← The Goal Digger Podcast | Top Business and Marketing Podcast for Creatives, Entrepreneurs, and Women in Business
The Goal Digger Podcast | Top Business and Marketing Podcast for Creatives, Entrepreneurs, and Women in Business
850: Stop Doing It Alone: How to Create a Circle That Lifts You Up
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If you're running a business and you do not have an email list, you have just nailed down your biggest goal for this brand new year because without one, you're missing out on serving your audience, on making sales, and on growing an asset that you own and can rely on. It is time to focus on growing an email list and creating a direct line to your ideal clients and customers without being overwhelmed, wasting time, or playing the I'll get to that later card when things look difficult. That's where I come in. Save your free virtual seat to my live masterclass from zero subscribers to an email list of engaged buyers in three easy steps all about starting and growing an email list to finally reach the people who want to hear from you. I'll teach you what to say and how to say it all for free@growanemailist.com let's get that email list going so that the next time you want to promote your offers, you've got a list of eager buyers ready to launch. To head to growinemailist.com to join me for free to learn how to algorithm proof your business with email marketing. That's growineemail list.com we can often think like building this support system means finding new people. But I would argue that building a true support system in a circle does not always mean finding new people. It can also mean nurturing deeper connections with people that are already in your life. I'm Jenna Kutcher, your host of the Gold Digger Podcast. I escaped the corporate world at the age of 23 with nothing more than a $300 camera from Craigslist and a dream. Now I'm running a seven figure online business that feels even better than it looks. All from my house in small town Minnesota with my family here, we value time as our currency. We mix the woo and the work and we are in the pursuit of building businesses that give us the freedom to live lives that we love. I' always loved turning big goals into reality and I'm here to help you do the same. This isn't just a peek behind the curtain. Come along with me and my guests as we tear the whole curtain down. Every week we tackle practical, no fluff marketing strategies and host honest discussions on what works and what doesn't. Join me and my expert guests for actionable insights to help you grow your dream business with confidence. Pull up a seat and get ready to be challenged, inspired and empowered. This is the goal Digger Podcast Entrepreneurship. It can feel like a lonely endeavor, but it doesn't have to be that way. Maybe you've hit a huge milestone in your business, but you've looked around and there wasn't anyone there to truly celebrate with. Or maybe you've scrolled through post after post of smiling groups thinking where do I even start to find my people? Loneliness is a real issue, especially for women entrepreneurs. Our bandwidths are already stretched so thin. Juggling a thousand roles, managing our businesses, and trying to maintain the few friendships that we do have. Building new connections can feel like just one more thing on an overflowing to do list. But here's the thing I want you to know you don't have to go it alone. What if the key to thriving in life and business wasn't about doing it all by yourself, but about creating a circle that lifts you up? This group of people who support you, inspire you, and help you grow in ways that you never thought possible. In today's episode, we're talking about how to stop doing it alone. How to build meaningful relationships, find like minded people and nurture those connections even when life feels overwhelming. I'll share personal stories like my fan girl moment with my best friend Amy Porterfield that turned into a life changing friendship and give you actionable tips to start forming your own circle of support. If you've ever felt like you're cheering for everyone else, but nobody's cheering you on, this episode is your reminder to prioritize connection. Because when we surround ourselves with the right people, I promise you, incredible things happen. Let's dive on in hey marketers, quick question. When was the last time you actually enjoyed marketing? If you're feeling overwhelmed juggling content creation, lead generation, campaign tracking and analytics, let me introduce you to a game changer HubSpot. HubSpot combines the power of marketing Hub and content hub and it's all enhanced by Breeze, their built in AI. Imagine taking just one piece of content and instantly remixing it for every channel. Imagine identifying your best leads with AI powered scoring, having crystal clear analytics that simplify your reporting. HubSpot makes it easy to double your leads in just 12 months. We're talking about 192% boost in web traffic, 46% more deals closed and 31% more deals created all in one platform. Stop spreading yourself thin and start seeing big results. Visit HubSpot.com forward/marketers to get started for free. With HubSpot you can reconnect with what you love most about marketing. Being creative, building relationships, and most importantly, seeing results. That's HubSpot.com marketers. Over the years I've done a few different episodes on this topic. And it's not because I'm an expert in it. In fact, I really struggled in having authentic, beautiful connections and friendships as I grew my business, as my career started to take off, as I navigated motherhood and moves and all of the different busy things that life brings us. And I love this topic because I think that so many of us feel overwhelmed. We feel like we can't keep up. Maybe if you're