254: What It Takes To Build A Successful Business

Episode Transcript

Erin Aquin  0:01  
Welcome to the Superabound podcast with master coaches Steve Haase and Erin Aquin. where business owners like you learn tools that help you clarify vision, clear up static and overcome challenges, you are listening to Episode 254 what it takes to build a successful business and interview with Shannin Williams, welcome to this week's episode, we have such a good one for you, especially if you are building a business right now, whether you're a business owner or leader does not really matter where you are on your business journey, this story from Shannin is going to be very inspiring for you. And my favorite part is that it's very real. Shannin Williams is an architectural illustrator, and view are into design, you've probably seen her work on TV. Shannin also is the creator of the Bertrand Williams school, and runs high level very successful courses teaching hand rendering, sketching, design, to hundreds of people around the world every single year. I have had the pleasure of coaching Shannin for the past few years. But this is her first time on the podcast. And I will admit that anytime I have a client on the show, I always want to be sensitive to the fact that I know a lot of their story. I've been through some rough things with them, probably not always, but most of the time. So in being very respectful of that I asked Shannin today what her comfort level was about telling her story about building her business, the good, the bad, the ugly, and she said, Erin, I'm an open book. So what you're about to get is a real look inside the journey to becoming an entrepreneur from someone who, in her words, she describes us was living in poverty working a full time job, to now running a very, very successful business that's about to hit a major milestone this year. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Shannin. And I hope that it inspires you to take the next big step in your own business. One of the things we are offering here at Superabound, that you'll hear Shannin talk about is the Superabound coach certification, which she and her entire team are joining. So if that sounds like something maybe you and your team should join as well in your business, you can learn more about that over at besuperbound.com/certification. And we'll have links to everything Shannin Williams, in our show notes.

Unknown Speaker  2:52  
Enjoy this one.

Erin Aquin  2:53  
The wild thing about being a coach is you really get to see behind the scenes in someone's life and business. And sometimes the story is just so amazing. But it's not my story to tell, so I can never really talk about it with other people. So we're very excited to have Shannin Williams here today to share her incredible story of her life and her business with all of you and are just so happy to see you. Welcome, Shannin.

Shannin Williams  3:26  
Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Steve Haase  3:27  
We are so excited to have you. I've always had a like an errand is riding in the backseat. I'm like outside of the car. So I'm always hearing things secondhand. So I can't wait to have the conversation with you. Shannin, my first question is, how are things going in your business right now? Let's get let's get a sense of where you're at. And what is exciting and fun in your business?

Shannin Williams  3:55  
Oh, well, it's growing. As you know, it is growing. It's very fun to watch it grow. The stress isn't going so far. But we got that. But it is growing. It's exciting to to see all the new people coming in. And this last group that we just invited in, is they're just phenomenal. I mean, they are just blowing it out of the water. They're dedicated, they're doing the work, they're working through it. They're learning to talk to their selves better, which is quite amazing. And then of course that makes them succeed. So being able to teach them and teach them why because I'm doing this time I'm doing it live for them has been fun, too. And I'm actually doing my own course with them. So I'm doing the work with them. I'm doing the homework just so I can hold myself accountable. And then of course, hold them accountable. But yes, we're growing and happy about the growing but of course more happy that there's people that are still interested in this type of thing. and skill that is so obsolete seems to be so obsolete these days. So bringing it back and then helping me bring that hands go back is is very fun to watch.

Erin Aquin  5:11  
So good. So let's take it way back. Yeah, let's take it way back because Schatzberg things on Instagram, so some, but some of you might not know who she is. So can you tell us about your business how it all started? Like, just give us give us the journey if you don't mind?

Shannin Williams  5:30  
Well, I started back in 2017. Well, actually, it started back in college. When I was in design school, I learned I had a professor that taught me how to hand render, and taught me how to sketch and it taught me how to draw. And so that was way back in 2006. So that's a long time ago, when I learned that in in design school, I learned how to illustrate for my own design interior design projects. And then of course, the birth of computers came along, and everybody just stopped using the pin and the paper and the pencil. And so I was like, Well, I can do it much faster, or I figured out along the way, I could do it much faster, if I would just do it by hand. And so I'd never put down a marker. From the moment my teacher, my professor taught me how to do this. As a kid, I loved paper, and I loved graph paper. And I love mechanical pencils. And because probably because my dad brought it home from work, and I would always use that. And I would always rearrange my room and yadda yadda. But I never knew what that niche was about. I had no idea what that was about until 35 years later, I figured out how to do this skill, and just fell in love with it. And I remember we were working on a project and in a huge, massive hurricane was coming through and I was still working on my illustration by candlelight, because we had no electricity. That's how much I loved is that I don't know if that's dedication or what but you're right. Yes.

