Unleash Your Ultimate Resource: Brain Power for Entrepreneurial Success
Brain Power: Your Most Valuable Asset
Beyond Time and Energy
Most entrepreneurs prioritize time management and harnessing their energy effectively. While these are crucial, Andrea argues that brain power is often the neglected third wheel that could propel one’s business to unimaginable heights. She maintains that brain power, or your ability to think and reason, can actually create more time and money, thus amplifying your overall resource pool.
Mindset and Systems: The Secret Sauce
Andrea simplifies success into two main ingredients: mindset and systems. Remarkably, she assigns 80% of this formula to mindset—essentially your brain power. Systems, though necessary, are the framework within which your brain functions. Changing your mindset can therefore make any system you implement significantly more effective.
The TRUST Framework: A Guide to Big Thinking
T for Thought Options
Andrea emphasizes the importance of considering a variety of thought options. By expanding your mindset to include unconventional possibilities, you not only innovate but also make more informed decisions. For instance, Andrea recounts a client who felt stuck in her landscaping business. By exploring different thought options, such as starting a consultancy, this client was able to unlock new avenues for growth.
R for Real Problems
The second element of TRUST involves identifying the real problems. Often, our perceived obstacles are just feelings of insecurity or fear of failure. Andrea points out that addressing these feelings can free up mental space, enabling you to focus better and think more clearly.
U for Unknown or Uncertain
Big thinkers are always comfortable with uncertainty. Those who can embrace the unknown are likely to take risks that can yield substantial rewards. Andrea describes a consultation where a client faced hesitation due to uncertainty. By accepting this as part of the journey, the client was able to commit more fully to her business goals.
S for Securing Support
No entrepreneur is an island. According to Andrea, securing outside support is crucial for big thinking. This could be in the form of mentors, consultants, or supportive communities. Andrea highlights that even technology, like specialized software, can serve as valuable support, aiding you in leveraging your brain power more effectively.
T for Taking Massive Action
The final element in the TRUST framework is all about taking massive action. Passive actions like listening to podcasts or reading books are useful, but they need to be complemented with decisive steps. Andrea stresses the importance of taking massive, proactive action to translate ideas into tangible outcomes.
Tools and Strategies for Overcoming Fear
Willingness to Fail
One of Andrea’s most impactful strategies is what she calls being "willing to suck at it." By listing 25 ways you could possibly fail, you become more comfortable with the idea of failure itself. This exercise can significantly reduce fear and make you more willing to take risks.
Assessing the Worst-Case Scenario
Another powerful tool is to ask yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen?” Often, the worst-case scenario is no worse than staying stagnant. This framework can give you the push you need to move forward despite uncertainties.
Identifying the Real Fear
Taking the time to identify what you’re actually scared of—be it failure, judgment, or success—can provide clarity and direction. Understanding your fear makes it easier to confront and overcome, thereby freeing you to think big.
Making it Work: Practical Steps
Invest in Your Brain Power
Understanding that brain power is invaluable gives you a good reason to invest time and resources into developing it. Whether it’s through coaching, reading, or dedicated thinking time, prioritize activities that boost your mental capabilities.
Create Systems that Support Big Thinking
Set up systems that allow your brain to focus on high-value tasks. Automate low-value activities, delegate, or use software tools that can take the load off.
Seek and Secure Support
Don’t shy away from seeking help. Surround yourself with people who elevate your thinking and challenge you to grow. Use resources like Andrea’s book, “She Thinks Big,” her podcast, or the Business Freedom Finder quiz to assist in your journey.
Conclusion
Brain power is a potent resource, one that can transform your entrepreneurial journey. By utilizing frameworks like TRUST, being willing to confront and accept fear, and taking massive action, You can unlock unprecedented levels of success. It's time to recognize the untapped potential within your mind and leverage it to create a thriving business.
Episode Links
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Transcript for Episode 320. Your Most Valuable Asset… Isn’t What You Think
Amy [00:00:03]:
Oftentimes, as entrepreneurs, we think that our most valuable assets are time being one, energy being the other. But there's one that's even more important. And in today's episode, our guest is going to unpack that for us because I must admit I've said it before, your time and your energy, those are your two most valuable assets. But Andrea opened up my perspective even more, that there's something even more valuable than those two, and when leveraged appropriately, can help you as an entrepreneur to grow and to really promote yourself to CEO. So before we dive in today, I would love to welcome in Andrea Libros. Welcome into the podcast.
Andrea [00:00:49]:
Thanks, Amy. Thanks for having me. I'm happy to be here.
