Day 7: Congratulations! From Business Owner to Boss

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You did it! Congratulations! 

I am so proud of you for taking on this challenge. I know it wasn’t easy to keep up with every day as a busy business owner. Finding time to level up takes some serious commitment. 

Now if you weren’t able to do everything in this challenge, that’s totally okay. This was just a starting place to get you going on some very important aspects of taking your business to the next level and building the foundation for your empire to thrive. 

As you know, this challenge is just a small peek inside my brand new business program, Unbreakable which launches April 11th. 

I would love for you to join us if you feel that what you’ve experienced this challenge has provided you with some stepping stones to secure your business and create a foundation for your next phase of growth. 

Even if you don’t join, I do hope that this challenge has given you some great info to  take your business to the next level or at least start that process. 

Thank you ridin’ along with me! 

Day 7 is not about leveling up your business. It’s about leveling up YOU. 

So let’s get into the final challenge homework and let’s finish as best we can! 

Today’s LEVEL UP Coaching 

As business owners that have multiple intersecting identities - whether you’re black, a person of color, LGBTQIA+, a woman, you’re non-binary,  have an immigrant background, or by your existence push against societies phobias and -isms (fatphobia, colorism, racism, ableism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.), we’ve been taught that our lives are disposable and that our bodies are labor so what we need to thrive doesn’t matter. 

In fact, we don’t deserve to thrive. 

That’s a lie. You deserve to run your business, have the life you want, create the wealth you desire, and leave the legacy you have in your heart. 

All while thriving on a daily basis and having the space to sort through whatever you need to. 

As I told you before, I totally grinded with the culture until it burnt me out. I had no other models of success to see or choose from. 

I never saw an entrepreneur doing anything other than this and if they were, it was after they had millions of dollars that would allow them to take a break, sabbatical, or look for the next business evolution. 

Where were the models for people like me? Self-funded and doing this from scratch with just their energy, heart, and talent who also wanted to have some time to nurture their relationship with themselves and others? Where were the models for people who wanted to live well while doing what they love?

At that time it didn’t exist. I’ve come to realize at the crux of whether you will have business that’s blows up or one that blows YOU up is how you manage your energy and time.

So today it’s time to do an energy inventory so see how to make the best use of your time.  

You may have come from a background where 9-5 was the schedule or some version of that and  you have kept to that schedule while running your business. While that’s fine if that works for you, I want you to evaluate does it truly? What could you do to make the best use of your energy during the day? 

That western idea of 9-5 doesn’t work for everyone and trying to fit your business into the box will cause you to waste precious time.

You became a business owner partly to be your own boss. So why create a schedule for yourself that mirrors what you want to get away from? So I want you to think outside of the box here. 

When do you feel the most energized? Is it during the early hours of the morning? Is it at night around 9pm? What feels the most natural to you? 

Do you feel better and more productive after a nap? Do you feel it more once you’ve done your 1hr self-care routine? 

When do you feel the most drained? Do you enjoy 1hr bursts of working and then an hour of rest? 

It’s all about what works for you. I want you to really reflect on it and push against the capitalist notion that you have to work 9-5 and that’s the best way to work and if you don’t do that, you’re a trash business owner. OR the notion that you need to get everything done during the hours and times the rest of the world is working.

Liberation starts in your mind first. 

That’s where you have to truly see beyond what you’ve been told. 

Your LEVEL UP Homework 

This one will take about a week to complete. However, you can start today. I want you to track your energy levels so you will know how to adjust your work schedule. 

It doesn’t matter if you work on the computer or if you work with your hands all day, you will need to understand how your body and mind work so you have the best opportunity to maximize your time and adjust your life accordingly (if you can). Or at the least, get a better understanding so you can make subtle shifts. 

Use the worksheet attached to this email and write your activities during the hours of the day and  then track 1) When did you feel your most energized, and 2) When did you feel the most tired  with the tracker on the worksheet. 

Schedule this as a reflection at the end of your day for the next week. 

Then, at the end of the 7th day, look tally what times did you feel the most one way or the other. 

You will probably see a pattern - Maybe you will see you feel the most energized between the hours of 1-2 pm or maybe the first 30 minutes of every morning. This will be a stretch to reflect, and stay aware of your levels for a week but you’re worth the stretch. 

Once you have a clear picture of when you feel the most energetic and the most tired, take a look at your calendar and block off what I call “High Energy Time.” 

Whether you use a paper calendar or an electronic one doesn’t matter. You need to make some blocks where you have the most energy. 

Then, I want you to look at your work schedule and see if you can adjust your work schedule (or at the very least specific tasks in your work schedule) to accommodate your High Energy Time. 

I can tell you once you do this, you are going to see massive shifts in your productivity. You’re going off your own energy, not anyone else’s time or ideas of what you need to do. 

IRL Example: My high energy time is from 10am - 12pm. During my work hours this is when I am the most clear and have the most space for doing more labor intensive tasks. It’s also when I am the most creative, so I tend to do all my writing at this time. 

I would never ever do things like answering emails at this time. It’s not the best use of it. I use it to complete tasks that could take so much longer if my energy wasn’t high. 

Also, my energy is a lot lower around 3pm so I tend to schedule meetings or calls at that time because I can be social without having to stare at the computer. 

Now that you’ve completed this exercise this should create a massive change in how you do your work. 

I would also encourage you to stop when necessary. You do NOT want to push yourself beyond your energy reserves because it will just make you feel worse. However, note on the worksheet when you had to stop. 

IG CHALLENGE: To win the spot in Unbreakable! 

• Post a picture of energy tracker (or notebook) IG in your Stories with the caption “Day 7”  
• Tag me (@jwilliamsesq) in your homework story and use the hashtag: #levelupchallenge

If you complete the entire challenge you will be entered to win a spot in my brand NEW Business Program “Unbreakable” Check out all the details here.

YAY! I am so proud of you for completing this challenge at whatever pace feels good to your nervous system. Either way it goes, I hope you got something valuable out of it. 

We’re not over yet. Check your email tomorrow because I have a very special invitation coming your way. But in the meantime, please celebrate yourself for doing this work. I applaud you for allowing yourself to take this risk and I do hope that you felt it was a great use of this last week. 

Cheers to your Empire, 

Jo-Ná 

P.S If you’re ready to join Unbreakable, then let’s go for it. We start April 11th! Check out all the information and sign up here. Use the code: LEVELUP for $500 by March 24th. 

DAY 7: Energy Monitor Worksheet