Are you ready to take a deep sigh of relief? Because this episode is such a treat.
I had the opportunity to talk to Allie Casazza, blogger, author, speaker, and life minimalist. And she shared SO MUCH wisdom that I can't wait for you all to hear.
We talked about Allie's journey into entrepreneurship, and I think so many of you will relate to her feelings surrounding it, as well as what it means to declutter your life. She shares the first steps we have to take if we're trying to minimalize the distractions in our life and rewrite our life stories to align with our hopes and vision for our lives.
Allie also tells the story of how she woke up with 25k in her bank account (seriously! Turns out that rewriting your story is truly powerful). She also offers some excellent advice for new business owners looking to quiet the noise and explains what she thinks is one of the biggest things holding entrepreneurs back from reaching their fullest potential.
Pull out that face mask and those cucumber slices because this episode is like a massage for the soul!
Allie Casazza's Journey into Entrepreneurship
I think what resonates the most with Allie's story is how similar it is to my own and others in the Because I Can community. Her business and message started because of her struggles and her desire to finally solve them.
Allie was a young mom with three kids under three and just striving to make it through the day. She was a stay-at-home mom while her husband worked for a large company working his tail off and barely making ends meet. They were struggling.
On top of that, she dealt with the subconscious beliefs that an oppressive religious upbringing had imprinted on her. Beliefs like a woman's only job should be caring for a family and that women should never make too much money. She had always had entrepreneurial thoughts but didn't really understand what they were at the time.
All in all, Allie Casazza was just feeling so lost and depressed because of her circumstances. She was at a point where she knew something had to change. Allie Casazza couldn't continue existing just in survival mode. It was unfair to her, her husband, and her kids.
Amid those feelings, she looked around her and decided just to start clearing the junk from her home. This was before the Marie Kondo wave, but Allie had an instinctual feeling that if she could at least take back control in some area of her life that she would jump at the opportunity.
As she started to declutter her physical space, she noticed a shift in the rest of her life. Things became less hectic, and her kids seemed even more satisfied with the toys they had left.
She was definitely on to something…
How Allie Casazza Rewrote Her Life Story
Business is supposed to be hard. It's supposed to make us stressed and tired and too busy to do anything else, right?
At least, that's the story everyone seems to tell. Allie Casazza started noticing that the biggest influences in our lives were the stories we were telling ourselves. And there was one story that she unintentionally believed that was holding her back from the success that she rightly deserved.
She was afraid to share her wins with her dad because she was afraid it would upset him. It wasn't the plan he had for her, so surely he would be disappointed. This belief kept her from really digging into her new business.
And the crazy thing is when she finally did tell her dad the truth, he was so, so proud! So after some time praying and journaling, she was able to bust through those limiting beliefs.
Break Through Your Own Limiting Beliefs
- Identify the story you need to change
- Figure out who you would go out and tell.
- Figure out who that person or that thing is, that when you think about telling that number to, starts to make you sick inside. That's the thing that you can focus on to start breaking through that story in your head to help you to be able to move forward.
Allie Casazza's Tips For New Business Owners
Her advice is to remember that whatever is taking up your physical space is also taking up your time. You don't just buy things with dollars; you also buy them with minutes (I just love that!). If you run a business, you need your minutes more than ever. Your time is worth so much!
Be prepared to go against the grain. For some reason, people get upset when you decide to do something different, and you have to get ready for that backlash. For us, our best Christmases are the ones where we're less focused on the things we're exchanging! Maybe it will be that for your family too!
Look at how you are operating your business and look at the places where you are overcomplicating things because you feel unworthy. You don't have to offer tons of bonuses and add-ons because you are afraid to earn money with ease. You need to get comfortable with just sitting back and letting money come in and not having to break your back for it.
It might just be one of the best things you do for yourself AND your business! Remember, you are so worth it.
Top Takeaways
- Your house should serve you
- Throw stuff away and be okay with it
- Stop feeling guilty for saying no
- The stories in your head actually a lie. And those are the things that are stopping you
- Work backward to help you break the stories of the lies that are in your head. Start out by decluttering your bathroom
- Journal, pray, and sit in silence
- Take a look at the thing that you're feeling and question it. Are you overcomplicating it? Is there anything that you can do to make it less complicated?
- Talk to your customers like they're already in it
- Minimalism takes practice. You have to practice saying no, no, no. And then being okay with it.
