820: ADHD Tips, Balancing Motherhood, and Tactical Biz Advice: Ask Me Anything

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2:01When you do affiliate marketing, and if you're an affiliate for five or 10 products, they all have different portals. They all have different systems. And so having a place where you treat it like a business and you have it organized, that's where I would invest. 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.

2:38We 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've 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.

3:15This is the Gold Digger Podcast. I'm not going to lie. I wish that we had like a cute little jingle for these episodes because they feel special. They are special. Today is an Ask Me Anything episode. I asked what you're curious about on the Gold Digger Podcast Instagram page and in our Facebook community that is 60 ,000 listeners strong. And boy, did you deliver. So if you've ever wondered how I quote, balance it all, what's currently working to manage my ADHD, if blogging is dead, and so much more than this episode is for you. Now, between Instagram and Facebook, we have hundreds of thousands of business owners and dreamers and doers and gold diggers just like you.

3:54And we'd love for you to jump in with us. Both of these places are so fun and totally free ways to network with other podcast listeners and business owners, get advice, connect with your peers, and ask your biggest questions. This is also how we choose who comes on the podcast for our coaching episodes. So make sure you join us on Instagram at gold digger podcast and join our Facebook community at the link in the show notes and in the episode description, easily waiting for you to dive on in. And without further ado, let's dive on into your biggest questions. With smaller budgets, shorter timelines, and sky high expectations, growth is feeling really painful right now, but HubSpot is here to help.

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5:19Get ready for growth without the growing pains. Visit hubspot.com slash spotlight to see them all and demo for yourself. That's hubspot.com slash spotlight. All right. I've got my coffee and I feel like I need to buckle up when I dive into these episodes. So we're going to go right off the deep end with a question from Meg Bronco on Instagram. And she is asking about online courses. Now, all of last month, we were focused on online courses and I loved her question. It says, a course with a lot of modules at a higher price point or a lot of smaller courses at lower price points. So this is an interesting question.

5:58and I think it's something to ponder, regardless of what type of business you're in, is if you want to do a high price point business with a lower volume or a lower price point offer with a higher volume. And I actually did an entire podcast episode about this. I'm linking it for you in today's description. And this is where I can help you decide which route is better for you. So for me personally, right now, I love this more accessible, low price point, high volume route. I love helping beginners. Like what fires me up is entering in at the beginning stages of your business and helping you get the foundational tips, tools, and strategies to help you save time and energy and money.

6:44And so at this stage of my life, I am more focused on lower price point, higher volume. Now, there are a few different reasons. When you have a higher price point and you're serving fewer people, it usually means higher price point, higher touch. That means that you are more hands-on, you're more involved. And right now with my daughters being so young, I want to be able to hand people the system and they are responsible for their results. And so for me, I love not only serving beginners, but I love that my online courses have given me the ability to reach you where you're at, at an accessible price point and for you to take the system and run with it.

7:23So no matter what type of business you're in, whether it's an online course one or not, consider the difference between if you want to have a higher touch, higher price point business where you serve less people, but at a higher level, or if you want to do the volume game where it's lower price point, higher volume. And there are pros and cons to each. I challenge you to go listen to the entire episode I did about this topic because I think it is super solid and it'll help you discern what is right in this stage of life. And let me tell you, it can totally change as your life and your business and your goals change.

7:57Okay. Question number two is from Quincy. This question was asked in the Gold Digger Podcast Insiders Group on Facebook. And Quincy asks, any tips or recommendations for managing the inevitable disinterest and downright avoidance that comes along with having ADHD? So I totally understand this. And the more that I learn about ADHD, because keep in mind, I was only diagnosed about two years ago. The more that I learned about it, the more that I feel like I am knowing myself on a whole different level. In fact, here's a really funny story. I follow a few different ADHD accounts now. And I was watching one that this girl had made a reel and it was just like things that make sense in my house as an ADHD person.