Steve Haase  7:13  
Back in the 1800s doing your architecture.

Shannin Williams  7:16  
Yeah, and I mean, you know, we didn't we'd have any electricity the hurricane had already came through, we were just waiting generators were going and had candle by my my work and I was still doing it. So one day I did an illustration. And I posted on Instagram because I got real brave and decided oh, I'm gonna post this on Instagram. And then when I did, I thought, Oh my God, my friends are gonna figure out who I am and what I do in, gosh, you know, what a shame that would be thought it was the end of the world. So when I did it, a very famous TV show found me and commissioned me to do renderings for their TV show. And so I made like, eight $9,000 in one weekend by coloring. And then when I did that, I was like, Yeah, can I really do this as a business? This is crazy. And so that tapped into a lot of learning. A lot of Marie Forleo, Annie Porterfield, Steve McClaren, and while I was still teaching as a professor and practicing interior design, and I just kept believing that I could do this. And I could do this, that I really could do this and make this a business and do architectural illustrations for other interior designers that didn't know how to do it, but do it by hand with no computer work at all. So through the years, I kept practicing and practicing. And then only I was listening to a podcast because I'm a podcast junkie, I would add an hour drive to my job. So I would get in the car and listen to podcasts. So one day, I was listening to a podcast and Amy Porterfield said, you know, if you have an idea, or you have knowledge, you can always teach that. And then it's like, the next day somebody asked me on Instagram, would you teach me to do this? And I'm like, Oh, I don't know. Hang on. Let me see if I can. Well, at that time, I was already teaching interior design at the college, and I was practicing interior design. So I'm like, why can't I just translate those teaching skills to something outside of my day job. And then that's where the birth of my first membership the studio came about. I had bounced through McLaren. I didn't know anything about a membership. But I listened to every single podcast on the way to school on the way back to school. And I bet there was 250 of them if not more, and that's how I learned to do a membership probably did it all wrong. But his class didn't open until six months later. So I just listened and did it and went by what other people were doing and that was my first my first membership the studio in that first class. Okay,

Erin Aquin  9:55  
there's so many things I love about this. It's so Finally, because I think a lot of times people don't really utilize the resources of like free podcasts. But so much of what's amazing out there you really can find but one of the things I love about you is that your big vision, and the you know, the gap you saw in your industry was just so pivotal to having you like, take all of these steps to build the business podcasts. We can listen to them. People have business ideas every day, with the same resources available to them. But you are one of those rare people, I think that found that the vision was so much bigger than all of the challenges along the way. And you follow that? Through all the scary things. Yes. Like maybe you could tell us just about one particular scary period of becoming a full time entrepreneur. Hmm,

Shannin Williams  11:03  
gosh, well, I'm, again, going back and listening to rounds of podcasts for anybody I can listen to about business. I was doing it because I had I had like, podcasts University in my car for two hours a day. So I wasn't going to waste that time. I was going to utilize that time. And I remember listening to one of the podcasts. Amy Porterfield was interviewing Brooke Castillo. And she said, in that pocket, I mean, Amy Porterfield said in that podcast, everyone needs a life coach. Well, I was dirt poor, I was making state wages. So I didn't have the money for a life coach at the time. That was very pivotal for me, because I'm like, Oh, if Amy said it, then I'm gonna do it. Um, Amy's very trustworthy. So I've already been in her, one of her classes to create a course. And I've been tapping into that and taking action on that, after I found out about the member after I found out about the membership. So listening to everything that they said, believing everything they said, and taking very small actions and steps going forward, I finally got enough money to enroll in the self coaching scholars at the time is what it was called, through Brooke Castillo and learned about, you know, coaching myself and understanding what it was about. And I had no clue I had no clue this even existed, I thought everybody just went to a shrink. That's what I thought. And so, you know, continuing to go through it. And then continuing there was an unapproved burps podcast and taking massive action, understood what that really meant, after listening to our podcasts taking massive action, and if you're not doing it, and you're sitting around thinking about it, well, then of course, that's not action, that's passive action. So learning all these techniques, and the way that, that we think the way that we think was, I think very pivotal to me. So I was like, let me do a couple more launches, and I did a couple more launches for my studio, and got enough money. And I got on the Life Coach School website, because she's always raving about her coaches, and this and that. And, again, at that time, I was still working for the college and driving back and forth, then it just, you know, you live in poverty. And that's just the way you are when you work for the state. It's just part of it. And you have great insurance, but you don't have anything to eat. Sometimes it's just part of it. So I remember getting on the website, and I came across a lot of life coaches. And I was searching for one, I was like, well, just let me look, let me look. And let you stop my scroll, your whole bio stopped my scroll. And I'm thinking because, you know, stop that relationships at the time. And then business was something always wanting to learn. So you were like a relationship and business coach. I'm like, dang, that's her. That's the one he right there. But then, you know, just the picture had this calming effect to it. And so I'm like, just did an email or so I emailed you had the conversation, and then you started coaching me from that period on. So I guess everything that I learned from the point by myself through all those podcasts, through self coaching scholars, implementing it and putting it into action is what made the biggest difference in my business. I may hear something and listen to it. And I may not act on it for certain things for a little while, either because I don't have the funds or I don't know how to do it. But it's here in my mind, I'm gonna do it eventually. Especially if it speaks to me. Because when you started coaching me, I was transitioning to a wonder if I could quit my job. I wonder if I could really do this full time. And that's where you came in. And we're reinforce the idea that it is believable. You never told me to quit my job. You never forced me to quit my job. You never asked me to quit my job. But you believe that I could do it because of everything that had been going on through my business. Up until that point, you knew the revenue that was coming in, you knew what was going on. And you just kept enforcing that in me until I just decided it was time. And it was passed on. At that point, it was way past. There was some stressful moments that she coached me through. But I think having you there while I was going through that transition, was very pivotal for me, because had I not had somebody coaching me through it, I would have still been stuck in the moments of stress, and tiredness, and just mentally exhausted. And I couldn't get past that point. Without someone not saying hey, you need to do it. But what if you tried this? Or what if you tried that? So I think having you in that two years of stressful time, allowing me to be free to leave my job was probably the best thing that's ever happened.

