The Bounce Back Mindset Every Entrepreneur Needs w/ Allison Walsh

Megan Yelaney:

Welcome back to Business Not As Usual, an Expert Voices Unfiltered episode with the wonderful Allison Walsh. Allison is an expert personal brand and business consultant, founder, bestselling author, international speaker, certified positive psychology coach. I mean, Allison has done so much. I could list all of her credentials forever. But one of the things that I really loved about this conversation that I think you’re gonna really take away is even with all of the incredible success Allison has had, she shares some pretty low moments and some vulnerable, like, oh crap, why did we make that mistake, at such a level in business. And I, I’m so grateful for her for sharing that because it’s so needed. I think when you hit a certain level of success, people think just everything goes smooth. They’re like, oh, you just— that’s just how it is for you, you’re just lucky, you know.

Megan Yelaney:

And her story and what she’s sharing, and, and a launch that she had last year that didn’t go as planned, is just proof that you’re never immune to that. But one of the biggest things that she talks about is your bounce back factor. I love this term, and she really talks about how you have to hone your bounce back factor because you’re gonna have failures probably every year in some way, shape, or form. Everyone does. They’re just not posting about them. They’re just not putting them on blast, right? So I really want you to perk your ears up. I think this is gonna be such an important episode for the longevity of your business, for you to really look at this as a true business that is going to evolve. She’s had so many different startups she’s been a part of.

Megan Yelaney:

Her business looks wildly different now than it did a few years ago, and in a few years it’s going to look wildly different, just like mine has, right? It’s never going to stay exactly the same, and that’s what’s so exciting about it. So dig in, listen, enjoy. Make sure you go check out the show notes. She gives this incredible Shine Bright Brand Building Blueprint— say that 10 times fast— that is really, really valuable. So go check that out as well as her incredible podcast. We’ll put all those links in the show notes, and enjoy this episode with Allison Walsh.

Megan Yelaney:

Welcome back to Business Not As Usual. I am so excited to have returning guest Allison Walsh back on the pod. Welcome, Allison. New name of the pod, but you are back for a second time, so I’m so happy to have you here.

Allison Walsh:

Super excited to be back here. I just love spending time with you, so this is great.

Megan Yelaney:

I know, I know. I’m very, very lucky we got to do this again on yours recently, so thank you for taking the time. Um, but I— you just have such a cool story, and you have You’ve been in business for a minute, let’s just say that, and you’re gonna share a little bit about it. But for those who don’t know you, Allison is an expert personal brand and business consultant, founder, bestselling author, international speaker, certified positive psychology coach. By the age 30, Allison became the vice president of a company destined for unicorn status, which I love, love that term by the way, uh, which she helped build from the ground up. In addition to scaling multiple businesses over the last 20 years, she contributes her time and talents to mission-driven companies in hypergrowth. Startups. You’ve lived like a million lives, and that’s such like a beautiful synopsis.

Megan Yelaney:

But I would love to know in your words, in the more real raw version of your story, how you started. When did that like entrepreneurial bug bite you, and just how you got to where you are today with all these different businesses and having all this success?

Allison Walsh:

Well, somebody introduced me with the word seasoned the other day. I was like, wait, I’m 41, 42. How old am I? 42. Like, I was like, this is not possible. Like, how am I in this stage of life? But to your point, I do feel like I’ve lived a million lives in my one relatively short one. Um, so it really kind of started for me when I was 18 years old. I started a nonprofit, and that was like, for me, it was like doing good in the world. So I didn’t really even think of it as a business, but what I did care about was growing it and scaling it, and, um, kind of approached it from a different perspective than what I saw other people doing.

Allison Walsh:

So I had struggled with an eating disorder when I was in high school and was a fierce advocate, and I didn’t want anybody else to go down that path that I did. And so when I got to my college campus, recognized recognized there were no resources really available for people in recovery or from like a prevention or awareness perspective. And I was like, well, I can start something. And so trotted up to the student healthcare center, asked for an advisor to, you know, be my sponsor, and the rest is history. So I started that nonprofit and like grew that for 18 years while I was also working on other things. But it was really my first, um, introduction into like running a business, and I thought of it as a business even though it wasn’t a for-profit company. Um, but that was really like the first taste. And because of that, I then had a lot of other opportunities because I was a thought leader at an early age.

