Transcript for Episode 001: Introduction
The Smart Better Life Podcast
Annie Bauer, opening quote:
“For entrepreneurs and business owners, this is vitally important because all of our success or lack thereof is completely dependent on us. We have to be the ones who create our reality, who create our success, and create the income and life that we want to live.”
Intro:
Welcome to the Smart, Better lLife where we talk about what it takes to think like an entrepreneur, make more money by selling from a place of service and value, and how to keep going when you feel like giving up. I hope you'll implement the lessons and strategies, subscribe, and enjoy.
Annie Bauer:
Welcome, welcome to the Smart Better Life Podcast. I'm so so glad you're here. And in today's episode, I'm going to introduce myself, I'm going to tell you what this show is for and why I created it. I'm also going to share with you why I see so many entrepreneurs not start, hit plateaus that they can't seem to grow beyond and just seem to not get the success and income that they would really, really love to have. Stick around till the end, because I'm going to share a strategy with you that you can start implementing right away to master your mind and start getting better results.
The Smart, bBetter Life has a three-fold mission. First, I want you to create a better version of you so that you can build the life income and business that you want, and that you dream about.
Next, my goal is to create a ripple effect that spreads to thousands,tens of thousands, and even more people around the world.
Once you master your mind, get out of your own way and are on your way to success, then you're empowered to help and impact more people around the world. Together, all of us can create a huge mass movement of more income lives we love and doing things that really matter.
And finally, I'm going to share my own personal business journey with you. I want you to see the everyday struggles that I have, listen in on what worked, what didn't work, and what I would change. I also want you to see that I'm no different than you. And if I can do this, you for sure can do this too. You're going to get an inside peek into all of that as you follow my journey.
You may be wondering, why is it called the Smart Better Life Podcast. It's Smart, because you're already smart. You're a smart and savvy listener. So I want to bring you methods, tools and strategies that are science and evidence based approaches that will actually work to help you get better results. I'm not going to bring you fluff and rah rah hype. Although I will inspire and motivate you, I'm just going to bring you the real stuff that really works.
It's Better because life can be challenging. And we're often not given the tools to know how to navigate the hardest parts. Sure, we can do reading, writing and arithmetic. But there's a whole world of skills to level up on that no one teaches us. And these skills are life changing. Trust me, they've changed my life, and they can change yours too. There is a way to have a Smart, Better Life. And I'm here to bring it on.
This podcast is for digital entrepreneurs. That would be for course and membership creators or anyone who wants to start a part time or full time business in the knowledge industry, coaching, teaching or leading others. Even if that doesn't sound like you, you may want to stick around because what I'm going to teach you, you can apply to all areas of your life.
So after years of coaching and being in groups with others, I discovered that the number one most important thing you can do to have success in life and business is to master your internal world. It's all about self leadership. And this begins with managing and mastering our minds: how we see ourselves, what our self identity is, and what we believe is possible for us. Most of us have a lot of limiting beliefs about what we can achieve. And a lot of us can't even see the deeply rooted beliefs and subconscious thoughts that are running the program and running our lives.
I help you uncover what's holding you back. And I teach you how to develop and create your own new thoughts and beliefs that will serve you more than from that place of new and better thoughts and a new and better concept of ourselves. We can then develop the type of behaviors and habits that will serve us and get us to the goals that we want to reach. All the best, how-to strategies, tutorials, step by steps . . . they're not going to help you a lot until you've first mastered your thoughts, your mind, your identity, and what you believe is possible for you.
For entrepreneurs and business owners, this is vitally important. Because all of our success, or lack thereof, is completely dependent on us. We have to be the ones who create our reality, who create our success, and create the income and life that we want to live. There's no boss who's out there, like mapping out what we're supposed to be doing next, or what it looks like. As entrepreneurs, we are the boss.
So you may be asking, Well, how do I know if this is what's really holding us back? Just look at the stats and the main reasons why people fall short in life and business, in their relationships and getting what they really want. It's things like self sabotage, because we're trying to protect ourselves from emotional pain we don't want to feel.
Self sabotage can look like procrastination, avoidance, perfectionism, chronic worry or rumination, self criticism, lack of self worth, lack of planning, maybe just because we haven't been given the tools.
It also looks like imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is when you feel like you're a fraud. It's tied to our identities and our self worth. And according to an article from the Harvard Business Review, 70% or more of us will experience some form of this at some point in our lives. 70%.
Even those of us who do feel really confident, will still at some point question and ask ourselves, "Am I really supposed to be here?”
Women, and particularly women of color, have the highest rates of imposter syndrome. I believe that women in particular struggle with impostor syndrome because we just don't have enough messaging and role models out there, showing us that it's totally possible for women to have a six or seven figure business or beyond, and still have a life they love, serve their families and take care of their communities.
Another factor that contributes to our inability to achieve success or get the dream life we want is our inability to set and achieve goals. Listen to this statistic from this study. The University of Scranton did a study that discovered that only 19% of people who set a goal at New Year’s had actually achieved it two years later. That means that over 80% of us aren't setting and achieving our goals. We're not making it. 82% of people want to write a book. And get this: only 1% ever actually publish a book!
