How do you set the right price for you, your business, your audience, your offering, your season and your objectives? In this episode, Christy shares seven questions to help you determine the perfect price. And she also shares three rules to help you get more sales, regardless of your price point. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts to never miss an episode!   Helpful resources: Goal-Setting Guide at businessbootcampshow.com.   Lead magnet examples at christywright.com/free.     Recurring Links: Music via:  https://pixabay.com/music/beats-sport-rock-trap-beat-velocity-11230/  

As humans, we depend on things like a job, relationships and money to take care of us. That’s not a bad thing, of course. But occasionally God will remove things, and even people, that we depend on to show us that He is the true source of provision, security and comfort.  In this episode, Christy shows you how to trust God regardless of your circumstances. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts to never miss an episode!   Helpful resources: 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at http://www.getyourhopesup.com   Christy Wright Store at http://www.christywright.com/store   Christy’s new business podcast at https://businessbootcampshow.com/   Recurring links Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/ https://pixabay.com/music/meditationspiritual-gentle-piano-meditation-9692/    

Sometimes it can feel like no matter how hard you try, you can’t get everything done that you want to. There’s just not enough time! In this episode, Christy shares three time-saving hacks you need to try this year so you can get back hours of your time (and energy and creativity too)! Remember to tune in for a new episode every Tuesday and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode! Helpful resources: Whiteboard calendar at https://amzn.to/47MstPV. Dry erase markers at https://amzn.to/47Jsrbw. Goal-Setting Guide at businessbootcampshow.com.     Recurring Links: Music via:  https://pixabay.com/music/beats-sport-rock-trap-beat-velocity-11230/

Whether we realize it or not, we lie to ourselves all the time. In this episode, Christy shines light on three lies keeping you stuck that you need to stop believing and she reminds you of the truth that will set you free. Remember to tune in for a new episode every Monday and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode!   Helpful resources:   7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at http://www.getyourhopesup.com   Christy Wright Store at http://www.christywright.com/store   Christy’s new business podcast at https://businessbootcampshow.com/   Recurring links Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/ https://pixabay.com/music/meditationspiritual-gentle-piano-meditation-9692/

Email marketing can feel overwhelming. But it’s also the most effective way to build your business. In this episode, Christy gives you the basic formula for growing your email list in five easy steps. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts to never miss an episode!   Helpful resources:   Goal-Setting Guide at businessbootcampshow.com.   Lead magnet examples at christywright.com/free     Recurring Links: Music via:  https://pixabay.com/music/beats-sport-rock-trap-beat-velocity-11230/

After God gives you a promise, it’s so easy to be consumed by the promise and want to hurry it up. In this episode, Christy gives you three steps to fight the urge to make the promise happen on your own. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts to never miss an episode!   Helpful resources: 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at http://www.getyourhopesup.com   Christy Wright Store at http://www.christywright.com/store   Christy’s new business podcast at https://businessbootcampshow.com/     Recurring links Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/  

There are a billion different things you could do in your business, so how do you choose what you should actually do? In this episode, Christy shares four simple questions to help you determine the goals you should set for your year. That way, you know exactly what you should focus on. Remember to tune in for a new episode every Tuesday and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode!   Helpful resources: Goal-Setting Guide at https://www.businessbootcampshow.com     Recurring links Music via:  https://pixabay.com/music/beats-sport-rock-trap-beat-velocity-11230/  

Description: Sometimes as Christians, we assume that just because God wants us to be led by the Holy Spirit, that we can’t have goals, set a budget or make plans. In this episode, Christy reminds us that you can do both and gives five tactical steps to set goals—so you can be intentional about your year and still follow God’s will. Remember to tune in for a new episode every Monday and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode!   Helpful resources:   7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at http://www.getyourhopesup.com   Christy Wright Store at http://www.christywright.com/store   Christy’s new business podcast at https://businessbootcampshow.com/     Recurring links Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/  

Get ready for an all-new podcast from Christy Wright! In addition to her faith-based show Get Your Hopes Up, Christy is adding another weekly show to help you grow your business: Business Bootcamp.   So, grab your coffee, pull up a makeshift office chair (or exercise ball), and get ready to learn how to juggle dreams, deadlines and the day-to-day hustle. Subscribe and tune in to Business Bootcamp every Tuesday for the practical steps you want and the tough love truth you need to succeed in business. www.BusinessBootcampShow.com    

Description: Most of us start the new year asking ourselves what we want to accomplish that year. In this episode, Christy challenges you to ask yourself a different (and better!) question that will help you actually make this year exactly what you want it to be. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts to never miss an episode!   Helpful resources:   7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at http://www.getyourhopesup.com   Christy Wright Store at http://www.christywright.com/store     Recurring links Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/  

Description: In this special episode, Christy Wright shares a heartfelt Christmas prayer for every listener - whether you're feeling weary, waiting or navigating the wilderness. This prayer offers comfort, strength, hope and the reminder that you are not alone. Remember to tune in for a new episode every Monday and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode!   Helpful resources: 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at www.getyourhopesup.com Christy Wright Store at www.christywright.com/store     Recurring links Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/  

Description: Do you believe God? Not just believe IN God, but do you truly believe Him? In this episode, Christy shares four ways to overcome unbelief and build a big, bold faith to grow in your relationship with God. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts to never miss an episode!   Helpful resources: 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at www.getyourhopesup.com Christy Wright Store at www.christywright.com/store       Recurring links Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/

Description: When we’re faced with setbacks and disappointments, it’s easy to get discouraged and feel like God has forgotten us. In this episode, Christy gives you five words that will change your perspective on your circumstances to help you get through them. Remember to tune in for a new episode every Monday and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode!   Helpful resources: 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at www.getyourhopesup.com Christy Wright Store at www.christywright.com/store     Recurring links Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/  

Description: You feel like you’re coming out of the wilderness and that you’re on the threshold of something new. But let’s be honest, that transition period between seasons can be confusing. In this episode, Christy talks about what you need to let go of before you’re ready to move on to your new season and embrace what God has for you. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts to never miss an episode.   Helpful resources: 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at www.getyourhopesup.com Christy Wright Store at www.christywright.com/store     Recurring links Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/

Description: Life can send us on an emotional rollercoaster that makes us feel crazy. But guess what? Our feelings aren't always telling us the truth. In this episode, Christy shares one thing you can do to emotionally regulate yourself when everything feels a little crazy. Remember to tune in for a new episode every Monday and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode!   Helpful resources: 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at www.getyourhopesup.com Christy Wright Store at www.christywright.com/store     Recurring links Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/

It’s easy to focus on everything that’s going wrong in our lives. But whether you realize it or not, complaining is actually harming your health. (Crazy, right?!) In this episode, Christy teaches you how to break the cycle of complaining and what you should do instead. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts to never miss an episode.   Helpful resources: - 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at www.getyourhopesup.com - Christy Wright Store at www.christywright.com/store     Recurring links Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/

#216: How to Get Where You're Meant to Be Description:  Do you worry about not being in God’s will? Here’s a secret: God is really good at getting you where He wants you to be. In this episode, Christy uses scripture to teach us how to trust God's guidance and reminds us that no matter where you’re heading, God will guide you to where you need to be. Remember to tune in for a new episode every Monday and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode!   Helpful resources: - 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at www.getyourhopesup.com - Christy Wright Store at www.christywright.com/store  

Description: When you've been in a wilderness, it can be easy to stay there because you’ve been weary and discouraged for so long. In this episode, Christy teaches you how to shake off the dust of your last season so you can move into the new season God has for you. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts to never miss an episode.   Helpful resources: 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at www.getyourhopesup.com Christy Wright Store at www.christywright.com/store     Recurring links Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/  

Description: You want to be true to who you are and share your faith, but you're worried about offending people. So, what do you do? In this episode, Christy shares that the secret is to just be honest in your conversations and what that practically looks like. Remember to tune in for a new episode every Monday and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode!   Helpful resources: 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at www.getyourhopesup.com       Recurring links Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/

Description: It's so easy to assume when God calls you to something, it's supposed to last forever. In this episode, Christy explains what's wrong with this way of thinking, and she shares three ways you can discern if you should end something or if you need to keep holding on. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts to never miss an episode.   Helpful resources: 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at www.getyourhopesup.com     Recurring links Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/  

Description: God told you to do something, and you obeyed, but nothing is turning out how you thought or expected. In this episode, Christy shares three reminders when you find yourself questioning what God said. Remember to tune in for a new episode every Monday and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode! Helpful resources: 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at www.getyourhopesup.com     Recurring links Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/    

Description: There are many times in life where we think, “But God wouldn’t do that.” Or would He? In this episode, Christy shares three things you may not realize about God and reminds us that His ways are not always our ways. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts to never miss an episode.   Helpful resources: 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at www.getyourhopesup.com   Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/  

Description: When God does something big in your life, do you tell people about it? In this episode, Christy teaches you why you need to be bold about what God has done for you and how to do it. Remember to tune in for a new episode every Monday and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, so you never miss an episode!   Helpful resources: 7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged available at www.getyourhopesup.com     Music via: https://pixabay.com/music/pop-summer-party-157615/

The holidays are right around the corner, y'all. I don’t want you to be scattered and stressed this season—I want you to be present. In this episode, I’ll give you tips on how to survive this crazy season in your business, your life, and your budget.  Plus, Etsy expert Melissa Kaiserman is a friend of Business Boutique and pays us a visit on this week’s podcast. She’ll share some wonderful, practical tips on how to prepare for the holidays if you’re a product-based business. And my dear friend Rachel Cruze is here to talk about one of the biggest things that steals our joy, not just during the holidays, but all year round: comparisons. She’ll walk us through how to quit those comparisons. She’ll also share with us how she and her husband work through their budget together, and some funny stories about how it goes when they don’t see eye to eye. 1:40    Surviving Christmas in Business, Life, and Money 16:00  Interview with Melissa Kaiserman 35:51  Interview with Rachel Cruze 50:56  Homework -- To save $10 on any Business Boutique ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.  

You Need to Change THIS About Yourself   1:03 How to Stop Thinking in Extremes 9:56 Black Lives Matter, Racism, and Our Culture-Let's Talk About It with Anthony ONeal 37:02 Do You Know Your Blind Spots? Resources Christy Wright 2021 Goal PlannerMy brand-new 2021 Goal Planner is here to help you get results in your life. This planner will help you grow as a person, build confidence, manage your schedule, and crush your goals. This is the tool you need to make this year what you want it to be. Get your copy today! https://bit.ly/2EAg0aj Business Boutique ConferenceIf you've been wanting to earn extra income for your family, the Business Boutique Conference will give you everything you need to start working on your business dreams. And for the first time ever, we're taking our annual three-day conference virtual! Get your livestream ticket today. https://bit.ly/3gAAZ9N   We live in a society where everyone thinks their opinion and perspective on an issue is the right one. In this episode, we're going to talk about Black Lives Matter, racism and our culture. My good friend and fellow Ramsey Personality Anthony ONeal joins me to dig into these hard conversations. Then, I'll give you some questions as you process how to cultivate humility and learn from others who see things differently than you.   How to Stop Thinking in Extremes We live in a culture of extremes where everything is polarizing. You're either for something or against it. You're either pro-this or anti-that. And in these extremes, everyone is shouting how their information, opinion and perspective is right-whether it's about race, politics, social issues or economic issues. At the root of this thinking is pride-regardless of where you stand, what you believe, which political party you're affiliated with, what your race is or where you live. That's why I want to leave you with a challenge that will help you consider the possibility that you might not have all the answers and learn to value people who see things differently than you.   Black Lives Matter, Racism, and Our Culture-Let's Talk About It with Anthony ONeal I sit down with my good friend, fellow Ramsey Personality and bestselling author Anthony ONeal to talk about racism and our culture, along with how to: Cultivate humility Lean into hard conversations Become more aware of your blind spots Appreciate perspectives different from your own Be a voice of unity   Do You Know Your Blind Spots? "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." -Matthew 7:3-5 (NIV) Here are some questions to ask yourself as you process these verses: What comes to mind when you think about the plank in your own eye? What are some questions you can ask to lean into the conversation and learn? What's one practical way you're going to demonstrate humility this week?

How to Attract More Customers to Your Business   1:21 Four Ways to Find More Customers 17:29 Attracting New Customers to Your Business with Reina Pomeroy 33:23 Encouragement That That Will Transform Every Relationship Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. "Christy, how do I get more customers?" The most common question I'm ever asked-more than questions about social media, goal setting or time management-is how to get more customers. I get this question almost every single day. But before we go any further, I need to bust a myth you might be believing that is keeping you from getting more customers. For as long as I can remember, I've heard people say: "If you build it, they will come." How many times have you heard that line? How many times have you believed that simply creating a website meant people would visit? Or opening a store meant people would stop in? Related: Market Research: How to Know What Your Customers Want I hate to tell you this, but it's just not true. No matter what you build, customers don't show up out of the blue. Why not? Because . . . They're busy. They're distracted. They're tired. They have hundreds of other messages vying for their attention. We have to stop building these big, awesome, impressive things and wondering why customers aren't showing up. We have to do something different. Instead of sitting back and waiting for customers to come to you, it's time for you to go after your customers. You have to figure out where your ideal customers hang out and build relationships with them. And only then, when you've added value to their lives, can you invite them to become a customer. So, how do you actually do that? I've got four different tips to get you started! Four Ways to Find More Customers   1. Get scrappy. Some of you are sitting around waiting for some sophisticated formula or fool-proof plan to attract more customers. I hate to break it to you, but business doesn't work that way. Business is a science and an art, which means that while there are certainly best practices to keep in mind, there's no perfect path to success. Most business owners become successful not because they're sophisticated, but because they're really stinkin' scrappy. They're willing to get their hands dirty and try a bunch of different things to get the word out. They're willing to show up at other businesses with donuts, coffee, samples and a business card. They're not afraid to pick up the phone and do some cold calling. The bottom line is, you have to be willing to do the hard work of building relationships-and that takes a whole lot of scrappiness. 2. Get referrals. When you need your hair colored or your house cleaned, who do you want to hire? Someone you trust, right? And how do you find someone you trust? You ask your friends! Y'all, this is so important! Referrals are just another way of describing word-of-mouth marketing-the most effective form of marketing. The best part is, it's free! So, if you're not actively incentivizing your current clients to refer their friends and asking them for testimonials, you're missing out on an amazing opportunity to find new customers. 3. Improve your marketing. I want you to take a good look at your marketing efforts as a whole. Look at the different ways you're marketing your business-from your website to your social media posts and the emails you send. Then I want you to ask yourself:  Is the design clean and beautiful? Is the copy clear?...

Picture this: You're booked to speak on a college campus. The auditorium seats 1,000, but only three students show up. Yes, that's 997 empty seats. And the icing on the cake? The three students who bothered to show up only did so for the extra credit. Ouch. Or how about this: You're speaking at a conference for a bank, and even though there are enough seats for a few hundred people, only two show up. TWO! Are you cringing yet? To make matters worse, one of them talks-yes, talks, not texts-on her cell phone during your presentation. Oh, and that other attendee? He promptly falls asleep and snores the whole time. No, I'm not describing my worst nightmares. Unfortunately, both of those things actually happened to me. I mean, I can't make this stuff up! And, y'all, I have stories like these for days from the years I spent speaking in high school cafeterias, family reunions, libraries and strip malls. As an aspiring professional speaker like I was at the time, it would've been easy to get discouraged in those situations. And believe me, some days were harder than others. But really, it's natural to feel disappointed when reality doesn't measure up to your expectations-like when your business isn't as big, impressive or successful as you thought it would be today. Patience can be hard, right? I get it because I've been there. But you know what? Even in that season when nobody showed up for my speeches, when every audience was tiny, I always brought the same level of passion and energy. Related: Play to the Size of Your Heart Why? Because I believe there is something sacred in every season we go through. In other words, there is training in the trenches. It's during those hard seasons that something happens in you that can't happen any other way. It's like a rite of passage. So, instead of wishing away what you're going through right now or focusing on what's next, I encourage you to find contentment in the now. I know that can be challenging when you've got big dreams. But I promise, it's possible to be content with where you are today without giving up on your goals-it's a both/and situation. That could look like super-serving the 200 Instagram followers you have today while working to turn that into 200,000. Or giving a heartfelt speech to five people while working on the marketing plan to grow your following. It's both being content and striving for more. Related: Dream Bigger for Your Business I've told you this before, but it's worth repeating. If you're not faithful with what you have and where you are today, God can't trust you with more. That's exactly why-no matter if I'm speaking to two people or 2,000-I bring my all to every single speaking engagement. Don't despise your small beginnings, embrace them. Practicing contentment makes it much easier to hear what God is teaching you in each season. Here are three ways you can start doing that right now: Three Ways to Practice Contentment  1. Control Your Thoughts You have more power over your mind than you think. I know this is hard, especially when you're scrolling Instagram and see that one of your girlfriends has a brand-new kitchen or is on a fancy vacation. Do you know what you're doing in that moment? You're comparing someone else's highlight reel to your current reality. Stop doing that! Comparison is a recipe for discouragement and resentment. Related: The Benefits of Practicing Gratitude 2. Focus on What You Have When you look at what you already have, it is so much easier to have an attitude of gratitude. I love how 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to take every thought captive to Christ. When you feel comparison creep in, kick those thoughts to the curb and focus on what you're grateful for instead. The truth is, you and I have more than most people. We live in the greatest country in the world with more money, resources and technology than we know what to do with. So stop...

How to Be Authentic and Live Confidently as Yourself   1:19 How to Be Authentic 17:03 Being Authentic with Sarah Dubbeldam 41:10 Encouragement: God Did Not Create You to Berate You Resources 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Be confident in your authenticity, even when life and other people try to push you around or tell you to be someone you're not. A couple of years ago, I was asked to write an article for a very professional publication. Their readers are intellectuals, academics, and probably more conservative and elite. So, you can imagine my surprise that they wanted me-someone who prefers to be more casual and down to earth-to write an article for them about starting a business. I submitted the article and was a little surprised when they came back with feedback that the tone of my writing was "too chatty." I was like, Really? You're surprised by that? Have you not heard me speak, read my blogs, or listened to one of my podcasts? Because that tone is actually my entire brand! I remember thinking, If you don't want chatty, then you probably don't want me. Related: Ep 86: Be More Confident by Believing in Yourself I felt like this publication wanted me to be someone I wasn't. They wanted me to write like an academic with big fancy words, and that's just not how I write, talk or connect with people. Thankfully, we ended up getting to a good place where they felt like the article met their standards and could be published while staying true to my voice. But it was really eye-opening for me to realize how important it is to not only be authentic, but to be confident in that authenticity, even when life and other people try to push you around or tell you to be someone you're not. That's why today I want to walk you through how to be authentic in your daily life. This is going to help you not only be authentic, but also remain authentic no matter who tries to push you around. Let's jump right in . . . How to Be Authentic 1. Be vulnerable. Let me go ahead and start by saying this is not my idea. Brené Brown introduced this idea of vulnerability years ago with her book Daring Greatly and her TED Talk "The Power of Vulnerability." It's a brilliant concept that says, as we step out in vulnerability-as we open ourselves up, not just to pain but also to love-we're able to have deeper connections and a deeper sense of confidence in who we really are. As an Enneagram eight, vulnerability is really hard for me. So often I want to put up a tough exterior like I've got it all together. But the truth this: Authenticity is about trueness, and you can't live your truest self without being vulnerable. If you're always holding back a piece of yourself or hiding behind a tough exterior, how can you become who God created you to be? That's why vulnerability is so important when it comes to being authentic. 2. Tell the truth. There are two extremes when it comes to telling the truth: There are those who never share the truth, and those who refuse to accept the truth. Those who never want to share the truth lack the ability to be vulnerable. They want to act like everything is always great, so when someone asks how they're doing-even if they're going through a hard time or their kids are driving them crazy-their response is always, "Oh, I'm fine. I'm doing great." The other extreme are those who downplay or don't acknowledge when things are going well in their lives. You know, this person: You give them a compliment about a beautiful...

Having Faith in Different Seasons   2:12 Having Faith in Different Seasons 4:15 Three Ways to Live Out Your Faith for Yourself and Others 16:13 Having Faith When Life Gets Hard with Amanda Bible Williams 50:30 Encouragement: God Can Use Your Crumbs Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 22-24. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Having faith often looks different in different seasons of life. And sometimes I have this pattern in my life where I might go a season-a few weeks, a month, maybe even a few months-without going to church. This is embarrassing to admit, but life gets hard. You have babies . . . You get sick . . . Sometimes it's just tough to get there. But every single time I go back to church after one of these seasons, I notice something: I have this mindset that I'm doing it for God. I'm going to be a good Christian. I'm going to go to church. I'm going to get my brownie points. I'm going make God so happy with me because I'm showing up. And every single time I go back, I experience the same feeling: I was there for me. God invites me to church. God invites me into His story and into His plans. Not because He needs me, but for me-because I benefit from it. I don't know if you've ever experienced something similar, but I think it's really common to believe that about anything we do. Whether it's going to church, reading our Bible, praying, or even giving our time, we start to believe the lie that we're doing it for God. But the truth is that it's for us. God is all powerful. He doesn't need you or me. He doesn't need our money, time or talents. He doesn't need anything. He's God! He can move mountains, raise the dead, heal the blind, and part red seas. He can do anything. But He chooses to invite us into His story, and it's for our benefit. I want to give you three things that you can do to live out your faith in different seasons. And as you step into God's plan and God's calling and God's purpose for you, you'll experience the ripple effect in the kingdom and in yourself. You'll be amazed at how He peels away these layers of pride and wounds and selfishness and sin we didn't even know were there. But as long as we have faith and live it out, we're growing to become more like Him. 3 Ways to Live Out Your Faith for Yourself and Others: So, let's talk about three really simple things that you can do to live out your faith for yourself and others. 1. Show up. Matthew 18:20 (NIV) says "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Sometimes the best gift you can give someone is your presence. When God is in you, you can show up and show Him to people just by being present. Your presence is a gift and a ministry to the people in your life. So, just show up. Show up at church. Show up for your friends and family. Show up when someone needs help with their kids. Show up when someone needs a meal. Show up when someone just wants to sit and talk. Just be there for people. 2. Give When you give, God is inviting you to open your hands and hold your life, your time, your talents, your money, your energy, your plans, and your agendas with open hands. I believe God calls us to live a life with this posture with open hands where we can freely give and also freely receive. So, what does that look like for you? Here's what I know: Every time I give, I think I'm doing it for God and others. And every time, it changes me more than it changes them. 3. Pray Did you know that God actually moves on your behalf when you pray? I...

The Number One Rule of Relationships   0:48 The Quality of Your Life Depends on This One Thing 13:33 Here's the Real Problem With Your Relationships with Les Parrott 37:44 Are You Getting This Right? Resources Business Boutique ConferenceThe Business Boutique Conference is ON! Join Christy in Nashville on October 22-24 to learn how to launch and grow your own business. You'll be joined by rockstar speakers and other women just like you who are ready to use their God-given gifts to make money doing what they love. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you!   Today, we're continuing our journey through the Core of Confidence and talking about honoring our relationships as we work on ourselves from the inside out. Then, my good friend and bestselling author Les Parrott sits down with me to talk about healthy relationships and principles from his new book (that I'm absolutely loving!). Later on, we'll unpack the Golden Rule and how we can incorporate that into our relationships. Let's jump in!   The Quality of Your Life Depends on This One Thing Relationships make up every aspect of our lives. But the reality is, life is messy and people are imperfect. So, when it comes to honoring the relationships in your life, how do you speak the truth and be loving instead of harsh? Here's a rule of thumb I like to use in my relationships: the Golden Rule. Treat others as you would want to be treated. It's so simple, right? But it's so hard to do because you can't control how someone treats you. What you can control is how you treat them. You can do unto others as you would have them do unto you. To break it down even further, here are three really simple and tactical things you can do to put the Golden Rule into practice when it comes to your relationships: Appreciate everything. Believe the best. Communicate everything.   Here's the Real Problem With Your Relationships with Les Parrott Today on the show, I'm chatting with my good friend and bestselling author Les Parrott. Les just published a new book called Healthy Me, Healthy Us. I'm loving it, and I know you will too. Les and I talked about his new book and what it looks like to honor your relationships. Here are a few highlights: Our relationships can only be as healthy as we are. Every one of us has a choice to change. Instead of finding the right person, we need to focus on becoming the right person. We have to overcome the "disease to please." It's essential that we learn to live with empathy.   Are You Getting This Right? "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." - Matthew 7:12 (NIV) We've been talking a lot about honoring your relationships. We know we can't control other people, but we can control ourselves. So, I want to ask you a few questions to help you put this into practice: When is it really hard for you to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you?" What type of person do you want to be? What are the characteristics that you want to display? Write down five. How can you practice those qualities (even when it's hard)? Write down some different things that are going to help you actually live that out. What are some ways you see God shaping you?

Succeed at Anything By Understanding the Importance of Discipline   1:21 What Is Discipline? 5:05 What Does Daily Discipline Look Like? 14:14 How to Become More Disciplined 20:42 Maximizing Social Media for Your Business With Jasmine Star 40:56 Challenge to Just Be You Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Business Boutique Academy Waitlist We are opening enrollment for the Business Boutique Academy on October 25! Text the code ACADEMYWAITLIST to 33444 to sign up for the Business Boutique Academy Waitlist and be notified the moment enrollment opens! 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. I have a lot of feelings-even my feelings have feelings. The worst part is, my feelings can easily drive my actions. But you know what I've learned? If you build your business, your life, your dreams, or your goals based on feelings, you're going to be on one heck of a roller-coaster ride. One day you'll be up (excited, motivated and charging forward) and another day you'll be down (tired, disappointed and on the brink of quitting). That's why I think it's so important to talk about a skill that will help you create stability (something feelings don't have) as you reach for your goals and chase your dream. What's that skill? Discipline. I know, discipline is not an exciting topic. In fact, the word itself can have a negative connotation. You might think of the word in terms of disciplining your children or being disciplined in school or at work. But that's not the kind of discipline we're talking about. We're talking about being a disciplined person. Why is discipline important? Because discipline will help you be successful no matter what dream you're chasing-it's that simple. Related: Ep 58: Perseverance in Your Business: How to Keep Going When You Want to Give Up What Is Discipline? Like so many qualities I teach about, discipline is not a gene only some people are born with. Discipline is a choice and a skill you can learn. You can actually cultivate discipline in your own life, even if you don't feel like it comes naturally to you. The author Stephen King is a great example of this. He's written countless bestselling books- many of which have become box office hits. He says there is one reason behind his success. You guessed it: discipline. In fact, he doesn't even believe in writer's block. He says it's just an excuse writers use when they don't have any motivation to write. Talk about some tough love. Stephen King writes 10 pages a day, even on birthdays and holidays. While you definitely won't find me working on Thanksgiving or Christmas, I love the emphasis he places on the importance of discipline in making your dream a reality. I believe your success is not dependent upon your situation, your feelings, or how nice the weather is. It's dependent upon your level of discipline. I love how my friend Christine Caine puts it: Vision will inspire you, but discipline will get you there. What Does Daily Discipline Look Like? When you break it down, discipline in your day-to-day life is pretty straightforward. It looks like: Following through on what you said you were going to do, even when you don't want to Holding yourself accountable, even when no one is watching Honoring...

In the last episode, we talked about recognizing the unique gifts that God has given us. And we don't do anyone any favors by downplaying or dismissing those gifts! So in this episode, I'll address the excuses we use to not step into them, and the damage we do by failing to use them. My guest this week is my friend Amanda Wilcox Patterson, who is a worship leader in Nashville. She'll share her thoughts on embracing our unique gifts, and how to use them in worshipping God. Plus, we'll hear from Kelly Buchtien, owner of The Simply Organized Teacher. Kelly attended one of our Business Boutique events, and for her and her dream, it was a turning point. She'll talk about how she's using her gift of organization to build her business, one customer at a time. And I'll answer your business questions! 1:10 Excuses Stopping You From Using Your Gifts 22:17 Interview with Amanda Wilcox Patterson 45:40 BB Success Story with Kelly Buchtien 50:48 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 55:50 Homework - Pre-order my new book, Business Boutique: A Woman's Guide for Making Money Doing What She Loves, for only $20 and get $60 in free bonus items! Visit BusinessBoutique.com/BBBook and use the code BBBOOK to also receive an exclusive podcast interview with Nicole Walters on Sales. Order today!  Limited-time offer. To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. Ask me a business question via social media by using #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT New podcast episodes are available every other week.

How to Handle Sales Rejection and Make an Impact   1:32 How To Learn From Your Experiences in Sales 5:39 How To Make an Impact In Sales 13:08 Overcoming Sales Rejection with Sarah Sloyan 36:55 Encouragement: Put Yourself Out There If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. We've all had bad experiences with sales. I can count at least 10 times in the last couple years that I've had a bad encounter with a pushy salesperson or someone who just wouldn't take no for an answer. I bet you have too. You see, every single time this happens, we create associations in our minds. For instance, if that pushy salesperson selling lotion at the mall shoves lotion in your hands every time you walk by, you're probably not going to walk away feeling too good about sales. I'm willing to bet that every single one of you has had a bad experience with a pushy salesperson. The problem is that these kinds of negative experiences form our views and beliefs about sales itself. Think about it. When you think of sales or salespeople, you probably think slimy, sleazy, pushy or shady. None of those are positive. But here's the good news: Sales doesn't have to be like that. You don't have to be pushy, aggressive, annoying or get on people's nerves in order to sell. In fact, I hope you don't-that's not good sales . . . or even good business. Whether you realize it or not, you're all in the business of sales. Sales is how you stay in business, make money, help people, solve problems, and make an impact in your community.  Sales is serving people. Sales is telling people how you can help them. Money is just an exchange of value. It's a transaction. Life-change is what you're really selling, and that's what they're really buying. You aren't selling a thing. You're selling life-change. You're helping people make their lives better. And if you believe that-which you should-then you better get to selling. Remember, if you don't believe in your business, no one else will. Stop playing small and calling it holy. God never called you to shrink back and play small and apologize for the dreams and gifts and message and business that He gave you. Start standing up and start speaking up on behalf of this thing that you say you believe in. Start solving problems and making people's lives better. Start selling. Overcoming Sales Rejection with Sarah Sloyan I'm so excited about today's interview because I'm showing you a behind-the-scenes look at the Business Boutique Academy, my online training and coaching group. In this interview, I'm talking to Sarah Sloyan, the vice president of EntreLeadership at Ramsey Solutions who also happens to be an expert in sales. On this episode, Sarah and I talk about: Overcoming fear and how to handle sales rejection Understanding pain points and gaining trust How to handle Making the ask Believing in what you do and what you're selling Encouragement: Put Yourself Out There No one likes to be rejected, especially when it comes to sales. But what's interesting is that our fear of rejection actually keeps us from putting ourselves out there and making an impact in people's lives. My friend Tiffany Peterson says that 60% of sales occur after the fourth interaction. So that means people aren't necessarily saying no to you because they don't want what you have to offer or because they don't like it. People buy from those they know, like and trust. Maybe that "no" you just heard isn't really a no. Maybe it's a "not right now." Maybe what they're actually saying is they don't know you well enough, like you enough, or trust you enough yet. Don't give up. Keep building that relationship so that one day they will be ready to buy from you. Failure is a stepping-stone on your journey to success. You will fall down....

Over the past three years, one of my most favorite things has been meeting women at Business Boutique events all across the country who are there for one reason: Their husbands bought them a ticket. Y'all, let's take a second. How amazing is that? This crazy, wonderful, exhilarating journey of chasing their dream started because someone-an incredibly supportive husband, in this case-believed in them. That right there is a dream in and of itself. And believe me, I know. I have one of those rock star husbands too. Is Your Husband on Board With Your Business? My husband is my confidant, my teammate, my number one fan-but even he can get overwhelmed by yet another one of my big ideas. Any dreamers out there? Y'all know exactly what I'm talking about. But you know what I've discovered? Usually when that happens, it's because I simply didn't give him enough information or enough time to process it all. Or, let's be honest, maybe in my excitement, I jumped all the way from A to Z and just plain scared him! The good news is it's possible to get even the most hesitant husband interested and on board with your business. (Really!) The best place to start? Take a look at the way you talk to him about your business. What Is the Best Way to Talk to My Husband About My Business? Here's the deal: A big dream calls for one heck of a powerful communication strategy, whether you're talking to your customers or your very own spouse. If you want to get your husband on board with your business, you have to first help him understand the meaning behind your work. And I've got three tips to help you do just that. In this episode, I'll talk about the importance of: Explaining your why Asking your husband what he needs Showing him the ways your business brings you joy Related: Ep. 7-How to Build Your Business and Still Have a Life at the Same Time My Guest This Week Is My Husband, Matt Wright! My guest this week is my very own husband, Matt Wright-also known as my biggest cheerleader. There's nothing I can't accomplish with that man by my side. I'm so proud of him, and I'm so proud he's mine. I am so excited for you all to get to know him a little better-and I'm excited for Matt to tell you what it's like being married to a woman who is chasing a big business dream. So, Matt and I have been married for six years now, and in all that time, he's never left me speechless-until a few weeks ago. Now, anyone who knows me or has ever listened to this podcast knows that I'm a talker. I am not what you'd call quiet. Or shy-at all. One could say that I have a lot to say, a lot of the time. Shocking, I know! I recently asked Matt what he thinks is the best way for a woman to get her husband on board with her business. Y'all, his answer blew me away. Without hesitation, he explained, "I think husbands should support our wives because that's our responsibility. If you're married, it's your responsibility to support one another." What?! He totally called out men to do the right thing. And I love him for it. I also love that he offered a completely different perspective that had never occurred to me. That's invaluable. But let's be honest: Actions speak louder than words. And sometimes competing responsibilities, other commitments, kids, and everyday life just get in the way. That's why I wanted Matt to share his thoughts on specific ways for your spouse to become more interested-more personally invested-in your business. In this podcast, Matt and I will talk about: Looking for common threads in both your businesses so you can help one another Respecting your husband's feelings as they relate to your business The best ways to manage expectations and become a true team How to make your husband still feel like a priority in your life Thinking about your business from your husband's perspective What Do I Do If My Husband Doesn't Support My Dream? In a perfect world, every...

It's the most wonderful time of the year! If you're a product-based business, the majority of your sales are going to come in during the fourth quarter. So I'll talk about the importance of working ahead, setting your holiday sales goals, and communicating with your customer during this busy season. And I have an extra special holiday treat for you. The creators of The Elf on the Shelf, Christa Pitts and Chanda Bell, are here to talk about how they turned a sweet little family tradition into a nationally recognized brand. They'll cover everything from those first small steps and decisions made toward starting their business, to tips on how to make your product or experience stand out in the marketplace. We'll also hear from social media expert Amy Porterfield! She has awesome advice on how to choose which social media platforms to invest the most time in for your business. 0:56 How to Maximize your Sales this Christmas and Take Them Into the New Year 10:11 Interview with Christa Pitts and Chanda Bell 38:29 Interview excerpt with Amy Porterfield 48:12 Homework -- Download your free Holiday Survival Guide in the show notes to this episode at BusinessBoutique.com/podcast. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

How to Multiply Your God-Given Potential with John Bevere   0:58 Why Focusing on Your Strengths Leads to Success 13:22 Are You Ready to Maximize Your God-Given Potential? with John Bevere 24:01 Are You Using Your Gifts to the Best of Your Ability? Resources Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/3bgoRLI   Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for my free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/2OiggiJ     I'm so excited for today's show! We're talking about how to identify and appreciate the things you're good at. I'll also share part two of my interview with author and speaker John Bevere. And we'll end the show with a few journal questions to reflect on how you can use your gifts to make a lasting impact on the people around you.   Why Focusing on Your Strengths Leads to Success Have you ever wondered what you're good at? I sure have. Back in eighth grade, I was cut from every sports team I tried out for. I couldn't even join student council or chorus that year! If you're struggling to find what you're good at, I want to share five questions that will help you identify and understand your unique gifts and abilities.   Are You Ready to Maximize Your God-Given Potential? with John Bevere We all want to make an impact on the world. And for those of us who are Christ followers, we want to make sure we're building up the kingdom of God. In our interview, bestselling author and speaker John Bevere offers some practical guidance on how to maximize our potential for good.   Are You Using Your Gifts to the Best of Your Ability? "To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability."  Matthew 25:15 (ESV)   Want to know something incredible? God chose to give you certain gifts and abilities. But with those gifts comes a responsibility. God expects us to use our talents to make a difference in the world!  This is a big deal. Take some time to answer these journal questions based on today's teaching: What are your gifts? Where, how and when are you using your gifts? How can you multiply your gifts?

The Key to Being Confident with Matthew McConaughey   0:55 Why You Should Take More Risks 10:06 How Matthew McConaughey Built Confidence 26:45 How to Listen to God Resources Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/3cXNLBo   Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for my free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/3aOGxNd     Today, we're talking about one of my favorite topics ever: confidence! Also, I'm so excited to share part two of my interview with Matthew McConaughey. He tells some personal stories about how he's built confidence throughout his life. And finally, I'll leave you with a few journal questions that will help you walk boldly into the new things God is doing in your life.   Why You Should Take More Risks Life is full of challenges that feel too big for us. When you're facing something scary, should you wait until you feel confident before acting, or should you just go for it? I'll unpack the answer in today's teaching.   How Matthew McConaughey Built Confidence What's the secret to confidence? It's knowing who you are. And it helps when people in your life remind you when you've forgotten. Matthew McConaughey shares an inspiring (and hilarious) story about how his mom instilled a sense of confidence in him from a young age.   How to Listen to God "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" - Isaiah 43:18­-19 (NIV)   New things are both exciting and scary. Maybe you find yourself starting a new position at work, entering a new season of life, or launching a new business. Whatever you're experiencing, here are a few journal questions that will help you process what's going on: What new thing do you sense God is doing in your life? What do you sense God is urging you to do about it? What would it look like to just try it?

It's time to talk about working smarter, not harder in order to increase your productivity. How to Be More Productive With Simple Changes Have you ever wondered how you can be more productive? The solution may be staring you in the face and easier than you think. Here's an example straight from my closet. Every morning I woke up, walked into my closet, flipped on the light, and picked out clothes. And every morning I spent a ton of time just staring at my clothes-well, squinting at my clothes. After months and months, I realized I had a problem. My problem? My energy-saving light bulb. It took time to warm up and actually illuminate my clothes. And every morning I had to either wait for the lightbulb to heat up or squint. You know what I finally did? I put in a normal light bulb! Angels shone down from heaven and I could actually see my clothes when I picked them out. It's funny to think about, but we do this in other areas of our lives, don't we? We live with problems instead of actually fixing them. We've all been there. The sink has been leaking for years. And instead of fixing it, you clean up the puddle every time you use it. We just live with the problem and take extra time every day dealing with the consequences, not the source. You have one sad phone charger with a wire sticking out, and it's on its last leg. Instead of getting multiple phone chargers and leaving them several places around the house, you just carry the one with you everywhere. You lose it or risk electrocution multiple times a day. We live with the broken phone charger instead of taking the time to find a solution. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results. Our problems are not going to change until we bring solutions. I get it. We are tired, and solving the root of the problem requires thinking and energy and time. I want to challenge you to use some time and energy to get to the root of some of the problems holding you back. If you want a different result, you have to do something differently. If we're going to work smarter, not harder, we've got to get rid of some of these problems. Three Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder 1. Stop Press pause on your crazy life for a second. Your brain is CONSTANLY in overdrive. It's going 100 miles an hour all day, every day. If we're going to think outside our problems, we have to stop. You can't identify the root of your problems if there's no margin in your brain. Stop and create some space to think. 2. Think Thinking . . . what's that like? HA! Once you've stopped long enough to create space to think, you might be surprised what you can identify. Think through your day from start to finish, and ask yourself this question: What barriers or annoyances do you deal with? Identify areas that drive you crazy and keep you from getting things done. Things that steal your time but don't have to. Problems that you accept but don't have to. Annoyances you live with but don't have to. It could be a small thing that is a drain on your mental or physical energy. Make a list. 3. Solution Take your list and write out to the side a solution for each of the problems you live with. Most of the "problems" in our lives have a very easy and obvious solution. We just haven't come up with the solution, because we've never taken time to come up with it. You might need to get on Amazon and order several phone chargers, get a new light bulb, set out your clothes the night before, or buy yourself a jewelry case. The Difference Between Problems You Can Solve and Problems You Can't Solve There are problems you can live with and problems you don't have to live with. You probably have some problems that you might have to live with, but I'd be willing to bet that you also have a lot that you don't. Stop. Think. Solution. Stop going 100 miles per hour. Think about what's holding you back....

In this episode, I share an announcement about the future of The Christy Wright Show and a message that God has put on my heart.

How to Get More Energy (Hint: It's Not More Coffee!)   0:54 Five Ways to Boost Your Energy Right Now 12:48 Managing Energy vs. Time: Which Is better? 22:44 This Is Too Much to Handle Alone Resources Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/2B88VMw Christy's Social Media Cheat SheetBusiness owners: Spend less time and energy worrying about social media! With my free Social Media Cheat Sheet, you'll discover the five rules of social media, which apps you need to download and the things you can do to boost your social media plan immediately. https://bit.ly/32q5Ouy     We've been talking about the outer layer of the Core of Confidence and how to value your resources-your time, money and energy. In this episode, we're focusing on how to manage your energy. To start, I'll give you five specific things you can do right now to boost your energy. Spoiler: Drinking more coffee isn't one of them. I'll also unpack an article that talks about how managing your energy might be even more important than managing your time. Then we'll spend some time journaling about how to keep going when you feel exhausted.   5 Ways to Boost Your Energy Right Now A lot of people waste their energy by focusing on the things that don't matter, and then they don't have energy left over for the things that do. I'm not just talking about time or money or your attention. I'm also talking about effort and enthusiasm. Let's be honest: Coffee can only do so much. The reality is that our energy is finite-at some point, it's going to run out. That's why I want to give you five specific things you can do this week to not only manage your energy, but also boost it.   Managing Energy vs. Time: Which Is better? I want to highlight an article I read the other day by the Harvard Business Review called "Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time." Specifically, I want to talk about where it says that energy can be "systematically expanded and regularly renewed by establishing specific rituals-behaviors that are intentionally practiced and precisely scheduled, with the goal of making them unconscious and automatic as quickly as possible." This is fascinating to me, and what's so amazing is that I found this article after I started my own rituals. See, you already have enough to worry about in a given day, am I right? Your brain is already working hard to keep up with your work, your business, your goals, your relationships and your to-do list. That takes energy! That's why it's so important to do things that create structure. Go to bed early. Wake up early. And stop giving your brain more than it needs to work on. You'll have more peace and freedom by creating rituals that give you real results in your life and with your energy.   This Is Too Much to Handle Alone I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. - Philippians 4:13 (NLT) The truth is, we can do things to boost our energy. We can do things that give us real results in our life. But we're still going to go through times that are hard. I've been through them, and I'm sure you have too. When we're in those seasons-or even when we're in really good times-it's important to remember that the number one source of strength and renewal of our energy is God. Here are a few journal questions to help you process this: What feels too big for you to handle right now? How have you been trying to get through that? How have you experienced God's strength in you in the past? How do you need God to show up and strengthen you right now?

Getting Outside Your Comfort Zone If you want to go anywhere in business or life, you're going to need to get outside your comfort zone and try something new. How I Got Outside My Comfort Zone and Started the Business Boutique Podcast In 2016, when Business Boutique was just starting, my team and I decided to try something new. We knew we wanted another format outside of our event to share the message of Business Boutique. We decided to start a podcast. And to be honest, it wasn't my first choice. I would have much rather focused my attention and efforts on creating more video content. There were a few things that factored into our decision to pursue an audio format over video format, but one large factor was that I was pregnant with my second son, Conley. We knew that it would be difficult to record videos and maintain a consistent production schedule through my pregnancy and my maternity leave. So we decided to try something new with this whole podcast thing. Luckily it's worked. But when we first started recording the podcast, the format was hard for me. It was recorded. It wasn't live. There was no audience for me to interact with. It was just me. With a giant microphone in my face. Alone in a room with my podcast producer, Chris. To put it plainly, it was outside my comfort zone. I'm comfortable speaking to a live audience or on video. I felt limited with the audio format. I didn't know how to translate my emotions and my facial features over an audio podcast. I was afraid that my energy and excitement wouldn't translate. It was something I'd never done before. The Results of Trying Something New Despite my hesitation, I trusted my team. And I'm so glad I did. We tried something new and we've seen an incredible impact. We've reached over 2 million downloads and recorded 54 episodes. We've heard so many stories from listeners who have taken what they've learned and started businesses, grown beyond their wildest dreams, and made money doing what they love. Think of all the people who have been inspired because we chose to communicate information in a way that could be listened to in the car, on a run or while doing the dishes. It was all possible because we tried something outside my comfort zone. What does that look like for you? Related: Ep. 46-Use Your Gifts to Make a Difference Rethinking Your Comfort Zone We think of our comfort zone as something scary. But it's not just that. Pursing something outside your comfort zone doesn't mean that you always have to do something scary. It doesn't have to always be bigger or involve more risk; it might just be something that you've never done before-something that you're not comfortable with. That's why we call it a comfort zone. The Limits Your Comfort Zone Puts On You When we choose to live inside our comfort zones, we make statements about ourselves. I'm not a writer. I'm not business minded. I can't do it. I don't have enough time. We put limitations and labels on ourselves and then we live within them. But what if God doesn't agree with your labels? What if God wants to do something new in you-something outside your comfort zone? What if He doesn't have those same limitations for you? Related: Don't Let Fear Stop You From Starting What Happens Outside Your Comfort Zone When you choose to step outside your comfort zone, the thing that used to scare you actually becomes a part of your comfort zone. One day you look up and think, I can't believe I'm doing this. It all happens one baby step at a time as you learn, grow and become your new self. But it only happens outside your comfort zone. As you become more you can do more, and as you do more you can go after more things! In this episode I'm going to teach you: The three best things that happen when you step outside your comfort zone. How to embrace growth, learning and change. The importance of pushing past the limitations you...

