first, you might be wondering why. Why are we talking seasons? We haven't talked about this yet. So what's going on? So I want to talk a little bit about why we're adopting more of a seasonal model when it comes to this podcast. Now, I think we're all very used to a very masculine model way of doing things, which is often quite linear. You decide what you want to achieve. You put that goal out there. You go towards that. Once you achieve it, you set the next goal, and off you go again. But when we look at more of the feminine energy, it actually doesn't always work that way. In fact, the feminine energy is much more cyclical in nature. It's often filled with those periods of high activity but also followed by periods of rest, and withdrawal, and retreat, and so on.

Brigit:                    Even if you think about, say, the moon cycles, over the full moon, it's a very expressive time. That's when we're often our most active. And then we start to release and let go until we come through to the new moon where we tend to retreat. Then after that new moon, we set our intentions again and off we go. We get into that high activity. We have this beautiful 28/29-day cycle that's happening that allows us these periods of rest and activity.

Brigit:                    It's also the same with menstrual cycles for women. We have very similar patterns to the moon where during your bleeding time that's when you just want to retreat and withdraw. Then when you're going through ovulation, it's much more of a time of activity, and doing stuff, and putting yourself out there. Even when we think about the seasonal cycles of the year from wintertime where we're kind of hibernating, and resting, and being indoors to summertime where we're much more active and we're outside and enjoying the sun. In fact, Emily Thompson spoke about the impact of seasons in episode three and how she uses the seasons in her business.

Brigit:                    I bet you're probably thinking, "Okay, Brigit. This is nice, but why are we talking about menstrual cycles and moon cycles when we're here to talk about entrepreneurship?" Well, all of this really comes into play when we think about how can we create a more organic, a more in flow kind of business. And I believe it is important that we honor these cycles and seasons that happen in the natural world, but also how we can bring that into our business world.

Brigit:                    So when we were thinking about the podcast, I started this with the intention of, yeah, I'm just going to do one episode every single week. Then I got in a couple of months, and I thought, "Hang on a second. I actually think that in order for this to be a really sustainable model, we need to have more rest periods, and in the actual podcast production schedule and the publishing schedule." You can probably hear that plane overhead, too, just saying hello. We're welcoming our newest visitors to the Sunshine Coast here. All right. So we realized that in order for us to be able to have these podcasts going long term, we needed to have these rest cycles in place, and so we decided to bring in the concept of seasons.

Brigit:                    And you know, this isn't just for us, too. We also realize that you need some rest periods from this podcast, even when you completely love it to bits, of course. But, it helps to have those rest periods. I don't know about you, but I've had some podcasts that are so amazing because they're producing two or three episodes a week, but I find myself getting very overwhelmed because I think, "When am I going to catch up with all of these episodes?" So perhaps these breaks in between seasons is an opportunity for you to catch up, take a breather, and rest and relax, and then get excited about the next season.

Brigit:                    Here's the other thing with rest periods. I believe that rest periods really allow us to step into that void. I'm not very comfortable in that void. I'm going to be very honest here. I'm not comfortable in that space of doing nothing. However, I can absolutely see the value of it, too. And we need to step into these spaces of void, of nothingness, of not doing so that the creativity can start to burst forth from that void. Again, that's why I think having these rest periods in between podcast seasons is incredibly important because replenishes your excitement for the podcast, plus it replenishes our level of creativity and what we can create for you.

Brigit:                    And of course, this is something that we can also apply to our businesses and looking at how can we incorporate more cycles into our business. How can we have more seasons in our business? Does it have to be push, push, push the entire year? Or perhaps we have seasons with scheduled rest breaks. So I'm kind of talking to myself with that one because I know that I need to incorporate more rest into the way that we do business.

Brigit:                    So anyway, we are applying the concept of seasons to the Intuitive Entrepreneur Podcast. What that means is this: We'll be taking a break for four weeks, and then we're going to start season two. And in season two, it's going to be 10 episodes with six guest interviews, three episodes with just you and me, and one as a wrap-up and reflection for that season. I am a big fan of reflecting and seeing what have you learned, what have you discovered over that course of that period. With each season having 10 episodes and a four-week break in between, that is four seasons per year. Does that sound familiar? Does, right? Because that's the seasons of the year.

Brigit:                    All right. So today what I want to do is wrap up this season one, which has been an extended season, and just reflect on some of the key takeaways and insights from this particular season. And here's the thing, let's just take a step back here because I want to reflect on the birth of this podcast. It was birthed in May 2019. And since it was birthed, it's had almost 25,000 downloads, which is awesome. I am so appreciative of that. We've had 18 amazing guests who have shared their stories and their entrepreneurial journey, plus their wisdom and insights about what it really takes to be an intuitive entrepreneur.