Steve Haase  16:23  
Yeah, but showing you describe the process of making a change really beautifully, where it's, you have to believe that the possibility that you seek is real for you. And sometimes when you're in the middle of struggle or setbacks, or just the challenge of daily life, it's hard to really lock into that potential as being real. And then to follow it up with the action that would actually bring it to fruition. And so you kind of speak to the benefit of having a coach where that's a person who is there, right there with you sometimes even holding that belief more strongly than you are because they don't share your same self doubts, right? That your coach is going to see your highest possibility and then hold that potential based on that highest possibility. So that when you're kind of resonating with them, then you're able to take steps forward in the way that they see you, right, I love the I want to be the sort of person my dog sees me as it's like, it's like that with a coach, I want to be the sort of person that my coach sees me as. And that's, I think one of the main benefits of that relationship.

Shannin Williams  17:33  
That's very true. Because, you know, you never told me I couldn't do it. You always asked me what is your WHY remember your why what is your WHY I remember explaining that so many times, what is your why? And I can recall that why being I did not want to do this stressful job anymore. And not. I wasn't I wasn't valuing who I was anymore. As an interior designer, as a professional. And I didn't know that until you keep asking me my why. And when I reinforced my why, which was to get out of this job that wasn't fulfilling me anymore. And that happens to all of us, we all have that problem. And we all have that issue. And it's okay. It's your choice to stay there and deal with it or pivot, I chose to pivot. Because my wife was to do better. My wife was to be able to offer something better to people that appreciated it. And I just remember coming. I remember so many of our coaching calls were, do you know, they said, Do your like, and why is this a problem for you? Like, ah, that's such a killer sometimes, because I just get so serious, you know, but then you're like, why is this a problem for you? In that particular question conned me and made me think about my thoughts. And then of course, we go through the thoughts we go through the situation. And really, it wasn't my problem. In the long run. It wasn't not that it was my problem.

Erin Aquin  19:08  
Yeah, yeah. I mean, most of us are trained from such a young age to like value the opinions and especially the negative ones of other people about ourselves and not actually look at our feel into our own internal compass. And you know, you have, you're one of those people who has a really strong, very accurate, that sense about things. And I'll just tell you, it's always very easy to coach you because all we have to do is figure out what your God is trying to tell you.

Shannin Williams  19:45  
I've learned that too. And I think probably the, the best thing that I learned from it was that and I think a lot of people are misguided about this. It's not a life coach. It's not a therapist. I'm not gonna tell you what Do Yeah. You never told me what to do. But then you would like stop the record and say, Okay, this is not coaching, but I'm gonna give you an example of my situation, or my life. And I knew how to translate that. And I'm like, oh, here comes there and bring it on, you know, those are the best moments for me, because I learn from other people's examples. But what I also learned was that I didn't have to follow other people's examples. I can listen to them, and say, Hey, is that a checkmark for me? Maybe? Think about that one, or yes, I'm doing this, or no, that's not for me at all. I think I've gone all three ways. Yeah. In life and in business.

