She Thinks Big with Andrea Liebross

As humans, we tend to want to follow what’s been done before. But when you think outside the box, other people often want to talk you out of it or warn you away from it.Let’s say you have a vision for who you want to serve in your business or how you want to structure it. But that vision is... unusual (perhaps even brand new) for your industry.Jill Hart is a certified real estate specialist and real estate consulting company owner. For a while, she worked with various age groups. But she had a vision of specifically catering to senior citizens--helping them sell their homes and manage every aspect of their move more easily.However, she realized that others in the industry couldn’t really see the value in her vision. So for the past two years, she and I have worked together, culminating in her senior real estate consulting company. In this episode of Time to Level Up, you’ll learn through Jill’s story about how the determination to do things your way (no matter what others say) helps give you the business and lifestyle you really desire. She reveals how she acted on her vision so it could come to fruition and the internal and external obstacles she had had to overcome along the way.4:09 - Jill’s journey as a real estate entrepreneur and why she wanted to work with senior citizens exclusively9:04 - What giving yourself permission to outsource can allow you to do14:35 - How focusing only a sellers helps Jill with business and lifestyle design17:02 - A mindset Jill had that might be holding you back too19:13 - How I helped Jill organize her ideas into a doable list22:40- The difference between having a coach within your industry and working with an outside coach25:38 - The value that Jill provides her client28:45 - Jill’s advice on leveling upMentioned In Commit to Your Vision of the Business and Lifestyle You Want with Jill HartAndrea’s LinksI’ve Got This CoachingBook a Call with AndreaSilver Pathways ConsultingJill Hart, RealtorJill on the Her Two Cents podcast

Dreaming and looking ahead kind of gets overlooked as a fluffy topic sometimes. Some people might even call it a little woo-woo.But everything that exists now (or will exist in the future) started as a dream--a vision--for someone. The iPhone in your hand, the car you drive to and from the grocery store, even the chairs you sit in while working or watching TV--all of it was in the mind of someone like Steve Jobs before it became something you could experience in reality.Not all visions involve the invention of revolutionary devices, of course. But having a dream drives us all when it comes to your life and business. What’s involved in creating a vision that’ll light you up and satisfy your soul?While I’ve talked about visioning and thinking ahead before, today I want to talk about it in a slightly different way. So in this episode of Time to Level Up, you’ll learn why goals and visions aren’t the same, how internal family systems can influence your relationship with your vision, what to do to make the achievement of your dream faster and easier, and much more!3:49 - How a vision is different from a goal5:56 - What is your vision for the future?9:14 - How you think and feel about your dream11:51 - Your relationship with your vision and the positives of sharing your vision14:50 - Nurturing a healthy relationship with your dream16:58 - What makes achieving your vision a whole lot easier19:47 - What’s your dream going to be? (And what it doesn’t have to be)Mentioned In How to Create a Vision for the Future of Your Life and BusinessAndrea’s LinksDesign Your Ideal Summer MasterclassGoals Spotify playlistRunway to FreedomI’ve Got This CoachingBook a Call with Andrea

In your business, there isn’t just you. There are the people you serve (your clients or customers), but there’s also your team (colleagues or employees).Every person on your team is a reflection of your values. So you want to make sure you have the right people serving their roles. But how can you ensure you have the right people, and what do you do when you discover someone on your team who isn’t?My podcast guest today, Nikki Lewallen Gregory, has a principle she calls “right people, right seat.” And in this continuation of the “Business Audit to Business Awesome” miniseries, she’s here to help you discover who the right people are for your business and explore what it means to have them on your team.If you have the right people and can effectively leverage them, you create tremendous growth and way more freedom in your business. It’s the key to opening up more time, money, and brainpower than you might have otherwise.In this episode of Time to Level Up, you’ll learn about this team and leadership aspect of the people component of your business and how to discover and best utilize the important attributes of your team members. Nikki will also teach you what culture code is, why it’s such a workplace gamechanger and more!3:33 - Nikki introduces herself by revealing her “why”5:44 - How to ensure you’re working with the right people10:58 - How Nikki describes corporate, business, and organizational culture15:04 - Why you hold onto people too long (and why you’re not doing them any favors when you do)17:00 - A recent example of how not to let go of people18:56 - What is culture code, and what does it look like?23:58 - How Nikki recently leveled up and what leveling up means to herMentioned In Having the Right People In Your Business with Nikki Lewallen GregoryPeople Forward NetworkPeople Forward Network on LinkedInCliftonStrengths AssessmentAddicted to Betterment podcastAndrea’s LinksI’ve Got This CoachingBook a Call with Andrea