Even something as simple as losing 10 to 20 pounds eludes people. And why is that? When the diet and weight loss industry is a multi billion dollar industry. All the how to’s, all the information is out there in the form of books, videos, PDFs, and most of that content is free. And yet it still eludes people.
But this is what I'm saying: The How-to is not the answer. It's the “who I am and what do I think” that's the answer. This is where it begins. This is the answer to achieving literally anything. Especially for entrepreneurs, where self leadership, self awareness, and being able to motivate oneself and not listen to the negative thoughts in our head is so important and vital for our success.
In addition, we have a society that's based on working for someone else, or turning in your work on someone else's schedule or deadlines, like your nine to five or going to school. So we just don't have the skills and the know-how to set our own deadlines and goals.
Everything about success starts with our thinking, our self concept and how we view our own identity. And from there, we build on that with habits and behaviors and tools and strategies and taking action. But the thought has to come first. We have to first believe in ourselves and know how to manage our minds in order to get the success and results we want.
Did you know that the brain has thousands of thoughts per day? Thousands. And the studies vary on the number of thoughts that we have. There's everything from 6000 per day up to 70, 80 or 90,000 per day. But the key point that I think everyone agrees on is that the vast majority of those–75 to 85%--of your thoughts every day are negative.
And that doesn't mean that you're a negative person or something's wrong with our brains. It's just because your brain is wired to keep you safe. And to keep you alive. Your brain’s wired you for survival, primarily, first and foremost, above all. And so these negative thoughts want us to play safe. But playing safe is the opposite of how we need to think to be a great entrepreneur.So you can see that this explains a lot. It explains why we show up like we do as human beings, and why we don't always get the success that we want.
According to ResearchGate, only 5-15% of people actually finish online courses that they buy. And some statistics say only 3-6%. That means that the vast majority of people–anywhere from 80 to 95% of people–aren't even finishing the courses that they buy to learn how to do something.
Roughly three and five Americans, 61%, have had an idea for starting a business. And around a third of those have had more than one idea: 34%. But an overwhelming majority of those people, 92%, didn't follow through with turning their ideas into reality. So of those people who do have a business idea, at least half of all of those that are started will be closed or gone within five years.
These statistics alarm me. And I know that there's a better way.
The way to get you to the life and goals that you want is to have a coach and a guide to help you manage your mind, your time and your beliefs so that you can get better results. And that's where I come in. I'm here to be your back office business strategist, your Chief Booty Kicker, and your mindset and performance coach so that you can get out of your own way, and live a life without limits that you truly love.
There aren't enough of us getting where we want to go. I want more digital course and membership creators like you to get started, to finish, to get across the finish line, to make the goals that you really, really dream of. To have the income, the freedom and the life that you truly, truly desire.
Not only that, I want as many people as possible to make six, seven and eight figure businesses so that you can impact the world in your unique way. The world needs change right now. And we need purpose-driven people like you bringing power and leadership for good to others. I want you to be successful, so that you can share your voice, your expertise, your guidance and your knowledge with as many people as possible.
So in case you're wondering, I'm Annie Bauer, and I'm a former fortune 500 sales person with a strong background in business and science. I've owned several businesses of my own before I founded The Smart, Better Life. And I'm a geeky nerd researcher on all things psychology, neuroscience, and human behavior. I'm crazy about online marketing and business, and I'm passionate about seeing more people become CEOs of their lives and businesses.
I've been trained or certified in multiple different programs on topics like coaching, neuroscience, online marketing, and business. In fact, I've spent the equivalent of almost an Ivy League education–well over six figures–learning everything I can so I can be an expert for you. I'm now bringing this unique package of skills, expertise, and knowledge to you.
I once was not in this place. After having years of struggles and not being able to get out of my own way, I wanted to find the answers and solutions to create my life by design, not default. And then I have gone on to live in a place where I love my emotional world, the thoughts that I have. And all I do all day long is dream of big possibilities.
After I created results in my own life, I then started sharing and coaching with students from all around the world. And they started getting great results too.
So in the coming episodes, I'm going to teach you all kinds of things. I'm going to teach you how to master your mind for success. I'll be bringing on experts in online marketing and business. We're also going to talk about why you're already enough. You already have worth, and I'm going to help you build belief in your value and what you have to give to the world.
You'll also get to listen in on conversations on why entrepreneurship is not compatible with how our brains are wired. Not at all. I'm also going to teach you how to think like a CEO, and how to avoid self sabotage, manage your fears and insecurities or worries and what to do on those days when you just feel like grabbing a bag of chips, and binge-watching Netflix or your favorite show on the couch. We're going to talk about all the thoughts, fears and worries that we have when we think about doing things like selling to people, putting our ideas out there, or being seen in the world. And oh, yes, I have a very special guest coming very soon to hop on the podcast and tell you all about online marketing.
So make sure that you hit “Follow” so that you don't miss any episodes.