Amy [00:00:52]:
Super excited for this conversation because I just loved your perspective and take on this. It's a game changer for so many entrepreneurs. But before we dive in, tell us more about yourself, who you are, what you do, and who you serve.
Andrea [00:01:06]:
So I work with entrepreneurial women to really help them create more freedom of time, money, and brain power in their lives and businesses. So most people come to me for business coaching, but I always say everything's fair game. So we, it turns into a lot of life coaching as time goes on, because we realize that our lives are as entrepreneurs, our lives and our business are very much intertwined. So I really help people get through what I call the messy middle, which is kind of that place where you're in your business and it comes up over and over again. It's not just a one time occurrence, just so everybody's clear on that, but it's that place where things have been going well, you've got it going, and then you feel like you're in what I call stuck stress. You can't decide what to do next. Should I put time, money, or brain power towards this? Should I not? Maybe I don't have even have those resources. So how do we get through that messy middle? And in 2023, I released a book called she thinks big.
Andrea [00:02:16]:
You can find it at your favorite bookseller on Amazon. And I also have a podcast. So I have a podcast called time to level up. So those are all ways in which I work with entrepreneurial women.
Amy [00:02:29]:
So, so good. So let's talk about this resource that nobody is talking about. What is it?
Andrea [00:02:37]:
So, brain power or your ability to think, I think is your most valuable resource. So I often will ask my clients that question, what do you think? What's your most valuable resource? And time comes up and first, and money usually comes up second. No one really talks about the brainpower part. And I like to say, hey, I have some news for you, actually, some good news. That your most valuable resource is your own brainpower. Because you can use that to create, and I'm putting that in air quotes, you can use that to create more time or create more money or create anything actually you really want. And if you believe that, then you, if you believe that brain power is your most valuable resource, it actually makes things a whole lot easier. A lot easier.
Andrea [00:03:32]:
Because I say, like, you know, we could talk about success or whatever that means. We could have a whole episode on that. But really, I like to say that success just has two ingredients. It's like a secret sauce. It only has two ingredients. It's mindset and systems. And your mindset, or your brain power or whatever you're thinking about is really 80% of the game. You do need systems.
Andrea [00:03:53]:
But if you create systems based on with this, if the brain that before the system, you have brain a. After the system, if you haven't really worked on your brain or your thinking, you still have brain a. So it may not make that things that much better. So you do really need to invest your time and money into your brain. Is my, is kind of what it comes down to. Absolutely.
Amy [00:04:22]:
Absolutely. Those are two of my favorite things in the entire world, especially the systems piece. Systems are such a game changer. And I think most entrepreneurs, entrepreneurs view it as it has to be this really complicated process. But what it's doing, it's free freeing up your brain, because when we're making all of those little decisions, when we have all this information in our brain, it takes away that brain power. I would love for you to walk us through your process of how do we start to leverage that brain power in order to save us time and energy and money at the end of the day?
Andrea [00:05:00]:
So I think I created this acronym, trust. Trust, and it really is what all big thinkers do. And big thinkers are really good at making decisions. So let me just give you a little bit of my thoughts on decision making, too. If we can make a big decision, it actually makes all of the choices underneath that decision a whole lot easier. So I love to use the analogy, and I heard this from another coach, and I will give her credit, Jodi Moore. She told, she shared this, if you're married or you have a partner, partner and you know you've decided that that's who you're going to spend your life with. When you get invited to that holiday party and they say bring a date, you already decided who you're bringing most of the time, I hope.
Andrea [00:05:48]:
All right, so you made that big decision. So then it made that little choice a whole lot easier. And the same goes in business. If you can make some big decisions, which sometimes have to do with creating a process or a system, it makes the little decisions underneath a whole lot easier. So how do we do that? Or what does that really look like? So you have to. You have to. You've got to really hone in on your big thinking, which comes from future you. Okay? So past you, which we all can tell lots of stories on and kind of give you a little history.
Andrea [00:06:25]:
Like, that's. People say, right? Okay, whatever happened in the past, it's just a teacher. It is not a fortune teller. So even though you know yourself and that you know that you wait till the last minute to do everything or you know that you're not the best copywriter, okay, that doesn't mean that in the future, you won't wait till the last minute or you can't get good at writing. Okay, so there's the past you. There's present you, and present you usually is pretty comfortable in whatever it is, even if it's chaos, even if it's overwhelm. It's like, that's where our brains just used to being. I call it, like, a happiness set point.