like me, you have a hundred unread text messages that you've been meaning to get back to. You deeply crave real relationships and friendships, and yet you look around and you don't feel like there are people in your life who truly understand you or why you do what you do. And it's so interesting to me because I feel like entrepreneurship in and of itself is incredibly isolating. It is this experience where a lot of times you are carving your own path in this world. You are doing something unique that people from the outside looking in might not understand. And so when we couple that idea with what a lot of us battle, which is imposter syndrome, a lot of times we just tend to self isolate. It feels safer to just stay on our own little island and do the best we can and figure it out all by ourselves. And I know that that is an experience I've had, and it's not just a unique experience for me. I think it's something that a lot of us deal with. And on top of all of that, we're juggling multiple roles. Maybe you're a mom, maybe you're a partner. Maybe you are trying to maintain the few friendships you have, and adding new friends just feels like more on your to do list. But I do think that it is so important as we look at this new year, as we think about navigating it, that we really prioritize and make space for real friendships and relationships. To have a circle that understands you, that lifts you up, that shows up for you, and you show up for them. And this deep desire for community is something that I think a lot of us have, but we don't necessarily know how to create it. Maybe we see all the people on social media. We're like, how do they find their people? And where are my people? Or maybe you find yourself, like me, living in a small town where your closest friendships are in different cities. But regardless, I think that having a circle in your life of people who love you, who get you, who show up for you, and who support you is incredibly important. Have you ever gone to an event and everyone is just like, staying at surface level. Like, I have been to so many events and it's always funny because the first few hours I feel like everyone shows up as their best self, right? Pretending their life is perfect, business is great, and maybe you're just standing there like, hey, I showed up at whatever this event is to get help or to admit that, like, I don't have all my crap together or I need support. And I've been in spaces like that where you show up and you're like, am I the only hot mess here? Like, am I the only person who doesn't have this figured out? And it's so funny to me because I've done this at so many different events where I just sit and watch people's interactions where we want to put our best foot forward. For so many of us, we've been taught, like, show up as your best self. First impressions are so important. And I agree with all those things. But what's interesting is, is that if one person starts to authentically let other people in, a chain reaction often happens where all of a sudden everyone is cracking open, being more accessible, being more available, being more honest and authentic. And that is where real conversations happen and real friendships are born. And so tip one of five today is that I want you to be cool with leading the way of being authentic, being open to learning. And if you are invited into spaces, whether they are virtual spaces like online communities or online courses or their in person like meetups, I want you to show up and poise yourself as a learner, not as a know it all, not someone who has it all figured out and be willing to go deeper. I mean, I think this is real, not just in business, even in friendships. I was out with some of my local mom friends. And it's so funny because at the beginning of our dinner where I was just kind of talking about all the normal things that moms talk about, and by the end we're talking about marriage and kids and struggles with school and all these different things. And it's like it takes one person to go first. And so what my dream would be is that our community is filled with people who are willing to go first, who are willing to show up and say, I do not have all the answers. I might have figured out a few things, but I want to be open to learn. And I also want to be honest with where I'm at. You know, it's funny when I think about my closest friend to this day, Amy Porterfield. You probably know her love Her. Maybe you listen to her podcast. You know, she was a business mentor to me before she even knew who I was or that I existed. And I would tune into her podcast week after week after week, religiously listening to her show. And what's interesting is, is that I started as a podcast listener, then I became a student of her work, Then I was showing up to her live Q&As, commenting and engaging with her. And slowly over time, we developed a friendship. I'm pretty sure I slid into her DMs. And then we ended up meeting in Hawaii and doing a double date years ago. And now she is the person. The other day, Drew was walking through the living room and she was talking to me about her nutrition plan, and she was talking about rotisserie chicken. And he looks at me and he goes, what do you two not talk about? And I was like, we literally talk about everything. I mean, every single day, we probably send a cumulative number of like 15 minutes of voice memos back and forth to each other. And so what's interesting is, is that we often, in this world of like, Amazon prime and overnight delivery, we often think that relationships are the same way. And when I think of my relationship with Amy, it has been in the making for nearly a decade. And what's beautiful about it is that we weren't always this close. You know, she was literally my mentor for a long time. And so what's interesting