ep. 036 • Stop With the Drama, Business is About Numbers

Chelsea: Tell the truth, friends, have you fallen trap to allowing your feelings, emotions, and beliefs about your own capacity get in the way of you growing your business?

In this episode, I'm sharing how you bringing the drama is actually keeping you from paying attention to the most important thing that will grow your business. Here, we're going to chat about the things that you actually need to focus on and how, sometimes, those things may be a little bit triggering, but how you have to be committed to your or big audacious goals if you want to see success. You ready? Let's go.

Welcome to the Hennapreneur podcast – the exclusive podcast of its kind dedicated to giving you an honest look at the realities of making a living as a henna professional.

I'm your host, Chelsea Stevenson, a tea-loving, shoe-collecting mother of three in constant search for the most popping pair of earrings and the perfect shade of red lipstick.

I'm also a professional henna artist and business strategist who went from barely being able to piece together a fluid design to being the owner of the most celebrated henna boutique in my city.

I'm on a mission to help henna professionals, to harness their skills and grow vibrant, profitable businesses that they absolutely love.

If you want to make more money with your art, you are definitely in the right place. Let's get to it!

Hey, hey, hennapreneurs! Welcome to another episode of the Hennapreneur Podcast!

Today, I am at your throats with a little bit of tough love, but it comes from a place of truly wanting to see you be successful. And this is something that I've been sitting on for a little while. And I, sometimes, I have to tell you the truth, hennapreneurs. I laugh a little bit because every time I have like this urge, desire, whatever, to just tell y'all to your face the things you need to hear.

I always kind of get a little bit nervous and I feel myself, like, tensing up and I'm like, "Ooh, I don't know if I want to say that because they're not really going to want to hear it," even though I know it's what you need to hear. And, you know, I'll press send on that email or I'll press publish on the podcast or I'll post  that live in the Facebook group and I'll say the things, and then I'll get this influx of, like, responses from you guys. And you're like, "No, I really needed to hear that. That was exactly what I needed to hear. How are you in my head?" Like, "How did you know that I was thinking this thing?" Or you know, "This is exactly what I needed."

And so, in an effort for me to, honestly, be more honoring of my own intuition and just to really show up even more aligned and even more in my purpose and in what I want to do here, which is to help you be successful, I'm releasing a number of coming up episodes that are really just going to be at your neck. And, um, just know that it's, it's with love, but also it's to help you get your life right, okay? Your whole life, your whole business, I want it snatched, and I want it snatched right now.

So, today, I am talking with you about how I want you to stop with the drama. Friends, stop with the drama that's making your business, like, this whole theatrical scene. Understand that your business is about numbers, that's it. There doesn't have to be drama around whether or not you're successful. There doesn't have to be drama around whether or not you can do the things. There doesn't have to be drama around whether you can, you know, see X number of clients or make X number of bookings or generate X number of revenue that doesn't have to be a whole, like, show. It really doesn't. And I'm honestly kind of reaching a limit where I'm like, y'all! Y'all, you are getting in your own way.

So let's talk about all that drama, because let's be real, all of that drama most frequently comes down to limiting beliefs that you have around what you are able to do and how you're able to do it. And when you come with all that drama to the table, the only one who suffers is you and by proxy your clients or your audience suffers, right?

Your clients suffer in that they don't see the great benefit that you offer them. They don't see how coming to get their henna done with you is going to, you know, better their lives and better their experiences. So you are literally taking away from them the opportunity to get what they need, also. And then, of course, on the opposite side, your family, your, your legacy, this thing that you're wanting to build also suffers because you're not stepping into your purpose and you're not stepping into your power, and you're not stepping into your ability and really owning the fact that what you want is to have this, you know, to have this thriving henna practice.

And so, all of that drama, all of those limiting beliefs, they are getting in your own way, and they're only coming from you. And that's a really hard pill to swallow, but friends, it's just what it is.

So what do these limiting beliefs look like? Oftentimes, when I, you know, hear from my students or when I hear from consulting clients or even just inside of the Hennapreneur Community and such, I'll kind of pick up on language that you guys use. I'll pick up on things that folks say that is consistent. And it's like, fam, you're making this about everyone else and this is, this is yo' stuff. This is yo' stuff.

So like, one of the most common ones that comes up is like, "I can't make money because-" whatever. So like, "I can't make money with my art because nobody buys henna."

"I can't make money because, you know, I've got kids at home."

"I can't make money with my art because I'm not good enough,"  right?

"I can't make money because I don't have enough time."

"I can't make money because there's no one that's going to pay the rates that I want."

"Henna is never going to provide enough revenue because that's something that people only do at festivals."

"Henna is never going to be able to provide me with enough revenue because that's something that people only do for weddings and I don't want to do bridal work. I want to work in this thing instead."

 Like, there's constantly excuses and I'm really just calling those what they are. There are constant excuses that come to the forefront and I'm like, friends, you're in your own way.

"I can't make money because, you know, I've got my full-time job that I'm working too."

 I can't go all in on my business because, you know, I'm supporting my partner"

Ooh, this is one that comes up a lot: I'm supporting my partner as they're reaching their goals. Hello! I'm supporting my partner as they're, you know, doing the things to reach their goals, and I'm just going to keep mine on the back burner until some day/one day, whatever. And I don't know about y'all, but I've never seen a calendar with some day/one day on it. Just saying.

Like, all of these beliefs come up and oftentimes the "I can't do this because...." is followed by a reason that is, honestly, very poor. It's very poor. And it's something that if, if you were to hear a friend say that reason, if you were to hear a friend give that reason, you'd probably look at them sideways too, because you want what's best for them. And you can see them just kind of, like, throwing up things in the way. "Oh, no, no, no, no!" And oftentimes that comes down to fear and often, most often, it comes down to fear around whether or not you'll be successful and whether or not you're good enough.

So what I see, typically, in coaching is it comes to one of two things: the "I'm not good enough for this" and it's like this weird, like, self-sabotaging, like, I don't value my art. I don't value my skills. A lot of, like, worthiness issues that are there. And, oftentimes, that ties back to, like, past traumas, past stories, past histories that we've experienced.

And please understand, like, as I'm sharing this, this is not like a "this is a y'all's problem". No, this is something that comes up for me as well. This is something that is a human experience, right? We're fashioned by the... the occurrences that we experienced in our life, right? And so, every time we encounter something or any time that we have a hardship or every, every experience that we have speaks to and informs the way that we perceive ourselves in the world around us.

And so this is not me at all saying, you know, "Well, you know, this is just an excuse and it comes from nowhere. And just because you've got this excuse, like, that makes you a horrible person." No, absolutely not. All of us have our reasons for feeling this way. All of us have our reasons for feeling unworthy of success. All of us have our reasons for feeling like we can't make it, or we won't make it. And also, all of us have to make the cognitive decision that we're going to go for it anyway. The only way that we can rewrite those beliefs is by taking action. That's going to allow for us to see a different result and when you see that different result then, and only then, do you solidify this new belief, right? You're rewriting your belief systems. You solidify this new belief that," yes, I am capable" and "yes, I can do the things", but that doesn't just come out of thin air. That comes from taking action.

So, oftentimes, there's like this worthiness piece around, like, I'm not good enough or like these feelings of inadequacy that keep us kind of tied to our limiting beliefs. And then, the other side, the flip side is, well, what if it works? What if it works? What happens if I get out there and I do the thing and it actually is successful, right? I launch my henna business or I go all in on my henna business and then clients start coming and then I have this responsibility and then I start making a certain amount of money and then I have this different perception of myself and of my business and others have a different perception of me, too. What does that say about me? What does that mean about me? What does that mean about my business and where I stand in the marketplace and in my community, and like, you know, in my family. How does this affect these roles? How does that affect and impact my identity? That is the other piece. And the reason I say that it's a fear of success is that, oftentimes ,what I hear first is actually, "No, Chelsea, it's, it's... I'm afraid I'm going to fail." There's this fear of failure, but when you start to dig around in what the fear of failure is, oftentimes, oftentimes, what we end up coming up with is, actually it's fear of success. Failure, we can deal with. Like, failure, you know, it's embarrassing and whatnot and like, that's a whole 'nother thing for a whole 'nother episode.

I don't believe, you know, failure is really a thing. I believe that we learn lessons with every experience that we have and, like, that is my belief system. So I don't even buy into that rhetoric, but, oftentimes, what I hear first is, "Well, I'm afraid that I'm going to fail." And then when we actually start to get in there and interrogate that further, it's not even so mucha fear of failure, there's often a bigger fear of: what if it works? Then what, how does that change? Who I am and what I do? How does that change? Who I am, you know, inside of my home or inside of my community. And what does that mean about me and this new identity that I'm- I don't yet align with? I aspire to, but I'm not there yet. How do I, you know, what will that be? What will that look like? How do I know that that's going to actually be a good fit?

And that, oftentimes, is much more terrifying or daunting than the fear of failure in and of itself., So, often it's these two things that kind of bring people to a place where they're like: I'm not willing to take the next step or I'm not willing to go all in on my business. And so all of this, it does, it's like this there's culmination of these dramatic beliefs that inform the decisions that we make and the actions that we take and ultimately from doing what we need to get the results we want. And that is to have that thriving, profitable, sustainable henna business, right?

So this is where I'm going to say: can we cut all the bullshit? I hope the kids aren't around for this episode because I just-. Listen, I'm telling you I'm fired up. I want us to cut the drama, okay? Can we cut it out please? Can we cut it out?

Business is about numbers, friends. Business is about numbers. Your feelings, and listen, all of those feelings are valid. There is a space for them. I believe that we, you know, we must approach business holistically. We cannot ignore our human experience as the business owner. We are the conduit for this bigger vision that we have for ourselves and the way that we show up and serve our communities and the human experience does include the management of those feelings that we have, but feelings are not a metric of growth, okay? Feelings are not a metric of growth, but numbers are. And that is why we need to stop allowing for the, you know, these, these feelings to create drama inside of our business that doesn't have to exist. There's not a need for it, right?

When you're approaching your business, we have to take out our person from our business. Our business is an entity in and of itself. It has its own, you know, strengths. It has its shortcomings. It has opportunities for improvement. And none of those things are indicative of who you are as a person. None of those things are actually tied to you and your identity if you've set your business up properly, okay. We have to remove our own sense of self-worth and our own sense of identity and our own sense of 'this is who I am' and 'what this means about me'. We have to stop personalizing our businesses, okay? Feelings aren't a metric of growth that is going to help you to reach the next level or to reach the level of success that you're hoping for, right? But those numbers are.

So, what numbers am I talking about? I'm talking about your KPIs – your Key Performance Indicators, okay? What is the purpose of your business, friends? Why are we here, hennapreneurs? You are here to make a living wage. You are here to make a solid wage, right? You are here to make meaningful revenue with your art. Period. So you are here to make money, okay? So the only numbers that you should be paying attention to are the numbers that are speaking to whether you are hitting that goal or not, okay? I'm not talking about your freaking follower count, okay? Like, let's just get that out there.

Friends, I was making full-time income with my henna business when I had 1200 followers on Instagram. 1200. Like 1,200, okay? That's like next to nothing, all right?

I'm not talking about those vanity metrics. I'm talking about KPIs that actually speak to the revenue that you're generating inside of your business.

There are three types of KPIs that I suggest that you look to, right? We're looking for traffic, we're looking for engagement, and we're looking for conversion. Those are the three key things that you need to have your eye on at all times. And that is where, friends, y'all, that is where you get to then start to assess, okay? Are things working or are they not working?

Traffic: are people coming to your pages? Are people stopping by your website? Are people going to your Instagram or to your Facebook? How many people have you placed your business in front of?

We have to stop playing small. Listen, it is so, so easy to be like, "Oh, I'll never grow my business."

"Oh, I'm not getting enough bookings."

"Oh, my, my marketing sucks."

Yeah. Okay. Well, it's easy to feel that way. It's easy to feel that. Okay, but are you doing the things? Are you paying attention to the things that would allow for you to access data that actually shows you how you're doing? Or are you just wallowing in self pity because we are your own worst critic. These are real questions that require real answers, friends. All right? So I want you, you know, looking to your traffic.

What does your traffic look like? How many people are being exposed to your business every week, every month, every quarter? That is how you're going to know how your business is performing, right? This is one of your KPIs.

So from traffic, those are the people who are exposed to your business. After that, we need to be looking at how they're engaging, okay? Are they seeing your business but they just don't care? Because that's, that's an issue. That tells you that there's something wrong with your messaging, right? There's something off. You're in front of the wrong people. Sure, you're getting the eyeballs, but they're not the right eyeballs. They're not qualified leads. So, if there's a hiccup there, Oop, there that tells you what you need to fix, right?

So you'll look at your engagement. How are people engaging? Are they actually responding to your posts? Are they responding to your calls to action? Are they taking the time to engage you? Are they sharing? Are they sending your stuff to their friends? Are they filling out the form to get a quote from you? What is happening there? Are they raising their hand and saying, "Yes, I would love to, you know, I want to come and visit you. I want to get my henna done with you." The only way that you're going to know that is if you're paying attention to your KPIs, right? And so, that is going to be a very clear indicator of, are you reaching the right people?

And then that final piece is the conversion, the actual sale, right? And then of course, please understand, there, there are different types of conversions that we can talk about, and that's something that we can talk about in another time. There are multiple types of conversions that you might be looking for.

So you might be looking for someone to, you know, sign up for your email list so that you can send them more regular and direct contact inviting them to come and get their henna done with you. You might be actually asking for them to book a party. You might be asking for them to book an appointment. You might be asking for them to you know, to, to host you at their upcoming event, whatever that is, whatever that conversion is, they take an action that's going to yield a specific result. That's going to be revenue generating for you.

Whatever that conversion is, how's that looking? How's that look. How many people are taking the action that you're asking for them to take?

And this is my, my friends, this is where–oh my gosh–hennapreneurs I just hope that you're hearing me so, so clearly right now, because this is where I say your feelings cannot be attached to these numbers.

You are going to have a number for traffic, a number for engagement, a number for conversions or actual sales, actual bookings, right? And those numbers, at each level, they are going to drop off. They will drop off. So you're going to go from having, you know, for example, a hundred people who viewed your henna content. A hundred people counted towards traffic and maybe perhaps only, you know, 50-60% of those people move on and actually engage. And let me tell you, 50 to 60% engagement, that would be a solid win.

And what does that also say? That means that somewhere between 40 to 50% of those people are saying, "No, this person isn't for me."

And let me tell you what, there are going to be days inside of your business, where you're going to be like, "Oh man, 50% of people said they don't like it." And you know what? You cannot allow your feelings to drive you to then play small, to then want to go hide out, to then say, "Oh, this isn't working." That's not how business works, hennapreneurs. Okay?

So you'll find that there's going to be a drop-off between traffic to engagement and then from engagement to conversion, because guess what? Just because people find you entertaining, just because people enjoy your content, just because people enjoy watching you create these videos where you're making these beautiful henna designs or sharing these photos and doing all these things, that doesn't mean they're actually going to book.

You have to be, you know, well aligned. You have to have the right offer in front of the right audience at the right time and with the right messaging. That is how you get your conversions.

So if your conversions are at 2%, 2%, that's two out of the hundred people that you, you know, were in front of that week, then guess what? You're doing an okay job. But, but if you allow space for it, you will create all sorts of drama in your mind saying, "Oh, I'm not good enough. Only two people out of those hundred bought," or "I'm not good enough. Only 10 people out of that hundred bought," but let me tell you what, a 10% conversion rate is killer. Killer!

We have to get away from the drama we have. We have to get away from the drama and we have to stop just allowing our emotions to drive the direction that we're headed inside of our business. It's not how you are going to be successful.

Hennapreneurs, I need you to stop treating your business like a hobby. And I want you to stop treating your business like it's your best friend. It's not. It is an entity that you are building to generate wealth for yourself and to build a legacy for yourself. And that machine that you're building requires care. On the days that you don't feel like it, it still requires care. On the days that you're tired, it still requires care. On the days when, you know, that 98% of people who said no to you feels like a shot to the gut, guess what? Your business still needs you to show up and your audience, the right people, those people who do want to book with you, they are waiting. And if you don't show up for them, guess what? They're going to miss out on the experience and what a disservice to them.

Stop treating your business like a hobby. You won't reach success if you're not willing to commit. You have to be committed to this. And I'm going to be really, really, real here, as long as I've been doing what I've been doing, as long as I've been in the industry, both as a henna professional and as long as I've been consulting for other business owners, let me tell you, there are so many of us out here acting like we want to have a business and we're choosing not to commit because then we can say if things don't work out, "Oh, I wasn't. It was just... it was just for fun. It was just, I don't know. I did well, I wasn't really all in, so..." and then it's easy for us to like, dust under the rug what feels like failure, but you know what?

You, if that's you, if you find yourself in that place where you're like, "I'm not willing to commit. I haven't committed yet because ehhh..." or you find yourself in that place where we're like, "Oh, well, you know what? It's fine. Yeah. I, you know, I didn't– I posted those things on social, but I didn't get any bookings, but it's fine 'cause you know, I didn't, I didn't really, I wasn't really there for it. I, just, you know, I just tossed something up."

Come on! You are lying to yourself and yourself only. And the only one who is suffering from that is you and your bank account. Period. Okay? Like, we have to stop with this foolery.

Do you want to have a business? Because if that's the case, then this is work and it deserves to be treated with respect and it deserves to be treated as the entity that it is. And if you mean business about your henna business, then you need to stop bringing the drama and start looking at your numbers, okay.

So, y'all done seen. I got all sorts of excited with this episode, and I hope that it's landing with you. And I really do hope that you heed what I'm saying, because the drama that we're bringing into this equation gets you nothing. And I want you to be focused on those things that are actually going to lead you to success, but they're only going to lead you to success if you pay attention to them and you course correct appropriately. And if you're not doing those things, then friends, you're going to be stuck. And I don't want to see you stuck anymore. So that's what I've got for you.

Listen, you'll have to tell me, have you been guilty of putting your feelings all up in your business decisions? Have you been guilty of bringing all sorts of drama into your business? Have you been guilty of ignoring the numbers that matter instead? If so, it's okay! Baby, I still love you. That's why I'm here to get your life in order. That's why I'm here to help you get snatched, okay?

So come pop over into the Hennapreneur.com/community. We can chat a little bit about what this might look like for you. I would love to see you commit to getting away from some of these feelings, getting away from some of these limiting beliefs, and to get away from bringing drama into your business, right? I would love to see you commit.

So if that's you, hop over into the Hennapreneur Community and just drop a little post for me and say, "Chelsea, I'm committed to my business #nomoredrama" okay? If you'll share that, you know, make that post inside the group, that would bring me so much joy. And I'll know to keep eyes on you, right? Me and Team Hennapreneur, we'll keep eyes on you to help support you and push you and continue to encourage you as you're securing the bag, you know, reaching those big audacious goals that you have for yourself now and moving forward. All right, with this, I'm wrapping up. I will talk to you guys later! Bye!

Hey friend. I just want to give you a quick, thank you for tuning into this episode of the Hennapreneur podcast. And I hope that you're really enjoying connecting with me in this way. You can find links to all of the content shared today in the show notes, located at Hennapreneur.com/podcast.

If you enjoyed the show and would like to stay in the loop with Hennapreneur, be sure to subscribe to the podcast, too! You'll get access to all of the new episodes and to surprise bonus episodes  as soon as they're released. I'd be so grateful to you if you'd take a moment to rate and leave a review on Apple podcasts, as well. This helps me to reach more artists like you, who would love and benefit from the show.

 For more ways to connect and work with me or to join me inside of the Hennapreneur Community, pop over to Hennapreneur.com. I can't wait to support you as you chase your big audacious goals one henna design at a time.