The story of how Amber de la Garza came to be a guest on this podcast is not the typical one.  It started over 3 years ago at Podcast Movement 2019.  I was a listener to her popular productivity podcast, Productivity Straight Talk, and recognized her at the conference.  Even though I did not have a podcast at the time, I approached her, introduced myself, and pitched her on the spot.   

Amber has branded herself 'The Productivity Specialist", so you know she is intentional with her time.  She graciously accepted my pitch, on this condition: "Launch your podcast, get to 100 episodes, and then, I will be your guest."   Well, I've never been one to shy away from a challenge from someone I respect, so this interview, in episode #140, is the fulfillment of Amber's promise.  It's also a great lesson for those who need challenge and accountability to kick their motivation into gear. 

Amber De La Garza is a sought-after speaker, trainer, writer, coach, and creator of The Leverage Lab, who helps entrepreneurs and small business owners learn to manage their time and build effective business systems.  She is the host of the Productivity Straight Talk podcast, wife, mom, dog mom, and calls Las Vegas home. 

"The skill set of learning to invest your most precious resource, which is time, was incredibly valuable. The idea and identity of The Productivity Specialist was born."

In this episode, Amber shares how her past career and life-changing events led her to focus on helping small business owners with their productivity, which leads to the concept of being the bottleneck in one's business, why it can be difficult to recognize, and why it tends to be a recurring pattern. 

You will learn the following:

1. What is the skill set of learning to invest your most precious resource, time?

2. What would happen if a business owner becomes the bottleneck in their business?

3. What life lessons can be gleaned from making difficult decisions about how to manage time and invest in team members?

How to connect with Amber:

Website: https://amberdelagarza.com/

Podcast: https://amberdelagarza.com/podcast/

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberdelagarza/

Free time management mini-training: https://amberdelagarza.com/training/tbyt/

Other episodes on productivity & getting out of your own way in your business: 

Episode #137 The Hidden Reasons You Aren't Reaching Your Goals - https://bit.ly/3HuTsG5 

Episode # 99 How to Create a Distraction-Free Business - https://bit.ly/36gQmW9

Episode # 85 Setting Boundaries Like a Boss - https://bit.ly/3e3rCAR

Is this the year you commit to eliminating the obstacles in your business that are holding you back?  

I have a few spots open NOW to work with me 1:1 through the 12-week Boss Up Breakthrough framework.  The first step is scheduling a free, 30-minute goodness-of-fit call by clicking here:  https://bit.ly/3qrJ9YQ

Connect with me: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diannwingertcoaching/

Website: https://www.diannwingertcoaching.com/

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating here: 

https://kite.link/https-www-diannwingertcoaching-com-podcast

Chapter Summaries:

[00:00:01]

Today's guest is Amber de la Garza, the productivity specialist. The two accidentally bumped into each other in 2019 at Podcast Movement. She's been a guest on her podcast, and now she is now a guest on mine. I have so many questions for you.

[00:01:32]

In her past life, she did business coaching for real estate agents. After having her son, she started consulting. What she specialized in was productivity, efficiency, and teaching team members how to communicate effectively. There was born the productivity specialist.

[00:04:49]

This is such a great answer because I realized that moment of fascination for you. True productivity is not about getting more done, it's about getting the right things done. I also think that calling yourself the productivity specialist, I hope makes people curious.

[00:06:21]

Our topic today is about being the bottleneck in your business. Most people who are the bottleneck have no idea they are. A lot of the personality traits that most entrepreneurs have tend to make them more likely to be a bottleneck. If you can acknowledge that you're the bottleneck, you can make difficult decisions.

[00:10:38]

Lake: What happens when the business owner is the bottleneck? Why don't they recognize it? And why does it tend to become a recurring pattern? Lake: Are you letting those thoughts dictate the decisions you're making in your business?

[00:19:38]

The feeling of needing someone and depending on someone and what we make that mean, I see that as a huge bottleneck. For a lot of people, they are the face of the business. How do you handle your role and how do you still serve your clients?

[00:25:21]

Amber: If you stop listening to what it is you want, you won't build a business that supports that. For me, the last four years I have taken anywhere between eight and twelve weeks off a year. I have different goals now, and so I've tweaked my business to support that.

[00:30:28]

Sometimes the bottlenecking is happening because we actually mistrust ourselves. Is it true that you can learn to delegate? Absolutely. You don't need to have all your systems in place to hire. That little gut is telling you what might be the next priority to solve.

[00:38:15]

There's a sense of loss of identity when we let go of things. What would my new role look like? Write that job description. Two places you should be letting go of something, things that you are not good at. We are our most productive selves when we show up our best selves.

[00:41:28]

Most people spend most of their lives in their zone of excellence. Where I find people have the hardest time letting go is usually a lot of sunk cost. First, see for yourself what role you want and what you want to be doing. Ask for help on who has done that transition before.

[00:47:17]

Amber: Give yourself permission to evolve. You acknowledge that loss may be uncomfortable, but you allow it in service to your continued growth. Entrepreneurship is the biggest personal development journey we can go through. Tell people how you would like to be found by them.