Erin Aquin  20:41  
Yeah. And that, I mean, that's really what so many people talk about, like self trust, self trust, how do you develop self trust, but it's actually internalizing the information that you get and seeing if it's a checkmark for you or not? Yeah, are for something to think about our physician? Absolutely. No, even the times when it's an absolute? No, it's like, that does not resonate with me at all. It's like, great. Now we're one step closer to finding out what does. Yeah. And I think for business people, it's, it's tough, because there's so many people out there who have businesses that are successful, and then they think, Well, I have the playbook for how to do a successful business. And they're very confident in their process and their methodology and how they do things. And they go and teach that, like, it's the capital T truth of the universe. But the tricky thing is, as an entrepreneur, you really have to find out what your reasons for doing what you're doing are, what you're so good at, you know, you've you are so connected to your people to your vision to who you want to help to how you're going to do it. But that has to have that has to be the leader that has to be the CEO.

Shannin Williams  21:53  
Yeah, that's very true. That's very true. And speaking of CEO, I mean, I think you've reinforced that a lot, a lot throughout the years. Now that you're a CEO, Shaman, you are allowed to make this decision. And you are allowed to make this as your choice now. And that's scary at times. That was scary. And it's still scary. Um, because when I fear, I mean, just like you told me the other day, you know, I fear X amount of people coming in. And when I have so many people coming in, I have to have more help and a fear that I won't be able to have this help or pay for this help and, and you're like, Well, this is what we did in our business. But this is your decision. And this is your choice. And as a CEO, I have to make that decision. All by my little self. That's for sure.

Steve Haase  22:50  
I want to know how your self concept has evolved from when you were a state employee to being the CEO

Erin Aquin  23:00  
of a very successful business, she has not bragged at all, but her business is huge and awesome, and just keeps getting bigger and bigger. And you're like, ah, but you know, you you're on track to hit a very big milestone this year.

Shannin Williams  23:14  
Yeah. And, and I'm very proud of that. And I have to add, like add problems. I guess I talk about you all the time, because like I said, the other day, during my pitch, somebody said, Who's your go to like, I must talk about her a lot. I guess I do. And then Rob said, You really do. Okay. So, um, but my self concept has changed from I'm having a thought to this could be a detrimental thought to me, which could be my result in life that I betray? Or can I change my thought and reframe my thought to this doesn't why is this a problem for me that all day this question, why is this a problem, why I'm making this a problem. And that concept, self concept has transitioned me into a better person, a better professional, a better person to be around because it's just constant stress, dress dress dress, because that's the honor badge of owners live.

Steve Haase  24:19  
So it sounds like your big shift has gone from believing everything you're thinking to questioning what you're thinking to being more intentional about what you're thinking.

Shannin Williams  24:28  
Absolutely. I mean, again, I asked, you know, when I have a thought, I'm asking myself, well, what, what's making me believe this what's what's triggering me to believe this particular thought? And when I asked myself that and sit down and coach myself through it, why not thoughts down and then go through the whole process of coaching myself? It has nothing to do with me. It's just my brain, saying, Hey, over here, I want to put you back in this box not only back in The box. And God if everybody has that in their life to understand that concept to be able to coach themselves through this, what a fantastic world we live in.

Steve Haase  25:15  
The status quo is such a strong poll. Like what once you become an adult, you sort of have your box. Yeah. And then to peek out of it, and then to live outside of it. And then to grow within that is, I think that's one of the most exciting journeys that there is. And it's, it's been amazing to watch you do that. And it's cool to hear the process that you've had to go through to stay outside of that box, despite the voices that are saying, come on back.

Shannin Williams  25:46  
The safeties. Yeah, and you know, those voices come back every day. And I've learned that too. It's, you know, just because you have a life coach that can help you once a week through your thoughts, doesn't mean that the thoughts not going to come back. It's coming back get, but what you can do is be prepared for it. And fear not, it's going to happen again. And it's going to be a bigger thought, or a worse thought, or a more detrimental thought. In my case. That's what it was for me. And I mean, they're not like bad balls, but they're just like, Oh, my God, the world's gonna burn down all those every penny I've ever made, or, you know, I'm gonna fail, or I'm not gonna say this, right? Or I'm not gonna do this, right? Sure. Or that's gonna happen. We now know how to counteract that if it does happen. And I think another famous thing, you've asked me, What's the worst that could happen? When I have the thought of, you know, I didn't make this much in my launch that I wanted to make. Well, what are what if I don't? I mean, just the other day? What about?

