Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign.
[00:00:06] There are seasons where everything seems to hit at once.
[00:00:10] Not one thing, not even just a couple of things, but everything layered on top of everything else. And in those moments, you start to realize something that no one else really talks about. When it comes to running a business, your business doesn't pause just because real life gets hard or complicated.
[00:00:27] Welcome to Confessions in the Home Office. I'm Wendy Hill, and this episode is going to be a little different because I'm in one of those seasons right now. It's not planned, it's not polished, and honestly, it's not something I would have chosen to stack all at once.
[00:00:39] But it's real, and I think that's exactly why it matters. And I like to be efficient, so maybe it's because it'll all get done at the same time.
[00:00:47] So here's what's been happening.
[00:00:50] Our water heater didn't just leak.
[00:00:52] Water is going everywhere.
[00:00:54] Our water heater is in a closet underneath our stairs. Our stairs are in the middle of our house. They're not really like stairs that come down and wrap. I don't know. You'd have to see it.
[00:01:07] Our stairs are hardwood. I was going up and down the stairs last Sunday, and I was like, something's going on with these stairs. They feel warped. They feel like one or two are starting to give a little bit. And it's just the two of us living here. So what's. What's going on?
[00:01:20] I thought, maybe I have vertigo. I didn't say anything.
[00:01:24] And later that day, my husband was going up and down the stairs, and he said, what's going on with these stairs? They feel weird. They feel like they're coming apart.
[00:01:33] So we open the closet. We check on the water heater pretty regularly just because of where it is. We open the back of the closet to where the water heater is underneath the stairs, and water was going everywhere.
[00:01:47] This was the kind of situation where we didn't even realize the scope of it at first.
[00:01:52] We called someone to kind of walk us through what to do, and then we had to go turn the water off to the house. And as the days go on, we didn't really realize how much damage was there until, like, the next day or two.
[00:02:05] Our stairs are ruined. The floors are coming up in places. There's damage under the house. And now we're in that phase where everything just has to be coordinated.
[00:02:14] The adjuster, the water damage team, the installers, the decisions about the flooring, the paint, the timelines. And, you know, it's not going to Be just those repairs. It's going to lead to other things that we have to do and it's just all happening at once.
[00:02:27] And just when I thought I had a handle on the next step, something else gets added, like asbestos testing. That is not something I would ever expect to have to deal with with this house.
[00:02:39] So now I have a Seth, a Billy, a David and a Levi all, all calling me.
[00:02:44] See, there's some restoration companies that require if your house is built before 1995, that they have to test for asbestos before they start tearing out drywall. And I am in a 1982 house. So I'm looking at the holes drilled in my wall as I record but moving on at the same time. My son's getting married in less than six weeks. He's my oldest.
[00:03:08] It's a really meaningful thing, but it also comes with its own set of logistics and emotions and time commitments.
[00:03:15] It's just a season I want to be present for, just not squeezing it in between everything else that's on my list.
[00:03:22] And then on top of that, about a year ago my dad was diagnosed with mph.
[00:03:28] So he has extra fluid, almost like hydrocephalus type thing. And so he has to get a shunt placed. We've been going back and forth, could he do it? He's 81, but he's having the surgery in a couple weeks.
[00:03:43] Everybody cleared him. And then my mom called me and said, I went to Reg's orthopedist, or whatever you call it, orthopedic specialist.
[00:03:57] And I thought he was going to be able to give me a shot. I'm having a knee replacement in July, so there's that underlying awareness there's more coming, there's more that's going to be needed and more time and attention are we pulled in different directions.
[00:04:13] So when I say everything is happening at once, I mean it. And I am not going to ask what else did not ask that. Haven't even thought it.
[00:04:23] And in the middle of all that work does not disappear, nor do I want it to. I like doing what I do.
[00:04:30] Clients still need help, you, emails still need to go out, social media campaigns are still running, meetings are still on the calendar, websites are launching, there's expectations, deadlines, responsibilities, all the things the business is still there needed my time and attention.
[00:04:47] Even when I feel like I'm being pulled in 10 different directions and I have the adjuster and now an installer calling me at the same time, I think this is the part that gets missed in so much of the advice around marketing and business. There's this underlying assumption that I'm operating for from a place of stability every day, every week, that I have clear blocks of time every week, all week. Consistent energy, the ability to focus without interruption.
[00:05:15] That's not the case.
[00:05:17] It can feel like I'm, like I'm doing something wrong, but no one's sitting around 50 hours a week with nothing else going on, just staring at a computer, turning it out. And if they say they do, they are lying to you.
[00:05:29] All this is part of it. This is part of running a business. Over the long term, there are going to be seasons where things are smooth and I can plan and execute and optimize. And then there's seasons like this where I am not trying to do more. I am holding steady to make sure everything keeps going well.