Brigit:                    We've also had 90 to five-star reviews, which is amazing. It's just beautiful to see how much this is influencing people's lives. For example, Adele from the UK wrote, "As an intuitive life coach for young women, this podcast has come into my life in divine timing. I feel so empowered and supported to know that there is a whole tribe of women excelling in intuitive business and gaining abundance through alignment, flow, and vibration. Thank you for giving me hope and encouraging me to take those first steps in my business." That's really a sentiment that I've seen in all of the feedback and comments. Well, in most of the ... in much of the feedback and comments. It's beautiful that we're having this ripple effect to encourage people to adopt ways of doing business that feel good and feel in alignment.

Brigit:                    Now, I want to talk a little bit about some of the most popular episodes that we've had so far. One of them was where my marketing manager, Katie, was able to interview me, and I talked about how I grew Biddy Tarot into the seven-figure empire that it is now. That was one of our most popular episodes. It's such a joy to be able to share that journey and that story, particularly from a business perspective.

Brigit:                    We also had Susan Hyatt who talked about how to get bare, speak up, and stand out. There was so much in Susan Hyatt's interview that really stood out to me and really shifted the way that I was looking at things. For example, Susan really encourages women in particular to stop worrying about what everybody else thinks about you and instead focus on what feels in alignment. Now, Susan talks about this in context of body image, and weight, and health, and so on, but it equally applies to our businesses. How many times have you stopped yourself from doing something because you're worried about how others might see you, or are they going to give you negative feedback, or are they going to make fun of you, or whoever knows?

Brigit:                    Susan also shared a story of a friend who was afraid to have her video published on the internet because she was worried about how she looked in that video. And yet, this video was an incredibly compelling message that she had to share. Susan reflected to her friend, "You know what? You are effectively deleting yourself and missing out on this opportunity to influence and impact on the women." She eventually came around, said, "Okay, fine. I'll put my video out there." That video had such a huge impact and really helped her to share her message in a very powerful way.

Brigit:                    I think after that hearing this story, I think of how many times I've held myself back from expressing myself just because I didn't have some makeup on, I didn't brush my hair, I wasn't wearing the right clothes. There've been many times, and I think, "Oh, maybe I should do an Instagram story." And then I go, "Oh, no, I don't like how my skin looks today." Isn't that ridiculous? And maybe you can relate as well. Think of all those times where you've held yourself back because you're worried about what other people might think of you. That's all these little missed opportunities for you to be able to influence and impact someone else just because you're worried about your hair or your skin. That was a message that truly resonated for me because I know that there's a lot in that that I can take on, and I'm sure for you, too.

Brigit:                    Now, Maddy Moon in episode five talked about slowing down and really dropping into the feminine energy. Maddy shared how she really takes time these days to read emails, and read them two or three times before she responds. She really sits with them and reflects. So even if it's an out of the blue customer email, Maddy sitting with that email and really tuning into what does this person need. What do they want? How can I be of service to this person?

Brigit:                    And likewise with her clients, Maddy was sharing how she really listens deeply to what her clients are saying to her so that she's not just listening for the words that they're saying, but what's that deeper message? What's the message that perhaps they're not really saying but they're implying? I think this was a really important message because in this day and age we're taught to multitask, do as much as you can, be as productive as possible, do things at two speed, like listening to podcasts at two speed. I'm guilty of that. But, Maddy's message was we've got to slow down. We've got to really listen in. Even if it means that you don't do everything, you at least do some things very, very well. Really pays off for Maddy, and particularly with her clients, because she's able to create this very deep, intimate relationships where she can really get to those underlying layers of things. So that was in episode five.

Brigit:                    Then, also Libby Crow in episode eight and where she talked about going from burnout and exhaustion to joy and freedom. I know from talking with a number of people that this is one of the most impactful episodes that they have heard because I think we can all relate with that journey of working, pushing, striving, forcing, making things happen and then getting to that point of feeling absolutely worn out, and burnt out, and totally exhausted because we've pushed too hard. Again, we believe that this is the way to be successful, to be pushing, and accomplishing, and achieving. But it all comes crumbling down because we hit the wall and we realize, "Oh, I can't do this long term. I can't hold this space anymore."

Brigit:                    That's exactly what had happened for Libby. She reached that point of burnout and exhaustion. She realized too that she needed to change and pivot. She had a highly, or still has a highly successful business course, but she started to feel like that wasn't her true calling at this point in time. In the episode, Libby talks about this pivot that she's making now to something that's much more real and authentic for her, that's in the moment of what she wants to talk about today versus needing to talk about business because it's marketing her next course and so on. So if you're in that place of feeling a little bit of burnout and exhaustion, definitely go and listen to Libby's episode. That was number eight.