It's time to talk about building a social media strategy that works. No matter the type or size of your business, having a strong social media strategy is important. You don't have to be an expert to find success on social media. Getting People to the Party With an Effective Social Media Strategy I want you to think of your social media profiles like a party! And people can't come to your party and have a great time if they don't know about it or show up. I'm going to break this down into seven ways for you to step up your social media strategy to attract more followers. Seven Ways to Step Up Your Social Media Strategy 1. Be Visual If your social media page is a party, think about how you signify to real-life guests where to find your party. You put out balloons and maybe a sign. You want to make it really clear: THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE! Do the same thing when you post content on your social media page: make it visual whenever possible. This will instantly set your content and posts apart. Can you add a photo or video? Is there a graphic you can create? There are tons of apps and tools to help you create visual content in less than a minute. I've got a list of a few of my favorites on my Social Media Cheat Sheet. 2. Be Interesting The human brain is designed to ignore anything that is familiar. It's constantly scanning its environment and labeling, categorizing and discarding anything that isn't necessary for survival. It's crazy. It's the reason that I can say, "If at first you don't succeed . . . " and you instantly know how to finish that sentence. Your brain finishes it for you and moves on. But if I say, "If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving probably isn't for you," then that stands out because it's interesting. Related: Ep 31: Branding the Look and Tone of Your Busines 3. Be Varied When you add variety to your content on your social media strategy, it keeps people coming back for more because you've added an element of surprise and delight. It's the same reason that I could go into T.J. Maxx twice a week but I won't go into a department store more than twice a year. Department stores don't have as much variety as T.J. Maxx! The variety is addicting and it draws you in again and again. Mix up the types of post you're putting out into the world to keep your follower's attention. Related: Get the Most Out of Your Content 4. Be Engaging If you want to grow your impact on social media, you need to increase your engagement. Engagement indicates how many people acted on your post-they didn't just view it or scroll past it; they responded in some way. They liked it, shared it, retweeted it, left a comment, etc.  Any of these are great things because the more people that engage with your posts, the more "successful" the platform views that post and the more likely they are to show it to even more people. When it comes to your social media strategy, pay attention to what types of your posts get people to do something. 5. Be Responsive In life and on social media, one-way conversations are not fun. That's why you should set aside a few minutes each day to respond to comments and feedback you receive. Your customers are more likely to respond to your content (remember: engage!) when you respond to them and engage. Treat others how you want to be treated, right? So if you want more responses, be more responsive. Related: 3 Ways to Connect With Your Tribe Using Social Media Content 6. Be Consistent If your social media followers see you four times a day for months, and then you choose to go off the grid, they'll be confused. You have to show up when you say you're going to and be consistent! You get to choose what your consistency is, but then stick to it! Your content should have variety, but your frequency should have consistency. Teach people what to expect from you and then follow through. Consistency is so key in building...

How to Set New Year's Goals That Will Transform Your Year   1:29 The Difference Between New Year's Resolutions and New Year's Goals 8:48 The 3 Qualities You Need to Set Smart New Year's Goals 17:13 New Year Goal Setting with Rachel Hollis 28:31 Challenge: How to Love the Enthusiasts in Your Life Resources 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Forget about New Year's resolutions this year. They're a waste of time. Instead, set smart New Year's goals you'll actually accomplish. Believe it or not, they're not the same thing! The Difference Between New Year's Resolutions and New Year's Goals Resolutions might as well be considered a wish. It's an idea of something you want to try that year. Sure, it's fun and inspiring. But the truth is: We fall off the wagon by February. It's the reason why you can't find an empty treadmill at the gym in January. But by February, you can walk right into the gym and start running. Goals are different from resolutions because goals are action oriented. Zig Ziglar made goal setting popular with something he called the Wheel of Life. We talked about this in a recent podcast episode so if you haven't listened to that already, go back and hear me deep dive into the Wheel of Life in episode 88. To give you a quick recap, there are seven areas in your life you should prioritize and set goals in (especially New Year's goals!): Career (or business) Finances Spiritual growth Physical health Intellectual growth Family Social Today, I want to help you start 2020 on the right foot by setting New Year's goals in each of these areas. Because your ability to set goals will completely affect not just how you start the year, but also how you end it. The 3 Qualities You Need to Set Smart New Year's Goals Every goal you set should have these three qualities: 1. Specific A New Year's resolution like, "I want to run more," doesn't work because it's not specific. And when you're not specific, you can't track your progress or even know if you've accomplished it or not. For example, if you told me you wanted to run more, I'd ask you, "Well, how? Do you want to do long-distance running? Sprints? Do you want to run on the treadmill or outside? Do you want to do trail runs on your own or join a running group?" There's a lot of different ways for you to run more, so get specific. 2. Measurable Then, I'd tell you to make the goal measurable by asking, "How much more?" Maybe you can run one mile right now without stopping and you'd like to work your way up to running five miles. Or maybe you want to sign up for a race and run a 5K or a half marathon. What is the measurable distance you want to be able to run in order to know that you've actually achieved this goal? 3. Have a time limit Finally, I'd tell you to give your goal a time limit by asking, "By when?" If your goal doesn't have a time limit, you won't be able to measure whether you actually reached it or not. Related: How to Write Smart Goals Incorporating those three qualities into your New Year's goal of running more would turn it into something like: I want to do more long-distance running and complete a half marathon by March 30th. Now, that's a goal! You'll know exactly what you're working on and working toward. And of course, because you have these different ways to measure your progress, you'll know if you achieved it or not, which is great accountability. Set Even Stronger New Year's Goals Let's take this one step further. If you really want to...

Four Ways to Have More Fun with Annie F. Downs   0:55 Want to have more fun? Do this. 11:26 Watch Rachel Cruze and me surprise Annie F Downs! 37:12 How to Live an Abundant Life Resources Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/2MIBpSt   Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for my free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/3hSBL4k     You only get one life on this earth. It should be fun! On today's show, we're talking about how important it is to just play and be silly and feel like a kid again. And I get to talk to my good friend and "fun expert," Annie F. Downs, about practical ways we can add more fun to our lives. To wrap up, we'll journal about a powerful verse from the Book of John about living an abundant life.   Want to have more fun? Do this. In today's teaching, I'll share a few simple steps you can take to bring fun back into your life.  If we're intentional, we can create unforgettable moments for ourselves and the people we care about. Fun is a big deal. I'll shoot you straight: If you don't make time for fun in your life, you won't be any fun to be around. You have this one life to live-so make joy a priority.   Watch Rachel Cruze and me surprise Annie F Downs! I always have fun when I spend time with my good friend Annie F. Downs. She's an author, a speaker, a Bible teacher, and the host of the That Sounds Fun podcast. We'll talk about how to take breaks from the busyness and responsibility of life to simply enjoy the beauty and innocence of fun. And by the way . . . this interview comes with an extra fun surprise.   How to Live an Abundant Life The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV)   This is such a beautiful verse about the abundant life that we enjoy as we follow Jesus. It's easy to think about this promise only in the future tense-that someday we'll experience full life. But there's a real practical implication for our lives right now. To help apply today's topic on fun, here are a few journal questions: What does an abundant life mean to you? What do you do for fun? Do you make time for fun? If not, what gets in the way? What's one fun thing you're going to commit to this week?

In this episode, I'll break down why some of us feel weird and uncomfortable about selling, and I'll show you that selling doesn't have to be pushy or aggressive. Making a sale really can be fun, and it starts with simply sharing your heart. And my guest this week is sales expert Tiffany Peterson. She'll talk to us about how we can add more value to our businesses and better serve our customers. Plus, the owner of Needle and Grain, Susan Leach, talks about how she quite a day job that made her miserable to run a booming business. 1:14 How to Sell without Feeling Slimy 12:43 Interview with Tiffany Peterson 42:42 BB Success Story with Susan Leach 56:28 Homework -- To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. To check out a video clip from my "How to Sell Without Feeling Slimy" video lesson and receive a promo code for 10% off my entire Video Training series, visit the show notes for this episode at BusinessBoutique.com/podcast Read the blog about my Southwest customer service experience. -- If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com New podcast episodes are available every other week.

The Importance of Social Media Followers  I recently read that over 50 million businesses use Facebook Pages to connect with their customers.(1) 50 million?! These business are tapping into something powerful. They understand the value of connecting with their customers directly and using social media followers to build and expand their brand. In essence, they understand the importance of a building a tribe-a group of people who love you, are loyal to your brand, and who trust you. Your tribe is made up of the people who buy your product when you launch a pre-sale. They are the first people to mention your name (or better yet, give someone your business card) to refer your service. Your tribe is bought into your business because they're bought into you and what you stand for. One of the best ways to build a tribe is to provide a place for them to connect and engage with you and your brand. Social media provides you with the space to build a relationship with your customers, make a personal impact, and ultimately make money. This isn't strictly a numbers game. My friend Rachel Hollis once said, "5,000 dedicated social media followers are way better than having millions and millions." It doesn't matter how many social media followers you have-if they don't trust you, they aren't going to buy from you. Successful Brands Build Trust People buy from those they know, like and trust. So, it's pretty important to build trust with your tribe of social media followers. Related : How to Sell Without Feeling Slimy But how do we get people to trust our brand or business? One of my favorite examples of a brand that has built trust is our company, Ramsey Solutions. Dave Ramsey grew this business and brand over decades through personal connection. About six years ago, he realized he needed to start thinking about the future and the succession of his company. From the very beginning, it had been just him. But he realized that if he wanted to take it to the next level and scale beyond himself, he needed to make a few changes. He knew that the best brands build trust. And the best way to build trust is through people. Brands don't change people, people change people. He realized we needed more people who could take more messages into more markets. That's how the Ramsey Personalities were born! For more than 25 years, Dave Ramsey has been building trust with his tribe-one person at a time. The same can be true for you and me. If you want to make an impact, and if you want to make money, you need to build trust. Building a Social Media Following That Trusts You  I personally feel so connected to all of my social media followers. We may have never met, but I pride myself on the fact that I know you trust me. I have read so many comments on my social media posts and met so many people in grocery stores, airports, and book signings who say, "I feel like we're best friends." Y'all, that's important to me. I want you to feel like you know me. That you relate with me. That I get you. (Because I do!) Business Boutique has grown as I've expanded the number of people in our tribe who genuinely know, like and trust me. In this episode, I want to help you connect and engage with your social media followers in a way that builds trust. We're going to discuss: How to inspire people with your success and connect through your struggles. When to tell people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. Why being consistent is one of the most crucial things you can do in your business. How to stop being a doormat and still be generous with what you have to offer. The ultimate way to lean into your gifts and be YOU! Building trust with your social media followers is no different than building trust with any other person in your life. That's why I'm going to give you five tips to help you build trust that will impact your social media followers and, ultimately,...

Earning a profit in business isn't optional, even if your business is a nonprofit! This episode is for all of you dreaming of starting or already running a nonprofit! We'll talk about fundraising, grant writing, identifying your target market, and more.   My friend Stacy Coleman our guest for this episode. Stacy is the founder of Three Strands, a nonprofit based in Atlanta that serves BirthMoms, who choose life and put their babies up for adoption, with excellence. Her incredible personal story and how she unexpectedly came to create Three Strands will inspire you and make you cry!     We'll also hear from Misty Newsome, the founder of Heshima Ministries a non-profit business that helps women in Uganda. I'll also answer your questions about business. 1:22 Starting and Running a Non-Profit Business 16:21 Interview with Stacy Coleman 40:46 BB Success Story with Misty Newsome 48:28 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 51:59 Homework - Pre-order my new book, Business Boutique: A Woman's Guide for Making Money Doing What She Loves, for only $20 and get $60 in free bonus items! Visit BusinessBoutique.com/BBBook and use the code BBBook to also receive an exclusive podcast interview with Nicole Walters on Sales. Order today!  Limited-time offer. To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. Ask me a business question via social media by using #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT New podcast episodes are available every other week.

The Key to Knowing Who You Are: Getting Back to You Part 1   0:51 Do You Know Who God Is? 10:50 How to Better Understand Who God Is with Kristi McLelland 37:10 One Important Thing You Need to Know About God Resources Christy's New Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You, that will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. Buy it now! https://bit.ly/3kpdKCk We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   It can be easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day busyness of our lives that we forget who we really are. Today, we're going to be talking about how to get back to you. Then, I get to sit down with my good friend (and amazing Bible teacher) Kristi McLelland. Kristi has impacted my life in more ways than I can count. I just know you'll love her. I want to end the show with a few questions to help you get to know God even better.   Do You Know Who God Is? It's so easy to get wrapped up in the busyness of life, isn't it? You change the diapers, get the snacks, prep the lunches, and try to make it to the meetings. Then one day you stop, look up, and realize you've lost your spark or the thing that makes you you. If you want to get back to you, you need to know four things: Who God is Who you are Where you are Where you're going If you know these four things, and if you can reset and refocus, you can get back to you and the truth of who you are and who you were created to be. When you try to figure out who you are without having an accurate picture of God, it's like looking in a blurry mirror-you can't see yourself, and you can't see what you're doing now. You can never get back to you until you understand the one who created you.   How to Better Understand Who God Is with Kristi McLelland Y'all, I'm so excited about today's interview with Kristi McLelland. Kristi is a brilliant Bible teacher and loves to serve as the bridge between the Western world and the lands of the Bible. Kristi and I dive into the topic of who God is. We talk about: Asking yourself a specific question every time you read the Bible Posturing yourself to receive Believing that God is a Father who runs after you Meeting God in desert places   One Important Thing You Need to Know About God "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:18 (NIV) This verse is such an amazing reminder that God isn't this distant, critical, unkind God in heaven. He's a dad. He's your dad. He loves you like a father loves a child. And regardless of what your relationship is like with your earthly father, your father in heaven is so far beyond anything you could ever imagine. I want you to sit with these questions as you journal and pray about this and consider what it means for you: What's your relationship like with your earthly father? How has that helped or hindered your relationship with your Heavenly Father? What does God tell you about himself in His Word?

It's scary out there, but hope is greater than fear. In times of crisis, facts are your friends. So get the facts and other common sense guidance on life and money from thought leaders and my friends, Dave Ramsey, Rachel Cruze, and Ken Coleman. daveramsey.com/hope

Is Fear Keeping You From Chasing Your Dreams? with Pat Flynn   1:05 The One Thing You Need to Do to Reach Your Goals 10:06 What You Need to Know to Build Your Business with Pat Flynn 35:06 What Are Your Goals and Dreams in Life? Resources Business Boutique AcademyGet everything you need to start or grow your business inside Christy's exclusive training group, the Business Boutique Academy. Join today! https://bit.ly/2RnNiQ4     Today, we're talking about the one thing that we often miss when trying to reach our goals. I also get to interview the brilliant entrepreneur Pat Flynn, who shares tactical advice on turning creative ideas into real businesses. And we'll end the show with a few journal questions about overcoming the obstacles that stand between us and our dreams.   The One Thing You Need to Do to Reach Your Goals Do you have a dream or a goal that always seems out of reach? Then you're probably missing this one simple strategy.   What You Need to Know to Build Your Business with Pat Flynn Creatives and entrepreneurs are yes-people. We have a million ideas a minute! So how do you decide which ones are worth your time and attention? I asked Pat Flynn that exact question in our interview. He has lots of practical advice to share about balancing our current projects with our squirrel-brain ideas.   What Are Your Goals and Dreams in Life? "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." Galatians 6:7 (NIV)   I love this verse because it reminds us that we are responsible for the choices we make in life. We're going to get results based on the actions we take-good or bad. Yes, God is at work in us, but we get to partner with Him. That's pretty incredible, y'all.  Spend a few minutes digging into this concept by answering these journal questions: What are those things you've been thinking about but haven't done anything about yet? What's one small action step you can take this week? What comes to your mind when you think about "You reap what you sow"?

When I was pregnant with my first child, we were so excited to find out the gender. When we learned we were having a boy, we immediately started brainstorming cute boy names and colors and themes for his nursery. We even bought outfits­. There were so many things we could plan, build and create because of that one piece of information. Believe it or not, this same scenario is true for business too. There is one piece of information that can and does dictate every other decision you make: the problem you solve. Related: The One Thing All Businesses Must Have While knowing the problem you solve is crucial to success, too many companies operate for years before they ever figure it out. Many of you started your business from a hobby. It's a great strategy. But when it's a hobby, it only serves you. Once you turn your hobby into a business, it needs to solve a problem for someone else. Before I go any further, please don't get intimidated by the word problem. Just because you create hair bows or paint canvases doesn't mean you're not solving a real issue. Too many people think that because they're not doing something people need, they're not solving an actual problem. Here's the truth: No matter what you do, your product does solve an issue. You might just have to dig a little deeper to find the problem your business can solve. Related: How Jessica Turned Her Problem Into $70K For example, if you make hair bows, you're solving a problem for parents who want their daughter's hair accessories to match their outfits. You're also solving a problem for the countless little girls who don't grow hair until they're toddlers. Their parents no longer need to clarify whether their baby is a boy or a girl because she's wearing an adorable bow on her head. I know my mother was grateful for hair bows when I was a bald baby! That's a real problem you solve! Or, in the other example, you create custom paintings. You're solving a problem for people who don't want to purchase art for their home from a big-box store. There are those who want a one-of-a-kind piece of art with a personal story behind it. And guess what? That's what you offer. When you identify the problem you solve in your business, you learn so many other important pieces of information as well. 3 Things You Learn When You Identify the Problem Your Business Solves  1. Your Target Market Your target market is the group of people who have the problem you solve. You can't identify that group if you don't know their pain points, what they struggle with, and what they're looking for. When you identify the problem you solve, you know exactly who to market your product or service to. You no longer waste time and money trying to sell to people who aren't interested in what you have to offer! 2. Your Value Proposition Identifying the problem also gives you your basis for figuring out how much your product or service is worth. This is the foundation and justification for how much to charge. Why does your product or service cost that specific amount? Well, it's because you solve this specific problem. Oh, and by the way, the problem you solve is the only thing your market cares about. The only reason they will pay you is because you solve a problem for them. 3. Your Marketing Language Your customers' pain points should be exactly what you talk about in all of your messaging. Whether you're writing marketing copy for your website, creating brochures for a trade show, or making connections at a networking event, the problem you solve should be the main thing you talk about because that's all your customers care about. Related: The Basics of Building Your First Website If you've been running your business for a while, don't think this exercise doesn't apply to you. No matter how long you've been in business, I want you to take all of your marketing messaging and run it through this filter: Does this...

Develop Self-Awareness and Turn Your Weaknesses Into Strengths   1:22 What Is Self-Awareness? 6:32 Three Ways to Become More Self-Aware 18:53 Becoming Self-Aware Through the Enneagram with Ian Cron 40:56 It's Not the Thought That Counts Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Business Boutique Academy Waitlist We are opening enrollment for the Business Boutique Academy on October 25! Text the code ACADEMYWAITLIST to 33444 to sign up for the Business Boutique Academy Waitlist and be notified the moment enrollment opens! 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. I've always been a huge fan of personality assessments. DISC, Myers-Briggs, StrengthsFinder-they all fascinate me. I love reading the results of these different assessments because they're usually pretty positive. You get an entire report that focuses on your strengths-who wouldn't have fun reading that? Well, earlier this year, my friend Rachel Cruze convinced me to take a different kind of personality assessment: the Enneagram. I took the test, not expecting to learn anything new about myself. But y'all, I was so wrong. This assessment was so different from any other I'd ever taken. Rather than telling me what I was good at, this assessment revealed all of my weaknesses (Some I didn't even know I had!), and the deeper motivations and fears associated with those weaknesses. Related: Ep 79: Take Control of Your Life With the Power of Personal Responsibility Not only did I feel like there was finally a personality assessment that truly understood me, but I also felt like it helped me understand myself better. Learning about the Enneagram has been transformational for me. It's made me so much more self-aware. And you know what? Knowing your weaknesses and being self-aware is one of the best gifts you can give to both yourself and those around you. What Is Self-Awareness? Being self-aware is about knowing your strengths and your weaknesses. For example, self-awareness is about knowing how you come across to others-not just your intentions, but how you actually come across. I've noticed a pattern in my life where people describe me as being intense and aggressive. But here's the thing: I don't intend to be aggressive, and I don't think I'm intense. I describe myself as enthusiastic and passionate. I'd never use the words intense or aggressive. But you know what? After hearing enough people use those words to describe me, I started to pay attention. It turns out, intense and aggressive is how I come across to other people. Do you know what paying attention to those patterns did for me? It gave me a better understanding of how I actually come across to people so I could learn to adjust my tone, behavior or volume level based on who I'm talking to. It's pretty easy to be self-aware when it comes to our strengths, isn't it? And it's important to know what your strengths are so you can leverage them in your life and your business. But I want to spend this episode talking about the other side of the coin: what we should do with the not-so-good stuff. Three Ways to Become More Self-Aware We all have blind spots. You know what a blind spot is, right? Think about when you're driving in the car and want to change lanes. You...

Digital Marketing Strategies That Work "People will take away one thing, and that's if you make your point really clear." Looking back on my earliest speaking events as part of Dave Ramsey's speaking group, it makes me cringe to think about how I made one of the most common mistakes that all new speakers make. I tried to say everything. I would get onstage for a speaking event, thinking, Well, I've just got to tell them all the things. I need to talk about life balance, living from your values, making time for yourself, how to manage your money and get out of debt, and also how to be a good parent and achieve all your life goals and grow your business . . . How effective do you think that strategy was? Not very, because I was trying to say five million different things! And people can't process-let alone remember-five million things at once. People will take away one, maybe two things, if you make your point(s) really clear. But it took me several speaking engagements of not connecting with audiences to realize I needed to choose just one main thing I wanted to say. And the same is true for your digital marketing. Just like we talked about in episode 31 with Donald Miller, we need to be crystal clear with our audience so they know exactly what our brand is about. We need to let them know the one problem we'll solve for them-one, not ten. (Or, like in my early stage presentations, not five million.) This same strategy applies to digital marketing-just as it does to any other kind of marketing. "Okay, hold up!" (You might say.) You might be thinking that digital marketing sounds intimidating and complicated. You might be daunted by the term "digital marketing" if you don't actually know what it is. So What Is Digital Marketing? It's easier than you think! Digital marketing is simply marketing on a digital platform. Digital marketing includes: Social Media Blogs and articles Email Webinars Okay, so now that you know what digital marketing is, let's work on your digital marketing strategy. In this episode, I'll give you the four things you need to know in order to build a digital marketing strategy that works. Plus, I'll break down other digital marketing concepts and make them easy to understand, including campaigns, funnels, lead magnets and building email lists. My Guest This Week Is Molly Pittman! Molly is a digital marketing expert and educator, and she has an amazing story about building an incredible career specifically in digital marketing. As we dive deeper into this topic of digital marketing strategies, there's no one better to have in on the conversation than Molly! Early in her career, her job as an intern at DigitalMarketer was to create organic social media posts. As marketing and technology advanced so did her skillset, and she learned all about paid ads on Facebook and paid search on Google. She rose up through the ranks at DigitalMarketer to eventually become a VP, and recently branched out to start her own consulting agency. In this podcast episode, Molly and I talk about: The mistakes she sees business owners make when it comes to digital marketing and how to avoid them How to get new customers into your marketing funnel using lead magnets The attributes your lead magnet should have to be seen as highly valuable and get lots of people to sign up Ways to keep your audience and email list engaged without overwhelming them Plus, I'll give you a pep talk on where you're standing with your goals at the moment and answer your questions from our live Business Boutique events. 1:03 Digital Marketing Strategies That Work 10:44 Interview with Molly Pittman 42:37 Goals Check-In 45:51 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 54:47 Homework Get Christy's Social Media Cheat Sheet by filling out the form here! To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy....

The Key to Knowing Who You Are: Getting Back to You Part 2   0:46 Why You're Not Who You Think You Are 8:17 Are You Struggling to Be Yourself? With Jamie Ivey 29:48 What God Wishes You Knew Resources Christy's New Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouBetween endless errands and an overwhelming schedule, it's easy to feel like you've lost yourself. That's why I wrote my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You, to help you break through the busyness of life and find confidence in the woman you were created to be. Get your copy today: https://bit.ly/2TGoaSC We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   I want to be true to me. And I want you to live true to you as well. So, today, we're talking about how to live true to you. Jamie Ivey, my good friend and bestselling author, joins us to talk about her new book, You Be You. Then, we'll open up our journals and dive into what it really means to be loved and live true to ourselves.   Why You're Not Who You Think You Are It's so important for us to get to the root of our identity to know who we truly are. But so often, we look to others to tell us who we are. We look at the world around us and look at our roles and responsibilities and titles to find our sense of identity. But as wonderful as some of those roles and responsibilities and relationships are, they do not define you. The world can never tell you who you are. There's only one place that you can find the true source of your identity. We can't live a life true to ourselves if we don't first look to the one who gave us life to begin with. You're so much more than those roles and responsibilities. Sure, those things are wonderful blessings in your life, but they're not everything. They don't define you, and they aren't the single source of your identity. If one of those things changes, you need to know that you're still enough. You still have value. God says that you're created, and you're chosen. He made you, and He doesn't make mistakes. You're adored. You're loved. He delights in you. And He's with you and wants to spend time with you. You're loved by the God of the universe. That's who you are.   Are You Struggling to Be Yourself? With Jamie Ivey I'm so excited because Jamie Ivey is joining us in the studio today to dive deeper into this topic of knowing who you really are. She also shares more about her brand-new book, You Be You. Here are a few topics from our conversation: Balancing contentment and ambition The secret to staying rooted in your identity Combatting comparison Living with purpose in seasons of waiting Redefining success in our lives   What God Wishes You Knew "Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." Isaiah 64:8 (NIV) We're made in the image of God. We're a product of His creation. It's so easy to look at all of our flaws and failures, mistakes and missteps, and all the ways we've gotten it wrong and messed up. But there's also something really beautiful about the fact that God created us, and He doesn't make mistakes. I think about how many wonderful things I love about my kids, and how many things I want for them, and how proud I am of them. But for some reason, translating that to the God of the universe-that He could love me more than that-that's so hard to wrap my mind around. Take some time to answer these questions today: If you have children, how do you feel about them? If you don't have children, think about people in your life that you love so much. How do you feel about them? What do you hope they know about themselves? This is more of a challenge: I want you to take what you wrote down as an answer for your first and second questions, and I want you to write down every one of those statements as truth...

Stop People Pleasing and Live Life On Your Own Terms   1:16 Find Ways To Do More of What You Love and Less of What You Don't 9:19 Four Areas of Life Where You Can Live True to Yourself 19:14 Taking Control of Your Life with Chris Hogan 39:41 Challenge: Make Time for What's Important If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Find ways to do more of what you love and less of what you don't. Have you ever thought about what it looks like to actually live life on your own terms? That might sound simple, but if we're honest, most of us have a hard time actually doing it. I love to do things on my own terms. And because of that, I've done a few things that you might say are a little . . . weird. For instance, when I came home from college, Dancing With the Stars was in its first season. One week, an advertisement popped up for Latin and ballroom dance lessons in Nashville, and I thought, I think I'll do it. So, I did. For almost two years, I took Latin and ballroom dance lessons, and I even competed in a dance competition. Now that's weird. But that's not the only weird thing I've done. When all my friends were living in the city, I moved to a 40-acre farm with fainting goats, horses, and a mini donkey. While my friends were working their corporate jobs, I was mucking stalls. That's not normal. And then I decided I wanted to play soccer. So I went to the YMCA in my area and signed up for the adult league. I didn't have a team to play with, so they put me on a team with all Guatemalan men who spoke no English. And it was one of the most fun experiences of my life (not to mention, my Spanish got really stinking good). It was amazing how all of these experiences, though weird, were a lot of fun. But what was even more important was that they were things I wanted to do. They were things that were true to me. Here's what's interesting: Not everyone is quite as comfortable being a little weird, going against the "normal" logical path and plan for their lives, and doing some things that might be different. Do you struggle with this? Maybe you feel like it's not logical or practical to do something different. Maybe you're worried about what people might think. Friend, I don't want you to wait until it's too late to decide that you want to live your life. I don't want to look back with that regret and feel like I always made the safe choice or did what other people thought I should do and I'm guessing you don't either. Do you know that your life is just that-yours? You don't just have the right to create the life you want. You have the responsibility to. No one can change your life. You have everything you need and all the power in the world to make different decisions today about who you are and what you want for your life, your family and your future. You have permission to create a life that looks like who you are. You can be true to yourself without worrying about what everyone else thinks that you should be. 4 Areas of Life Where You Can Live True to Yourself I want to give you four practical areas to explore in your own life that will help you be true to yourself. Maybe you're already doing it. Maybe you feel confident in all these areas, but maybe not. Maybe as we walk through these, you'll start to look at these different areas of your life and realize you're making decisions based on what other people think. And if you are, would you do anything differently? 1. Career You have the right and responsibility to pursue a career that's right for you. You don't have to choose between being happy and making money. You actually can do both, believe it or not. So, what's the right career path, business path or money-making income path for you? How could you use your skills and gifts and talents in a...

Here's something that won't come as a surprise to anyone: men and women are different. That means we approach business differently, too! We have unique strengths and also unique challenges. So in this episode, I'll unpack tips on how you can pursue your passions and be successful. Plus, my guest this week is financial journalist, author and speaker Jean Chatzky. She'll walk us through her journey to finding success, from self-proclaimed high school math geek to magazine writer to unexpectedly starting her own company. She'll weigh in on our unique challenges as women in business. Our success story this week features April Perry, a mom who wanted to generate income while staying home with her kids. She found her business idea in a surprising way, and she'll share that with us. And I'll answer your top business questions! 1:08 Women and Business 18:47 Interview with Jean Chatzky 44:41 BB Success Story with April Perry 56:52 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 66:25 Homework - Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy and get $10 off your first month or $30 off your first year by using the code BBACADEMY at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. This offer is good through through June 30, 2017. Sign up today! - To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Buy my new book, Business Boutique: A Woman's Guide for Making Money Doing What She Loves, and receive a FREE Marketing Basics You Can't Afford to Miss video, a $40 value for only $19.99. Visit BusinessBoutique.com/BBBook and use the code BBBOOK to also receive an exclusive podcast interview with Nicole Walters on Sales. Order today! Limited-time offer. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. Ask me a business question via social media by using #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Stop Stressing About a Messy House with Emily Ley   0:54 Five Ways to Stop Obsessing About the Mess in Your House 13:31 How to Make Life Simpler with Emily Ley 38:28 The Secret to Loving Your House Resources Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/3eH4QQN   Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for my free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/3vt4LWN     Today, we are talking about five ways you can stop stressing about what your house looks like. And I've got the perfect guest for this topic, my good friend Emily Ley. She's an author and speaker who helps people simplify their lives. Finally, we'll end the show with a few journal questions about how to be content-no matter the state of your home.   5 Ways to Stop Obsessing About the Mess in Your House Sometimes the state of our house can have an impact on the state of our mind. I've been there. That's why I want to share five simple things you can put into practice so you can stop feeling like a mess-even when your house is messy!   How to Make Life Simpler with Emily Ley My friend Emily Ley is a speaker, author and simplicity expert. One of the things I love about her teaching is that she gives small, practical tips we can use every day to organize and manage our lives better.   The Secret to Loving Your House "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty." Philippians 4:11-12 (NIV)   Even with a spotless, Pinterest-perfect house, we can still be unhappy with what we have. That's why this verse from Philippians is so powerful: It reminds us that with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be content in any circumstance! Let's bring this concept home by answering these journal questions: What do you love about your home? How does it change the way you view your home when you set your mind on what you're grateful for? How can you practice being content in your home, your life, and your situations right now?

How to Enjoy Thanksgiving Even More   1:02 How to Enjoy Thanksgiving Even More 1:24 Write a Thoughtful Note 2:58 Be Hospitable 3:40 Disconnect Completely 6:12 Plan to Be Generous 7:55 Rest Resources 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! I'm keeping this week's podcast episode short and sweet because I want to get back to spending quality time with my family-and, of course, I want you to do the same. I really love this holiday. Not only does it feel like the official kickoff to the holiday season, but it's also such a sweet time to remember all that God has blessed us with. Whether you have plans to spend this week in a crowded house with tons of extended family members or you plan to keep things low-key, I want to encourage you to be fully present. This holiday will be what you make it, and you can make it great. Before I let you go today, I want to share five simple things you can do this week to make your holiday a lot more special: 1. Write a thoughtful note. I think nice things about people all the time, but I always forget to tell them! Do you do that? I once heard someone say that thinking something nice about someone and not telling the person is like wrapping a gift and not giving it to them. That is so true! I actually save every handwritten note I'm given. No matter what anyone says, handwritten notes are not outdated-they're gifts people treasure. So, this week, spend a little bit of time writing notes to people who come to mind. You can give them a word of encouragement, say thank you for something, or give them a compliment that will make their day. Receiving a handwritten note is rare in our digital age, so brighten someone else's day with a sweet and unexpected note. 2. Be hospitable. 'Tis the season to show love to the people God has placed in your life by inviting them into your home. But the truth is, the holidays are a difficult time for many people. Maybe there's someone in your life who doesn't have a place to go during the holidays. Maybe there's a neighbor or a coworker who doesn't have family in town. This is the perfect opportunity to build new relationships by sharing your home, a meal, or even a simple cup of coffee with someone new. 3. Disconnect completely. I'm not just encouraging you to silence your phone or put it in airplane mode. This Thanksgiving, I want you to put it out of reach and out of sight completely-at the very least, for one full day. I often pick up my phone out of habit if I can see it. So if I'm sitting at the dinner table and I can see my phone close by, I'll pick it up and check it-even if there's been no ring or notification. But that doesn't happen when I can't see it. That's why I want you to put your phone in a different room, where it will be out of sight and out of mind. When you do this, you're giving the people around you an incredible gift: your undivided attention. And if you want to take photos, why not do something crazy, like buy a disposable camera that you can pass around? How fun would it be to see what kind of photos you get out of it? 4. Plan to be generous. This is the time of year when we're all acutely aware of how much we have to be grateful for, and it puts us in a generous spirit. But you know what? You've got to plan for that in your budget and even put it on your calendar. Believe it or not, a lot of nonprofit organizations have cut-off dates for their Christmas giving-some cutoffs are as early as the first week...

Happy Thanksgiving week, y'all! In this episode, we're going to talk about how to be thankful during the holidays. Because let's be real: We all want to be thankful, but it can be hard to remember sometimes. Then, we're going to talk about some practical things you can do to make the most of your family time this season. And we'll wrap up with a caller question about how to deal with change. 3 Ways to Stop Being Discontent How to Avoid Family Conflict During the Holidays How to Not Get Stressed Out by Change   Crush your goals with the 2022 Goal Planner. https://bit.ly/2YZLxwc Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3G0I41v

How to Know What Your Customers Want by Doing Market Research Today we're talking all about how to know what your customers want. When it comes to determining what our customers really want, we have the temptation to return to our middle school days of fortune telling. Stay with me here. Do you remember the origami cootie catchers that told us where we would live and who we would marry? Did you ever pick the pedals off flowers, "He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me!" Raise your hand if you've ever asked a Magic 8-Ball a question. Y'all, we love to predict the future. We all want to know how things will turn out, and if we're honest, we'd all love to read our customer's minds. Related: Communicating Clearly with Your Customers Using Market Research to Determine What Our Customer Wants Wouldn't it be incredible to figure out exactly what our customers want? To determine exactly what they need? To know the words they use, so we can use those words and reach them directly? We can. We can know those things-what they think, how they feel, and what they need. We can learn all that and a whole lot more. And here's the good news: You don't need a Magic 8-Ball to tell you. How do you find out?  You just ask. The simplest things are the things that are most often overlooked. Instead of doing the most logical and effective thing, we tend to just guess what our customers want. We overlook asking them what they feel, want, need, think. We can demystify the whole thing by simply asking our customers directly. We're all great at asking questions, but many of us have just never thought to apply it to our business. There's a fancy term for asking your customers what they want: Market Research. Related: The Two Things You Need to Know About People Two Methods of Market Research There are two methods of research you can use to ask your customers what they want: quantitative research and qualitative research. Both methods are going to help you understand your market, learn, and grow. By asking your customers the right questions, you can gain a better understanding of their thoughts, feelings, and needs surrounding your product. A helpful hint to understand the difference between quantitative research and qualitative research is to remember the root of the word. Quantitative research is all about quantity. Qualitative research is all about quality. Understanding Quantitative Market Research In quantitative research, you ask questions that can be quantified and produce a metric for you to measure. You might do this through yes or no questions, multiple choice, ratings, or another method. Quantitative research is helpful in your business to not only understand your market, but to supplement your marketing, branding and promotions. Have you seen those commercials that say 9 out of 10 dentists recommend this toothpaste? They did a quantitative market research study to find that number. Understanding Qualitative Market Research Qualitative research can't be quantified. This type of research takes exponentially more time to sort through results, analyze and identify themes. But that doesn't mean you should avoid it! Qualitative research provides open-ended, non-leading questions that will allow your customers to provide answers in their own words. That's the reason it's so valuable! You really can understand your customer, their motivation, their mindset, and their language. Qualitative research can also be used in marketing in the form of marketing copy, testimonials, endorsements, and quotes. Lots of the words that we use in Business Boutique are things you've told us. We love to hear what sticks out to you so that we can improve, grow and get better. I love market research! It is such a simple and direct way to get feedback from your customers. Related: Ep 20: How to Create Engaging Content for Your Business In this episode I'll talk about: The different...

It's time to talk about learning from failure. I know. Learning from failure is no one's favorite subject. No one gets excited about failure, but y'all, failure is a reality in life and business! We might as well just learn from it! I have had a lot of failures in my life . . . and in Business Boutique . . . and in speaking. So I've gotten a lot of practice. And today, I'm going to help you answer the question, "How do I learn from my failure?" Three Ways to Learn From Failure 1. Adjust on the Fly When it's possible, adjust on the fly. A few years ago I was booked to speak at Catalyst, talking to women about life balance. Everything I wrote was directed at women and what we struggle with when it comes to life balance. I used stories that were relatable to women and I even pulled stories from the Bible, citing Scripture about women. On the day of the event, I stood at the back of the room and watched the room fill up with people, who were all men. Do you see the problem? I could have gone ahead and given the talk as if I were presenting to women. That would have been the safe route. Or I knew I could adjust on the fly to the failure. That's what I did. I had notes from a previous talk and just scrapped the slides! It was exactly the talk I was supposed to give, and they only heard it because I was willing to think on my feet. The lesson? Don't be afraid to think on your feet and make it up on the fly to save a misstep from becoming a complete failure! Related: How to Be More Confident 2. Deal With It If you make a mistake, drop the ball, or just fall flat on your face, deal with it. Back when I worked as the aquatic director at the YMCA, in the middle of a chaotic day, I made a big mistake. On the day of our mandatory annual aquatics safety training, my director called me to ask why my lifeguards were not in attendance. Luckily there were two options for sessions: 9 a.m. or 2 p.m. But I'd not only forgotten, I also hadn't told a single person they needed to be there. You know what I did? I dealt with it. I went speed walking down the hall to the executive director's office and opened the door. I looked her in the face and said, "I am sorry to bother you, but I need you to know that I have dropped a huge ball. I am taking care of it, but I just want you to know that I am aware of it and I am really sorry." I explained what I'd forgotten and gave her my plan to fix it. Thankfully, I got almost 100% of my staff to the 2 p.m. training. I failed but I did three things to face my failure head on. Own it. It's in our nature to hide, cover up, make excuses, and place blame. By owning it, you are doing the opposite of what most people choose, while demonstrating maturity, integrity and self-awareness. In the process, you're also building trust. Apologize for it. Apologizing shows you're coachable. It demonstrates humility instead of defensiveness, which makes others want to work with you more. Fix it. Doing your best to fix a mistake is proactive. People will respect your ability to try to repair a mishap when one happens. 3. Dust Yourself Off There's no magic lesson with this one. But here's the truth: You're going to have experiences you would never want to relive. There are going to be times you fail so badly it stays with you for a while. Many years ago I had a speaking engagement that I try to forget, and it haunts me to the this day. But you know what? It hasn't kept me from doing the thing I'm meant to do. I kept going. And you can too. Y'all, it's totally possible to learn from failure with these three strategies. If you can adjust on the fly, you might avoid it all together. If you can't avoid it, then deal with it. If you can't deal with it, just dust yourself off and keep going. How to Learn From Failure with Kristen Hadeed Kristen Hadeed is the CEO and founder of Student Maid, a cleaning company that has employed thousands...

How to Start Your Personal Growth   0:49 Why It's Okay to Be Bad at Something 10:37 The Best Thing to Invest In 18:37 Are You Growing? Resources Business Boutique ConferenceThe Business Boutique Conference is right around the corner. Get your in-person or livestream ticket before it's too late! https://bit.ly/37037Cj We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   What keeps you from investing in yourself? What keeps you from growing? All of us have challenges in our lives. But if we don't understand how to overcome these challenges, we're never going to grow. Today, we're talking about how to grow as a person and a leader. Then, I'm going to unpack an article on why you should invest in yourself. And finally, we'll spend some time journaling about the areas in your life you need to grow.   Why It's Okay to Be Bad at Something In order to grow, we have to get outside of our comfort zones. We have to be willing to invest in ourselves and learn something brand new. One of my favorite ways to grow and become better is by surrounding myself with people who are better at things than I am. I love to seek out people who are really good in certain areas of their lives that I want to be good at and ask them to hang out. Yes, it's humbling-but that's where growth happens. If you want to be better in any area of your life, you've got to be willing to be the small fish in the big pond. You've got to be willing to get outside your box and your comfort zone and invest in yourself to learn something new.   The Best Thing to Invest In I want to spend a few minutes unpacking an article I saw recently on Forbes.com called Why You Should Invest in Yourself by Amy Modglin. This article is a great reminder that the things we struggle with are actually really common to most of us. But if we don't understand how to overcome these challenges and barriers, we're never actually going to grow. In the article, Amy shared about a lack of confidence she had and the fear that kept her from investing in herself. She said that all changed when her friend and mentor, John Maxwell, said, "Growth doesn't just happen." Amy's biggest barrier was being afraid she wasn't worth it. She wasn't investing in herself. The same thing is true for you and me. You're not going to get to somewhere new by doing the same thing you're doing today. You have to do something different. You have to invest in yourself. Remember: You get to have a say in who you become, but you've got to do something about it. You can't just sit on the sidelines. You have to take the reins. You have to get in the game. You have to read a book, get a coach, go to a conference. You have to do something. You are worth it.   Are You Growing? Today, I want you to spend some time reading Ephesians 4:1-16. This passage is saying just grow to grow. Not to be better than others. Not to be impressive. Grow so that you're not tossed back and forth. Grow so that you have a solid foundation. Grow to become more and more like the God who created you. Grow to become more like Christ. I want to give you a few questions to consider as you journal, as you pray about this, and as you think about what this means for you in your faith walk. How do you grow? How have you matured in the last year? How are you growing in love?

Four Ways to Have More Fun with Annie F. Downs   0:53 You Were Designed to Do This 7:24 How to Understand Your Calling with John Bevere 27:49 Feel Like You're Being Held Back? Resources Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/35V4P6C   Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for my free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/39JiLla     Today we're going to talk about something incredibly important: your calling. What gifts has God given you, and how does He want you to use them? We'll get some answers from the brilliant John Bevere-speaker, author and co-founder of Messenger International. Finally, we'll wrap up with a few journal questions about how to put the light of God on display by walking in our calling.   You Were Designed to Do This It can feel intimidating to figure out your calling, right? It's scary to ask, What was I put on this earth to do? But guess what? Your calling doesn't have to look and feel epic. Whether you're working your dream job or just living life and paying bills, God can work through you to get glory for Himself.   How to Understand Your Calling with John Bevere I'm so excited about today's interview with John Bevere-bestselling author, speaker, and co-founder of Messenger International. He and I talk about the importance of taking our calling seriously. John points out that each of us has a choice to make: We can use our gifts to build God's kingdom as intended, or we can just sit on them and do nothing. What will you do with your life?   Feel Like You're Being Held Back? You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)   You know what's amazing? God wants to show His glory to the world, and His plan is to do that through you and me. He could've chosen any method, but He chose to do it through us, despite our flaws. This responsibility feels big and more than we can handle. What can one little light do on its own? But the good news is that God builds bonfires through a bunch of little candles. Let's bring this concept home by working through a few journal questions: Practically speaking, what does it mean to be the light of the world? What does that look like for you? How have you felt held back by your current circumstances? How can you let your light shine right where you are?