Erin Aquin  26:51  
Because that's never happened? Has that ever happened? I don't think you've ever not major. No, no, I'm

Shannin Williams  26:58  
like, what happens is, you know, I put all of this time into this, and then I don't make anything off of my Lodge. And you're like, oh, it's the worst thing can happen. And like, I don't know, you know, it's not quite that bad when you started naming it. It's just a loss of time. Okay. You always learn something from it. So it's not that it's not the end of the world, like, nobody's gonna kill me.

Erin Aquin  27:21  
That's the golden thing, right there. Yeah. Is that if you if you're, if you've tuned your brain to say, I'm always going to learn from it. Yeah, there's something to be learned here. That's like my, one of my favorite things to ask myself when something doesn't go the way I want it to? is, what's the $10,000 learning? Or the $100,000? Learning? What did we learn? It's worth $100,000 Here, for the business for ourselves personally, if you are tuned to that, as a business owner, you're always seeing value in in every experience, you're seeing like, Okay, we weren't prepared for, you know, if we weren't prepared for 500 new people to come in. If that's the worst that can happen for the next launch. Well, how can we be prepared?

Shannin Williams 28:13  
And it's, you know, and that's a very good point, too, because I wasn't prepared for that. wasn't prepared for more than 500 to come in. But what I did do was take the next action, and hire help. Yeah, because you know, I'm a huge, strong person, I can do it all by myself.

Erin Aquin  28:31  
Oh, yeah. That's what Yeah, entrepreneurs.

Shannin Williams  28:35  
Yeah, no, no work that way. And even just the hustle, love the back end part. Gosh, you've coached me and Kristin through both of that. And I've had to turn around and coach Preussen through it as well. And she's learning and she's really big, similar now. So she's learning to I am learning a better way to coach her through these situations, like because there was a lot of things she just didn't know what to say. I'm like, Well, that's easy. Let's just say this and see if it works. And if it doesn't work, then we'll drawers on the nose. And

Steve Haase  29:12  
so Shannin, as part of your journey, you actually became a coach, in addition to becoming a CEO of your company. I want some busy, very lazy. What has been some of the benefit to you of being a coach and an executive being a coach and a leader?

Shannin Williams  29:35  
I think the benefit for me was to see what a true life coach really is a thought I knew going through self coaching scholars thought I had it. Oh, no, that was just the tip of the iceberg. So when I went to the life coach certification, I understood about the techniques that you use to help coach yourself and coach somebody else. And that was very interesting to me. You know, when I asked you, Erin, should I go through this, I don't want to coach people on their problems I have enough money to deal with. I am going through it to help my people just make the mark on the paper. Because there was a very long period of time, people were scared to put the mark on the paper. That was a big deal. Yeah, they were gonna mess up the paper, they were gonna mess up their pin, and they just wouldn't start. So I didn't know how to come. My theory, my motto, people hear me say it now my members just make the damn mark. It's okay. But that's not a coaching. That's not telling them how to do it. That's

Erin Aquin  30:41  
for some people, it totally works fine. But not for everybody. Right? But

Shannin Williams  30:46  
what I learned was, it wasn't about just making the damn mark. That's that's the massive action that you take. It's what you do afterwards. When you make the Mark, do you make two marks? Do you make three marks? Do you keep going? But do you

Erin Aquin  31:01  
tell yourself about the marks you're making by story you craft about how long it took you to make the marks and how the marks look on the paper. That's it right there.

Shannin Williams  31:11  
And that's why I went through the life coaches goal was to learn that part of it. And now, so successful in our last launch, I make them make a promise to me when we start, you cannot judge your work. That's not your position, or my position or anybody else's position, for that matter to judge your work. You must complete that sketch. And you must post it so I can see it. And that was in when they do post it. They can't post what microblog, they have to post their wins. They have to tell me what they like. And if they post it, and they say, in the community, and they say, What's this frustrating? Milan isn't straight? I mean, my first reaction I can feel it is, but what do you like about it? First? Let's talk about that first. And then let's talk about what we can help you with to get you past that. But I've taught them to learn to talk to better to themselves. Yeah. Without the certification.

Steve Haase  32:16  
It sounds like coaching is helping you create a culture among your students that will be conducive to your work actually taking taking off in their lives in their practice.

Shannin Williams  32:30  
Yeah, because they now believe in themselves. They believe that they can finish a sketch, they even tell me, I keep hearing her say just finish it, just finish it, just finish it. And then not like anything about it, but they will post it with a weird. That's all we need. It's it's true, right?

