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Social Media Decoded
From Fear to Flow: How to Build a Business That Lights You Up (w/ Haley Thomas)
00:21:46
In this inspiring episode of Social Media Decoded, host Michelle Thames sits down with Haley Thomas, founder of The Passion Pursuit, to talk about how creative entrepreneurs can stop treating their dreams like a side hustle and start building businesses that actually feel good.
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- [00:00]
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- [00:47]
Haley
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- [01:16]
Podcast Host
Hey, welcome back to Social Media Decoded, the Go to podcast for entrepreneurs and creatives ready to get visible, get paid, and walk boldly in their purpose. I'm talking to Haley, founder of the Passion Pursuit, a powerhouse coaching brand that helps creative entrepreneurs stop treating their biggest dreams like a hobby. Through her programs and retreats, Haley shows women how to build a business that funds their dream life without sacrificing their soul in the process. Haley, welcome to the show. How are you today?
- [01:49]
Haley
You know, growing up, I was always somebody who had dreams that were outside of the box. And I've been told all the things. It's not realistic. You got to play it safe. That's not the normal route. And I decided when I was 17 to put the dream on the back burner and pursue what was considered the more safe and stable route. And when I tell you I felt like a shell of myself, that doesn't even really describe how deep I was feeling in the worst of ways. And I felt like I had lost a part of myself, my passion, my joy, the things that truly made me who I am and were was just kind of going through the motions, playing it safe. And I recognized one life is way too short and we spend a majority of our time working in this lifetime. And so for me, I was like, why would I spend all of this time and space in my one precious life to pursue something that has me feeling like my soul is being sucked out of my body instead of lighting me up from the inside out. And there wasn't a space, space, or at least I didn't see one at the time, where people could come and connect back to those dreams and those passions within themselves and see that there had to be a way that they could build that on their own. And so I built the Passion Pursuit to be exactly that, that space. I saw entrepreneurship as the vehicle to. To do that, to do more of what you love, because it gave people the creative opportunity, the creative freedom to connect back to what their skills were, what their knowledge was, what their experience was, create something from that, to not only make an income and a living, but an impact doing what lights them up the most. And so, for me, I saw it as a way to make the world a better place, because I do believe if more people are doing what they love and what lights them up, the world would be much happier. And so that's where the Passion Pursuit really stemmed from, was this idea that life is way too short to not be doing what you love every single day. Like, I want the energy to be when my alarm goes off in the morning, that I am excited and lit up to jump out of bed, that I'm almost bummed. I even have to waste time sleeping because I'm just that excited about what's going on in the world and what creating. Like, I want that type of energy to be in my every single day. And that mission is now only amplified. Having a daughter of my own and showing her the possibilities, that whatever she sets her mind to, I want her to believe that it's hers. It's possible that.
- [04:06]
Podcast Host
And I'm. I am all for that. So how do you help your clients start embracing that mindset?
- [04:12]
Haley
I think we realize that joy actually is the secret weapon. And I think a lot of people think, well, for it to be working, I have to work really hard. It has to be really hard. And I actually don't believe that's okay. Always true. And so I love to blend the aspect of strategy and how to make a business work, how to start and scale, but also in a way that aligns with what you value most as a person. And so I jokingly say my work is like a business strategist has a baby with a life coach, because really, we blend these two worlds together to help somebody create something that's aligned with what their values are. And so I always start at that foundational place, really asking somebody, what is it that is important to them, not just professionally, but Personally. And what are we creating that is supporting that lifestyle? What is the aspect that brings you joy? What do you get lit up in the work that you're doing and on the other side, because that's more about who you are as a founder, I love to blend. Then who is it serving? Who is that audience you're trying to reach? What is the difference you're wanting to make? What is the experience you're hoping to offer? And so it's this beautiful blend of your passion meeting your purpose. And I feel like when those two come together, magic happens every single time.
- [05:23]
Podcast Host
Ooh, I love that. Your pet meeting your purpose. They have all these goals and dreams and things that they want to do, but they just stay stuck and they never, like, go after it for years. So one thing I just see is so many women sitting on these powerful ideas. And so what would you say right now to someone listening who's afraid or stuck overthinking the how?
