Suzanne Chadwick
Hey, lovelies, welcome back to the podcast. I'm doing something a little bit different today. I'm just trying to you know, keep it fresh, mix it up, do things a little bit differently. So I have been pondering, yes, I've been pondering, not a word I use often. But it's such a good word. I have been pondering how ambition and ease co exist. So for anybody that knows me, I have come from a corporate background, wanting to climb the corporate ladder. When I was 26, I told the managing partner at Deloitte in London that I was coming for his job, like I've always, always been an ambitious cat. And so it's really interesting. When you get to a place in your business where the business is running, you know, well enough. And you're still ambitious. But the question is, what does that ambition look like now? And do you still take the word ambition and the meaning that you've always had for it from when you were in your 20s 30s? Whenever it was? And does it still mean the same now? So I have been doing the rounds? I've been asking questions. I did a poll on my Instagram, where a whole lot of people said, yes, they struggle with the, you know, the difference between or how ambition and ease coexist, I've dropped it in a couple of groups that I'm in, I'm going to be sharing some of the things that people have said, that have really made me think differently. And this is something that I am here for I am here for conversations that make me think differently. Somebody asked me a while ago, what do I look for in a coach. And one of the things I look for is somebody who helps me to think different somebody who creates or shares concepts with me, where I'm like, Hmm, interesting. I hadn't thought about that before. And I'm really passionate about doing that for my clients, too. Because I think that when we want to learn skills, I think that it's really easy to go to YouTube and, you know, find the information that we want. But the question is, as I learned these skills, how can I think about this in a way that works for me, this could be for you, if you're in the stage of life, where you're single, it could be when you're got young kids, it could be when you're older kids or empty nester, like the way in which we do business, I think, our lifestyle and where we are in life and the season of life that we're in. I think that we think about business in different ways. And so the question is, do we have different levels of ambition? And how that translates into what we do in our business, the things we go after? How hard we work? What's important to us what our priorities are? And how do we create ease within that ambition. Because I also think that were definitely more aware of building a business that gives us time freedom, that gives us financial freedom. And I think that when you have time freedom and financial freedom, then there's definitely more ease in your life, don't you think? And so, I just think this is a really juicy conversation, I think that everybody's going to have a very different point of view, depending on where they are in their life, and what's important to them. But the question is, can you be ambitious? And what does that ambition look like? And can you create ease within your business business around that ambition? So first of all, I am going to share a conversation that I had with one of my coaching clients. When we got on a coaching call. We kind of ended up in this conversation before we started coaching. And after we had this conversation, I said to her, are you okay if I share this on the podcast, because this was so good. So Janine was more than happy for me to share this conversation as well, which I absolutely love. And if you don't know Janine Stanton, she is from lemon crush. It's a white label website design business, which is a white label angel for marketing agencies who want to outsource their web design. And she made expect clients and them look good as well with beautiful and high performing websites. So Janine has been a client of mine for a few years now. She was in BBA, she has come to our retreat. She's now in Amplify. And I love having conversations with her. And it's been amazing to watch her business grow. So I'm going to share the conversation, Janine, and I had, and then I'm going to come back on. And I'm going to share with you some of the really interesting views and comments that I got when I dropped this question into some of the Facebook groups and communities that I'm part of. And some of them are so good. So enjoy this conversation. I would love to know your thoughts, I just want to remind you that you can find me on substack. If you want to comment at all, I am just testing these out, as you know, but you can go and check out substack. And you can like write a comment that is specifically on one of the podcast episodes. It's just suzchadwick.substack.com. And I will respond as well, if you do drop a comment there. Otherwise, you can send me a DM on Instagram at Suzanne Chadwick as well. But let's dive into the conversation.

Janine Staunton
And I think the which I thought you might find interesting is I think one of the biggest mindset things was accepting that I don't want to take over the world. Like I don't want to be successful in terms of what other people might look at. It's actually what does success mean for me? Well, it means consistent income, a job that I enjoy, it doesn't need a life passionate job. It just needs to give me what I need for the rest of my life. Because so much else going on that once I accept it. I don't need it to look a certain way and be a type of person. That's where the clarity really did come from.