How to Make Time for What Matters with Brittany Ann   0:54 Three Ways to Make Time for Quiet Time 11:22 How to Enjoy Reading Your Bible with Brittany Ann 34:01 You Need THIS to Read Your Bible Resources Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/3rWiN16   Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for my free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/2OWvwCd     Today, we're talking about how to make room for quiet time-which is something we all want but rarely get. Also, we'll get to hear from author Brittany Ann about falling in love with God's word. We'll wrap up today's show by journaling about making quiet time a priority.   3 Ways to Make Time for Quiet Time For years, I struggled to read scripture, even though I know how powerful it is! But thankfully, I discovered a system that helped me overcome the obstacles that were keeping me from time with God. In this video, I unpack my system in three simple steps.   How to Enjoy Reading Your Bible with Brittany Ann The REAL problem most of us have with our quiet time is that we're not passionate about spending time with God. In today's interview, I talk to author and Bible teacher Brittany Ann about her new book, Fall in Love with God's Word. She'll share practical strategies about bridging the gap between wanting to read more and actually doing it.   You Need THIS to Read Your Bible "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)   All of the things we could ever want or need in life are found in God's word. So, why does it feel like a chore to open up our Bibles? I encourage you to dig deep on this topic by responding to these journal questions:   How do you feel about reading your Bible? What would help you have alone time? What is one thing you could do this week to give yourself what you need to have that alone time?

The holidays are right around the corner, y'all. I don't want you to be scattered and stressed this season-I want you to be present. In this episode, I'll give you tips on how to survive this crazy season in your business, your life, and your budget.  Plus, Etsy expert Melissa Kaiserman is a friend of Business Boutique and pays us a visit on this week's podcast. She'll share some wonderful, practical tips on how to prepare for the holidays if you're a product-based business. And my dear friend Rachel Cruze is here to talk about one of the biggest things that steals our joy, not just during the holidays, but all year round: comparisons. She'll walk us through how to quit those comparisons. She'll also share with us how she and her husband work through their budget together, and some funny stories about how it goes when they don't see eye to eye. 1:40    Surviving Christmas in Business, Life, and Money 16:00  Interview with Melissa Kaiserman 35:51  Interview with Rachel Cruze 50:56  Homework -- To save $10 on any Business Boutique ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.  

Hey y'all! I know life can be overwhelming and the day-to-day grind can leave you feeling stuck, but it doesn't have to be that way. The Christy Wright Show will fire you up so you can break through limitations to create a life you love and are proud of. You will build confidence in yourself and the God who created you.

Seven Ways to Stop Feeling Stressed   1:16 Stressed Out All the Time? Do This. 13:16 Why Stress Doesn't Have to Control Your Life with Rebekah Lyons 34:54 Here's What the Bible Says About Stress Resources Christy Wright 2021 Goal PlannerGrow as a person, build confidence, manage your schedule, and crush your goals with my brand-new 2021 Goal Planner. Get your copy today! https://bit.ly/3bVTg0G Business Boutique ConferenceHave a side hustle or business? Then don't miss our Business Boutique Conference, where you'll get an actionable plan for your goals and the confidence and inspiration to see them through. Get your ticket to join us in Nashville or via livestream. https://bit.ly/2ZCvl1h   Fear, stress and overwhelm are a part of life-especially this year. But that doesn't mean there aren't ways to deal with them. Today, we're going to talk about practical ways you can calm your nerves and stop feeling so stressed. Then, bestselling author Rebekah Lyons joins us to chat about tangible things we can actually do to ease our anxiety. And finally, we'll close with some journal questions on what the Bible says about stress.   Stressed Out All the Time? Do This. This year, more than ever, we know that we can't control a lot of things that we want to control. But the good news is, even though you can't totally control all the external stressors in your life, you can still calm your nerves. That's why I'm going to give you seven ideas to help you relieve your stress, remove your anxiety, and calm yourself down.   Why Stress Doesn't Have to Control Your Life with Rebekah Lyons Author Rebekah Lyons joins me to talk about her book Rhythms of Renewal and how to trade stress and anxiety for a life of peace and purpose. We talk about: Why you need rhythms in your life How to take inventory of your life Practical ways to combat stress when you feel trapped in a life that's overwhelming   Here's What the Bible Says About Stress "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." - Philippians 4:6-8 (NIV) Here are some journal questions to think about and pray about as you process these verses and apply them in your life: What's stressing you out? Write down a prayer presenting those requests to God. What's true in your life? What's pure, excellent, praiseworthy or admirable?

What Your Money Habits Say About You   0:53 Why Learning About Money Is So Important 8:05 The Secret to Understanding Money with Rachel Cruze 27:49 Why You Should Be Asking God for Wisdom Resources Christy's New Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You, that will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. Get your copy today: https://bit.ly/3mfo3Kt Christy's 5-Day Confidence Boost Sign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/3nKRGUa We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   There's something that you need to do and you may not even realize it: Learn how to manage your money. That's right, today my good friend and New York Times bestselling author Rachel Cruze is joining me to talk about all things money and her new book, Know Yourself, Know Your Money. Then we'll dive into Scripture and spend some time journaling.   Why Learning About Money Is So Important So many of us never learned how to manage money growing up. And if you never learned how to manage money growing up, then you don't know how to manage your money now. You might be living paycheck to paycheck, barely getting by, and trying to pay your bills. You might be dreading those bills coming to your mailbox or inbox and struggling to keep your head above water. And you might just think, This is as good as it gets. There's more for you than just getting by. You can learn how to manage your money. You can learn how to live on less than you make so you can actually have some money. The trick to having money isn't just to make more money-it's spending less money. And that's hard, but when you learn about it, you can do it. You'll feel more powerful, more in control, more proud of yourself and more hopeful about the future because you realize that the person in control of that future is you.   The Secret to Understanding Money with Rachel Cruze My good friend and bestselling author Rachel Cruze is joining us on the show today to talk about her new book, Know Yourself, Know Your Money. Y'all, this isn't just another money book (although it will help you in that area too). It's all about the "why" of why you handle money the way you do. In her book, Rachel helps you really dig into your spending habits and values.   Why You Should Be Asking God for Wisdom "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." - James 1:5 (NIV) You and I are so good at trying to fix things ourselves, aren't we?  Oftentimes, when I face a problem in my life, I immediately go into problem-solving mode. And time after time, I run into dead ends and keep coming up empty-handed. After days or weeks of this, I'll have an epiphany: Why don't I ask God about this? I'm so quick to try to pull myself up by my bootstraps and fix everything. And sometimes that works out for me, but a lot of times it doesn't. Here's the reality: If you're in a place where you're struggling financially or in any area of your life, there are things that you can do to fix it. But you also can seek wisdom and ask God (who gives generously without finding fault) to meet you there. He will provide for you. He will provide information, resources, steps. He will provide discipline. And if you need it, He will provide discernment and correction. I have a few journal questions to help you process and pray through this: In what area of your life do you need wisdom and help right now? What do you wish was different about your financial situation? What are you going to do to learn...

If you're feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, this episode is for you. I'll share a few tips for navigating tough seasons, and I'll sit down with the legendary Amy Grant to talk about how to slow down. Finally, I'll wrap up the show by sharing a simple framework you can use when making career decisions. Do You Have Realistic Expectations for Your Life? Is It Okay to Slow Down When You're So Busy? with Amy Grant A Simple Framework for Making Career Decisions Resources: Preorder my brand-new book, Take Back Your Time: The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance. https://bit.ly/3BShGVm  Take my quiz to discover the real reason you feel out of balance and what to do about it. https://bit.ly/3lal1Jx Get $5 off your Business Boutique Conference ticket when you use code CHRISTYSHOW. https://bit.ly/3BSjgXi

Time management and life balance are a struggle for-I'm just guessing-every adult on the planet. Amen? So in this episode, we're going to go beyond surface-level issues like how to time block your schedule. Instead, we'll dig deeper and I'll teach you how to overcome the underlying issue: Making excuses. I'll share the top five excuses I hear that steal your time, and how to kick them to the curb. When you can overcome these excuses, you make room for actual life change! My guest this week is author and speaker Laura Vanderkam. She's done extensive research on exactly how people spend their time, and she'll share her time management secrets with us! Plus, I'll answer your business questions from Business Boutique events! 1:13 Five Excuses That Steal Your Time 21:58 Interview with Laura Vanderkam 54:59 Back to Basics: Your Why 60:14 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 67:35 Homework Get Christy's 25 Ways to Protect Your Time Guide by filling out the form here! To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Dressing For Success I'm so excited about today's episode because, y'all, we are talking about clothes! Okay, I'm not a fashion expert and I'm certainly not a stylist. But I will tell you, I've never met a pair of pumps I didn't like-and I know that the right outfit can instantly change the way I carry myself, how confident I feel, and my overall mood. It's simple, really: I feel my best when I look my best. And I think you will, too. Now I'm the first to admit: I've made my share of fashion mistakes. A few years ago, I was at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas speaking at a huge conference wearing my most favorite black waxed jeans and a teal blouse. I was in one of my-shall we say-"fluffier" stages. And I may or may not have had to squeeze into those jeans, but I did happen to think I looked pretty cute. But then the photographs from my client came in. One look and all I could see were jeans that were creasing and pulling-in all the wrong places, I might add. Throw in the reflection of the bright stage lights, and it was glaringly obvious that my jeans were entirely too tight. I told my leader right then and there, "I can do better. I will do better." And I haven't stepped foot on a stage since without first asking myself one question: "Am I dressed for success today?" Can the Way I Dress Affect My Business? You may be wondering what any of this has to do with your business. In a word? Everything. The way you present yourself (and what you wear is a big part of that) affects your customers' opinion of you. That opinion and first impression then influences whether they do business with you, which positively or negatively impacts your bottom line. And your bottom line, of course, determines the ultimate success or failure of your business. So dressing for success is about so much more than just clothes! How Can I Dress for Success? In this episode, I'll talk about the three most common mistakes women make when it comes to clothes-and believe me, I've been there too. Yep, I've made every single one of them. But the good news is these mistakes have easy solutions. I'll share those with you as well! By the way, I also have a little formula I follow when it comes to putting together a super cute outfit. And don't worry. It doesn't require a closet full of clothes and accessories or a wardrobe loaded with the latest trends. And you definitely don't need to spend a lot of money to pull it off. Even better? It works every time! It's almost as good as having a personal stylist. I can't wait to tell you all about it! I know that, just like me, you'll feel the best when you look your best. And when you're at your best, I know one thing for sure: There's no stopping you. My Guest This Week Is Toi Sweeney! Toi is an award-winning stylist, brand image specialist, and successful entrepreneur who is passionate about helping women-everyone from influencers to CEOs-present themselves favorably in business. And the stakes are pretty high. "You are a brand. Your clothing is your packaging," says Toi. "That packaging is one of the most visible ways to stand out from the rest." After 20 years in the fashion industry, Toi has styled her share of personalities and has made it her mission to do so as authentically and uniquely as possible. After all, she believes what we wear on the outside should be a reflection of who we are on the inside. But there is a right and a wrong way to achieve that. Did you know that, on average, you have less than nine seconds to convince your customers that you are smart and kind and worthy of their business? And did you know that the color you wear impacts someone else's perception of you? Or that the wrong personal image could lead to lost opportunities? That means every single style choice, from the color of our earrings to the height of the heels of our shoes, is an opportunity to cultivate trust. That may seem like a lot of...

How to Have GREAT Friends   0:46 Four Ways to Have Great Friendships as an Adult 11:42 How to Make Time for Friends 33:55 What Do Your Friendships Look Like? Resources Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/3bC0yan   Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for my free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/3k8va7c     Today, we're talking about something we all want but may not know how to find: great friendships. I'll share four practical steps you can take to make and keep awesome friends. Also, I get to sit down with two of my best friends, Jenny and Sarah. We'll wrap up the show with a few journal questions about the importance of friendship.   4 Ways to Have Great Friendships as an Adult Let's face it: It's hard to make friends as an adult. We don't have many natural ways to meet new people. We get set in our ways and get busy with kids and work and errands. If you want to have more friends-or better friendships-you're going to have to decide to make time for it. Here are four practical actions you can take to get started!   How to Make Time for Friends In today's interview, I get to sit down with two of my real-life best friends! Through all of life's ups and downs and changes and challenges, we've managed to make time for each other. No-it's not always easy to coordinate calendars. But it's worth it. We'll share some of secrets that have helped us maintain our friendship for almost two decades.   What Do Your Friendships Look Like? "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NIV)   We weren't created to live alone. We need community. I want you to have people who will be there for you-people you can laugh and cry with, share the bad things with, and celebrate your milestones with. To start making some practical changes in the area of friendship, spend some time journaling your thoughts to these questions:  What are you looking for in friendships right now? What specific types of friendships do you desire this year? What's one step you can take to grow your friendships this year?

When it comes to making money doing what you love, there are pitfalls that can really get you into trouble! So in this episode, I'll talk about four money pitfalls you should avoid. My guest this week is #1 New York Times best-selling author, and one of my best friends, Rachel Cruze. We'll have some girl talk about how we balance work and family, and different ways we set financial goals and save money. Our success story this week features Carol Low, the owner of Creative Windows by Carol. She was resourceful and started her business in the backroom of a fabric store, and now, nearly 25 years later she's a successful business owner and employs her family! She'll share some mistakes she's made over the years and how she came back from them. And I'll answer your top business questions! 1:07 Money Pitfalls to Avoid in Your Business 11:22 Interview with Rachel Cruze 40:43 BB Success Story with Carol Low 47:26 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 56:09 Homework - Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy and get $10 off your first month or $30 off your first year by using the code BBACADEMY at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. This offer is good through through June 30, 2017. Sign up today! - To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Buy my new book, Business Boutique: A Woman's Guide for Making Money Doing What She Loves, and receive a FREE Marketing Basics You Can't Afford to Miss video, a $40 value for only $19.99. Visit BusinessBoutique.com/BBBook and use the code BBBOOK to also receive an exclusive podcast interview with Nicole Walters on Sales. Order today! Limited-time offer. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. Ask me a business question via social media by using #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT New podcast episodes are available every other week.

In this episode, we're going to talk about how to push through fear instead of running from it. We'll look at an article that unpacks the difference between men and women when it comes to fear. Then, we'll talk about a Scripture that's deeply personal for me and take time to reflect with some journal questions! The Most Important Thing I've Learned About Fear What Are Women Most Afraid Of? Is Fear of Failure Holding You Back?

I'm so excited because, today, we're talking about something y'all ask me about often: how to discern the prompting of the Holy Spirit from random thoughts, ideas or feelings. I get to sit down with my new friend Alex Seeley as she shares some wisdom on who the Holy Spirit is and how we can know God more deeply. Then we'll wrap up the episode with a great question about prioritization! Should You Trust Your Feelings? The Most Misunderstood Part of Christianity with Alex Seeley I love my job, but it's affecting my family. What should I do? Resources: Manage your schedule and crush your goals with the 2022 Goal Planner. https://bit.ly/3AmsbhE Get back 24 hours in your week with the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/2Ys3Auy Get $5 off your Business Boutique Conference ticket when you use code CHRISTYSHOW. https://bit.ly/2YxDtTA

In this episode, we're going to talk about how to know if you're being called to do something. I'm going to sit down with New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado to talk about what we can learn from the biblical book of Esther (one of my favorites). Then, we'll wrap up with a question from a woman who doesn't have peace about her business. Should You Do Things You're Unqualified For? You Were Made for This Moment with Max Lucado Am I Putting My Business Above the Lord?   Crush your goals with the 2022 Goal Planner. https://bit.ly/2YZLxwc Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3G0I41v

What would you do with a nine-hour layover in Chicago? Would you: Keep it safe and sit at the airport reading a book to ensure you didn't miss your connecting flight? Grab your best friend, do as much exploring as possible, and make it back to the airport just in time to board? I don't know what you'd pick. But can you take a wild guess which one I'd choose? That's right, I'd choose option two any day. But do you know what I've noticed? There are actually people out there who would choose the first option every single time. Crazy, right? Even more shocking, one of them is a very good friend of mine. Related: 5 of the Most Important Qualities You Can Teach Your Kids When I was a junior in college, I got the opportunity to travel to Europe for my Western Civilization class. The week before we left, I remember receiving a very detailed itinerary from our trip leader, and the first thing I noticed was a nine-hour layover in Chicago. Normally, I wouldn't get pumped about a nine-hour layover anywhere. But, I was a 21-year-old southern girl who had never been up north. So, the potential to have a big chunk of time to sightsee, shop, and eat my way through a very cool northern city got me pumped. I immediately called one of my good friends who was also going on the trip. Our conversation went a little something like this: Me: Guess what? We have nine hours in Chicago! We can go sightseeing, tour the city, and try new restaurants! Friend: No, we can't. Me: We can't? Friend: No. We can't do that. We can't leave the airport. Me: How do you know? Did you read something I missed? Friend: No. I'm just sure we can't go. Me: Did someone tell you that? Like a leader or a past participant? Friend: No. I'm just sure we can't go. Me: That's so interesting, because I am so sure we can. I learned something about myself and other people that day. There tend to be two personality styles when it comes to trying new things. There are those who, when in doubt, assume they can't. And there are those who, when the information or rules are not clear, assume they can. But you know what? Regardless of how you're wired, you will go further and faster in life when you assume that you can. More importantly, someone who assumes they can do whatever it is they want to do is more willing, able and confident to try new things. And trying new things in life and in business is vital to growth. Your life will be small and predictable if all you ever do is what you know-if you only ever stick to is what is safe. That's not the life God wants for you. He wants you to push the limits, get outside your comfort zone and try something new. Related: How to Push Past Your Comfort Zone and Try Something New Oh, and in case you were wondering, a group of 21-year-olds who were paying for a trip to Europe can, in fact, leave an airport to run around Chicago for a few hours. And once my friend got all the approvals she needed, we had an amazing time exploring the city. I don't want you to miss out on all that God has prepared for you. That's why I want to encourage you to train yourself to assume you can. Because when you do, you'll try new things, see new things, experience new things, and grow in new ways. Now, don't get me wrong: I'm not saying you need to change things just for the sake of changing them. If something in your life is rocking and rolling, keep doing that. However, don't let things get stale in your life. Don't keep doing what you've always been doing simply because you've always done it that way. Bring renewed vigor into your life by mixing things up a bit. Here are three tactical things you can do this week to try something new: 1. Add some personality. Maybe, up until this point, everything has been strictly business-in work, in your parenting, and in your marriage. That's no fun! I want to encourage you to add some playfulness and humor into the mix. Don't just...

Why You Should Stop Trying to Be Perfect with GiGi Butler   0:47 Three Ways to Let Go of the Pressure to Be Perfect 13:38 The Importance of Being Original with GiGi Butler 25:54 Are You Under A Lot of Pressure? Resources Christy's New Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You, that will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. Get your copy today: https://bit.ly/3gS8xSw Christy's 5-Day Confidence Boost Sign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/384CLxO We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   The pressure to live a picture-perfect life is everywhere, isn't it? We're always chasing impossible standards for the perfect body, business, spouse, kids and family. Today, we're going to talk about how to let go of the pressure to be perfect and embrace our missteps and mistakes. It's time to move past the fear of imperfection and live an authentic life.   3 Ways to Let Go of the Pressure to Be Perfect Today, we're talking about how to let go of the pressure to be perfect. I don't know about you, but I feel this pressure on an almost daily basis. We're always chasing some perceived idea of the perfect body, the perfect mom, the perfect house, or the perfect job. But when we choose to let go of our own impossibly high standards and stop focusing on our weaknesses, we can actually live an authentic life. We'll unpack three main ways to let go of perfection: Focus on what's right. Laugh about what's wrong. Redefine "good."   The Importance of Being Original with GiGi Butler "Life isn't about being perfect: It's about being original." These powerful words are from my friend Gigi Butler, entrepreneur and founder of GiGi's Cupcakes. Gigi and I talk about how waiting to make a move until everything is perfect will leave you stuck. Because first of all, perfection doesn't exist. And more importantly, God did not create you to be average or to try to pattern your life after someone else's version of perfect. He created you for a unique purpose that only you can accomplish.   Are You Under a Lot of Pressure? "Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original." - Galatians 5:25-26 (The Message) I love this passage of Scripture because it reminds us that God has big plans for each one of us. We can choose to spend our lives missing out by constantly comparing ourselves to someone else's version of success. But as this verse reminds us, "We have far more interesting things to do with our lives." Here are a few journal questions to help you think and pray through today's teaching on perfection: What's going right in your life right now? What's good? What's going wrong that you can laugh about? How can you redefine "good"?

If you're like me, you might feel helpless right now. Discouraged and probably overwhelmed. I am with you. I can't change what we are all going through together, but I wanted to do something. So I decided to put together a quick, scrappy and imperfect series to help shine some hope in the chaos we are in. I threw it together, texted a few friends to see if they would want to join me and put it on the calendar. I'm calling it Hope in the Chaos. Today I'm joined by my friend, Annie F. Downs.   We are going to walk with you and talk with you and process this with you. We're going to pray and talk about what anchors us during this storm.   Would you join me for this? There's no ask. No sale. No agenda. I just want to be present for you as we figure out how to get through this together in the coming days. I care about you friend, and I'm here for you. ??   You can view this entire series and receive the recap emails with journal questions if you visit businessboutique.com/hope.

A few months ago, I read a very interesting article in The Washington Post about a researcher who studied 400,000 knitters. She was learning about my favorite topic: how these women turned their hobby of knitting into a business. She discovered an interesting phenomenon that I've actually witnessed for years now through Business Boutique. Before I launched Business Boutique, I conducted my own research on women with businesses. I noticed an interesting theme: When it comes to turning your hobby into a business, a sense of community plays a key role in women doing it scared. When we have camaraderie and support, when we can lock arms with other women and do it together, we're more likely to launch the business we've been dreaming about. Related: How to Face Your Fears and Do It Scared This woman's research reiterated that reality. From the 403,168 individual knitters she studied from 2007 to 2014, the ones who joined a group to craft socially were 25% more likely to start a business.(1) When asked what it was that transformed these women from pattern makers to pattern sellers, the most common answer was that someone they knew had encouraged them to sell their work: Many had already been modifying patterns and designing their own yarn gnomes and cat costumes, but until they heard from others, they lacked the confidence to step out on their own.(2) I was blown away by this. Not because I had never heard of this phenomenon before (my own research proved it), but because this principle of needing community is still true in a specific industry like knitting and on a massive scale like a study of 400,000 people. There's no doubt that entrepreneurship can be intimidating and lonely. But that's where the power of building community comes in. I see this every single year at our Business Boutique events. When you bring 3,000 women together from all over the country who work in all types of industries and are in different stages of business, there is a special bond created. Here's what happens: These women walk into the room with all kinds of feelings, fears and questions about their businesses, and they think they're the only ones who feel that way. But once they hear the speakers on stage and connect with other women struggling with the same things, they realize, I'm not so crazy after all. Community opens our eyes to the truth, gives us the confidence and support we need to take the next step, and cultivates a place to belong. It's everything we need to stop letting fear hold us back from making our dreams a reality. Related: How to Push Past Your Comfort Zone and Try Something New The Three Types of Community You Need  No matter what stage of business you're in, if you don't have a community around you, I want you to make building one or getting into one a top priority this month. You should be a part of three different types of communities: 1. People in Your Shoes This means people walking in the same shoes as you are or those in the same type of industry or business you're in. When you come together, you feel a unique connection that you wouldn't feel with someone in a completely different business. This will be your network of people who understand exactly what it's like to do what you do. When you get together to knowledge-share with this group, you exchange very specific advice on things like: handling difficult customers best practices, policies to protect yourself and vendor recommendations marketing strategies specific to your target market managing the seasonality of your business 2. People in Other Shoes This is a group of people who have different perspectives from you because they work in different industries. It is so beneficial to have this community, because oftentimes, we get too close to our business. We can get so deep in the weeds that we truly can't see the forest for the trees. But when you seek support from those...

Tips From an Etsy Expert on How to Make More Money Online   1:17 Tips From an Etsy Expert on How to Make More Money Online with Melissa Kaiserman 25:50 Encouragement on What to Consider When Receiving Feedback   Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Making money online has never been easier. You can start a successful business tomorrow with nothing more than an idea and a Facebook page-or, in Melissa Kaiserman's case, an Etsy store. Melissa's story began like so many of yours. She was using Dave Ramsey's envelope system and wanted a wallet that would help her divide her cash into different categories. When she couldn't find one she loved, she decided to make one herself. And then she made the "mistake" of showing it to her friends-because, of course, they all wanted her to make them one! Her wallets were a hit. This gave her the idea to simplify her design so she could create more wallets in less time and also make a profit by selling them online. She opened a shop on Etsy-A Time for Everything-and hit publish on her first wallet listing. Y'all, in just under a year, Melissa's Etsy store was providing full financial support for her family! Related: How to Make Money on Etsy I love stories like Melissa's because women often find it hard to believe that their talents, passions or hobbies can actually be profitable. Melissa's story is one of many that proves it's possible. In fact, her success on Etsy led to even more opportunities. Today, not only does she still have her online shop, but she's also blogging and selling courses to help other people succeed on Etsy. You can see why, when it comes to the topic of making money online and successfully selling on Etsy, I wanted to talk to Melissa Kaiserman! She and I took a deep dive into all the things. We started by talking through the pros and cons of choosing Etsy as your selling platform. How to Make Money Online by Selling on Etsy There are so many good things to say about starting and growing your business on Etsy. Thankfully, Melissa was able to narrow it down to her top three pros: 1. People know about it. Etsy currently has 41 million active buyers.1 That's right-a whole lot of people immediately think Etsy when they need a unique, handmade item. If you're just getting started selling online, it's going to be a while before you can get 41 million people to start scrolling through your personal website. I always tell you to hang out where your customers are. And in this case, your customers are hanging out on Etsy! 2. You'll get organic Google searches. SEO (search engine optimization) is just a fancy term for the likelihood that your product, page or Etsy store will pop up on Google when someone searches a particular word or phrase. And the good news is, Etsy does a great job of getting products found on Google. There are also some strategies you can do on your own to increase the chances of your Etsy store showing up on Google search results. I'll say more on that later. Related: Ep 41: Digital Marketing Strategies That Work 3. It's easy to use. I like to think of Etsy like a "business in a box." They make it so easy to set up a shop and maintain it. Not only does Etsy walk you through the whole process, but they also provide the tools to create a profile page and online presence. Plus, they handle the hosting, order intake, and even accept payment for you. These are all things you'd have to figure out on your own if you decided to start...

Finding your business idea can be a daunting task, but I'm going to make it a whole lot easier. In this episode, I'll focus on you Dreamers out there. We'll identify your strengths and help you zone in on your best idea. My guest this week is blogger and friend of Business Boutique, Jess Connolly! Her business was born during a time when she and her family were struggling. She'll talk to us about how she got her business idea, how she decides what to write about, and her strategy for making money blogging. Plus, I'll answer business questions that you've submitted! 1:22 How To Find Your Business Idea 20:52 Interview with Jess Connolly 37:09 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 52:34 Homework -- Sign up for my 9-week Digital Mentoring course for Dreamers and receive your own DISC Assessment Test for free with the code BBWRIGHT. To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. -- If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. Ask me a business question via social media by using #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT New podcast episodes are available every other week.

If you've been in business for any amount of time-heck, if you've been living for any amount of time-you've encountered fear. We always think of fear as a bad sign. But in truth, fear is not a sign that we're doing something bad; it's a sign we're doing something bold. So many times in life fear can hold us back from doing the thing we're really meant to do. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you don't get scared. When Fear Makes You Doubt Your Ability I was 10 years old the first time I realized I was a good runner-at the skate center of all places. It gave me incredible confidence as a 10-year-old to discover something I was naturally good at. It was this realization that led me to join the track team in middle and high school. Despite my natural running ability and the fact that I loved running, the strangest thing happened before every race. I got scared. I'm not talking about the normal "prerace butterflies." I mean, I was terrified. Being scared made me doubt my ability and made me want to quit. I would beg my coach to take me out of the race, and every time he made me go to the starting line. I love that about him. He made me do it anyway. You'd think that after running multiple events for multiple track meets over multiple years, I wouldn't have gotten scared anymore. But I always did. Then my coach did something that helped me change my focus and interrupt my thought pattern. At one of the track meets, I was begging him to take me out of the race, he looked me in the eyes, exasperated, and said, "Christy, will you just tell me one thing you like about yourself?" Confused, I answered him: "My blue eyes." "Great," he said. "Focus on that. I don't want you to think about the race, the other runners, or your time. Just focus on your blue eyes." Changing my focus from what I was scared about to what I was confident in was just enough to distract the fear out of me. Related: The Fear or Wisdom Filter Changing Your Focus to Overcome Fear Whether you choose to think about what you're scared of or what you're proud of, what you focus on will become magnified in your life. Focusing on what you're good at and what you're proud of will encourage you to get better. Focusing on fear causes you to stay back, give up, or play small. I was a good runner, but fear made me doubt my training, my track record and my natural ability. It doesn't matter how many accomplishments you've earned. The fear can get so loud in your head that it makes you doubt yourself. But here's the good news: You get to choose what you focus on. The thoughts you allow to enter your mind will change your entire experience. My friend Melissa says, "Your mind is multimillion dollar real estate. Be very selective about what you allow to reside there." Related: Ep. 31 - Is It Fear or Wisdom? Three Questions That Will Help You Face Your Fears Walking to any starting line is scary, and it makes you vulnerable. But before you let fear steal your opportunities and rob you of your potential, ask yourself a few questions. What's something you like about yourself? What are you proud of? What's going right in your life or business? And then, focus on those answers instead. It may just be enough to distract the fear right out of you and make you want to go for it. Overcoming Your Fears with Jessica Honegger Jessica Honegger is the founder and co-CEO of the socially conscious fashion brand, the Noonday Collection; author of the book, Imperfect Courage; and host of The Going Scared Podcast. As if that's not impressive enough, she's also the mom of three little ones. Jessica is passionate about encouraging others to leave their comfort zone, move forward even when you're scared, and step into a life of impact. The path to success doesn't always seem clear, but when you focus on what you are confident in-instead of what you are fearful of-moving forward doesn't...

The Business Boutique is a growing community of women who are making money doing what they love. In each episode, business coach and Ramsey Personality Christy Wright takes a deep dive into topics like marketing, selling, social media and profits. Episodes include featured interviews with top experts in each of these areas. Christy delivers motivating and thought-provoking messages while sharing stories of women who have found success that will inspire you on your journey. --- If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com.  New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Are You Ready to Take Control of Your Money in 2021? with Chris Hogan   0:55 How to Win With Money in 2021 8:14 Why It's Time for a Money RESET! with Chris Hogan 28:48 What the Bible Says About Your Money . . . Resources Reset LiveStart fresh on your financial goals for 2021. Text RESET to 33789 to reserve your seat for our free digital event Reset Live on January 12 at 7 p.m. CT. Ramsey+ Get on a plan to help you win with money with Ramsey+: https://bit.ly/3op6xnY We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   Today, we're talking about something that affects every area of life: money. I get to interview my good friend Chris Hogan-who will help us dream big and invest for our financial futures. Finally, we'll wrap up with a few journal questions to help us better understand what the Bible says about money.   How to Win With Money in 2021 How do you feel about the word budget? Whether it makes you want to yawn, or run away, or pull out your spreadsheets and get to work, I want to convince you of one important truth today: A budget it not a killjoy. Sure, it doesn't sound very exciting at first, but do you know what is exciting? Paying for your vacation with cash. Saving for your kid's college. Feeling a sense of peace and contentment in your life because you have what you need. This teaching segment focuses on how to use the power of a budget to move your money goals from dreams to reality.   Why It's Time for a Money RESET! with Chris Hogan I get to sit down with my good friend and bestselling author Chris Hogan to unpack some of the common obstacles that keep us from making progress with money. If we want to actually make some changes in 2021, we need the right mindset, the proper tools and a spirit that's willing to give it a try. Chris sums it up so well: "Don't let pride get in the way of your progress. Ask for help and believe that you can get better."   What the Bible Says About Your Money . . . "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, 'This person began to build and wasn't able to finish.'" Luke 14:28-30 (NIV)   God's word is full of practical wisdom about money. Today's passage teaches us that we are called and commanded to plan-to sit down and estimate the cost of what we feel God leading us to do. If you want to get married this year, or have a baby, or buy a house, or build wells in Africa, you need a budget! Here are a few journal questions to help you process today's verse: How do you feel about the word budget? Be honest! What dreams do you have for this year? Write down all the hopes and goals you have of things you'd like to buy, invest in, and save for this year. Have you budgeted for the things you wrote about in number two? What is one thing you're going to do this week to start working on your plan?

How to Have the Best Christmas   0:45 What People Really Want This Christmas 7:59 Always Running Out of Time? This Is Why. 17:07 Why Slowing Down Is So Important Resources Christy's New Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You, that will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. Get your copy today: https://bit.ly/2UEwRgM Christy's 5-Day Confidence Boost Sign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/2UAMpC0 We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   The very best gift that you can give others and yourself this Christmas is your presence, your attention and your eye contact. So, today on the show, I'm talking about one of the biggest distractions we all struggle with: our phones. Then, I want to unpack some wisdom from John Mark Comer's book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. Finally, I'll leave you with a few questions that will help you really apply this to your lives. Let's jump in.   What People Really Want This Christmas Every single human being has a need to feel seen. That's why the very best gift you can give others and yourself this Christmas is simply your presence, your attention and your eye contact. And let's be honest. We all struggle with how much time we spend on our phones. It steals our moments and our ability to be present for the people who matter the most. When you start intentionally putting your phone down and engaging the person in front of you, you start to realize the gift is not just for the other person-it's a gift for you as well. If you want a great Christmas, you have to show up for it and actually experience it yourself. Believe me: You won't be disappointed.   Always Running Out of Time? This Is Why. I've been reading an incredible book by John Mark Comer called The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. In the book, John talks about the impact our technology is having on our lives and even our attention spans. So, I want to share some of that research with you: In the year 2000, before the digital revolution, our attention span was 12 seconds. It has dropped to eight seconds, to put things in perspective. A goldfish has an attention span of nine seconds. Yeah-we're losing to goldfish. If we can understand the dangerous, addictive nature of technology, screens, apps and notifications, we can guard against it. We can put boundaries and guardrails around our use of technology to help us focus on what matters most. So, if your phone isn't the most important thing in your life, then stop acting like it is. Stop giving it that much of your attention, your eye contact, your energy and your time. What if you just let yourself live in the moment and experience things in real time? What if you looked up, made eye contact, and were actually present for the people and the moments that mattered the most to you? I think, if you'd do that, you'd completely change how you experience your own life.   Why Slowing Down Is So Important "Be still, and know that I am God." - Psalm 46:10 (NIV) A lot of us have this inner drive-this pull-to be everything to everyone. And if I'm honest, a lot of my hurry and rushing and activity and need to do all the things all the time for all the people comes from this deeper need to be the hero and to save the day. I have this Mother Teresa complex. Like, Well, if I don't do it, who will? If I don't do it, it won't get done. As if, somehow, the world hangs on my shoulders (which is laughable). We're busy, we're burned out, and we're running ragged. We're running ourselves to the ground. This verse doesn't ask...

Here's the truth about money: The more you have, the more impact you can make. So why wouldn't you want to make a million dollars in your business? Well, for many of you, it boils down to what you believe. So much of what I teach you is to believe. Believe in yourself, believe that you can do the thing, and believe that God put that dream in your heart for a reason. Remember when you were a kid and you believed? Maybe you believed in Santa, the tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny, even flying reindeer. You believed you could be anything you wanted to be. You believed anything was possible. Maybe you even believed you would be a millionaire when you grew up. But something has changed since then. Something happened as we grew up and became more reasonable and more logical-we stopped believing. At some point in your journey, whether you realized it or not, you stopped believing and you settled. You probably thought, Well, I'm not going to dream too big because I don't want to end up disappointed. If you don't believe something is possible, you're never going to try. When you set goals for your business, you also create a plan to achieve them. It's the same with being a millionaire. If you set a goal of becoming a millionaire, you have to create a plan to make it happen. It's as easy as that. You have to be careful of the words you tell yourself. When you hear those negative thoughts in your head saying, I'm not enough, you just need to have a positive thought prepared to tell yourself, I am enough. I got this. Related: Ep. 58 - Perseverance in Your Business: How to Keep Going When You Want to Give Up Working Through All the Feelings About Wealth We all have perceptions of what we think it takes to be wealthy. We even have perceptions of what we think it means to be wealthy. Should I feel guilty for having money? No! Is it even okay to have wealth? Yes! Yes, it is okay to have wealth! Listen, when God blesses you with His resources, it is up to you to steward these resources well, and He will bless you with more. Imagine the impact you could make if you had an abundance of resources. The bottom line is that you need to be a good and faithful servant of God's resources. Imagine being able to give like never before and change your family tree. Now that right there is what it's all about. Building wealth in a smart way, slow and steady, for the right reasons is the way to go, and you can do this. Don't get me wrong: It's okay to enjoy nice things. There is nothing wrong with that. But the true joy in building your wealth comes from being able to give generously and leave a legacy for your family. Related: How to Set Prices How to Make a Million Dollars in Your Business with Chris Hogan Chris Hogan is the national best-selling author of Retire Inspired, host of The Chris Hogan Show, fellow team member here at Ramsey Solutions and last but not least, my good friend. So, before we get started, let me tell you a little about Chris. You know those people that walk in the room and just own it? The people that have everyone's attention because you just feel their presence? That's Chris Hogan. It's more than his booming voice that commands attention. It's his contagious passion to help people understand how to build wealth and live the life they've always wanted. To say he gets people fired up is a huge understatement. So, in this episode, Chris Hogan and I are going to get you to believe again. Because you may not realize it, but you already have exactly what you need to make a million dollars in your business. The Largest Study Ever Done on How to Make a Million Dollars Steve Jobs once said, "I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance."(1) But don't just take Steve Jobs' word for it-the research backs it up. In the largest study ever done on millionaires, Chris Hogan...

Darkness is scary. When we can't see where we're going, we feel helpless. In this episode, we'll talk about how to find hope in the dark seasons of life. I'll sit down with singer, songwriter and author Ginny Owens, who shares her powerful story about living courageously as a blind person. And we'll wrap up the show by answering a few of your questions from the fishbowl! Remember THIS When You're Going Through Hard Times How to Move Forward When the Unexpected Happens with Ginny Owens How Do I Quit My Job After I Return From Maternity Leave? Resources: Need more time? Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3cs7g3W Get back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/3v8RmBY

It's not easy to admit when we need help. But once we finally do, it can change our entire lives. In this episode, I'll sit down with author and counselor David Thomas to talk about why it's so important to get help. And I'll wrap up the show by answering a big question that someone sent in. You don't want to miss it! Admitting THIS Will Change Your Life How to Know When It's Time to Go to Counseling with David Thomas Do You Really Know What You Want in Life? Resources: Preorder my brand-new book, Take Back Your Time: The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance. https://bit.ly/3fGsTPk Take my quiz to discover the real reason you feel out of balance and what to do about it. https://bit.ly/3AlEXNN Get $5 off your Business Boutique Conference ticket when you use code CHRISTYSHOW. https://bit.ly/3CnCPqP

Ready to Boost Your Confidence? Here's How.   3:00 The Real Way to Build Confidence 17:23 How Do You Work on Yourself with Rachel Cruze 30:42 What Part of Your Life Can You Control Resources Business Boutique ConferenceThe Business Boutique Conference is ON! Join Christy in Nashville on October 22-24 to learn how to launch and grow your own business. You'll be joined by rockstar speakers and other women just like you who are ready to use their God-given gifts to make money doing what they love. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you!   Today's the day: The Christy Wright Show is here! This is something God laid on my heart a while ago, and I truly believe it's going to have a huge impact. Don't worry, we're still going to help you pursue your dreams, build your business, and reach your goals. But we're also going to help you with your life. Because let's face it: You don't have a business life and a home life. You have ONE life. And that's what this show's all about. In each episode, I'm going to give you everything you need to help you break through limitations that are holding you back and keeping you stuck. And once you step outside that box, you might just surprise yourself. I'm really excited to see what new possibilities this opens for you, what God might be doing in your life, and what He has to say. I'll be here to point you toward truth, perspective and the motivation you need to live the life God's calling you to-whether that's making money doing what you love or something completely different. Y'all, I'm so excited to see what God's going to do in and through you as you take this step of faith with us.   The Real Way to Build Confidence Real life-change happens when you work on yourself from the inside out. That's why I want to introduce you to the framework I use to help others do just that. It's called the Core of Confidence. This framework is made up of five stages that help you build confidence in yourself and the God who created you. Let's take a look: Start with your spirit. Protect your mind. Take care of your body. Work on your relationships. Work on your resources-your time, money and energy.   How Do You Work on Yourself with Rachel Cruze Y'all, I'm so excited because one of my best friends is here to talk about one of our favorite topics: working on yourself. Rachel Cruze is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and host of The Rachel Cruze Show. We covered a lot of ground in our conversation, but here are some of my favorite takeaways: What it looks like to invest in yourself and grow as a person How to be intentional with your time Why taking time to work on yourself isn't selfish "I know that I'm such a better mom, I'm such a better wife, I'm such a better friend when I'm functioning out of the whole person of who I am." - Rachel Cruze   What Part of Your Life Can You Control Many of you know that I'm really big on journaling. I think it's so powerful when you take the ideas in your head and the dreams in your heart and get them down on paper. When I journal, I end up writing down thoughts and feelings I didn't even know I had. And more than that, it's an opportunity for God to show up and lead. So, let's jump in and spend some time journaling about today's Scripture. Galatians 6:4-5 (NIV) says, "Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load." Work through these questions below, taking the time to pause, pray and journal: When you try to fix others, how do you feel? How do you feel when you think about controlling you? Which area of your life are you most excited...

If you're like me, you might feel helpless right now. Discouraged and probably overwhelmed. I am with you. I can't change what we are all going through together, but I wanted to do something. So I decided to put together a quick, scrappy and imperfect series to help shine some hope in the chaos we are in. I threw it together, texted a few friends to see if they would want to join me and put it on the calendar. I'm calling it Hope in the Chaos. Today I'm joined by my friend, Christine Caine.   We are going to walk with you and talk with you and process this with you. We're going to pray and talk about what anchors us during this storm.   Would you join me for this? There's no ask. No sale. No agenda. I just want to be present for you as we figure out how to get through this together in the coming days. I care about you friend, and I'm here for you. ??   You can view this entire series and receive the recap emails with journal questions if you visit businessboutique.com/hope.

Do You Know Your TRUE IDENTITY? with Matthew West   0:58 The First Step To Being Yourself 9:45 How To Embrace the Plan That God Has For You with Matthew West 42:47 This is Who You Are in God's Eyes... Resources Christy's New Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You, that will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. Get your copy today: https://bit.ly/3nsUTbm Christy's 5-Day Confidence Boost Sign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/3mjEmVz We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   We're kicking off the new year with an important topic: Where does your identity come from? Do we take our cues from Pinterest or Instagram influencers or what our boss says about us? We'll get some life-changing answers from God's Word. Plus, I get to sit down with award-winning songwriter Matthew West to talk about his new book on identity: Hello, My Name Is.   The First Step to Being Yourself When we're feeling lost, we cling to our titles and our roles, and we hold on to what we can accomplish or what others say about us. But there's a deeper truth to keep us grounded, even when people and circumstances change around us. In today's teaching, I'll share a story about one of the first times I ever heard God speak to me and the powerful truth he taught me about identity.   How to Embrace the Plan That God Has for You with Matthew West Y'all, I am so excited to sit down with award-winning musician Matthew West to talk about his new album, Brand New, and new book, Hello, My Name Is: Discover Your True Identity. We get all sorts of labels from the world around us-from what we've done or failed to do, from what we wear, drive or eat, from where we work, or who we hang out with. But, as Matthew points out, discovering who you are starts with knowing whose you are. On your best and your worst day, you can know that God loves you. You can choose to believe what He says about you instead of creating an identity for yourself. This is the foundation for the greatest confidence in the world.   This Is Who You Are in God's Eyes . . . But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. . . Because you are precious in my eyes, And honored, and I love you." - Isaiah 43:1, 4 (ESV) Precious and honored probably aren't the words you'd normally use to describe how you're feeling. But regardless of how you feel, what you've done or haven't done, or what's been done to you, you are a child of God-if you have chosen to enter into relationship with Him. He loves you. So, to help us really grasp our identity as children of God, here are a few journal questions to think about: Where do you normally find your identity? How does it feel to think that God is all yours, all the time? How does it feel to imagine that you never get on God's nerves? In what areas of life do you need God to remind you who you are?