Have you noticed how magical band-aids are? A kid with a skinned knee will get one and all of a sudden the meltdown on the playground turns into fun and adventure on the slide again.But kids aren’t the only ones who feel better after they get a band-aid. As an (adult) entrepreneur, you might feel the need to apply a band-aid whenever you encounter a problem in your business.But here’s the problem: like the skinned-knee wound on a child, the injury (and the pain) is still there. You haven’t actually solved the problem. What you need is to stop putting band-aid solutions on business problems and instead get a long-lasting solution.So in this episode of the Time to Level Up podcast, you’ll learn scenarios where business owners often try to apply band-aids to problems and why upgrading to using duct tape isn’t the solution, either. I’ll teach you how to come up with solutions that fix problems and improve your business.3:17 - Why you look to apply band-aids to situations9:43 - A couple of examples of how you might apply a band-aid solution in their business11:43 - Two areas where I see clients apply band-aids in their business13:04 - What happens when you switch from band-aids to duct tape16:09 - What really needs to happen when you experience business problems19:05 - The impact when you rethink your whole processMentioned In How to Switch From Band-Aids to Sustainable Solutions to Frustrating Business IssuesAndrea’s LinksI’ve Got This CoachingRunway to FreedomBook a Call with AndreaDesign Your Ideal Summer Masterclass

Does the word “audit” conjure up scary images and feelings?Audits can sound a little frightening (thanks I.R.S.). But when it comes to your business, it helps give you the clarity and confidence to know what you need to work or not work on.Oftentimes on this podcast, you hear about the metrics, people, systems, and processes of successful business ownership. But what if it were presented in a way that provided you an overview of how it all ties together?Let me introduce you to the “Business Audit to Create Business Awesome” podcast miniseries. I’ve been working on it for a year and am so excited to share it with you over the next few months in the form of guest expert interviews on Time to Level Up. This miniseries will provide the 30,000 foot overview you need so you can understand what to look for in your business and life.In this Time to Level Up episode, you’ll learn about specific business areas and how they might impact your life from multi-business owner Jill Lehman. You’ll discover what you need to know about your offer(s), working in versus on your business, how to network more effectively and approach scaling your business, how your business intertwines with family even if you’re a solo entrepreneur, and so much more.5:56 - Who is Jill?7:50 - The most basic thing you need to know about your product or service15:28 - A few things you need to pay attention to in your business22:19 - The consequences of not setting a time aside to work on your business24:19 - How to be smart about scaling your business28:51 - The key to staying motivated and why running your business is a family affair31:48 - Jill’s best definition of work-life balance36:33 - Keys to correctly connecting and networking as an entrepreneur39:57 - What leveling up means to JillMentioned In From Business Audit to Business Awesome with Jill LehmanAndrea’s LinksJill Lehman on LinkedInEvolve HR GroupHigh Frequency ArtsGet a Grip Masterclass 

“Counselor, consultant, or coach? Help, I can’t decide!”As a female business owner, you benefit tremendously from having coaching that focuses on both life and business. But you also have consultants and therapists available to help you, too, and picking between them all can get tricky.So let’s clear up the confusion. How can you determine which one to choose (and when)? You need to know the difference between consulting, coaching, and counseling and how to evaluate yourself to know which one is right for you.Today on the Time to Level Up podcast, I help make it clear by painting a visual picture that illustrates the point. Near the end of the show, I also provide a tool to help you reflect and further access what you need.So in this episode of Time to Level Up, you’ll learn about all three's differences (and similarities). I’ll define the role of consultant, coach, and counselor and teach you to figure out which one to hire for yourself.4:10 - How you might know right away which professional you need14:52 - How coaches, consultants, and therapists come at situations similarly and differently16:54 - How to access when you need to hire a consultant vs. a coach20:58 - Figuring out if you need a counselor or coach (and a common misconception about coaching)25:39 - What I do for you as a coach and my ideal coaching client28:40 - The different focus, goals, and framework of counselors and coaches32:42 - A tool to help you do a self-assess yourself and figure out what’s best for youMentioned In The Difference Between Consulting, Coaching and CounselingAndrea’s LinksWheel of LifeBook a Call with Andrea

Are you investing in yourself the way you need to based on where you’re at right now?You might be stuck in investing in industry or problem-specific coaching, which isn’t a bad idea. But the thought of exploring the option of life and business coaching together may not have even crossed your radar.That’s where Emelie Russell found herself when I hired her in April 2022 to be my videographer for a live event I was doing. She’d invested in specific coaching for her profession but had never thought broader than that, until I asked her about it.You might see a bit of yourself in Emelie. Within a few years, she took her wedding videographer hobby and turned it into a thriving six-figure business while growing her family of three kids. And today, she’s here to share how coaching has helped her shift her mindset and approach to her life and business.In this episode of Time to Level Up, you’ll see how coaching can help you redefine what work-life balance and asking for help looks like for you as a parent and entrepreneur. I’ll also teach you about the success triangle I use with a lot of clients and the three beliefs that, when added together, really show what you think you’re worth.6:04 - How Emelie got into wedding videography and started it as a business while growing her family10:44 - How Emelie’s relationship with her growing business shifted and impacted her as a mom14:00 - The three components of the success triangle and the obstacle that got in Emelie’s way18:49 - How things have changed in Emelie’s life with the mindset shift she gained from coaching21:00 - How internal drama over a trip to Sweden showcased Emelie’s feelings about her worth26:02 - How investing in herself helps Emelie’s clients and family (and can do the same for you)28:31 - What Emilie’s gained from coaching and what she’d say to you if you’re considering it30:20 - The question Emelie repeats to herself over and over that can help keep you on trackMentioned In Turning Big Thinking Into an Amazing Life and Business with Emelie RussellAndrea’s LinksEmelie RussellEmelie on Instagram