Andrea [00:07:07]:
Like, it's just happy living in the chaos. Okay, so present you is really not going to leverage your brain power too much either, because, hey, leveraging your brain power, it might actually be a little hard or uncomfortable. It's definitely not efficient because you're. You're thinking new things. Okay? But if you go to future you, who's already succeeded, who's already, I don't know, reached your. Reached your revenue milestone or created, you're taking Fridays off, whatever that is, that ask that future you what to do. That's how you have to kind of start with big thinking. You really got to go to the place of future you.
Andrea [00:07:46]:
And this is hard work. Okay? This does not happen overnight. Sometimes need someone else to help you get there. Right? So this is kind of where visioning comes in or a little bit of dreaming. And then how do we turn that vision into action? So a lot of what I do with my clients, I call it a vision into action intensive. I help them extract that vision, and then how do we turn it into action? You need to trust. Okay, so this is where the trust thing comes in. The t in trust stands for thought options.
Andrea [00:08:23]:
Okay? So I spend a significant amount of my coaching time helping people think through their thought options. And what I mean by that is you could think that, okay, this morning, this happened. I love real life. Examples are good. So this client I have, she actually has a multiple seven figure business. It's a landscaping business. Okay. So it's kind of seasonal, or at least in her brain.
Andrea [00:08:54]:
She likes to think of it as seasonal. We've been working on that. It's not really seasonal. It's a year round business. But she's ready to kind of actually start consulting other business owners in the landscape world. But she hasn't done it yet. And I said to her, I said, why not? She's like, well, I just. I don't.
Andrea [00:09:17]:
Basically, when we teased it apart, she's waiting for someone to give her permission, some mysterious person here to give her permission. She hadn't come up with the thought option or the possibility that she doesn't need permission, that she could just go do it. She's like, well, would I need more training or another degree? I'm like, no, you would not need more training or another degree. You have tons of experience here. This isn't your first rodeo. So she hadn't thought of the thought option of, I can just do this with what I have. She hadn't thought of the thought option of, I can start doing this right now. I don't have to wait till some magical time her brain is focused on.
Andrea [00:09:58]:
There's going to be a time I need to do x, y, and z. So big thinkers, because this is kind of big thinking for her, recognize that they've got thought options. So that's the first thing. Second, real problem. The r in trust stands for real problem. This is another thing that I spend lots of time examining. I said to her, what's the problem of, what's the problem? What's getting in the way here? Well, the real problem is just that her feeling of feeling kind of insecure. So the real problem usually isn't a problem.
Andrea [00:10:35]:
It is literally just a negative feeling. Okay? But a lot of times we can't identify that. We think it's something external, or we think it's something that someone else did or how even you did. But really what the real problem is, what gets in the way of using that brain power to create different, bigger or better things is your feelings and the fact that you don't want to feel a negative feeling. And again, hard to tease apart. Hard to tease apart. But that's really what it comes down to. Third, you ready for you.
Andrea [00:11:13]:
The you and trust. The you and trust stands for unknown or uncertain. And big thinkers, people that are using their brain power, are embracing the unknown or the uncertainty because we don't really know what's going to happen tonight. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. We don't know what this is going to look like in a year. Right? So if you're thinking big, you actually start to become okay with that unknown. I had a consult call earlier this week, and, you know, at the end of the call, I said, okay, where are you? Scale of one to ten? She's like, oh, I'm like, at an 8.5. I think.
Andrea [00:11:55]:
I think we should move forward. But I'm at an 8.5. Okay. I said, what would get you to a ten? Well, if I only knew that this was, this, whatever this is, was gonna work. Okay. It's like, okay, so what is this? Is it, it's. Is it the actual business, like where we're going with the business? She's like, no, I actually think that's a solid. I feel good about that.
Andrea [00:12:20]:
I said, so is it coaching? She said, no, I totally think you could help me. I said, so what is this? She said, well, it's kind of me like, am I gonna stay committed? Am I gonna, you know, quote unquote, put the work in? She's. I don't. We don't know. Right? So that's an unknown and we're gonna have to just wait and see and find out. So she's letting that unknown or that uncertainty, unease get in her way. Big thinkers are like, yes, it's there. They're not denying that.
Andrea [00:12:54]:
Like, we're not shoving this under the rug, but they're okay moving forward. So that's the third thing. Fourth s, okay, the s and trust s entrust, stands for securing support. So big thinkers, people who use their brain power to create more time and money, I don't know anyone who doesn't have support. And what I mean by that is there's different kinds of support. Software can be a support. Okay? That's even a support. Your family.
Andrea [00:13:26]:
Everybody comes up with their family. Oh, they're so super, super duper supportive. Excellent, good. But what I'm talking about is support outside of your family, outside of software, the support that another brain, or brains bring to the table. And that can look like a lot of things, that can look like a mentor, that can look like coaching, that can look like being part of a community, can look like tons of things. But I don't know any big thinker that doesn't have some outside of the family, outside of technology support. And I think that's a really hard thing for some early on entrepreneurs to recognize because they think they should be able to figure it out on their own. They should be able to YouTube it.