Brigit:                    Now, a couple of other key insights that I really took to heart, Kathryn Hocking in episode nine. She shared many things, but one thing that really stood out to me was schedule in a masala in the middle of your launch because it actually makes things work even better than you expect. And in fact, Alex Beadon on episode 16 shared a similar insight. Because when she was mid launch, she took some time out because she felt she desperately needed the timeout. In fact, while she was away from her desk, that's when she had all of these sales come through.

Brigit:                    Again, this is kind of bucking against the trend and doing things differently. We're taught to believe that we need to push and force for things to happen. But actually, it's often when we take that step back that things can grow, and evolve, and flow in their course. We can set out that intention, but sometimes we just need to step back and allow that intention to be in play for it to really manifest.

Brigit:                    The other key insight or takeaway for me was with the Elizabeth Purvis interview for episode 15. What really stood out to me there was Elizabeth talking about how we've been programmed, particularly as spiritual business owners, to think that money is evil. Ugh, yuck! And instead, what we need to do is really see money as energy and to know that money is expansive energy, not expensive energy. Sometimes it becomes an expensive energy depending which way the money's flowing, right? But if we look at money as this expansive energy, something that we can grow more of in our lives, the more value that we put out there, the more that we can grow in terms of money and financial wealth. And even then it's not just financial wealth. It's all kinds of wealth. It's being able to help others and being in a position where you can grow and expand your business so that it can help even more people.

Brigit:                    All right. Now, I just wanted to touch a little bit on some of the core themes before we wrap it up today. I was reflecting on, what's the kind of thread that I've been hearing through these interviews and episodes? When it comes down to it, something that I see is a real common thread between all of these beautiful intuitive entrepreneurs that I have spoken to is that we're all kind of wired to push and be very ambitious, and we're highly achievement oriented. There have been points in our entrepreneurial journey where we've gone too far. We have reached that point of burnout and exhaustion, and we've realized that that is not the way. That is not sustainable in the long term, and we have to do things differently. If we want to be really successful in the long term, then we need to pay attention more to our intuition, our feelings of alignment, of being in flow, of allowing and surrendering rather than being in that pushing and striving state.

Brigit:                    I think what's really neat is that we are creating our own way. This level of spiritual entrepreneurship, intuitive entrepreneurship, embracing the feminine energy in business, this is relatively new. And more and more, we are realizing that we need to integrate this into our business for it to thrive, and flourish, and be successful in the long term. This truly is the way of the intuitive entrepreneur. In fact, when I think about it, intuitive entrepreneurs are using things like manifestation, working with energy and being aware of energy, using abundance and attraction in business, not just as a fun side thing to do, but as a real legitimate way of doing business, as a legitimate way of growing business in that sustainable way.

Brigit:                    I hope that you have enjoyed season one of the Intuitive Entrepreneur Podcast as much as I've enjoyed creating it for you. I can't tell you how excited I am, one, to have a little rest break, but two to start our next season with season two. So season two, it starts on October 22, 2019. If you're listening after that, it's all there for you anyway.

Brigit:                    Here's a little taster of who we have coming up. I chat with Taylor Rae, who's from the Strong Babe Collective. She talks a lot about showing up authentically on social media, and being real and present, and using social media in a way that feels in alignment.

Brigit:                    I also talk to Angela Lauria, who is the founder of The Author Incubator. This is a 10-million-dollar-plus company that is growing at great speeds. Angela talks about how to make people beg to work for you. Seriously, the ideas that Angela have, just amazing. If you are thinking about creating a team, building a team, if you're in the process of growing a team, this episode is absolute gold.

Brigit:                    I'll also talk with Ashley Leavy, who talks about chakra alignment for your business. Yes, we're going a little bit woo, but it's all good because it's all about bringing energy into our business.

Brigit:                    I talk with Reagan Hillyer about an abundance mindset and how you can bring more abundance into your business. And I'll be doing couple of solo episodes, which I really look forward to. It's likely to be around time management strategies, because I know how easy it is to get distracted, and also what to do if you fail and how to turn those failures into opportunities.

Brigit:                    It's going to be a great season. I can't wait to share it with you. Thank you so very much for being a loyal listener of the Intuitive Entrepreneur Podcast. Of course, if you are enjoying this podcast, I would love for you to leave a review on iTunes because it really helps get this podcast out to as many people as possible. All right, that is it for today. Have a wonderful month, and we'll be in touch very soon. Bye for now.

Brigit:                    Thank you for joining me for today's episode of the Intuitive Entrepreneur Podcast. If you loved this episode, please leave an honest rating and review on iTunes. It really helps to get the word out. And of course, I read every single comment. Now, If you're an intuitive entrepreneur with a desire to build a business fueled by purpose, passion, and profit, then you're invited to join me and an intimate group of female business owners in the Intuitive Entrepreneurs' Mastermind. All you need to do is add your name to the wait list, and you'll be the first to know when applications are open. So head on over to brigit.me/mastermind. That's B-R-I-G-I-T .me/mastermind. I'll see you there, and bye for now.