In this episode, I'll cover four tips for getting over the guilt in your life. Dr. Meg Meeker will stop by! She's a pediatrician, mother, and best-selling author of six books, and she'll talk to us about raising a family while also growing our businesses. We'll also hear from Kim Hughes, owner of Kim Hughes Coaching in Mineola, Texas. Kim was a stay-at-home mom who started a side-business to earn extra money. Twenty years later her side-business has grown into three businesses that employ Kim, her husband, and nine other team members. 1:38 Getting Over the Guilt in Your Life 15:29 Interview with Dr. Meg Meeker 46:48 BB Success Story with Kim Hughes 58:51 Homework -- Take part in our Business Boutique Podcast Listener Survey and enter to win a $100 Target gift card by going to BusinessBoutique.com/survey Enter to win one of ten copies of Dr. Meg Meeker's book, The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity, at BusinessBoutique.com/podcast -- If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com New podcast episodes are available every other week.

There's this idea out there that building relationships is just easy for some people. And sure, if you have a social personality and are naturally an extrovert, or if you love to talk and connect with people, then yes, maybe building relationships is easier for you. But your personality style doesn't have to dictate your ability to build relationships! After all, everyone has a little bit of insecurity in them. As you can probably guess, I'm a huge extrovert. But I still get a little nervous walking into a party or situation where I don't know anyone. We all know what it's like to feel like the new kid at school. So for those of us who have a super extroverted personality style, it doesn't mean that we won't ever struggle with building relationships. And building relationships isn't only vital in your life, but it's also vital to your business. Everything you will ever achieve in your life will come through people-so becoming good at building relationships is one of the most important skills you can develop. In fact, if you don't have key relationships, you won't get anywhere. Related: 4 Friends You Need in Business Why Are Business Relationships so Important? Even if the only person that works in your business is you, you still don't have to go it alone. Building strong business relationships will set you up for success in these areas: Getting your products into stores Collaborating with bloggers and influencers Gaining referrals for new customers Connecting your clients with supplemental vendors Overcoming challenges when you get stuck And who doesn't need help with at least one of those things? So, in this episode, I'll give you the five steps to making strong business connections. My Guest This Week Is Emily Richett! Emily is a publicist, consultant, and the founder of Richett Media. She is a former TV news reporter. While in that role, she covered over 6,000 inspiring stories about entrepreneurs, businesses and nonprofit organizations. So, she's basically an expert on how to share the story of your business and get exposure. Sharing your story is one of the strongest ways you can build business relationships and get PR, and we're going to learn so much from her! In this podcast, Emily and I talk about: Why it's easier than you think to get media coverage, especially as a small-business owner How to think like a reporter and pitch your story as valuable to them, so that they actually want to help you get exposure and access to their audience The best times of year to seek out local media coverage based on your type of business Overcoming Imposter Syndrome when you're competing with owners of bigger businesses How to build amazing relationships with reporters and influencers so they have you back for repeat collaborations Creative, outside-the-box ways to promote your business From Building Relationships to Busting Business Loan Myths I was reading a Forbes article the other day called "Best Small-Business Loans For Women in 2018," and I was encouraged to see the latest stats on female-owned businesses. Basically, y'all are killing it. But the article goes on to talk about all the different ways you can get small-business financing. Now, you know I'm all about y'all growing your businesses. What I don't want you to do is believe that taking out loans is the only way to do that. In fact, taking out a loan isn't an indicator of success or growth-it's a risk and a loss of power. But I am here to tell you that you can chase your dream and achieve success-and do it all debt-free! In fact, I know and have personally seen countless women who've done just that. Just listen to my podcast interview with Melissa Hinnant, founder of Grace & Lace, who did $800,000 in sales her first year in business without borrowing a penny. In this episode, I'm going on a bit of Christy-rant to address this issue head-on! Plus, I'll answer a question...

Stories have a way of getting into our heads and our hearts in a way that nothing else can. So in this episode, I'll tell you the three things you need to tell effective stories that will help your business. Plus, my guest this week is world-famous photographer Jeremy Cowart. He'll tell us about how he's now booked countless speaking gigs because of the way he incorporated story into a presentation one time. And I'll answer your top business questions! 1:07 How to Use Storytelling in Your Business 15:15 Interview with Jeremy Cowart 39:09 BB Success Story with Karen Stewart 44:07 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 52:37 Homework - Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy and get $10 off your first month or $30 off your first year by using the code BBACADEMY at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. This offer is good through through June 30, 2017. Sign up today! - To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Buy my new book, Business Boutique: A Woman's Guide for Making Money Doing What She Loves, and receive a FREE Marketing Basics You Can't Afford to Miss video, a $40 value for only $19.99. Visit BusinessBoutique.com/BBBook and use the code BBBOOK to also receive an exclusive podcast interview with Nicole Walters on Sales. Order today! Limited-time offer. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. Ask me a business question via social media by using #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Did you know that the beginning stages of Paul the Apostle's ministry were greatly affected by a woman? And not just any woman: Lydia, a successful businesswoman, who many scholars believe to be his first known convert. Specifically, she sold purple cloth-which, back then, was valuable and expensive. It was a sign of wealth, nobility and royalty. Purple cloth was purchased and worn by members of the royal family and Roman senators. So Lydia's customers-her demographic and target market, in fact-were upper-class people. And we can assume that Lydia was successful and prosperous because she owned a home with enough rooms to host Paul and three of his friends overnight at the same time! What I love about Lydia's story is that it's a biblical example of how God cares about our life as a whole, not just our spiritual life. The biblical account of her life doesn't shy away from the fact that she was a successful businesswoman. And why would it? God cares about our business pursuits! He is the One who gave us those gifts to be used in the first place. If it weren't for Lydia's business, would she have had the means and the space to house Paul and his companions overnight? Maybe not. Later in her story, she once again offers up her home as a place for the early church to meet. Lydia didn't operate what we would call a "Christian" or faith-based business, but her business and her lifestyle of faith was certainly helping Christians. Related: What Happens When You Use Your Gifts One of my favorite Bible passages speaks to not only using your gifts, but also using them as a light for others: "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) How Can Faith Affect Your Business? As a Christian, when you live a life of faith, you are being true to yourself. But you may have wondered how prominent your faith should be in your business. There are two ways to approach faith in business: Your business is identified as being in the Christian sector. Your business is in the general marketplace but is owned by someone of faith. Choosing which approach to take in your business is an important decision, because it will affect your: Marketing Unique position Labeling Access to other markets In this episode, I'll explain the real differences here and give lots of examples. I want you to decide which path makes the most sense for you. That way, you can reach the most people! My First Guest This Week Is Alli Worthington! Alli is an author, speaker, mom of five boys (send prayers), and the executive director of Propel Women. She's an amazing entrepreneurial coach, helping everyone from small-business owners all the way up to fortune 500 companies! But being a successful businesswoman wasn't always part of Alli's story. She shares her journey of dealing with an unsettling force that so many of us deal with: anxiety. Alli remembers one day in a Target parking lot when she broke down in tears. She called a friend for help, and her friend told her, "You're so held down by the weight of fear and worry-and you're trying to make safety your god." But Alli thought that was normal. She thought anxiety was just part of modern life. It wasn't until the release of her first book-while simultaneously walking with her husband through a serious illness-that she was able to confront her fears head on and break free from anxiety. Alli's story is a very real example of how tough, terrifying and downright unpleasant it can be to put one foot in front of the other, trusting God and pursuing what you love in the face of fear. In this podcast, Alli and I talk about: How men and...

In this episode, we'll dig into the specifics for your business like platforms, policies, branding and target market. I promise, it's fun! We'll talk about the operational side of running a business with the founder of Grace and Lace: my friend Melissa Hinnant. She has one of the most inspiring stories I've ever heard-you'll love hearing from her. And Donald Miller will help us understand why telling your story is such a powerful way to reach your target audience. 1:15    Tiers 3&4 of the BB Business Plan 20:47  Interview with Donald Miller 37:40  Interview with Melissa Hinnant 49:06  BB Success Story with Megan Hardwick 56:37  Homework Get your free Business Boutique Quick Start Guide by filling out the form here! - To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com.  New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Need More Time, Money and Energy? Here's the Solution.   0:44 Three Things You Need to Value More 12:00 The Secret to Protecting Your Time with Michael Hyatt 28:29 Are You Wasting Your Resources? Resources 25 Ways to Protect Your Time If you don't protect what matters to you, no one else will. That's why I created a list of 25 ways to protect your time-so you can say no without causing any hurt feelings. The next time a friend or family member asks you to add something to your already full plate, you can politely pass with confidence. Download the guide now for free! Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you!   As we continue to work through the outer layer of the Core of Confidence, we're diving into what it looks like to value our resources-our time, money and energy. Bestselling author and productivity expert Michael Hyatt joins me to discuss what it actually looks like to manage your resources, like your calendar and productivity. Then, we're going to process it all through a few journal questions about becoming better stewards of our time, money and energy. Let's dive in!   Three Things You Need to Value More Here's what I've noticed: There's a major difference in my life when I value something and when I don't. One of the most limited resources we have is our time, but it's often the thing we value the least, treating it like it's limitless. God calls us to be good stewards of our time, money and energy. But when it comes to actually doing that, we feel anxious, stressed and frustrated. There's a disconnect between what you care about and what your life actually reflects. Life balance isn't about doing everything for an equal amount of time. It's about doing the right things at the right time and living from your values. It's about spending your one life on what you actually care about. When you're living from your values, you'll be less stressed and more confident. Why? Because you're choosing to be intentional with what God has given you. And as you learn to value your resources and strengthen that muscle overtime, you'll look up and realize you not only like yourself, but you also actually like the life that you're living.   The Secret to Protecting Your Time with Michael Hyatt Today, I'm chatting with bestselling author Michael Hyatt. Michael is brilliant when it comes to time management and productivity, so we're unpacking what it looks like to value your resources-especially your time. Here are some key points from our conversation: Debunking the "hustle fallacy" The possibility of winning at home and work Finding success in time management Giving yourself permission to be present Being generous with your resources without burning out   Are You Wasting Your Resources? Our Scripture of the week comes from Matthew 25:14-30 called The Parable of the Talents. We have an opportunity and a responsibility to be faithful with what we've been given and to be wise stewards of our money, time and what we put our energy, efforts and talents into. Think about what this means in your life, both spiritually and practically, and write down your answers to these questions: Which do you tend to do more? Do you tend to be overly generous, or maybe even wasteful with your resources, where you just kind of spend it without thinking? Or do you tend to hold your resources with closed fists? Where do you sense God is trying to help you grow when it comes to your resources? Write down a prayer asking God to show you how he wants you to spend your resources: your time, money, energy, focus and effort.

Today, we're talking about some simple steps for improving your life-especially if you're a parent. First, we'll walk through five signs that something needs to change in your life, and what to do about it. Then I talk with my friend Dr. Meg Meeker about how to stop chasing perfection and start having more fun as a parent. And we'll wrap up with a super relatable question from a stay-at-home mom! 5 Signs Something Needs to Change in Your Life Your Kids NEED This From You How to Stop Dreading Each Day Crush your goals with the 2022 Goal Planner: https://bit.ly/3hIfbg2 Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/2XsmHnL Join us at the Business Boutique Conference to learn how to make money doing what you love. https://bit.ly/39hB4Os

There are some great qualities and traits I see so many women have, but for one reason or another, they dismiss them. But to succeed in business, all you have to do is take the qualities you're already using in other areas of your life and apply them to your business! So in this episode, I've got real life examples and practical ways to do that. My guest this week is Robin Shliakhau, the owner of Simplify and Pursue. She'll tell us about how her passion for decluttering her own house led to a booming business-complete with consultation services, speaking engagements, and a blog-she now loves. Robin actually grew her Facebook likes from 600 to 9,000 in just one year! She'll share her social media strategy with us, too. And I'll answer questions from Irvine, California Business Boutique event attendees! 1:10 Five Qualities You Need to Win in Business 19:47 Interview with Robin Shliakhau 40:03 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 49:45 Homework - Pre-order my new book, Business Boutique: A Woman's Guide for Making Money Doing What She Loves, for only $20 and get $60 in free bonus items! Visit BusinessBoutique.com/BBBook and use the code BBBOOK to also receive an exclusive podcast interview with Nicole Walters on Sales. Order today!  Limited-time offer. To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. Ask me a business question via social media by using #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT New podcast episodes are available every other week.

If you're like me, you might feel helpless right now. Discouraged and probably overwhelmed. I am with you. I can't change what we are all going through together, but I wanted to do something. So I decided to put together a quick, scrappy and imperfect series to help shine some hope in the chaos we are in. I threw it together, texted a few friends to see if they would want to join me and put it on the calendar. I'm calling it Hope in the Chaos. Today I'm joined by my friend, Jennifer Allwood.   We are going to walk with you and talk with you and process this with you. We're going to pray and talk about what anchors us during this storm.   Would you join me for this? There's no ask. No sale. No agenda. I just want to be present for you as we figure out how to get through this together in the coming days. I care about you friend, and I'm here for you. ??   You can view this entire series and receive the recap emails with journal questions if you visit businessboutique.com/hope.

Most Women Hate This...   0:46 Stop Being Mean to This Friend 13:03 One Thing You Need to Stop Obsessing About with Lisa Bevere 37:02 The Gift You're Missing Out On... Resources Business Boutique ConferenceThe Business Boutique Conference is ON! Join Christy in Nashville on October 22-24 to learn how to launch and grow your own business. You'll be joined by rockstar speakers and other women just like you who are ready to use their God-given gifts to make money doing what they love. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you!   Welcome to The Christy Wright Show! Today, we're going to jump into talking about how you can appreciate your body-this one body you've been given. I know this is a topic that starts to make all of us feel pretty uncomfortable, but y'all, it's that important. Lisa Bevere is joining me today to unpack what it looks like to really like and appreciate the body you've been given.   Stop Being Mean to This Friend We all have this negative voice in our heads that tell us we're not enough . . . not pretty enough, not skinny enough, not young enough, and the list goes on. And we always think, "If I looked like that, I wouldn't have these thoughts." But it doesn't matter what you look like, because no one is exempt from it. The way you talk to yourself affects your sense of confidence and joy. It affects who you are and what you do in this life more than you can possibly imagine. It affects the example you set for your children, friends and even your coworkers. So, it's time to change the narrative. It's time to start appreciating this one body God gave you to live in. Scripture says your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Your body was created by God, and I guarantee you that He doesn't make mistakes. I believe that He loves your body. He even likes it. And He probably wants you to love it and like it as well. Think about it: Would you ever treat your friend how you're treating yourself? It's time you actually become friends with your body, appreciate it, and celebrate it.   So, if you're going to build confidence in yourself and the God who created you-if you're going to get back to yourself and live this amazing life that God has for you-you have to start appreciating this one body you've been given.   One Thing You Need to Stop Obsessing About with Lisa Bevere I'm so excited to hang out with Lisa Bevere today as we talk about what it looks like to appreciate your body. Lisa is the bestselling author of several books, and she just recently published a new women's devotional called Strong. Here are a few highlights from our conversation: The myth women believe about their bodies How easily the number on the scale can become an idol Why you should appreciate your body right now How to steward your body and your health . . . without obsessing over them   The Gift You're Missing Out On... "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." -1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) You are not your own. You were bought at a price. I love this idea of a different layer of responsibility, not only because it obviously affects how we think about ourselves and our sense of confidence, but it's also a command from God who loves us very much. He knows what's best for us. He knows what we need. He knows what we were created for. So He gives us commands and instructions in His words. And one of the commands is to honor God with your body. Today, I want you to be really honest with yourself as you write down the answers to these questions: How do you normally...

Balancing Social Media in Business and in Life   1:20 Five Ways You Can Create a Healthy Balance with Social Media 18:51 Maximizing Social Media for Your Business With Jasmine Star 40:20 Challenge to Just Be You Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Business Boutique Academy Waitlist We are opening enrollment for the Business Boutique Academy on October 25! Text the code ACADEMYWAITLIST to 33444 to sign up for the Business Boutique Academy Waitlist and be notified the moment enrollment opens! 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner  The NEW Business Boutique Goal Planner is almost here! join the waitlist today by texting BBPLANNER to 33444. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Let's be honest: Social media is hard to balance. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with it, right? We love to check Instagram and know what's going on. But then we hate ourselves for wanting to check it all the time. When we open Facebook multiple times a day, we feel guilty for not paying more attention to our kids or our work. So, we swing between two extremes: being on social media all the time or feeling like we can't be on it at all. That's why I think it's so important to talk about how to balance social media. Because the truth is, social media in and of itself isn't evil. It's all in how we use it. In fact, social media has a ton of great benefits: It allows you to stay connected with family and friends who live far away. It gives you a place to share exciting updates-from new babies to new homes. It's like having a giant virtual album of multiple years of your life. It allows you to connect with different groups of people who have similar passions. When it comes to your business, it's free marketing! I want you to take advantage of these awesome benefits, but I still want to encourage you to build healthy boundaries around your screen time so it doesn't consume your life. Here are Five Ways You Can Create a Healthy Balance with Social Media: 1. Know when not to use it. There are times to use social media, and there are times not to use social media. Some examples of times you shouldn't use it are when you're: Having dinner with your family On a date with your spouse Having lunch with a friend In the middle of any kind of conversation with another human being Related: Ep 70: How to Be Content in Every Situation  When you check social media while someone is trying to spend quality time with you, you communicate that they're not as important as whatever is happening on your phone. To avoid the temptation to even look down at your phone when you're spending time with someone, put it out of sight completely. Before you take out your phone to check what everyone else is doing or to post what you're doing, you can also ask yourself some important questions like: Is it more important that I know what everyone else is doing right now, or is it more important that I experience what I'm doing? Is it more important that the outside world knows what I'm doing right now, or is it more important that I experience it myself? I'm willing to bet, almost every single time, these questions are no-brainers. So put your phone down. Keep it in your purse or your pocket and be where your feet are. Be present in the moment. 2. Pick your balance. I can give you all the tips and tricks to balance social media, but at the end of the day, you have to decide the types of boundaries you need. You have to decide what time you're on and what time you're off, and what times...

Why Faith Is the Key to Personal Development with Lysa TerKeurst   1:24 Why Faith and Personal Development Go Together 13:56 How to Find Beauty in Your Story with Lysa TerKeurst 41:04 My Faith Story Resources Christy's 7-Day Time FinderNeed more time? Get back 24 hours in your week by signing sign up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3bmPn63 Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. https://bit.ly/3y5V9m9   Today, we're tackling a big topic: how to trust God and still take responsibility for your life. I also get to have a conversation with my good friend Lysa TerKeurst about how to find beauty in the midst of pain. And guess what? At the end of the show, I'll share a brand-new segment with you. You don't want to miss it!   Why Faith and Personal Development Go Together People in the faith world can look down on people in the self-help world, and vice versa. But do they have to exist on such opposite extremes? I share my thoughts.   How to Find Beauty in Your Story with Lysa TerKeurst Y'all, I'm so excited to share this conversation with you. Lysa TerKeurst is an author, speaker and Bible teacher who has impacted the lives of millions of people, including mine! Today, we talk about how to find beauty even when life is full of heartbreak.   My Faith Story In today's brand-new show segment, I get personal by answering your questions and telling you my personal faith journey.

Today, we're talking about how to know when to hustle and when to slow down. I'll sit down with my good friend Jennifer Allwood-a business owner, coach and author. She'll share a few secrets about how she maintains life balance. And I'll wrap up the show by answering a few of the questions you've sent in! Should I Hustle More or Slow Down? Is THIS Getting in the Way of Your Priorities? with Jennifer Allwood What Do I Do if My Partner Isn't Ready to Get Married?   Need more time? Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/2SqSBix Join us at the Business Boutique Conference to learn how to make money doing what you love. https://bit.ly/2ROSkFU Get back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. https://bit.ly/3xgyIcQ

Shame is the root of so many things we experience in our lives, whether we realize it or not. It may be holding you back in your business, in your relationships, and from believing in yourself. Shame is a powerful, far-reaching force that will keep you from living the abundant life that God has for you! So in this episode, we're going to change what we believe about ourselves. We're going to overcome the mistakes you've made in your past, or maybe the wrong that's been done to you. It's time to remember who you are, and more importantly, Whose you are. My guest this week is my friend, author and speaker Lisa Bevere! Lisa co-founded Messenger International, and she'll tell us how she broke through the limits she thought were on her life to step into the big things God had for her. This is one of my favorite and most powerful interviews ever on the podcast! Our success story is Kasey Hill, founder of the financial literacy program, Growing Wealth From the Start. Kasey began her business while she was a stay-at-home mom, so she's a great example of balancing the roles of mom and business owner. Plus, I'll answer your business questions from Business Boutique events! 1:08 Shake Off Your Shame 17:59 Interview with Lisa Bevere 44:58 BB Success Story with Kasey Hill 54:50 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 63:28 Homework Get Christy's step-by-step guide to shake the shame by filling out the form here! To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

I've been coaching business leaders for about a decade now, and over the years I've noticed an unfortunate theme pop up again and again. It's something that holds people back in both business and in life: People want something to change, but they don't want to make a change. You know what I'm talking about! You've probably been there yourself. Maybe you've wanted to lose weight, get out of debt, or make new friends, but you don't want to eat healthier, spend less money, or leave your house! You want to see different results without actually doing anything differently. Maybe this applies to your business right now. Maybe your sales have been stalled or your profits have plummeted, and you just feel stuck. Friend, this episode is for you-because I'm going to give you five ways to grow your business. Related: Assume You Can But-spoiler alert!-it's going to take trying some new things. Because if you keep doing what you've been doing, you'll keep getting what you've been getting. But not this summer. This is going to be the summer you tried something different to get different results! Everything you want is on the other side of your comfort zone. So if you want to grow your business, it might mean being uncomfortable and doing things that scare you. But that's okay, because if you know that going in, you can do it anyway. Overcoming the Lies That Hold You and Your Business Back With Rachel Hollis Rachel Hollis is an author, speaker, and the founder and CEO of Chic Media. She and I are kindred spirits because we are both absolutely on fire for women who want to grow their businesses. Her new book, Girl, Wash Your Face, addresses the lies Rachel found herself believing throughout her life. You've probably heard some of them playing on a loop in your head, too: "I'm not enough." "I'm defined by my weight." "I'm not a good mom." Wherever these lies stem from-whether it's society, your mother-in-law, or the devil himself-Rachel realized they define so much about how we live our lives, and she's made it her goal to confront them head on. In this episode, Rachel Hollis and I talk about: Why women sometimes make ourselves seem small to make others feel more comfortable-and how we're hurting our potential in the process How she gained traction with a blog and grew that into a content and marketing business Making your followers, fans and customers feel known, seen and loved Getting the nerve to raise your rates and charge at the high end of whatever industry you're in Dealing with mom guilt and the very real insecurities we feel as working moms Rachel Cruze on Growing Your Business Dream This is the episode with my favorite Rachels! Rachel Cruze is a #1 New York Times best-selling author and host of The Rachel Cruze Show. She's also one of my best friends and I love watching her shine in her gifts-which, in her case, looks like helping women all over the country live their best life on a budget! Related: Ep. 3-How to Stop Feeling Guilty for Making Money In this episode, Rachel Cruze and I talk about: The secret to getting your spouse on board with your business and your budget How our upbringing shapes the way we view money and business The benefits of positive thinking and dreaming and how that can affect and grow your business Plus, I'll answer some of the questions you asked using our brand-new Business Boutique call-in line: 844.944.1074. 1:19 5 Ways to Grow Your Business This Summer 14:55 Interview with Rachel Hollis 39:40 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 48:58 Interview with Rachel Cruze 65:24 Homework Get Christy's Goal Setting Tool by filling out the form here! To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Idea Bootcamp at BusinessBoutique.com/Bootcamp. Use the code BOOTCAMP to receive the Business Boutique audiobook for free! If you have a success story you would like to share with...

Develop Self-Awareness and Turn Your Weaknesses Into Strengths   1:21 The Difference Between Goals and Habits 6:24 Five Good Habits to Cultivate in Your Life 20:05 Building Good Habits with Anthony ONeal 42:31 Challenge: A New Habit for the Decision-Making Process Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Business Boutique Academy Waitlist We are opening enrollment for the Business Boutique Academy on October 25! Text the code ACADEMYWAITLIST to 33444 to sign up for the Business Boutique Academy Waitlist and be notified the moment enrollment opens! 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. There was a season in my life when I'd get up every single morning at 4 a.m. to work out. There was a season in my life when I'd get up every single morning at 4 a.m. to work out with my friend Rachel Cruze at our local YMCA. Yes, you read that correctly-4 a.m.! We got up day after day, week after week, and month after month at that crazy, early hour. Honestly, we didn't have any lofty goals. We didn't even necessarily want to lose weight. We simply wanted to be healthier-and, I'm telling you, it paid off. I was in the best shape of my life. Do you know why I saw such improvement in that season? It wasn't because I exerted high, intense effort over a short amount of time. It was the result of being consistent with a new habit over a long period of time. The result was looking better and feeling better-and y'all, I even had biceps! Related: Ep 82: Succeed at Anything By Understanding the Importance of Discipline You know, when I look back at the last 10 or 15 years of my adult life, it's easy to pinpoint the reasons why some years were really good and others were not so good. I can almost always trace the good or bad of any particular season to the habits I was cultivating (or not cultivating) that year. Believe it or not, getting up at 4 a.m. to work out with my friend wasn't super difficult. Sure, getting started that first week was hard. But after that, it got easier and easier because it became a habit. It became something I did without thinking. The Difference Between Goals and Habits We talk about goals all the time-y'all know what a major role they play in my life. But goals are different from habits. Goals tend to have a starting point and an ending point. They're an intentional action where you take initiative to do something new, big and impressive. Related: Ep 38: Hitting Big Goals By Winning Small Habits aren't exactly like that. Habits are a recurring action you commit to doing day in and day out. They're often not new, big or impressive. They're small changes and tiny tweaks you make to your daily routine. When you first start to cultivate a good habit, it feels insignificant and like you're not making much of a difference. But over time, you begin to see the dramatic impact they can have on your life. For example, cultivating a good habit might look like: Choosing water over Coke every time you eat out at a restaurant Reading Scripture first thing in the morning rather than scrolling through Instagram Those are tiny, unimpressive habits. But over time, as you continue choosing water over Coke and Scripture over Instagram, you'll notice a change in your life. And it...

Reflect on God's Faithfulness with This Christmas Tradition   0:53 My Favorite Christmas Tradition Resources 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Merry Christmas, y'all! A million years ago, before I was married and had kids, and before life got so busy, my mother encouraged me to try a new Christmas tradition-one she'd been doing most of her life. Even before she had me, every year my mom would sit down and write a letter when she was packing up her ornaments after Christmas. In the letter, she would write about all the major things that happened in her life that year. She'd write about the highs, the lows, and everything in between. When she was done, she'd fold up the letter, pack it up in her box of ornaments, and put it away in the attic, not to be seen again until the following year. Related: What People Want the Most From You This Christmas A year later, when it was time to bring out all her Christmas decorations from the attic, she would open that letter and read it. She loved this tradition because it amazed her to see how much could happen in just a single year. Well, I loved this idea so much that I also started doing it in 2006. Now, I'll tell you, it wasn't very sophisticated. I would sit down with a couple pieces of printer paper and just write down all my thoughts-in true Christy fashion, I rambled on and on and was very honest. For example, in my letter from 2006, there's a line that says, "Dear God, please let me go on at least one date next year." Well, bless my heart. Apparently, that was a tough year in the love department . . . But you know what's so amazing? Year after year, as I've written these letters and then faithfully put them away to open the following year, I've always been blown away at not only how much can happen in a single year, but also how faithful God continues to be. I start every letter by talking about what happened that year, and I end every letter by writing out prayers, dreams and hopes for the next year. When I read the letter from the year before, I feel like I'm living in the fulfillment of God's promises that I had prayed for (and forgotten about). I remember, in December of 2014, sitting on my couch, reading my Christmas letter from 2013. One of my prayers that year was that Matt and I could start a family. And y'all, I was holding that letter over a giant belly-my son Carter was due the very next month! Of course, every year isn't like this. My letter from 2016 had prayers that Matt's grandfather, grandmother, and our 11-year-old dog Jackson would get better. But all three of those loved ones passed away that year. Tears streamed down my face as I read those heartfelt prayers. That was hard to read. Related: Ep 70: How to Be Content in Every Situation But you know what? Even in the despair, even in the grief, and even when it seemed like God didn't fulfill that promise or answer those prayers, I was still able to see God's faithfulness in how those events played out. Writing this letter has looked differently since marrying Matt because-I'll be honest-he writes them reluctantly. But we've gotten into a rhythm. Here's how we do it: Every single Christmas, I'll sit down with our notebook (we upgraded from printer paper!) and write my Christmas letter for the year. And then I'll give the notebook to Matt so that he can write his letter. And the following year, I read my letter aloud to Matt, and Matt reads his letter aloud to me. I'd like to point out that my...

What You Know About Money Is Wrong   0:57 Not Living the Life You Want? Change This Habit. 12:18 Most Americans Are Now Doing This. Are You? 21:51 Are You Stressed About Money? Let's Change That. Resources Ramsey+ Free TrialNever worry about money again! When you have the right plan, tools and teaching, you can be confident you're always doing the right thing with your money. Ramsey+ gives you all that-the plan, the tools and teaching-in one all-access membership. Sign up for a free trial of Ramsey+ today! https://bit.ly/2ZftJuE Christy's Business Budgeting BasicsDo you have a small business or side hustle? Get a quick-start budget that you can use when you need to record a new monthly budget for your business. This way you'll have a clear picture of where your money is going each month! Download my free Business Budgeting Basics! https://bit.ly/301chsW     We're continuing to talk through the outer layer of the Core of Confidence: Valuing Your Resources. And as you know, our resources include time, money and even energy. We're going to do a deep dive into the topic of managing our money in ways that bring glory to God. We're also going to dig into current events and highlight some good news that came out of this pandemic. Finally, we'll spend some time journaling on what this looks like for you. Let's go!   Not Living the Life You Want? Change This Habit. Y'all, I've made some massive mistakes with money. Growing up, I never really heard the word no very often. But that led to some problems when I got older. I didn't understand that you had to make choices with your money, live within your means, use a budget, and save for things you really want. For years, I chose to live a life of barely getting by and putting most of my paychecks toward debt and payments. I called my mom often, asking her to put money in my bank account because I couldn't make it to my next payday. But one day when I was around 24 years old, I had to call my mom again to ask her to put money in my bank account. I was so fed up. I knew I couldn't live like this. I knew that I wanted nothing more in my life than the dignity of paying for my own lifestyle, my own expenses and my own bills. That day, something in me changed. I decided I was going to work really, really hard to get out of debt. So, I tackled it like you tackle anything-one tiny step at a time. And exactly one week before I got engaged to my husband, Matt, I became debt-free. I made that final payment. I won't ever forget how it felt to feel that freedom. I won't ever forget how it felt to know that when I got paid on Friday, I was going to actually get to keep my money. I won't forget how it felt to go into my engagement completely debt-free. But I also will never forget the shame and the fear that haunted me every single payday. We've all bought into this lie that this is just how it is. But I want to tell you that there's a different way to live life. You don't have to struggle with your money forever. You don't have to barely get by. You don't have to feel fear when you check the mailbox. But in order for that to happen, you have to decide that you're going to do something different. You have to have that moment that I had and say, Never again. I'm not going to live like this anymore. I'm not going to depend on credit cards. I'm not going to be sinking in debt up to my eyeballs. Never again. Today, you have to think long term, not short term. Make the decision to change your life. When you do, you won't just change your life-you'll change your entire family tree. I know you can do it, and I can't wait to watch you win.   Most Americans Are Now Doing This. Are You? In America, people are stockpiling their cash and savings rates are going up. I think we can all come to the conclusion that this is happening because of the pandemic and the current state of the economy. This is a really important...

Some people think I help people find their calling. But I'll be the first to tell you that's not what I do. It's just not my thing. The idea that there is only one purpose I was put on this Earth to do is paralyzing. I actually believe there are many things I could do that would get me excited about going to work on a Monday morning. And I think the same is probably true for you. Related: Why You Shouldn't Worry About Finding Your Calling That's why I don't deal with callings. Instead, I help people discover something they're really good at and enjoy doing, so they can turn it into a business they love. I love this because when people know what they're passionate about, they begin to live intentionally in their purpose. They become more thoughtful and action-oriented because now they know exactly what to go after. Rather than just reacting to whatever life throws at them, they set goals and carefully evaluate the steps needed to get there. This is important because when you decide to live on purpose in your purpose, you'll experience more fulfillment and success. Why? Because nothing will push you to work harder than whatever it is that fires you up. So let me ask you: Is this the kind of life you're living today? I know it can be hard to feel sure, which is why I have three clues you can look for to figure this out. How Do You Know If You're Living an Intentional Life?  1. You're Living in Your Gifts and Strengths I believe God made you 100% unique. There's no one else on this Earth who has your combination of voice, style, perspective, experience and interests. Understanding and utilizing the gifts God has given you in your business is critical to your success. Like I said earlier: When you're not working in your strengths, you not only won't enjoy your work, but you'll also lack the motivation to push through the rough patches. And let me tell you, there are a lot of those in business. If you could use more encouragement around using your God-given gifts in business, download my free 7-Day Devotional in the Resources section below. 2. You're Passionate About What You're Pursuing Just like your strengths and your gifts, God also created you with unique interests, values and passions. I love dancing, but I hate details. I get really excited about adventure and being outside, but I'm not a fan of math, history or science. I'm passionate about people and relationships, but I'm not crazy about politics. But you know what's so fascinating? There are lots of people out there who do get excited about the things I don't like. So what gets you excited? What makes you light up and come alive? What gives you energy and joy? Take your time thinking and praying over these questions. It will help you identify whether you're actually passionate about what you're doing. Related: How to Find Your Passion and Grow a Business You Love 3. You're Making a Difference God didn't create any of us to be an island-off on our own unconcerned about the rest of the world. In fact, I believe He created us to live and work in community. It means He gave us our unique strengths, gifts and passions for the purpose of blessing other people. When you focus on the needs of the people you're helping and serving, you're making a difference. You're impacting someone's life, and that's a clear indicator that you're exactly where you need to be. This week, I want to challenge you to look for specific examples of each clue in your life. Are you living in your strengths? Are you passionate about what you're doing? Are you making a difference in some way? The list you compile should tell you one of two things: You're doing exactly what you should be doing right now. It's time to start making small changes that will lead you where you want to be in the future. Related: How to Push Past Your Comfort Zone and Try Something New How to Cultivate a Life of Purpose with Lara...

This episode is just like having coffee with some of Business Boutique's best friends! Get to know the host of the Smart Passive Income podcast, Pat Flynn; vice president of DigitalMarketer, Molly Pittman; speaker and author of 100 Days to Brave, Annie F. Downs; and creator of The Monetized Life, Nicole Walters. They'll answer your most burning questions, and more! 2:36 What does work/life balance look like? 10:59 What tools do you use to keep your schedule, your business and your life on track? 19:30 What do you do when business is slow? 35:13 What are some effective ways to turn work "off" when working from home? 37:10 What are some ways to stay focused?   This podcast was recorded during our Business Boutique 2017 VIP Lunch in Nashville, TN. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

In this episode, we're talking about something that impacts us all: how to adjust to new life seasons. I get to sit down with my good friend, author and podcaster Stephanie May Wilson, who shares how she's adjusting to being a new mom to twin girls. Then, we'll wrap up the show by talking about what to do if you're in an unloving relationship. Are You Expecting Too Much Out of Yourself?  How to Adapt to Life Transitions with Stephanie May Wilson Should I Stay in an Unloving Relationship? Resources: Preorder my brand-new book, Take Back Your Time: The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance. https://bit.ly/3CM6F8O Take my quiz to discover the real reason you feel out of balance and what to do about it. https://bit.ly/3CIahIN Get $5 off your Business Boutique Conference ticket when you use code CHRISTYSHOW. https://bit.ly/3xC8iSp

We all know what it feels like in the moments right before we try something new. There's a nagging, persistent voice of apprehension telling us all the reasons we should just stay in our comfort zone! We'd do anything to know: Is it fear, or is it wisdom speaking to us? So in this episode, I'll teach you some of the characteristics of fear and wisdom, so that you can become more confident in your decisions. My guest this week is a good friend of mine, best-selling author and speaker at this year's Business Boutique event, Patsy Clairmont. Patsy's experience with fear is very tangible, so she'll share her personal journey of how she finally disarmed the lies of fear. Plus, I'll answer your business questions from Business Boutique events! 1:17  How To Tell the Difference Between Fear and Wisdom 14:44 Interview with Patsy Clairmont 49:29 Business Boutique Nashville Event Info 51:33 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 59:14 Homework Get Christy's Fear or Wisdom Filter by filling out the form here! - To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Today, I want to challenge you with something: Be willing to experiment. If you're going to live a life true to you, then you've got to be willing to try some things. That's right, I'm talking about being willing to experiment. Sometimes, we don't know what we want (or don't want), what we like (or don't like), or what we should be allowing into our lives. The best way to figure that out is by trying new things. In order to figure out what's best for you, you've got to be willing to experiment. When you're willing to experiment and try some stuff, you're going to find the things that are you. You're going to find the things that are true to you. [share]The life that God has for you-the life that's already in you-is bigger and more fun and more amazing than you can imagine.[/share] I've gone through many different phases in my life as I've tried experimenting with what was right for me. Right after college, I decided to move to a 40-acre farm-a real-life farm. Turns out it's a lot of work and really, really hard. But you know what? It was an experiment. It was fun. But during this time, I asked myself: Is this me? Am I a cowgirl? Turns out, I'm not-but it was a fun phase. I also decided it would be fun to take Latin and ballroom dance lessons and play on an adult soccer league with all Guatemalan men who spoke no English (my Spanish got really good during that time). All of these things were me trying to find myself and figure out: What is true for me? What kind of life do I want to lead? What kind of person do I want to be? All of us have an opportunity to experiment, try some things, and see if it works for us. But too often, we're placing labels on ourselves and unwilling to try new things. Friend, don't place labels and limitations on yourself. Be willing to push the boundary. Be willing to break outside of the box that you put yourself in. Try something new. Expand your world. So, what are the things that you tell yourself? Maybe you're thinking: "I'm not a fun mom. I'm not a businessperson. I'm not athletic. I'm not a runner . . ."  But you have to be willing to experiment. You have to be willing to go for a run, put on some crazy heels, launch a business idea, or do something really fun and weird with your kids. And guess what? You might just surprise yourself. You might already be that person. She's in there. She's just buried beneath the expectations of everyone else. So, be willing to experiment. Be willing to try some stuff. When you do, you might just find that the life that God has for you-the life that's already in you-is bigger and more fun and more amazing than you can imagine. And that's a life that is true to you. You just don't know it yet. Journal Questions: What are some things in your life that you'd like to try? What are some areas of your life that you'd like to experiment in? Write that down and then join us for part two of this series: 5 Ways to Be True to You.

Alright y'all. Let's face it: Distractions are a fact of life. You're going to face them in every area of your life and your business, and the honest truth is that if we don't face them, they're going to keep us from getting things done. I want you to reach your goals and achieve everything you want in the coming year. So let's talk about how to stay focused and eliminate distractions. All human beings are wired to be curious. We naturally gravitate toward the new, even if that keeps us from doing the things we need to do. But not all distractions are created equal. Three Categories of Distractions Let's think of distractions in the form of a stop light. STOP.Red Distractions: The distractions that you should ignore. STOP. Proceed with caution.Yellow Distractions: The distractions that cause you to slow down and think about. GO!Green Distractions: The distractions that demand your attention. Red Distractions Squirrels These types of distractions, like a squirrel zooming in front of you on a walk, divert you from your main task at hand. They might be new ideas, shiny objects, something more fun, or simply something that is going to help you procrastinate. For me, this is a normal occurrence. They steal my attention away from what I'm really supposed to be doing. I am working on one idea or objective, something new pops up, and I focus on that instead. It's easy to get derailed by these types of distractions. But honestly, they are just squirrels. These go in the Red Distractions category because they are the types of distractions that you need to stop letting steal your focus. Technology You knew I was going to go here. I can't talk about distractions without calling out the main culprit and source of distraction for so many of us. Technology notifications distract us all day long. It's a text when you're in the middle of a project or a quick browse on Facebook when you really should be writing marketing copy. Most types of technology distractions are examples of those that you can and should ignore. Those notifications come in 24/7, and they're still going to be there when you get done with your task at hand. How Do You Handle Red Distractions? Red Distractions are the easiest distractions to avoid. You shut it out, put on blinders, and force yourself to focus. This is a matter of will and discipline. If you want to get anything done, set yourself up for success. You need to eliminate any possible chance for these distractions to come at you.  Put on noise-canceling headphones, go to a room or coffee shop by yourself, close all the tabs on your computer, hide your phone, and get to work. Force yourself to focus, and you'll finally start finishing. Yellow Distractions There are no hard and fast rules for ignoring these distractions. Proceed with caution, like you would at a stoplight. Stop and think before you let them steal your focus. People Around You You're going to encounter all kinds of people who have the potential to distract you-customers, team members, vendors, friends or family. When you have people in your life distracting you, you must stop and think before allowing them to steal your focus. Do their needs demand your attention, or can you set up a boundary until you have the space and time to address them? Related: How to Say No And Stand Your Ground Kids in Your Home Yes, kids are people, but we all know they present a different level of distraction than the other people in your life. Nothing can derail your plans like your kids. (Can I get an "Amen!"?) Let's be honest. When your kids need you, it's because they need one of two things: They want to play or they need help. Again, think about what is most important in that moment. Are you up against a deadline and you need to tell your kid you'll play with them later? Or are you in a place where you can be present and seize a moment with them? Related: Look For Distractions...

Feeling Overwhelmed? Start Here.   1:14 Do You Feel Like You've Lost Control of Your Life? Here's What Needs to Change. 9:32 Why You Should Make Faith a Priority in Your Life with Annie F. Downs 33:00 Are You Tired of Trying to Fix Everything in Your Life? Do This. Resources Business Boutique ConferenceThe Business Boutique Conference is ON! Join Christy in Nashville on October 22-24 to learn how to launch and grow your own business. You'll be joined by rockstar speakers and other women just like you who are ready to use their God-given gifts to make money doing what they love. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you!   Welcome to The Christy Wright Show! In each episode, I'm going to give you everything you need to help you break through limitations that are holding you back and keeping you stuck. You never know, you might just surprise yourself as you see what new possibilities open for you. In episode one, we talked about The Core of Confidence framework and what it looks like to work on yourself from the inside out. This week, we're talking about starting where it all begins: your spirit. Everything starts and ends with God. To work on yourself from the inside out, you have to start with the deepest, most important part of you: your spirit. Today, we're talking about what it looks like to make faith your foundation. Join me and Annie F. Downs as we talk about what it looks like to live that out. Then, I'll give you some questions so you can process how you can live out your faith in your own life.   Do You Feel Like You've Lost Control of Your Life? Here's What Needs to Change. Everything starts and ends with God. He's who we live for. And our faith is what we live from. In Matthew 22:37-40 (NIV), Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." To work from the inside out, you have to start with the deepest, most important part of you, which is your foundation of faith. It's not just a piece of the pie. It's not a label we give ourselves like wife, mother, leader, author . . . and it's certainly not created equal with everything else. Instead, your faith should be the filter that you put everything else through. It should be the source of your energy, your direction and your decisions. You were created and designed for your relationship with God to be the very foundation you build your life on. Everything starts there.   Why You Should Make Faith a Priority in Your Life with Annie F. Downs Today, I'm sitting down with my good friend, bestselling author, and brilliant Bible teacher Annie F. Downs. Annie and I are talking about what it looks like to build a foundation of faith in our lives, including: Making faith the source of your life, not just a piece Learning the difference between running ahead of God and going with God Seeking God first above all else Building spiritual disciplines   Are You Tired of Trying to Fix Everything in Your Life? Do This. "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." - John 15:4 (NIV) I love the idea of remaining. It's so simple to understand but hard to do. We've been talking about what it looks like to build a foundation of faith, and one of the simplest (but most important) things that we can do is to simply remain in our relationship with the Lord. Remaining can be so hard. But God is saying that a life of faith means a life of trust. It means letting...

If you're like me, you might feel helpless right now. Discouraged and probably overwhelmed. I am with you. I can't change what we are all going through together, but I wanted to do something. So I decided to put together a quick, scrappy and imperfect series to help shine some hope in the chaos we are in. I threw it together, texted a few friends to see if they would want to join me and put it on the calendar. I'm calling it Hope in the Chaos. Today I'm joined by my friend, Emily Ley.   We are going to walk with you and talk with you and process this with you. We're going to pray and talk about what anchors us during this storm.   Would you join me for this? There's no ask. No sale. No agenda. I just want to be present for you as we figure out how to get through this together in the coming days. I care about you friend, and I'm here for you. ??   You can view this entire series and receive the recap emails with journal questions if you visit businessboutique.com/hope.