Andrea [00:14:09]:
They should be able to, you know, they're not. They're smart. They should be able to figure this out. Um, and they have this super supportive family. But I'm kind of here to tell you that I don't know anyone that doesn't have some outside support. So that's what the s stands for. Last one t. The last t in trust.
Andrea [00:14:29]:
The last t in trust stands for take massive action. Okay, so everyone out there, me included, we're really good at taking passive action. So in the passive action bucket, I put listening to a podcast. Now, clearly I like podcasts because we're recording one, and I have my own. But listening to a podcast, reading a book, clearly, I'm into books if I wrote one. Okay, so I love books, too, but that's passive action. Googling passive action. Are you taking the steps? Are you making the decisions? So this kind of comes full circle.
Andrea [00:15:07]:
Are you making the decisions that you need to take, make in order to take the action? And big thinkers are taking this massive action. They're making those decisions, and then they're seeing, they're reaping the rewards of all that because their brain power is really creating what they want to create. All right, I just did a lot.
Amy [00:15:29]:
Of talking, but it was amazing. And everything you said makes so much sense. I want to back up to something you said at the very beginning, and that was something that we need to hear over and over. As entrepreneurs, this is a long game. This process does not happen overnight. You will go through this over and over and over. Once you have that awareness of where these doubts are creeping in, that you don't need permission from others, that you are capable. And once you realize that and start taking that massive action, your life will change.
Amy [00:16:15]:
And you're not meant to do this alone.
Andrea [00:16:18]:
You are not meant to do this.
Amy [00:16:19]:
Right. We hear that time and time again as entrepreneurs, but exactly as you said, we like to think we can diy it. Yeah. All the information is out there, and we're trying to piece everything together. And I see this all the time when I'm working with clients. Are we implementing the right strategies for you right now at your stage of business? Because all of the strategy works, but you have to be strategic about doing what's best for you in the season of growth that you're in, in your business. And this is a long game. And I think this is where a lot of entrepreneurs get bored because it is doing the inner work.
Amy [00:16:58]:
It is doing the basics over and over and over. But something else you said, too, is, you know, the past version of us and the current version of us, it's comfortable. Our brain is constantly seeking comfort. So why would we do something that would stretch us outside of our comfort zone? Zone? We're holding ourselves back from the potential and reach and impact that we can have on so many people. And I think, you know, as to the, the client story you mentioned earlier, you know, we think we need this more training, we need more certification. So we're doing this passive, consuming instead of taking action. Our brain thinks that, oh, I'm just doing some market research. I'm going to learn the newest techniques by listening.
Amy [00:17:44]:
You have to take action. You have to learn to accept that it's gonna be uncomfortable. It is going to be uncomfortable, and that's part of it. But once you can embrace that, it's so freeing.
Andrea [00:17:56]:
It is. It's fun, too. Yes, it's fun. It's fun, I like to say. I mean, everything has to be simple, doable and fun.
Amy [00:18:02]:
Yes, we need to have more fun. I mean, isn't that what entrepreneurship is? We are meant to live this life on our terms, and I think we give so much of our power away because we're trying to please everyone else and do all the things that everyone else is doing that we forget to reflect inward and figure out what we actually want.
Andrea [00:18:23]:
I just recorded a podcast from my own podcast about, are your goals really yours?
Amy [00:18:29]:
Yes.
Andrea [00:18:30]:
Or are they someone else's? Right. Are they someone else's? And I think there's a lot of noise out there, right? And it's very hard to stay in our own lanes. And we think that someone else knows more than we do, in a sense. And I think it's great to, like, I'm always bouncing ideas off of people. I love all that, but ultimately the decision is mine. Right? So something that happened the other day was that this client was wanting. She's like, okay, I'm finally going to invest in having someone help me with my marketing. I'm going to have some.
Andrea [00:19:12]:
And I said, okay, what is this person exactly going to do? She's going to do all my social media, she's going to write blogs, and she's going to do my newsletter. Okay. I said, but here's the, here's the problem that I'm seeing. Do you have a marketing plan. Like, do you have a strategy that she's going to work off of? Because what you just described is you're wanting her to solve this whole marketing problem. But really some of this has to come from your brain, right. You have to kind of direct her and familiarize her with your business, and you have to set a plan that she can follow. So it's interesting that sometimes we want to, we don't want to take up space in our brain thinking about something, so we do want to outsource it, but yet we haven't taken enough time to think about it so that we can outsource it.
