Life Lately: being a boss during the first trimester

Last week I started a new blog series called ‘Life Lately’ and it quickly became my most popular blog series in six years! Thank you all for your support in reading and sharing my blog.

This week I am touching on the first trimester of pregnancy & running a business at the same time…let me tell you it’s not for the faint of heart.

The first 16 weeks of this pregnancy were rough! It was so challenging emotionally because I was so grateful and excited but I felt awful. I couldn’t walk my dog for weeks, I didn’t eat dinner for 6 weeks because I was so sick. Praying I would make it through a client session without throwing up became my norm, and I almost ended up in the hospital twice.

That being said I was still running my business (solo) and trying to hide this blessing.

I wasn’t able to engage on social like I had been, I had to skip two weeks of my blog, and my energy just wasn’t in it. My SEO (search engine optimization) took a tremendous hit, and after working so hard on my engagement and social last year it was crushing… but I had bigger things to focus on. So I let it happen and watched the numbers and engagement drop..

If you are an entrepreneur or small biz owner I know you can relate to how tough this was. SEO and engagement are huge for entrepreneurs and small biz owners.

On top of all that I had to cancel dozens of plans with friends, family and events because I literally was so sick and had nothing left to give.

It was lonely and I wondered if I would be the 2% that stayed sick my whole pregnancy. (My Dr seemed to think so.) I told myself that I had waited years for this miracle babe, I could do whatever it took.

Luckily by 16 weeks I felt like a new person. The nausea subsided, my energy slowly increased (although I’m still no where near pre-pregnancy energy), and I saw the light.

It feels so good to be engaging with all of you again! It feels incredible to be hosting live events and classes…and meeting so many of you IRL thank you for your patience as I navigated that chapter, thank you for being here and waiting for me. I’m beyond grateful.

I’m curious have any of my other Mamas experienced horrible nausea during their pregnancy??

It's Time to Put Yourself First - Here's How!

For years I put everyone else’s needs above mine. I thought it was “right” or would make me a better person if I took care of everyone else first…but it didn’t. In fact, it left me so drained that I rarely had time to take care of myself. For years my self care was non-existent, and I noticed my health and well-being were taking a big hit.

My hope in sharing this is that you don’t make the same mistake. It can be so easy, especially as women, to put everyones needs above our own. It’s engrained in us from the time we are born, but it’s not healthy. If we do not take care of ourselves, how on earth are we supossed to take care of everyone and everything else? We simply can’t!

The phrase “you can not pour from an empty cup” is so accurate! Trust me I tried…for years. It’s not possible.

When we take time to put ourselves first, and even just taking 10 minutes a day for some much needed self care to pause and breathe it can shift everything. When we take care of ourselves we are better able to handle everything around us with more ease and grace.

In the last year I have implemented a tool for myself that has been a total game changer.

Are you ready for it?!?

Every single day I have a list in my planner (yes I still use a paper planner) of everything I would like to get done that day, and on the top of the list - ABOVE everything else if a list of 4 things I do every single for myself. They are not big things, but every single day these are my most important items on my list. Putting myself first, and ensuring that these 4 items get checked off daily has been a game changer for my personal life and especially my business.

I would encourage you to try this! Create a list of 2-4 items that you would like to do daily just for you. Select items that will help to enhance your mental health, your well being, and allow you to create a calm in the chaos of the week. For my busy Moms, perhaps taking a shower (alone)…or dream big a bath (alone) is on your list?? Select items that honor you and fill your cup up.

Photo By Jontel Chere

Reflecting back on 2020...

As we approach the end of 2020 (finally!) I can’t help but reflect back on this year.

The good, the bad, and the seriously ugly. This sure has been a year for the books.

Over the last several months I’ve noticed many of us getting stuck in talking about how awful and challenging this year has been…I’ve been guilty of this too at times.

I talk so much about flipping the script and how important it is to try and see things from another perspective; I’ve had to remind myself to do this at times this year and I’m here to gently remind you to do the same.

