672: Should I Scale Bigger or Shut It Down? An Inside Look at My Daily Debate

0:01Today's episode is sponsored in part by Revolve and Spectrum. Revolve is my all time favorite place to shop for my dream wardrobe. Head to revolve.com forward slash gold digger to shop my favorites and get 15 % off your first order with the code gold digger. Spectrum business keeps your business connected with reliable service you can count on. Visit spectrum.com forward slash free for life to learn how you can get business internet free forever. As always, you can find all of our amazing deals in the show notes. Now let's get into it. okay I have been on this ruthless pursuit to purge any clothes that I'm not actually wearing like if I haven't reached for it in months it's gotta go I am trying to be really intentional about what I bring into my closet right now which means I am only buying pieces that I know I will actually wear and use revolve just gets it though I'm literally wearing my brown autry sneakers from there right now and my new suede purse it fits my laptop in it so it's basically a fancy shoulder bag that works for everything.

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1:37It's literally the only place you need to shop from. That's revolve.com forward slash gold digger to shop my favorites and get 15 % off your first order with the code gold digger. Offer available for a limited time. So happy shopping. In this season, I just feel so at home and it's a really beautiful feeling. And I've really had to train myself to not fight that feeling, to really just relish in it, to relish in the simple daily moments. Hey, my name is Jenna Kutcher and I am obsessed with all things business, marketing numbers, and helping you to navigate both the messy and the magical seasons of this thing called life.

2:17I'm a small town mama who took a$300 camera, grew a successful photo biz, and now I work from home and run a seven figure online business. I teach you the tried and true secrets to building a career you adore. Shy away from the real talk? No way. Money, hardship, growth, loss, and marketing are all topics we discuss here. Think of this as your one-stop shop for happy hour with a gal pal mixed with business school. Pull up a seat, make sure you're cozy, and get ready to be challenged and encouraged while you learn. This is the Gold Digger Podcast. I was recently at an event and someone in the audience asked this question.

2:51They said, what is your current biggest struggle? And it was interesting because I was sitting on stage and immediately I knew what came to mind. It's this daily struggle between ambition and being content. It's this feeling of some days I want to blow up my business. I want to see how big I can make it, how far I can take it. And other days I want to shut it down and live in the woods and have chickens and raise my children. And it was so interesting because when I said that in my brain, I thought these people are going to think I am out of my mind. No one is going to relate to this because honestly, on a daily, sometimes even hourly basis, I am wavering between these two points on the map.

3:39And yet as I looked out to an audience that was predominantly women, I saw so many people shaking their head. I've mentioned the struggle a few different times on the podcast, but I've never actually gone deep. And so today, that is exactly what we're going to do. We're going to talk about being torn between wanting to take my company and my brand to new heights while also being satisfied and content with what I've already achieved. So whether you're a business owner, an aspiring entrepreneur, or simply someone who wants to find contentment in their life, this episode is for you. Join me as we explore the delicate balance between ambition and contentment and discover the path to a more fulfilling and successful life.

4:25Let's dive on in. If you love Gold Digger, then you'll love the Side Hustle Pro podcast hosted by Nikkela Matthews Okome, brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals. Side Hustle Pro showcases diverse entrepreneurs who have scaled from a humble side hustle to a full-blown profitable business. Every week, you'll learn actionable strategies to start small and get going wherever and whoever you are. In Akayla's recent episode titled, How to Make Content for Your Business in Less Than One Hour a Week, I learned so much about how to optimize recording sessions to get content done quicker, as well as new content creation, tech and tools.

5:07You have to tune in. Listen to Side Hustle Pro wherever you get your podcasts. I don't know if you believe in signs from the universe or what I like to call God winks, but I literally got one right before I hit record on this specific topic. I was on my phone, scrolling on Instagram like we all do. And this account called Goodable had published this post. and here's what the post read. It said, an author I love just tweeted about how big joy and small joy are the same and how she was just as content the other night eating chocolate and cuddling her dog as she was on her big trip to New York. And honestly, I think that's it.