is, is that the more that both of us crack open, the more that we're honest and authentic, the deeper our friendship goes and the more that we're able to have a genuine connection outside of just marketing strategies and business. Minnesota winters are not my skin's best friend. The freezing wind outside the Sahara level dryness indoors will make anyone's skin cry for help. But I found a little miracle in a jar. It's called Ose andaria algae body butter. Now, honestly, this body butter has become such a small but meaningful part of my self care routine. After my shower, I take an extra minute to rub it in. I breathe in that fresh, citrusy scent. It's like grapefruit and lime, but it also has this cozy feel to it. It has this hint of cypress and mandarin. I seriously wish you could smell it through the airwaves. OIA's Andaria algae body butter is next level. It is thick, it's luxurious, and it absorbs so fast. Plus, it is not greasy at all, which is huge for me because I absolutely hate feeling sticky. My skin feels so soft and hydrated afterward. And I love that it's made with ingredients usually reserved for your face, like andaria, seaweed, and ceramides. Treat yourself to clean, clinically tested skin care from osea. And right now we have a special discount code just for our listeners. Get 10 off your first order sitewide using the code Gold Digger at O Malibu. That's O S E A Malibu.com use the code Gold Digger. One of the most rewarding parts of running a business is taking care of your team. But it can also be one of the hardest. That's why my team and I switched to Gusto, the all in one platform that takes the pain out of Payroll, benefits, and HR. Whether it's W2s, 1099s or small group health insurance, Gusto has you covered. And with their offer letters and checklists, your new hires will feel welcome. From day one. Businesses that switch to gusto save on average $2,600 a year and 48 hours of time. Their software is easy to use and accessible online from anywhere. Payroll is fast and easy, too. Gusto automatically files and pays all federal, state, and local taxes so you don't have to stress about paperwork. And if you ever have a tough HR question, Gusto has certified experts ready to help. If you've been waiting for a tool to simplify your business and make life easier, this is it right now. You get three months for free. When you run first payroll, head to gusto.comgolddigger to get started. That's gusto.comgolddigger and so my first tip for you is identify someone you admire. And it doesn't have to be a mentor or somebody famous or somebody big out there, but identify somebody you admire for whatever it is in their life that you just look at them and you're like, man, they're doing a really good job. And what I want for you to do is to begin engaging with their content or with them in meaningful ways. Send them some encouragement. Let them know that their work matters. Let them know that you see this piece of their life or their business that you really respect and just reach out. You know, it's interesting. I can name on my two hands 10 people who have never met in real life who show up in my comment section every time I post on Instagram. I see their names, I know their accounts. I pay attention to the fact that they're there. And so you might think that just showing up in the comment section isn't meaningful. Trust me when I say it is. These are people that I literally just the other day. I reached out to some of my top commenters that I see their names on all my posts and just send them a dm. Just saying thank you like I see you in the comment section. I appreciate you so much. Is there anything I can do for you? And so do not negate the power of just reaching out and engaging with people that you admire. And you never know what it can turn into. It might not turn into what mine and Amy's friendship has turned into, but it might turn into something meaningful. Maybe it's a mentorship opportunity. Maybe there's a possibility that you can work together. Maybe there's just some sort of friendship underneath the surface that you haven't been able to tap into. And so that is tip number one. Next number two is I want to tell you that I know how easy it is to want to isolate yourself, especially at the beginning of your entrepreneurial journey, especially if you are someone, which I think this might be everyone who battles imposter syndrome. And I remember clear as day, when I first started my photography business, I was an imposter. I felt like an imposter. I remember looking at everyone else's websites feeling like everybody was competition. I remember just the scarcity of the entire experience. Like I couldn't see that there was this room for community. In those early days, all I wanted was to figure out how to get out of my full time job. I was balancing so many different things from training for a marathon, to fostering dogs, to starting this business, to working a full time career. And I just didn't have bandwidth to even see that, like, wow, there are other people who are doing this that like, I could come alongside of. And so if you are at the beginning, whether you're just starting your business or you have a new idea that you're pursuing, being stuck in the mindset that everyone else is, your competition is only going to hold you back from forming relationships with the people in your life and world who actually understands what it is you're doing and why you're doing it. Listen to this. A 2019 study done by Practical Journal found that every founder surveyed described their experience as lonely, with 77% reporting that running a business negatively impacted their mental health. Now, this stat can feel scary. In fact, it just makes me feel sad. But the reality is, is that entrepreneurship is hard. It is not for the faint of heart. And for so