Everyday Courage with Jillian Johnsrud

Entrepreneur Magazine’s editor-in-chief, Jason Feifer, joins Jillian to give practical advice on how the greatest entrepreneurs deal with imposter syndrome. 

When your audience grows, so will your critics. Tori Dunlap shares how she stays bold and vulnerable for her community, even when the haters come with the territory. 

Concluding their series on Jillian’s book, Fire the Haters, August and Jillian talk about overcoming struggles, trusting the process, and finding your identity in actions rather than outcomes.  With her book out in the world, Jillian moved from creating to managing her expectations for how it is received. We can’t control the outcomes of our work, but we can optimize for not being discouraged.  Trust the Process Rather than being pulled into the hurricane of how people feel about your work, learn to pause and take a breath, regain your composure, and move forward. Trust in the process.  If your identity is attached to outcomes, it can be devastating when things don’t go as planned. However, when you have a broad definition of success rooted in the process, you find yourself winning more often without tanking your self-confidence.  Test and Scale “Maybe you want those audacious goals – break that down into, “What is the process I need to get there?” …That allows us to detach from the outcomes.” You don’t have to go big or go home. You can test and scale in a way that makes your work sustainable for the long run. There will never be enough time to create the perfect plan and have every detail is in place before starting something.  “You can’t know everything you need to know before you start.”  Don’t get stuck at the starting line. Instead, consider what you can do in 1-4 hours to move your project forward without sacrificing yourself. Rather than striving for perfection, take action towards progress.  Allow Yourself to be Fully Human “I could funnel my energy into perfectionism, or I could funnel my energy into progress. But those two things could not happen simultaneously”.  Outcomes aren’t guaranteed, making them a dangerous place to anchor your identity. However, actions in the process can be helpful in reminding yourself who you are. If you are writing, you are a writer. If you are making art, you are an artist. Permit yourself to elevate progress over perfection on your journey.  If you have read Jillian’s book, help her reach her audacious goal by leaving an Amazon review. Still, need a copy? Find it here. 

Pat Flynn knows what it’s like to be criticized online, but by persevering, he has learned a few rules of engagement to help guide creators and entrepreneurs.  For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.jillianjohnsrud.com/rules-of-engagement-with-pat-flynn/

Join Jillian, Joshua Becker, and The Hope Effect director Joe Darago to hear about how you can impact orphan care worldwide because every child deserves a family.  For more information, visit the show notes at https://www.jillianjohnsrud.com/the-hope-effect

Two years after starting a business and excited about the enormous growth opportunities on the horizon, Christine Wheatley had to shut everything down. Was it worth it? Listen here at Libsyn, Apple, Castbox, Spotify, or your favorite player. When Christine started, A Little Local Flavor in downtown Nashville she was like all new business owners, excited about her great idea but facing her own imposter syndrome in light of the 136 other tour companies in the area. Her superpower to bridge the confidence gap was knowing that this new endeavor didn’t have to be her sole source of income.  Success isn’t a straight line. It takes a lot of experimenting, and sorting through your personal finances helps. You don’t have to have complete financial freedom, but:  “Have some financial runway with your business so you can try different things.” There will be growing pains. You can’t know the perfect plan before your start. But, you will learn while doing the work (Learn more about how confidence and clarity come in the doing in Jillian’s book, Fire the Haters). Christine emphasizes that the growing pains are worth it! Learning to be flexible and to trust yourself to overcome challenges helps you grow into your identity.  This wisdom didn’t come without its own price. Having dealt with her business’s growing pains and ready to take on the next season, Christine was excited! Until the pandemic.  “I shut everything down. It was awful.  I had no income.  I had to furlough my team.”  There is no guidebook on watching your business crash because of a global pandemic. You can plan for a recession, but how do you prepare for an immediate loss of all your business? However, Christine pushes back against the fear that might prevent someone from starting a business.  “Do not ever not start a business because of what you’ve seen happen to hundreds of thousands of small businesses during the pandemic.” When faced with her own introspective question, “Was it worth it?” instead of seeing all the hard things, she was met with a montage of all the good: happy people, her fantastic team, and the person she had become through it all.  “Even if I never reopened, I would never trade that.”  She is reopening, A Little Local Flavor and has a new superpower she is bringing into her business: fearlessness. She knows she can weather the storm, and she knows it’s always worth the effort, growing pains, and learning that come with any good adventure and endeavor. 

August and Jillian talk through part two of Fire the Haters. Learn how to move past procrastination and give yourself permission to ship your best self - at this moment - into the world.

Ryan Nicodemus from The Minimalists stops by to talk about embracing imposter syndrome and failure as you put your work out into the world. When Ryan was starting out as part of THE Minimalists, a lot of pressure came with that name. There is comfort in knowing that everyone, no matter how successful, has likely dealt with imposter syndrome. Learning to accept that one never truly “arrives” has allowed Ryan to keep growing and learning.  “There is a piece of me that hopes I never actually get there…I don’t think about being a master at something anymore. I think about being genuine.” When it comes to the critical voices in your life, the ones that feed that imposter syndrome, none is more painful than those from friends and family.  Ryan points out that criticism projected at you and your work is usually not about you. It’s about the critic. There is a difference between criticism and feedback.  The voices in your life that can present a problem with kindness and even help you move towards a solution are valuable, but the critic merely wants to destroy or discredit your work.  We will all fail. We will have our work criticized. Unfortunately, it’s the rule rather than the exception.  “If you put work out there and it is not getting criticized, then your work is probably not that impactful.”  We want to make people feel something. So, embrace the journey.  “The longer you put off embracing failure, the longer you are going to put off being successful.”  Check out Jillian’s book Fire the Haters for more information on creating in a critical world.   

Jillian sits down with her dear friend, August, to talk about part of her new book, Fire the Haters. Empowering yourself and your work starts with setting boundaries.  Finding courage in an online world is intimidating, but you and your work are worth taking the risk. Jillian shares three hints on how to be successful online and in your personal life, too.  #1. Set up rules for yourself  “Other people can’t know your rules for you.”  We all have our limits. When we feel burned out, it is often because we either didn’t communicate our rule well or we stopped following it. The expectations other people have for you are endless, and they will distract you from focusing on what you really want.  Consider what keeps you working, productive, and happy. Then, align your values and schedule to those things. That may mean not replying to every email within 48 hours or making sure you get 8 hours of sleep every night.  #2. Give yourself the gift of being misunderstood Your work can feel like an extension of yourself, but the reality is that you have created it, and now you have to let it speak for itself. Of course, people will get it wrong, but trying to moderate your way into making them understand is a losing battle.  “You can’t protect things online. If it’s not grown, don’t ship it.”  #3. You can create a wide circle around your triggers We all have our stuff. We have bruises that most people may not see, but if they get poked, they are very painful. So you have permission to create a wide circle around those bruises. It is your best chance for survival. You don’t have to engage with the thing that hurts the most.  By “firing the haters,” you empower yourself to set boundaries, decide what is and isn’t allowed, and free yourself from other people’s bad behavior. That’s a step in the right direction.  Get your copy of Fire the Haters: Finding Courage to Create Online in a Critical World on Amazon.

Could things be different? That is the question Nicole Santiago answered when she embraced the art of flexibility and pivoted careers during her mini-retirement.  Nicole connected with Jillian in 2017. A full-time teacher who just had her third child, Nicole and her husband were stuck. Nicole, highly invested in her classroom but wanting to do more, was looking for a way to spend more time with her family and not be so stressed out.  Through her blog, she found an outlet and more purpose.  “I got a taste for work that was really impactful.”  Seeing the value in her side-gig, Nicole wondered if she could find a way to shift away from her nine to five job.  Enter Jillian’s mini-retirement course.  “Working through the course gave me the plan to say, ‘This is actually possible, and here are the steps’.” Nicole helped get her husband on board by leading with an idea he would love: living in Puerto Rico for a year.  After selling their house in the expensive city of D.C., they set out on a three-month road trip. Landing in San Antonio, it became apparent that the stability of Puerto Rico, after the governor was overthrown, was not ideal for their young family.  So, they pivoted. The Santiagos bought a home in San Antonio because it was cheaper than renting.  Nicole was not giving up her vision for their future. This mindset was crucial when six months in, her husband’s work in special events completely disappeared because of Covid.  Rattled but persistent and curious, they pressed on. “You have to grab on tight because things will come that will shake you.” Nicole is so thankful they stayed the course, grew her business, and settled into their envisioned life.  Find more about Nicole’s work supporting parents and their children with learning differences as an executive function coach on her website and Instagram.

One week into his mini-retirement, Josh Obermyer joins Jillian to discuss the challenges and intentions he has to destress, decompress, and figure out what’s next.  Burnt out with his ever-increasing workload and long commute, Josh was ready for a break. An active member of the FIRE community, Josh has embraced the mindset that life is more than the destination. Committed to enjoying the journey, he planned for a mini-retirement.   Professionally, Josh is at the top of his game. He is an expert in his field and a leader in his career. So, stepping away in his 30’s is a surprising move and one that veers from the path of most of his peers.  Taking a career “gap year” will allow him space and time to do what he wants to do while figuring out the next steps. Josh anticipates that this time, decompressing and refreshing while spending time with dear family, taking road trips, visiting national parks, and attending conferences might be the bridge that helps him transition into self-employment.  The mini-retirement challenges he faces now, like figuring out health insurance options and learning to spend rather than being a diligent saver, will help him gain clarity for his next chapter. “I’m a natural saver. I’m going to be spending down that horde of cash that I have. And that’s gonna be a bit of a trick in my mind.” You don’t have to wait until you get to some imaginary finish line to begin enjoying the fruits of your labor. So what would it look like for you to take a mini-retirement as a stepping stone to your next life transition? Is it more possible than you might think? 

A sabbatical meant to last two months has stretched into two years, and an indefinite mini-retirement as Paul learned that time is more valuable than money in this season of life.  When Paul and his family, including four children, decided that it was time to leave their work in the developing country of Zambia, they knew they needed rest. So, they planned a month or two away in between jobs and before they moved to their future home to allow themselves to relax, decompress, and reset.  However, a trip to FI Chautauqua would challenge their – keep it small – mentality and encourage them to pursue a longer mini-retirement in a place they really wanted to be. Invigorated by this idea, they weighed their options.  Knowing that traveling the world with four children would be exhausting for their already weary family, Paul researched areas that might be a better fit for an extended stay. They wanted a place that would allow their children to experience a new culture and an opportunity for the family to build community wherever they landed.  After striking out with their first choice location in Spain, Paul, his wife, and the entire family traveled for a week to option number 2. This location just felt right, and the decision was made. As they settled in, moved past the initial discomfort of doing something unknown, and reevaluated their to-do lists, Paul recognized that their new way of life was transformative for their personal and familial happiness. What began as a short-term situation has shifted their life trajectory.  This mini-retirement is extended indefinitely. Paul does not want to return to traditional full-time employment. “I value the flexibility of time more than the security of income coming in.” Every season of life brings new opportunities. For Paul and his family, a mini-retirement allowed them to test out an entirely new lifestyle. Find out more about their experiences at www.cuttingthroughchaos.com.

Melissa took advantage of her family’s move across the U.S. to launch their mini-retirement travel adventures. Could a job transition help you step away and into your bigger goals? Listen here at Libsyn, Apple, Castbox, or your favorite player. Melissa, from the Travelling Wallet, connected with Jillian in 2017 through Jillian’s blog. They met in person at FinCon, and Melissa signed up for a paid mentorship with Jillian. She was even able to participate in the first retreat Jillian hosted. So, it is no surprise that Melissa has continued on her FIRE path and embraced mini-retirements, minimalism, and adventure.  When their family decided to move from Californian to Michigan, it provided a unique opportunity to travel with their young family. They were able to take twenty-one days to road trip across the United States and explore the cities and national parks along the way.  When that leg of the trip finished, they headed to El Salvador and Ecuador to spend time immersed in the Latin American culture that Melissa experienced as a young girl. She wanted to give her children the same opportunity to be shaped by their Latino heritage.  Two hurdles stand in front of most families when they consider taking a mini-retirement:  How do we pay for this?  Can we survive without earning an income while on the mini-retirement?  By saving three months’ expenses, dropping their housing expenses while they moved, having an emergency fund, and embracing minimalism, Melissa and her family found a workable formula. She encourages other parents to find the formula that works for their families.  “Don’t wait too long to travel with your kids.” Find more tips on how to make memories, stretch your dollar, and travel with just one backpack at Melissa’s website, on Twitter, or Instagram. 

It is common for medical professionals to become burnt out in the often toxic and high-stress environments they work in. Brenda Krygowski shares how taking a mini-retirement helped her unplug from the system and find something better. 

What is a mini-retirement? Jillian has taken six of them and knows how transformative they can be in helping you get unstuck in life and motivated on your journey to financial independence.  What would you need to do to make room in your life to take a mini-retirement? What would you want to do with that time?  For help getting started, check out Jillian’s free resource: 6 Simple Steps to Taking a Mini Retirement at www.jillianjohnsrud.com/mini and check out her new course in August!

Adam and Jillian wrap up the season with an encouragement to plan a weekend with your partner to get on the same page, celebrate your progress, and dream big for your future together!

Behind every successful, married entrepreneur is a supportive partner. Jamila Souffrant offers helpful advice on how to get on the same page as your spouse on the journey to self-employment. 

Peter Polson of Tiller Money brings practical advice on learning to ask the right questions and finding the right tools when collaborating with your partner to reach your shared money goals. 

Investing as a couple is more than just the technical aspects; it also means learning to work through the emotions of market fluctuations together. 

By shaking free of their parents’ patterns and broader cultural mindsets regarding money, Ken and Mary have been able to forge a different path towards wealth that doesn’t come at the expense of their marriage.