In a previous post I talked about how challenging this year has been for me personally, and how I would never had survived this year if it weren’t for the love and support of my husband. All of which is true, however when I stay in that mindset of trauma, loss, and challenges it only makes this year seem harder and overwhelming sad. When I am able to step outside the sadness and the challenges, and see the joy and amazing things that I was able to accomplish (no matter how small they may be) then life all the sudden seems beautiful once again. Does this make sense?

For instance, professionally this year has been incredible for me. Despite having 2020 roll in and cancel all my incredible events, I pivoted in a way that I had only dreamed of prior. I won Top 40 Under 40 for Southwest Florida (2nd time in two years!!), I was featured in 4+magazines, my business has grown and remained in the black all year, and I have expanded into a place where I am actually having fun in my business again. It’s amazing!

So as we all reflect back on 2020, I’d ask that you allow all of the feeling in…but do your best to flip the script and find some inspiration and amazement from this year.

After reflecting back on this year, consider what you would like to leave behind in 2020?

For me personally, I am leaving old patterns and behaviors that no longer serve me. I have stepped into my own, I have found what truly makes me happy, and you can bet that I am bringing this with me into the New Year!

Journal Prompt:

Find a comfortable seat, close your eyes, and think back on this year. Allow all the emotions and months to rush through your being, feel it all. Then open your eyes, and write down the first things that come to mind….what would you like to leave behind in 2020?

Photo By: Jontel Chere

It's not luck

I have faced my share of challenges and disappointments this year, as many of you have. I feel incredibly blessed to have a business that I not only love, but is thriving amongst the chaos of 2020. Two years ago I began setting my business up for the online platform I have now, knowing that this is where I wanted to be. 

Moving my business online has not only allowed me to be home and support my family in a way that I was unable to before; but it allowed me to actually support my clients and my online community in a way that I had been unable to previously.

I have always been incredibly driven and had a reach for the stars mentality. {no joke, in the 3rd grade when my teacher asked what I wanted to be when I grow up I said business women.} When I began setting up my online platform and online business two years ago, it was not the “popular” thing to do. Some in the industry questioned my reasoning and my ability to really connect with my clients thru technology. Never the less I persevered knowing deep down that I would be where I am today. After 3 years of working part time with my clients virtually, and six months of working with virtual clients full time I can say that the screen does not prevent connection and growth. Working with clients in person will always be special, but working with clients virtually - all over the country - allows me to share my light and create magic in a way I need could before. 

In lieu of some new projects I am working on I have met with several female entrepreneurs recently, and some of the biggest questions/comments I get is how do create something like you have? How do I transition my business? How do I get my name out there? Where do I start?

Well, that’s the hardest part and it has taken me seven years of hard relentless work in this community to get to where I am today. Knowing the lessons and the tools I know now…probably could have done it much quicker LOL, but the journey is what has been so special. 

I feel incredibly blessed to be supported by my community, and to have been featured in 4 magazines from July - September 2020. I recognize how fortunate I am, but it’s not “luck”. 

It’s years of hard work, building relationships and genuine connections. It’s years of becoming an ‘expert’ in my field.

It’s not luck, I didn’t get lucky. It’s hard work, day in and day out. It took years of working 12-14 hours day, doing things some would never dream of doing, sacrifice upon sacrifice to get here…and I’m no where near where I know I can be. I believe in putting in a few years of my life sacrificing and living my life like most people won’t, so that I can live the rest of my life like most people can’t. (skinny confidential said it best)

I don’t have a PR team or even a publicist. This is all me. Truth be told I only have 1 part time team member working with me right now, I’m handling everything else. Although this was super overwhelming when it happened, it feels right, like this is exactly how it is supposed to be. 

So for everyone looking to begin and expand their personal brand into something magical, I believe in you. It’s possible. Whatever crazy dream and vision you have on your heart, you have the ability to create it. It’s probably not going to be easy. There will be late nights, early mornings, tears, sweat, and failures…but seeing your vision come to fruition is priceless. 

