[00:00:02] Speaker A: Welcome to the Business Miracles podcast. I'm Heather Dominick, founder of Businessmiracles.com comma and author of the book the highly sensitive Leadership Revolution.
[email protected] since 2010, I've been training highly sensitive entrepreneurs and leaders from around the globe to work less while making more impact and income by doing things differently. I'm so glad you joined me. Listen in and get ready. Get ready for a shift in the way you view yourself, your work, your life. A Business Miracle.
[00:00:40] Speaker B: Welcome welcome to the Business Miracles podcast. This is a course in Business Miracles podcast, building your business part time, part two, featuring highly sensitive entrepreneur and leader Laura. Then in this special three part episode series, you'll be hearing more about my own story of first starting my business part time to now having been self employed full time for 20 years, as well as also hearing from select highly sensitive entrepreneurs who are currently creating business success while working their business on a part time basis, all with more impact, more income and less effort.
Today, I am just so excited. I am so excited to be connecting with Laura Smith, who is a business miracles member, a highly sensitive entrepreneur, and leader and owner of Children's Mindset LLC. I know you are going to be just as inspired by Laura's powerful transformation as I truly am. So I invite you to listen in. Join us. Hear how Laura shifted out of her insecurity, out of her fear, out of her HSE coping mechanism of hiding, by not only embracing, but unleashing her highly sensitive strengths of creativity and intuition to create a part time business that allows her to enjoy spending more time with her recently retired husband while still following her heart's guidance and passion for helping children, all from a place of excitement and fun rather than pressure and distress.
Oh my gosh.
Welcome Laura Smith.
[00:02:43] Speaker C: Wow. That was fabulous. Thank you. I'm excited to be here.
It was incredible just to hear that and I'm honored to be here. So thank you.
[00:02:54] Speaker B: Absolutely. I'm so excited for this conversation.
I'm really excited because you and I recently experienced one of the business miracles quantum leap retreats together, which is an opportunity for in person training where we dive deep for about four days. Very experiential, very transformational.
And there was so much that just was so impressive as far as your transformational experience.
But one of the things that was really just such an amazing moment was the clarity that you received at quantum Leap about being in business part time.
So if you would be willing to share just a little bit more about that moment of clarity for yourself and maybe what that clarity meant to you, maybe how it felt and anything else that is of value for you to share at this time.
[00:04:11] Speaker C: Absolutely. I mean, first of all, that quantum leap retreat, as you said, was so transformational, so powerful. It was an amazing four days. I have, you know, attended several personal development, you know, conferences in the past, but nothing like what we experienced there. It was amazing.
But as far as the transformation for the, you know, for being in business part time, building my business part time, honestly, the word that comes to me is the permission to do so.
I, as you know, I'm a teacher by trade. I had taught for 14 years. I'm also, you know, a perfectionist as a highly sensitive.
And I had a lot of shame and guilt wrapped around not working. Nothing, you know, hustling, as the trendy term is, believing that if I wasn't hustling or working hard constantly, I would never be successful. I would never make it. I would never become what I want to become if I'm not constantly just pushing, pushing, pushing, pushing. And as you have already mentioned, my highly sensitive coping mechanism is hiding, not pushing. So my nervous system was a constant mess because I just felt like I had to constantly be doing. And like I said, just hearing that permission or really, I guess, embracing. Cause I've heard it several times. I've been a part of this community for years now. But just embracing the fact that I don't have to hustle, I don't have to work so hard. And it's okay for me to create a schedule that works with my highly sensitive nervous system in a way that is not going to, you know, push me back or my business back, but actually accelerate me forward. And for me, that was such, you know, as Oprah says, an aha moment because, wow. Wow. I really can do it. And it's okay. That was huge for me.
[00:06:26] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. Amazing. Just absolutely incredible. I again, remember the moment so distinctly at quantum leap retreat because it was literally, like, physically I could see the weight lift off of you.