- [05:48]
Haley
This is where I get sad, because I hear all the ideas, I hear all the big dreams. And what I find time and time again is exactly that the thing that's standing in the way from idea to reality is oftentimes ourselves. And it clicked one day for me personally, and this is why I'm so so about this for my clients. And the work that I do is that if I am the thing between my reality and my dream, that that is, like, the most depressing thing in the world. I don't want to be the one standing in my own way. So fear. I've learned how to work with it, because here's the thing. Fear never really goes away. And I think that's misunderstood, that once you reach a new level, you're suddenly going to feel this 100% confidence all the time. And that's definitely not the case. I always say new level, new devil. Because even when you get to one spot, there's always the future place of where you want to go. So fear is there, but how are you working with it rather than allowing it to paralyze you? Fear to me, I now see as the perspective of how much I actually care. Because if I didn't care, I wouldn't be scared. And so when I feel fear, that's like a little bit of this excitement bubbling in me that's like, ooh, okay, we're onto something. It's showing me that this is something I'm passionate about, that it's something I should move forward towards. How to work with it is a different ballgame. So with that Being said, I like to think about, okay, fear just needs to be acknowledged. So fear's in the passenger seat. I'm checking in on it. I'm not ignoring it, but I'm checking in. And I'm just saying, hey, like, fear at the end of the day just wants me to be safe. So I give it some time, I give it some conversation. I bring awareness to what's keeping me stuck. I give myself compassion and grace, and then I take a baby step. And sometimes it is the messiest action step I could possibly take. But that's the other thing, is we're oftentimes in the idea zone where we're thinking 20 steps ahead. We've got this future vision for ourselves. But, my friend, there has to be a first iteration of the thing you're wanting to create. And you are so self stuck on this vision being the final version, the perfect version, that it is keeping you from taking any action at all. So what is the first iteration? For example, I was speaking with someone yesterday who has this dream of hosting a gala. Her mission is so deep and is so rooted. She is wanting to give back and make a huge difference in prison reform and helping those to come out of prison and create a better life for themselves. Like, her vision is massive, and she's got this huge dinner ball, gowns, all the things in mind, right? But she's like, where the heck do I start with that? And I said, okay, you've got the mission. The first step is talking about it. The first step is hopping on social media and sharing this. The first step is going to coffee with five people and saying, this is what I'm about. The first step is connecting with someone else who maybe can be a part of you building this. And so little by little, your vision is then built to that big vision. But you've got to give your yourself the opportunity to be at the starting line and stop being afraid to be a beginner first.
- [08:42]
Podcast Host
Mm, that was so good. You just, like, dropped that with a bar. We have to stop being afraid to be the beginner. And I love that because I feel like at a point in our businesses, we're all beginners again, right? We're learning something new. We're starting over. You're pivoting. So I love that. You know, again, a lot of women and a lot of people just don't know where to start. So that sounds like an amazing, amazing mission. And I hope that your client definitely does that, because I think it's so important to, you know, when we have those Burning desires inside of us to be able to put that out into the world. And so I'm. You're so amazing for just helping people do that. And I know that your brand messaging is so strong and it speaks directly to your people, which I love because sometimes, you know, social media and marketing, right? Getting that strategic message and just really to be able to be impactful and also reach your ideal person is hard. But what I want to know is how did you craft your message so that it's emotional but also very clear and strategic for your ideal person?
- [09:45]
Haley
I think for me it is personal and that's where it started. Right. I feel anything that I teach, I embody first. I want to be the example of what I'm teaching. I'm not just preaching to you, I'm walking with you. And so for me, it was coming from a deeply rooted experience of knowing exactly what it feels like to be stuck, to stay stuck sometimes because I, I wasn't always moving and grooving. I definitely had periods where fear was keeping me stagnant. And so I speak to that and then I overcame and I'm able to now speak to being on the other side, what I was doing to be able to get to that point. And so for me, that message started from building something from my own. I have a business now. I didn't when I first started. And so now I'm on the other side of helping people do that same thing because again, I've walked that path. And so I feel like for me it was. I was able to have an understanding of what my client was needing because I've walked through every single step in the process. And so for me, it's just starting to think about from your perspective of your client, who you're trying to reach, like, what is it that impact that you're trying to make? What is it that you hope they take away from the work that you do with them and really connecting to those pieces of the puzzle, not just from like the experience of working with you, but the impact and what you want them to walk away with. Like, to me, that is like one of the biggest things. But I feel like a lot of those who are more in the service based industries or service based businesses tend to operate from experience. And I. That is a beautiful way to connect deeper. It makes you relatable, it makes you empathetic. And I think as a leader in the industry, it's one of the two amazing traits that you can have.
- [11:23]
Podcast Host
Ooh, I love that. I love that you all, if you are not taking notes on this podcast today. If you're listening, Haley is dropping some major life gems for us. Not just about business, but about life, too. So I hope that we're writing these things down and implementing if we, you know, here's something that we want to put into our brands and businesses. So thank you for that. Now, let's talk business models, which I absolutely love, and I've recently switched to different business models. I know many different people have so many different business models, and I know you help your clients with this. So what are some ways that your clients build sustainable businesses that fund the lifestyle they want and they actually feel good? Because I think that that's important, right, to have a business, but also it has to fit your life. And I. When I say I'm so adamant on this, it's like, it has to happen. It has to work.