many people who are going into it and battling imposter syndrome, that isolation comes along with it. And so my dream is to figure out, how can we break that. And how can we figure out where this idea of isolation is even coming from? Because I honestly think that this tendency for us to isolate often stems from fear and comparison. And what I want us to shift to is understanding that if we build a community, it requires this massive shift from going from this scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset. But it also requires us to put ourselves out there and to acknowledge that there are other people on a path similar to the one that we're on. And it might not look the same, they might not do things the same, but if we want to be around people who truly understand what we're doing day in and day out, who understand the struggles and the triumphs, who can celebrate our wins and commiserate when things don't go as planned, then we have to start aligning ourselves with other people that are on a similar trajectory and a similar mission. And so my tip here is this. Start by reaching out to just one peer in your industry and opening the door to collaboration or shared experiences. When you can create a friendship and a relationship with somebody who gets it, I promise your world cracks open in one of the most beautiful ways possible. I remember the first few years of my photography business. It was incredibly isolating. I was the one creating the isolation. I was the one building my business on an island. When I started to see that entrepreneurship can be this collaborative experience where we can work together, where we can share clients and give referrals, where we can give tips and insight, oh my gosh. It's like my world cracked open and it felt so much less lonely. Even to this day, I'm still a part of different Facebook communities of local photographers, and I stay up to date as to what is happening in the industry. But I also see so much beauty in there of people sharing different inquiries and wedding dates, of people supporting each other if there's a crisis or an emergency, of people showing up for each other when they need it. And I just feel like entrepreneurship is isolating if you create an isolating experience. But it doesn't have to be that way. Heck, even come inside of our Gold Digger Podcast Insiders Facebook community. We have thousands of entrepreneurs and listeners of this show who are there where you can ask questions, where you can create community, where you can get on a zoom call with somebody and just start building relationships. And so tip number two is we have to focus on the mindset that is likely keeping you stuck and holding you back from forming relationships. And we have to go from seeing everybody else as our competition to understanding that There can be. And there is true community waiting for you. On the other side of that number three is this. It took me a very hot minute when we moved states for me to make new friends. And I have realized over the last few years the absolute importance of having people where your home is and having local friends. It makes all the difference in the world. And it's so interesting when I look back, because we moved at a really interesting time. So we moved, and the day after we moved into our house, so we moved six hours from where we had been for nearly a decade in Wisconsin, back home to Minnesota. And the day after we moved in, I took a pregnancy test and found out I was pregnant with Coco. I was incredibly sick for the first five months of my pregnancy. I had no bandwidth. I struggled with depression for the first time ever in my life. And I moved back to a place where I hadn't been for a very long time. And so it was interesting moving back near where I was raised, but in a different town where I knew certain people, but I wasn't sure how I wanted to connect and what that would look like. I didn't really have a lot of emotional bandwidth while I was pregnant. And so it took me a long time to figure out how to make friends locally, to really see how deep and rich those friendships can become and how much they matter. And it's so interesting to me because it's like I missed out on having some amazing friendships because I wasn't necessarily putting myself out there. What I think is really interesting is, is when I look at who my closest friends are in my life, a lot of them have been in my life for years and years and years and years, but a lot of them do not live in Northern Minnesota. And so my closest friendships are with people that are states away. And oftentimes, as an introvert, I don't feel lonely. I mean, I can literally stay home for days on end and not feel lonely at all. And maybe it's the nature of working online, maybe it's the nature that I'm running a company and talking to people on slack all day. I'm on the Internet. But at the same point, too, having friends that live locally to you is life changing. And so maybe my story doesn't resonate with you. Maybe you have local friends or maybe you haven't really figured out, like, where do we actually meet people? But it's interesting when I look back where I'm like, you know, those first few years of motherhood, the people in my life were living far away or it was my family. And that was really all I had the bandwidth for. And now having a local group of friends, it's just so awesome. Like, on Fridays we get together and do hot yoga, we do meetups, we do play dates, we have birthday parties. Like, just. It's just so transformative. And so sometimes the best connections happen when you get out of your comfort zone, when you say yes to opportunities. So I wouldn't have met my local group of friends if I hadn't have gone to a school fundraiser. And so there's a fundraiser for Coco school, and she started school in