Andrea [00:20:07]:
I don't know why I went off on that little tangent. Oh, because you said using our own brainpower, wanting permission and things like that. So anyway, she's got to do some bigger thinking before she actually hands that off. And she doesn't. She's kind of scared to do the bigger thinking. That's really what it's coming down to. She's like, but I'm not comfortable thinking about where I want this to go or how I should position myself or what. So, yeah, but I'm here.
Andrea [00:20:38]:
I'm here to do it with you. We've got to do that. Before you get comfortable again and hand.
Amy [00:20:43]:
It off, can you recommend some strategies for us that when that fear starts to kick in and we're like, you know what? I just. I'm not giving myself that permission to dream big, and we're holding ourselves back, give us some strategies that we can use to really work through that fear.
Andrea [00:20:59]:
Yep. So, okay, here's my best strategy. I like to call it. So the best strategy is that you have to be willing to not be so good at it. I call it willing to suck at it. You have to be willing to suck at it. Okay. And I have my clients go through an exercise where I say, you need to write down 25 ways that you can fail at this.
Andrea [00:21:25]:
And she's like, what are you talking about, 25 ways that I could fail? And so the client this morning with the landscape company, this would be an excellent exercise for her. 25 ways you could fail. Well, I could put myself out there, and no one comes. I could start working with someone and their business isn't any better. After they started working with me, I could start to market it, but I'm really targeting the wrong person. So these are all things that could happen that maybe count. You might count as a fail. I would count them as a win or a learn.
Andrea [00:22:00]:
But in order to get over that fear, you just have to acknowledge what could happen. Okay. Then another strategy is to ask yourself, what is the worst thing that could happen? 99% of the time, the worst thing that could happen is no worse than not trying it at all. Right. Like, not trying at all. So this, the woman that's like, wow, I'm 85% there. Okay? I said, so is trying this or moving forward worse than just staying where you are? Which is worse? She's like, well, staying where I am is way worse. Okay, then let's go.
Andrea [00:22:41]:
Right. So you have to. That's another question you can ask yourself. What's the worst thing that can happen? And I think the third thing is really to figure out what you're scared of. What is it? Is it fear of success? Is it fear of judgment? What will other people say? Is it fear of judging yourself? Like, you're going to get mad at yourself that you're not good enough? Kind of like a little imposter syndrome. Are those. Any of those real? Like, is that a real thing? They're just fears. They're usually not facts.
Andrea [00:23:19]:
So, getting clear on what you actually are scared of, again, which kind of takes some teething apart. Right. Which is where that other person can kind of securing the support can kind of come into play. But those are three ways to do it. With 25 fails, what's the worst thing that can happen? And what am I really, really, really scared of?
Amy [00:23:38]:
Yeah. Such great advice. And when you take the time to go deep, to dive into this, that's where you're going to see the massive growth in your business, because you're growing yourself. You're learning. Okay, where am I holding myself back? Because so often, we're the biggest roadblock in our business. There's so much proof out there that what we want is absolutely 100% attainable to us. Yes, it is available to us if we get out of our own way. Andrea, these were phenomenal takeaways.
Amy [00:24:17]:
You have dropped so much value. Where can we learn more about you? Your podcast, all of the things you're doing.
Andrea [00:24:24]:
Tell us all the details, all of the things. So I would say my two best resources for you are, one, go pick up a copy of she thinks big wherever you want to. And there's a workbook, too, that goes with it. And then I'll give you a little bonus here. There's a toolkit that was part of the book, and it actually helps you work through some of these same exact things that we were talking about. And you can access that at, uh, andrea libros.com forward slash toolkit. Other place go listen to the podcast. Time to level up.
Andrea [00:25:00]:
Founded all your favorite podcast players and you can head to Andreas with an s, links with an s.com, and from there you're going to get a link to the book, a link to the podcast, a link to my all my social media handles, a link to my website and also a link to two quizzes. So I've created two quizzes that really, one helps you kind of figure out what is why aren't you getting done what you want to get done? It's based around productivity. And the other one is, how can I find more freedom in my business? Am I the bottleneck? So I call it the business freedom Finder quiz. So if you go to Andreas with an s, links with an s.com comma, you can find those quizzes and you can find the book and the podcast and all the things.
Amy [00:25:42]:
Absolutely amazing. Thank you, Andrea, for taking time out of your busy schedule to pour into our listeners today.
Andrea [00:25:49]:
Thanks for having me. This has been super fun.
Amy [00:25:51]:
Yes. And until next time, cheers to making the money you want so you can create the impact you desire.
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