What would be possible in your business (or life) if you knew how to stop people-pleasing?You’d feel less overwhelmed in your business. You’d be a happier person, too, in the long-run. And you might not even realize all the negative consequences that people-pleasing has on various aspects of your life. (Or maybe you’re painfully aware but just can’t seem to stop it)!What you need is the real truth behind your people-pleasing tendency... a big picture view, if you will. I’ve discovered something that sheds light on this and am excited to share it with you on Time to Level Up.What I discovered was a book by Amy Morin. Morin is a licensed clinical social worker and author. And in her book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, she discusses truths behind people-pleasing that offer an opportunity for you to finally break the habit.In this episode of Time to Level Up, you’ll learn Morin’s five truths about people-pleasing and how the effects of it can show up in your life or business. I’ll also teach you four things you can do right now to get out of any people-pleasing tendency you’ve developed.2:29 - What people-pleasing is really about3:48 - Truth #2: the likability and respectability factor4:45 - Why annoyance doesn’t equal dislike7:07 - Why it’s not worth getting people to like or respect you8:50 - The last truth that will help you eliminate your people-pleasing habit10:12 - Four things you can do to get a handle on people-pleasing tendencies17:08 - A personal and professional example of how I learned to stop people-pleasingMentioned In 5 Truths That Will Help You Learn How to Stop People-Pleasing13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do by Amy MorinAndrea’s Links

There’s a difference between being a great leader in theory and actually being one in practice.As a CEO, you face a lot of challenges that aren’t actually business-related or professional in nature at all. They’re just often disguised as such. But they’re really emotional challenges that require something to bridge the gap. That something is called “emotional courage.”What does that entail, though? I’ve been exploring this idea of emotional courage in female leaders and came across best-selling author, emotional courage expert, and CEO advisor Peter Bregman in my research. According to him, it boils down to this: if you’re willing to feel anything, you can do anything.In this episode of the Time to Level Up podcast, you’ll learn about what emotional courage is, what it looks like in practice with examples, and how it affects you in business and in life. I’ll also teach you about Bregman’s three elements to being a great leader and how you can start taking on those elements within yourself right away.5:54 - How Peter Bregman defines emotional courage and its effect on your goals9:31 - What happens when you try to stuff your emotions down12:28 - The difference between feeling vs. expressing an emotion.13:50 - Bregman’s three critical elements for powerful leadership (and why you need all three simultaneously to be a great leader)20:20 - Ways you can develop each of Bregman’s leadership elements starting right now26:13 - The approach to emotional courage that will make you unstoppableMentioned In Emotional Courage: Becoming an “I’ve Got This” Leader18 Minutes and Leading with Emotional Courage by Peter BregmanAndrea’s LinksI’ve Got This CoachingRunway to Freedom

Have you slacked off on implementing the ideas and plans you created for the new year by now?The middle of March can be a difficult time to stay motivated. The anticipation of spring is in the air, and the last major break of the school year is just around the corner. You’re faced with all kinds of distractions as things suddenly pick up while winter makes its exit.So how do you get yourself back on track? I have five mindset shifts or perspective changes that I want to share with you on the Time to Level Up podcast, so you can rev up your motivation engine.Right now, you might be thinking, “Well, this’ll probably just be another thing I won’t feel motivated to do. Got a solution for that, Andrea?” Yes actually, and as you’ll soon discover, there’s a reason why our brain often defaults to thinking this way... and some things that kill your motivation if you aren’t aware of them.In this episode of Time to Level Up, you’ll learn about those motivation killers and five keys to staying motivated as a female CEO. I’ll also teach you a couple of things to keep in mind to help you re-motivate yourself.1:38 - Motivation as an inside job4:51 - What you can and can’t do for other people when it comes to motivation7:32 - Your main job with motivation (and what helps you the most)11:54 - The role you choose to play in the story called Your Life16:08 - The only way you can get better (and the lesson in motivation Steve Jobs had to learn)20:00 - How to regain your motivation (including what ultimately drives your motivation)22:45 - Quickly recapping the keys to motivationMentioned In 5 Things You Need to Know About Staying Motivated As a Female CEOSteve Jobs by Walter IsaacsonAndrea’s LinksI’ve Got This Coaching