Being humbled is not fun. Have you ever gone through a season where God was humbling you? Being humbled hurts-it hurts to your core. It's more vulnerable than you ever want to be and stings deeper than you ever want to feel. And just when you think you can't take another hit, the hits just keep coming (because that's just what happens in those seasons). The truth is: God cares more about who you're becoming than where you're going. Hebrews 12:11 (NIV) says: "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." It seems painful, but your loving Father disciplines because He loves you. And He loves me. And if you're going to be true to you and the person that God created you to be in this bigger, better life, He's going to have to do some things in you before you're ready for it, or even before you can handle it. [share]God cares more about who you're becoming than where you're going.[/share] Being humbled is not a one and done type of thing. We're going to go through multiple seasons of this in life. Oswald Chambers, author of My Utmost for His Highest, describes these seasons as valleys of humiliation. Friend, if you're in a season of humbling right now or a valley of humiliation, God sees you. Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) says: "The Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." He's with you in this valley. And I know it's hard, and I know it hurts, but take comfort in the fact that God sees you, and He's with you. This season's not forever. He's doing something in you. I love the Bible verse Isaiah 60:22 (NLT) that says: "At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen." Yes, you and I need to work hard. It's up to us to steward what He's given us. It's up to us to be faithful. But it's not all up to us, because we would point back and go, Look how good I did. Look at everything I accomplished. Look how strong and smart and clever and talented I am. No, no. God says that you should work hard with what He's given you, but when the time's right, He'll make it happen. So, you've got to be willing to be humbled. Be willing to go through those hard seasons. Be willing to be faithful when it hurts, and when you feel lost, and when you feel wronged, and when you feel abandoned. Be willing to be faithful even there in the valley, because it's not forever. But God is doing something in you in that valley to prepare you for what's next. Journal Questions: I want you to simply ask yourself: Where do I need to be humbled? What does it look like for me to set my pride aside and be humbled before God and what He's doing right now? Remember: God's preparing you for something in this life that's bigger, better and more awesome than you could ever imagine.

Do you remember dreaming about what your first job would be after college? Maybe you pictured yourself putting on business clothes every day, sitting in creative brainstorming meetings and-arguably the best part when you're a broke college student-finally getting an adult paycheck. I know I sure did. Unfortunately, that wasn't what happened-not even close. My first job after graduating was as an advertising coordinator at a local newspaper in Nashville, TN. I was so excited about this position. From the name alone, I thought it sounded perfect for me. I envisioned myself working across every department and helping them come up with creative ways to market their messages. Well, it wasn't long before my little fantasy was crushed. Turns out that "advertising coordinator" was really just a fancy title for data entry. I spent my days inputting data into a decades-old software program that crashed every few hours. Every day, I walked into a gray cinder block building with gray walls, gray ceilings, gray cubicles and fluorescent lights. I died a little inside every day I worked there. It was a mind-numbing, miserable job for someone like me-creative, energetic and a people-person. But the problem wasn't only that the job made me miserable. I couldn't be myself. I wasn't doing something I was good at. I wasn't in a position that made me come alive, gave me energy, or brought me joy. I wasn't even using my strengths or talents. I wasn't being me. Related: Recognizing Your Gifts Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever been in situations, gone through seasons, or even spent years feeling like you lost yourself? Feeling like you didn't even recognize who you were anymore? I meet so many women who feel like they've gotten lost in motherhood, their careers or in other people's expectations of them. That last one-other people's expectations-reminds me of a fascinating book called The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware. Bronnie spent years working in palliative care. During her time caring for the terminally ill, Bronnie wrote a blog that later became a book about the most common regrets of the people she cared for. The number one regret was having worked too much. But the second one really surprised me. It was not having lived a life that was true to themselves. What Bronnie learned is so important. It's an opportunity for us to adjust our perspective and start making choices today that will help us avoid that same regret. Because a life well-lived is one where we live as our truest selves. Women often tell me they've lived for other people for so long they don't even know what they want anymore. Even worse, they don't even know who they are anymore. If this is you today, I want to encourage you: You don't have to stay there and wonder who you are or where "the real you" went. I want to give you five questions you can ask yourself that will help you get back to you. Consider them road signs to point you in the right direction. Related: Push Forward and Get Unstuck Five Questions to Help You Discover Your True Self 1. What do you want? Don't ask yourself what your spouse wants, what your kids need, or what all your friends think you should do. Ask yourself what you want. That's a tough question to answer because we so often consider our own desires to be selfish. But the truth is that the desires of your heart are not bad things. They are God things. In fact, Jesus asked this same question. A blind man once approached Jesus asking for mercy. Jesus responded by asking him, "What do you want me to do for you?" (Luke 18:41 NIV). Don't you think Jesus knew what this blind man wanted? Jesus didn't need the blind man to tell him, but I believe Jesus wanted to draw out those desires in him. And He wants to do the same for you.  2.Where do you want to be? If you don't know where you're going, you're never going to get there. That's why...

Why You Feel Out of Balance! With Ken Coleman   1:02 Feeling Out of Balance? Here's Why. 13:55 Are You Unhappy at Work? With Ken Coleman 46:08 What Makes You Feel Balanced? Resources Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/3bgoRLI   Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for my free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/2OiggiJ     Today, we're talking about life balance. Is it even possible? And what exactly do we mean by "balance" in the first place? Also, I get to interview my good friend, career expert and bestselling author Ken Coleman about how to create balance at work. And finally, we'll close with a few journal questions so you can reflect on what helps you feel balanced.   Feeling Out of Balance? Here's Why. Everyone wants to know how to get more done with less time. I sure do! As a wife, mother of three kids under 6, speaker and author, I never feel like I have enough time. But as I've researched life balance over the years, I've discovered that we're getting it all wrong. I'll explain what I mean in this video.   Are You Unhappy at Work? With Ken Coleman If you're struggling to find purpose in your career, my good friend Ken Coleman has some words of advice and encouragement for you. He's a bestselling author, speaker and career expert who can help you discover and pursue the unique role you were created to do.   What Makes You Feel Balanced? "So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work . . ." Ecclesiastes 3:22 (NIV)   Your life is too important to waste it doing something you hate-especially if you're doing it 40+ hours a week. Our work has a huge impact on our sense of life balance. To help you figure out how you can create more balance in your career, take a few moments to write out your answers to these questions: What makes you feel out of balance? What makes you feel balanced? How are you going to incorporate those things into your life?

Are You Owning Your Story? with Mary Marantz   0:56 It's Time for a New Christmas Tradition! 10:24 From Trailer Life to Yale Law School with Mary Marantz 23:00 Can You Answer These Three Questions About Yourself? Resources Christy's New Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You, that will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. Get your copy today: https://bit.ly/3mxoa3T Christy's 5-Day Confidence Boost Sign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/3fZh71w We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   Merry Christmas! This time each year we celebrate and remember one of the greatest stories ever told. So, today, we're going to talk about the importance of your story. My new friend Mary Marantz joins us to talk about her story and how she's using it to help others (and how you can too). And then we'll take some time to pause, reflect and journal. Let's dive in!   It's Time for a New Christmas Tradition! We all have Christmas traditions. My husband and I have this Christmas tradition where we write a letter of everything that happened during the year-major events, prayers, goals and dreams. We pack up the letters with our ornaments, then read them the following year when we open our boxes to decorate again. It's always amazing to see just how much can happen in one year's time. But when you're writing a letter like this, you don't know what the next year will hold. Your perspective is so limited from where you're sitting. You might feel like there are pieces of your story that have no purpose. But what I love is that God works all things together for your good-even the hard things. Even those wilderness seasons where you're wondering if God has forgotten you. God can even use those for your good.   From Trailer Life to Yale Law School with Mary Marantz I'm so excited because my new friend Mary Marantz is joining us to talk about her new book, Dirt: Growing Strong Roots in What Makes the Broken Beautiful. Mary is a podcaster, author and speaker, and she has an incredible story that I know you'll love. Mary and I talk about running from failure (and stumbling into success), speaking life over yourself and others, and the beauty and importance of our stories.   Can You Answer These Three Questions About Yourself? "'I am the Lord's servant,' Mary answered. 'May your word to me be fulfilled.' Then the angel left her." - Luke 1:38 (NIV) This verse is such a great reminder for you and me. God can speak to us in ways that seem crazy, impractical, illogical or impossible. But when God gives you a dream or prompts you to go in a certain direction, you can still faithfully and obediently say, "You're God, and I'm not. And I trust what you're doing in my life, even though it doesn't make sense to me right now, and even though I might not like it." So, I want to give you some journal questions to process as you think about what this means for your life and where you are right now-especially in this Christmas season. Where do you sense God leading you right now? How have you felt about your own personal story in the past? Where have you seen God's faithfulness in your story?

What makes a highly successful woman? Society often paints a picture of success that looks like this: Either you're home all the time, dedicating 100% of your time to your family, or you're at work all the time, completely abandoning your friends, family and the rest of your life. But as I discussed with Laura Vanderkam in Episode 34: Excuses That Steal Your Time, that's a myth! The truth is, you can be successful in multiple areas of your life. You can be successful in your career, your relationships, your business and even your health and exercise routines-get this!-all in the same life.     It's all about priorities. When every waking minute is taken up for work, routine responsibilities, or taking care of others, you'll feel the opposite of successful; you'll feel stressed out and set back. For example, when I start to feel overwhelmed, it's usually because I'm not spending time on the things that I care about the most. So, I've made it a habit to take a look at my schedule when that happens. It's pretty eye-opening to see what gets my time. If I'm honest, there are a lot of unworthy motivations I have that sometimes creep to the top of my priority list, such as: Pleasing people Being the hero Accomplishments Keeping up with Facebook Pursuing perfectionism Approval Feeling needed Chasing those motivations, no matter how much effort I put into them, always leaves me coming up short. I spin my wheels, and I feel like a failure. The problem with achieving success in your life (and mine!) isn't that we aren't doing enough, and it's not that we're doing too much. Often, it's that we're doing the wrong things. So, let's talk about the right things! And don't worry, you don't have to sacrifice-at least, not in the way you think you do. In this episode, I'll reveal habits, characteristics and traits that are present in the lives of highly successful women. I'll dive into the seven things you need to prioritize to achieve success. And the great news it this: If you don't currently have them, I promise you can learn to practice all of them starting today! By the way, you know what's not on the list of traits of successful women? Pleasing people Being the hero Seeking approval (You get the idea!) My guest this week is Ali Brown! Ali is the host of the highly successful Glambition podcast, and her passion is to see women succeed in business! Ali's story of success began with recognizing what she was good at. She was a mover and a shaker working in an office of-as she puts it-"turtles!" It didn't take long for Ali to realize her own potential, get excited about doing things her own way, and quit her day job to pursue her own freelance business full time. In my conversation with Ali, we'll talk about: What it means to blaze your own trail, do business differently, and design your business around your life How Ali got started using email newsletters when the Internet was just becoming a thing The benefits of being inspired by other women rather than intimidated by them What success really looks like today Three trends she sees in highly successful women Success Story: Abbey Ashley's Wildly Successful Courses & Coaching! Our success story this week is Abbey Ashley, founder of The Virtual Savvy. Abbey says she helps "savvy starters launch and grow their virtual assistant business to 5K months and beyond!" Abbey took what she knew from being a virtual assistant and turned that knowledge and experience into online courses. While her first course launch was by no means successful-she only had one customer sign up-she didn't give up there. The next iteration of her business was in virtual assistant business coaching, and she started The Virtual Savvy in August 2016. Since then, she's become hyper-focused and (at the time of publication) has made over $300K in sales! I'm so excited that she's sharing her strategy for success with us. Plus,...

This episode is just like having coffee with some of Business Boutique's best friends! Get to know host of the Marketing Your Business podcast, Stu McLeran; creator of The Magic Brush and host of The Jennifer Allwood Show, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of EVEREVE, Megan Tamte;  Founder & CEO of Simplified, Emily Ley; and speaker and author of Remember God, Annie F. Downs. They'll answer your questions, and more! 5:18 What is the best strategy for social media marketing? 7:34 How do I get social media followers to convert into sales? 12:36 How do I get people excited enough about my product to buy? 20:48 What are some of the challenges to watch for and common mistakes people make in the growth process? 24:17 How do I stop feeling guilty charging for my services, and even more importantly, help my staff feel more comfortable talking about money with clients?   This podcast was recorded during our Business Boutique 2018 VIP Lunch in Nashville, TN. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

In Part 1, we talked about being willing to experiment. Today, we're building on that as we talk about being willing to work really hard. Now, I know this doesn't sound fun, right? Like, who needs more to do? But I want to reframe that for you, because hard work, believe it or not, actually has more unbelievable benefits than you could ever imagine. So many people come up to me at book signings, out in public, or even in coaching calls, and they say, "Christy, I want to do what you do. I want to be a speaker." I always respond by asking, "What do you want to say? Who have you spoken to? Who have you talked to? Have you spoken for your local church? Have you spoken for a local community group, or even just a book club or ministry?" They say, "No, no, no. I want to speak on big stages. I want to be a professional speaker." I'm like, "I hear you, but that's where you start. You start by being faithful in the small things. You start by working hard when no one's watching. You start with the humility of someone who's willing to do the hard work in the beginning for the payoff later on." What areas of your life do you need to work really hard in because you're in a season of just getting started? If you've got this idea in your head about a life that you want to lead, it's going to take hard work. But we can't just coast through life and expect to wake up one day with an amazing marathon time, amazing business, amazing career, amazing marriage, amazing kids or amazing friendships. It takes hard work. It takes being willing to be faithful in the things that don't seem like they matter-those small, insignificant things, and those things that are too unimpressive to post about on Facebook. It's about just showing up and being faithful in the small things that no one ever sees. It's that hard work that not only creates the result you want, but also creates the person in you that you want to be. [share]The results that you want to achieve and the person you want to become will happen when you put in the hard work.[/share] I'm a different person today, not because of the big stage, but because of who I became when no one was watching. It was speaking at Kentucky county libraries on a Friday night for three people, or family reunions, or high school reunions, or the events where it was seated for 5,000 and three people showed up. The results that you want to achieve and the person you want to become will happen when you put in the hard work. It happens in the small things and in the day-to-day grind. It happens when you're showing patience to your kids when you don't want to because they're driving you insane. It happens when you want to snap at your spouse, and you want to be short with them and be hateful, but instead respond with kindness. It happens when you give your time and energy. It happens when you in everything you do, even if no one ever knows it's you. It's what happens when you show up with excellence, even when you don't get credit. That hard work is what leads to the results you want in a life that's true to you, where you become the person that you want to be in that life. I promise you this: If you want to live a life that's true to you, and if you want to lean into the life God has for you, it's going to take hard work. Journal Questions: What hard work do you need to do right now? What hard work have you been putting off? What hard work is staying between you and the life God has for you? Write that down and then join us for part three of this series: 5 Ways to Be True to You.

Regardless of the type of product you sell or the industry you're in, you're going to have competitors. Competition can make us feel fear, intimidation, and maybe even jealousy. So in this episode, I'll cover the "Dos and Don'ts" about interacting with and learning from your competition. My guest this week is Amber Hurdle, brand strategist, leadership consultant and host of the Bombshell Business Podcast. Amber will challenge us to take the emotions we feel surrounding competition and channel it into something positive. Our success story features the business, Snappy Stitch, created by Janet Wall and her daughter E.V. Bennett. Snappy Stitch provides cute, comfortable clothing for children undergoing medical treatments. Their business idea came out of their personal experience in hospitals. Plus, I'll answer your business questions from Business Boutique events! 1:10 Learning From Your Competition 18:16 Interview with Amber Hurdle 45:42 BB Success Story with Janet Wall and E.V. Bennett 55:25 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 61:15 Homework Get Christy's SWOT Analysis worksheet by filling out the form here! - To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Today, we're talking about how to find your life's purpose (yeah, no biggie). I get to sit down with Paula Farris, who shares how she found her calling before and after her career as a news anchor. And I'll wrap up the show by answering a couple of questions y'all have sent in! How to Find Your True Calling Why Your Job Title Shouldn't Be Your Identity with Paula Farris How Do I Remain Grounded With So Much Sadness Around? Resources: Need more time? Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3wTJtlw Join us at the Business Boutique Conference to learn how to make money doing what you love. https://bit.ly/3gTN9OM Get back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. https://bit.ly/3vUMaSm

Passion is so important in everything you do. When you're passionate about something, you perform a million times better. This is true whether you're working at your day job, cooking dinner for your family, or launching a side hustle. That's why, today, we're talking about how to find your passion. There's no better time of year to discover this. A new year means a new you! You know that I'm passionate about helping women step into their God-given gifts and make money doing what they love. But before you start making money doing what you love, you have to discover what you love. So how do you do that? Three Strategies to Find Your Passion It's not as scary as it seems. I actually have three different strategies you can walk through to help you find your passion. Here's what's great about a strategy: It isn't a formula or a fancy equation to make a passion magically appear. It's none of that. It's simply an approach-and it's a flexible one. Maybe one strategy works for you or maybe you'll use a combination of all three. Dig deep into these strategies, and I bet you'll discover something amazing. Related: How to Find Your Business Idea The Self-Focused Strategy This strategy takes a look inside-you guessed it-you! Now, this isn't about self-centeredness. But it is about taking a good inventory of your past to discover what you've been uniquely created to contribute to the world. That inventory is usually a combination of your past, education and experiences. This is actually how Business Boutique was born. Before Business Boutique, I was a speaker at Ramsey Solutions. The company wanted to transition me into an official Ramsey Personality role, but before we could do that, we had to figure out what my focus should be. So, I sat in a boardroom with Dave Ramsey, my husband, and a ton of other leaders in the company. We spent hours going over my background to see how I could best serve the marketplace. In other words, what should my focus, market and message be? We looked in a few different places. First, we looked at my story growing up with a mother who was scrappy and built a successful business from scratch (a unique experience). Then we looked at my education: I studied business and marketing, and I'm a Certified Business Coach. We also looked at some of my other unique experiences, like how I started a couple of side businesses to help make ends meet. Finally, we looked at my strengths: My natural strengths are in speaking, teaching, writing and coaching people as they step into their God-given dreams. Can you spot the patterns? Business was all over my background, and when we looked at the marketplace at the time, we saw businesses launching at a crazy rate. The problem was that so many entrepreneurs didn't actually know how to run a business. They just had great ideas. When we put that all together, here's what we came up with: There's a lot of people who need help with business. I am a really good teacher, and I have a background in business. So Business Boutique was born. Related: Recognizing Your Gifts Now we have a podcast, a book and an online business training academy. We've even created an amazing goal planner, a sold-out event and two courses. But it all started with an idea on what I uniquely brought to the table. If you take a deep look at your past, experiences and education, I have no doubt you can find something you're passionate about. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get started: What is your story? People are often passionate about something in their history because they've lived it. What are your strengths? What comes effortlessly to you? We are naturally more passionate about things we're good at. What do you get really excited about? What do you get really mad about? When you pay attention to your emotions around an issue, it's a good indicator you're passionate about that one thing. Look...

How to Love Yourself the Right Way with Crystal Paine   0:56 Why Loving Yourself Doesn't Have to be Selfish 12:28 Become a Great Parent with Crystal Paine 29:56 Love Others (as Yourself) Resources Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/3lSgtWJ   Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for my free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/3u0BroT     On this episode, we're talking about why you should love yourself. (I know some of you will disagree with me on this, which is why I want you to tune in!) I'll also talk to my friend Crystal Paine about her new book, Love-Centered Parenting, and how we can love ourselves while loving our kids. And we'll close today's show with a few journal questions.   Why Loving Yourself Doesn't Have to be Selfish Some of you are already mad at me for bringing this up. As Christians, we're not supposed to love ourselves, right? Here are three reasons why self-love is actually a good thing.   Become a Great Parent with Crystal Paine You can't offer something you don't have. So, if you're not receiving the love of your heavenly father, how can you give love to others? In today's interview, Crystal Paine-author, speaker and entrepreneur-talks about her new book, Love-Centered Parenting, and why loving our kids well starts with letting God love us.   Love Others (as Yourself) "The most important [commandment]," answered Jesus, "is this . . . 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29-31 (NIV)   When Jesus says to "love your neighbor as yourself," he's implying that we already do love ourselves. It's our gut instinct to love and protect and take care of ourselves, so we should have that same level of care for the people around us. Let's unpack this idea with a few journal questions: Who's someone you love? Describe your love for that person. Be honest: What do you think about yourself? Why is it hard for you to love yourself?

In this episode, I'll break down how to turn fans and followers into customers. This doesn't happen by accident, and I'll share the step-by-step formula to make it happen. My guest this week is social media and marketing expert Amy Porterfield. She'll reveal the 3 most common mistakes she sees business owners make when it comes to social media. She'll also give us tips on how to increase fan engagement on Facebook. Plus, Christi Ratcliff, who started Christi Ratcliff Coaching in Cornelius, North Carolina, will inspire you by explaining how she overcame fear and put herself out there, and the growth she's seen as a result. 1:02 Maximize Your Social Media Influence to Gain Customers 18:08 Interview with Amy Porterfield 37:34 BB Success Story with Christi Ratcliff 46:54 Homework -- To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. 25 Ways To Protect Your Time PDF-accessible in the show notes of Episode 7  Jab Jab Jab Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk -- If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

In this episode, we'll cover the five habits of successful women and how to manage your time wisely.Plus, the creator of the Zipadee-Zip, Stephanie Parker, will tell us the story of how her business idea blew up into a nationally recognized product and mom-favorite. We'll also hear from Sharon McKnight owner of SMc Home Care Consulting in Alexandria, Indiana. Sharon left the traditional marketplace to work from home so she could spend more time with her family. Sharon's business has been so successful, she has been able to bring on her daughter, Angie Kerr, full-time. 1:19 Five Habits of Successful Women 13:42 Interview with Stephanie Parker 45:42 BB Success Story with Sharon McKnight & Angie Kerr 55:41 BB Podcast Listener Survey 56:05 Homework -- Download your free 25 Ways to Protect Your Time ebook in the show notes to this episode at BusinessBoutique.com/podcast Take part in our Business Boutique Podcast Listener Survey and enter to win a $100 Target gift card by going to BusinessBoutique.com/survey -- If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Branding is so much more than colors, fonts and pretty pictures-it's about creating an identity. When you make a purchase, whether you realize it or not, you're choosing that brand over another because you feel it represents you. So you may recall in Episode 2 of the podcast, we talked about the look, tone and feel of your brand. But in this episode, I want to take a deeper dive on the look and tone, so that when you're audience interacts with your business, they know it's for them! One of my absolute favorites-best-selling author and CEO of Storybrand-Donald Miller, is back! He'll unpack his Storybrand concept for us, and y'all, this is a powerful way to grow your customers and your profits. If you're dreaming up your brand right now or your existing brand isn't connecting, you need to hear this interview. Plus, I'll answer your business questions from Business Boutique events! 1:03  The Look and Tone of Your Branding 18:37 Interview with Donald Miller 50:09 Preparing Your Business for Christmas  53:04 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 62:01 Homework Get Christy's Style Guide by filling out the form here! - To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Happy New Year, y'all! Let's kick the year off right with this special episode! January is the time of year when you get a fresh start and a clean slate. And it's the perfect time to set goals! Goal setting is not only important for your business; it's also important for every other area of your life, like personal finances. Getting on a budget and getting out of debt are especially important! In this episode, I share my story about how I got fed up with debt and worked hard to pay it off. Doing this had a huge impact on my life and my family's life, which is why I want to help you find the same financial freedom and hope that I found. You'll also hear from Dave Ramsey, America's trusted voice on money. Dave has helped millions of people take control of their money and change their family tree. And I can't wait for you to hear a full lesson from Financial Peace University, his proven plan to winning with money! Imagine the impact you could make on your family, in your community, or even in your business if you didn't have to worry about debt. I hope you enjoy this special episode. This information is so valuable and I'm excited to share it with you. 2019 is going to be the year you take control of your money, your life, and your business. You've got this! Financial Peace University Special Offer Ready to get started? Click here to order today and get a free audiobook download of The Total Money Makeover, Dave's #1 best-selling book.

What to Do When Worry Takes Over with Sissy Goff   0:50 Three Ways to Stop Worrying 12:58 What to Do When Your Child Is Anxious with Sissy Goff 38:04 Don't Worry About THIS . . . Resources Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouBuild confidence to step into who you were created to be with Christy's devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. https://bit.ly/3sGA6nd   Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost! https://bit.ly/3wcNAcq   Business Boutique AcademyGet everything you need to start or grow your business inside Christy's exclusive training group, the Business Boutique Academy. https://bit.ly/3uelKun     When you're anxious about something, it's easy to get stuck in your own head. Today, we'll talk about three practical ways to stop worrying. Plus, I get to interview author and counselor Sissy Goff about how to help our kids when they're facing mental health challenges. And we'll wrap up the show with a few journal questions about how we can worry less and trust God more.   3 Ways to Stop Worrying There are a million things we can worry about. And when your thoughts start to run away from you, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and stuck. Here are three ways to stop worrying before it gets out of control.   What to Do When Your Child Is Anxious with Sissy Goff My guest for today, Sissy Goff, has been a counselor for 30 years. In our interview, she shares practical tips on how to spot the warning signs of anxiety in our kids and how to love them well through mental health challenges.   Don't Worry About THIS . . . "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life . . ." Matthew 6:25 (NIV)   I love this passage because it reminds us that it's actually possible to train our minds not to worry! Instead of listening to negative thoughts and worrying about the same old problems, we can choose to focus on our heavenly Father, who loves us and is always taking care of us. Easier said than done, right? To help make this truth a reality, spend some time journaling your answers to these questions:  What do you worry about the most? How does Matthew 6:25­-34 help you remember not to worry? What comfort do you find when you remember that God will take care of you?

The Lies You're Believing (And Don't Even Realize)   0:56 Are Your Thoughts Beating You Up? Let's Change That. 16:35 The Shocking Truth About 80% of Your Thoughts with Jennie Allen 37:05 How You Can Stop Your Toxic Thoughts Resources Business Boutique ConferenceThe Business Boutique Conference is ON! Join Christy in Nashville on October 22-24 to learn how to launch and grow your own business. You'll be joined by rockstar speakers and other women just like you who are ready to use their God-given gifts to make money doing what they love. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you!   Welcome to The Christy Wright Show! We're continuing to work through The Core of Confidence as we learn what it looks like to work on ourselves from the inside out. And today, we're taking a deep dive into what it looks like to protect your mind by learning how to control your thoughts. Jennie Allen, my good friend and bestselling author, joins us to chat about her new book and the topic of taking every thought captive. Then, we'll journal together, digging a little deeper into what protecting your mind actually looks like for you. Let's go!   Are Your Thoughts Beating You Up? Let's Change That. We all have stories and narratives that play in the background of our minds all day, every day. Some of them are true, but many of them are not. And you know, it doesn't really matter what is true if you don't believe it, because what you believe is what you experience-whether it's true or not. The stories you believe and the thoughts that you accept and hold matter. The stories you believe in and the thoughts you have . . . they shape your behavior. They shape your reality. And they make up your life. God has a lot to say about our thoughts-what we think about and what we set our minds on. Romans 12:2 (NIV) says: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will." Isn't that what we all want-God's will? What is God's plans for us? What is God's direction? The Bible says you'll find it when you renew your mind. That means it's possible to renew your mind. It's possible to have new thoughts. It's possible to retrain your brain to find the truth in the lies and to break through the stories and limitations that have been holding you back. It's possible. It wouldn't say it if it wasn't possible. And that, my friend, is good news for me and you.   The Shocking Truth About 80% of Your Thoughts with Jennie Allen I'm so excited to chat with Jennie Allen, my good friend and bestselling author. Jennie just launched her new book called Get Out of Your Head. Join us as we work through what it looks like to protect our thoughts by taking every thought captive. We cover: Having control over your thoughts Who is most susceptible to toxic thoughts The three main lies we believe What it looks like to take every thought captive   How You Can Stop Your Toxic Thoughts Our Scripture of the week is 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV): "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." I don't know about you, but that can sound overwhelming. But I love what Jennie Allen taught us-take just one thought captive. The idea that you have a choice, and that you don't have to be a victim of that thought or live in that lie. You get to choose what you think. You get to actually control and protect your mind. So, today, I want you to take this opportunity to ask God to reveal to you what you've been believing that isn't true. So, press pause and...

In this episode, we're talking about how to heal from old wounds so you can move forward in life. And I get to sit down with the brilliant and wise Nona Jones, who courageously shares her personal story of overcoming trauma. At the end of the show, I'll answer questions you've sent in about how to balance work and family. Are you letting your past define your future? Watch this. Why Your Trauma Doesn't Define You with Nona Jones Can I grow my business and my family at the same time? Resources: Preorder my brand-new book, Take Back Your Time: The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance. https://bit.ly/3jTno2H Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/2VlzM1n Get $5 off your Business Boutique Conference ticket when you use code CHRISTYSHOW. https://bit.ly/36q1VGR    

For many of us, the holidays are a time when it's easy to be thankful. But when the celebrations are over and the decorations are packed, a spirit of gratitude becomes harder to maintain. So in this episode, we're going to dive deep into the benefits of incorporating daily gratitude into your business and life. I'll share my top twelve reasons I'm thankful for thankfulness! My guest this week is pastor, speaker and host of the Life, Money, Hope podcast, Chris Brown. As a businessman, father, husband and pastor, he has helped people discover what it means to intentionally pursue their God-given purpose, and he'll share his tips on how to incorporate gratitude into your daily life! Our success story is Jane VanOsdol, owner of Botanically Me. Jane is taking the concepts she's learned from Business Boutique and is in the process of relaunching her business. Plus, I'll answer your business questions from our Nashville Business Boutique event! 1:06 The 12 Benefits of Gratitude 16:54 Interview with Chris Brown 42:33 BB Success Story with Jane VanOsdol 49:56 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 58:44 Homework Get Christy's 14 Days of Gratitude Journal by filling out the form here! To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

What to Do When Your Heart Is Broken   0:51 Do This When You Feel Hopeless 12:59 How to Overcome Loss with Jonathan Pitts 35:17 Remember This When Life Is Hard . . . Resources Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for my free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/3hLeH6m Christy Wright 2021 Goal PlannerYou can do hard things. You just need a plan. My brand-new 2021 Goal Planner will help you manage your schedule, grow as a person, and reach your goals-whether your goals are centered around your money, career or personal life. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when the planner is available: https://bit.ly/2Di9jbW     On today's show, we're talking about trusting God . . . even when your heart has been broken. Then, my friend Jonathan Pitts is joining us to talk about his story of faith. He's the executive pastor of Church of the City here in Nashville, and I know you're going to be unbelievably encouraged by his story. Finally, we'll spend some time journaling through what it looks like to have peace that passes all understanding. Let's go!   Do This When You Feel Hopeless  We've all had disappointments in our lives. I've had my heart broken in many different ways. I've been in the hospital with my 3-year-old as he was hooked up to all these monitors to see if he was going to be okay. And he was. But at that moment I was terrified. I've lost family members. I've had family members and close friends go through tragedies in their life. I've also gone through seasons of darkness and wilderness where I felt like God didn't see me and didn't remember me and wondered if He was mad at me. Have you felt like that? Have you gone through disappointments or heartbreaks or tragedies? The kind where all you can think in those moments (even if you've had a lifetime of faith) is, God, where are you? Do you even see me? Do you even hear me? Do you know what I'm going through? We look to our heartbreak and draw conclusions about the character of God. But when you look at Scripture, God never said it would be easy. There's example after example of disappointment, trials, valleys, temptations and seasons of darkness. It's full of people feeling lost and scared and forgotten. It's full of those moments when we feel like He doesn't see us, or that He's left us or abandoned us. Or maybe it's that He's just not good. But you know what? Scripture also reminds us that even though we'll go through those seasons, God is with us. Even though we'll go through darkness, God is good. And even though we'll go through seasons where we're full of fear and anxiety of the unknown and experience heartbreak, disappointment and tragedy, He sees us, He's with us, and He's still good.   How to Overcome Loss with Jonathan Pitts I'm so excited to be sitting down with Jonathan Pitts today. He's the executive pastor of Church of the City in Nashville, co-author of Emptied: Experiencing the Fullness of a Poured-Out Marriage, and President of For Girls Like You. Jonathan had to learn how to trust God after losing his wife Wynter Pitts. His story of faith despite the hardest circumstances really moved me, and I know it will move you too. Here are a few highlights from our conversation: Centering yourself on the present-especially when your heart is broken Choosing a posture of gratitude, even in hard times Knowing who you are and whose you are Having hope despite life's disappointments Believing that God works all things out for good   Remember This When Life Is Hard . . .  "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33 (NIV) There are so many things in life that we want but can't necessarily have. We can't have control or every desire fulfilled. We can't always...

How to Create an Amazing Customer Service Experience   1:14 Create an Amazing Customer Service Experience 4:30 Five Ways to Improve Your Customer Service 15:14 Customer Service That Disrupts the Competition with Shep Hyken 33:45 Encouragement: Use Your Experiences to Shape Your Customer Service If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. When I wrote my book Business Boutique-a book entirely about how to start your own business-I left out something that I believe is crucial to winning in business: great customer service. Do you know why I didn't write about it? Because I believe, as women, we naturally excel in customer service. We're relational. We're great at connecting with people, serving others, nurturing, and thinking about how someone else feels. However, there's always opportunity to grow, right? Well, several years ago, I had a pretty frustrating experience with a customer service representative. It was so frustrating that I now use it as an example when I teach on what not to do when working with customers. Here's what happened: I got a notification in the mail that my dental insurance had been canceled. As you can imagine, I was really confused because there had been no other conversations about any problems with my dental insurance. And then one day, poof-it was canceled. So naturally, I called and spoke with a customer service representative, and she told me, "Well, you didn't pay your bill. You pay it every six months, and you didn't pay it the last time it was due." I responded, "I'm so sorry. I pay my bills. I wasn't aware that it was due. I don't remember getting a bill in the mail or hearing anything about this." And her response was, "Well, we decided to become a paperless company a few months ago, so we just send emails now." It turns out, they had an old email that I hadn't used in years. So, I kindly asked the "nice customer service person" if I could pay my bill right there over the phone and reinstate my insurance. Her response? She threw out three words that still makes me cringe to this day: "Our policy is . . ." Is there anything that makes a customer more upset than hearing, "I'm so sorry, but our policy is . . ."? Nobody cares about stinking policies! We don't have to run our businesses that way! In fact, your business will be more successful and more fun when you provide incredible customer service and put your customers before your policies. 5 Ways to Improve Your Customer Service I want to give you five ways you can improve your customer service and help your business succeed: 1. Don't be late. Always, always, always be on time. Whether it's a shipment going out, returning a phone call or an email, showing up to a meeting-whatever it is, do it on time. When in doubt, I always want you to underpromise and overdeliver. This one is convicting for me because I'm not great at it-I'm working on it. But this is the most basic way to keep your customers happy. Just be on time and do what you say you're going to do when you say you're going to do it. 2. Don't be emotional. Listen, I've got a lot of feelings. I have so many feelings that even my feelings have feelings. But whether you're having a good day or a bad day, your customer doesn't care. Every day, your brand and your business should be having a good day. Nothing will break trust with your customers like being Dr. Jekyll on one day and Mr. Hyde on another. You've got to be consistent in how you take care of people. Don't be emotional, and don't take your bad mood out on your customers. 3. Don't forget to listen. I know this sounds really basic, but when we're having a conversation with someone, whether it's a normal conversation, a positive conversation, or even a really heated conversation, we're always thinking...

The Secret to Being Confident with Alli Worthington   0:56 Three Ways to Build Confidence 11:35 Why Being Confident Is So Misunderstood with Alli Worthington 30:28 Where Do You Find Confidence? Resources Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/3r3HhER   Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for my free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/2YkAZnQ     Where does confidence come from? Today, we're going to get to the root of it by talking about three areas of life where you can find confidence. I'll also talk to the incredible speaker, coach, author and Bible teacher Alli Worthington about her personal journey with confidence. And as always, we'll wrap up with a few journal questions so we can actually apply these ideas about confidence to our own lives.   3 Ways to Build Confidence In today's teaching, we're going to cut through the lies we're told about confidence. No, it's not something you're born with. And no, it's not something that's dependent on your circumstances. We'll cover three practical things you can know and do that will help you build real, authentic, unshakeable confidence.   Why Being Confident Is So Misunderstood with Alli Worthington Author, speaker and Bible teacher Alli Worthington has an important truth we need to hear: God has great plans for every woman. Every. Single. One. In our interview, Alli and I talk about how we can find the confidence we need to overcome adversity and face our future with boldness.   Where Do You Find Confidence? "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." - Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)   According to the Bible, faith equals confidence. As Christians, we might shy away from confidence, thinking that it means we're self-centered. But God calls us to have confidence, not in ourselves, but in Him-His character and His ways. Spend a few moments journaling about the truths we're covering in this video: How do you feel about the word confidence? What feelings or beliefs do you have around the idea of confidence? How can you lean on your faith to build confidence? How can you practice courage this week? What's an area of your life where you're willing to practice a skill over and over again to build confidence?

Right now, I'm in this season of purging with three small kids. I'm constantly going through closets and toy bins. And when I sit down to do this, I get a little sad. I think about Conley's sentimental things, or Carter's shoes that he's outgrown, or Mary Grace's newborn onesies. I get a little sad that these seasons of our lives are ending. Even if some of those seasons were hard-like those sleepless nights of the newborn stage. But you know what? We experience this often. I get really sentimental when something's over. Whether I loved a season or not, I find that there's something about endings that makes it hard to let go. I worked at the YMCA for three years. During that time, I worked so hard and so many hours to the point of burnout. So, when this season of my life was ending-when I was leaving a job that my heart had not been in for a while, where I was working every night, every weekend, every week on the holidays-I still felt sad. And I still felt sad even though I was going to a job where I was going to have some balance. I was so excited about where I was going, and yet still sad it was over-still sad to leave behind those relationships, and that season of life, and everything that it represented. Life can be like that. Endings can be hard and sad. But you know what? Endings make new beginnings possible. Endings make that new thing that God is doing in your life possible. So, if you're going to live a life true to you and step into this bigger, better, more awesome life that God has for you, you have to be willing to let go of what's behind and what's no longer right for you. Friend, you've got to be willing to let some things go. If all we focus on are the endings, we're going to be sad and filled with regret. But I don't want you to miss the truth of endings: Endings make new beginnings possible. God has something for you, but He cannot put it in your hands until He takes something out. Isaiah 43:19 (NIV) says: "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" Journal Question: Write down an area of your life where God might be urging you to let go of something.

If you're like me, you might feel helpless right now. Discouraged and probably overwhelmed. I am with you. I can't change what we are all going through together, but I wanted to do something. So I decided to put together a quick, scrappy and imperfect series to help shine some hope in the chaos we are in. I threw it together, texted a few friends to see if they would want to join me and put it on the calendar. I'm calling it Hope in the Chaos. Today I'm joined by my friend, Rachel Hollis.   We are going to walk with you and talk with you and process this with you. We're going to pray and talk about what anchors us during this storm.   Would you join me for this? There's no ask. No sale. No agenda. I just want to be present for you as we figure out how to get through this together in the coming days. I care about you friend, and I'm here for you. ??   You can view this entire series and receive the recap emails with journal questions if you visit businessboutique.com/hope.

In this episode, I'll pull out my old journals to see how different my dreams have grown over the years. The truth is that I'm living out dreams right now that never even occurred to me back then. I wasn't imagining, hoping, or praying big enough! And friends, regardless of your industry, dream, or business, I bet the same is true for you. I hope this podcast will be an encouragement to you to be faithful in your small beginnings so that you'll be prepared when the big things come along. My guest this week is Jessica Principe, the owner of All Girl Shave Club. Her business is a subscription shaving service that provides high quality razors and specialty shaving and body products. She'll talk about how she found her idea, and how she incorporates products from other women-owned businesses! And I'll answer questions from Business Boutique event attendees! 1:23 Dream Bigger for Your Business 9:53 Interview with Jessica Principie 43:20 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 52:42 Homework - Buy my new book, Business Boutique: A Woman's Guide for Making Money Doing What She Loves, and receive a FREE Marketing Basics You Can't Afford to Miss video, a $40 value for only $19.99. Visit BusinessBoutique.com/BBBook and use the code BBBOOK to also receive an exclusive podcast interview with Nicole Walters on Sales. Order today!  Limited-time offer. To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. Ask me a business question via social media by using #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Your brand is made up of look, tone and feel. We covered the look and tone in episode 31, so in this episode, we'll talk about the tone, so that your brand-and, as a result, your business-feels like you. Plus I'll teach you how to show your customers that you care through your policies, messaging and brand experience. My guest this week is branding expert, psychologist and author Joseph Michelli. Joseph has written several books, including The Starbucks Experience, and has helped companies like Zappos, Mercedes Benz and Starbucks develop their brands. He'll give you practical ways to give your customers an above-and-beyond experience and reveal two big mistakes to avoid when presenting your brand. And I'll give you simple, quick tips to make the most of the upcoming holiday season! Plus, I'll answer your business questions from Business Boutique events. 1:02  The Feel and Experience of Your Branding 21:00 Interview with Joseph Michelli 46:59 Preparing Your Life for Christmas 51:47 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 59:13 Homework Get Christy's Style Guide by filling out the form here! - To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

This episode is all about recognizing and celebrating you, and the hard work you've put in all year long! We'll hear the story of Catherine Cramer's Southern Home Bakery and Kathy Lozano's Parents' Academy. We'll also hear from the incredible women behind businesses like Howdy Honey, Old St. Augustine Gourmet Foods, and more. Here's to another year making money doing what you love! 1:20 BB Success Story with Catherine Cramer 17:20 BB Email Success Stories 44:18 BB Success Story with Kathy Lozano 54:10 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT Click here to use Christy's Profit Potential Tool  To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

You know those awful dreams where you're desperately trying to run away from someone or something and you can't get away? You feel like your feet are stuck in blocks of cement. And when you try to scream for help, all that comes out is air. I've had that same kind of dream more times than I would like to admit. Regardless of the scenario, the theme is the same: I can't get away because I'm not in control. Sometimes we can feel like that in real life too. You want to get ahead in your business. But no matter what you do, you just can't take it to the next level. Or maybe it's your relationship. You used to laugh and play and go on dates. But not anymore. Or maybe you feel like you've lost a piece of yourself, and you can't figure out why you just don't have the same gusto or energy you used to have. Related: Perseverance in Your Business: How to Keep Going When You Want to Give Up Feeling stuck is hard. But you know what? This is not a bad dream where you can't run away or scream for help. This is real life, and you are more in control than you realize. With a few small changes, you can regain momentum and get unstuck. Today, I want to share five practical steps you can take to get back to pursuing your goals. Five Steps to Help You Get Unstuck Step 1: Go Back to Your Why We talk about your why all the time at Business Boutique. Knowing it will answer questions like: Why are you doing this? Why is this important to you? Why does this type of success matter to you? I love that these questions can apply to any area of your life-parenting, goal-setting, your marriage, your business, etc. Wherever you're feeling stuck, remind yourself why this thing or person or work is a gift from God. When you go back to your original motivation, you return to a perspective you probably lost along the way-when you got busy, tired and stuck. Let your why reignite the fire within you. Step 2: Get Moving The very meaning of the word stuck means a lack of movement. But it's a lot easier to stay moving once you get moving. That's why your only objective in this step is to take a baby step toward some kind of physical activity. For some, that might be just getting out of bed and putting on clean clothes. For others, it's putting on makeup or going for a walk. Don't think about all the things you need to do yet; focus on the smallest step you can take to get moving. It doesn't have to be directly related to your end goal either. Even just going for a run can you give you the energy you need to get back to work. Step 3: Focus on One Thing at a Time A long to-do list is overwhelming. When you look at all the work that needs to get done, it's easy to believe you can't accomplish all of it. Instead, I want you to pick the most urgent task and focus on completing just that one thing. Checking off the first activity from your list will give you a great sense of satisfaction. It's a quick win, and it's progress. And any progress is positive. Step 4: Change What You Say We have a tendency to make our problems bigger with the words we use. Confession: I'm the queen of this. If I'm a little overwhelmed, I magnify the issue by talking about it a lot. Related: Is It Fear, or Wisdom? If you only think about how overwhelmed you are and how stuck you feel, then that's exactly where you're going to stay. You fan the flame when you talk about it day in and day out. That's why Step 4 is to change your attitude and change your words. I love how Brené Brown puts it: "Talk to yourself like you would someone you love." Step 5: Pray The power of prayer is real. If God cares about every dream in your heart, don't you think He cares that you're feeling stuck? He's a way-maker. He makes a way when there seems to be no other way. If you've never experienced this, start now. I want to encourage you to pray about the big things and the small things and everything in between. Related:...

Be More Confident By Believing in Yourself   1:22 Choosing to Believe in Myself 5:59 How to Believe in Yourself 17:51 Faith and Belief with Mignon Francois 51:57 Challenge: The Right Time to Play Small Resources 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. At our company, we get to go to church every single Wednesday. That's right, every Wednesday morning at Ramsey Solutions, our entire team of more than 850 people gets together to hear from amazing speakers, authors and pastors, like Max Lucado, Christine Caine, Donald Miller, Dr. Henry Cloud and Bob Goff-the best of the best. For years, our leadership team has asked Ramsey Personalities, like me, Ken Coleman, Rachel Cruze, Chris Hogan and Anthony ONeal, to prepare one of these devotionals for our company. And to be totally honest, we don't love the idea . . . like, at all. I'll give you four reasons why: It's a lot harder to speak to close friends than it is to speak to complete strangers. When you see the kind of speakers we normally have, it's easy to feel unqualified. We're supposed to teach Scripture, which is intimidating. Committing means writing a talk, practicing and preparing, which is a lot of extra work. All of this together was enough to make me never want to do it. Related: Ep 60: How to Face Your Fears and Do It Scared But you know what they say: Never say never. Choosing to Believe in Myself A couple of years ago, I felt like God was taking me through a season of growth where He was teaching me many different things and stripping me of my pride. One morning over Christmas break, I was sitting on my couch reading my Bible and journaling when, out of nowhere, I did the weirdest thing. I picked up my phone and texted my leader, "Hey, God's been taking me through a season of growth. So, if you ever want me to do a devotional, just let me know." I dropped the phone and couldn't believe that I'd just sent that text. I thought to myself, Why did I do that? I don't want to do a devotional! I don't have any confidence in doing a devotional. My leader texted back almost immediately saying, "Love it. Let's do January 2."-which was one week away! I spent the following week pouring over Scripture, praying, preparing and practicing. It was one of the most exciting and life-giving experiences I've ever been through. Related: Ep 68: Inviting Faith Into Your Business And you know what? I wasn't even nervous. In fact, I felt this deep sense of responsibility to deliver this message that God had so clearly given me. I share this story with you to show you that I still experience imposter syndrome. There are still situations that put me outside of my comfort zone and make me feel unqualified. But if we let these feelings drive our decisions, we'll never step into what God has called us to do. That's why I want to spend some time today talking about believing in yourself and having confidence even when you're scared. Let's get right to it. How to Believe in Yourself There are four things you need to "get" in order to believe in yourself and grow in confidence. 1. Get secure. If we're honest, 99% of our fears, doubts, insecurities and anxieties come from worrying about what other people think about us. But what if you didn't care? If you're secure in who you are and whose you are, then when someone says something hateful on Facebook, or your crazy aunt makes a passive-aggressive comment about a decision you made, it doesn't fluster you. It doesn't rattle you. It doesn't...

In this episode, I'll talk about a piece of marketing that is often overlooked: content. The truth is that every business is in the content business, so I'll give you ideas that will help you create trusted, credible content that your followers and customers will actually care about! My guest this week is Beth Ann Schwamberger. She started the Brilliant Business Moms brand and podcast! She'll talk about the steps she took to start it up and turn it into a sustainable business. I'll also talk to Shannon Basso, who created an inspirational magazine called "BECOMING." She curates and edits all of the content in the publication. She'll tell us about how she took her online magazine to print, and how she overcame Imposter Syndrome throughout the process. And I'll answer your business questions! 1:10 How to Create Engaging Content for Your Business 14:17 Interview with Beth Ann Schwamberger 31:34 BB Success Story with Shannon Basso 43:43 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 53:21 Homework - Buy my new book, Business Boutique: A Woman's Guide for Making Money Doing What She Loves, and receive a FREE Marketing Basics You Can't Afford to Miss video, a $40 value for only $19.99. Visit BusinessBoutique.com/BBBook and use the code BBBOOK to also receive an exclusive podcast interview with Nicole Walters on Sales. Order today!  Limited-time offer. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. Ask me a business question via social media by using #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Embrace Your Past and Tell Your Story   1:20 Sharing Your Story 6:38 Three Reasons You Should Tell Your Story 14:44 How to Tell Your Story with Jamie Ivey 39:10 Encouragement: Wisdom Is Not Weakness Resources 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. For years, I've been sharing my story of growing up with a single mom who built a business (a cake shop) when I was six months old to raise and support me. This story is a huge part of my passion and heart behind Business Boutique. I love sharing the memories I have of our late nights and early mornings in her cake shop. I learned so much from those years helping my mom build her business from the bottom up. But you know what I don't share as often? How hard it was. There were so many hard times we had to walk through together. Like the time her cake shop was broken into at two in the morning, or the time we ran out of gas on the side of the road while it was raining. Many of those early years were spent in the trenches watching my mom raise a child and build a business completely on her own. But it was both those good times and those hard times that made me who I am today. See, there is power in telling your story. When I share my story, it really ignites the passion in me to champion women from all walks of life who are chasing their dreams like my mom was. And this is the same reason I'm constantly telling you to tell your story too. I tell you to not worry about selling, but to just tell your story-to start with your why. But the truth is: A lot of people are scared to share their story. When we start to explore our past, we tend to focus on the negative parts of it. And when we see only the negative parts of our story, we immediately feel inadequate and disqualified to do the things we want to do. But I want to encourage you today: It might just be those parts of you-those "inadequate" beginnings-that position you to do something that no one else can do but you. So, let's talk about some of the unbelievable benefits that come when you tell your story-both the good and the bad: Three Reasons You Should Tell Your Story 1. It creates connection. Sharing your story causes a ripple effect. It's contagious! It's amazing how many people think they're the only ones who feel the way they feel or have experienced what they've experienced. But when you open up and share your story and your heart, others realize that there are actually other people out there who can relate to their situation. And you know what? Realizing they're not alone gives them the freedom to open up and share their story as well! I love how Craig Groeschel puts it: "We might impress people with our strengths, but we connect with people through our weaknesses." 2. It brings hope. Think about it this way: Your story's not just yours. Your story is something that God wants to use to give other people hope for the future-to give them hope through hard times and scary moments. Are you going through something hard right now? Maybe God wants to use you to shine a light to others. It's not just an option for you to share your story. It's your responsibility to steward this story that God wants to use to bring hope to other people. 3. It can become your passion. Dave Ramsey has built an incredible business helping millions of people get out of debt. How did this become his job? He went bankrupt and lost everything in his 20s. Because of that experience, he vowed never to take on debt again-and today, he's successfully...

I heard a statistic recently that absolutely shocked me: seven out of every ten Americans say they don't like their jobs. Um, what? I don't know about you, but that number floored me. I mean, let's think about it. Seventy percent of us show up day in and day out-like for at least eight hours at a time-to a job that we don't even enjoy? That's a whole lot of unhappy people, working a whole lot of hours, doing something they hate. Ya'll, I don't get it. That makes no sense to me. None. But maybe you're in that place right now. Or maybe you're wanting to make some extra money. Or maybe you just need a creative outlet. Regardless of your motivation, I've got a great solution. Have you ever considered starting a side hustle? Related: 27 Ways to Make Extra Money from Home Is It Possible to Grow a Side Hustle If I Work a Full-Time Job? What you probably don't realize is that what you know today as Business Boutique actually started as a side hustle-while I was working a full-time job! Let's just say, necessity is truly the mother of invention. When I was first pursing my passion as a coach, in order to get my coaching credential, I had to fulfill a certain number of hours, well, coaching. I wasn't a Ramsey Personality yet. In fact, I was only speaking on a part-time basis for our company. So I thought, why not start a little business on the side coaching others? That way, I could earn my business coach certification and earn some extra income. A win-win, right? Fast forward a few years and that side business has now evolved into Business Boutique. So no matter your schedule, obligations, and commitments, it's possible to start a side hustle and also work full-time. And with enough passion and determination, I know you can do it too. Related: How to Take Your Side Hustle Full Time How Do I Start a Side Hustle When I'm Already So Busy With My Full-time Job? I'm going to be completely honest. Working two jobs at the same time is not easy. You will be doing a lot of juggling. But side businesses are a great way to help you reach your goals. And finding work you're passionate about-work that is fulfilling and challenging and exhilarating-is worth every sacrifice along the way. Work can be fun, y'all! You can do something you love and get paid for it! Don't forget that. In this episode, we'll talk about: How to define the objectives of your side hustle The importance of setting goals Creative ways to find time When to ask for help Why to celebrate milestones When to turn a side hustle into a full-time gig Related: How to Have More Time My Guest This Week Is Jake Vehyl! My guest this week is Jake Vehyl, founder of Nashville-based cookie company Jake's Bakes! Five years ago, Jake had a full-time job-and a big dream of starting his own business. But like many of you, he didn't know how to do it or have a lot of money to sink into a new venture. That's when Jake made a very smart decision: to start small. Instead of going into crazy debt purchasing expensive commercial grade baking equipment, he found a restaurant to lease space from during off hours. That decision not only saved a ton of cash, but it allowed Jake to work his day job and then head to the restaurant afterwards to bake until midnight. Yes, the hours were insanely long-and his social life definitely took a backseat-but Jake is the first to tell you that all of that hard work paid off. In less than two years, Jake's Bakes expanded from a delivery-only business to their first retail storefront. And you won't believe how this story ends! Even Jake didn't see this coming. In this episode, Jake and I will talk about: How to figure out what kind of side hustle to start What to do when faced with initial obstacles How to manage inevitable risks Why a "perfect" plan does not exist How to know when to quit your full-time job Related: Ep. 44 How to Know If Your Business Idea Will Work  Success...

My team thinks I'm never in the office. And, if we're being honest, they have a point. Between travel, speaking engagements, video shoots and off-site writing days, I just don't spend a lot of time at my desk. I remember one particular week when I was with my team all day every day because we were launching a new product. They gave me so much flak those five days. They went on and on about how I was never in the office and how much more fun it was when I did come around. So I decided the following Monday, when I normally wouldn't be in the office, to surprise and delight my team with a box of warm donuts. I thought it was the greatest idea ever. I imagined myself bursting through the doors, while everyone cheered for this special treat. I mean, I really built this whole thing up in my head. As luck would have it, no one was there when I arrived. Not a single person. I was so disappointed. It turns out, I chose a time when every single person on my team was either in a meeting or working in another building. I had planned this surprise poorly. Even though the donuts were still great later on when everyone finally showed up, I was disappointed that my team hadn't been there for the grand entrance. The effect just wasn't the same. This story reminds me of what it often looks like when we launch something new like a product, service or business. We come up with a great idea and have high expectations for what will happen when we share it with the world. And then we launch and no one shows up. It flops and we don't understand why. Launches are important, so we have to get them right. Whether you're introducing a new product line, announcing an upcoming conference, or offering a new service, there are things you must do to have a successful launch-but there's also a lot of room to be creative. That's because launching is both a science and an art. If you want to create a better launch experience, one where people actually show up and buy, you'll want to incorporate three key elements. The Three Essentials of a Successful Launch 1. Relationships Sixty percent of sales occur after the fourth interaction with a potential customer.(1) It's because people buy from those they know, like and trust. That's why if you're going to launch anything, you need existing relationships to launch to. Otherwise, you'll be launching to no one. Don't get intimidated if you don't have any customers yet. Utilize your existing relationships to get started. Announce it to your Facebook friends, send an email to all your contacts, and ask your family, friends and church community if they would help you spread the word. 2. A Date A launch is an event. And just like every event, it must happen on a certain date. The last thing you want to do is drag out a launch over a long period of time because then there's no urgency for your customer to take action. Choose a date that people can put on their calendars, plan around, and get excited about. When you land on a date for your launch, consider what else is going on in your business and the world in that season. You want to make sure it's a good time for your customers to buy and you won't be competing with another event. 3. Anticipation Research shows that when we have time to anticipate something, we actually enjoy it more when it occurs. Makes sense, doesn't it? Half the fun of a vacation is counting down the days. This is why anticipation around your launch is critical to its success. Once you've picked a date, start creating buzz. Remember, it's not just a date. It's an event! People should be daydreaming about the release of your product or service like they fantasize about their upcoming vacation. At Business Boutique, we do this every year when we open enrollment for the Academy. We create new videos, write about the opening in our blog, and post about it on Instagram. We're likely talking about it everywhere...

In this episode, we talk about one of my favorite tools: the Enneagram. I know this personality typing system thing can be confusing, so we're going to break down what it is and what it means. Plus, I sit down with authors Beth and Jeff McCord to talk about how to view the Enneagram through the lens of faith. Then, we'll wrap up the episode with a great question about rest versus hustle.  Resources: Get my brand-new book, Take Back Your Time: The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance. https://bit.ly/3941O52 Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3A7mPYq Join us at the Business Boutique Conference to learn how to make money doing what you love. https://bit.ly/395wmTZ

How God Views Women with Rachael Lampa and Trillia Newbell   1:09 Are You Leaning Into God's Plan for You? 9:54 What the Bible Says About Women with Rachael Lampa and Trillia Newbell 33:14 How to Transition Back to Work After Being a Stay-at-Home Mom Resources Christy's 7-Day Time FinderNeed more time? Get back 24 hours in your week by signing sign up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3w6Bz7q Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/3uLlwf8   What does God have to say about women? I'll share my thoughts in today's show. You'll also get to hear from Rachael Lampa and Trillia Newbell about an exciting new project they've been creating. And I'll wrap up the show by answering a few personal questions you've sent in.   Are You Leaning Into God's Plan for You? As women, we hear conflicting messages from culture and the church about who we're supposed to be. But in reality, the only opinion that matters is God's. So, what does God really think about you? Watch the video to find out.   What the Bible Says About Women with Rachael Lampa and Trillia Newbell Y'all, this interview was so fun! Rachael Lampa and Trillia Newbell talk about how they brought together a group of powerful and creative women for their new project, Faithful. You don't want to miss this!   How to Transition Back to Work After Being a Stay-at-Home Mom You guys send me questions all the time, so I wanted to take some time to answer them! Today, we're talking about getting back into the workforce after having kids.

In this episode, I'll give you four ways to make more money without adding on to your workload.  One way to do that is by creating passive income, which is exactly what my guest this week, Pat Flynn, will teach us about. Pat is a best-selling author and owns several wildly successful online businesses. He's speaking at my Business Boutique event in November, and today he'll tell us about how he wound up creating his first digital product years ago, and where it's taken him. And the success story this week is Heather Salopek. Heather owns Legacy Pecans, which sells delicious pecans and pecan products for retail and corporate gifts. The "Why" behind her business is remarkable, and I love how she got creative and took her family business to the next level. Plus, I'll answer your business questions from Business Boutique events! 1:10 Creating Passive Income 7:50 Interview with Pat Flynn 44:56 BB Success Story with Heather Salopek 57:38 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 64:08 Homework  Find out how much money your business can make with my free Profit Potential tool here! - To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Take Control of Your Life With the Power of Personal Responsibility   1:25 Three Reasons You Might Not Be Accepting Personal Responsibility 19:39 The Importance of Personal Responsibility with Rachel Hollis 33:12 Encouragement to Choose Could Over Should Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner  The NEW Business Boutique Goal Planner is almost here! join the waitlist today by texting BBPLANNER to 33444. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Taking control of your life sounds like a nice idea, doesn't it? But let's be real: So often we feel like we actually don't have any control at all. We feel like we're tossed left and right by the seasons of life and the people in our life. You know what, though? We actually have more control than we think we do. Your situation right now might be really hard-maybe it's harder than anything you or I have ever been through. But here's the great news: That's not your only story, and it's certainly not the end of your story. You Can Take Control of Your Life If you've ever seen the hit ABC show Shark Tank, you know the story of how Daymond John built his clothing company, FUBU, from nothing. Daymond was raised by a single mother. When he was 10, he started working to help his mom make ends meet. The hip-hop movement inspired him to start a clothing line, so he started sewing sweat shirts and hats in his mother's living room. (By the way, when he first officially launched his clothing company, he was still working as a server at Red Lobster!) Today, FUBU has brought in more than six billion dollars in global sales.1 Let's look at one more example: Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. (Who else is grateful for this shapewear brand?) Nobody handed Sara her fame and fortune on a silver platter. In fact, she failed the LSAT twice, worked as a chipmunk character at Disney World, and even spent seven years selling fax machines door to door before she ever started working on her idea for Spanx. When she pitched the idea for Spanx, she was met with rejection after rejection, until finally she convinced one manufacturing company to produce her product. Today, Sara is one of America's richest self-made women.2 Do you know what stories like those reveal to me? We often fall into the trap of believing our situation is impossible to climb out of. Meanwhile, others-like Daymond and Sara-are refusing to be defined by their circumstances. Instead, they're taking control of their lives and changing the outcome. Related: Ep 70: How to Be Content in Every Situation The truth is, you have control in the good and the bad times. The way you view your life-and your belief about the amount of control you have-will have a major impact on how your life turns out, whether you reach your goals, and how your story unfolds. Your ability to take control of your life is connected to the amount of personal responsibility you're willing to take. It's also connected to the amount of determination you choose to have in your life. The important thing to note here is that taking personal responsibility for your life is more dependent on you, your choices, your beliefs and your actions than anything else going on around you. Whatever your situation, I know it's real. I'm not discounting what you're going through-I know your situation is a factor in your ability to be successful. But I also believe your circumstances should not define you. Because there is a person who can change circumstances, who can fix broken...

The new year is just a few days away, y'all! In this episode, we're putting everything we've learned this month into action using one of my favorite tools. And I'll walk you through the process of creating your ideal schedule so you can prioritize your goals on your calendar. Then, we'll wrap up with a call from a woman who's wondering how to handle a change of heart about her business. The #1 Tool for Reaching Your Goals The Real Reason You're Not Hitting Your Goals I Lost Passion for My Business. What Should I Do? Crush your goals with the 2022 Goal Planner. https://bit.ly/2YZLxwc  Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3G0I41v

What Your Feelings Are Trying to Tell You   0:54 How to Understand Your Feelings 7:22 What Most People Don't Realize About Their Feelings with Chip Dodd 35:42 What Emotions Are You Feeling Right Now? Resources Christy Wright's Goal Planner Grow as a person, build confidence, manage your schedule, and crush your goals with Christy's brand-new 2021 Goal Planner! https://bit.ly/3nCoCif Business Boutique Conference Live Stream If you've been wanting to earn extra income for your family, the Business Boutique Conference will give you everything you need to work on your business dreams. Get your in-person or livestream ticket! https://bit.ly/36PHTH2 5 Day Confidence Boost Sign up for Christy's Confidence Boost to get five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/3lz4fAX We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   We all have feelings. And I have a lot of them. In fact, I have so many feelings, my feelings have feelings. Today, we're going to talk about-yep, you guessed it-feelings and the appropriate (and important) role they have in our lives. Chip Dodd, bestselling author of The Voice of the Heart and other brilliant books, joins us to talk about feelings, vulnerability and the responsibility we all have to own them. Then, we'll pull out our journals as we process our emotions and feelings.   How to Understand Your Feelings Whenever we face an issue or problem, it's easy to try to fix the issue at the surface level. But what's interesting is that often times, what's on the surface of the issue isn't even the problem itself. No matter what the problem is, there's always a root. But you have to be willing to uncover it layer by layer by layer. And if you can get to that deeper layer-if you link it to the root of what's really going on-you can solve it. It's there that you can find healing, deeper communication, intimacy and connection. The question you need to be asking yourself and others is simple: Why? And then keep repeating it until you get to the root. You'll sound a little like a broken record, but you know what? It works. Keep asking why. It's going to bring you to the core of what's going on inside you. It's an effective coaching technique, but it also helps you become self-aware and build closer relationships with every single person around you.   What Most People Don't Realize About Their Feelings with Chip Dodd Chip Dodd, author of the amazing book The Voice of the Heart, is here with me today to talk about the import role of feelings in our lives.   Chip and I talk about: The feelings God has given to us to live fully between the areas of grief and celebration How to be emotionally vulnerable and develop emotional resilience How we can use our feelings as tools to take ownership of our hearts and lives Learning to trust your feelings through identification, exploration and expression   What Emotions Are You Feeling Right Now? "Jesus wept." - John 11:35 (NIV) I don't know about you, but to me, it's so moving to consider that Jesus had feelings. Jesus wasn't an emotional iceberg. He had feelings, highs and lows, emotions and pulls. Just before that verse, it says Jesus "was deeply moved in spirit and troubled" (John 11:33, NIV). And then He wept. I want share that with you today as an encouragement that you're not alone. So, I've got some journal questions for you as you process your own emotions and feelings right where you are. How does it feel to consider that Jesus had emotions and feelings just like you? What emotions are you feeling right now? Why do you feel that way? And after you write down that answer, ask again-why? I want you to continue asking yourself why until you get to the deepest root layer of what's really going on inside.

How do you feel when you're facing a big decision? Overwhelmed and uncertain? In this episode, we'll talk about how to make big decisions with confidence. And I'll talk to my fellow Ramsey Personality Courtney Dyksterhouse about her decision to not have kids. At the end of the show, I'll answer a few questions that you've sent in. Are You Surrounding Yourself With the Right People? What If I Don't Want to Have Kids? with Courtney Dyksterhouse How Do You Invite God Into Your Business?

What to Do When You're Discouraged with Angie Smith   1:00 When Things Don't Go Your Way, Remember This 9:32 Do THIS When Life Doesn't Make Sense with Angie Smith 42:01 How Your Story Fits Into God's Story Resources Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You Get back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/3gaQkS6 Christy's 7-Day Time Finder Feel like you never have enough time? Sign up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge to learn simple things you can do to take back your time. https://bit.ly/3eJjZzd     In today's episode, we're talking about how to get through the hard, confusing times in life. We'll hear from author, speaker and Bible teacher Angie Smith about how to trust God when we don't understand what He's doing. And finally, we'll end with a few journal questions about how God's word encourages us through difficulty.   When Things Don't Go Your Way, Remember This Are you feeling lost? When we're in the middle of hard things, we quickly lose perspective and give up hope. In this video, I'll share an important truth that will help you find the courage to keep going.   Do THIS When Life Doesn't Make Sense with Angie Smith When you're going through something hard, it's easy to question, God, where are you? I sat down with my good friend Angie Smith and talked about how to trust God even when we don't understand the story He's writing.   How Your Story Fits Into God's Story "For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope." Romans 15:4 (NIV)   From beginning to end, the Bible is full of hope. When we open the Scriptures, we find encouragement for our story by reading about the greater story. Here are a few journal questions to help unpack this idea: Have you ever thought of the Bible as one big story? What is the point of the story of Scripture? What part of God's story do you want to know more about?

The Problem You Don't Know You Have   0:45 What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You 11:17 Let's Talk About the Enneagram with Ian Cron 36:10 Are You Ready to Be a Better Person? Resources Christy Wright 2021 Goal PlannerMy brand-new 2021 Goal Planner is here to help you get results in your life. This planner will help you grow as a person, build confidence, manage your schedule, and crush your goals. This is the tool you need to make this year what you want it to be. Get your copy today! https://bit.ly/2YRN3gP Business Boutique ConferenceIf you've been wanting to earn extra income for your family, the Business Boutique Conference will give you everything you need to start working on your business dreams. And for the first time ever, we're taking our annual three-day conference virtual! Get your livestream ticket today. https://bit.ly/2YQ0rST   So often in our lives, it can be tempting to use our personalities as an excuse for acting a certain way. Did I catch your attention? I hope so, because this is something we are all guilty of. Yep-today on the show, we're talking about how to know where you need to grow. And then I get to sit down with my good friend and bestselling author Ian Cron to learn about the Enneagram and how you can understand your weaknesses and what you need to work on.   What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You We all have blind spots, don't we? When we start to look at the blind spots in our lives, we open up so many opportunities for growth. It's not a fun process, but it's an opportunity to grow in maturity, wisdom and faith. But we can't grow and mature if we don't know the areas where we need to grow and mature. So today, we're going to talk about three tips that will help you identify your blind spots and areas you need to grow in so you can become the person you were created to be.   Let's Talk About the Enneagram with Ian Cron Have you ever thought about your motivations in life? Your motivations are rooted in your personality traits. Ian Cron, bestselling author of the popular Enneagram book The Road Back to You, joins me today to discuss how you can use the Enneagram to identify your blind spots. Ian and I also talk about how important self-awareness is for growth.   Are You Ready to Be a Better Person? Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. - James 1:2-4 (NIV) When I've gone through "wilderness" seasons, I remember feeling like I was far from God and even forgotten by Him. I don't know if you're in a season of feeling like everything is wrong and you're just looking for the emergency exit. If you're feeling like that, I hear you. And I've been there. But I also want to encourage you: Something might be happening right now in the valley that is going to produce fruit in your life. And even though you can't see it right now, you might be closer to God than you ever imagined-even if it doesn't feel like it. So, I want to give you some journal questions to think about and reflect on regardless of what season of life you might be in: What areas of your life do you need to grow in? How does it feel to think about your weaknesses? Now that you've identified where you need to grow, what are you going to do about it?

Stop Holding Yourself Back with Jamie Kern Lima   1:00 You Need to Stop Doing This Today . . .  9:38 Why It's Okay to Be Successful with Jamie Kern Lima 30:56 How Do You Respond to Compliments? Resources Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/37n26Ds   Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for my free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/2NzFVmC     Women, I believe, face a specific challenge: We downplay our success out of a sense of shame. I tackle that lie in today's show. I also get to interview Jamie Kern Lima, founder of IT Cosmetics, which is the fastest-growing cosmetic company in the world. She knows a thing or two about success! Finally, we'll wrap with some journaling prompts about celebrating-not shaming-our success.   You Need to Stop Doing This Today . . .  Why is it so hard to accept compliments? I believe it's because we don't know what true humility looks like. The next time someone notices or congratulates you, don't dismiss or downplay it. Say this instead.   Why It's Okay to Be Successful with Jamie Kern Lima Before she started IT Cosmetics, Jamie Kern Lima was saving her tip money from waiting tables at Denny's to buy fancy makeup. But just a few years ago, she sold her company for $1.2 billion! In our interview, Jamie shares the lessons she's learned about hard work, rejection and-ultimately-success.   How Do You Respond to Compliments? "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." - James 1:17 (NIV)   There's nothing we accomplish or enjoy on our own effort. Every single thing-from our relationships to our skills to our opportunities-is a gift from God. That's a humbling (and freeing) truth! Let's unpack it with a few journaling questions: How do you normally respond to compliments? What does humility look like to you? How can you practice being grateful for everything God has done and is doing in your life?

The Key to Knowing Where You're Going: Getting Back to You Part 4   0:55 Why You Should Get Your Hopes Up About the Future 9:52 Is Fear Holding You Back with Patsy Clairmont 39:44 Stop Guarding Your Heart Resources Christy's New Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You, that will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. Get your copy today: https://bit.ly/2I4LAif We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   We're continuing our journey to get back to you today with Part 4: Knowing Where You're Going. We're going to dive into what God says about your future. Then the always amazing and hilarious Patsy Clairmont joins us to share her valuable wisdom. Finally, we'll take some time to journal and work through what this means for our lives. Let's go!   Why You Should Get Your Hopes Up About the Future "You don't have to guard your heart with me." That's what God told me one Sunday morning in church as I kept trying to push back something I wanted so badly. It felt selfish, and it felt greedy. So, I kept pushing it away. And there, as I was worshiping in church, I felt this gentle whisper: "Get your hopes up? I'm the God of hope." In the middle of that moment, I was truly transformed. And it wasn't about getting what I wanted. It was about understanding how God feels about me, my heart and my desires. So, get your hopes up. He created your heart. He knows what to do with every desire He's given you. And He knows what to do with every broken piece when you're disappointed. He's the God of hope. There's something so powerful that happens when you own your desires, open your heart, and are honest with God about who you are and what you want.   Is Fear Holding You Back with Patsy Clairmont I'm so excited because today, I'm sitting down with one of my favorite authors, speakers, and Bible teachers, Patsy Clairmont. I love her, and I know you will too. Patsy and I covered a lot of ground, but here are some highlights: Getting our hopes up with God Owning your disappointment Being obedient in the small things   Stop Guarding Your Heart "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13 (NIV) Our God is a God of hope. Of course, we should get our hopes up because our hope isn't in ourselves. It's not in our circumstances or our situation. Our hope is in God, who is the God of hope. You don't have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. You don't have to be a good Christian, check all the boxes, or do your Bible study every day for God to meet you where you are and fill you with hope. You and I have every reason to get our hopes up because our God is the God of hope. And through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can actually overflow with hope. Take some time to sit and pray and answer these questions: How have you been guarding your heart from God? What dreams and desires do you have right now? Write down a prayer of trust and faith and hope and give those desires to God.

In this episode, I'll talk about why some women struggle with the selling component of business. My dear friend, best-selling author Rabi Lapin, will stop by to show us the truth about the goodness of making money so that we can stop sabotaging our own profits. We'll also hear from photographer Alicia Jevahirjian, founder of Beba Photography. Alicia wanted to take her dream full-time but was afraid to raise her prices. She'll talk us through her transition and why her customers followed her every step of the way. 0:58    The Goodness of Business and Making Money 12:21  Interview with Rabbi Daniel Lapin 31:03  BB Success Story with Alicia Jevahirjian 40:35  Homework -- What would $1,000 do for your business? Enter my Business Boutique Podcast Giveaway for your chance to win! Visit BusinessBoutique.com/podcast/giveaway to enter! -- If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com.  New podcast episodes are available every other week.

How to Love Life with Matthew McConaughey   0:49 Why Being Optimistic Is So Important 12:11 Matthew McConaughey's Advice About Life 26:45 What You Should Be Thinking About Right Now Resources Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/39ou57u   Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for my free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/2Mq1o0N     Today, we're going to talk about how your perspective on life impacts everything you do. And y'all, I'm so excited to share part one of my interview with actor, producer, and New York Times bestselling author Matthew McConaughey. To wrap up the show, we'll work through a few journal questions that will help us be optimistic and focus on the good things in our lives.   Why Being Optimistic Is So Important Our minds are powerful. And when you change how you think about life, you'll change how you experience it. For today's teaching, we'll talk about a simple truth that will help you take control of your thoughts, be more positive, and see the good in your life.   Matthew McConaughey's Advice About Life I had the opportunity to sit down with Matthew McConaughey: actor, producer and New York Times bestselling author of the new book Greenlights. For decades, he's been acting out the stories of other people. Now, he gets to share his own story-and it's packed with wisdom and humor and life lessons.   What You Should Be Thinking About Right Now "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." - Philippians 4:8 (NIV)   Optimism is God's idea. No matter your personality style or life circumstances, all of us are commanded by God to think about what is good. And God calls us to be different for a reason: so we can be examples of joy and hope and peace and put Him on display for the world. Let's apply today's truth by working through these journal questions: What are you looking for? What are you thinking about and focusing on? What are some things that are good in your life right now? Make a list of things to be grateful for. What's one thing that you can do today to put optimism into practice?

Dream Bigger and Build the Life You Want   1:24 Why We Stop Dreaming and Three Steps to Dreaming Bigger 21:17 Pursuing Your Wildest Dreams With Bob Goff 48:47 Encouragement to Remember that God is a Personal God Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner  The NEW Business Boutique Goal Planner is almost here! join the waitlist today by texting BBPLANNER to 33444. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Growing up, I had this aunt named Gloria who I thought was the coolest person around. She was beautiful, independent, drove an amazing car, and had a Rottweiler who went everywhere with her. But the coolest thing about her was that she lived on a farm by herself. She had horses, chickens, pigs, goats and everything that went along with the ideal farm life I fantasized about. To me, her life looked like the greatest life ever. I would often look at her and think, That's who I want to be. That's the kind of life I want to have. Well, fast-forward a few years to my early 20s when I was working 80 hours a week at a nonprofit. I was looking to downsize from a three-bedroom apartment with roommates to a one-bedroom apartment where I could live on my own. During my search, I came across an ad in the newspaper for a 40-acre farm for rent just two miles from my job-not exactly downsizing, but gasp! I immediately picked up the phone and called the number on the ad. It was perfect for me. Okay, so I couldn't afford the rent they were asking for, I had no idea how to run a farm, and I was working insane hours at my day job. So, if we're being completely honest, it didn't make any sense at all-everything about it was impractical. But, y'all! It was my dream to live on a farm, so you better believe I wasn't going to let "practical" stop me from pursuing it. Related: Ep 60: How to Face Your Fears and Do It Scared The next day, I went to visit the farm in person. Once I left, I scrounged up enough money for the deposit and moved in a few days later. At 23, I was living my farm dream. Sure, I had to start a side business boarding horses in the empty stalls so I could afford the rent, but I couldn't have been happier. Looking back on that experience, I could've easily missed out on living out that dream. Because the dream wasn't happening on the time line I thought it would happen on (like in my 50s when I'd have more money, a spouse and kids), it would've been easy to convince myself that it wasn't the right time. But you know what? More often than not, dreams aren't practical, and they certainly don't always come to life in practical ways. Thinking practically is just one of the many reasons our dreams get smaller and smaller as we get older. Why We Stop Dreaming It's so easy to dream when you're little, isn't it? You believe you can do anything, be anyone, and accomplish all the big dreams in your heart. But at some point, life-and other people-gets to you. You get bogged down by people telling you to do more practical things that have a guaranteed path to success. So your dreams slowly start to fade into the background. Related: Ep 74: Find Your True Self and Get Back to You And if you do dream, you play it safe. You keep your dreams small and doable so you can control and contain them. You also convince yourself that dreaming any bigger is selfish when so many people (your kids, your husband, your church, etc.) are counting on you. Does that "logic" sound familiar? So often, we women believe our heart's desires are...

I've got a special announcement for y'all in this show! You don't want to miss it. We'll talk about one of my favorite topics: life balance. I'll also get to interview the man himself, Dave Ramsey, to hear his thoughts on life balance (and let me tell you-he's got some thoughts!). Finally, I'll wrap up the show by answering a few questions you've sent in. Why Life Balance Isn't What You Think How to Prioritize What Matters with Dave Ramsey How Do I Balance Raising Kids and Going Back to School?

If you don't know your value, you'll settle. You'll undercharge, get pushed around, and dream small. That's why knowing your worth is so important, not just in business, but in life! In this episode, I'll give you three steps to determining the value of your product or service. My guest this week is Nicole Walters. Nicole created The Monetized Life and is one of our expert speakers at Business Boutique. She's taught me so much about selling and about knowing my worth! She'll give us some real talk about why women tend to undervalue ourselves. She'll also her share her best tips for selling, and I promise they're super easy-regardless of your personality style. Plus, I'll answer your business questions from Business Boutique events! 1:04 Knowing Your Worth 13:00 Interview with Nicole Walters 40:08 Fall Encouragement 43:00 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 50:32 Homework  Find out how much money your business can make with my free Profit Potential tool here! - To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

How to "Deal" With Your In-Laws   0:53 Five Rules to Have the Best Relationship With Your In-laws 15:46 Why Relationships Are So Hard with John Delony 42:07 Let's Talk About Your In-Laws Resources Christy's 5-Day Confidence Boost Sign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/3njJgTC Christy's New Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You, that will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. Get your copy today: https://bit.ly/2IxPW12 We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   Today, we're talking about how to "deal" with your in-laws so you can have the best relationship possible. I'm so excited because my friend (and fellow Ramsey Personality) Dr. John Delony joins us to talk about navigating relationships in our lives. Then, we'll spend some time journaling about what we can do to apply this truth to our lives.   5 Rules to Have the Best Relationship With Your In-laws There's one particular relationship that research shows is the hardest of all: the relationship between a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law. I've even done some reading on this because I'm asked about it so much. People really struggle with their relationship with their in-laws. That's why I worked with my own mother-in-law to come up with five rules for improving your relationship. If both people do this, the relationship will improve: Appreciate everything. Invest in the relationship. Communicate. Be confident. Put yourself in their shoes.   Why Relationships Are So Hard with John Delony I'm so excited because Dr. John Delony joins us in studio to talk about navigating our relationships with our in-laws. Y'all, this is good stuff. We cover everything from marriage and setting boundaries to learning how to communicate well so we can have the best relationships possible. I hope you lean in and take away some great tips that will help you navigate and pour into the relationships in your own life.   Let's Talk About Your In-Laws "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." - 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV) How many things would be solved if we just loved each other? How many things would be easier if we just thought of how we could show love? It's so easy to get frustrated with family and take them for granted, but family's also a sacred relationship and a role that no one else gets to fill. That's why it's on us to lead the relationship. Don't sit back and take a passive approach. We have an opportunity to love first. So, I've got a few questions for you as you process this and think about how to apply it to your own life: What are 10 things you're grateful for about your in-laws? What's one healthy boundary you want to set and communicate with your in-laws? What's one way you're going to show love to your in-laws this week?

Let's continue our conversation about getting ready for the new year! In this episode, we're talking about the importance of breaking down your 2022 vision into realistic goals-and I'll give you five simple steps for goal-setting that will help you bring your dreams to life. Then, we'll wrap up with a question from a busy mom who's wondering about going back to college. Coming Up This Week: * The Real Benefits of Setting Goals for Your Life * The Five Easy Steps to Goal-Setting * Is It Crazy to Go Back to College Now? Crush your goals with the 2022 Goal Planner. https://bit.ly/2YZLxwc Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3G0I41v  

If you're like me, you might feel helpless right now. Discouraged and probably overwhelmed. I am with you. I can't change what we are all going through together, but I wanted to do something. So I decided to put together a quick, scrappy and imperfect series to help shine some hope in the chaos we are in. I threw it together, texted a few friends to see if they would want to join me and put it on the calendar. I'm calling it Hope in the Chaos. Today I'm joined by my friend, Chrystal Evans Hurst.   We are going to walk with you and talk with you and process this with you. We're going to pray and talk about what anchors us during this storm.   Would you join me for this? There's no ask. No sale. No agenda. I just want to be present for you as we figure out how to get through this together in the coming days. I care about you friend, and I'm here for you. ??   You can view this entire series and receive the recap emails with journal questions if you visit businessboutique.com/hope.

The key to real life change is setting goals. In this episode, I'll talk about how to set strong goals that you can actually achieve. I'll tell you the three attributes that all of your goals should have, and give you my top tips to keep yourself motivated so that you'll look back one day and be proud of yourself. My guest this week is my good friend, Kelly Hancock. She founded the money-saving blog, FaithfulProvisions.com. Kelly's friends kept pestering her to start a blog to share her thrifty tricks and coupons, so she reluctantly began writing in 2008. She was able to grow an audience and an income generated by the blog! Kelly will share with us how she did it, and why she ultimately decided to walk away from it. Plus, I'll answer business questions that you've submitted! 2:39 Deep Dive on Goals 24:30 Interview with Kelly Hancock 49:00 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 55:04 Homework - Sign up for my 9-week Digital Mentoring course for Dreamers and receive your own DISC Assessment Test for free with the code BBWRIGHT. To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. - Meg Meeker's interview can be heard in Episode 8. Amy Porterfield's interview can be heard in Episode 11. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. Ask me a business question via social media by using #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Core values are like your compass, and they influence your decisions whether you realize it or not. In this episode, I want to make you aware of what those values are so that you can make decisions in your business that are best for you. I'll share examples of my core values with you and help you identify your own. My friend, nine-time Grammy Award winner, Hillary Scott is my guest for this episode. She'll talk about her core values and how they've kept her grounded throughout her many successes and even her failures. Plus, I'll talk to a woman who has truly build her business around her passions and values: Annie Moss. Annie owns a jewelry company called The Vintage Sparrow in Nashville, TN. Her business started as a way to raise money for a mission trip and grew so big that she was able to leave her day job to do her business full-time! 1:17 How Your Personal Values Inform Your Business 13:35 Interview with Hillary Scott 32:31 BB Success Story with Annie Moss  41:10 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 44:42 Homework -  Pre-order my new book, Business Boutique: A Woman's Guide for Making Money Doing What She Loves, for only $20 and get $60 in free bonus items! Visit BusinessBoutique.com/BBBook and use the code BBBook to also receive an exclusive podcast interview with Nicole Walters on Sales. Order today!  Limited-time offer. To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. Ask me a business question via social media by using #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Practice Self-Care and Give Yourself Grace   1:22 The Importance of Making Self-Care a Priority 18:00 Giving Yourself Grace with Ashley LeMieux 44:15 Challenge to Act the Way You Want to Feel Resources Get Christy's 10 Ways to Take Care of You by filling out the form here! Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. The Importance of Making Self-Care a Priority The moment I became a momma, everything changed. My first son, Carter, was born in January of 2015, and he instantly became my entire world. This tiny human consumed my every thought, concern and desire. It was beautiful and awesome, but it was also really hard. Now, I'd gone through many hard seasons before this one. I've walked through seasons where I worked 80 hours a week, lost all my friends, and didn't have much of a life outside of work. But, for whatever reason, there's nothing quite like that feeling of losing yourself when children come into the picture. Not only do they instantly become the center of your universe, but they also just need you a lot. And that's exactly what happened to me. I lost myself when I first became a mother. I no longer felt like Christy. I no longer felt like the young, independent, fun person I'd always known myself to be. I had so many interests-and I still do-but I wasn't doing any of those things because taking care of Carter consumed my world. Related: Find Your True Self and Get Back to You I know many of you have probably experienced this as well. You begin to create habits and grooves where all you think about is your kids. That was definitely me, even more so when Conley came into the picture a very short time later. I got into a habit of identifying myself as Carter and Conley's mom. That was my first point of identification. Now, I love being their mother. It's the greatest joy of my life. But it's not the only part of me. I quickly realized that, in keeping up with the day-to-day demands of my job, my children and my household, the first thing to go was me. The first things to go out the window were my interests and anything that brought me joy and rest (outside of my family). This was the first time in my life that I experienced this kind of guilt. Anything I wanted to do for myself felt selfish in the grand scheme of being a mom, so I wasn't taking care of myself. Related: Getting Rid of the Guilt Doesn't this happen to so many of us? We forget about the things that make us feel like us: exercise, shopping, pedicures, time with girlfriends or time alone. Those things become luxuries we'll indulge in only if there's time leftover. And you and I both know there is never time leftover. There will always be something more demanding of your time, attention and energy until you put yourself at the top of your priority list. Self-Care Is Your Responsibility If you feel rushed, run down, busy, burned out, grumpy or resentful in your own life, it's probably because you haven't taken care of yourself. And there's only one person who can fix that: you. The most important truth you need to know about self-care is that it's up to you. That's why it's called self-care. No one can do it for you. No one can make you take time off work, take a vacation, soak in a bubble bath, get a pedicure, or make you value yourself but you. So, if you're sitting around and waiting for someone to give you permission to take care of yourself, it's not going to happen. Now, don't get me wrong. Loving your children more than life is...

Become A Woman Who Supports Other Women   1:22 Become A Woman Who Supports Other Women 8:42 Five Ways to Become A Woman Who Supports Other Women 18:49 Women Supporting Women with Liz Cox 33:45 Encouragement: Shake Off the Shame If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. I'm the product of countless women who have invested and poured into me-and I bet you are too. In fact, I don't know where I would be in my life today without the support of other women. I'm so passionate about being a woman who champions other women, but you know what I've realized? It's incredibly hard for us women to do. There are just so many things in our world that divide us. Sometimes the division looks like mommy wars and parent shaming. Other times it looks like being jealous of the woman at work who got the promotion instead of being excited for her. Or maybe it's rolling your eyes at how your neighbor parents her child differently than you do. Regardless of how the situation plays out, there often seems to be an ugly division between us and other women. It's like no matter where we stand, we're always looking down on someone else. But here's something I deeply believe: The reason we're so quick to judge women with decisions different from ours is simply because we're not completely comfortable with our own choices. It's not because we think she's so wrong. It's because we're worried that maybe we're wrong. When we're constantly insecure about our own choices, we project that onto other women by judging their decisions. But if you want to be a woman who supports other women, you have to do what that kind of woman does! You have to connect your desire to be one with your behavior and your attitude-you know, actually walk the talk. It all starts with the woman in the mirror. That's why I want to talk about five intentional behaviors you can choose to do to become the type of woman who champions other women. 5 Ways to Become A Woman Who Supports Other Women 1. Love yourself. You have to love yourself before you can love anybody else. The reason we're so hard on others is because we're so hard on ourselves. And if there's no love in you for yourself, I promise you, you'll have no love to offer other people. The truth is: You can't offer something you don't have. So if you want to offer love and champion other women, you need to love yourself first. 2. Be confident in your own choices. You can't champion someone else's choices if you aren't sure about your own. 3. Give grace. Choosing to give grace when the women in your life disappoint you will allow you to champion them despite their imperfections. Because what we all really need more of is grace. I'm going to mess up, you're going to mess up, and she's going to mess up. We're all going to mess up. That's why we should not only offer more grace to others, but we should offer ourselves more of it too. 4. Have Empathy. Empathy is simply putting yourself in someone else's shoes. It's giving them the benefit of the doubt. It's imagining what it would be like to be them. All day, every day, all we ever think about is how we feel. We look at the world through our lens, unique situation, or personality style, which makes it hard to understand why someone else would respond or act differently than we would. That's why it's so important to have empathy. And what's amazing is, when you do that, it's so easy to champion people who are different from you. 5. Give what you want to get. If you want people to champion you, champion them. If you want people to love you, love them. If you want people to be kind to you, be kind to them. Give the things you want to get, and I promise you, you'll get what you want and more. Y'all, being a woman who champions other women is a beautiful...

This episode is all about balance, including what it really is and how it can be affected by your season of life. We're going to unpack an article I read recently that talks about the double standard for men and women when it comes to work-life balance, then we'll wrap up by reflecting on a verse from Ecclesiastes. Why We Need to Redefine Life Balance Is Life Balance Different for Men and Women? This Will Change How You Prioritize Your Time   Crush your goals with the 2022 Goal Planner. https://bit.ly/2YZLxwc Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3G0I41v

Let's talk about how to find work you love! It's so important to enjoy your work, and I'm going to break down why your job doesn't have to be a J-O-B. I also sit down with my good friend and career expert Ken Coleman to unpack how to find meaningful work. Then we'll wrap up with a question about getting promoted with humility! Are You Believing This Lie About Your Job? The Path to Finding Meaningful Work with Ken Coleman My coworkers resent my promotion. What should I do?    Resources: Crush your goals with the 2022 Goal Planner. https://bit.ly/2YZLxwc Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3G0I41v

We're recording this episode live at the Business Boutique event in Nashville! I'll be joined by several of the speakers from the event, and we'll answer your questions. We'll hear from Rachel Cruze, Christine Caine, Donald Miller, Amy Porterfield, Nicole Walters, and Jess Connolly! I'll also interview Becky Delph, owner of Alter Bound Alterations in Frankton, Indiana. Becky attended Business Boutique last year, and we'll talk about her business since the event-she was able to triple her revenue! -- To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. -- If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com New podcast episodes are available every other week.

If you're like me, you might feel helpless right now. Discouraged and probably overwhelmed. I am with you. I can't change what we are all going through together, but I wanted to do something. So I decided to put together a quick, scrappy and imperfect series to help shine some hope in the chaos we are in. I threw it together, texted a few friends to see if they would want to join me and put it on the calendar. I'm calling it Hope in the Chaos. Today I'm joined by my friend, Diana Nepstad.   We are going to walk with you and talk with you and process this with you. We're going to pray and talk about what anchors us during this storm.   Would you join me for this? There's no ask. No sale. No agenda. I just want to be present for you as we figure out how to get through this together in the coming days. I care about you friend, and I'm here for you. ??   You can view this entire series and receive the recap emails with journal questions if you visit businessboutique.com/hope.

It's exciting to plan for the future, set fun goals, and dream big for your business, but you also need to figure out how you'll reach those goals. If you don't know where you are, it's hard to know how to get to where you want to be. Today, I want to talk about how you can assess and evaluate where your business is right now so you can see the path to where you want to be in 2019. Make sense? Great! Let's get started. End of the Year Business Review Organizing and evaluating the major projects you did in 2018 is a great first step toward planning for 2019. Start by creating four columns and sorting projects into these four categories: right, wrong, missing and confused. RIGHTWhat worked well? What was a huge success or helped you gain momentum? These are things that you want to maximize, amplify, and do more of next year. WRONGWhat didn't work? Did you have a setback or a challenge? Did some of your results disappoint you? If so, it's okay! Making mistakes shows you are taking risks and pushing the limits. The important thing is that you learn from your experiences and stop spending time on these things. MISSINGWhat opportunities were overlooked? Was there something you should have done, but didn't? Maybe it was something you didn't know you should do at the time, but you know now. These are things you are going to add. CONFUSEDWhat needs a little more explanation or better processes? Was there something you had to help customers or your team understand multiple times? These are the things you should clarify. This is a great exercise for your business as a whole, but I'd also recommend you do this for the main areas of your business: sales, marketing, operations, money, team and time management. Evaluating your business's strengths and weaknesses will help you finish the year strong and start the new year even better that last year. Related: Ep 61: Learning From Failure: How to Dust Yourself Off and Move Forward How to Wrap Up the Year and Finish Strong with John Felkins John Felkins is one of our very own Entreleadership Executive Coaches here at Ramsey Solutions. John is on a mission to help business leaders reach their maximum potential. He guides leaders and small-business owners to cut through white noise and helps them make real progress on their journey to becoming the best, most accomplished version of themselves. John Felkins started his professional life as a project management engineer and realized his passion was actually coaching and consulting. After creating a consulting firm, he went to an Entreleadership event, fell in love with the principles, then quickly joined the Entreleadership team to help launch the highly successful Entreleadership coaching program. In this episode, John Felkins and I discuss how to work in your sweet spot and how to wrap up the year and finish strong. We talk about: Why it's important to use your gifts with your work and not force yourself to do a job that doesn't come naturally The main things you need to identify and assess in your business before the year ends Practical questions to ask yourself to end the year strong The metrics to know now in order to improve your business next year Knowing your business vitals and why that's important for your profit and loss Identifying the actual cost of doing business, so you can make adjustments to improve in the future Why putting your phone down will help you avoid distractions and serve your customers better Related: How to Stay Focused and Eliminate Distractions in Your Business Get a Running Start on Your Year We all know the holidays are a crazy busy time of year. Before you know it, it's January, and you aren't sure how to start tackling all those New Year's goals you set for your business. You still have a few days to get your plans in place, so figure out where you want to be and break down what you need to do to reach that goal....

Let's talk about goals for your business-but not big, huge, overwhelming goals. Instead, we'll talk about tiny, baby, daily, micro goals. These are the smaller goals along the way that it takes to get to the finish line. In this episode, I'll teach you how to break down your big goals into weekly and then daily goals so you can actually achieve them! My guest this week is speaker, best-selling author, podcast host and my good friend, Chris Hogan. He'll get real practical with us about how to eliminate excuses and chase down our results so that we can run businesses and lives that we're proud of. And Chris and I will answer your burning business questions together! Our success story this week is Naomi Duncan, owner of Naomi Ruth Photography. Naomi has grown her humble hobby into a business that brings her over $40K per year on the side! 1:08 Hitting Big Goals By Winning Small 12:03 Interview with Chris Hogan 41:22 BB Success Story with Naomi Duncan 52:29 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 64:11 Homework Get Christy's Goal Setting Tool by filling out the form here! To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

How to Be a Successful Woman and Live a Balanced Life   1:26 How You Can be Successful in Many Areas of Your Life 4:39 Seven Areas of Your Life to Find Balance 11:30 Making Time for Both Your Family and Career with Sarah Sloyan 31:04 Leading with Grace and Strength with Jen Sievertsen 43:51 Focusing on Goals to Be Successful with Suzanne Simms 54:53 Challenge: The Best Way to Have What You Want Resources 2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. You can be successful in many areas of your life. Work, Sleep, Family, Fitness, or Friends: Pick 3. I recently stumbled upon an article online with that title. And I have to tell you guys, I disagree with it. The idea that you can't work, get enough sleep, and have time for family, friends and fitness is crazy. I'm tired of hearing the message that if you're winning at work, you're failing at home. Or if you're winning at home, you're failing at work. What's interesting is, not only is this message common in media, but it's also reinforced by the narratives in our heads. So many of us have this broken record on repeat in our heads telling us we're always failing. It's not if we're failing. It's which thing are we failing at today. But you know what? It's simply not true. Now, I know you can't do everything in the world (of course you can't). But you can do the most important things. You can't take advantage of every single opportunity, but you can do the right things, and you can do more than three things. The truth is: You can be successful in many areas of your life. Related: Ep 84: Cultivating Good Habits in Every Season of Life 7 Areas of Your Life to Find Balance I love Zig Ziglar's Wheel of Life. It paints a great picture of the most important areas of a person's life. If you're not sure where you should be prioritizing your time, these seven areas are a great place to start. The Wheel of Life isn't a prescription for every single person, but it does hold true for most of us. Just like a bicycle, when one wheel isn't working, the entire bicycle will have trouble moving forward. That's why it's important to find as much harmony and balance as possible in each area. Let's go through each of the different spokes of the Wheel of Life and what they each represent. This list is not in order of priority. You should prioritize these different areas based on your season of life, and then set appropriate goals in each. 1. Career (and Business) You spend a lot of hours of your life at work or in your business. So this should be an area of your life that brings you joy and fills you up. 2. Finances Your money affects everything. It impacts almost everything you want to do in life. That's why you need to be intentional about how you manage your finances and set goals in this area of your life. 3. Spiritual growth Growing in your faith is not going to happen accidentally. Your relationship with God is like any relationship. It will grow in proportion to the amount of time you invest in it. 4. Physical health I'm not talking about being skinny here. I'm talking about how you feel. How's your energy? Are you sleeping enough? How are you taking care of yourself? We only get one body, so taking care of it should be a priority. 5. Intellectual growth Are you investing in your personal development? What books are you reading? What conferences are you attending? What podcasts are you listening to? What are you putting into your mind that will change the actions you take and the decisions...

In this episode, we're focusing on one of my favorite things to talk about: building confidence. We'll cover some tips on how to build confidence the right way, and we'll look at an interesting article that covers the science behind confidence. Then, we'll unpack a verse of Scripture on this topic and finish up with some journal questions to help you dive deeper! Coming Up This Week: How to Build Confidence Where Confidence Actually Comes From Why You Keep Losing Your Confidence

Let's talk about success, friends! In this episode, I'll give you three steps you need to take to win in business. If you do these three things, you'll feel the pride that comes with knowing where you're going and how to get there. Plus, I'm so excited to announce that Business Boutique is launching something brand new that can change everything for your business: The Business Boutique Academy. My guest this week, Brian Williams from Ramsey Solutions, will explain in detail what the Academy can do for you. 1:05 How to Win in Your Business 17:09 Interview with Brian Williams 41:02 Homework - Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy and get $10 off your first month or $30 off your first year  by using the code BBACADEMY at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. This offer is good through through June 30, 2017. Sign up today! - Buy my new book, Business Boutique: A Woman's Guide for Making Money Doing What She Loves, and receive a FREE Marketing Basics You Can't Afford to Miss video, a $40 value for only $19.99. Visit BusinessBoutique.com/BBBook and use the code BBBOOK to also receive an exclusive podcast interview with Nicole Walters on Sales. Order today!  Limited-time offer. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. Ask me a business question via social media by using #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT New podcast episodes are available every other week.

In episode 1 of my brand new podcast, I'll help you build a vision and a plan to harness your passion into your own version of success. My friend Christine Caine (who is one of the most dynamic, inspiring women I've ever met, by the way!) will join the conversation to talk about pushing through your challenges by staying connected to what drives you. Plus we'll hear from a Business Boutique alum on how our 2-day event last year transformed her business! 1:22    Tiers 1&2 of the BB Business Plan 18:20  Interview with Christine Caine 43:39  BB Success Story 55:32  Homework Get your free Business Boutique Quick Start Guide by filling out the form here! - To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com.  New podcast episodes are available every other week.

This week's podcast episode is going to help you simply your life and business. The stress of chaotic schedules and spaces keeps us from living effectively. I know for me a few practical tips can make all the difference. Our guest this week has personally helped me simplify my own life through simple, easy-to-do daily changes. One small change got me thinking beyond my personal life to business. I can't wait to share a few tips to simplify your business today! Five Ways to Simplify Your Business 1. Simplify Your Paperwork In addition to a laundry mountain, I have mail mountain. It piles up high for weeks or months until I finally address it and sort it into neat stacks. What if we had permanent stacks? What if there were permanent places where those things go? What if we created, like my friend April Perry calls it, a Command Center? You probably already know the main categories of paperwork you encounter throughout the month in your business. Just start there. Do a little bit of work on the front end, and create spaces to sort your paperwork as it comes in! Whether it's your email inbox, your computer desktop, or a few literal spaces, this strategy is going to help reduce stress in the long run. 2. Simplify Your Workspace When my husband Matt and I were planning our wedding and had a larger invitation list than our budget would allow, our wedding planner provided us with a challenge: cut 10%. We eliminated 10% of our list by eliminating from each category. The same challenge can be applied to your workspace. What if you cut a percentage of what was there? Let's say 30%. Go into your work space and choose 30% of the items taking up space to sort, store, or throw away. Junk, clutter, and the seventeen pieces of artwork from your children are overwhelming your space. It's time to approach your workspace with an elimination mindset. Imagine creating a workspace you actually want to work in. You'll enjoy your work more when you've created a space that you love. Related: How to Have More Time 3. Simplify Your Product or Service Offerings When it comes to your customers, less is more. In products, design, and content, it's important to create clarity. If it's complicated to you, it's even more complicated to your customers. You want to make sure you have a clear path for your customers. A million options with a million varieties is not clear for your customers. It's overwhelming. Research shows the more options you give people, the less likely they are to buy. People do better with limited options. Get rid of anything in your product offerings that wastes space, doesn't sell, you don't enjoy making, or has a horrible profit margin. You'll leave more space and fewer options for your customers to actually buy what they want. 4. Simplify Your Website Just like with your product offerings, your website needs to be simple and clear for your customers. My friend Donald Miller says, "People don't buy the best products and services; they buy those they understand the quickest." People understand the fastest when you give them a few simple words. Everything needs to have a purpose and a point-every tab, landing page, and product description. If it doesn't, it doesn't need to be there. When I'm writing a talk, I challenge myself to write the "one sentence." What's the one thing I want people to know? Then everything I say points back to that one thing. Your website should be just like that! Your website is a source of communication with your customers. Make it as clear as possible. What landing page, words, or images are not the most important things you want your customer to know? What words are confusing? What words are a distraction? 5. Simplify Your Schedule Similar to your workspace, you can approach your schedule with an elimination mindset. Set a goal and take a percentage right off the top. It's time to find some margin, and the best way...

The Key to Navigating Tough Seasons: Getting Back to You Part 3   0:49 Are You Letting THIS Define Who You Are? 9:46 How to Get Through Hard Seasons With Lisa Harper 39:44 Are You in a Tough Season? Watch This. Resources Christy's New Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You, that will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. Get your copy today: https://bit.ly/34vLPeG We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   Your life is marked not just by seasons, but by different aspects of your life in a particular season. Today, we're talking about where you are in your current season of life. My good friend, hilarious storyteller, and brilliant bible teacher Lisa Harper joins us to talk about gaining perspective from the season you're in. Then we'll dig a little bit deeper with some journal questions.   Are You Letting THIS Define Who You Are? Your life is marked not just by seasons, but by different aspects of your life in a particular season. Our lives happen in the blink of an eye. And the season we're in-whether it's an awesome season or a really hard season, or one that we're loving or we're ready to get out of-is just a season. It might feel like it defines you. It might feel like it's going to be forever. But it doesn't, and it's not. I don't know what season you're in, but I'm here to remind you that you're so much more than the season that you're in. Your identity is not calculated by the season or your circumstances in your life. And when you remember that, refocus on that, and build your life on that truth, you actually can find strength and grace to get through it.   How to Get Through Hard Seasons With Lisa Harper I'm so excited because one of my favorite people in the world, Lisa Harper, is joining us. Lisa is an author, brilliant Bible teacher, and hilarious storyteller. Lisa and I dive into the topic of seasons and how to know where you are without losing your identity. We cover a lot of ground, but here are the highlights: You're not the season you're in. You can find strength to get through hard seasons. In the economy of God, pain is usually a promotion.   Are You in a Tough Season? Watch This. "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." -Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV) There's a time for everything. There's a time to start something and a time to end. There's a time for every season under the heavens. So I want to ask you a few questions to help you process where you are in your season: What season are you in right now? How would you describe it? How does it feel? Where do you need discernment right now? How do you help yourself remember that you're not the season you're in?

The Secret to Success Isn't What You Think   0:56 You Need This When Life Knocks You Down. 12:38 How to Become Unstoppable with Bethany Hamilton 33:55 Feel Like Giving Up? Start Here. Resources Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for my free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/2PwBCGm Christy Wright 2021 Goal PlannerYou can do hard things. You just need a plan. My brand-new 2021 Goal Planner will help you manage your schedule, grow as a person, and reach your goals-whether your goals are centered around your money, career or personal life. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when the planner is available: https://bit.ly/2XzoxAE     Today, we're talking about the secret to success, and I guarantee you, it's not what you think. And then I get to sit down and have an awesome conversation with the amazing Bethany Hamilton. You've probably heard of her-she's a professional surfer, inspirational speaker, author, mom and wife. Her incredible story will inspire you. Then, I'll take you through some journal questions on the idea of perseverance when you feel like giving up.   You Need This When Life Knocks You Down. When it comes to reaching goals, pushing past limits, and trying new things, we often look to successful people to give us a formula we can follow. But so often, we're looking to the wrong things. We think it's their financial status, the relationships they have, the connections they make, what family they were born into, or even how they're uniquely wired. And while some of that may be true, those are not the true indicators of success. It comes down to one word. Are you ready for it? Perseverance. It's about pushing through and being willing to try again. And again. And again. It's persistence and never giving up. When we fail or fall down, it hurts. It bruises our ego and wounds our hope for the future. And that voice in our head starts to get really loud: Never again. I'm not going to do that again. I'm not going to risk that again. I'm not going to put myself out there like that again. See, that's proof. I never should've done that. See, that was dangerous. See, I wasn't cut out for that. See, I told you. We look at our failures and mistakes, and we use them as proof of why we never should've done the thing to begin with. I had a speaking event where I absolutely bombed-like, I wanted to disappear behind the podium. I cried the entire drive back to Nashville and told myself, Never again. I'll never speak again. I'll never walk on a stage. I'll never put myself out there like that to be embarrassed or humiliated again. Never again. But I did. And I'm so glad I did, because the number one reason I've been able to do anything I do is because I was willing to try again. It's all about perseverance. Just simply getting back up, dusting yourself off, and being willing to show up again and hold your head high-even when you're embarrassed.   How to Become Unstoppable with Bethany Hamilton Y'all, Bethany Hamilton joined me today to talk about becoming unstoppable. Bethany is a professional surfer, wife, mom, author and inspirational speaker. You may remember her story from the movie Unstoppable. Bethany had to learn how to persevere through the unimaginable. I know her story will inspire you to keep going and approach life with gratitude. Here are some highlights from our conversation: Developing confidence through challenges Getting back on the surfboard after her shark attack Thinking outside the box of what we think is possible Approaching life with gratitude and maximizing the life you have Setting boundaries that will help you love the life you live   Feel Like Giving Up? Start Here. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and...

We buy stuff because we think it'll make us happy. But does it? I've got the perfect guests to help answer that question: Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, known as The Minimalists. We'll talk about how to get past stuff so you can love your life more. Then I'll wrap up the show by answering a few of your questions on how to create balance in a crazy schedule. Why Clutter Makes Your Life More Complicated Why Minimalism Isn't What You Think It Is with The Minimalists How to Balance a Full-Time Job and the Rest of Your Life Resources: Need more time? Get 24 hours back in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/2TAvAdg   Get back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It'll help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/3yVgfnG

Today's episode is all about business: what to do, what not to do, and how to make your goals come to life! I walk through some key do's and don'ts of business, and then I get to talk to the amazing Jasmine Star about some winning social media strategies. We'll wrap up the show with a great question on how to generate leads without spending a ton. Don't miss this one, y'all!  Resources: Get everything you need to start or grow your business inside the Business Boutique Academy. Enrollment is open October 4-7. Join today: https://bit.ly/3ujqrEx Get $5 off your Business Boutique Conference ticket when you use code CHRISTYSHOW. https://bit.ly/3i0V7FN

Several years ago, I met someone I've admired from afar for years. I was on the road for the spring Business Boutique event in 2016, and we had booked someone who I consider to be a mega-celebrity speaker: Christine Caine. I couldn't believe I was going to meet her in person and share a stage with her. I would have been grateful simply for the privilege of shaking hands, taking pictures, and hanging out with her. It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But it was even better than that. We became friends in real life. The following year, she even invited me to speak on her conference tour, Propel Women. Of course, I agreed. We traveled around the country and spoke at six different events. And this relationship has only continued to grow. She was one of the first people I texted when I found out I was having a baby girl. And she is someone who I continually lean on for mentorship and guidance. Christine is just one example of the many incredible people I've had the privilege of building relationships with through Business Boutique over the last five years. Not only have these connections benefited my personal life, but they've also helped my business as well. It's true what they say: "It's all about who you know." The quality of your life is a direct reflection of the quality of your relationships. The same is true in business. The quality of your business is a direct reflection of the quality of your relationships. Every opportunity that you will ever have in your lifetime will come through people. So regardless of what type of business you're in, you're in the people business. Related: Building Business Relationships That's why I want to help you with something that many people find intimidating: networking. I meet so many women who are terrified of it. They often feel like making new connections is only for outgoing personalities. But I don't believe that to be true. So today, I want to bust three myths we believe about networking so you can stop believing these lies and take advantage of all it has to offer. Three Myths We Believe About Networking Myth #1: There's only one way to do it. When you think about networking, you probably picture talking to strangers at a formal event and a lot of awkward interactions. It's no wonder you want no part of it! But do you know what networking really is? Meeting people and making connections. That's it. It's really that simple. And you can build relationships with people anywhere and at any time. I'd be willing to bet you're already doing this every single day. As women, we're naturally relational and enjoy connecting with new people. It's what we do. You don't need to have a pitch or an agenda or be in a formal setting to meet someone new. Stop thinking about networking as anything more than making a new friend. Related: 4 Friends You Need for Your Business Myth #2: You have to be extroverted. Introverts might experience more anxiety when walking into a roomful of people, but they actually have the advantage. Why? Because introverts are gifted at connecting one-on-one and building deep, quality relationships. They may not want to work the room or be the life of the party, but they're going to walk out of there with at least one real connection. Here's a tip for you introverts: Start small. Scan the room and see if you can find just one person who looks inviting (bonus points if they're also alone). Walk up to them and introduce yourself. I guarantee that anyone in that room who is standing by themselves will welcome a friendly face because they're probably feeling exactly how you are. Keep in mind that this doesn't have to only be in-person. You can make connections online. For introverts, it's a great way to get out of your shell and get some practice under your belt. Myth #3: You'll come off as self-seeking. We all have this fear that people will think we have an agenda or we're...

Today we're talking about three things you need in your life right now to keep you from feeling completely exhausted. Also, I get to talk to author and pastor John Mark Comer about the dangers of hurry and how we can take practical steps to slow down. To wrap up the show, I'll answer a few questions y'all have sent in. 3 Reasons Why You're Feeling Completely Exhausted Why Staying Busy Is Hurting You with John Mark Comer How Do I Heal From a Toxic Relationship? Resources: Preorder my brand-new book, Take Back Your Time: The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance. https://bit.ly/3esM12J Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3enMkvW Join us at the Business Boutique Conference to learn how to make money doing what you love. https://bit.ly/3yX04FI

In today's episode, we'll talk about my top five tips for a great marriage. Then we get to hear from multiplatinum country artist Russell Dickerson and his awesome wife, Kailey, on what makes their marriage work so well. Finally, we'll wrap up with a great question about how to deal with feelings of burnout at work. Y'all don't want to miss this one! My Top 5 Marriage Tips Keeping Your Marriage Strong in a Busy Season with Kailey and Russell Dickerson How to Deal With Work Burnout Resources: Preorder my brand-new book, Take Back Your Time: The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance. https://bit.ly/3gCLtsa Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/2WwXDeR Join us at the Business Boutique Conference to learn how to make money doing what you love. https://bit.ly/3DszYxw

Many times, it can be easy to feel like we lose ourselves in all of our roles and responsibilities. We get so busy rushing from one thing to the next on the calendar, trying to keep up and perform, checking off all the tasks on our to-do lists. We get milk and sippy cups, take the kids to soccer, get dinner on the table, run our businesses, and keep up with work. In the midst of all of this, you're probably asking yourself: Where am I? Who am I in all of this? Where does my identity come from? What are things that are me that feel right for me? This forced pause we're all in right now is a great time to stop and think about what's really true for you. What do you want your life to look like? What do you want your story to be? We're so busy rushing and keeping up that we never have time to pause and reflect on what we really want our lives to look like, or if the life we're living is one that's true to who we were created to be. I've noticed that when I'm the most stressed, anxious and frustrated, it's not because I'm doing too many things. It's because I'm doing the wrong things. I'm doing the things that aren't in line with my values and that don't feel like me. [share]We're so busy rushing and keeping up that we never have time to pause and reflect on what we really want our lives to look like, or if the life we're living is one that's true to who we were created to be.[/share] But the opposite is also true: When you spend your time on things you value and things that are right, you'll feel joy, fulfillment, purpose, peace, less stress and more control. You'll feel like you're living a life that's right for you. And that's what I want to help you do. In this new series, I'm going to share five practical things you can do to discover who you are and what's right for you so that you can create a life that's true to you, your values and what God has in store for your life. Journal Questions: I want to help you journal and craft a vision for what a life true to you looks like. So, grab your journal and a pen and answer these simple questions: What would it feel like? What would it include? What would it not include?

Today we're talking about how to make decisions that are right for you and your family. I also get to sit down with my good friend Rebekah Lyons-author, speaker and Bible teacher-to talk about how to trust God when life doesn't look like you thought it would. Finally, I'll wrap up the show by answering a super vulnerable question one of the listeners sent in. You don't want to miss it! Resources: Preorder my brand-new book, Take Back Your Time: The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance. https://bit.ly/3AZle73 Take my quiz to discover the real reason you feel out of balance and what to do about it. https://bit.ly/2WgrhFq Get $5 off your Business Boutique Conference ticket when you use code CHRISTYSHOW. https://bit.ly/3szBwjX

Life balance-let's talk about it. I'm so excited to sit down with this panel of incredible women and get their thoughts, feelings and insights on this topic! We're talking about what life balance actually is and whether or not we can achieve it, how to set better boundaries, saying no to people-pleasing, and so much more. Don't miss this amazing conversation! Panel guests: Angie Smith - https://www.instagram.com/officialangiesmith/ Melinda Doolittle - https://www.instagram.com/mdoolittle Pasty Clairmont - https://www.instagram.com/patsyclairmont Karen Harmon - https://www.instagram.com/karenharmon360 Brandi Wilson - https://www.instagram.com/lovebrandiwilson Courtney Dyksterhouse - https://www.instagram.com/courtneydyksterhouse Resources: Get my brand-new book, Take Back Your Time: The Guilt-Free Guide to Life Balance. https://bit.ly/3BKWDDt Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3zR23MJ Join us at the Business Boutique Conference to learn how to make money doing what you love. https://bit.ly/3zR2AOJ

It's hard to believe that nearly five years ago, Business Boutique was just a dream in my heart. Wow. That's hard to grasp on so many levels, but especially because Business Boutique is such a huge part of my life now. But, y'all, talk about humble beginnings. All we really knew is that we wanted to create a place where women could get the support and training they need to make money doing what they love. That's it. So we went straight to the source: women who knew they were made for more. We talked to a lot of them and asked what felt like millions of questions. And we noticed something interesting. All of these women seemed to describe their pursuit of "more" in different ways. Some called it a side business. Others referred to it as a side hustle. Some even called themselves mompreneurs. Suddenly, we knew coming up with a name for our project that perfectly encompasses what all of these women do-and one that clearly communicates exactly how we can help them-was absolutely crucial to our success. No pressure, right? In all our meetings and brainstorming sessions, my leader Dave Ramsey kept referring to a small side business as a boutique business. But that name didn't feel quite right. Would people immediately think we only help people start boutiques? I mean, we were going to help them grow a lot of different things. We continued to run into this wall until I decided to pray about it. I know, it should have been the first thing I did. But unfortunately, it was my last resort. My prayer that day was this: Lord, what are we going to call this? We can't call it Boutique Business because we're not helping people start boutiques. We're helping them grow a lot of different things. How do we describe this market when these women describe themselves in so many different ways? He answered me that very day. I heard God say: Flip it. It's not Boutique Business. It's the Business Boutique. And you're not describing what all of them do. You're describing what YOU do. You are the place where women come to get help with their business-any type of business. Y'all, I knew in the moment that Business Boutique was it. I immediately sent a text to the team telling them we were supposed to flip the name. It was like this lightbulb had finally come on. And everyone agreed. Of course they did! Because it was God's idea. And you know what? God is full of really good ideas. That's why I invite my faith into my business every single day. Seeing God's fingerprints all over Business Boutique takes the pressure off me and reminds me of who's really in control. Have you invited God into your business yet? I'm here to tell you it's never too late. Seeking God in Your Business  Too often, we keep our personal lives and our business lives separate. We are so faith-filled in our personal lives but, for some reason, we get all practical and non-spiritual in our business. It's as if we believe God doesn't have any part to play-as if He can't provide for our business, doesn't understand the industry, or can't help us scale it. The truth is faith and business go hand in hand. Guess who gave you the gifts and skills you use in your business? Guess who gave you the finances needed to start your business? Guess who gave you the courage to finally do it even though you were scared? That's all God. The business you own is actually God's business. Do you see a pattern here? God is already in your business because God is in you-and you are in your business. I want to challenge you to start thinking about your business as a place where you can invite God to partner with you. Our business problems are not outside of God's control. He wants to be immersed in every aspect of our lives, so don't leave Him out of this part. I created this 7-Day Devotional to help you do just that. I pray this devotional will help remind you that God cares not only about you, but He also cares...

Most business fail because they can't pay their bills. So in this episode, I'll cover the three biggest mistakes business owners make when it comes to managing money, and how you can avoid those pitfalls.  And I'm so excited for you to get a pep talk from my friend and leader-nationally syndicated radio host and #1 best-selling author, Dave Ramsey. He will answer a variety of questions specific to small and side businesses, like how to start out with what you've got, what profit really means, when to make your first hire, and more.     We'll also hear from Megan Huffman, owner of Rising Sun Learning Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Megan took a failing childcare center and completely turned it around. What started as little changes made a huge impact, and now she runs the successful business debt-free.   0:55    Managing the Money in Your Business (Pricing) 12:23  Interview with Dave Ramsey 37:49  BB Success Story with Megan Huffman 47:26  Homework -- What would $1,000 do for your business? Enter my Business Boutique Podcast Giveaway for your chance to win! Visit BusinessBoutique.com/podcast/giveaway to enter! -- To save $10 on any Business Boutique ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Ronald Reagan once famously said, "There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit." I mean, have truer words ever been spoken? I don't think so. I love those words. I love the humility of them. I love the heart behind that sentiment. And I'd love to think that I live my life by those words every. single. day. But guess what? I don't. It's a real struggle for me. Words of affirmation are my love language. I'm just wired that way. It's hard for me to let go of my need for recognition-even a simple thank you-when I contribute to something. Related: Letting Go of Getting Credit Can I Still Make a Difference If I Don't Get Credit? Here's the thing: It's really not even about getting praise. When I don't get credit, I feel disappointed because I'm left wondering if I accomplished what I set out to do. Did I help anyone? Was I good enough? Did I make any sort of impact at all? Well, once I take a second to get over myself, I realize the answer to that question is a resounding yes! Do you know how I know that? It's because God calls each and every one of us to put others above ourselves. Period. And obsessing about being in the spotlight, getting a hundred "likes," or millions of followers on social media is the exact opposite of doing that. Y'all, each and every one of us is meant for more than that. We're bigger than that! In this episode, I'll talk about: The difference between taking credit and needing credit Taking control of your own happiness and keeping your expectations in check How seeking credit can actually get in the way of the impact you're trying to make Why a big platform doesn't guarantee a big impact My Guest This Week Is Shelley Giglio! My guest this week is Shelley Giglio, and she's making an impact in more ways than you can possibly imagine. Y'all, she is amazing. Shelley is the Chief Strategist, Director of Label Operations and Artist Management for sixsteprecords, cofounder of the Passion Movement, and leads The GROVE, a monthly gathering for thousands of women. If anyone can teach us how to make an impact, Shelley can. This woman can light up a room by just walking into it, and yet, she has made it her life's mission to elevate others above herself. Her mission is simple: to build a life that brings glory to God, because His glory is more important than her own fame. She'll help us care less about taking credit, and more about the difference we're making. I'm so lucky to call her my friend and I can't wait for you to get to know her better! In this podcast, Shelley and I will talk about: Why having to have the credit is ultimately meaningless Why the best leaders are also great followers Real, effective ways to make a real difference The secret to pushing past your fear Aligning your life with your gifts and goals Related: Ep. 40-Top Traits of Successful Women Success Story: Stacy MacDonald and made. Our incredible success story this week is Stacy MacDonald, owner of a jewelry line called made. She creates stunning earrings, necklaces, and bracelets using Quartz and Quartz Crystal that she-get this-hand mines (yes, she digs each one out of the earth!) from The Ouachita Mountains in her home state of Arkansas. Although she has always considered herself to be entrepreneurial, Stacy didn't set out to start a booming business. Instead, her jewelry line was born out of a desperate need for a creative outlet-she was hoping to remedy her nagging postpartum depression. It wasn't until she started successfully selling her jewelry at local craft shows and markets that she dared to start dreaming bigger. Today, even Stacy is still surprised by her own success. Not only has she crushed even her loftiest revenue goals, she is also considering growing her team! She credits her business for something much bigger than entrepreneurial success: her business delivered her from years of...

Y'all know I love to dive into uncomfortable topics, which is why I'm excited to tackle today's topic on whether or not it's okay to be proud of yourself. I'll give some tips for embracing "healthy pride," and then I'll share an amazing conversation I had about this with some women I admire. To wrap it all up, I'll take a call from a frustrated mom who asks a great question about asking for help. Can You Be Confident Without Being Arrogant? Why Women Can Struggle With Pride My Family Doesn't Help Me! What Should I Do? Resources: Crush your goals with the 2022 Goal Planner. https://bit.ly/3DEKlNZ Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/2YN0H8k

If you're like me, you might feel helpless right now. Discouraged and probably overwhelmed. I am with you. I can't change what we are all going through together, but I wanted to do something. So I decided to put together a quick, scrappy and imperfect series to help shine some hope in the chaos we are in. I threw it together, texted a few friends to see if they would want to join me and put it on the calendar. I'm calling it Hope in the Chaos. Today I'm joined by my friend, Stephanie May Wilson.   We are going to walk with you and talk with you and process this with you. We're going to pray and talk about what anchors us during this storm.   Would you join me for this? There's no ask. No sale. No agenda. I just want to be present for you as we figure out how to get through this together in the coming days. I care about you friend, and I'm here for you. ??   You can view this entire series and receive the recap emails with journal questions if you visit businessboutique.com/hope.

Don't Let THIS Steal Your Joy   0:53 You're Unhappy, and THIS Might Be Why 7:19 Is This the Root of Your Anxiety? with Dr. John Delony 36:28 Why You Should Stop Hiding Your Feelings Resources Business Boutique AcademyThe Business Boutique Academy opens October 5! Whether you've been in business for a while or you're starting out with an idea and want to make some extra income, this community is for you! Join thousands of women inside the Academy, where you'll get the training, support and confidence you need to succeed. Join the waitlist today! https://bit.ly/3k24HXG Christy Wright 2021 Goal PlannerMy brand-new 2021 Goal Planner is here to help you grow as a person, build confidence, manage your schedule, and crush your goals. Get your copy before they're gone! https://bit.ly/3m7OB0c We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   Do you ever feel like you can't celebrate or be sad because you might hurt someone else's feelings? Maybe you're sad but you know "someone has it worse," or you got a promotion, but you don't want to be too happy because someone out there lost their job. Of course you've felt that way. We all have. That's why we're talking about how you have permission to feel your feelings. Today, I'm chatting with my good friend and fellow Ramsey Personality Dr. John Delony to dig into this on a deeper level. Then, we'll finish out with some journal questions.   You're Unhappy, and THIS Might Be Why I've seen this weird thing going on in our culture. We've become so codependent as a culture that we don't allow anyone to feel anything because it's not something enough. You can't celebrate the blessings in your life for fear of hurting someone else. And by the way, you can't feel pain either, because you know someone else has it worse. The truth is, you can honor your feelings and, at the same time, honor the feelings of others. Our tendency to compare our pain is really doing a disservice to everyone. Two things can be true at the same time. You can be happy for someone else and sad for you. You can be happy for yourself and sad for someone else. It doesn't have to be mutually exclusive.   Is This the Root of Your Anxiety? with Dr. John Delony I'm so excited because my good friend and fellow Ramsey Personality Dr. John Delony is joining us today to talk about: Our culture's addiction to problems How comparative grief can destroy our relationships The importance of relationships and being present with others   Why You Should Stop Hiding Your Feelings "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another." - Romans 12:15­-16 (NIV) We live in a world that's so polarizing and where everything's an extreme. And it becomes really difficult to not only honor where you are in your life and your feelings, but also honor others. You can rejoice with people that are rejoicing-even if you don't feel like rejoicing in your own life. You can mourn with people that are mourning-even if you don't have anything to be sad about yourself. You can honor others' feelings and honor your own at the same time. So, I want to give you some questions to journal and pray about as you apply this to your life: What's something you're mourning right now that maybe you've been holding back on because you don't feel like those feelings are valid? What's something you're so excited about but scared to share? How can you honor your feelings this week and, at the same time, honor others' feelings?

Which Lies Are Holding You Back? Many of you are being held back by something you aren't even aware of: You're believing lies about yourselves and about your businesses. See, when you believe something that isn't true, you're living our life based on misinformation. You're missing out on something that could change your life, that could make you happy or even make you a better person and open up opportunities you couldn't even imagine. Recently a woman came up to me at a speaking event and told me she'd been hearing me for about a year on The Dave Ramsey Show. But every time she heard me, she thought, "Well, that's nice. But it's not for me. I could never start my own business." Eight months later, guess what she's doing? She's running her own business! I love her story because it's a great example of how we all believe lies we think are true. And if you don't hear the truth, you're going to continue to live in those lies and you'll never be free to win. So in this episode, I'll talk about five common lies that I see women believing about business. My Guest is Annie F. Downs! My guest this week is my dear friend, best-selling author and speaker, Annie F. Downs. Annie is no stranger to anyone who's attended a Business Boutique event, because she's our amazing and hilarious host. But I can't wait for you to get to know her journey on a more personal level. In this episode, she'll share: Why she decided to pursue bravery in her day-to-day life How to create a habit of courage What can happen when you stop believing lies in your life and start pursuing acts of bravery Success Story: Melanie Gaye and Her Nerdy Skirts! Our success story this week is Melanie Gaye, owner of Pretty Smart Kids. She makes beautiful, custom nerdy skirts for girls! Melanie is actually a former engineer-turned-entrepreneur, and her business idea came about as the solution to a problem she found in the marketplace. If your little girl is more interested in science and dinosaurs than she is polka dots and dolls, you pretty much have to shop in the little boys' department. So, she cut back to working part time at her day job to pursue making skirts for those girls as a side-business! You'll love hearing about the "Why" behind her business, and you'll be encouraged by what her life looks like since pursuing something she's truly passionate about. Plus, I'll answer some of your burning business questions from our Business Boutique event in November. 1:14 Five Lies You Believe About Business 20:34 Interview with Annie F. Downs 48:45 BB Success Story with Melanie Gaye 61:03 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 70:03 Homework Get Christy's Goal Setting Tool by filling out the form here! To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Is Life Balance Impossible? Here's the Truth.   0:48 Why Your Life Never Feels Balanced 10:10 What's Important in Your Life? with Elisabeth Hasselbeck 35:35 What Does Life Balance Mean to You? Resources Christy's 25 Ways to Protect Your Time ToolOne of the ways you can achieve life balance is by learning to say no. The truth is, your time is limited, and by the way, it's yours. You don't just have the right to say no-you have the responsibility to say no. If you don't protect your time, no one else will. Download my free tool, 25 Ways to Protect Your Time, to learn how to say no with confidence. https://bit.ly/2Cdb9Ld Business Boutique ConferenceElisabeth Hasselbeck joins me this episode, and she'll also be speaking at our Business Boutique Conference! For tickets, go to https://bit.ly/3h7IW7a     Is life balance possible? What does life balance even mean? Here's a hint: It's not about doing everything for an equal amount of time. In this episode, we'll cover what life balance really is and how to achieve it. Plus, I sit down with Elisabeth Hasselbeck to talk about what life balance looks like in different seasons. Then we'll spend some time journaling about how to balance your life in your current season.   Why Your Life Never Feels Balanced I think we have a lot of really mixed up ideas about what life balance is. A lot of people think that life balance is doing everything for an equal amount of time-where work takes 50% of your time and home life is the other 50%. But that's not balance. Life balance is about doing the right thing at the right time and being 100% present where you are. And it's also something you have to define for yourself. Your version of life balance is the only version that matters because it's your life. It doesn't have to look like anyone else's. At the end of the day, what's most important is that you are spending your one life on what's most important to you. When you do that, you are creating and achieving your own version of life balance.   What's Important in Your Life? with Elisabeth Hasselbeck Elisabeth Hasselbeck has such a cool story. She's been a cast member on Survivor. She's been a host on The View and Fox & Friends. She's a New York Times bestselling author. She's CBO (Chief Breakfast Officer) for her kids. And she has a lot of amazing wisdom on how to achieve life balance. In this episode, we'll talk about: Navigating life balance in different seasons Finding purpose and passion in everyday tasks Slowing down and focusing on the present Choosing peace over balance   What Does Life Balance Mean to You? Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.  - Colossians 3:23 (NIV) I've been through so many seasons in life that didn't feel balanced or purposeful. I'm willing to bet you've been there too. In hindsight, I can see a lot of things that God was doing. But in other seasons, I'm still not sure what the why was. All I know is this: It's up to you to treat your season as if it has purpose. Work at it with all your heart as if you are working for the Lord and not for men. Use these journal questions to think about how this applies to your life: What season are you in right now? What are some ways you can work through this season as if you're working for the Lord and not for others? What are some ways you can create a sense of balance, even if your world feels out of balance right now?

You Need to Avoid These Time Traps   0:47 Most People Do This 100 Times a Day. Do You?  13:30 Overwhelmed by Your To-Do List? Watch This.  31:41 Do You Feel Guilty About How You Spend Your Time?  Resources 25 Ways to Protect Your Time If you don't protect what matters to you, no one else will. That's why I created a list of 25 ways to protect your time-so you can say no without causing any hurt feelings. The next time a friend or family member asks you to add something to your already full plate, you can politely pass with confidence. Download the guide now for free! Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostSign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you!   Today on the show, we're working through the outer layer of the Core of Confidence, talking about what it looks like to value our resources by focusing on time management-the thing we all struggle with every single day of our lives. Then one of our longtime Academy members, Misty McCraw, joins me for a live coaching session on what it looks like to manage our time by deciding what's most important. Finally, we'll dive in and spend some time journaling on what this looks like for you. Let's go!   Most People Do This 100 Times a Day. Do You? We constantly think that we just need more time. But you know what? That's actually not the problem. The problem is not the amount of time that we have. The problem is how we use it. We all have the exact same number of hours in a day, so we can't get more time. But what we can do is change how we use the time that we have. So where are you spending your time? Here are my top three time wasters: People pleasing Being the hero Checking out Spending our one life on what we care about sounds so simple doesn't it? But it's so hard to do because of these time traps. We end up spending all of our time over here when what we actually care about is over there. There's a gap between what we care about and what we actually spend our life on. My challenge for you is to look at your life through the lens of priorities. It's not about doing everything for an equal amount of time. Life balance is about doing the right things at the right time. What matters is that you spend your one life on what's most important to you.   Overwhelmed by Your To-Do List? Live Coaching with Misty McCraw We're doing something brand new: Misty McCraw (a longtime Academy member) joins me in the studio today for live coaching! Misty shares some of her biggest struggles when it comes to time management. I coach her as we sort through her priorities together and find out what it looks like to be successful when it comes to managing the endless to-do list.   Do You Feel Guilty About How You Spend Your Time? "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." - 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (NIV) This verse usually refers to giving with tithes and offerings. But I think it's also a great reminder when it comes to how we use our time. We should spend our time on things that are important to us-on things that God has placed in front of us-and not out of guilt or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Your life is made up of how you spend your time. I think it's important to God that we are good stewards with the time He has given us. Write down your answers to these questions: What steals your time the most? Where do you feel guilt or resentment around how you spend your time? What are your top priorities? What's most important to you? You only get to pick a couple. Does your calendar reflect what you just wrote down as your most important priorities? What changes do you sense...

With summer coming to an end, your calendar will start to fill up with new commitments! In this episode, I share 10 practical time-management tips that will set you up to have a wonderful fall season. 5 Time-Management Mistakes to Avoid 5 Ways to Create the Life You Want How do I know if I'm making the right decisions in life?