Suzanne Chadwick
Oh my gosh, I love that. I'm totally feeling that as well today. Like I like I've I was talking this morning about the difference between ambition and ease. Okay, yeah. And it like it's exactly what you've just said. Yeah, like, we've got these, like, there's this narrative around what a successful business looks like. And we're all striving for what this successful business looks like. And yeah, even my old coach Mariah, it's really interesting. She's opened up a group, I think I posted it in the thing. She has opened up a group. And she's like, I mean, she's been a multi seven figure business. But she's like, I just wanted to create a space where people talk about, like, really interesting things. And it's not always about growth. And it's not about money. And it's not about, like, you know, big things. It's like, what do you want your life to be? And how does success look like? Like, focused on that? And I totally Yeah, and I totally, totally get it. It's so interesting. Do you know then Vanessa Van Van Edwards, I think her name is so she talks. She does a lot around. Like perception. So how we present ourselves, all that sort of thing. And I just reposted a reel of her on a podcast where it was exactly the same method, where she's like, before, I had kids ambition, and what I thought mattered was metrics, growth, numbers, opportunities, bestseller lists all that. And just like now, I just want time freedom and financial freedom. That's all that success means. And it's just been so interesting, because I've heard about that. And then all of these, like, you just said it. Mariah said it yesterday. Vanessa posted it today. I'm just, I'm like, I'm gonna do a podcast on it this way. That's so weird. Yeah. That because that took me so long to get to that. You known to get to that point. That's so funny that that's actually a thing. Like, I think, you know, something. I think it's a really big thing. I think that we're in a time right now where people feel tired. Yeah, like they feel tired of and I feel it like it's like, feeling tired of constantly pushing.

Janine Staunton
Yeah, and not knowing where an endpoint is, I think as well. I think it's asking yourself, when will I be happy? When will it be enough? What I mean is we're looking at a point, but then why actually doesn't exist. You know, that point isn't actually a thing because once you got there, you'd still be striving for something more and it's not about not wanting to achieve things, it's just about what the definition of that thing is, isn't necessarily what maybe we've always been told it is or because I think we're of that generation, we were told, you know, you can do anything, you can be anything. And we were kind of the first generation of women that were told, Don't stop, keep going, you can have it all. You can have the family, the job.

Suzanne Chadwick
Don't stop leaving.

Janine Staunton
And actually, now we're realizing, holy crap, that's a lot of pressure. And do I actually want that like, is that action?

Suzanne Chadwick
And also, it's like, what is enough as well. So I feel like even for me, it's like, you know, paying myself I'm just always like, Oh, well, I want to pay myself more I want to pay. And then I got a thought yesterday, and I thought, does what you pay yourself give you the life that you want? And the answer is yes. Am I then why? Why are you always striving for more? And it's really interesting. It's just like, I like there could be a valid reason for striving for more, like, maybe I want to just pay off my mortgage, maybe I want to, like, you know, fly first class to Europe or something. Like there could be things that that drive that, but I think it's also just kind of going, but are you happy already? And the answer is yes. And so that's where my whole thing of where does ambition and ease meet? Yeah. Like, I still am ambitious. But I also kind of don't want to be like, I was in my 20s, where I was like, working like a crazy person to climb the ladder. And I feel like there's an invisible ladder, within the entrepreneurial world, where we're just like, constantly trying to, like, be bigger, or earn more or do more or grow more. I don't know, it's so fascinating.

Janine Staunton
I think I think it's fascinating, too. And I think, you know, a no for me starting then to look outside of just work and what else are we adding in each day, to? To be whole and to be, you know, there is so much you can do day to day to make yourself happy? Doesn't necessarily mean working, you know, 1516 hour days to get to a point that, I don't know, that would make you happy anyway. So for me, it's like, I want to earn enough and enjoy what I'm doing enough to have the space around work to fill it with or not feel it, even sit and read a book for even not me happy. Yeah. Yeah.

Suzanne Chadwick
100%. And I also just think, like, I even posted in the BBA group this morning, like, what are you working on? That's for you. Like, that's not it could be that you want to, you know, I don't know, become a better writer, become a better speaker, maybe you want to do something that's more fun. Like, it's the whole thing of me, like, you know, joining Anna's sewing club and going away with the girls and going to do a candle workshop. And it's like, what am I what am I doing that fills my car? Yes. Like, from a creative perspective, from a fun perspective, from a connection perspective, where I just get to sit around on a couch with my girlfriend's for four days and talk rubbish, and sing 80s ballads. Yeah. And like, just, like not have to answer to anybody or be there for anybody as well. Like, I think that it's kind of Yeah, it's so interesting. It is, it is it's and I wonder if it's our age, or I wonder if it's just, you know, the evolution of, of women and where we're at as a, you know, as a gender or if it's I don't know, I don't know. Yeah, yeah, it is a, it is a really interesting one. I mean, I do think that there is a whole thing of like, once you have kids, and you know, you like it's very different. I mean, when I think about what I was like when I was in my 20s and 30s. Like, you know, I'd get to work at 830 I'd leave at like 11 You know, and I was just it was just everything and it was fun. I have to say like I loved it. Yeah, it was fun. Because I didn't have any other response. But now it's kind of like I still I still want to grow the business and I still want to work with lots of amazing clients. But I also want to have all the other chill fun relaxing things. Yeah, as well, which is that that's my whole thing of ambition versus that ease. Yeah, love, I don't have the answer. I'm just, I'm just in the question. And I'm finding it really interesting to see all of these other people around me who are starting to have the conversation to, without me even prompting it.