- [12:12]
Haley
It has to. Again, because here's the thing, friends. Entrepreneurship is no easy feat. And if I were to preach that, it was kick me off, like, there's no way. It's not, but it's worth it if it's supporting the lifestyle you're wanting to create. That's why we do this work. And so what I would say is I connect back to some of the things I mentioned, right? The foundation of your values, first and foremost, every single time. That is your focus. Filter for how you make decisions about how you're operating in your business, outside of your business. Like, that's what drives the ship. The other aspect of having this meet your lifestyle is having an understanding of what are your goals, but also what are your expectations for how much you want to work. Because I've often worked with clients who are like, I want to make multiple six figures, but they want to work, like, one second a week. It's like, okay, hold on a second. Like, it's not. We got to connect those two pieces. So. So having a realistic expectation, expectation to the amount of time you're wanting to put in from a lifestyle stance and then the boundaries piece is one of the most important things. And as an entrepreneur and especially as a creative woman, I can tell you that my mind is always running, running, running. And we were literally talking about this before we hopped on, right? Like waking up in the night. Check an email. Like, popping onto social. Like, it's so easy to let our brains kind of go away from us in those moments where we are technically not working. And so really, it's like, how are you holding your boundaries on your time, on your energy, on your capacity? I Celebrate when people say yes, obviously, to working together or to collaborating. And I also celebrate when they say no, because your no is just as important as your yes. And someone said this weekend at an event that I was at that giving out your yes is expensive and treat that as such. And I was like, okay, my drop. Like, I've never even thought about that. And so it's really having an understanding of what is that lifestyle style you're wanting to create. And then how is your business molding its way around that, not the other way around.
- [14:18]
Podcast Host
I like that you say your yes is expensive. I know that's right. That's. That's true, right? We say, we say yes a lot and sometimes we don't even want to say yes. So what you're saying is, let's stop saying yes to the things that we don't want to say yes to and start saying no to the things that we actually want to say no to and celebrate it. I never even thought about celebrating the no. And I think that's such a great point, to not only celebrate those yeses, but also to celebrate those nos. That's a bar right there. So I know you've coached hundreds of women and spoken at retreats. I love retreats as well. I do retreats. So what transformation story, like, sticks with you from one of your clients? Like, what could we learn from one of your clients situations?
- [15:01]
Haley
I had a client who had built the dream. She had created her dream company. She was making the money, she was rocking and rolling. And from the it looked like she had it all. And as we started working together and diving a little bit deeper, I was seeing a woman who was incredibly burnt out. She had been running and hustling and burning the candle at all ends. And while she seemed like she had it all, she wasn't even able to enjoy her successes because she wasn't prioritizing her own wellbeing in the process. And this is where I like to slow people down. And that says a lot because for me, I'm also somebody who's recovered from burnout. I've experienced this in the past. I am somebody who's naturally, go, go, go. And I lean towards hustling more so than I feel comfortable with that slowing down and with that space. But you have to recognize that you are not a machine, you are not a robot. And your well being is just as important as any business strategy that I can give you to take you to the next level. And if you're not thriving as a founder and your business will not thrive. And so something that a lot of people don't know about me is I'm actually certified as a yoga instructor. And in breath work, I like to bring some holistic elements into the work that I do because I know the importance of thriving physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, to be able to take things to that next level that you're wanting to grow. And if you're finding yourself stagnant or your business is stuck, check in here first, because I'm telling you, friends, everything that you create actually starts with you. And if you're not feeling your best, you will remain stuck in that spot, or at the very least, you won't be able to enjoy it if you have success from the external. So the internal is just as important. So checking in here first.
- [16:46]
Podcast Host
Oh, this is getting good, y'.
- [16:48]
Haley
All.
- [16:48]
Podcast Host
This is getting good. And I definitely agree. Checking in with yourself. And I know we were talking just before we got on about just health and things and just making sure that we're okay, right? And so I've had to do that with my own self. Like, hey, you're at the point of burnout, and what you need to do is take a step back. Maybe you need to pivot, maybe you need to switch some things up and just really take care of you. And if you need to take a nap, take a nap. The work will be there. It will be there. But your mental health and your health is very important. And not being able to really enjoy the fruits of your labor is something that a lot of entrepreneurs deal with. So thank you for sharing that. And maybe it's a wake up call, right, to some of us that we need to check in with ourselves and that we need to not be on the brink of burnout and in the hospital and things like that. So we definitely.
