Feeling Invisible: Building a Business Through Life’s Most Challenging Moments
Episode 795: Show Notes
Today, on the seventh anniversary of the most traumatic event I have ever experienced, I want to open up about the five-car pile-up that changed the trajectory of my life. It gave me pause to figure out how I can be successful despite all of the seemingly limiting and impossible things going on in my life. I am going to share my experience of what it’s like to build a business, provide for my family, and deal with chronic health conditions all at the same time. Less than a mile from my home, a trailer cut off upcoming traffic on a very busy street, and the person behind me didn’t stop. In a split second, I was slammed into the vehicle in front of me. I was tachycardic and terrified.
I was in so much pain, and as time passed, I was getting progressively worse and worse. I thought if people knew that I had a traumatic brain injury, my business would close. While I have come so far, there are still a ton of health risks for me in the future. The migraine that started on the day of my accident didn’t go away for years. Learning to live with chronic pain while attempting to run a business felt like the most impossible task. My face even changed; for the first time in my life, I only wanted to hide. Now I know that there was nothing to be embarrassed about, and I am here to share my story so you can be successful through life’s curve balls.
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Making Accommodations to Suit You in Your Business
I did a lot to cover up what I was really going through. I don’t know how I made it through it, and it took me five years to figure out how to manage these issues. I will also likely never have a baby because of that one day. Accommodations in life are not talked about enough, and you are absolutely allowed to ask for reasonable accommodation in your job. But I feel like nobody talks about accommodations when you run the business. I don’t see anybody talking about how to build a business when life gets hard! I have made so many accommodations to suit my chronic health issues. So many people in this community have gone through earth-shattering, life-changing events, and you don’t give yourselves enough credit! I am sharing my experiences with you all so you can see that it’s okay not to be okay! I am so over the façade of perfection in life. I want you to stop pretending that you’re okay when you are not.
Building a Business That Works for You Despite Struggles
This event highlighted the need to serve so many people who are going through their own sets of challenges. I am so much stronger, and while I know how difficult it is to support people who are struggling, I just want to help and provide a different perspective. Most of you are bootstrapping your businesses, and I want to help you live a good life. You can build a business that works for you, supports you financially, serves you in the season you’re in, and allows you to prepare for your future. My business kept growing throughout my medical issues because I made sure that the business structure I was operating in was accommodating the life I had and the life I wanted. I want you to give yourself permission to let it grow and change with you. I didn’t have anyone to show me that I could struggle and still be successful, and I want to be that person for you.
Finding Balance Between Polished, Professionalism and Reality
The models for businesses that you are seeing out in the world are not realistic. It’s a jaded perspective of what people think you want to see, and it simply isn’t real. Don’t get me wrong, I still do things that are polished and put together, but you can be both! You can show up professionally one day and fall apart the next day.
Community is what started this business, and it is why I am still here, so I want to be honest with you all! I have saved enough money throughout my life that I do not need this business to be sellable, and because of that, I have changed absolutely everything about this business. I want to provide you with every necessary tool to save you time, make you more money, and accommodate your needs when life throws you curve balls. I want to support you where you’re at now. I want to be here for everything because you deserve a community to support you. Finally, I want you to join the behind-the-scenes of the creative template shop to see how I have weathered storms and still created a successful business.
You deserve to be a part of this— join the Co-op today & let’s keep moving forward together!
Quote This
I know that I’m here to be hope, to give you guidance, to give you structure, to give you permission to not be okay sometimes.
Highlights
Making Accommodations to Suit You in Your Business. [0:18:44]
Building a Business That Works for You Despite Struggles. [0:27:15]
Finding Balance Between Polished, Professionalism and Reality. [0:34:27]
OUR HOST:
Abagail Pumphrey
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Abagail Pumphrey, the Co-Founder & CEO of Boss Project, has been a driving force in the creative entrepreneur industry since 2015. With a passion for empowering service-based business owners around the globe, she became internet-famous after the launch of the transformative training, "Trello for Business." This innovative system revitalized the operations of over 10,000 business owners, making a significant impact on the online business landscape.
Under Abagail's leadership, Boss Project has been featured in prestigious publications such as Forbes, Marie Claire, INC, and HuffPost. Her twice-weekly podcast, The Strategy Hour, is a staple in the business community, continuously topping Business and Management Charts on Apple with millions of listeners from around the world.
Abagail's superpower lies in her ability to break down complex concepts into easy-to-implement, duplicatable systems. As an expert in online sales and a data-driven strategist, she has turned a layoff into a 7-figure work-from-home business. Abagail's mission to help more female founders become financially free, without letting their businesses take over their lives, continues to inspire and guide entrepreneurs on their path to success.
Key Topics:
Traumatic Events, Business Planning, Realistic Business Model, Community Support, Making Accommodations