Janine Staunton
But yeah, and I think the power in it is that it's individual looks different for each person and each situation. And that's the, you know, the amazing thing, I think of having your own business as you can, much more than a nine to five job, you can kind of create a life, I feel around around work. I love the flexibility and freedom and that,

Suzanne Chadwick
but I love that you've, like, I think I think that it's so great that you've come to that place where it's just like, I actually am happy, like, I actually don't need to, like, yes, I want to grow the new, like the business in a new way. But actually, like, it doesn't have to look like, yeah, I feel like it's felt before where it's this striving for more, more more.

Janine Staunton
Yeah, because I feel like part of the problem with, you know, the last couple of years has been feeling like, even though the business is, you know, successful by a lot of people's terms. For me, it didn't feel successful, because it didn't look like you know, you know, so I was beating myself up about that constantly. And what am I doing wrong? And one of my, actually, the realities that I kept a profitable business going for five years with a whole lot of other stuff going on in the background. That, you know, actually, that was pretty good. That was pretty amazing. You know, well, done, you did actually achieve something, you're not a failure, which I think I'd been telling myself, you know, oh, my God, it doesn't look like, you know, this person's business or, you know, but that

Suzanne Chadwick
I tell you, like, I had a Instagram conversation with another client this morning, and she's launched something and it, she's had people that have joined, but it's maybe not been, doesn't look the way that she thought it was gonna look. And I just said to her, and I said to her from a place of I have been there before where it's ego. It's like, I want people to, like, be there in this way. Because then that would make me feel better if they were, also think that it's ego, and I'm coming from a place of I totally have been there and I get it, where it's like, well, if I'm not hitting those numbers, or if I don't have the vanity metrics, or if I'm not seeing it in this way, then that's a problem. But it's just this ego. It sent us like, thinking that it should look a certain way. Yeah, in fact, like it is still successful in successful in a way where it meets our needs financially timewise family wise, but our egos going but you should be further along. You should be more. How am I not? Mel Robbins said it's so interesting. Yeah. The whole and you know, it's the whole thing of our brain having a negative bias of what we've not done and what we've not achieved. Yet. And, and I just am so always so conscious of that.

Janine Staunton
Yes, absolutely. Yeah, fall into that as well. Even you know, if, you know, it's like that thing of, you could get 10 compliments and one, you know, piece of criticism, and what do you focus on you focus on negative rather than the abundance of positive? It's, you know, focusing on the negative it? Yeah, God, Todd, being in our heads. I know.

Suzanne Chadwick
And I remember I was remember, Pat, Pat Flynn, saying that he used to get 1000s and 1000s of positive comments on like a YouTube video. And then there'd be one person that they'd have a go. And he's like, and I would think about that one comment for weeks. Yeah. So it's always Yeah, our brains always looking for how to keep us safe. It'll give us all the negatives. Yeah. Like don't do that. Yeah, like you need to Yeah.

Janine Staunton
Yeah, stay small, stay safe.