- [17:40]
Haley
And I'll give you some hope with this client, too, because I think her after speaks really to her slowing down and how that helped her. Because not only, I think it was not even a few months later, she was able to go on vacation for the first time and not think about work. She was completely off. And she took all of her personal clients and said, hey, I'm taking a sabbatical for a little bit, she offboarded it all to her team. They care of all of her people. She was able to do that because she set herself up to be able to, but she gave herself the permission to slow down and that's what she was missing. And for the first time, she's able to now live the lifestyle that she's been wanting that the business has allowed her to do, but she wasn't giving herself the permission to receive it. So it's. It really is important to take those moments to check in with yourself.
- [18:24]
Podcast Host
I love that there's light at the end of the tunnel. For anyone listening, there's light at the end of the tunnel. So a lot of my audience is figuring out how to stay consistent, which is, again, a lot of people's problem. Right. It's consistency. But one thing that I do know is consistency will work. Okay. But you have to be consistent. And so they're, you know, struggling with how to stay consistent online while building something real. Okay. Because we all know social media can be that place where you just don't really know, you know? But what's one tip for showing up even when motivation isn't there? Because I've been there. I know you've been there. What are some things that you tell your clients?
- [19:02]
Haley
I think what we're craving more of just across the board, is more honesty. And I think authenticity gets thrown around a lot in this space. And yet I still find that sometimes in the online world, we're not seeing that. We're not seeing that level of vulnerability or seeing somebody's highlight reel. And when I am feeling maybe a little bit off or a little bit stressed, those are the days that I still show up. And I'm honest. I'm honest. I share exactly where I'm at. I lead exactly where I'm at. And you know what? My clients receive so much on my bad days, as much as they do when I'm feeling my best, because they see I'm human too. We're all showing up in the best that we possibly can every single day. Your 100% sometimes is you showing up with the 30% you've got in your tank, and that's okay. So for me, it's. It's showing up still, but showing up not in a facade, not on a mask. I'm not hopping on and, like, dancing around when I'm feeling low energy. Like, I'm showing up and I'm saying, hey, I'm here. I'm maybe not feeling my best, or maybe I'm really tired today, or maybe I'm just feeling off mentally, and I share from that space, too, because we can learn so much in the down as much as we can learn when we're feeling that up and that joy.
- [20:11]
Podcast Host
I definitely can agree with that about showing up. I remember it was a few weeks ago. I just wasn't feeling it. But when I showed up with my community, I felt better and I told them I was honest about it. I was like, look, I had a bad day, but I'm still here for you, right? I'm still here. I think we just talked about this today. I. I've been up since 2am if you're listening to this, but it's 1:30 and I showed up to this podcast. Right. Some days we show up even when we don't feel like it. But again, that's that consistency, and that is about just showing up, even on the days that you might not feel your best and it might make you feel better. I mean, this podcast has made me feel better. When I showed up in my community, they made me feel better. So, again, I think it's all about consistency. So this has been such a really good episode, and I am just really glad that you came on and shared all of this knowledge. What's one belief that you had to let go of to step into your dream life?
- [21:05]
Haley
Mm. The idea that it was gonna look exactly how I thought about it in my head. Oh, my gosh. Let go of that perfect plan. Get messy with it. Allow things to unfold and stay open. Because a lot of times the things that were not a part of my plan were way better anyways.
- [21:20]
Podcast Host
Love that. What is a mantra that you repeat before launching something big?
- [21:26]
Haley
What is for me, will not miss me. And it's either this or something better every single time.
- [21:31]
Podcast Host
What is your favorite way to reconnect with your passion when you just feel off?
- [21:36]
Haley
Close the laptop and go outside. Go for a walk. Go dance it out. Do something that lights you up. I'm talking like, what did your inner child love? Or what did you love as a kid? Like, go do that. Because your joy is what activates your creativity. It's what activates your excitement. And that is what is magnetic to the things that wanting to call in. So close the laptop and go take a break. Honestly. Or an app, whichever you need.
- [21:58]
Podcast Host
Love that. Yes. Go close the laptop and take a walk. Okay. I love to be in nature. So I'm going to take a walk after this because it's going to just re energize me. Okay. I know it. Some of us do have a side hustle, but let's stop treating like a side hustle. Where can everyone connect with you, learn about your coaching and follow the Passion Pursuit.
- [22:16]
Haley
Yes, I'm all things the Passion Pursuit Company. That is my Instagram, that is the website. And I'm always here in conversation to hear those crazy ideas you're too scared to say out loud or those big dreams that maybe some someone in your life has said. There's no way. There's a way in my world, so just know I'm always a message away.
- [22:34]
Podcast Host
Love that y'. All. Make sure you go follow Haley on Instagram and let her words push you into action. I've loved following her page. We met on social media and so you will not be disappointed following her page. You'll definitely get some inspiration and be sure to leave a review and share this podcast with a a friend who's one idea away from something life changing you all. Until next time, keep pursuing your purpose with strategy and soul and I will talk to you in the next one. Peace.
- [23:03]
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