So I told you at the beginning of this show that I would give you a strategy that you could start implementing right now, today, to start moving towards success and a successful way of thinking. You can train your brain to not listen to everything it offers up to you. I'm going to show you how. I'm going to show you why it's important.
to Remember earlier when I mentioned ANT’s, automatic negative thoughts, and how our brain really is operating 80% of the time with automatic negative thoughts. The thing is, most of us listen to all of those thoughts. We think those thoughts are true. We actually believe them. And if they're really deeply rooted thoughts, then they've turned into beliefs. It's just your model of the world and how you view yourself, what you truly believe. And this often is limiting, because your brain wants to keep you safe, right?
So here's what I want you to do. The next time your brain offers up some sort of negative thought, like, “You can't do this, you can't go up and talk to those people in that new group at the party that you just walked into”.
“You really shouldn't be on Tik Tok because what if someone makes fun of you, or laughs at you, or put something mean or negative in the comments?”
“And you really shouldn't try something like building a course or writing a book, or a big project.”
Your brain is going to protest. It won't want you to take those kinds of risks. And it's going to tell you things like, iIt's really not the right time right now.”
“I'm really busy.”
“I'll start this when the summer is over, and the kids are back in school.”
“I'll start it when so and so gets married, or when I have more money in the bank, or when I've bought that new dress.”
All of these things that our brain offers up for us.
And it might even sound like, “You're not really good at this.”
“You don't know what you're doing.”
“You don't know where to start.”
“What if people laugh at you?”
“What if people make fun of you?”
Does any of this sound familiar? Does it sound like something your brain might be chattering to you or some of the excuses you might be using?
And you want to believe that they're real. You want to really believe you'll have more time when the kids go back to school. But often this is just our brains' sneaky little way of keeping us from doing something that's risky. It's our brain's way of keeping it from being a priority. Because if your brain can just keep you where you are now, that's familiar. And your brain knows how to manage that. So this is what it sounds like, the thoughts in your head.
But here's the key. And here's what we've not been taught. We want to believe that all those thoughts are true, but what if they're not?
So here's what I want you to do. The next time you have a thought like that, the next time you have one today, get a piece of paper and write it down because I want you to see what your brain is doing. Write the thought down. Maybe it's something like I'm too old, or I'm too young to start this.
Or I don't know, your brain is saying, “What if you fail?” Turn that question into what the real thought is behind that: I might fail. And then just look at it without judgment. Just look at the thoughts without judgment. “I'm just curious. Why is my brain offering that up?” Ask yourself that question.
And then ask yourself the question, “Is that really true? Is it really, really true,100% true, that I couldn't start now that I might fail?” One hundred percent true. Because what if you didn't fail? What if you were at least a little successful? What if your first step was successful? What if failure is not really the point? What if it's the journey in your dreams?
So get really clear with yourself. Look at this statement and get curious without judgment and ask yourself, “What if I could choose to think something different?” Because you can. And here's the magic. If your brain created the thought–you might feel you're not ready, it's not the right time–you can go to what's called the prefrontal cortex and the front of your brain. And you can override those automatic negative thoughts, and create your own thought, and decide that that thought is going to be the roadmap for your life and the thought that you will follow.
So just look at the thought and say, Thank you brain. Thank you so much for offering up that thought to protect me. But I'm going to choose to think a better thought that serves me more. I'm going to choose to think, “Maybe I won't fail, maybe I'd be a success. Or if I practice at this, I think I could eventually get good at it. Or everyone has to start somewhere. Or there's no better time than the present. Or my kids don't need to be in school, I only need 10 or 15 minutes a day, just to get started, just to take the first few steps to research something, I could start with baby steps.”
Come up with your own thoughts and see how many that you can create. How many other thoughts? That, if you're intentionally allowing yourself to think thoughts that would serve your goal, and get you your dream, what they look like, and write those down to.
And then I want you to just see how you feel. Feel it in your body. And when you feel that new thought, how do you shift and change? How do you feel about yourself? How does it open up your mind to new possibilities to take this one exercise? That's all you need to do. And I want you to just feel how, if you choose an intentional thought, if you choose to believe something different about yourself, if you choose to redirect your brain, how you can completely alter the course of your day. Try this. And then let me know how it works.
Try to start one thing, try managing your mind just a little bit today. No judgment. Create a new thought. And see if you can create and shift a new feeling in your body that feels like you're moving towards success. And that opens you up to all that might be possible for you, your family, your life, your business and your dreams.
I'm so looking forward to spending every week with you here on the podcast. It's such a privilege to be in your ear as if we're sitting right next to each other on a couch over coffee or tea just having a conversation.
I really really want you to succeed. For entrepreneurs and business owners, this is vitally important: I want you to build that life and business that you love. And I'll be here with you every step of the way, rooting you on, believing in you, and giving you tools and strategies that will get you closer to where you want to go.
So make sure that you don't miss a single episode. Follow this podcast on your favorite platform. Just hit that plus button or that follow button. And that way you'll make sure that you get a notification in your feed every single time I drop a new episode. I am looking forward to being here with you, and I can't wait to see what the two of us can build together.