the middle of the pandemic. And so gone were all of the opportunities to meet other parents. Literally, it's like the drop off line where it's really rushed and you're just kind of shoving your kid into their classroom and getting back into your car. And so there wasn't a lot of opportunities to connect with other parents of the children in her class. And so the school had a school fundraiser. Drew and I went. And that was where I really got connected with the group of friends that I still have to this day, years later, who is like my core group of friends. And so it's interesting because I think oftentimes we're quick to say, like, where do you even meet people? But there is a good chance that there are awesome community events happening no matter where you live, whether you live in a big city or a small town, like we do, where you can meet people. Over this last year, I joined the local rowing team and I met people I would have never met had I not joined it. I did a community ed class on how to bake sourdough. We started beekeeping. And so we had a beekeeper come over to our house to help us in the process. And so we started building a lot of unique relationships with people that we might not have encountered if we didn't necessarily put ourselves out there or kind of put ourselves in the position to create new relationships. And so my challenge to you is not like, well, where am I going to meet people? Obviously you can meet people at the gym or at church or at the library or, or at a bar or, you know, bingo night or whatever it is, but really putting yourself in the position to meet new people and to be open minded when you do. And so maybe the goal is that you attend a local event. Maybe it's a school event, community event, a professional event. Put something on your calendar in the next month and go into this experience being willing to strike up a conversation and to Meet somebody new. I promise you that. There is so much beauty and having local friendships and just putting yourself out there in new ways. You learn a lot about yourself. You learn a lot about your community, and it's just an amazing way to broaden your circle and have people in your corner who are like the 2am type friends that can come over at a moment's notice and help support you. And I think deep down all of us want that. We want those sitcom friendships, but we often don't put ourselves in the position to actually create them and to foster them. Tip number four is this. We want to be seen and understood and feel less alone in our work and in our lives. But we don't realize, or maybe we don't take accountability or ownership in what is our role specifically and having that happen. And what I think is interesting is, is a lot of us are just waiting for it to happen, but it doesn't just happen. We have to make it happen. And, you know, it was interesting because I was recently on a phone call with my therapist, and one of the things that I was talking about and just kind of thinking about is how a lot of times in my life I am not quick to talk about my work. And so there are a few people in my life that I let into the work, namely Amy. And I have just set up really big boundaries in my life around where work lives and what role it plays in my everyday life. And I was just talking to my therapist about this. It is so easy to lose track of subscriptions. Like, we've all been there, signing up for free trials or services we barely use anymore, and then months later, realizing how much money is quietly slipping through the cracks. Those forgotten subscriptions add up fast, and that's where Rocket Money comes in to save the day. 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If getting your finances in order is a priority this year, start with Rocket Money, cancel your unwanted subscriptions, and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Head to RocketMoney.com Goal Digger today. That's RocketMoney.com Gold Digger. RocketMoney.com Golddigger it's 2025 and the B2B marketing world is noisier than ever. If your strategy this year doesn't include better ad targeting, your message could get lost in the shuffle. That's where LinkedIn ads come in. With LinkedIn's precise targeting, you can reach professionals by job title, industry, company and more. You'll have direct access to and build relationships with key decision makers. I'm talking about a billion members, 130 million decision makers and 10 million C level execs. LinkedIn generated two to five times higher return on ad spend for the tech industry compared to other social platforms. No wonder 79% of B2B marketers say LinkedIn delivers the best results for paid media. So if you're ready to work with a partner who respects the B2B world you operate in, LinkedIn ads is the way to go. Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. We'll even give you a hundred dollar credit on your next campaign. Head to LinkedIn.com goal to claim your credit. That's LinkedIn.com goal. Terms and conditions apply. LinkedIn the place to be, to be and sharing that. Like over the years, Drew and I, we really don't talk about work. Like he is very much on a need to know basis. And it's not a bad thing. I think it's a good thing because I am just really good at leaving my work on my laptop. Like when I close my laptop, it's done. I'm not talking about it. He doesn't know all the details of it. In fact, I could ask him like, what am I launching next week? And he would have no idea. Like that's how separate work and life has become. And I think that's beautiful. But at the same time it can sometimes feel frustrating, not just with him but in general where I'm like, people don't understand what goes into this. People don't know what I'm dealing with. Nobody really gets what goes into having a career of this size or running a business of this