This week we're going to talk about being intentional. Y'all, it's easier said than done. So many people just go through life without doing things on purpose. What Happened When I Got Intentional I need to tell you about a time that I was not so intentional. When I graduated from high school, I very excitedly got out of the state of Tennessee where I had grown up and attended the University of Central Florida. I went for the great business school and the beautiful campus, but I didn't really participate with the school side of things. Let's just say, I loved the beach more than I did class. And my grades showed it. I wasn't intentional with my time or my studying, and at the end of my first semester of my sophomore year, I had a 1.4 GPA. YIKES! Y'all, it wasn't that I wasn't smart and willing to work hard-I just didn't focus. But here comes the good news. When I decided to transfer to the University of Tennessee-to spare my mother the out of state tuition and because I realized I wanted to return to Tennessee after college-something amazing happened! They accepted my credits but didn't carry my GPA over from UCF. I got a clean slate. And I ran with it! I got really serious. I stayed late, I did extra credit, and I went the extra mile. At the end of my sophomore year, my first semester at UT, I got a 4.0. All because I was intentional. It's so easy to just get by. It's so easy to let life happen and just spend our time reacting instead of acting. I want us to do something different. I want us to be intentional and do things on purpose. Things will not happen for you in life; you have to make things happen. 5 Areas of Your Life to Be Intentional 1. Be Intentional With Your Marriage I read this a few weeks ago on Twitter: "If you want what you used to have, you have to do what you used to do." What did you used to do in your marriage? It is so easy for our marriages to become businesses. You and your spouse did not fall in love over the cable bill, or kid's schedules, or determining who was going to pick up the dry cleaning. Before the busyness of kids and errands and all the to-do lists, you and your spouse probably just had fun together. In my life, there are things that Matt and I used to love to do. We still do those things, because we schedule time to do them. We put it on the calendar. If you wait for those things to happen, they will never happen, because life will get in the way. What do you and your spouse love to do together? Those things don't have to slip away. Life gets busy, but don't let your marriage become an afterthought. Be intentional with your marriage and see how it changes things for you, your spouse and even your kids! Related: Ep. 49 - How to Get Your Husband on Board With Your Business 2. Be Intentional With Your Parenting In any area of our lives, it's easy to be reactive instead of proactive, but this seems particularly tempting with kids. Admittedly, I have two kids and they are fairly young, and I'm learning with many of you. But I've noticed that we, as moms, spend a lot of time reacting. We react to school and sport schedules. We react to what other parents are doing. We react to handling their behavior. We react to dealing with tough situations. Trust me, I know parenting is hard. But we're going to spend the energy regardless, so we might as well spend it on the front end, shaping our kids proactively, rather than always reacting to whatever life throws at us. Being intentional with what you want your kids to know, feel, do and experience doesn't have to look like holding yourself to an impossible standard of perfection. Just do things on purpose; it's amazing how our kids will get it. Related: Ep. 8 - How to Deal with Mom Guilt 3. Be Intentional With Your Business You can't float by in your business and wonder why you didn't reach your goals. Success won't happen if you don't do things on purpose....

If you're like me, you might feel helpless right now. Discouraged and probably overwhelmed. I am with you. I can't change what we are all going through together, but I wanted to do something. So I decided to put together a quick, scrappy and imperfect series to help shine some hope in the chaos we are in. I threw it together, texted a few friends to see if they would want to join me and put it on the calendar. I'm calling it Hope in the Chaos. Today I'm joined by my friend, John Delony.   We are going to walk with you and talk with you and process this with you. We're going to pray and talk about what anchors us during this storm.   Would you join me for this? There's no ask. No sale. No agenda. I just want to be present for you as we figure out how to get through this together in the coming days. I care about you friend, and I'm here for you. ??   You can view this entire series and receive the recap emails with journal questions if you visit businessboutique.com/hope.

LIVE From the Business Boutique Conference 2019!   3:09 I have so many passions and dreams. How do I combine them enough to feel fulfilled, but narrow them down enough to create a focus that creates more success? 12:10 I know I need to set goals, but I don't know how or where to start. How do I learn how to create goals for my business? 16:00 What do you do when you feel like you are spinning your wheels and not moving forward? 20:31 If I launch before my journey is complete, do I risk failing from the start? Or is this simply a case of imposter syndrome? 24:13 What is the best way to handle copycats in your business? 28:24 Where is the first place newbies should start to attract ideal customers? 30:52 How do you create an email marketing plan? 35:27 How do I get my husband to realize, with owning my own business, I have to bring work home? 41:16 I have come from a 7 to 4 job. Now I have a blessing of working my own hours and enjoying my family. I don't want my hours of work to take away from my family. How do I balance my work and family? Resources   2020 Business Boutique Goal Planner Get going on your goals and make 2020 your best year yet! Order the new Business Boutique 2020 Goal Planner at BusinessBoutique.com/Planner and use the code BBPLANNER to receive Christy's Setting Goals video that you can watch right now! If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. This episode is just like having lunch with some of Christy's best friends! Get to know photographer, business strategist, and host of The Jasmine Star Show, Jasmine Star; coach, consultant, and host of the Marketing Your Business podcast, Stu McLeran; comedian, musician, speaker, and host of The Kelsey Show, Kelsey Humphreys; and founder and CEO of The Cupcake Collection, Mignon Francois. They'll answer your questions, and more! This podcast was recorded during our Business Boutique Conference 2019 VIP Lunch in Nashville, TN.

One of my favorite things about business is marketing, and I'm so excited because this week we're diving into a marketing concept known as the unique selling proposition. What is a Unique Selling Proposition? It is one feature or benefit you want to highlight about your product or service. This concept dates back to the 1940s and was used to get people to switch from one brand to another. For examples of this, just Google "1940s soap advertisements," and you'll see some brands touting "lovelier skin" and others promising to "stop BO!" Don't most soaps do both? Yes, but each brand chose to highlight a different feature of its soap. I've taught y'all about this before in many places, including my Business Boutique book, where I call it your unique position. It's the angle you want to take in all of your marketing that lets your customers know why they need to buy from you. In Reality in Advertising, author Rosser Reeves explains the purpose of your unique selling proposition so well. He says, "Each advertisement must say to each reader: 'Buy this product, for this specific benefit.'" He also says, "The proposition must be strong enough to move the masses." Related: Ep. 52-Market Research: How to Know What Your Customers Want So focus on just one feature or benefit of your product-something you want to be known for that is strong enough to move the masses-and highlight that in all your marketing, even if that thing seems obvious. In fact, in this episode, I'll tell you how my college professor taught our class how to sell a toaster by highlighting a feature as basic as its electric cord. But here's another example. FedEx has an advertising campaign right now that grabs my attention every time I see the commercial. In the ad, you see a woman standing in her art studio waiting on a delivery. In another scene, a package is hand-delivered to an elderly man sitting in a nursing home cafeteria. Then there's a little boy peering with wonder at a FedEx box in his living room. A voice-over asks, "What's inside?" Then you see the artist, the senior and the little boy light up as they open their boxes-and the answer comes: "Possibilities." Here FedEx reminds us that receiving a package in the mail is exciting! And if they've done their job right, maybe they've even convinced you that when you send or receive a parcel via FedEx, anything is possible. Doesn't UPS offer a very similar service? Yep. If you use UPS for your shipping and handling, can you send and receive the same things and have it done in the same amount of time? Probably. But FedEx hooked me with their commercial because they chose to highlight the excitement that comes with anticipating a package. What result can you highlight about your business that will make your potential customers feel something? In this episode, I'll challenge you to answer these questions about your business: What makes your product unique? What makes your services unique? Why should someone buy from you instead of your competition? If you don't know the answers to these questions, you're missing out on sales. You're missing sales because if you don't answer these questions in your marketing, your customers sure won't know the answers, either! Claiming Your Unique Value Proposition Now, your unique selling proposition doesn't have to be something unique to only you-in fact, it probably won't be. My guest this week understands that and has marketed her business brilliantly. Megan Tamte is the co-founder and co-CEO of Evereve, a retail fashion and styling company and one of my favorite stores. Evereve's tagline is "Dress like a mom." Just think about that for a minute. How many stores and boutiques and online clothing companies sell clothes for women? How many sell for moms, specifically? There are probably thousands or even millions, right? But Megan chose to claim it. Her marketing lets people know that...

Let's talk about perseverance. Perseverance is a quality that will have a huge effect not only on your business, but on your whole life. What Is Perseverance? Perseverance is persistence. It's pursuing something with passion. It's pushing through when things are hard. I'll be honest: Perseverance isn't something I personally struggle with. In fact, I'm so persistent that it's almost a flaw. Sometimes I just don't know when to quit! But that's why I can tell you that being persistent and persevering in my life has been the number one quality that's enabled me to achieve everything that I have. Even when it's hard, even when it's inconvenient, and even when I have tons of obstacles, I still push through.  Why It's So Important to Keep Going When You Want to Give Up Steve Jobs once said, "I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance."1 Half! He believed half of what makes an entrepreneur successful is not money, not fame or a family name, not a business degree or even knowledge. It's perseverance! I couldn't agree more. And you know, there are so many success stories of women who got their million-dollar business idea right after pushing past the point of wanting to give up. People may have thought they were crazy, but they pushed through anyway. Look at Kendra Scott, who started her first business at age 19.2 That business was called The Hat Box, but none of us know Kendra Scott as a hat designer, do we? That's because Kendra didn't find her successful business idea until almost a decade later. She designed her first jewelry collection with just $500 cash, and today, women all over the world (including me!) can't get enough of her fun, girly jewelry and accessories. Related: Ep. 40-Top Traits of Highly Successful Women Then there's J.K. Rowling, who wrote Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a broke, single mom, fresh off the heels of her mother's death and a divorce. Her book was rejected by 12 publishers before it was finally picked up by one. She was given an advance of less than $2,000 for her work.3 Of course, we now know her as one of the wealthiest women in the world. But maybe you don't want to make a million dollars. Maybe you just want to pay for a trip to Disney World, or be able to quit your day job. On some days, I bet that seems like an impossible dream. Or maybe your business is stalling and you're thinking about scrapping the whole thing. Let me encourage you to keep going. In this episode, I want to help you. I want to help you persevere, and together, we'll tackle your doubts, like: How can I develop perseverance if I'm not a naturally persistent person? How do I keep going even when I don't reach my goal? What should I do when I want to give up? How can I get over the critics and the complainers? Slow and Steady Perseverance with Dave Barnes I am so excited to introduce you to one of the most talented guys I know, Dave Barnes! Dave is a singer, a musician and a Grammy-nominated songwriter. Have you heard the song, "God Gave Me You" by Blake Shelton? It's a huge country hit, and Dave wrote it. I'm a fan and friend of Dave's-and by the way, he's hilarious. In this episode, Dave and I talk about: How God used very humble beginnings to launch Dave's career in ways he could have never predicted Why he felt under-qualified for the first five years in his career but just kept going How to enjoy the small successes along your journey without stressing over "what's next" Leaving margin in your schedule for God to surprise you Why you should listen to your inclinations and let your values dictate your business plan Pep Talk Time! And of course, one of my favorite parts of this podcast is hearing directly from you. So this week, I'm answering your business questions about scaling, passive income and quitting your full-time job. Don't...

Today we're celebrating mom entrepreneurs! Some call us mompreneurs, but basically, we're talking about moms who run their own businesses. What is a mom entrepreneur, or "mompreneur"? According to a quick Google search, a mompreneur is: "a woman who sets up and runs her own business in addition to caring for her young child or children." Well that's the basic, glossed-over version, isn't it? As moms, we're responsible for all kinds of things-all the time. There's grocery shopping, laundry, doctor's appointments, laundry, after school activities, laundry . . . it's a full-time job (and a half). And adding a business into the mix makes it feel like we're working several full-time jobs. As a business owner, you're the CEO-but you're also the bookkeeper, chief marketing officer, receptionist, saleswoman, creative director and the janitor. It's no wonder that being both a mom and an entrepreneur can feel a tad overwhelming at times. Being Successful in Both Business and Motherhood Back when I was a little girl with a front-row seat to watching my mom chasing her dream and running her business, they hadn't coined a trendy catchphrase for what she was doing. And what she was doing was hard. I remember arriving at the cake shop one dark morning at 3 a.m. to shattered glass everywhere. Mom's shop had been broken into, and we were standing there in fear, wondering if the person who did it was still inside. I remember getting stuck with Mom in the rain with a flat tire and getting locked out of the house without any money. All of this happened before the age of cell phones, by the way. And as a working mom myself, when I think back on all that, I don't know how Mom did it. She didn't have even half of the help that I have! She raised me and made a way for us-all while running a business. So whether you're a single mom like mine or just a tired mom, this episode is for you. Related: How to Deal With Mom Guilt Now, before you think I'm going to give you life hacks, methods, efficiencies, and ways to get more done, stop right there. That's not what this episode is about. There are just two things I want you to remember when it comes to your journey in business and in motherhood: You cannot do it all. You are enough. The women who do well in both business and in life know and practice these two things. In this episode, I'll give you very practical examples from my own life about how I live this day to day. I'll teach you how to master these mind-sets like a boss-a mom boss! After all, God gave you your family and your business-and He doesn't make mistakes. My Guest This Week Is My Mom: Entrepreneur Darlene Therber! You may already feel like you know my mom from all my stories about the bakery I was practically raised in, but today, it's time for you to hear from her directly! She's the woman I have watched persevere with an absurd level of persistence. I've watched her do the right thing, even when it cost her. I've seen her go above and beyond for her customers time and time again. I've watched how she always paused and talked to homeless people-even in the middle of the night when we were downtown unloading bags of powdered sugar and flour. In honor of Mother's Day weekend, it's my honor to have her as our podcast guest this week. In this episode, Mom and I talk about: How she came up with her business idea and actually made it happen Unique ways she set herself apart from the competition (before anyone was teaching this stuff!) How she convinced a candy store to give her the space in their front window to put her product on display Life-balance and how to integrate the different areas of your life in a way that works for your family Lessons she's learned from over 30 years in business as a female entrepreneur Entrepreneurs Need Self-Care, Too Like I said before, being both a mom and a business owner is hard work. And as a result, we...

Your ideas are only as strong as you're able to communicate them. The skills you need as a professional public speaker are the same skills you need to communicate any ideas, and we are all in the business of communicating ideas! So in this episode, I'll teach you my approach to public speaking and how to become great communicator. My guest this week is a speaker and podcast host-the hilarious and inspiring Ken Davis. He'll talk about how to communicate effectively, compassionately, and in a way that will cause your audience to take action. Our success story is Jenny Melrose, founder of the lifestyle blog, The Melrose Family. The income she made from her blog ended up surpassing her full-time income as a teacher! Today, she's taken what she learned from blogging and sharing her secrets and strategies with other entrepreneurs-and making almost six figures! Plus, I'll answer your top business questions! 1:08 The Basics of Being a Great Communicator 18:13 Interview with Ken Davis 39:06 BB Success Story with Jenny Melrose 45:36 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 51:51 Homework Get Christy's Public Speaking Template by filling out the form here! - To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

Stop Believing These Lies   0:51 Has Fear and Misinformation Taken Over? Let's Change That! 12:22 Why It's Important to Remember What's True with Ellie Holcomb 29:48 This word is in the Bible over 150 times. (Do you know what it is?) Resources Christy Wright 2021 Goal PlannerMy brand-new 2021 Goal Planner is here to help you get results in your life. This planner will help you grow as a person, build confidence, manage your schedule, and crush your goals. This is the tool you need to make this year what you want it to be. Get your copy today! https://bit.ly/2QcvFi9 Business Boutique ConferenceIf you've been wanting to earn extra income for your family, the Business Boutique Conference will give you everything you need to start working on your business dreams. And for the first time ever, we're taking our annual three-day conference virtual! Get your livestream ticket today. https://bit.ly/3l4csh2   In today's world, it can be so difficult to make decisions because we don't know what's true. In this episode, we'll talk about what keeps us from remembering the truth and how to cut through misinformation and the lies we tell ourselves. I also sit down with Nashville-based singer-songwriter Ellie Holcomb to talk about her new children's book, Don't Forget to Remember. Then, I'll give you some questions as you process this idea of remembering what's true.   Has Fear and Misinformation Taken Over? Let's Change That! When we don't know what's true, it can be hard to make the best decisions for ourselves and our families. On top of that, there are many things that can make it difficult to even discern what's true, like our own fear or the unlimited misinformation we have at our fingertips. Often, we even make up our own false narratives and tell ourselves things like, I'm always going to be a failure. I'm not smart. I'm not going to amount to anything. Y'all, it's so important to identify the things that can cloud our judgement and keep us from the truth. Because when we can identify them, we can cut through them and get back to the one source of truth, which is the truth that's found in God's Word.   Why It's Important to Remember What's True with Ellie Holcomb I sit down with my friend and Nashville-based singer-songwriter Ellie Holcomb to talk about her new children's book, Don't Forget to Remember. As a mom, there are many things that you have to remind your kids to do, like wash your hands and be kind. But it's also important to remind our kids (and ourselves!) the truth that we're loved by a God who made us on purpose for a purpose. In this episode, we talk about: Why it's important to remember what's true How to cut through misinformation and the lies we tell ourselves How to anchor ourselves to one source of truth   This word is in the Bible over 150 times. (Do you know what it is?) "Remember the Lord your God . . ." This is in Deuteronomy again and again. If God says something over and over again, it's probably because He knows we're going to forget. The truth is, the real root of what's going on when I'm scared and worried is that I've forgotten that God is good and faithful and loves me. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you process the importance of remembering the Lord your God: What are times when God has been faithful in the past? What are truths you can build your life on? Where do you need God to be faithful?

3 Steps to Get Excited About Your Life Again with Harris III   0:59 What to Do When Life Gets Boring 12:00 Is THIS Stealing Your Joy? with Harris III 35:28 What Fills You With Wonder? Resources Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You Get back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/3gaQkS6 Christy's 7-Day Time Finder Feel like you never have enough time? Sign up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge to learn simple things you can do to take back your time. https://bit.ly/3aeZSHK     Y'all, today's episode is so much fun. We're talking about how to get excited about life again, just like we were when we were kids. I also get to have an awesome conversation with Harris III (an illusionist, speaker, author and entrepreneur) on the topic of wonder. Finally, we'll wrap up the show with a few journal questions.   What to Do When Life Gets Boring Between all the errands and chores and work tasks and commitments, it's easy to feel like you're running a business instead of actually living your life. If you're tired of going through the motions, check out these three steps that will help you break out of boredom and experience more joy and wonder.   Is THIS Stealing Your Joy? with Harris III According to Harris III, wonder is "A childlike state in which we have permission to believe in a story we have yet to see." The problem is, so many of us live with negative stories running through our heads all day. But it doesn't have to be that way. Harris III shares some practical tips on how to change your story and see limitless possibilities for your life.   What Fills You With Wonder? "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?" Psalm 8:3-4 (NIV)   God is performing miracles around us all the time. But often, we're so caught up in our crazy lives that we don't even notice what He's doing! When we actually pause to look at the world around us and see how creative and powerful our God is, we'll be filled with a sense of wonder. I want to give you some journal questions to help you process this: What fills you with wonder? What gets in the way of you being filled with wonder and awe? What's one thing you want to do to take action on this idea of wonder so you can create it in your own life?  

Most small businesses make mistakes when hiring, but who you hire is one of the most important decisions you'll make in your business! So in this episode, I'll share the hiring mistakes I've made in the past, and teach you my 7 Rules of Hiring! My guest this week is one of my favorite speakers and authors, Patrick Lencioni! He has written 11 incredible books-many of which are about building strong teams and hiring. Y'all, this is one of my favorite interviews to date! Patrick is a wealth of information and practical advice, and he'll help you avoid the pitfalls of hiring the wrong people. He'll also share the best-kept hiring secrets that some of your favorite companies, like Southwest Airlines, actually use! And our success story this week is Katie Finklea. Katie owns Loving Well Living Well, which she was inspired to start after attending a Business Boutique event. She saw a gap between adoption and foster care advocacy and education, and was passionate about providing a solution to that problem. God is truly blessing her business, and she'll share how she overcame the fear to start this thing! Plus, I'll answer your business questions from Business Boutique events! 1:02 Hiring Great People 13:25 Interview with Patrick Lencioni 36:34 BB Success Story with Katie Finklea 46:18 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 53:03 Homework Get Christy's Job Posting Template by filling out the form here! - To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.

How to Find Restoration This Year With Lecrae   0:51 Feeling Lost and Broken? Watch This. 9:33 Why You're Never Too Messed Up for a Restoration with Lecrae 25:30 What Healing Do You Need? Resources Christy's New Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You, that will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. Get your copy today: https://bit.ly/3fBB6TN Christy's 5-Day Confidence Boost Sign up for Christy's free 5-Day Confidence Boost. You'll receive five days of encouragement focused on helping you become a more confident you! https://bit.ly/39dOsoi We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   This year has left so many people hopeless and wondering if things will ever change. So, today on the show, we're talking about how we can have hope that things can change, even if it feels impossible. Then, I'm so excited because bestselling author, rapper, recording artist and businessman Lecrae is joining us to talk about restoration. Finally, we'll take some time to pray and journal. It's going to be so good!   Feeling Lost and Broken? Watch This. Our God is a God who restores. He cares about the big things and the small things and everything in between. There have been so many times when God's displayed that in my life. Let me give you an example: When I was 23 years old, I moved to this little house that backed up to the Harpeth River. I decided it was the perfect opportunity to get a canoe, and my mom had a friend who owned a canoe company. So, I got an old, beat up yellow canoe that didn't have seats and even had some holes in the bottom, and it was perfect. I fixed it up and enjoyed it the entire summer. One day, I was so exhausted after canoeing that I decided not to pull the canoe all the way up the hill into my backyard and just flipped it over on the hillside. When I came out the next day, it was gone. Someone had stolen it. I felt so guilty for leaving it outside the fence and told myself I didn't deserve another canoe. But a year and a half later, I moved to another house surrounded by the same river and decided it was time for another canoe. I asked my mom to call her friend again, and a few days later she pulled down the old gravel drive of my farmhouse with the same yellow canoe. I couldn't believe it. Turns out, someone had stolen the canoe, and the store owner's wife saw it propped up on someone's porch. Listen: God cares. So, if you're questioning if God sees you, if He cares about you, or if He cares about the little things . . . He does.   Why You're Never Too Messed Up for a Restoration with Lecrae Y'all, I'm so excited because I get to sit down with bestselling author, rapper, recording artist and businessman Lecrae to discuss the work he's doing with his brand-new album and book. We cover a lot of ground, but here are some highlights: Reigniting hope during hard times Separating your identity from your circumstances Finding restoration despite brokenness   What Healing Do You Need? "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 5:1-11 (NIV) I love this promise and reminder that God knows everything and can do anything. If God said it, He will do it. He doesn't make broken promises. He can and will restore you when you trust Him with your deepest wounds and brokenness. He will make you steadfast and strong. Take some time to pray and write down the answers to these questions: Where do you need God to restore something in your life? What have you given up on in your...

If you're like me, you might feel helpless right now. Discouraged and probably overwhelmed. I am with you. I can't change what we are all going through together, but I wanted to do something. So I decided to put together a quick, scrappy and imperfect series to help shine some hope in the chaos we are in. I threw it together, texted a few friends to see if they would want to join me and put it on the calendar. I'm calling it Hope in the Chaos. Today I'm joined by my friend, Jamie Ivey.   We are going to walk with you and talk with you and process this with you. We're going to pray and talk about what anchors us during this storm.   Would you join me for this? There's no ask. No sale. No agenda. I just want to be present for you as we figure out how to get through this together in the coming days. I care about you friend, and I'm here for you. ??   You can view this entire series and receive the recap emails with journal questions if you visit businessboutique.com/hope.

How to Live the Life You Want   0:42 Are You Chasing the Wrong Goals in Your Life? 9:34 Stop Focusing on Things That Don't Matter 36:22 Can You Answer This Difficult Question?  Resources Christy's 5-Day Confidence BoostBecome a more confident you with my free 5-Day Confidence Boost. Sign up here! https://bit.ly/3ixrcmi Christy Wright 2021 Goal PlannerBe the first to know when the brand-new Christy Wright 2021 Goal Planner is available. Click here! https://bit.ly/2Fgl7MT Business Boutique ConferenceOur annual Business Boutique Conference is going virtual for the first time ever! Get your livestream ticket today: https://bit.ly/33SV9cu     Is the life you're living the life you actually want? Have you ever taken the time to stop and just reflect on your life? If not, it's time to figure out what you want and set goals to get there. I had the opportunity to sit down with longtime Academy member Pam Hook to talk about the goals she has for her life and business. Here's a hint: One always affects the other. Then, we'll grab a pen and some paper to journal through what this looks like in our own lives and businesses.   Are You Chasing the Wrong Goals in Your Life? One of the most common questions I get is about goal setting: How do I know what goals to set? We get ideas in our head about how we want to grow or what we want to learn, so we set a goal. But here's the problem: It might be a goal that's great for someone else, but it doesn't mean it's the right goal for you. If you want to know where to get direction for your goals, you need to start by answering one simple question: What do you want? Your answer to this question will determine your goals. When you start to visualize where you want to be and what you want your life to look like, that informs the goals you set to get there. Here's the truth: If you don't define your finish line, you'll never cross it. If you don't take the time to set goals for your life, you'll end up living your entire life pursuing someone else's version of success.   Stop Focusing on Things That Don't Matter I'm so excited because Pam Hook, one of our longtime Business Boutique Academy members, is joining me on the show today to talk about goal setting. Pam and I got to sit knee to knee and dig into her goals. At the end of the session, Pam was able to go home with more clarity on the next right steps for her life and her small business. Here are a few takeaways that might resonate with you too: Your business goals and spiritual goals aren't separate goals. One always affects the other. You can do anything, but you can't do everything. You have to say no to some things in order to say yes to the right things.   Can You Answer This Difficult Question? Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. -Psalm 37:4 (ESV) What's so beautiful about this verse is that it reminds us that as we seek Him, get to know Him, and lean into Him, He will show us what the desires of our hearts are. He will open your eyes to things you didn't even know you wanted, to goals you didn't even consider, and to dreams that never crossed your mind before. He will do that because He loves you, and He has good plans for you. As we look to God, seek Him, and stay connected to Him, He shows us more of who we are and who He called us to be. He shows us the life He created us to live and the plans that He has for us. Remember: It's not on your shoulders to have it all figured out. Take some time to write down your answers to these questions as you process and put this into practice: How do you feel about what you want? Is it hard or easy to answer the question: What do you want? How does it feel to consider that God cares about what you want? What do you want? Write down the things that come to mind, the dreams that swell up in your heart, and the ideas in your head.

In this episode, we'll be talking about how to recognize when you're drifting off track in your life. I get to sit down with Christine Caine-the amazing author, Bible teacher and founder of A21-and hear her thoughts on what causes us to drift from our God-given purpose. Then, we'll wrap up with a great question from a single working mom. 5 Signs Your Life Is Off Track The Real Cost of Doing Nothing with Christine Caine I Feel Like I'm Failing As A Single Working Mom (What Should I Do?) Crush your goals with the 2022 Goal Planner. https://bit.ly/2YZLxwc Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3G0I41v  

How to Be Successful at Anything by Starting Small   1:21 The Importance of Starting Small 6:06 How to Start Small 21:07 #AskChristyWright Resources Business Boutique Conference The Business Boutique Conference is coming back to Nashville Oct. 24-26. If you want to learn how to grow your business and chase your dream, you don't want to miss this event. To save $10 on any Business Boutique Conference ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week. Give yourself permission to be a beginner. We have a bad habit of calling successful people an overnight success-as if they just woke up one day on top of the mountain. But, in most cases, that's just not true. In reality, most successful people started small doing something unimpressive. Here are just a few examples I can think of: Television pioneer Oprah Winfrey started her career as a news anchor in Nashville, Tennessee-way before it was the cool and popular city it is today.1 Y'all, she was even demoted once from an anchor job she had in Baltimore.2 (I bet that person still regrets that to this day!) And then there's self-made millionaire Dave Ramsey. He grew his business from a card table in his living room to a multimillion-dollar company with more than 850 team members-and he's helped millions get out of debt and change their family tree. Did you know that world-famous author J.K. Rowling was living on welfare when she wrote the first Harry Potter book?3 And finally, let's talk about Ellen Latham-a name many may not recognize. But I bet they recognize the name of the business she started: Orangetheory Fitness. The massively successful chain of fitness studios actually started in a spare room of Ellen's house.4 Do you see what I'm talking about? The early stages of their careers did not look impressive by any means. But, eventually, because they were consistent and refused to let their humble beginnings define them, their careers surpassed even their wildest dreams. Related: Don't Be Sorry for the Struggle The Importance of Starting Small Let's just go ahead and acknowledge that starting small is not fun. You're probably not going to update your friends about it any chance you get, or post pictures about your journey on Facebook. But you know what? Starting small is actually one of the most important steps in building your business-or anything for that matter-wisely. That's why it's so important to give yourself permission to be a beginner. Aside from the fact that it works and is proven, starting small makes your dreams and your goals so much more attainable. As you begin to think about your big dreams and goals, what usually happens? Fear creeps in, doesn't it? You start to doubt that any of your dreams are even possible, because they're just too big and overwhelming. But when you embrace the idea of starting small, your dream doesn't feel so crazy after all. How to Start Small The commitment to start small requires persistence, dedication and a go-getter attitude-qualities I know you've got in you! That's why I want to give you a few do's and don'ts that you can use as a guideline as you chase your dreams. 1. Don't wait until you're ready. "Ready" is a myth. Because let's be real-do we ever feel ready for anything in life? Related: How to Be More Confident There'll always be a new doubt or excuse that will try to convince you it's just not time yet. But the truth is, the only way you figure anything out for yourself is by doing it-by learning on the job. Early on in my career, I learned something important: Say yes before you know how. When an opportunity comes your way and you don't feel ready, qualified or educated enough, it doesn't matter. Just get out there and get moving-ready or not. 2. Do take baby...

In this episode, we're talking about why conflict is a good thing. Yep, you read that right! My friend and fellow Ramsey Personality Dr. John Delony will unpack the psychology of why we respond to conflict the way we do. I'll wrap up the show by answering a few of the questions you've sent in on social. The REAL Problem With Your Relationships Why You and Your Spouse Are NOT on the Same Page with Dr. John Delony How to Set Boundaries at Work   Resources: Need more time? Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3oMi8yc Get back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. It will help you break through the busyness of life and build the confidence you need to embrace the person you want to be. https://bit.ly/2SkbPG8

We're kicking off a new theme on The Christy Wright Show this month that's all about preparing for the upcoming year! In this episode, I walk through a simple process that will help you stop doing the things that make you feel stuck so you can make real progress in 2022. We'll wrap up with a great question from a mom who wants to prep her business for maternity leave! Coming up this week: How to Stop Repeating the Same Mistakes 4 Ways to Prepare for 2022 How Do I Prepare My Business for Maternity Leave? Resources: Crush your goals with the 2022 Goal Planner. https://bit.ly/2YZLxwc Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3G0I41v

The Right Way to Build Your Confidence   0:49 What Confidence Actually Looks Like 9:47 How to Be a More Confident Business Owner 26:43 What Does Confidence Mean to You? Resources Business Boutique AcademyDo you have a small business or side hustle? If so, you know business can be overwhelming and lonely. But it doesn't have to be! With the right training and support, there's nothing you can't do. Join thousands of women inside the Business Boutique Academy, where you'll get the training, support and confidence you need to succeed. Enrollment is only open until October 8, so don't miss your chance to join! https://bit.ly/33UnFc8 We want to hear your feedback about The Christy Wright Show! Email us at hello@christywright.com to let us know what you think of the show.   The reality of running a business is that you're going to run into things you just don't know how to do. So, today, we're talking about building confidence. No matter how much we talk about confidence, we always have more to learn. I also get to sit down with Academy member Sarah Lewis to talk about how she can build her confidence in business. Finally, we'll take some time to journal and reflect.   What Confidence Actually Looks Like The idea of confidence can be so hard to grasp. Why is that? I've been reflecting on this recently, and here's what I've found: Confidence looks like courage, sounds like leadership, and feels like peace. Confident people seem like they have it all together. But you know what? They don't have it all figured out, but they do have courage. They're willing to put themselves out there, willing to fail, and willing to do it scared. Your confidence doesn't have to come from your situation or your circumstances. It doesn't even have to come from you. The true source of confidence is in the God that created you to begin with, and that feels like peace.   How to Be a More Confident Business Owner My good friend and Academy member Sarah Lewis is joining me in the studio today to talk about growing confidence as a business owner. So often, we buy into the lie that we need to be good at everything to be confident, especially in our businesses. But the truth is that you can't be good at everything. You're not going to be good at every single thing, and you're not going to do it all perfectly. I hope you're encouraged by our conversation and inspired to find confidence in the things you're good at too.   What Does Confidence Mean to You? So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. - Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV) Confidence doesn't come from our circumstances. True confidence comes from who we are in God. And when we remember that, we have every reason in the world to be confident, to be at peace, to have courage, to be bold, to feel secure, and to be comfortable in our own skin. I hope you take some time today to journal and work through these questions: In what areas of your life are you most confident now? What habits help you build your confidence? What Scriptures help you feel confident? What Bible verses do you cling to? What is confidence to you? Define it.

Welcome to our second week of planning and prepping for 2022! In this episode, we're talking about the importance of casting a vision for the future, and we're going to walk through some super practical tips for doing that so we can discern what we want and what we should aim for this year. And we'll wrap up with a question about whether or not it's necessary to become a morning person! Don't Set Goals Until You Do THIS Five Ways to Figure Out What You Want in Life Should I Become a Morning Person? Crush your goals with the 2022 Goal Planner. https://bit.ly/2YZLxwc  Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3G0I41v

In this episode, we're focusing on something that can be intimidating-money. But don't stress, because we'll talk through it together! First, we'll go over five money mistakes you might be making, and then I'll sit down with my friend and money expert George Kamel for an eye-opening conversation about money traps. Finally, we'll wrap up with a question about managing finances in your business. 5 Money Mistakes You Don't Realize You're Making Are You Falling for These Money Traps? Can the Ramsey Baby Steps Help My Business?   Resources: Crush your goals with the 2022 Goal Planner. https://bit.ly/2YZLxwc  Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3G0I41v

This is Why Your Work Matters with Jordan Raynor   0:49 How to Be Proud of the Work That You Do 9:51 How God Uses You in Your Work with Jordan Raynor 36:21 Does God Care About Your Work? Resources Christy's 7-Day Time FinderNeed more time? Get back 24 hours in your week by signing sign up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3u6H8lJ Business Boutique Conference Join Christy for the Business Boutique Conference, the event that will equip you to make money doing what you love. https://bit.ly/3dZZZtc Christy's Devotional - Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to YouGet back to you with my brand-new devotional, Living True: 40 Days to Get Back to You. https://bit.ly/3xxwPt7   If you've ever struggled with finding meaning in your work, you need to watch today's episode. I get to interview the brilliant author and entrepreneur Jordan Raynor, who shares why our work matters to God and to the people around us. We'll also spend a few minutes journaling about how we can honor God in our work.   How to Be Proud of the Work That You Do Work is hard-especially if you're feeling bored or burned out at your job. In this video, I'll share one important truth that will help you wake up excited, not overwhelmed, about the day ahead.   How God Uses You in Your Work with Jordan Raynor Have you ever felt like the only way you can serve God is by becoming a pastor or joining a full-time ministry? Today, my friend Jordan Raynor explains why all types of work matter to God.   Does God Care About Your Work? "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters." Colossians 3:23 (NIV)   This verse completely changed my perspective on work. I don't know about you, but when I know that God cares about the details of my work, it makes me want to step it up, give it my best effort, and work to please him. Whether you're the CEO in the corner office, or you're waiting tables, or you're a stay-at-home mom, God wants each of us to put our entire heart into our work. Spend a few minutes journaling your answers to these questions: Where do you see God in your work right now? How can you remember that God is using you right now in your work? How can you do your work unto the Lord more intentionally?

A Message of Hope Series Hey y'all, it's no secret that many of us are used to living our lives rushed and running ragged. So, what do you do when life comes to a screeching halt? In this Message of Hope, I'll share the opportunity we all have in this season of chaos-to reset and rethink how you live your life, so you can create the life you want.   Financial Peace University You have a new opportunity to reset and live the life you want. Now's the perfect time to get on a plan and take control of your finances. To help you do that, get a FREE trial of our life-changing Financial Peace University today: https://bit.ly/3dFT7ir   25 Ways to Protect Your Time To protect your time, you have to say no to the things that aren't a priority for you. I know that's not always easy, which is why I created a download with 25 ways to help you say no. Download 25 Ways to Protect Your Time by texting PROTECTTIME to 33444.

In Episode 12: How to Find Your Business Idea, we talked about taking a look at what you already have to come up with some business ideas. In that episode, I mentioned three things to look at specifically. Three ways to come up with business ideas: Your skills Your stuff Your strengths When you look for business ideas in those three areas, you're making it so much easier on yourself to win! For example, my first business idea came from my stuff. There was an 11-stall barn already on the property I was renting, so I used that to start a horse-boarding business. Now, my second business came out of my strengths and skills. That was a side business doing life coaching, and it was long before I ever became a speaker for Dave Ramsey. But now we're going to take this a step further. If you want to start a business of any kind and you want it to work, your idea needs to be based on two things: It needs to solve a problem. It needs to serve a target market. In this episode, I'll walk you through examples of how to determine which of your business ideas meet this criteria. Related: The One Thing All Businesses Must Have My Guest This Week Is Ken Coleman! My good friend Ken is an author, a speaker, and the host of The Ken Coleman Show on Sirius XM and the EntreLeadership Podcast. His passion is helping other people find their passion. To do that, Ken helps people who feel stuck or confused in their careers by shining a light on their core qualities as a person. From there he brings clarity by weighing their passion against their talents to help them discover what they should be doing with their lives. But Ken didn't start out as a successful speaker and Ramsey personality. Ken says, "I left a corporate VP job at age 31 to chase a broadcasting dream that started with two listeners. One was my wife." Before getting his own show, he spent years working behind the scenes at Ramsey Solutions and eventually on the stage hosting Dave Ramsey's live events. Ken has interviewed hundreds of top business leaders all over the country and helps thousands of people every week with their career and business ideas. In this episode, Ken and I talk about: How to narrow down your top talents-those things you do better than anything else The euphoria that happens on a scientific, physiological level when you're working in your sweet spot Creating a "purpose sentence" for yourself and your business How to change an entire conversation and shift the room by asking the right questions Why chasing significance will bring more success than chasing wealth or status Choosing a Winning Business Idea With Madison Dennis! Our success story this week comes from Madison Hardy Dennis. Madison's business idea checks all three of our boxes: MHD Beauty is based on her skills, her strengths, and her stuff! When she started thinking about leaving her full-time administrative position in 2014, she took stock of all the things in her life she was really good at. She discussed the list with her husband, and they thought about which skills and strengths would lend themselves to a freelance business. She kept coming back to makeup. That first year Madison started her freelance beauty business, she was hired to do makeup for two weddings. But her business has absolutely exploded since then. Last year, her company did makeup for 133 weddings. And y'all, this is just one facet of her business! She'll also tell us everything she took into consideration before hiring team members and what gave her the idea to start her own cosmetics line. Related: Want a Business Like Mine? MHD Beauty Plus, I'll answer your business questions! 1:17 How to Come Up with Your Business Idea 9:31 Interview with Ken Coleman 40:28 BB Success Story with Madison Dennis 56:37 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 65:25 Homework Sign up for the Business Idea Bootcamp at BusinessBoutique.com/Bootcamp. Use the code BOOTCAMP to...

Our homes are such a big part of who we are and how we feel about our lives-so today, we're talking about practical ways you can love your house again. I get to sit down with an amazing new author, Allie Casazza, who just released a book called Declutter Like a Mother (I need that in my life!). Then we'll wrap up with a question from a mom who wants to know if it's still okay to set career goals. Check out Allie's Uncluttered Kids quiz: https://alliecasazza.com/kidsquiz  Coming up this week: 3 Ways to Love Your Home Again Is a Cluttered House Stealing Your Joy? with Allie Casazza Am I Neglecting My Family if I Pursue My Career? Resources: Crush your goals with the 2022 Goal Planner. https://bit.ly/2YZLxwc Get back 24 hours in your week by signing up for the free 7-Day Time Finder challenge. https://bit.ly/3G0I41v

Today, we're diving into Part 5 of our series, and it's all about being willing to go. You have to be willing to go when God opens the door. After He's prepared you and humbled you, and after you've let go of things, you have to be willing to actually step through the open door in front of you. You've been prepared. You've been humbled. You've been faithful. But when God opens that door, you can't just stand there. You can't just stare at it. You can't be scared. You can't be stuck. You've got to be willing to actually step through the door that God has for you. You know, whenever I first got started speaking, I had no experience, no training, no certification, and no plans to be a speaker. Rachel Cruze (Dave Ramsey's daughter) had been booked to speak at a conference all over the country in different cities every single day. It was a crazy travel schedule. She was newly out of college, and it was basically two weeks before she was supposed to go on the road. Dave looked at the schedule and said, "Hey, this is not what we agreed to. This is more than we agreed to. You (me, Christy) have to go back to the conference and tell them she can only do half of the events." That was a problem. The events started in two weeks, and they thought they had Rachel for 20 dates. I had to be the bearer of bad news. I got on the phone and said, "Hey, I'm so sorry. She's all of the events, but she can do 10 of them, and you can pick whichever 10." I'll never forget what Chase (the man on the other end of the line) said to me. He said, "Christy, what am I going to do? I've got her booked for 20 different dates. What am I going to do with the other ones?" And I said, "I'll do them." And he said, "Can you speak?" I said, "I think so." You know, I'd never in my life. I just saw a problem and came up with a solution. There was a door that opened in front of me, and I walked through it. I can fix this. I can figure it out. I can make it up as I go. I'm just going say yes to this opportunity before I know how. Did I know how to speak to an audience? No. But I said yes before I knew how. So, when God opens a door in front of you, you've got to be willing to walk through it. You've got to be willing to go before you know how to say yes. Even if you're not sure how it's going play out, assume that you can. In the absence of information, don't assume there's a rule that you're breaking. Don't assume there's a reason you can't. Assume that you can. And then if you can't, you'll figure it out. God will open doors in front of you, but you've got to be willing to go-even if you're scared. Even if you're unsure. Even if you're insecure. Even if you don't know how it's all going to play out. Even if you don't have a perfect plan and a perfect path and a guarantee that it's going to be successful. You've got to be willing to go. This makes me think about the story of when the Israelites went to explore the Promised Land in the Old Testament. This is the land that God had promised to them, but they would not go and fight for it. They had their part to do. They had to walk through the door. Like the Israelites, we're participants in this life with God, and even in the plans that he has for us. But an entire generation missed out on the Promised Land-missed out on the plan and the promise that God had for them-because they wouldn't walk through the door. God told the Israelites where He was taking them, that He had gone before them, and that the land was theirs, but they still wouldn't walk through the door. They wouldn't go. Man, that's a powerful lesson. I don't know about you, but I want to be someone that walks through the door. I don't want to miss out on what God has for me over there because I'm scared. Yes, it's scary. You know why? Because the life God has for you is bigger and better than you can imagine. It's more exciting. It's new. It's different. Yes, it's...

You have been created with unique and special gifts specifically for you. But sometimes it's hard to recognize those gifts. That's why I want to spend this podcast episode teaching you how to recognize your unique gifts! So I'll talk about the difference between gifts, passions and strengths, and how to identify the unlikely things that may actually be gifts in your life. My friend and Business Boutique event host Annie F. Downs will share how she realized her unique gifts of entertaining, speaking, and writing-and how she uses them today. Plus, we'll hear from Karmen Smith, owner of Pray Big-a company that makes prayer journals. Karmen's business came out of a very trying time for her, and she'll share her inspiring story of how her gifts intersected with her desire to help people in their walk with God. And I'll answer your biggest business questions! 1:14 Recognizing Your Gifts 19:10 Interview with Annie F. Downs 48:42 BB Success Story with Karmen Smith 56:25 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 60:54 Homework - Pre-order my new book, Business Boutique: A Woman's Guide for Making Money Doing What She Loves, for only $20 and get $60 in free bonus items! Visit BusinessBoutique.com/BBBook and use the code BBBook to also receive an exclusive podcast interview with Nicole Walters on Sales. Order today!  Limited-time offer. To save $5 on any Business Boutique 1-Day ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community or a question you would like answered on the podcast, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. Ask me a business question via social media by using #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT New podcast episodes are available every other week.

You may be thinking that you don't need to write, but the truth is: if you're a small business owner, you'll need to do at least some writing, whether you've been trained or not. You need to write well to reach your target customer, so in the episode, I'll give you four tools to put in your Writing Toolbox! My guest this week is the editor in chief of Woman's Day magazine, Susan Spencer. Susan has been working in magazine publishing for over 30 years and she'll share what's she's learned along her journey-including three things every successful writer does. Our success story is Anna Doyle, owner of Threefold Boutique. Her day job is working at a law firm, but she's seeing so much success in her own business that she hopes to replace her full-time income soon. She'll walk us through the moment she decided to just go for it, and how she now balances a busy side business with working full time. Plus, I'll answer your business questions from Business Boutique events! 1:08 How To Improve Your Writing Skills 16:30 Interview with Susan Spencer 36:19 BB Success Story with Anna Doyle 45:43 #ASKCHRISTYWRIGHT 53:33 Homework Get Christy's Writing Toolbox by filling out the form here! - To save $10 on any Business Boutique Nashville ticket, use the code BBWRIGHT. Sign up for the Business Boutique Academy at BusinessBoutique.com/Academy. - If you have a success story you would like to share with the Business Boutique community, email me at podcast@businessboutique.com. New podcast episodes are available every other week.