5:45This morning, I was listening to an audiobook while baking shortbread in my joggers and I realized I really didn't care what big things happen in my future as long as I could keep baking and reading at the weekend. And maybe that is the kind of bar that we have to set to guard ourselves against disappointment. Just appreciate and cherish the mundane stuff and see everything else as a bonus. And I love that dose of perspective before we dive into this nuanced topic. It's really interesting because ambition and contentment are two big topics, especially for entrepreneurs or people who have these dreams for their lives.

6:21If you're listening to this show, there's a really good chance that you are a big dreamer. You are someone who is in pursuit of this very full and rich and vibrant life. And I think that it is such a delicate balance and one that we might never find as humans. I don't know if we're meant to find the balance between wanting more and being content with what we have in this lifetime. You know, it's really interesting for me because I've always been an achiever. I've always been ambitious. I was always that person who wanted to go the extra mile, wanted to do the next thing, wanted to see what was possible.

7:02And I think I am still that person. However, there is this peace within my life that I feel on a deep level that I never, ever want to lose. If I had to choose between ambition and contentment, I would choose contentment every single day of the week. So let me tell you a quick story. After having my first daughter, Coco, I remember feeling like something in me broke. Now, people often say when you birth a child, you yourself are reborn. And I think there's a lot of truth to that. But in your rebirth, there are a lot of parts of you that die. I know this sounds dramatic. I also want to preface this and saying that you do not need to become a mother to experience a birth or a death of an identity that you carry.

7:54But for me, this was a huge eye-opening experience. I remember having so much fear before becoming a mother that my work would suddenly become insignificant. It was a massive fear of mine. I had been an achiever for years and years and years as an entrepreneur, someone who is in pursuit of more. And I worried that when I welcomed this sweet little round baby into my life, that all of that work that had felt so important would suddenly become insignificant. And it's actually funny because that fear was real. It was legitimate. Like my business had been my baby for so long that the thought of replacing that love or even having that love change scared me to death.

8:40But what was so interesting is that in our journey to grow our family and through our losses and in those three years that felt like forever that it took to finally hold our child, my heart definitely changed. It changed in a way that I wanted my work to feel insignificant because I wanted something even greater and even greater privilege and even greater challenge and even greater learning experience. And honestly, motherhood has been all of those things and so much more for me. But what was so interesting is in that process of waiting and realizing that I couldn't just achieve my way to a family, I couldn't just be a little more ambitious and suddenly that child would come into my life.

9:31In that waiting season, I worked in the waiting so that I could find more contentment and peace when that miracle arrived. The year that Coco was born, I actually blacked out my entire calendar. I said no to absolutely everything. And what a privilege to be able to do that. And I did that because I didn't know what motherhood would feel like. I had these thoughts and these ideas and these visions, but I didn't know. I didn't know what type of mom I would be. I didn't know what postpartum would look like. I didn't know how breastfeeding would go. I didn't know what work would look like or if I would even want to work.

10:11I didn't know. And so I took all of the pressures off and I allowed myself to just be. And it was a fascinating year because there was a part of me, truthfully, that felt broken. When I say that a part of me died when Coco was born, it's true. But that part of me was partially my ambition. I found this new pace of life. I found this new source of meaning through my child. I found this new identity that I adopted. But I also felt like, is my ambition ever going to come back? While I was really content and fulfilled as a mother, I still wanted to work. I am wired in a way where working serves me and my brain and that ambitious side of me.

11:04And I remember getting on a call with a mentor of mine. And he said something to me that really shifted the lens of everything for me. He said, there are two different types of entrepreneurs. There's the lifestyle entrepreneur, and then there's the achievement-based entrepreneur. You, Jenna, are a lifestyle entrepreneur. And I never had those terms put to words in my life before. I love entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship has changed my life. It has changed my family's lives. It has changed my legacy. It has changed future generations of my family's lives. entrepreneurship has been an incredible gift and blessing for me, but I'm actually pretty content as an entrepreneur.

11:48I want to work to be able to live a certain sort of lifestyle. And for me, let's be honest, the lifestyle doesn't include fancy cars or nice shoes. The lifestyle for me includes a life of comfort and convenience. Those are the two things that I love. But when he told me that, it felt like I was able to exhale for the first time in a long time because I am often in rooms with achievement-based entrepreneurs. These are the people who are never satisfied. They find power in being discontent in their lives. That fuels them. And to me, that is not how I want to move through life personally. There is absolutely nothing wrong if that is you.

12:34But what happened is, is I kept finding myself in rooms with achievement based entrepreneurs and I would leave and I would go home and Drew would say, how was it? What did you learn? What's everyone up to? And I would say this line that I'm now proud of, but at the time I was afraid of, I would say, I am the most peaceful person in those rooms, or I am the most content person in those rooms, or I am the happiest person in that room. I might not make the most money. I might not have the biggest launches. I might not have the biggest team or the shiny office. I might not have those things, but I am so at peace.

13:12And I'll never forget coming home from this fancy mastermind retreat. And Drew and I ordered takeout sushi from this divy place in Duluth, Minnesota. And we were sitting on our floor in our living room, watching Top Chef, eating our takeout sushi. And I was like, this is it. This is the life that I want. Screw the fancy room service or the comfy robes while I love both of those things in due time. I love this part of my life. And so what's super interesting is that in this season of entrepreneurship, and I definitely think that having young children plays a role in these feelings is that on a day-to-day basis, even sometimes an hourly basis, I find myself wavering between this ambitious person, this soul and spirit within me that's like, let's see what's possible.

14:02Let's see how big we can make this. Let's see where we can go. Let's see where we can take this thing, this business, this brand. And I waver between that and just wanting to shut it all down and be a mom and be at home with my kids and raise chickens, even though I don't even know if I want chickens or a coop in my yard. But it's fascinating, right? Because both of those could be a possibility for me. And I think both of those are a possibility. Can you believe that we're already wrapping up 2025? This year was packed with travel and so many new memories. One of my favorite moments was our team retreat in Arizona with the incredible women who helped me keep this business running.

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16:38I was recently on a trip with my family and my mom came along. And on the last night of our trip, I took my mom out to a fancy dinner. Her favorite food is seafood. And so I Googled, where is the best lobster in Dallas, Texas? I took my mom out to dinner and we were sitting down and her and I always have the best conversations. And she said, what's next? You know what's next? And for once in my life, I just said, I don't know. And I'm okay with not knowing. Honestly, for nearly a year, I've kind of been in this place of like, I don't know what's next, but I'm really enjoying where I'm at right now.

17:17I would definitely say that if the scales were a thing in the balance of being content and ambitious, the scales are definitely tipped in the content area. In fact, just a little bit ago, Drew sent me this voice memo, and I'm going to try to play it for you. Hey, babe. I just want to say I love you. Can you say I love you? I love this land so much. I'm so excited to play around and discover all the nooks and crannies. And now that it's warming up, it's a whole different piece of land and a different experience. So I just love you. and I'm thankful for this life and I'm thankful for all the things to come.

18:00Right, Connie? Yeah. That's where we'll end it. I feel like Drew and I have just found this deep level of peace in our lives and it radiates through everything that we do. It radiates through our children. It radiates through our experiences. It radiates through our energy. I feel like in this season, I just feel so at home and it's a really beautiful feeling. And I've really had to train myself to not fight that feeling, to really just relish in it, to relish in the simple daily moments. I was reading a daily devotional and there was a line in it last night that really stood out to me. It said, here and now are the only daily coordinates you need to navigate your life right now.

18:47And I thought that that was just so powerful because so many desire this deeper level of presence. And I think that presence and peace and contentment all go hand in hand. When you cannot sit and fixate on what has happened in the past, and when you can not worry of what will happen in the future, but when you can literally be in your body in the moment, that's where contentment lives. And that doesn't come easily for me as someone with ADHD and a busy mind and an ambitious spirit, being content takes a lot of work. It takes coming back home to myself over and over and over again. It reminds me of meditation.

19:31It was something that I had written off in my life for so long. I was someone who was certain, absolutely certain that I could not meditate. I have a busy mind and laying still on the floor after yoga class was like torture. There's an entire chapter in my book about this topic. And when it came to the topic of meditation, I honestly just always felt guilty because all of these incredible leaders would talk about the power of meditation and how meditation changed your life. And I thought that meditation was like you having to not think, right? I would be like, I can't just sit there and not think.

20:04All I do is think. But what I realized is that meditation is just constantly inviting yourself back home, back into the present. In fact, meditation is so powerful. When your brain starts going in a million places and you say, come back, just come back. And I feel like so much of my life is like that, where it's like, just come back, just come back. So what does that mean? Does it mean that I'm just slowing down and I'm stalling? No. I've talked about this season of my life so much in the fact of like, I visualize pressing the brake pedal and trusting myself, trusting myself to know where the gas pedal is and what that will do.

20:47And I feel like there are so many aspects of me that are so deeply ambitious. I believe the sky's the limit. I believe when my mom asked the question, what's next? I believe anything is possible. I truly believe that. But what's funny to me is that there was a time in my life where I would believe anything is possible and I must go after it. And right now in my life, I believe that anything is possible, but that doesn't excite me because I love right now. I don't even know if that makes sense. Anything is possible, but I don't want anything more right now. Does that make sense? Introducing your new Dell PC powered by the Intel Core Ultra Processor.

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25:03Am I the ambitious Jenna today or am I the content Jenna today? That could also go by the hour. And one thing that I've learned is to not fight where you're at. When I am in that content, Jenna, I have to learn how to honor it and not push it. Have you ever had those days where you are maybe moving at a slower pace or you're feeling like... This weekend, I took a nap during Quinn's nap. And then once I woke up, I was like, Hey, babe, can you watch your kids for a little bit? I need to go up and organize the closet. Drew's like, you could have just organized a closet. And I was like, I was just in that moment where I just needed to rest.

25:42And I'm honoring that. And then there are those days where I recently had one. I had this entrepreneurial day where I could have worked 12 hours straight without ever getting out of my seat because I was just in flow. I was 100 % time blind. I was loving the work I was doing. I was so focused. My brain had all these ideas. And I just wanted to honor that. and I don't always get to that night. I had to hit pause, shut my laptop, go feed the kids, give them a bath, do all of the things required as a mom. But in my brain, I was like, if this was pre-children era, I would have worked until 10 PM that night and I would have loved every minute of it.

26:20And so I've really had to check in with myself and really ask myself, is this a season where we want to blow this business up? We want to take it as far as we can take it? Or is this maybe a season where we want to work smarter and not harder? And I feel like if I look over the last 4 or 5 years of my business, we've been in the smarter, not harder mode. And that doesn't mean that our revenue isn't incredible. That doesn't mean that our team isn't growing. That doesn't mean that we're not creating. We're actually doing a lot of things. But we're doing it at this pace that feels peaceful. It's a peaceful pursuit.

26:57I think we forget that life is supposed to be fun. It's supposed to be enjoyed. I was listening to this podcast this morning on the way home from a yoga class. And the host is like, what are your non-negotiables for the morning? And the guest was like, honestly, it kind of dropped that rigidity in my life. I just want to enjoy life. There are things that I enjoy doing, but I'm no longer subscribing to this checklist. And it really challenged me because I am someone who has these rhythms and these routines, but I loved his philosophy of like, I'm kind of losing some of that. And I think that that can be a really powerful piece of contentment.