size. And I really recognized on this call that that's up to me to help people to understand if they're willing and curious about it. And so we were talking about, like, well, how do you let people into those sides? And how do you feel comfortable sharing those different things? And what's interesting is, is that I think oftentimes when we think about relationships and friendships, we can often think like building this support system means finding new people. But I would argue that building a true support system in a circle does not always mean finding new people. It can also mean nurturing deeper connections with people that are already in your life. And for me, it was just a good challenge where oftentimes I talk about everything but work. And again, I've done that intentionally. I think some of it is a protective mechanism. Some of it is me convincing myself that people don't care. But at the end of the day, if I want to feel understood, if I want people to understand what I'm working on or what's going on, I have to be the person who's willing to go first and take the time to explain it and communicate it. And so what does that look like? So my therapist was just talking about how, you know, due to confidentiality in her position, she'll finish up the end of the day, and she'll go hang out with her partner, and she has to kind of of tell him without telling him what she went through, what her day held. Right. Like, it was a really rough day. Like, let's just go take a walk together. Or, you know, I'm gearing up for tomorrow, and here's kind of what I have on my plate. So I might just need a little bit of extra support. And I recognize, like, hey, this is kind of on me, that a lot of times Drew is, like, in the dark as to. Like, today I'm gonna record three podcast episodes. Tomorrow I have interviews, I have these meetings. I have all this going on, and if I don't loop him in, I can't expect him to understand what it is that I'm doing on the daily basis. And so if you are someone listening to this and you just feel like nobody sees me, nobody understands me, I feel so alone in my work. My challenge to you is, how do you take ownership in leading those conversations that let people in and in creating either a way of communication that allows maybe your loved ones to step in and support you when you need it, or to just listen if you need a sounding board. And that is why I'm, like, so grateful to have a deep friendship like Amy, where I can talk about the nuance and the teeny things I'm working on and the silly things I'm excited about because she understands it. But now my challenge to myself is how do I let other people into this piece of my life and my work? How do I allow them to have a deeper understanding to what I'm doing if they're curious about it? And how do I also create a space where they can talk about their day and their work and what they're excited about as well? And so I think it's just like a beautiful conversation prompt. And so at the end of my call with my therapist, we talked about how Drew and I try to do a weekly date night. And so maybe we take five, ten minutes of the drive to our date where I catch him up to speed as to, here's what's going on with work, here's what I'm excited about, here's what I'm struggling with, here's what I'm stressed about. Just to crack the door open a little bit wider so that he has a deeper understanding and can understand how to support me. Because I don't know about you, but oftentimes I feel like I am prey to the mother load of managing the mental load of motherhood and business and all the different plates that we're spinning. And if we don't communicate that and let people in, we can't expect them to understand what that is. And so that is where I am taking ownership and maybe just changing and renegotiating what role work plays in our life and our conversations. And so, again, this point is just, if you want to feel seen and understood, crack the door open a little bit more and figure out ways to communicate that so that people in your life can step in and support you when you need it. Okay. Lastly is putting yourself in places where people are gathering, whether it is Mastermind or an event or an online community. And I just really think that we, if we want to be in the right place at the right time, we have to be paying attention. We also have to be putting ourselves in those places. And so making the time and effort and investment in getting yourself into the right room, seated at the right table, being fully present and all in in different areas where you are poised to meet people and to build friendships and relationships. I've talked about this before on the show, but way back in 2017, I had an experience that totally changed my life and I would argue changed my business trajectory. And that was when I joined my first ever Mastermind. Now up until that point, I had done a few different online courses, I listened to different podcasts. I was kind of going the route of self study, and. And it was beautiful. I was learning and growing so much. But I had kind of hit this point in my career where it was like, okay, what is next? And what does this look like? And how do I get myself in the rooms with other people that are in a similar stage of business? How do I create accountability? How do I show up for it? And so for me, at the time, we were living in a small town of less than 10,000 people. And I felt like in that community, I had incredible friendships, but I wasn't necessarily around people who understood what I was trying to build online and what that looked like. And so that was the year where I made my first really big investment. And it was essential in order to get access into the right rooms. And I'll never forget the first time that I showed up. It was an event in la, and people were going