Photo By: Jontel Chere Photography

Change is the only constant...

Change is the only constant. I think 2020 is an excellent example of this. 

This is especially true when it comes to business. Your business model should constantly be evolving and changing to meet your personal needs but also to meet the needs of your consumer. 

Each year you discover what aspects of your business you enjoy most, and consciously or not you start to put more energy into those areas. Likewise, you may discover what areas you would like to begin shifting away from. Perhaps, you delegate those projects or you just find a way to eliminate them from your business all together. 

The same goes for your clients. Over time you will see what content, products or services your clients are gravitating towards. Pay attention to your analytics and conversion rates, and see where your tribe is engaging most. This will tell you what they would like to see more of…and what they could pretty much do without. 

In order to make change in business successful you really need to analyze both categories… what you want and what your clients want. Do they align? If they do, great! If they do not, that’s okay but it makes things a bit more challenging. You have some tough decisions to make if the two categories do not align. You could follow your passion and say “see ya later!” to your current business model or decide to slowly pivot and change your business model over time. This is a personal decision and is dependent on several factors, finances are often a big one, take some time to think this over. 

Change in any business is inevitable. I do not believe that we are made to be stagnant, doing the same thing day in and day out for our entire life. In order to be successful and live our best life change is necessary. Change when it comes to business often looks like pivoting. As we grow and inevitably become wiser our entire life begins to pivot and change. This is natural and normal, but can be difficult for some especially when it comes to their business. Moving away from one area of business into another, or niching down and honing in on your speciality, can seem scary, unstable, or perhaps dangerous to some. Take some time to think about what you want, and where you want your business (and your life) to grow to in the next 1, 5, and 10 years. 

Over the past few months I have received dozens and dozens of business questions & requests, so I have decided to start answering some of them in my blog. If you have any business questions feel free to comment below or send me a direct email at jennifer@leanandgreenbody.com

Why you need an evening routine asap

For years I have been discussing my morning routine, and it is something I feel so passionately about. Most successful entrepreneurs can talk your ear off about how incredible their morning routine is, many credit their success to their coveted morning routine. 

But what about the evenings? How do we set ourselves up at night to have a successful and mindful next day?

A solid evening routine is crucial for a good nights sleep, but there’s more to it. A good evening routine can help your body and mind unwind from the day, aid in digestion, and help move your body from a sympathetic dominance into parasympathetic (rest and digest) mode. 

This first thing to discuss when talking about an evening routine is dinner. Ideally you should eat dinner 3-4 hours before you go to bed. This is a biggie. Many of my clients initially have a tough time with this one because of family schedules, meal prep, the list goes on. However, this is one of the most important ones for a good nights sleep. You need to allow your body to process, digest, distribute/utilize, and (maybe even) eliminate your dinner before you lay down. Your body has a difficult time digesting once you lay down, and this can lead to acid reflux, gas, bloating, undigested food etc. Your body works so hard when we sleep, this is the time our body regenerates and detoxes from the inside out. We don’t want to disrupt that cycle by forcing our body then to digest our dinner as well.

This next one is a big one too, and is especially difficult in our current society. After dinner, try to limit phone and screen time. Turning all screens off 2 hours before bed. Many people in our society struggle with this one…everyone is attached/addicted to their devices. When I suggest this people often ask “well, what do I do instead?”. This is your body’s time to begin winding down from your day, dim the lights, and do something that you will enjoy and will begin to relax the body. 

Here’s an example of my ideal evening routine…

early dinner

lemon ginger tea after dinner

epsom salt bath or a hot shower

dim lights (signals the body it is time to wind down)

journal/writing

limited phone/screen use

a good book  (this is usually the time I’ll read something for fun…no self help or nutrition books)

time with the husband

Comment below and let me know how you unwind in the evenings!