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Grab a paper and pen and plan to listen to this podcast twice.
My guest drops GOLD as I knew she would.
Being a Brick and Mortar business owners we have a lot of things to do and juggle. So when you see someone who’s “doing it all” we may lean in a bit and ask, “How in the world are you doing it!?”
My guest Stacy Tuchl IS that person. She’s created a million dollar brick and mortar business AND a million dollar online business.
In this episode she shares such wisdom - one of my favorites: “You already know what to do…” but she shares why it’s not working.
We talked all the things: time management, productivity, hiring, creating systems, fear of stepping into our greatness and creating an epic product or service.
www.implementationcode.co to grab the book by paying postage only. OR DM her on IG and she’ll send you the digital copy FREE!
Are you a brick and mortar business owner that has put your blood sweat and tears into creating a storefront that lights you up and serves your clients well only to be frustrated that you’re the best kept secret in town?
If you’re NOT hearing your new clients say, “I found you on Google!” then you’re in the right place.
Welcome.
I'm Melissa Rose—mom, business owner, and your straight-shooting visibility coach. I've cracked the SEO code to becoming the top choice on Google in my industry, and now, I'm sharing the secrets on this podcast. Get ready for stories, fail-proof strategies, and practical tips to elevate your brick and mortar presence to the top choice on Google.
So let's get real, because we're about to make your business, “The Only Option in Town!”
Melissa: Are you wanting to be more productive, get more stuff done, maybe delegate a little bit more? You guys, we have a stellar guest on the show today. I cannot wait for you to meet her. Let's get real.
Melissa: If you're running a brick and mortar business, raising some kiddos and juggling all of life's offerings, let's be real and call you what you are. You, my friend, are a rebel woman. You've put your blood, sweat and tears in creating a storefront that lights you up serves your clients well and contributes significantly to the community you love. You are my hero. And I'm pretty sure we could sit down and talk shop for hours cause I get it! I have had a brick and mortar business myself for over 12 years, a handful of kids and a few passion projects that I love like this one. Hey there everybody. My name is Melissa Rose, and I am your visibility coach for brick and mortar businesses who want more clients coming in their doors. I have a passion for helping and serving those who are also living life on the edge, going for their dreams and creating a legacy through their kick-ass business. In this podcast, we're going to share the nitty-gritty of running a successful brick and mortar business. We're going to share stories, we're going to talk strategy, and we're going to learn practical tips that leave you inspired, empowered and equipped to create the life of your dreams. Are you ready? Let's get real.
Melissa: Hey there, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of Brick and Mortar Visibility. My name is Melissa Rose, and I am your host. And I'm a little bit excited because our guest today is going to blow you out of the water. I'm so excited for you to hear from her. Before we dive in, I'm just going to be super short. This is the time of the year. It's February 15 when I'm recording this, and you guys are going to hear it in early March. And it's that time of year when those New Year's resolutions/goals start to feel heavy and hard. I get it. It happens every year. We kind of get excited. We're ready to go. And then, all of a sudden, the winter seems longer, and it's just hard to keep going. If you need maybe a kick in the pants, a little bit of accountability, maybe some encouragement, I invite you to check out my Mastermind. It's a 90-day program where you are surrounded with other amazing business owners in a small group setting to help hold each other accountable, to share wisdom, to give insight, all facilitated by me along with guest experts that come into the group. Check it out at msmelissarose.com/mastermind. This might be what you need to uplevel your business in a short amount of time.
Melissa: All right, everybody. I am super excited for you to hear from our guests. In fact, grab a notebook, grab a pen and get comfy because you are going to want to take notes. Our guest today is my business coach, Stacy Tuschl. Now Stacy and I go way back. She doesn't know this, but I started listening to Stacy six years ago when I was going through a big life change. For those of you that don't know, I started my business out of my basement, teaching dance to students of all ages. I started this business after baby number three was born in 2009, and I grew it to a lovely side hustle. In 2015, life happened, and I became a single mom of five kids. It was at that time I needed to figure out how to make my side hustle a business, and not only a business, but a business that would provide for my family really well. So I leaned into all things learning, and podcasts were free, and money was tight. So I listened to podcasts and read books and just did all the things that they told me. And Stacy was a big mentor for me at that time. What I love about Stacy is that she is a Wisconsin girl as well. She's from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has a million-dollar dance studio. She also now has a million-dollar coaching program. So she is somebody that I admire and want to be like. That's what we do, right? We look to who's doing it, and we say, okay, she's doing it. I know it can be done. Teach me the ways. And she has been that for me. So I am grateful to Stacy for all the mentoring that she has done for me over the years. And luckily, you guys get to share it because a lot of what I do is because of her and other coaches that I've had. But I am super excited for you to hear firsthand from her. If you have not checked her out, please go listen to her podcast 'Foot Traffic' as well as her website, 'stacytuschl.com'. Of course, Everything will be in the show notes. I will also include her bio in the show notes. And you guys stick around to the end because she has a great gift for all of you. So without further Ado, enjoy this dynamite episode with my business coach, mentor and friend, Stacy Tuschl.