around the room and they were talking about their businesses in ways that I had never heard people publicly talk. And it wasn't necessarily bad or good. It was just, like shocking to me where people were saying, you know, I want to have a six figure month, or, you know, I want this arm of my business to make a million dollars. And like, I had never heard people vocalize those things, let alone proclaim them in front of other people. And it was just really interesting for me because I had been in such a sheltered area and growing my business in isolation for so long. To be in this room where people were not afraid to publicly proclaim where they were taking their business and what they wanted to do with it and the impact they wanted to make. It really, really opened up my eyes. And so over the last eight years, I've really made a strong effort to make sure that every single year, I'm getting into rooms with people who will challenge me, who I can learn from, who I can teach. And it has just been so beneficial. And over the years, you know, some of them were significant investments, some of them were entirely free, where it was just a group of peers getting together. And what's interesting is, is that even when I look back at that first mastermind that I joined back in 2017, those relationships that I made way back then are still present in my life. I've done business deals with those people, I've joined other masterminds with them. I made text threads with them like, these become your people, because you find them at such a pivotal place in your career and you get to watch them grow and they get to watch you grow and you get to grow together. And so never underestimate the power of getting yourself into those types of rooms where you are ready to foster relationships. You're ready to show up authentically, you're ready to learn, you're ready to teach, you're ready to just have your life transformed. And again, it doesn't have to be this crazy investment. It could be absolutely free where a peer group of people in your area get together and you share what's working and what's not working and you create space to ask questions and do a show and tell. But just never underestimate the power of getting people together that are willing to authentically show up and share. That is where your circle is made. And I would argue too that this is especially critical for those of us who work from home. Listen to this stat. According to the New York Post, a recent study revealed that 25 of remote workers feel that their social skills have decreased declined while working from home, highlighting the need for intentional social engagement. Meaning, just like I said, I could literally be home for days on end. A lot of times. Us introverts and us creative folk, we often don't put ourselves in rooms like that where we need to be social and we need to communicate and we need to put ourselves out there. And so if you are someone who feels like maybe your social skills have suffered or you haven't necessarily necessarily put yourself in the position to create these friendships, this is my challenge for you. Because surrounding yourself with people who challenge and Inspire you is 1000% worth the investment of time, money and effort. I will argue it until I'm blue in the face. So here's what I want you to do. Do some research. Research and see if you can find a mastermind or a conference or a networking event or even a free Facebook community like Join the Goal Digger Facebook community. But find something that aligns with your current stage of life and business and commit to showing up in there. Like if you just showed up in the Facebook group and left questions and answered questions for a month, I bet you you will create a lifelong friendship in that process. I think there is so much beauty in figuring out how you can commit to showing up. Whether again it's in person or online, whatever your current stage of life and business allows. If you can get in person, I swear there's something magical happens that when you sit at tables with other people, it is like this contagious energy that will really pour into your life. And that will make you feel supported and seen, but will also give you the opportunity to have real friendships that go so much deeper than the Internet. All right, friend, as we wrap up today's chat, here's the deal. Building a supportive community isn't just a nice to have. I will argue it is a need to have it. Especially as an entrepreneur having real and authentic connections. Those are the ones that are going to give you the encouragement. They're going to give you fresh ideas. They're going to help you see the opportunities that you need in order to grow. So here is your official nudge. Reach out to somebody you admire. Swap the competition mindset for collaboration. Invest in the relationships that matter. Put yourself in the position to make new friends. I promise you, your journey does not have to be a solo mission. Surround yourself with people who get you, who push you, who celebrate you. Because that is where the magic happens. Until next time, Gold Diggers, Keep on digging your biggest goals. And remember that connections that you start building today can totally change your tomorrow. I am 100% proof of that. Thanks for pulling up a seat for another episode of the Gold Digger Podcast. I hope today's episode fueled you with inspiration, gave you information that you can turn into action, and realigned you with your true north in life and business. If you've enjoyed today's episode, head on over to goldiggerpodcast.com for today's show notes, discount codes for our sponsors, freebies to fuel your results, and so much more. And if you haven't yet, make sure you're subscribed so that you never miss a future show. We'll see you next next time. Gold Diggers.