[00:05:46] So for me, what that looks like right now is I'm trying to get ahead where I can, but just in a practical way.
[00:05:53] I'm not overloading myself with like massive plans, but looking at what absolutely has to happen and make sure those pieces are covered first.
[00:06:02] It's a different kind of focus. It's not about really big growth and expansion at this moment, even though I'm always looking to grow.
[00:06:10] It's about continuity. If you know me, I'm all about working ahead as much as I can. It doesn't work for every client, but for many it does.
[00:06:20] It also means relying on simple systems, good list, non complicated tools, or 10 different places where things are tracked.
[00:06:27] Just priorities that are really visible, that help me quickly see what matters today and what can wait and what's coming.
[00:06:35] Because in a season like this, my brain doesn't have the capacity to hold everything. And I don't need it to. I just need to know what's next.
[00:06:42] And then there's the role of other people. This is where having the right team, even a small capacity, makes a difference.
[00:06:49] I have people who can step in, take on a little more and keep things moving without everything depending on me for every second.
[00:06:56] It doesn't mean I've become hands off, but it does mean I'm not carrying all of it alone. Thank goodness Sunday afternoon is a big handoff day at Market Momentum.
[00:07:07] There's also a level of flexibility that comes into play that doesn't exist in more stable seasons.
[00:07:13] Some days I'm working early in the morning before anything else starts. 5am to 7:30am can be just as productive as an entire business day.
[00:07:22] There are no phone calls and there are very few emails.
[00:07:26] Other days I'm picking back up at night when everything else is handled and the phone calls stop, I know that's not ideal. And people will say, oh, you need to focus on yourself. You need to take care of yourself.
[00:07:38] I am, believe me, I am getting enough sleep. I'm just having to work around different schedules.
[00:07:44] I know it's not ideal and it's not for long term, but it's what works right now.
[00:07:51] One thing that has really helped me in the middle of all this is the timing of my husband's schedule. His semester on campus has wrapped up and he'll be teaching online this summer before heading back to campus in August. So he's really going to be home almost four months.
[00:08:06] And I can't tell you how grateful I am for that right now.
[00:08:09] Just having a little more flexibility at home and we can share some of this house craziness that's going on.
[00:08:16] It makes a difference in ways that are really hard to fully explain until you're in a season like this. My parents live close by and they're going to need both of us.
[00:08:25] I really think my mother may like him more than she likes me. I'll find out after she listens to this so he can help her when she needs him while he's home more.
[00:08:35] And I think that's a part of this too.
[00:08:37] Recognizing the things that are working in my favor, even when a lot isn't. It doesn't cancel out the stress or the logistics or all the emotions tied to everything going on, but it does give me something to stand on.
[00:08:49] The reality is not everything is going to feel manageable. At the same time, some things are going to feel heavy, some things are going to feel uncertain, and business is still going to exist alongside all of it. I'm grateful for that.
[00:09:01] So the shift becomes less about trying to control everything and more about deciding how I'm just going to get through it.
[00:09:07] What stays a priority, what gets simplified, and are there some things that can wait?
[00:09:13] Because this isn't a normal week and it's probably not going to be a normal stretch of weeks for a while, I'm not going to try to force it because that's just going to add pressure that doesn't need to be there.
[00:09:24] I will be excited if we've put. If we're put back together by mid August.
[00:09:30] A more realistic version of consistency is staying connected to my business.
[00:09:33] Even when the capacity shifts. It's continuing to move things forward even if it's at a different pace.
[00:09:40] It's knowing what matters most in protecting that while allowing other things to be good enough for now.
[00:09:45] Over time, that's what builds something sustainable.
[00:09:49] Not perfect execution and ideal conditions, but just steady movement through all of it. The good seasons, the ones that are really hard and the ones where everything seems to kind of. They just kind of stack up at once.
[00:10:03] So if you're in a season like this, where life is loud and full, overwhelming, and the list keeps getting longer, and your business is still there asking for your time and attention, you're not behind, you're not doing it wrong. You're just living a real life while running a business.
[00:10:21] And the goal isn't to make everything look seamless and perfect. The goal is to keep going in a way that works where you are right now.
[00:10:29] So if this episode resonates with you and you hear a little barking in the background, I'd love for you to share it or send it to someone who needs to hear it. This week, she's still barking. Nobody's supposed to walk down the street.
[00:10:44] If you're already and if you're already connected with me, send me an email. If you have questions or you have something you want to say. My email is Wendy W E N D I market Momentum Biz and you can also catch this podcast on YouTube and all major platforms and definitely subscribe so you won't miss an episode. Thanks for being here and I'll see you soon.