Erin Aquin  32:49  
Like the human brain is so tuned to, for survival, to see mistakes and see problems and all of the thing, things, but at this at this level, with their work. You're teaching them like how to also appreciate and have fun and see the progress, which I think most humans who do not have coaches don't have someone who's there to do that. So I just think it's a huge gift that you're giving your community in addition to all of the amazing skills that you're teaching. For everybody listening Shannin's Instagram, you will see what I'm talking about when I talk about her talent and all of her students that have these amazing transformations like in your your three day class, people who are like I can't draw a line go from that to something that looks like a real piece of furniture, or real room like just beautiful, beautiful things that happen with a few hours of devoted time, attention and committing to themselves.

Shannin Williams  33:57  
Yeah, and that is, that is something I'm very proud of, because we have seen leaps and bounds, especially with this group that just went through. They're in the mini workshop. They're doing professional illustrations now, through a sketch that took on maybe 30 minutes. that's mind blowing to me. When they posted in the community when we see it. I only wish sometimes we could record my reaction. You should be good

Erin Aquin  34:31  
advice side of

Shannin Williams  34:33  
your site. And then of course, by the time I start typing it, it never comes out the way that I see it. It does but it's it's such an indirect reaction to what my first reaction was. So we had some phenomenal, phenomenal people come through this time bomb to creatives and it's making, it's making this skill a lot funner to teach It's not that I didn't like it, but they're hungry. And boy, you know, I want somebody hungry for that skill. So I think that's what's they feel me in a lot of ways. And being able to have that coaching aspect to coach them indirectly through a post or through a voice message or through a video could be a pivotal change for them. And I hope that it is in some some aspect, because they all take the it's not criticism. It's feedback, and they all take it very positive.

Steve Haase  35:31  
Because delivering positive feedback, oh, my gosh,

Shannin Williams  35:35  
I have to watch myself sometimes when when I coach my people on that, because I believe beyond what they believe in themselves. So I'm like, No, you don't need to do this. You didn't do this, or and then I have to stop and think no, what would Erin say? So then I'm like, let me back down from that. Let me go back and say, well, Erin would say, was this a problem for you? Or what is this? Tell me more about the struggle that you're having with this crooked line? And why is this crooked line so important for you to not have? So I'm asking the questions instead of telling them the answer. Yeah. And you know, what, half the time, they don't even reply to the post. And tell me, right there perfect. Makes sense. got it going on. You've moved on to the next one.

Erin Aquin  36:25  
Yeah. So it's the questions, because the questions so much of the time, right, like, I mean, you know this because you're a coach, but with, with our, with our clients, your students, we know that the narrative inside of people's brains is not always very kind. And when you can take a harsh, I think this is I'm an I'm telling, but I think this feedback. I think the secret to giving that kind of feedback that lands so well with people is that you don't give their harsh self criticism airtime. You find out what the source is and why they have it. And then offer another way of thinking about it like yeah, like one of the things you know, I've heard you talk about things like lines. It's like, yeah, you have to make 100 lines you want you want a straight line, guess how many times you have to make a crooked line? What a lot of times, so the more crooked lines, the better. Because we're getting straight lines.

Shannin Williams  37:26  
Yeah. And elected, you just said to about not getting that negative feedback, or that negative felt the airtime I just literally pass right over it and go beyond 202 a question that's hopefully making them fake by reading it.

Erin Aquin  37:43  
Yeah. Like if my coach is asking me, why is this a problem for you? What are you struggling with about this line? Without Jaren being jarring at all? It offers the possibility that maybe it's not a problem.

Steve Haase  37:59  
I think there's real power in letting somebody come to their own conclusion, even if their conclusion are the exact same words that you're going to tell them? You know, you say, why is this a problem? They say, Oh, it's not a problem. When they say it's not a problem, it's going to feel very different than if you say it's not a problem. Because I already know it's

Erin Aquin  38:20  
not a problem. But I can't tell you that you can't tell them that because your work looks perfect in their eyes, right?

Steve Haase  38:26  
And I think by asking that question, it silences the voice of negative self criticism, because it's not even, it's not even inviting that voice to the table, it's actually just asking a question. And so then it allows room for the part of them that does want to succeed, and that does want to see themselves as being competent, and capable. Like it just opens that door.

Shannin Williams  38:50  
So good, so good. And hopefully that's where it brings them. And you know, you're always in the process of learning new questions to ask or the best question to fit their, their struggle, or even sometimes their hustle. Sometimes it's not even a struggle. It's Oh my god, I did this and I can't believe I did. This will hunting up Neither can I. But we are so proud of this, you know, and we've reinforced that a lot of confidence in in them taking the leap, taking the bound, taking, and they're serious about it too. So

Erin Aquin  39:25  
it's fun, and nobody loves their students more than you. And I like I think that that is part of the secret to your success. And if you're willing, I would love to just maybe just hear like, what advice do you have for entrepreneurs who are just feeling a little stuck right now?

Shannin Williams  39:45  
Well, I'm gonna give you the same advice that was given to me. And I have said this from the day I heard it, get yourself a life coach, whoever it is, whatever it may be, get yourself a coach. There is a point to where you can run a business on your own. I did it for three or four years by myself. And that was fine doing it wasn't about sponsoring, but it was making it happen. When I got you as my life coach, things started to shift, things started to grow in ways that I didn't know a business could grow. And you know how you were talking about, you know, as an entrepreneur, we all think that the way that we're doing it is the right way, well, I learned that the way that I'm doing it may not be the right way. What if there is a better way out there for me to do it. And I think you just said something the other day, I'm gonna tell you all the secrets of my business. I'm like, Oh, my God, I'm only yours. Let me hit record. Because those are things that you may do in your business that I may need to implement one day. So you can read books, you can listen to the way other people, I'm constantly listening to the way somebody else does business, to find a better way to automate your business to make it easier, and then oh, and then there's this thing called self care, then I just wanted about like, what, six, seven months ago, because I'm so used to being in the hustle and the struggle, and the stress of the business. And then you kept telling me, You're the CEO, you don't need to answer this email. This is somebody else's job. And of course, my mind kept going back to I can afford that person. Well, that was BS, you know, we call BS on our brain because that wasn't true. And then, when I heart person, full time, you kept telling me, she's worth every penny that you pay her. She's worth answering those and she is my god she is, she's worth every email, she's worth every kind word, she says, Just makes everybody feel so much better. And some of them, we can't make them happy. And that's okay, we still do our best if she does her best. But don't feel like you have to do it alone, you can tap into podcast, like I did. When you get enough money, tap into another resource to reinvest into yourself. During one of my launches, I was super stressed. And I remember you kept telling me, Steve takes care of everything. I take care of my energy. And that took me a little bit to get used to. And now it's it's me trying to focus on that energy, taking care of myself during those stressful launches, keeping my energy up. And that worked like a champ in the last launch. I take it I know I bet on that peloton every day I was like, I can't get on this peloton every day and that'd be my Golden Pill without taking a pill that I'm gonna do it. And so that was helpful. But every time I would want to go back to the ins and outs of the business, I kept hearing you in my head saying, No, keep the energy up. Keep gotta keep the energy up. And I was not doing self care about eating healthy with self care. Oh, no, there's so much more to it than that. There's also meditation that I haven't quite tapped into yet.

Erin Aquin  43:23  
It's our next thing. We'll do it all right.

Shannin Williams  43:24  
Yeah, don't do it alone, when you can get yourself a life coach, and tap into every resource possible for that. And I'm excited because I jumped up out of the bed. I don't know what two weeks ago a week ago. I think it was two o'clock in the morning. And I jumped up out of the van. I'm like, everybody's gonna be a life coach. everybody on my team is gonna be alive. Go. Yeah. So I text Kirsten. And Erica was like, Hey, would you be interested in being a life coach like Steve and Erin are doing their life coach certification? Which I don't want to do it? And that? Yes, I mean, they didn't reply to them, you know that next

Erin Aquin  44:09  
morning, they didn't text you back at two in the morning, team, no. Fan and your whole team is gonna our certification, which we are so excited about.

Shannin Williams  44:20  
I know. And then I'm like, Rob, do you want to do this with us? Obviously, my company will pay for it. And I don't care. You're gonna do this with us. So we are all excited to go through this, this certification but I am even more excited because I know how you coach and other be coached and to learn your techniques that you've taught me to be able to spread that to my people, and then my team and my family get to do it too. We should be a smooth Rodan family before it's all over with.

Steve Haase  44:51  
Oh, yeah. Or at least able to handle the bumps that are always

Erin Aquin  44:57  
Yeah, because this is an I mean, this is the really the thing Inglis is sort of our businesses next next phase that we're entering is we realized that all of our clients get the benefit of coaching. But if they don't have a way of turning around and teaching those tools to their own clients, to their own teams, we're just we're missing like a such an important step. So we are very excited that your whole team is doing our certifications well, and just so proud of the progress that you've made, I get to be, I always say that, you know, I used to be in the music industry. And I was a tour manager, and I got to like, sit backstage and watch the talent, do their thing, and just wow, the crowds. And I feel exactly that same way, when I'm working with you.

Shannin Williams  45:45  
That's awesome. Well, I mean, the encouragement, or not necessarily the encouragement, you've given me encouragement, but the belief you keep telling me, you know, you're so famous. You're both so? Yeah, don't worry about that. And then Rob's over here, you're so famous. I'm like, what you're saying that it's not about, you know, for me, it's not about the famous it's not about any of that, to me, it's about it's about somebody taking my class and then getting success.

Erin Aquin  46:12  
Yeah. And that's why you're famous, because people feel your love. They feel your care, they feel how much you want it for them. And, you know, I'll just offer you the same very kind words that you offered me, you are the person that's the belief holder, or for people who aren't sure that they can do it. It's so easy to like, I never have to try to believe in you. Because I just look at your your metrics, I look at what's happening. Like it's, it's not a jump. It's very easy. When, when I come in from sessions, and Steve's like, oh, how was your coaching session? I'm like, she's amazing. I can't tell you anything else. She's just amazing. She's taken over the world of

Shannin Williams  46:54  
interior design. Yeah. And it's like, you know, when I come from my coaching session with the unlike fixed books, rather than next one, that's kind of what's coming up next week, let's see if we can, you know, fix that one for the week, you know, and when I don't go without those sessions, which you need to fulfill your energy and your time, and I have learned to, well, I never not respected it. But I've learned to try to respect that for myself. There are times that I'm forced to coach myself, and that's not a bad thing.

Erin Aquin  47:25  
Not a bad thing.

Shannin Williams  47:26  
That's a good thing. That's every day now, every day, there's not a morning that goes by that I don't coach myself, good or bad. or indifferent. It could be all three, you know? And I think that that's, you know, like we've told you before, there's not a yes or no or right answer. It's the answer. That's going to be the one that you choose. And, and that's another thing, too, is just learning to make decisions. Wow. I mean, making the decision to implement this or do this or do this or do this I remember, when I was struggling during that job that was so unfulfilling and saying, Erin, I want to buy a car, travel across the United States and move to the beach. And you're like, Well, okay, well, what's what's Why aren't you doing this? What is? What can we do to get you there? Like one Oh, no, what about can't afford it? You know, and on and on and on. And? And then here I am. I did exactly that

Erin Aquin  48:23  
speech from your window, right? Yes. And is it? Is it

Shannin Williams  48:27  
a big huge dream house? No, it's a little tiny house, which is what I like, and did I drop across the country? Yeah. And I loved it. Do that, again, love it so much. I never in a million years would have been at the school, I would show people that that dream. And they were like, are you crazy? Probably, but I'm doing it. And then when I told them I was leaving, they were like, Oh, wait, what are you gonna go do? Well, I'm gonna go to Miami. I'm gonna go to the Keys and Key heart for a little while, and then I'll come back home. And what were you doing? I couldn't have not done that. Without the life coaching. There's no way I could have done that. And I don't think that I could have brought myself to ever believe in that high on or have the confidence that hide to do that. So reinforcing the, your CEO, you can make this decision you can do this. And this is why and what is your why and this is your why. And let's let's coach on that today. And that is what I think got me there.

Erin Aquin  49:32  
The only thing that's ever between us and the next lantern is some static and some challenges and decisions that need to be made some steps that need to be taken. That is really it. And I you know, that's that's why we always have a coach. We always have our own coaches because you sometimes need to be in a space with someone who can hold that belief for you because they know Yeah, you want to To buy a new car and drive around and live at the beach and make million dollars, great. What do you want to do first? How do you how do you want it? what path do you want to take to it? Let's do it.

Shannin Williams  50:13  
Right? Faster. Everybody could get yourself a coach or be a coach.

Steve Haase  50:18  
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Shannin. So inspiring. And we're grateful for being able to be part of that story.

Shannin Williams  50:27  
Yeah, I'm grateful to have no idea and, you know, relationships. You were gonna coach me on relationships. I think we did that twice. Because they all just worked out. Yeah, we saw that.

Erin Aquin  50:37  
So that's why don't do that.

Steve Haase  50:38  
About living according to your vision and bigger purpose in life kind of smooths out a lot of the things you attract.

Erin Aquin  50:44  
You attract different people, right? Yeah, that

Shannin Williams 50:48  
works. Yes, yes. But thank you both. For everything that you have taught me. I'm so glad that my family gets to be taught the same thing by two wonderful coaches. That coach for life coach for life. Never let you go. I say that all the time. Never let it go. Never let her go.

Erin Aquin  51:06  
You got me. I'm yours. Sorry, Steve.

Unknown Speaker  51:11  
Davis, and I'm still gonna have Erin.

Steve Haase  51:15  
So Shannin, where can people find you if they want to become hand rendering experts under your tutelage?

Shannin Williams  51:22  
Yeah, you can find me and my website at WWW dot Shannon williams.com. That's SHA in by Ian williams.com Or you can find me on Instagram at Shannon underscore Williams. Amazing.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai