Episode 69: Focus on What You Can Control

Market Like a Boss

On this week’s episode of Market Like a Boss Podcast, I’m discussing how to shift your focus on what you can control in your marketing and your business. We spend so much time focused on what we can’t control in our marketing and it keeps us from getting the results we want. Personally, this topic hits home for me. I have always struggled with the need for control, but I’ve had to let that go in my business. The desire for control doesn’t bring joy, but rather makes your business feel like a burden.

Let’s break this down some more…

What are some things you can’t control in your marketing?

You can’t control people unfollowing you, unsubscribing from your email list, losing a client, someone’s opinion of you, a prospect canceling a discovery call, etc. These are things that we can’t control, but they are often the ones we obsess over the most. What if you released control over what others think of you? What if you decided right now to trust your opinion more than theirs? No matter what you do, you’ll never make everyone happy. Focus on the people who matter (your dream clients) and let the rest go.

Why do we obsess over control?

Honestly ladies, we do this to ourselves because we’re scared when we feel like we don’t have control. We’re scared because we expect something negative to happen. I seek control when I want to avoid disappointment and any negative outcomes in my marketing. So I focus on the tiniest details that don’t really matter like changing my font, colors, and graphics. Anything I can do to avoid discomfort.

A year ago, my coach told me that I need to be comfortable sitting in discomfort. I was spending all my time trying to avoid discomfort by controlling every outcome of my business, but it was exhausting (both mentally and physically). I had to shift my mindset by recognizing that discomfort is a normal part of business and it’s actually a reflection of growth. Once I released the pressure, I was able to sit in discomfort, learn from it, and continue moving forward. Discomfort never goes away - but the most successful entrepreneurs get better at dealing with it and moving forward in spite of it.

What can you control in your marketing?

You can control engagement. Yes, that’s right. By showing up for your audience everyday and asking them to engage, you will see engagement increase. You can control the amount of leads you bring in by talking to more people. You can also control the quality of your leads by paying attention to your messaging and making sure it reflects the type of client you want to work with. You can control how many discovery calls you book. The more calls you book with qualified leads, the more you’ll convert. It’s just simple math. All of these things are your responsibility as a business owner. Are you showing up confidently? Are you talking to your audience? Or are you hiding in the wings waiting for someone else to make the first move? If you want to reach a specific goal, you better show up as a BOSS. You can’t push the control on someone else. You and only you have responsibility for your success.

Lastly, it’s important to note that people will always think whatever they want about you and your business. And sometimes they’ll give you their opinions unsolicited. You can’t control that, but you can control how much you listen. You can control what messages you read and what information you allow to filter through your brain. Whenever I’ve been the most stressed and miserable in my marketing, it’s been because I’ve had zero boundaries about the information that’s coming at me. I didn’t filter any of it. Now I know better. You need to protect your mind - it’s the most important asset you have in your business.

I know this process will be difficult and your desire for control won’t go away overnight. As a next step, I suggest creating two lists. Make a list of things you can’t control and the things you can. Throw away the list of things you can’t control and post the list of the things you can somewhere where you’ll always be reminded.

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