8:40And she got a laundry basket in her closet for clean clothes so that she could just, instead of having them pile up somewhere, she would put them in the basket. And then when she got the gust of energy to put everything away, she would do that. And I told my husband about that last night and he's like, that makes no sense, but he is neurotypical. So like every single night he hangs his clothes back up. I like make a pile on our Island. And I was like, you know what? It's going to help my brain. It's good. So I just, all of this to say, I feel like I'm still so much learning about ADHD and how to manage it and what some of the tendencies are.

9:12But here are some of the things that I have been able to do because I totally understand the feeling of being disinterested or like avoiding things that feel super repetitive or that you don't want to do. So here are the strategies that I do. So first I break things down. So even today I have a super busy day. Like I have 10 different tasks that require a lot of effort on my part. And so I had to break down today into much smaller manageable pieces and give myself breaks in between. So instead of tackling like the whole project at once, set mini goals that feel less overwhelming and give yourself little rewards along the way.

9:49I have found that like sitting for 30 minutes is like my maximum. And then I need to move around or change up where I am working or different things like that. Like on any given day, I might be working in like 20 different places in my house because I'm just constantly on the move. Another thing that is so helpful, and it's kind of funny because Coco just stole mine, but I got this timer. And this is kind of the Pomodoro technique where you can set a timer for 20, 25 minutes to focus on a task and then you take that break. I got this really cute little orange timer and now Coco stole it because she uses it for her quiet time in her bedroom.

10:22But I feel like it helps me stay focused. And one of the biggest things that helps on that is having my phone in the other room so that I do not get distracted. Another thing that's super interesting is creating a routine. And I'm going to talk about this a little later in this episode. There's a question about routines. But I used to be so resistant to routines because, again, with an ADHD brain, it feels too repetitive. It feels too boring. And so even if you are resistant to routines, they can help provide the structure and just make it so much easier for you to jump into tasks when you are not motivated.

10:56And then lastly, limit distraction. So again, get really good at identifying what are your biggest distractions and then do your best to minimize them during your work session. So again, putting your phone in the different room, having a dedicated workspace, like figure out what works best for you. And that has just been so helpful for me. A couple other things that I do is I like to habit stack. So if I have super repetitive tasks that just feel so mundane and boring, if I can habit stack during them, I am so much more likely to follow through on them and actually get them done. I was actually just learning a little bit about ADHD brains and it was like, why people with ADHD love to like listen to podcasts when they're in the shower, like showering feels so boring.

11:41But if I'm listening to a podcast, it's really interesting. And so it's just, again, figuring out ways to make the boring things a little bit more interesting or a little bit more palatable for your brain can be so helpful. This podcast is brought to you by Mercury, banking that helps entrepreneurs do more with their money. Okay. I remember in the early days of my entrepreneurship journey, clients would literally mail me checks and then I would have to drive all the way to the bank to deposit them. It took me literal years to make things go digital. And I am ashamed to admit I still have a filing cabinet with paper contracts because I'm way too afraid to throw them away.

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14:19One thing that I should note about my personality is that I am naturally just a very all or nothing person and that works the best for me. I don't actually have anything against alcohol, but I feel really strongly that being alcohol free has just been really great for me. I don't know if I'll be alcohol free for the rest of my life, but right now I have zero plans to bring drinking back into it. So a few things that have been really helpful for me. So changing your language. So instead of just saying like, I'm not drinking tonight, adopt the identity of someone that says, I don't drink. When you say it in that way versus I'm not going to drink tonight.

14:57When you say I'm not going to drink tonight, you're definitely leaving the door open of like, I do drink, but just not tonight where people might pressure you versus I don't drink. That feels so much more certain. You feel confident in that choice. I also have just found that when it comes to social settings, which I think give people a lot of anxiety, if you are going from someone who does drink to being alcohol free is being really clear from the jump of like, I'm not drinking tonight. And this is like a non-negotiable and you don't have to be rude about it. You just have to express it with clarity.

15:29And then you being responsible for getting something in your own hand so that somebody else doesn't buy you something or get something in your hand that you don't want. So like, I love a good mocktail. And honestly speaking, when Drew and I go on date nights, a lot of places, even in Duluth, Minnesota have great mocktails or I just get water, but having something in your hand where you are responsible for it can alleviate that concern of what people think. But here's what I found. People that love you, they're going to support you. Like if you feel better not drinking, and usually if people are pressuring you, it is generally a reflection of them feeling some type of way about their own drinking behavior, not saying they feel bad or guilty, but just that they feel weird that you're not drinking.

16:14It's interesting that like alcohol is the one thing that people pressure you to do. Another thing that I think is super helpful when it comes to attempting sobriety or going alcohol free is just to have like a certain number of days. So you can say like, I'm not drinking for the next month. And again, it just gives more certainty. So the more clarity you have around your choice to be alcohol-free, the more people respect it and the more that you feel certain and confident in it. I've really loved my journey with it. And it's really interesting because I just feel like there are a lot of women, especially who are kind of moving in that direction.

16:46And so I encourage you, if it's something you're curious about, to just try it even for 30 days and you'll see what happens. Okay. Scranton 12 on Instagram asked of all social platforms, which one is more engaging with potential online customers? So I think this is a great question. And when it comes to engaging with your potential online customers, I will tell you this, and you're not going to love the answer. It's really dependent on where your audience hangs out. So I can't say like for sure, go on TikTok or Pinterest or Instagram or Facebook. I don't know what your business is, but that doesn't even matter because it's you figuring out like, where is your audience and how do you want to engage with them?

17:28For me personally, it's on Instagram and that's naturally where I like to spend time and hang out. Like that's where I like to consume content. That's where I like to engage. But I think that the bigger question that wasn't asked here that we should be asking is not just which platform is most engaging, but how do I get a direct result from the engagement on any platform? And again, I have said this on the podcast, but I'm going to say it again because I think it's so important. Every single small business owner should have two main goals. The main goal should be one, to grow and start your email list.

18:04And two, any other platforms that you are showing up on, the goal should be to show up and serve and connect on those platforms and get people off of those platforms and onto your email list. And so those are the two main focuses that I think we need to have. And so then it's not so much of a game of like, which platform is going to work the best for my audience? And like, where can I show up consistently to connect and engage and then get people off of those rented spaces of those platforms and onto my email list? And so that's a question that I think you should be asking. So I would also say that for so many entrepreneurs, when they're starting out, they get so overwhelmed because they feel like they need to be on all the platforms and showing up consistently on all of them.

18:47And my advice would be to start on one platform, double down, get really good and consistent, create some sort of system that you can follow so that you are showing up consistently. And then when you have mastered that, then expand to the other platforms. A lot of times people see people like me who I have a blog, I have a podcast, I have a LinkedIn, I have an Instagram, I have a Pinterest, I have a Facebook. I'm showing up everywhere, but I literally did it one by one. And that's what I would recommend. Tanya Caboga branding on Instagram asked, how do you balance a full-time business, kids, a household, being a wife and more?

19:22Okay. So first off, I do not believe in balance. I think balance is a total myth. In fact, I remember when I was writing my book, I loved just digging into the meaning behind words. And when I looked into the meaning behind the word balance. Balance is meant to be a moment in time, not a sustained state. And I think this is so important because so many of us are striving to be in balance, but I think it's a myth and it's no wonder we feel like we're failing because it's not meant to be a maintained state. Balance is like something that is literally meant to be a moment in time. And so I think that I don't believe in balance.

20:03I also think it's so important to acknowledge that where I am at in this stage of life and in this season of business, I have so much support, right? My husband is a stay-at-home dad. I have an amazing team behind me. And so for me, balance is a lot easier than it is for the average person. And I'm not saying that from a point of pride. I'm saying that from a point of privilege to recognize like, wow, I am so lucky. What is normal for me might not be normal for everyone else. But what is interesting for me and how I've been able to find a semblance of balance is to really evaluate in each stage and season, not what is my purpose in life, but what is my purpose in this stage or season of life?

20:48And that has helped me really embrace slower seasons in business where I can be more hands-on as a mom, busier seasons of business where I need more support as a mom and really leaning in with confidence. And I think that for me, trying to alleviate the mom guilt that is so real, even this morning, Coco was like, mommy, can you please bring me to school? And school drop-off is Drew's thing. He loves it. He does it every single day. I do it one to two days a week. And I was like, babe, today I've got a full day going on. And so mom guilt is so real because there's a part of me that wants to drop everything I'm doing to drive her to school, even though she just listens to an audio book the whole way and doesn't even talk.

21:32But at the same point too, I'm showing her like, what does commitment look like? What does it really look like to run a business and to build this life? And so I've just been really trying to figure out like, what is this stage of life? Because it honestly does feel like a new stage for us. I feel like Coco is going to be six. Quinn is going to be three. I feel like in so many ways we are getting out of the weeds of having really young children. We're sleeping more consistently. We're able to kind of pick up and go a lot faster. Like just life feels easier in a lot of ways. And this is encouragement for you if you feel like you are in the depths and the trenches of motherhood.

22:08And so for me, quote, balance right now is really finding ways to be 100 % present when I'm with my kids and be all in with them, to be present when I'm with my business, and also to re-identify who am I outside of work and motherhood. And I feel like, you know, when I look at my journey, the last eight years have been tied up in pregnancy and loss and breastfeeding and all of these different things. And so I just feel like I'm in a new stage of life for myself, but also in all the roles I play. So I don't do it beautifully. I don't always do it right. I have a lot of support. We eat a lot of air fryer food and life is good.

22:49And I think that's all we can do. Lee from the Gold Digger Podcast Insiders Facebook group asked, if you were launching a new business, would you have a blog on your website? Or do you think the way to go is only through social media channels, YouTube, Pinterest, etc? Okay. I would strongly, I feel very strong about this one. I would strongly recommend having a blog for a million reasons. Long form content is huge. In fact, I am going to link to an episode I did at the beginning of this year. And I gave my marketing predictions for 2024. And I still stand by all of those predictions. Long-form content was and is still one of my main predictions for where creators should be focusing and where the creator economy is going.

23:33So long-form content is amazing because you are basically creating this library of resources and information that is more timeless than social media posts that live and die thanks to an algorithm. And so it's more evergreen content, meaning that somebody could land on your blog a year from now, two years from now, three years from now, and consume that content and still find it beneficial. You also get amazing search engine optimization through blogging. You have the ability to have easy call to action. So you could have pop-ups on your website or blog. You could have footers. You could have additional links so that you can actually capture your reader a lot easier on a blog than you could on social media.

24:14And you are going to have so much more control over the user experience on any space that you own on the web. When you are investing all of your time, energy, and effort into platforms you don't own and you can't control, it is like building your dreams on borrowed space. And that is not a safe way to do it. I have seen so many people crash and burn because of it. And so I think a blog is amazing. And I have literally blogged since day one of my business. We still blog. In fact, just yesterday, I was looking at our blog traffic and what it's doing and how it's converting. And so it's still a massive focus in our business.

24:53And I would highly recommend having one. You know, I only share stuff I'm genuinely obsessed with. And so when I kept seeing Bolin Brand sheets all over Instagram, I was like, okay, are these actually worth the hype? Drew and I have been using their sheets and duvets for over a year now and honestly our bedroom feels like a completely different space. The moment you touch these sheets you'll get it. They're incredibly soft to start but they literally get softer every time you wash them. They're made from 100 % organic cotton so they're super durable and they're breathable which is perfect for piling on cozy layers without turning into a furnace at 2am.