Strategy Hour | Episode 991: How to Leverage Where You Are to Get Where You Want to Go

Host: Abagail Pumphrey
Date: September 30, 2025

Overview

In this fan favorite solo episode, Abagail Pumphrey explores the core concept of leveraging your current circumstances—no matter how unclear or challenging—to intentionally carve a path toward your desired future. Drawing on her own experiences and the journeys of her clients, Abagail presents the actionable PACE framework, combining mindset, practical exercises, and strategic next steps. Whether listeners feel uncertain about their ultimate business or life goals, or are searching for the next level, the episode reassures and guides them through reflective and proactive strategy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Reflection and Past Experience

(04:30 – 09:10)

• The value of your past—both positive and negative experiences—cannot be overstated. These shape your identity, business style, and aspirations.
• Personal reflections—such as handling grief and existential crises (see Episode 767)—spur growth and redefine success.
• Abagail underscores that even mistakes or painful seasons are “not wasted," but foundational for progress.

Quote:
"You are, in essence, accumulation of your past experiences. Positive, negative, neutral, all of the things, and they reflect who you are in your everyday life."
—Abagail Pumphrey (06:12)

2. The PACE Framework: Moving From Where You Are to Where You Want to Go

(14:20 – 51:50)

Abagail introduces the four-part PACE framework:

• P: Positioning – Understand your current circumstances and assets
• A: Aspiration – Define, even loosely, what you want
• C: Creativity – Embrace experimentation and innovation as a path forward
• E: Execution – Take “messy action” to create movement

Positioning

(16:05)

• Take stock: Where are you now? Consider your age, resources, network, lifestyle, existing assets.
• Being honest about your present avoids self-sabotage from unrealistic comparisons or expectations.

Aspiration

(20:45)

• There is no need for hyper-specific goals; a general direction is often enough.
• Two exercises to clarify aspirations:
  • Magic Wand: “If I could give you anything, what would your life look like tomorrow?” (25:30)
  • Big Picture Vision: “If everything vanished, what would you miss and what would you bring back?” (28:48)
• Establish non-negotiables and consider legacy, frustration triggers, and core values.

Quote:
"It's just as powerful to have something ultra-specific as it is to have a more loose direction. Both give you guidance."
—Abagail Pumphrey (22:18)

Creativity

(36:00)

• Being creative is not just artistic—it's about testing, iterating, and embracing an experimental mindset.
• "Tweak and repeat" is Abagail’s philosophy, fostering resilience and innovation.
• Make a list of past experiments: “If I hadn’t tried X, what would I have missed?”

Execution

(41:12)

• The antidote to stagnation is messy action. Don’t wait for perfection—progress comes from doing.
• Act “as if you already are” who you want to become, and build new habits and identity accordingly.
• When blocked by “I don’t have,” reframe as “How can I create/learn/find…?”
• Debrief regularly: analyze both successes and failures for faster, smarter progress.

Quote:
"Sitting on all this information is not going to get you anywhere. You have to take messy action. It's what's going to lead you to progress and growth."
—Abagail Pumphrey (41:15)

3. Mindset Shifts for Contentment and Sustainable Success

(53:10 – 58:30)

• Avoid the “I’ll be happy when…” trap. Happiness isn’t postponed for achievement; the journey is the destination.
• Shift your actions and mindset so that success and fulfillment are present in daily life, not just future outcomes.
• Example analogies: Want to be an athlete or millionaire? Start embodying the habits, mindset, and choices of that identity now.

Quote:
"Act like who you want to become, because you are closer to who she is than you realize. And if you just start acting like her, things get in alignment real quick—real quick."
—Abagail Pumphrey (55:45)

4. Practical Steps to Leverage Your Present for Future Growth

(58:31 – 01:06:32)

• Identify strengths and weaknesses; tools like StrengthsFinder offer self-insight.
• Align aspirations with actions: Be selective about what you add or change in your business and life.
• Emulate the mindset and actions of those already living your desired outcomes, but adapt and iterate based on your unique context.
• Focus on broad movement and simple adjustments, not overwhelming to-do lists.

Quote:
"I am far less worried about you taking the wrong action. I'm way more concerned that you take the time to debrief."
—Abagail Pumphrey (01:06:04)

5. The Importance of Community, Support, and Flexibility

(01:07:00 – 01:10:00)

• Success is not a solo journey: Don’t be shy about seeking community, mentorship, or peer support.
• Stay adaptable—goals and aspirations evolve rapidly, particularly in adulthood.
• See challenges as growth opportunities; remain curious and learning-oriented.

6. Invitation to Sales Flow and Boss Project Programs

(01:10:01 – 01:13:12)

• To move from vision to business reality, Abagail promotes her “Sales Flow” event—focused on practical strategies to align money, business systems, and lifestyle.
• She emphasizes actionable, tangible next steps and connecting with her programs for further support.
• Listeners are invited to follow Abagail and Boss Project on Instagram for more casual, behind-the-scenes content.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On being present:
  “Your life is what's happening every single day. All you have is the present.” (54:52)

• On goal flexibility:
  “Especially as you age, your aspirations change…everything about your life can change in an instant. So you need to be adaptable.” (01:08:44)

• On iteration:
  “Try different strategies, different approaches, apply different ideas to your business and your life. The goal is not to be perfect, but it's to learn and adapt.” (01:03:09)

Important Timestamps

• Reflection and Past Experience: 04:30 – 09:10
• The PACE Framework Intro: 14:20
• Positioning (P): 16:05
• Aspiration (A) & Exercises: 20:45 – 33:55
• Creativity (C): 36:00
• Execution (E): 41:12
• Mindset Shifts: 53:10 – 58:30
• Practical Leverage Steps: 58:31 – 01:06:32
• Community & Flexibility: 01:07:00 – 01:10:00
• Program Invitations: 01:10:01 – 01:13:12

Takeaways for the Listener

• You don’t need to have absolute clarity about your goals; start by honestly appraising your present, nurturing aspiration, and taking small, imperfect steps.
• Reflect on the lessons from your journey and use them as building blocks—both for mindset and strategy.
• Experiment, iterate, and embrace the creative process in business and personal growth—perfection is not required, but forward movement is.
• Shift limiting self-talk from statements to questions; seek solutions, not blocks.
• Align your daily actions with the person you want to be and the life you want to lead.
• Seek out community, learning, and support to avoid isolation and stagnation.
• For expert-backed, actionable business steps, consider “Sales Flow” or Boss Project’s Incubator.

For more tangible strategies, resources, and continued support, visit:
bossproject.com/podcast
Or follow Abagail on Instagram: @abigailsays

This episode is a masterclass in harnessing your current position for future growth—proving that you don’t need certainty to begin, just a willingness to reflect, aspire, create, and execute—one step, one season at a time.