Navigating Different Seasons in Life and Business / Ep. 432

welcome everybody to another episode of Bella in Your Business Uh I am so excited about today’s topic because it’s something that impacts everyone but I don’t believe it’s often talked about I don’t believe that it’s brought to the surface And um like many of these episodes they are inspired by actual conversations that I have with actual pet business owners And so today we’re going to dive right into examining what part of like what season of life you’re in because all those are natural cycles They have

different energy They have different motivations and focus and we all experience it as entrepreneurs and humans The thing is is when you’re in corporate it’s always make the numbers make the KPIs do it right But when you’re a business owner you are afforded a little bit of a different kind of thing You are where it starts and it ends And with the world always telling us hustle grind build scale and sometimes we feel like I don’t want to or I just don’t have the energy for it And it’s a season that we go through in

our life By season for those I want to be really clear I mean like a period of time okay and so sometimes we have workaholic seasons sometimes we have burnout seasons growth seasons and yes we do have rest seasons They’re all a part of the entrepreneurial journey And understanding how to navigate them can be the difference between a business that thrives very long term and one that burns out and fizzles quickly And so what I love about these concepts about seasons is it it gives you permission And that’s hopefully what I do today is

that I give you permission to be exactly where you are to acknowledge to think about where exactly you are And just like I wouldn’t expect summer and December at least in the northern hemisphere um there are certain times when energy um and approaches are totally natural in your business and then sometimes they’re completely unnatural So today we’re going to break down those different seasons learn how to recognize them and understand how to make them the most um of each one intentional rather than just reacting to

whatever comes your way Let’s My microphone was a little bit off here Segment number one Um we’re going to first go into understanding the different seasons because you probably don’t even like know what’s out there So I want you to understand that like understanding seasons gives you perspective when you’re in a difficult phase Recognizing uh it as seasons reminds you that it’s temporary right it passes There’s something else coming Um and that you’re not stuck there forever And I think that’s really really

important to remember as we talk today And if you’re amazing high energy phase um it it reminds you also to make the most of it while preparing for inevitable shifts It is not it is not possible to stay up here all the time You’re going to end up burning out right second fighting against your current situation causes so much more unnecessary stress It’s like swimming against the current If you’re in a natural rest season but you’re forcing yourself to operate like you’re in growth season then you’re literally

going to exhaust yourself and probably get mediocre results Not to mention it’s probably going to manifest in your body Okay Third and this is a big one comparing your season to someone else’s is the fastest way to feel inadequate or confused your petsitting colleagues or um competition or whatever might be in a massive growth season while you’re in a necessary season of rust after burnout And that is so deeply important because we all can’t be at the same season at the same time It’s just it’s not possible And it

doesn’t mean that they’re better at business than you but it just means that you’re in different cycles And if you watch closely you can see other people’s cycles as well The beautiful thing about seasons is that they naturally flow into one another Rest leads to renewed energy Growth eventually uh requires con consolidation Intense work periods often need to be followed by recovery It’s a natural rhythm Think about just the natural rhythm of going to a gym and all the different seasons that your body

goes through in that one instance But here’s the difference between successful business owners and those who struggle The successful ones are intentional with their seasons as opposed to just reacting to them They recognize the signs of their current season and they maximize what that season is good for and they proactively prepare for the transition of the next season They don’t just get dragged along by circumstances So as we go through these seasons I want you to think about which one like resonates

with you the most about where you are right now And I want you to be honest with yourself There’s no right or best season to be in They all literally serve a purpose and the larger journey of your business Now I could not talk about this and bring this to you unless I’ve actually done it before For those of you who know my story um I had a 12 oz baby 10 years ago and uh went through 2 years of severe trauma sitting in it All while I was trying to coach and run a six-f figureure petsitting company I did that

successfully because of systems and processes and those did not rely on me But then there became a season where I was like “Okay I’m done.” And I was like “No no no no Now it’s time for you to heal Now it’s time for you to go through uh therapy.” That was the time that I was on Zoloft for like 6 to9 months That was the time uh after a little bit after that I went through a divorce That was the time that I kind of reclaimed myself and understood things and decided who I wanted to be So I’m giving you that

little bit of overview right now so that you know that I’m not just talking to you I’m talking with you We’re going through this together And I know because I talk to all of you every single day that you all are going through different seasons And I try individually to remind you of that But that’s why I really needed to bring it to you today So let’s talk about the workaholic season first And it’s something that a lot of people are familiar with because it’s something that’s promoted so much by society It’s

the period um when you’re allin you’re working hours that are longer than usual Your mind is constantly on your business You’re probably sacrificing some personal time to make things happen In the workaholic season you have high energy towards work projects You might be excited to get up early or work late Ideas are flowing and you’re motivated to implement them right away You might even feel a little obsessed with your business in a good way During your business launch when you’re building the

foundation holiday rush periods and petsitting when the demand is high when you’re implementing new systems that require focused attention when you’re growing your team and need to be hands-on with training the key is to make the most of this high energy season without burning yourself out And here’s how You ready first set clear boundaries and end points Even in a workaholic season you need to know when to stop Maybe you decide to stop at 9:00 p.

m but after that no business talk or emails Maybe you prefer 7 days a week but take 2 hours every day for complete non-b businessiness activities It literally is whatever you want it to be but it has to be intentional It has to be something Second schedule recovery time Even during intense work periods you need to build in micro recoveries Maybe it’s a 30-minute walk between clients which is actually a really great idea Even if you don’t know where to go you can just walk around the block like again and again

and again Or maybe it’s a full day off after an intense week Okay again I want you to think about working out right you can’t just do a set of 12 right and then go into your next set You need rest in between Your muscles need that rest All right Third you’re going to maintain self-care I know it’s a buzz word but you can’t skip sleep or proper nutrition or basic movement and expect to maintain this space The workaholic season doesn’t mean neglecting your fundamental needs It just means channeling more energy

towards uh like for a defined period And fourth you want to communicate with your family and loved ones You want to let them know that this is just a season It’s not your new normal The problem is a lot of people get into this season and what happens is they end up isolating themselves because they’re always working They’re never available and friends and family stop asking them to do anything because they’re always so busy It’s the impression that you’re giving out there right and then one day

you wake up and you look around and you’re like I have no life I have no friends I have no family Nobody cares about me I’m isolated And then the depression starts in But I want you to be aware of some warning signs I want to give you some warning signs so you can know if this season is getting too dangerous for you When you start making very careless mistakes when your relationships start to suffer when your physical health is declining and when you no longer enjoy your work If you notice these signs it’s time to

intentionally transform out of this season That might mean delegating more pushing back deadlines or simply acknowledging that you’ve completed the push and now need a different energy Remember workaholic season can be powerful and productive when embraced in uh intentionally Just don’t try to live there year round Trust me it does not work All right let’s talk about a season that none of us want to really experience but we all do You want to pretend like it doesn’t happen stick your head in the sand la

um let me it and it’s burnout It’s tired season or burnout season So first let’s distinguish between like normal fatigue and actual burnout Okay normal fatigue is when you just need a good night’s sleep or a weekend Burnout is a deeper state of emotional physical mental exhaustion that doesn’t just end with a little bit of rest So like fatigue is like I’m tired and it’s a shortterm fix Burnout is like a long-term fix Okay and I know one of my dear friends is going through this right now where like

literally she was knocked on her butt for and it it manifested in her body and she’s a high powerhouse building amazing things and she was knocked down and she literally cannot work Every time she would work she would get sick and so she’s in this stage right now and this is extreme but where she literally can’t function Um so how do you know you’re in burnout season some signs could be like like constant fatigue headaches getting sick more often than usual emotional indicators like irritability cynicism or feeling

detached from your work decreased passion and motivation tasks that used to like excite you are now massive chores I can tell you after doing this ep this podcast for 4 and what is this the 32nd episode I’ll tell you during the 432 episodes there was a season where I was not excited about this podcast I still showed up but I wasn’t excited about it I am on fire right now Um but I’m telling you like we all go through it and I want you to understand that it is okay Now in the workaholic season you have

high energy towards projects and and everything that goes up right must come down So in the pet industry like a lot of common burnouts are like post holiday exhaustion right after you’re working so much after everyone’s uh vacation time for petsitting Um or staff turnovers or problems that leave you covering extra shifts maybe difficult clients who drain your emotional resources or trying to handle personal challenges while keeping your business running When you recognize you’re in burnout season the most

important thing is to honor it then fight against it And this means giving yourself permission to slow down It isn’t a weakness It’s wisdom And you can’t operate at that level when you’re depleted You might think you can but your output is terrible Delegating more than usual This means that um when you when you delegate it means that you might hire people temporarily referring clients to trusted colleagues or outsourcing tasks that normally you handle yourself Saying no to new opportunities even if they sound

exciting Check because you got to check in with yourself just during a burnout season your first priority has to be recovery not expansion I have this conversation all the time with people They’re like “Hey pal I want to expand.” I’m like “Why?” Like cuz that’s what I’m supposed to do Well let’s check in with you Do you really want you to do it what does your husband think what does your wife think like what does your family think focusing on the minimum viable work to maintain business health Ask

yourself what absolutely has to get done versus what can wait Now obviously nobody wants to stay in burnout season So here are some strategies to move through it faster Establishing non-negotiable recovery practices This might be 8 hours of sleep daily walks outside daily digital detoxes or whatever helps you personally recharge You also want to get appropriate support This could be a business coach a therapist joining a mastermind group or simply connecting with fellow pet business owners or other business owning

friends who understand what you’re going through And don’t be afraid to seek professional help if burnout is severely affecting your mental or or physical ability to function There’s no shame in getting the support that you need to help get you over the hump or assist you through the difficult parts of life The goal with burnout season isn’t to power through it It’s to heal from it and set up better systems so you can avoid a similar crash again Now let’s talk about everyone’s favorite season growth season This is

where things are clicking opportunities are happening your business feels like expanding in exciting ways You know you’re in growth season and you’ve experienced heightened creative uh ideas They might even awaken you at night because you’re so excited You have renewed energy and motivation for your business You start seeing opportunities everywhere And you might notice increased client interest or demand without having to push hard for it cuz you’re literally attracting it The growth season is exciting but it

requires intentional management to make the most of it Here’s how I want you to focus on strategic planning versus scattered action Just because you have the energy to do all the things doesn’t mean you should Growth avenues that align with your long-term vision are going to be crucial Invest time and resources wisely A growth season often requires investing ahead of returns and being thoughtful about where your you put your resources Build systems that scale Use this high high energy time to create processes and automations that

will support you when you’re not feeling as motivated Get the right help and mentorship Growth often requires new skills knowledge mindset energy identity So don’t try to figure it out all alone cuz you’re not going to go as far Trust me Be aware of the potential pitfalls during girls season It’s easy to overcommit when everything seems possible You might be tempted to grow too fast without the infrastructure to support it There’s a risk of neglecting the fundamental parts of your business

while chasing exciting new projects And with so many opportunities you might try to pursue every shiny object instead of focusing on the most strategic options The key to a successful growth season is maintaining momentum while also preparing for the inevitable shift growth can continue to identifiably uh uh be at the same place So use your energy to be sustainable And finally I want you to consider when intentionally to initiate the growth season Sometimes growth can happen organically but other times you deliberately create conditions for

growth It could be short sprint goals for 90 days perhaps after a rest period when you’re feeling renewed or you’ve developed a new service offering that you’re ready to scale You’re launching a new uh program or marketing campaign Now let’s talk about rest season In our hustle obsessed culture rest can seem almost taboo The voices in your head might tell you that you’re lazy Okay but here’s one counterintuitive truth Planned intentional rest is one of the most powerful tools available to you It also

feels the most awkward And it’s not laziness it’s strategic How do you know if you need a rest season look at the signs like diminishing returns on effort You’re working harder but accomplishing less Creative blocks where fresh ideas just aren’t coming decision fatigue where even small choices just feel overwhelming Reduce quality of work despite your best efforts Rest season comes in different forms There are short recovery periods lasting days or weeks after major holiday rushes and petsitting There are longer sbaticals

spanning months or weeks or weeks or months um which might happen several uh years after intense building Um and then there’s regular rhythms of rest Daily practices weekly time off quarterly retreats that you build into your business model I’ll be really frank with you The past 2 years I was resting I was doing what I minimally had to do I was not creative I wasn’t in this exciting space And oh my god about four months ago gang busters I feel like I felt when I started building Bella’s house and

petsitting way back in the early 2000s I am so on fire But it’s that contrast It’s in that contrast that you understand that the energies have shifted And I want you to really think about where you are Listen planning for rest seasons in your business requires a little bit of forethought You want to train reliable staff or establish backup plans with other pet sitters I know some of my business owners are taking months off setting clear client expectations about your availability creating passive income streams that generate revenue

even when you’re not actively working building margins into your schedule rather than booking every available slot The magic of a true rest season is that you fully embrace it without guilt And this isn’t about checking emails once a day or taking calls only from VIP clients It’s about genuine disconnection and renewal and the payoff Rest seasons directly fuel your growth You can’t have growth unless you have rest Okay so your best ideas often come when your mind has this space to wander Your most

productive periods often follow true rest Your passion for your business reignites and you’ve had some time when you’ve had some time away from it So now let’s talk about the critical differences between burnout and rest because those are different and I think it’s really easy to get them um uh confused Now that we have talked about the different seasons I want to highlight something crucial The difference between a burnout season and a rest season When it happens to you you’re often it’s it’s often like unplanned and

of course unwanted It’s your mind and body essentially forcing you to slow down because you’ve pushed too hard for too long That’s burnout In burnout you’re often operating from a place of depletion Your tank is empty and you’re running on fumes Some of you might be saying right now “Yeah Bella that’s me Oh my god Bella you actually are speaking directly to me.

” If you’ve heard this whether it’s burnout or whatever season I would love to hear from you guys Email me bellagjumpconulting.net Tag me Let’s get on a call and talk about it because I see you Okay Arrest season on the other hand is proactive and intentional So burnout like happens to you Rest you plan And it’s something that you choose before your body and mind force you to do it Rest season involves more positive emotions like contentment peace and relief They often focused on rejuvenation not evaluation and planning During rest you might actually

experience increased creativity clarity and perspective The key difference that burnout comes from ignoring your natural limits for too long Okay and that’s terrible Um but we’re taught to just push through things It’s why regular intentional rest are so important because it can actually prevent you from falling into those forced burnout seasons So when you build the rhythms of rest into your business model you’re like less likely to hit a wall of complete exhaustion We have talked about this in the mastermind

with stretch goals Olena came in and talked a lot about it Um she talked a lot about working really hard and then having an end goal and a reward at the end That’s like a really great way to um to pace yourself in your business So let’s talk about when transitions happen the transitions of the season Okay Um let’s talk about like how do we know when a season’s ending i want you to look for these signs Your energy and interest pattern shift You find yourself drawn to different aspects of your

business Again external circumstances create new constraints or opportunities The key is to intentionally choose your next season rather than just drifting or reacting It means pausing to access where you are what your business needs the most and what you personally need at the moment In the pet industry we have predictable season shifts that can plan for depending on if you’re dog walking or pets sitting Holiday busy seasons that we know will require a lot of energy slower vacation rushes maybe slower periods where you know it’s too

hot or it’s too cold to walk dogs Um I all I I think it’s important to communicate what season you’re in to your team to your family to the people around you so that they have context of how to show up and support you All right so we’ve covered a ton of ground today and I know this is a topic that like people don’t talk about much and I know that some of this is even taboo but I want to talk to you about it I want to help you embrace the person that you are right now I want to help validate you I want

to help tell you that it’s okay to acknowledge where you’re at And I’m telling you you’re going to end up with like the hugest sense of relief when you do that So go ahead and tag me wherever you saw this podcast Um Instagram it’s Bellaasta uh on email bell@jumpconulting.

net If you’re in the mastermind jumpconulting.net/mastermind tag me in there Let’s talk about it on your thread We all have personal threads in there These are things that are really important and these are things that even when people come to me and they say “Bella I want to expand.” I am like “Why why convince me that you need to expand other than the fact that you’re just in this rat race and you think that more more more is better Why i wouldn’t be a good business coach if I didn’t acknowledge you as the

person and where you’re at And I’m trying today to give you the space to consider where are you at and how can that change and shift how you show up for yourself and your business and your employees every day This has been another episode of Bella in Your Business I want to remember I I want you to remember that when life gets you down to always keep jumping Bye now