It was like in front of my eyes, you became lighter. Yes. And I have chills just even thinking about it. And part of the reason why I invited you and was so excited for you to share your story is because though it might not be for everyone, there are absolutely other highly sensitives who are having the exact or very similar experience to what you described, which is the unnecessary pressure and buying into this concept of what it means to be successful and meanwhile, just creating so much struggle and so much suffering for oneself unnecessarily.
Right. So, again, it's not so much about, like, you know, you and I aren't saying here right now, like, oh, everyone needs to decide. Everyone needs to embrace being in business part time. No, it's just, if that's what it is for you, can that be okay? Yes. Right.
[00:08:09] Speaker C: Absolutely.
[00:08:10] Speaker B: So back to embracing the permission, like you said. Now, what I also appreciate, what you shared is that when you did have that moment of embracing, suddenly you realize, like, oh, this doesn't mean that I'm actually gonna stop my passion, stop what I'm called to create in my business, but this actually opens up the door for me to, in a kind of weird way, create more.
[00:08:40] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:08:41] Speaker B: So let's talk about that.
[00:08:43] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:08:44] Speaker B: Let's talk about the part of the business that you're in part time and what's exciting to you. What are you creating? What are you accomplishing? What do you have the freedom to do now that you have embraced this permission?
[00:08:59] Speaker C: Yeah, for sure.
You know, like I said, I mean, I've had this vision of creating this children's mindset business for years, but I was stuck in those shadows of, you know, not being good enough, the fear of being seen, the fear of being heard, the fear of judgment, all of those things, all of those shadows, which was keeping me so stuck. And, you know, like I said, I just constantly felt, you know, you know, from previous training of another company that I was in, you know, being told that I had to hustle and work harder and work harder. And with that activating my nervous system so much, it actually was shutting me down. It just was. It was creating blocks. You know, when your nervous system is just an overdrive, you're shut down.
And by having this permission to actually, as you talk about time in time on time off, and actually giving myself to truly take time off, it is amazing to me how taking time off doesn't mean you go away for a month or whatever, or like you said, stop. It's not stopping. It's just working within the what works best for you. So if I need to take my morning walk, because that is what gives me guidance and peace, it's amazing to me when I do those things, whether it's taking a walk, going to the water, working out, whatever it is, those time off moments where I just shut it out just for a little bit, that is when, you know, the highly sensitive strength of intuition and creativity floods me, and I get these ideas, and I'm like, whoa, like, where did that even come from? But it's amazing how in the time off, it helps you to be even more productive than when you're in that constant grind and hustle?
[00:11:02] Speaker B: Yes, yes.
[00:11:03] Speaker C: For me, as a highly sensitive shuts me down.
[00:11:06] Speaker B: Yes, absolutely. And I'm pretty sure you're far from the only one I know. I can definitely relate to that as well. And I have, in an absolute clear sense, there's so many who are listening who can relate as well. And I really appreciate that you're speaking to the hustle and the working hard and the nervous system being in overdrive and somehow the misfiring of the neural pathways in the brain that says, oh, this means I'm being successful. Right, right. When meanwhile, we're actually not really creating anything. We're actually not really being productive. We're definitely not happy. Right. But we're just keep driving ourselves because that's supposedly what success is. And in all honesty, and this is not what I'm saying for your experience at all, but just that I've been doing this work long enough that I know, and I've definitely been there myself as well, is that highly sensitives can fool themselves into to thinking that they're actually working on their business by taking so many courses and certifications.
Right.
Laura just raised her hand, totally guilty, right. And it's like, oh, well, I'm really busy because I have this course to do, and I have this certification, and I have this degree to accomplish, and I'm working, working, working, and I'm learning all these things about, like, online funnels. And so I'm really ambitious business. But meanwhile, there isn't actually true creation, true productivity happening. There definitely isn't that intuition that you described, those inspired downloads and, you know, and then usually not a lot of income being generated. And then.
[00:13:02] Speaker C: And by doing all of that, all we speak for myself. All I ended up doing, by taking more classes or whatever is I just end up exhausting myself.
[00:13:11] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:13:12] Speaker C: You know?
[00:13:13] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:13:13] Speaker C: I'm not doing anything really, truly productive. I'm just exhausted.
[00:13:17] Speaker B: Exactly, exactly. But again, there's some misfiring in the brain that's saying, like, oh, well, that means that I'm working hard on this success. So it's so imperative to untangle those neural pathways and to go through that retraining, which is so much of what you experienced at quantum leap. So since that retreat specifically, specifically, I've just been seeing you just sharing so many beautiful things that you've been creating, your book being one of them, although I know that that was completed before Quantum leap, but there's just been a different energy around the way that you've been talking about that book and sharing that book, so I'd love for you to just share a little bit more about that and, you know, what it's been like to feel kind of that burden lifted and feeling free to, you know, share the message that you're here to share.
[00:14:21] Speaker C: Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, it worked out. The timing could not have been better because the book was literally released on Friday, and the Quantum Leap retreat started that following Monday. So I was honored to get a picture of you with my book.
[00:14:35] Speaker B: Thank you.
[00:14:38] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, for sure. I mean, so much transpired within those four days of being there and just working through so many limiting beliefs and so many shadows that I had, and so much of the fear that I had about really putting myself out there and just having that lifted and just really embracing intuition and guidance and knowing that I'm coming from a place of service just really overtook all of the fear. It just washed it away. And it's not, it's never gone 100%. We're always going to have it. But really being able to feel confident and putting myself out there and knowing that this program and this book, it was created from my heart, it is my purpose, it is my mission, and it came from a place of the hardships that my own family endured. And I know there's so many other families out there, and just, like, again, you know, embracing the permission to put myself out there, knowing that there are children out there that need this, and no matter what, there's always going to be someone out there with a comment or whatever, but whatever, that's not important. What's really important is just living our purpose and, you know, doing what we're here to do. And for me, that's here to help children and just really, again, embracing that permission, embracing the knowing that it's okay and, you know, like I said, the fear will always be there, but just having that ability to overcome it, you know, that strength finally to bring, absolutely incredible.
[00:16:16] Speaker B: Incredible.
Now, I know we keep talking about quantum Leap, and that's just because it recently happened. I'm sure we'll probably get questions. So let me just briefly say that the quantum leap retreat is an opportunity when you're in the highly sensitive leadership training programs to be able to add the quantum Leap retreat to your leadership training program. So I'd like to hear, in addition to our quantum leap experience, which parts, maybe tools or teachings or trainings have supported you, to be able to then get to that place to attend quantum leap and have that deep transformation, if there's anything specific that's been impactful for you leading up to the retreat time?
[00:17:10] Speaker C: Absolutely. I mean, first of all, for me, you know, a good friend of mine introduced me to you. I don't even remember what it was, I think right before 2020.
But, I mean, I never even understood or knew what highly sensitive was until that point. And really, honestly, being introduced to it, and I remember my first call and being like, oh, my God, I'm not alone. Oh, my God, this really is something. There's not something wrong with me. And that was like a weight off my shoulders. Just that. But being part of this program, being part of the community, I mean, you know, as you say all the time, there's only 20% of the world that is highly sensitive. And although we are a minority, I still feel like we are so powerful. And that the gifts, that they're gifts and what we believed was wrong with us before as a true, true gift and embracing that has been huge, a huge shift in perception.
For me, one of the biggest tools that I'll talk about is the shame transformation tool.
I've lived so much of my life with so much shame and so much guilt wrapped around so many different things. And I really think I took 2022 and just did that tool over and over and over and over again, you know, and I always say it's like, you know, shrek the ogre, there's like, there's layers, and we have to break through all of those layers. And you do a tool and it breaks through one, but then you got to go deeper and deeper, and the deeper you dig, the more is released. So shame transformation tool, for me was huge. And the order formed to the universe, I think I do every day. And the highly sensitive strength of intuition is just. It's amazing. It's amazing.
[00:18:55] Speaker B: Absolutely. So great. I so appreciate you speaking to the shame transformation tool, because it's just something that. So shame being something that so many highly sensitives experience, but there isn't anywhere to talk about it, right, let alone a way to actually really practically and proactively work with it, which is just embedded in the highly sensitive leadership training programs. And it's not like this was the only thing that Laura was doing, but the fact that she committed to the shame transformation tool, that you committed to it as a core practice, then helped you be able to be in action in all of these other ways, personally and professionally, as well as, again, bring you to this place where you were able to then have that significant transformation at the quantum leap retreat. And it really is that commitment and that consistency. Right. And being held in the container of the community for to be accountable, to stay with that type of process, because where else can you be embraced, let alone celebrated for, like, yay. You're working on your shame transformation.
[00:20:19] Speaker C: Absolutely. Right.
[00:20:21] Speaker B: And it's like. But yet that is what's underlying so many ways that we feel stuck and stopped, right?
[00:20:30] Speaker C: Absolutely. Yeah. And the other thing that I just want to say, like, you know, we do talk about this as business, but I think you can't for me, like, in my life, I can't. And I did for so long, compartmentalize. Like, well, here's me as a person, but here's me in relationships and a people pleaser, and then here's me and my business as like three separate things. But when you have all of this underlying shame or guilt or whatever it is that you have to work through, it touches every area of your life. They're so intertwined that we really can't separate out. Well, I'll work on shame here, but it's not going to touch over here. It just won't happen that way.
[00:21:09] Speaker B: I'm so glad you, I'm so glad you spoke to that.
Absolutely. And especially for those of us who are highly sensitive, it's like our nervous system is wired to take in the stimulation. So compartmentalization isn't really a thing for us. You know, we can try by disconnecting or disassociating, but then everything also suffers from that type of or attempted approach. So, absolutely, it's all connected. And again, I so appreciate that you spoke to that because that alone brings up shame for so many highly sensitives of like, oh, why can't I just do the business, even though I've got this thing going on personally. But actually, as you embrace just holistically managing, you know yourself as a highly sensitive through all of it, then everything else, everything has the opportunity to benefit, right?
[00:22:08] Speaker C: Absolutely. So true. So true.
[00:22:11] Speaker B: Yeah. And so now here you are. You have, you have written this book, you have these amazing programs. You've made this conscious decision to be in business part time for yourself so that you can also enjoy time with your husband. Go figure, right? Like what? Of course. But yet so many would just. Just, you know, just go in the other direction from, you know, what your essential self, what your heart is telling you is how you are meant to be in business. Absolutely. I'd love for you to just share, like, where people can find out about your book, where they can find out more about you and all of the amazing work that you have chosen to do part time.
[00:22:57] Speaker C: Awesome. Yes, absolutely. They can go to childrensmindset.com and it's all right there.
[00:23:04] Speaker B: Childrensmindset.com. so definitely childrensmindset.com. to see Laura, to see her incredible book, to see the work that shes doing to really make a difference for so many children and parents and, yeah. And that she gets to do it part time.
[00:23:28] Speaker C: Amen. Yes.
[00:23:31] Speaker B: Awesome. Thank you so much, Laura, for being willing to be here and to share your story and to be an inspiration for others who hopefully will have their eyes opened, their hearts opened, and just the opportunity to more consciously consider, like, what, what being in business is meant to look like for them. So thank you.
[00:23:57] Speaker C: Thank you. Thank you. I'm honored to be here. And I thank you for everything you've done because it's changed everything in my life. So I'm so, so grateful.
[00:24:05] Speaker B: Thank you so much. All right, and for those of you listening, thank you. Thank you for being a part of the Business Miracles podcast. And until next time.
[00:24:21] Speaker A: Thank you for being a part of this business Miracles podcast episode and for beginning to dip your toe into the journey of highly sensitive leadership training. If you are ready to truly use your sensitivities as strengths in all parts of your work and life, I invite you to connect for a one on one chat. You will experience being deeply listened to, and together we'll get a sense of whether the highly sensitive leadership training programs are the best next step for you and your highly sensitive journey. At this time, just go to wWF claritycall.com to schedule a conversation. We so look forward to connecting with you. Talk to you soon.