Allison Walsh:

I was, you know, I let people into my world. I was very vulnerable and open about the struggle I had, but it was all in the service of others. And then I found myself kind of going down that path. So I started speaking, I started, you know, really sharing in any medium that I could, you know. Um, social media was still really early back then. Uh, Facebook had just gotten started. Um, but, you know, I was writing and blogging and, um, using my voice to make change. And so, you know, I didn’t even realize I was building my brand back then, but I was, and, uh, started to have opportunities to get paid to speak and do a lot of those wonderful things to, to help other people.

Allison Walsh:

Um, because of that experience and because of, you know, doors opening and swinging open because I was young and, and vocal, um, I was invited to join companies and be a part of, you know, what the common theme was always a startup, um, or a joint venture or a new initiative. And so, started doing some business development work for a, a program that was opening close to where I lived, and then got tapped to be part of a startup and take that from— I was the second person hired, scaled it to 1,000 employees, multi-site, multi-state, again, like in the treatment space, so helping other people. Um, but I took that job because the founders that were involved in that company were unbelievable humans who had just had a $2.4 billion exit from their prior company. And I was like, I’m gonna learn a lot from these humans. Yeah. And I’m going to just have the best time. But simultaneously, because I had built my brand, um, people were coming to me saying, hey Allison, like, I know you’re really passionate about what you do and how you help others and you share your story, and but you’ve turned this into a career. Can you help me do this too? And so, um, particularly young women.

Allison Walsh:

And I was like, I can do this 100%. And so that’s when I started really like coaching and getting into, uh, you know, that whole realm of things. The common theme through a lot of those young women were they were involved in the Miss America organization, which I had been involved in as well. So I was Miss Florida when I was 23 and had that unbelievable opportunity. And so I was like, that was my first real go at coaching, and not like a traditional pageant coach, really building their brands, helping them speak, articulate their message, and have an unbelievable impact in this world. So I was doing these two things in parallel, which was crazy but also awesome, and started a couple coaching businesses, had a partnership, grew that business. It grew like wildfire, which was so cool. And I want to talk more about that today with your audience.

Allison Walsh:

Um, but you know, throughout the course of my career, just was able to have unbelievable opportunities to just really kind of throw gasoline on all the things that I was learning the hard way and having success along the way. Um, I then went to a hypergrowth startup. It was the fastest growing startup in the country. I led sales for them. We grew my team from 29 sales reps to 170 in 18 months. And talk about running fast and building something cool. Like, that was incredible. But it was also, again, just building my brand, monetizing, you know, everything that I had done and built and my story and my message.

Allison Walsh:

And, you know, that turned into its own, you know, real business in addition to helping other people build theirs. And so I ended up leaving the company because it was time for me to just 100% bet on myself and, you know, build out my company and be able to really spend the time, energy, and effort developing every facet of it. Um, and so that’s been really fun. So lots of stuff in there to unpack, but it’s been a great run.

Megan Yelaney:

It’s amazing. And a, like, common theme I see throughout all of this, and correct me if I’m wrong, is that you didn’t go into this going, I’m gonna be an entrepreneur, I’m gonna be a business owner. It was like, I have this like passion, I want to help people in this way. And you kind of were led from that place, like this real true service place, and you kind of ended up learning the business ropes as you were doing versus like going to school and trying to become an— you know what I mean? Like learning all these business tactics. It’s like you learned on the job essentially.

Allison Walsh:

Oh, I did, 100%. Like if I could go back and turn back time, like I wouldn’t have gotten my Juris Doctorate, which I did get and I don’t use. I would have gotten my MBA. Like, I just— I had no idea that this was really going to be the path for me, but I’m so grateful it was. And I just, you know, I surrounded myself with really smart, amazing people that had learned a lot of things the hard way and had built wildly successful businesses, because I didn’t come from a family of entrepreneurs, right? Like, I— it was not like ever a thing I thought. But to your point, like, I care deeply about impact and service, and I think when you can mirror the two, like, it’s just such a beautiful opportunity to then be able to do good in this world by leveraging the talents that you have to be able to make a difference.

Megan Yelaney:

Yeah, 100%. And it’s, it’s interesting when you kind of flip that and you’re so focused on the outcome and the income and the amount of clients and all of that, that’s when things really start to feel harder. And I don’t know, I’m sure you’ve experienced this, but I remember the year that we had the most growth was also the year that I started to like, oh yeah, I guess this is successful. I guess this is really— I knew it was,, but it almost, it was never driven truly by that. And then it was, and it flipped and I was like, oh no, no. I’m like so obsessed with that and I feel like it’s hurting my numbers almost. And I feel like in this last year, which we’re gonna talk about this term that you, you know, said before we started recording, the bounce back factor. I love that term.

Megan Yelaney:

Um, that’s really what I had to go through, uh, after like, oh wait, this isn’t why I started. I, I lost sight of why I started. I lost that excitement and the whole reason and the purpose behind it. Once I found that again, Look, everything started getting better again. I was like, oh, sales are up, profits up. Look at that. That’s so interesting. When I, not that I didn’t focus on it, but it all came back to doing work we love with people we love and really keeping that the main thing.

Megan Yelaney:

And that just sounds like that’s what kind of drove so much of what you’ve done over the years.

Allison Walsh:

Yeah, it has. And you know, just to piggyback on what you said, I’ve, it’s been a joy to watch you recommit to your purpose of like why you’re doing this. And, and thank you for putting that on stage too, because sometimes people make these decisions in their business and they’re not bringing their audience or their community along along with them. And like, you’ve been very visible around like, hey, it was time for me to shift, or like, you know. And that’s helpful too, because you go through these different seasons in your business where, you know, everything just feels like energetically it’s aligned, and then all of a sudden it’s not, and you’re like, why am I doing this? Yeah, yeah, that’s normal. But like, the faster that you can bounce back, or the faster that you can recommit to your why and really stay grounded in, in the reason why you’re doing it and who you’re meant to serve, that’s when, you know, everything starts firing on all cylinders. And when you, when you lose sight of that is when that, that lack of alignment really surfaces and it doesn’t feel as good, right? It’s not as fulfilling. And like, that’s super, super important because every stage of growth in your business is going to require you to show up as a, a slightly different version of yourself.

Allison Walsh:

Yeah. But you can’t lose track of like your zone of genius, why you’re doing this, what brings you joy. If you’re not able to continue to keep that front and center, then you’re not gonna have as much fulfillment in the work that you’re doing. And then you have to really reevaluate what’s going on.

Megan Yelaney:

For sure. And even you saying— I know before we started recording, we were talking about, you know, last year, and you’re so honest and open about this. Like, that’s how your, your whole first business started, you sharing about your eating disorder, sharing about that journey. So you’ve been vulnerable since the get-go, which on this podcast we like to ask, what’s something unusual that you’ve done? And you were saying, I think that’s a big one. Like, I didn’t get there eventually. We just went right out the gate. Like, we were like, hey, here’s what we’re struggling with. Here’s who we are.

Megan Yelaney:

So I wanna definitely talk about the bounce back factor, but first I’m curious, like, how has that been, I guess, emotionally, but also just how do you separate your being vulnerable, especially with such a big audience and people watching you and giving their feedback and then sharing their stories, which can be a lot of emotional taxing, right? Like, yes, you wanna take it, but it’s also, I’m a mom and I’ve got other things to do. How do you kind of separate the two? How do you like not have a vulnerability hangover, I guess?

Allison Walsh:

Is that— that’s a really good question. Um, my rule for my own self-preservation is I speak from the scar, not from the wound. So I give myself a little time to get past it before I’m like, here it is. But I also think it’s important for those that are comfortable sharing the hard times that they do, right? And they do so responsibly, whatever that looks like for them. Um, but it allows other people to not feel like They’re not good enough, that they’re not perfect. Like, you know, it’s just, there’s this connection piece that the more perfect you present yourself, the less relatable you are. Yeah. And in a world of like, I’m sorry, deepfakes and AI, which I love AI, like we have to find those connection moments and we have to be able to, you know, show other people what’s possible, but not just the highlight reel of what it is.

Allison Walsh:

And this like, you know, just cloud of perfection, like that’s not ever going to help other people have the courage and confidence to take a bet on themselves. Yeah. And so. So for me, you know, I started sharing my recovery journey because I never wanted anybody to walk through the same hell that I had lived through. I just didn’t. And I stayed in that treatment industry in the behavioral health space for years because I wanted to help other people, right? And, you know, when I think about just even the clients that I take on, everybody has a mission, but that mission is usually rooted in some type of pain or story or situation that was, you know, had forced them to make a change, whatever that looked like, right? And, um, Um, you know, for that, I love that. And you have to take care of yourself in the process. And so that’s why, like, I always want people to be in a good place.

Allison Walsh:

Even talking about failures in my own business, right? Like, sometimes I need the time to process and understand why it didn’t work so that I can come from a place of teaching and sharing so that other people don’t make that same mistake, right? And that’s, that’s really where it comes— what it comes down to.

Megan Yelaney:

100%. No, I couldn’t agree more. And I love that phrase, share from the scar, not the wound. I always say that too. And even like last year, I really, really struggled postpartum with business. I was like, who am I? People make this look so easy. They’re just like bouncing back, having six-figure launches right away. And I’m like, I feel more lost than ever in my business right now.

Megan Yelaney:

And I will say I felt lost before I got pregnant, so it just, it was unaligned already. And then once they came, it was like, oh, I can’t unsee this. And so I didn’t share that right away. I didn’t go, hey, I’m so confused and lost, hire me. You know, like then That’s not gonna instill confidence in people. I still was great at what I did. I still helped people, but that I eventually, once I found it again and got all that back, and now over a year later, a year and a half later, I can confidently share that story going, here’s not what I did wrong, but here’s what I learned and here’s what I wish I like did. Even if it’s just giving myself grace and not rushing this process and even simply knowing most people do feel lost during that time.

Megan Yelaney:

They’re just not saying it, you know, cuz they don’t wanna publicly talk about that.

Allison Walsh:

So.

Megan Yelaney:

So I love that you shared that. It’s like, give yourself that time and also just know that most people are struggling in some way and they’re just not talking about it.

Allison Walsh:

So even if that’s so important, yeah. And that’s why it’s so important to have people in your world that can help to like demystify or keep you grounded, right? So coaches, mentors, community, right? Networking groups, like people that are doing the same thing as you are or have been a few steps removed or above, like, or beyond where you are now, just to speak life back into you and be like, this is totally normal. It’s okay. This is, you know, like You know, here’s how we’re gonna get through it. 100%. Yeah. I mean, like last year, so when I left my corporate job, um, I had hired a fractional CMO to come in and just help, right? Cuz we were repositioning the business. Now this thing needs to really crank.

Allison Walsh:

I need to fully replace, uh, you know, everything that I was doing on the other side. And, you know, we were teeing up and investing a lot of resources in a launch, and I really thought that it was going to work the way that it needed to. Well, We had some mishaps and missteps, and it definitely did not materialize into what we thought it was going to be able to do. And it was one of those things where, you know, you kind of look in the mirror and you’re like, what the heck did I just do, right? Like, I was betting on this, and not only was I betting on this, I needed this to work, right? And like, just being again kind of in a vulnerable position where, you know, I’m looking at it going, this is a hefty amount of dollars that I need to make up for. This is going to be the thing. The thing doesn’t do what I need it to do. Now what? Right? And like kind of that, oh crap, or other words, moment. Yeah, yeah.

Allison Walsh:

It was just like, this is— this— I didn’t even envision this not going well. Yeah. Um, but again, to your point about what we were chatting about, like the bounce back factor is real. I gave myself a couple days to cry it out, be disappointed, discouraged, whatever it was going to be, have the feels, because it’s normal and you have to process this stuff. You can’t bottle it up because you’re going to take your regrets from the last failure and bring them with you if you don’t heal from it. And so I was like, okay, I have every right to be disappointed in this. Invested a lot in this. It didn’t work the way that I wanted it to.

Allison Walsh:

Now what? But because of that, I had flexed my muscle in some other places that I hadn’t yet done before. So I looked at it and like, okay, what did I learn from this, right? Like, how am I stronger than I was before? What am I gonna take with me into the next situation? What am I not, right? Most importantly, what am I not gonna repeat again? And what’s cool and consistent, and can I make up for this income right now, right? And so it was just, you know, did I, did I have to take on a couple other projects to be able to make up for it? Yeah, but like, they ended up turning into other things that were actually way cooler than the initial launch was going to. So I’m like super grateful for it. And, um, but again, it’s like, I am so much wiser and smarter because of that launch that didn’t go well than probably I would’ve been if it did. And it gave me the confidence to just say, you know what, I know what I’m doing now with this particular area and avenue and arena, and I’m not afraid to bet on myself again because I’m wiser and smarter and I can run faster now because I’m not doing it for the first time. Yeah.

Megan Yelaney:

Oh, I love that. I love how you first said that, like, give yourself the chance to be upset. I have a client going through a launch right now and the initial feedback was not, again, not what we thought with the numbers and the engagement. We’re like, what’s happening? And I was like, hey, you’re allowed to be upset. Don’t just try to positive patty this. Like, It’s really frustrating because everything— see, the stars were aligned. What happened? You know, and then we can do kind of some recon, turn it around, talk it through, you know, all of that, and, you know, reposition ourselves. But I’m so glad you mentioned that because I think it’s so quick to just go, well, that sucked, that’s a failure, okay, let’s move to the next, or pretend, well, let me just look at the positive.

Megan Yelaney:

It’s like, no, that sucked, and we can be mad at it. It’s okay. Just such a big step that I think people don’t— like, they bottle it down. And that’s why, like you said, they keep taking it to the next. I did that for so long. And I think, you know, it was when the market— I mean, started changing obviously so long ago, especially in 2020. But then I, I really started to feel it in 2022, like, start to really change again from— like, it was like a comedown from COVID almost, right? From that big surge. And I started to feel it and kind of ignored it and just pretended like It’s okay.

Megan Yelaney:

We’re just gonna keep doing what we’ve always done. We’re gonna be fine. We have a brand, we’re all this, you know what I mean? And then I really felt it when my boys were born and I was like, okay, not only are we so different, but it is a different space. We cannot operate the way we used to. We have to change things around. And it, I, I’m so grateful for them for many reasons, obviously, but one is that they forced me, becoming a mom literally forced me to make these changes. But it was stuff that like I just wanted to ignore, so So, you know, to your point, not only do those failures like, you know, humble us and make us go, okay, we still gotta keep our, our chops sharp, but it helps us really adjust to what we need to do now in the moment. Cuz the online space changes so fast, so incredibly fast.

Megan Yelaney:

So I just, I’m really grateful that you shared that cuz I think it’s also helpful whenever I share failures now, people are so happy. Not because they’re happy that I fail. I’m not alone. But they’re like, oh my gosh, even you being, you know, over 10 years in a business, you’re still having, you know, you’ve been in business for so many years, you’ve had so so many different businesses, you think, oh, Allison, just everything’s perfect, everything goes exactly according to plan, everything she touched turns to gold. It’s like, nope, she also has some tough times too.

Allison Walsh:

Yeah, no, absolutely.

Megan Yelaney:

Absolutely.

Allison Walsh:

And agility is really important, right? So agility, bounce back, you know, the, the mindset, right? Like, you can’t be in this space and have, you know, anything but a growth mindset. Like, you have to be willing to take risks, you have to be willing to grow, you have to be willing to try things. And like, that’s just my mindset, is like, every single week I am learning intentionally I am seeking out new information. What’s applicable to my business? How can we fold this in? How can this be useful to our clients? Right? Like, I love running ahead and figuring things out, even if it is the hard way, because I’m gonna be able to take it back to my community, my clients, and be able to share it in a way in which is really helpful and really meaningful. But it does require a mindset that’s like, you know what? It’s okay if it doesn’t work out perfect 100% of the time because I’m gonna learn, I’m gonna grow, I’m gonna be better for it. It.

Megan Yelaney:

So yeah, thank you. I just— I think you sharing that is so helpful for others to go, okay, even Allison’s gonna have these struggles at this, you know, seasoned— to use that word— seasoned. I’m 38, so I’m right behind you. And when people say that, I’m like, okay, that makes me sound old.

Allison Walsh:

Like, come on. But meanwhile, I have a hair appointment to cover my grays tomorrow. So here we are.

Megan Yelaney:

I am starting to see them, and I’m like, what?

Allison Walsh:

This feels too young.

Megan Yelaney:

But one of my friends started much earlier, so she reminded me of that. I was like, yes, true. I’m very— I’m Well, it’s just starting now, so that’s fine. Oh, that’s hysterical. Um, one thing that you said that I’d just love to quickly visit it when we were off camera before we started recording was that you started a business with a friend, a really good friend, and you guys kind of like almost out of nowhere started it. You were like, had a couple glasses of wine and went, all right, we gotta do this business. And you took a risk, whether it was calculated or not, and you just mentioned taking risks. One, I’d love you to share a little bit about that experience, but also I think taking risks is something that is just inherent in being an entrepreneur.

Megan Yelaney:

And I think there’s this fine line between like a risk that can lead to something and a risk that’s just like, I guess, irresponsible, if you will. And sometimes I find people struggle to navigate, how do I know which risk this is? Does that make sense?

Allison Walsh:

Oh, totally. Yeah. So yeah, I’ll paint the picture, um, for this particular business. This ended up being a risk definitely worth taking. Um, so I’ll start with that and it was was probably 3 of my favorite years in business, like just this particular chapter. Um, but my, one of my really good friends, um, you know, we’re godmothers of each other’s children, right? Like that’s how close we are. So, um, but she had a similar business as I did and we were both coaching and consulting and, you know, pretty much like once a week we would have Tijuana Flats and some wine and like that was our thing. And, uh, you know, we were sitting on her living room floor and I can distinctly remember it like it was yesterday, me saying to her like, I don’t understand why we’re both doing this separately.

Allison Walsh:

Like, we could totally just do this together. We should open a studio and like just do this thing. And she was like, you know what, I think that sounds like a great idea. I’m tired of like working out of the house. She was like birthing humans left and right. She’s like, I need to get away from my kids. I was like, I only have one, that’s fine, um, but let’s go. Um, and so that particular day, like the next morning, we both woke up and we were both just like so lit up about the thought of like building something really cool together.

Allison Walsh:

And in that industry that we were, we we were building this, nobody had really done it this way. Um, what we wanted to do would, for many, probably have been considered crazy, but we had enough proof of concept and client base to jump from to believe in our ability to do so. And so, like, the next 30 days, we literally found, um, a coaching studio. We committed to doing the thing. We made it— we signed a 2-year lease. Like, so there’s a commitment right there, right? Overhead, real overhead, right? This This was kind of before online coaching was super cool. Um, so, and she’s not techie, so it took me like several years to convince her to even try that. But anyways, we jumped and it was wild.

Allison Walsh:

Like we had an open house a couple months later, it was packed. We had borrowed $10,000 to be able to start it, paid that back instantly. Like this thing just started to flourish. Um, like our, an industry magazine reached out to us, put us on the COVID of the magazine like right away. They’re like, nobody’s doing this. Like we wanna get behind what you’re doing and share your message. And it It was wild. Like, clients were flying in from all over the country.

Allison Walsh:

Now meanwhile, I had just started at that startup that I told you guys about, like the, the, you know, second employee hired and scaling. And meanwhile, in that window, within 6 months, we had driven so much demand in that business that we had partnered with private equity and had done a deal with Goldman Sachs. Like, so like both things are taking off. It was wild, but it was so fun and we loved it and we were getting great results. Our clients were super happy. We had so much demand, like we were meeting the needs, like, and we having so much fun doing it. Um, so, you know, happy ending, you know, so to speak. We did that for 3 years.

Allison Walsh:

Um, she ended up having 4 kids in 5 years and she’s like, I’m out. I, you know, had an opportunity to step up within the organization, um, that I was a part of. And it was just like a nice time to say, okay, we’re done with this particular chapter. And then from that point, like, I did lean into the online space. That’s when my business model really did pivot. So again, like, I could have been sad and been like, oh, we’re done. But instead I was I was like, what else can I do, right? Like, clearly I can build a business. Um, so it was fun.

Allison Walsh:

Um, but you know, I think on the calculated risk, you need to make sure that you’re not going to put yourself in a position that could be catastrophic to your life, right? Like, I think, like, sometimes I see people— there was one woman, and she was not a client of mine, I had talked to her at one point, but she had, like, completely drained her savings and 401k to, like, come up with this concept that she very much believed in, but she had no proof of concept, right? Like, hadn’t tested the market, hadn’t done her diligence or her work to like really understand if this was going to be something viable. Um, and she lost a lot of money doing it, right? And so I think there’s definitely steps that you need to take. Like, you need to have a really clear customer avatar, right? Whatever you refer to it as. You need to know that the market wants what it is that you’re about to sell or solve for them, right? Like, those are things that you have to do before you just like blow it all up. Um, but like, once you start to get momentum, once you start to that like there’s interest in what it is that you’ve got. Like, that’s where I think it is fun to take calculated risk. Like, I’m about to do that. So we have multiple divisions underneath our consulting agency.

Allison Walsh:

We have broken one of those off with the intention of selling this asset probably in the next 2 to 3 years. And we’re going to run hard at this. Um, so y’all can watch from the sidelines. It’s going to be fun, but it’s— we are taking a lot of risk in this particular lane because I want to drive as much value for that business as I possibly can over the next couple of years because I want to sell I can sell it, right? And I know there’s a market for it. So it’s like when I know and I’ve got confidence in it. Now, will I make mistakes along the way? Yes. Will I stumble and fall? Yes. But do I have a safety net that I’ve created for myself? Absolutely.

Allison Walsh:

So that I’m never in a position where I can’t pay my mortgage, I can’t take care of my family. You know what I mean? Like there’s bills to pay around here. So yeah, of course that’s, that’s when I look at it and I say like, are you in a position that you can? And again, calculated risk looks a lot different depending on what stage and phase you are in your business.

Megan Yelaney:

Stress. Yeah, of course. And that’s where I think, like, I’ve worked with certain clients who quitting a job, for example, um, lights a fire under them and they’re like, okay, now it’s go time. And then I’ve worked with clients who doing that before they’ve replaced their income just adds this insane stress, and they’re coming at their business from the stressed place. And so everyone works a little differently. So I think, like, to your point, it’s also knowing your energy and how you show up. Like you said, having that, like, it’s not a fallback plan, but it’s a, an, a nest egg. It’s something like to regulate your nervous system so that you’re like, like last year when, when I was like, I don’t even know if I want a business anymore, Mike, to my husband, I’m like, you need to start over again.

Megan Yelaney:

I knew when I said that, even though that was scary, cuz we live on Long Island, it’s an expensive place to live, and just, just our life, you know, it, it just is. I couldn’t just stop cold turkey and not have something. And we did have savings, we, we had other things in place. He started his business again. So I knew when I said that, I was like, I can say this knowing that I can feel comfortable if that’s the decision. But a few years ago, I definitely couldn’t, you know, and I had to make— the risks that I took had to be, like you said, a little bit more calculated. So I think just like, I love that you shared that because it’s so easy to go, just take risks, go for it. But if your nervous system is like freaking out the whole time, it’s probably not gonna work out the way you want, right? Even with all of those things that you laid out.

Megan Yelaney:

So I love that you, you shared that and, and I just think it shows like I’m like, your, your ability to pivot and adapt is why you’ve had so much success. And that is entrepreneurship. And I think sometimes we hold so tightly onto, this is my business, this is my business model, this is how I do it. I probably am not going to have this business I have today in 5 years.

Allison Walsh:

I don’t—

Megan Yelaney:

it’s probably gonna look different. It’s gonna evolve. It’s gonna change. And, and because I look at my business 4 years ago, completely different. So I think just also when you can have that like mentality and really take on so much of the energy that you’re sharing, it’s so fun. And it’s like, what’s next? What’s that next adventure versus, oh, I, I, I have to make this work forever kind of, kind of feeling like, will this be forever?

Allison Walsh:

Don’t even think about that. It doesn’t even matter. Well, can I share like a fun little story of just like the failed launch that ended up turning into something fabulous? So failed launch involved some course stuff that we were building out, which required me, like, I like to be in a studio and I like to record content well. I had found a new studio that I really loved and I was in there just producing, right? And I was also bringing clients in that were also producing content and, um, started just to record some of the podcast episodes in there cuz I was like, why not? I’m here, I’ve paid for the time. Like let’s just dabble over here. Yeah. So I kept going in, kept going in, kept going in and we ended up making like this great relationship happen at this particular studio. They end up starting a podcast network.