Suzanne Chadwick
So that was my conversation with Janine and I loved it. I like we, we actually kept talking, but we started to get into some things that I guess we're, you know, I'm not going to put on the podcast, but it was such a good conversation. So I dropped this question in a few other groups as well, that I'm part of, and I wanted to share some of the things that other people shared with me which I just absolutely love. And can I say this conversation has gone off like the number of comments have have been amazing and just the level of the conversation has been great as well. So the thing that I have written is, I've been thinking about ambition versus ease in your business. Can you have both? What does it look like? What happens when you want big things, but you're not sure. You want the life that goes with kind of striving for those big things. So Amber Anderson, who is a leadership coach, she commented, and she said, this is such a great conversation to have, I think you can have both. So it's less ambition versus ease and more ambition. With a phrase, we decide what that means and looks like for ourselves as ambitious women, I actually think it's our responsibility to reject the default version of this, just because it's the way it's always looked, and instead create a new version. She says, I say we write our own rules and decide for ourselves what kind of life we have, when we're ambitious, and do big things. It doesn't have to look like it always has. And I think I was just like, that is so true. You know, when we think of ambition, I think it is that drive, it's that drive, it's the Porsche, it's the going after the things that you want. But what about if we just redefined what our ambition looks like, and maybe our ambition is really now the ambition to achieve the life that we want the ambition to create the freedom that we want? Because I think ambition has always been associated with business or with work, or with Korea. I think that's been the shift that I've been kind of having through all of these conversations, as well as that. Maybe I've just been thinking about it in one dimension. And it's actually something that we can just define for ourselves and decide what that ambition looks like. Because you can decide to be ambitious with ease. Yeah, that that my ambition is all about creating ease. Whilst I've got that time, and that financial freedom, Tracy lane, beavers said, this is a good pose, this discussion is needed. It's not something that's talked about a lot. I struggle with this myself, because I was raised, we have to work hard. And if work doesn't feel hard, then you're not working hard enough. You'll hear me use the word ease a lot. And business growth does not have to be a struggle. And this all comes from own experience. I was running, hustling, grinding, working a lot of hours at a fast pace, because work had to be hard, right? Or success wouldn't come right? Through my own exhaustion, I realize that ambitious people can pursue their goals without anxiety, and high blood pressure. I've given myself and now help my clients with this permission to be both ambitious, and build with ease, can't wait to hear what others have shared. And then Stacy Hagen says I totally think it's possible to have both. I'm definitely ambitious. But I know that means I need to know my priorities and where to focus. So I can actually meet my ambitious goals, simplifying all other things, and creating dedicated time to focus on the most important goals is what's helped me. I also think that ambition needs to come from a place of wholeness, and not from a place of feeling like you're not enough. This was a big one. If it's the latter, we constantly strive to achieve in order to feel good enough, which leads to burnout, amongst other things. And I said to her that I think that's such an amazing point. I think that, you know, when we think about being back in corporate and being ambitious, it is very much about, you know, progression, climbing the ladder, getting promoted, getting the raise, doing more, those sorts of things. And so being able to reframe that, I think is such a big thing. And then Stacey went on to say, I always ask myself, why I want to achieve something that can really illuminate the true motive. And so these conversations are just gold, like I would love you to think about, like when you're wanting to achieve a goal. What's the purpose of the goal? Is it to feel enough? Is it to feel like you're hitting some sort of, you know, Achievement Goal star that's out there in the entrepreneurial space? Is it something that's personal to you, is it for your life and for your business? Is it for your family? And so I think just really understanding what drives us and asking ourselves the question, Am I trying to meet somebody else's standard or am I like looking at what my standards are what, what's driving me what I want in my life now, and not just trying to meet external standards. And I do think that there is a narrative in the entrepreneurial space where, you know, you can have 50k months and make a million dollars and, you know, have huge launches and have all these clients. And you know, if that's what you want, amazing. And I think that, you know, we go through sort of the ebbs and flows of what we want in our business. But I do think you've got to ask yourself, What am I striving towards? And am I striving towards what I think other people see a success? Or am I working towards something that makes me feel great, that gives me the life the freedom that I want? And how do I want to work towards it? What does that look like? Where do what maybe I want to push a little? And where do I want to step back? And how can I be really clear on my goals, and also make sure that the way in which I'm working towards my goals, is really helping me to thrive? And not just survive? And not just try and meet external, other people's expectations? So this is a discussion there is kind of no endpoint there is no and this is the answer. Because I think that you know, these discussions, that's what makes it so interesting, because the way in which you do something which could feel amazing and ease for for you, somebody else would do it completely differently, because of what their goals are, what their drivers are, what it is that they want, what ambition and success looks like to them. And so I just really want you to be curious. I think that's the point of this episode. I think that's the point of this discussion. And why am I asking this question because I'm curious. I'm curious to reframe ambition for myself. And I'm curious to understand how other people go about bringing more ease into their business, whilst generating the financial and time freedom that they're looking for as well. Obviously, systems and automations, and team and all of that sort of thing, can really help you to do that. But I also think that we have to be really clear on what it is we're going after, and how we want to feel in order to build that for ourselves as well. So those are just some things I wanted to share with you. I hope that this has been an interesting conversation for you. Because I know I've really loved having it this week in many different places. And if you've got any questions, let me know. But otherwise, I can't wait to have more of these fireside chats and deep conversations with you.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai