I first came up with the hashtag #JustShowUP about ten years ago.

Learning what Just ShowUP means at each stage of your journey will look different.

I know mine has. My ego tells me it’s taken too long, my higher self tells me it’s taken exactly as long as it’s supposed to take.

Talk about freedom.

Years ago, when I was in a mastermind, a woman was just about done writing a book when her computer crashed. She didn’t have a backup of her book.

Her response?

“It was supposed to happen. How do I know it was supposed to happen? Because it did.”

HOLY MOLY.

That’s a level of zen I hope to achieve (but I can guarantee you my initial reaction would have been as far from zen as you could imagine… and hopefully, I will always have a backup).

I’m a little in awe that after all this time doing this. I’ve stepped into something that has me as nervous and excited as I was the day I started.

Don’t get me wrong, plenty of projects over the last 14+ years have kept me excited and motivated, but this is more than a project.

It’s a calling.

A calling to Just ShowUP in a WHOLE new way.

Creating a Movement

When I first came up with FtheHUSTLE, it was out of frustration.

Now it’s a passion and an obsession.

Hustle and grind were being glorified by every male entrepreneur I was following. At the time, I felt like this was how I was supposed to build a business.

Then it hit me…

Most of the men preaching this had partners at home taking care of everything else in their life, or they were twenty-somethings with no responsibility to anyone but themselves.

Piss off.

At the time, I felt super defensive. I was a widowed mother with two young kids at home. I literally could not work harder than I was working.

I was constantly feeling like I had to justify what I was or wasn’t doing.

It was exhausting.

Not to mention, I wanted a quality of life too.

I’m all about doing the work. Focusing on mastery, shipping, hitting publish, and showing up. But fuck me if I’m going to do it the way anyone else preaches or expects anymore.

In many ways, the toxic mentality of hustle and grind has become a new version of bullshit corporate America expects from you. But guess what?

This is worse.

Because YOU’VE created it.

You set out to create something you love that would give you freedom and quality of life. But instead, you’ve created something that makes you question what you’re doing.

At the same time, realizing that you’ve created this is also the moment you gain freedom.

Because if you’ve created THIS… you can create something different.

Enjoying your life today does NOT mean you don’t want it bad enough.

It doesn’t mean you’re not committed or hungry enough.

No one gets to decide what matters to you except YOU.

<END RANT>

As much as #FtheHUSTLE is a clear statement, it’s not really about being ‘against’ the hustle as much as it’s FOR what works for you.

What YOU want.

How I’m creating my movement

At the risk of sounding trite, I’m creating it one step at a time.

The first step is showing up fully with this message. I’ve been using #FtheHUSTLE for a while now (the newsletter is almost two years old, woohoo!), but it was more a part of my business than the business model.

I’m figuring out the frameworks for using #FtheHUSTLE to create and grow a business you love while enjoying every freaking moment of your life.

It’s time to challenge the narrative.

I swear I feel like I’ve “woken up” to this idea over this past year.

I started looking at all the models in business, society, and government, and it finally hit me that they’ve all been created by one group of people.

Men.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not here to bash men (I love men), but it’s a piss poor representation of how things should be.

We have data and facts on things that work because that’s what’s been studied.

Take Brené Brown as an example (I adore her).

Why do you think her very first TED talk on vulnerability blew up?

It was a NEW message. A message people were ready to hear.

Suffice it to say, she’s done O.K., wouldn’t you say?

What Showing Up here looks like

Let’s get into the tangible of what this looks like.

I shared in my last podcast episode that I plan to move everything I do online into ClickFunnels 2.0 when it’s released in October (Oct. 4th, to be exact).

This is no small undertaking, and I expect it to be a process that takes me through the end of the year.

I have plenty of work to prepare for that move and went into much more detail in the last episode.

While preparing to make that move, my main priority is creation.

I had my first call with my TikTok coach last week and have a beginning plan for growing that channel. I’ve also hired someone to pull video clips from podcast interviews that support this message that I can repurpose on TikTok.

Showing up on TikTok (which I’ll repurpose for shorts and reels) was a conscious decision. My initial interest was because of how well it’s working (I know, duh).

However, that’s not the only reason.

When I look back at times, I’ve shown up in business, and what worked was always when I put more of myself out there.

Launching my podcast was the first game changer because I showed up genuinely and authentically as myself. The people that resonated with the podcast are my ideal clients and customers.

Showing up, connecting, and engaging is who I am.

It suits my personality.

It fuels me.

I realized it was time to stop listening to anyone who had an opinion about not doing another thing.

I LOVE DOING ALL THE THINGS!

O.K., that’s not totally true (hence hiring people to help with a LOT of the things).

What if we also looked at what brings us joy as marketing?

In a session with my therapist yesterday, I realized I have this way of disempowering myself when I talk about my strengths.

I have no doubt much of this comes from societal programming and being raised Catholic (#sorrynotsorry).

We’re supposed to be modest, humble, and not brag.

Again… fuck that.

I know who I am and what my intentions are. It’s time to claim it.

Let’s get back to the creation part I mentioned earlier.

#FtheHUSTLE Content

The #FtheHUSTLE content consists of content on the site, social, and programs.

Here’s where I’m at right now:

• Newsletter
• Podcast
• Social profiles (making sure banners & messaging match)

Here’s what I’m working on:

• New opt-in: an email course that is an experience (more on that later)
• Initial group coaching (starting in September)
• VIDEO! Creating video content that supports this message and drives traffic

Hiring help

Throughout the years, I’ve worked with plenty of contractors. It’s been a long time since I’ve had people that were part of my day-to-day operations.

There’s no way I can grow this by myself, at least not the way I want to.

My daughter is my partner on INKED Email (which you can check out here if you need some help with writing) and will also work with me on #FtheHUSTLE. She’s kind of wearing many hats right now, and we need to clarify what that looks like for both of us (we’re getting there).

The other positions are:

• Video Editor
• Writer (repurpose my content into Twitter threads, Linkedin Posts, tweets)
• VA
• Graphics (probably after the first of the year)

I’ve already started working with a video editor and writer.

My sweet spot with content is long-form content and showing up as myself (podcast, video). I’d much rather have someone take what I’ve already created and pull short-form content that I can then go and schedule for social platforms.

Creating the Frameworks for #FtheHUSTLE

Last fall, when I was working with a coach (the brilliant Maritza Parra), I created an entire model for #FtheHUSTLE that would be in a monthly membership.

The closer I got to launch the monthly membership, the more I realized I didn’t want to do a monthly membership.

My friends tell me that I tend to be too generous with my time and energy when teaching, doing group programs, etc. I’m still working on what those boundaries look like and felt in my gut that the time involved was not worth the ROI.

I have everything I worked on last summer with Maritza and will use it moving forward.

So even though I didn’t launch the membership, the work I did with her was invaluable.

The M.I.S.S. method

This came to me last week when I was listening to an audiobook.

I loved that the letters represent my method. Still, at first, I wasn’t digging that it spelled “MISS”… however, there’s going to be a little copy magic that happens as I dig into this and remind people that building a business that supports what THEY want prevents them from “missing” out on the moments that matter (see what I did there? Bear with me, it’s a work in progress. 

).

Here’s what the M.I.S.S. method is:

Mindset: EVERYTHING starts here. Learning to manage your thoughts, create new beliefs, and implement a practice for mindset is required to create what you want.

Intention: I’m doubling down on this one. Setting intentions and following the inspiration (with some structure) is at the core of #FtheHUSTLE. It’s about becoming.

Strategy: Working from inspiration and intention doesn’t mean you work without a plan. It simply means you’re in charge of the plan. Creating a strategy for what you want is your map.

Systems: This is also a position I’ll be hiring for. If you’ve ever done the DISC personality test, this is where I score the lowest. Creating and managing systems isn’t my strength. Sticking with a routine and paying attention is doable (and exciting). You can’t grow if you don’t know what’s working.

This is one framework for #FtheHUSTLE.

I have an entire “Hero’s Journey” and success stages mapped out that will be the basis for creating or growing a business based on #FtheHUSTLE.

And this is only the beginning.

What’s Coming

I mentioned a while ago that I will host my first #FtheHUSTLE LIVE event in Costa Rica during the first quarter of 2023.

That will be the first of many. 

I’ve also reached out to a friend who is a book coach to help me write my first book (which, of course, will be called #FtheHUSTLE. No idea on the tagline yet, but the book won’t be traditional. You can expect doodles, drawings, business, life stories, and whatever else shows itself).

Like, I said, I’m creating a movement.

I’m on a mission to create more joy, ease, and abundance on the planet. I’m completely open to how this all unfolds.

Am I nervous? Abso-freaking-lutely.

Part of the homework I had to do for TikTok (my coach has a course) was to research competitors. As I was doing this, I had two thoughts:

• If they can do this, I can do this
• Yea but… hasn’t everything already been said?

This led to a conversation with my therapist, who helped me reframe everything (I think we may have to have a conversation on the podcast if she’s up for it).

Am I comfortable with the reframe? Sorta kinda.

But I know the more I do it, the more comfortable it will become.

Here’s my challenge to you:

Think of 5 people you would consider competition or someone doing something similar to what you want to do.

Then really take a step back, put your best Spock hat on (as in Spock from Star Trek, who only looked at the facts, no emotions) and look at what they’re doing.

• At one time, they were just starting.
• Do they have a proprietary system, process, framework, or ‘thing’ that they’ve created? If so, what qualified them to do it?
• Do they have special qualifications that make them the only person capable of what they’ve done?

It hit me like a ton of bricks as I listened to that audiobook that she was no more qualified than I am.

She simply chose to show up.

Be uniquely who she is, share her message with the world, and serve as many people as possible.

That’s what I’m going to do.

And I hope you join me on this journey.

Let’s do this.