Allison Walsh:

They chose one creator to take on as like their creator of the year that they were going to really invest in and run with, and I was that creator. So had I not been in there doing the thing, yeah, learning the hard way, right, having some success with a lot of the other things that I was doing out of there, I never would have built that relationship. They never would have seen how I work with my clients. They never would have seen the results that I get, right? They never would have really done a deep dive into our podcast like, and I signed a 2-year contract with them. Like, how cool is that, right? And this thing that started during the pandemic as like a passion project is now its own business, right? Like, that’s so cool, right? And, you know, they’ve seen me bring sponsors in and, you know, all of these things that had I not just been in there doing the thing, like doing it messy and figuring it out, like with all these other content that I was recording, I never would have developed that relationship. I never would have ended up joining this network. I never would have really monetized this podcast to the extent that I have. Like, like, and it was all just serendipitous, right? Like it wasn’t the initial intention of me being in there, didn’t materialize into what I initially thought.

Allison Walsh:

I mean, we’ve since had great launches since then, but you know, like that particular starting point, what I was there doing at first, and here we are now. And that was a year ago.

Megan Yelaney:

I love that. I think that’s such a, I always say like you get, it’s going to lead to what you need, right? It happens. It’s not for a reason. And that’s, I mean, yes, that’s true, but it’s a little, you know, cliché. But it’s like, I always find like, what was the purpose of that failed launch? What was the purpose of that not working out or that client not signing or that client leaving or whatever it is for you? There’s always, you can see it down the line. You’re like, oh, that led to this, which led to that, which led to that. And I wouldn’t have been able to take this on if, you know, and it just, it’s really, it’s really incredible. And I think your story and just all of the different facets of your business is such proof in this.

Megan Yelaney:

You have so much, but like we didn’t really, we we, we didn’t tap into the knowledge that you have on branding and creating a brand. You could never have done what you’ve been doing all these years and pivot so quickly without a solid brand. But I know you have really amazing trainings, um, and you’re gifting my audience something. So share a little bit about that so that they can go snag that.

Allison Walsh:

Oh yeah, I mean, I could talk all day about branding, um, because to your point, like, my brand is a business and I’ve helped so many other amazing people build their brands and turn them into their businesses too. So your audience is going to get the Shine Bright Brand Building Blueprint. It’s a quick mini training just to see kind of how I coach, how I develop, and some of the resources that are in there that can help you. So if you like the way that I’m just like, ah, here we are, it’s in there. So, um, I welcome you to get in there and really just follow the framework. It helps to start to think of, you know, what steps do you need to take to really start to build your brand? Um, but you know, beyond that, I share a lot on the She Believes She Could podcast around personal branding. That’s one of my favorite things to talk about. It’s all in the She Believes She Could book as well, which again, just such another wonderful experience and example of like when you build your brand, people want to, to learn from you and they want to be guided by you.

Allison Walsh:

So the book is full of those resources and wisdom, um, as well. And then we have our on-demand. So Build Your Brand On Demand is our signature course that we have, and, and that’s just a, a wonderful resource if you want to do a deep dive. Um, I’ve got some frameworks and things that have just worked so beautifully over the years and, and make it really easy again to make it not about you, even though it’s your personal brand. It’s about how your story and your uniqueness can be leveraged and, and turned into such good for those that you want to serve. So that’s really the philosophy behind it all, and I would love for everybody listening to take advantage of that.

Megan Yelaney:

Yeah, well, we’ll link all of that below, and that’s like music to our ears. We love hearing that on— in this world, right? Business not as usual and really defining your edge, like, that all is such perfect, like, symbioticness with what we talk about over here. So I know my people are like perked up and really excited. So I will make sure to put all that in the show notes. Thank you so much for coming back for a second round. This was so fun, so beautiful. I just appreciate your openness and just really willingness to share the hard times. Like, that’s what I really want to bring to this, so that people can see these successful people and look up to them and go, oh, and they even had a hard time, like, now, like, last year, like, very recently.

Megan Yelaney:

I’m— I’m— they’re human too. So it’s, it’s just helpful. So thank you so much, Allison. This was wonderful.

Allison Walsh:

Well, thank you so much for having me on the show. Great to spend time with you as always.

Megan Yelaney:

Yes. All right guys, we’ll see you in the next one.