Episode 267: Build Your Business Without Burnout And Make More Money with Marissa Roberts
When we’re busy and tired, we give up the things that bring us joy because we don’t see them as important. I'll read that book when I've got time. I'll do that puzzle when I've got time. I'll go for that massage when everything else is done. It’s not going to be done.
This is an episode you’re going to want to come back to when you feel burnout creeping in. Host of the Simpler Business Podcast, Marissa Roberts is going to turn all the stress and anxiety on its head for you.
As a mom of two who built her business Beautifully Organised, working just 10 hours a week or less, Marissa has collected lots of ideas, tons of hacks, and strategies along the way to help you simplify tasks, save time, and make work easier without sacrificing your income or your lifestyle.
What I want you to listen for is how much our feelings and emotions as the business owner leak out into the business. If we’re feeling anxious and nervous, it’s going to impact our revenue. So listen for what Marissa says is possible as you relax and bring more money in.
Building a business without burnout
Marissa’s first business was an organizing business. She went into homes and helped make the lives of mothers with young children easier. She was burnt out in two months.
“My house is messy because I'm spending eight hours a day tidying other people's homes,” says Marissa. “And then I come home and I'm like, I can't do anything, and I'm too tired to play with my kids … I've dug this hole too deep and now I have to deliver on it and I don't have enough hours in the day to do it.”
From there, Marissa pivoted to online courses. She went down a rabbit hole of passive income and scalability.
“I wanted to make life easier for me, and now I get to make life easier for other people.”
Business owners might have a hard time asking themselves, “What feels hard for me, and how can I delegate?” For Marissa, this meant hiring a virtual assistant who helps her with self-promotion.
When to delegate
We’re so driven by productivity, achievements, goals and actions. Marissa says taking the time to pause and really do the internal work of why something feels difficult is key to knowing when it’s time to delegate.
Asking which part feels difficult and why – is it a mindset issue? Is it a technical problem, or an equipment problem, like your computer needs an upgrade?
Sometimes a small tweak can make a big difference. For example, if you feel overwhelmed with email, telling your clients you’ll only be responding to email between a certain times each day might be the boundary you need.
“Clients don't mind if you set a boundary because it lets them know exactly what to expect, and they're not guessing while they're working with you,” says Marissa.
Reaching burnout
Burnout can manifest differently for different people, and at various points in your life. We have an innate ability to handle things as they are raised, but what you can handle in your 20s, might look different in your 40s, or if you’re handling one client versus seven.
“A lot of what the strength and the resilience we get over time comes from challenges,” says Marissa. “So it's this really interesting dynamic where I get stronger, I get tougher, I get better at problem solving, but I also get more tired and more worn out and full.”
Everything goes back to how you feel -- that resentment, the procrastination, sometimes depression, sometimes having that feeling of not wanting to get out of bed or the day to start.
“There's always a reason we act like we do, and there's always a reason we work like we do,” says Marissa. “You could take that job on two months from now. It could be completely different. And I think that's where we have to let go of the internal talk and the chatter and the shame or the guilt that can come with that, because we don't often realize that's what's driving our actions or lack of them.”
Marissa says rarely are the things we say we’re going to do will impact somebody in such a negative way that it’s a life ender. There is always going to be an option.
Remember that this isn’t the only opportunity, and if you’re clinging to the client or job as if it’s your only chance, the energy you’re giving out is one of desperation, need, and lack.
Whereas if you recognize the opportunity, and think, “this is fantastic, I want to give it my best but I can’t do that this month,” you can go back to the client thank them, and check if they can be flexible. The change is the delivery.
Importance of self-care
The ultimate self-care is tuning into what you personally need in that moment. Sometimes it will be a glass of water, sometimes it will be two weeks off.
If you are having a really hard day, what would you crave to make that day feel better? Sometimes it's rest, sometimes it's going out in nature, sometimes it's buying yourself a really nice hand cream. You can take time for yourself and your business won’t die. Doing something for you can help your business thrive.
“All of those things we should be doing for ourselves and it shouldn't be lost. It's just as important as any other project we're working on,” says Marissa.
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