Melissa: Stacy Tuschl! Welcome to the Brick and Mortar Visibility Podcast.
Stacy: Thanks for having me, Melissa. I'm excited to be here.
Melissa: Yes, this is going to be fun. So, Stacy, I always like to have people start with an intro question ice breaker question. And you started your business when you were really young. So it's kind of funny to ask this, but what did you want to be when you grew up? Like when you were really old?
Stacy: Well, it's funny as I started my business, but I didn't know I was creating a business. So I first went to school to be a teacher. So when I started my business when I was 18, I went to school. I thought I was going to be a math teacher.
Melissa: Really?
Stacy: Yeah, isn't that crazy.
Melissa: Well, that makes sense with how much you track your numbers and pay attention to numbers. You're analytical. Okay, so you want to be a math teacher, like elementary or high school, or What were you thinking?
Stacy: I think I was in high school, and then I started to get into it. And then what's funny is, I still didn't think I had a business. So even from there, I was like, maybe if I was, like, an accountant that would make more money, I could be an accountant. I literally took one accounting course, and I was like, that's too hard. And then I think I just went to 'Business' cause' I heard like, that'll be easy. You can get any kind of job. Like, business is great. I'm a business and marketing degree.
Melissa: Interesting. Okay. I knew about the marketing aspect. Okay. Very fun. Okay, so now tell our audience I gave them my intro to you, but tell the audience who you are, what you do, and who you serve.
Stacy: Yeah. So back in the day, right out of high school, I did start teaching dance classes in my parent's backyard while going to school to get a real job. Right? This was a passion, a side hobby. And it started to snowball where my family said, okay, I think this might be a business. I think you might be able to do something here. They were entrepreneurs. So what they saw was, you got something, we don't know what, but you've got something. So then, three years in is when I finally realized, okay, I'm going to do this. Three years in, I incorporate, find a place to rent, start opening up my first studio. Today, that backyard story is going to be 20 years this summer, which is insane. I now have two performing arts academies here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And about sevenish years ago, I just started to teach online more formally, started to teach people how I did what I did. And how is your parking lot so full? And how did you grow through a recession? And just people started to naturally ask those questions. And because I am a teacher, I love to teach. I got really excited when people wanted to talk business. So that was really fun.
Melissa: Did you grow up taking dance lessons?
Stacy: No. So I went to a really small private school, and when I went to the public high school, my mom was like, you need to make friends, you should audition for something or try out for something. And dance was the first audition. I was like, all right, just try it. And I made the varsity dance team. And I had never danced or been in a dance studio. Like my little private school, They had a cheerleading team, which was nothing compared to what we were doing over here. But I make it. And then obviously, being on that dance team, people were like, you should go to the studio. And then my first ever studio, I was 15 years old.
Melissa: I love it.
Stacy: And then, three years later, I'm doing my own thing already.
Melissa: I love that, because people always ask me as a dance teacher, is it too late to start at 15 and 18? And some of the most successful people that I have been around started later. And I think you're just able to listen and take it in more. You don't need to start when you're three, although I love my three-year-olds. All right, so you wrote a book called 'The Implementation Code'. This came out in July 2020, and this came out, you didn't know then that it was going to come out when life was turned upside down. So why the book? Why did you write the book when you wrote the book? Tell us about that.
Stacy: Yeah. So I think this was just one of those big questions I was getting asked all the time. It's like, how are you doing so much? How can you get all this done? And you've got a family, and you've got multiple businesses and fill me in. Like I had this big secret. Right? So I started writing the book. I didn't finish the book, though, in the pandemic. I think I was like, maybe chapter 4, 5, I'm going to bring it up in the book, wherever it was. And it was this big pivot in the book. But at the same time, we're always trying to squeeze that in. But in March of 2020, we've never seen a way to squeeze more in than we ever had to. So it was actually the perfect time to write that book and to really think about what am I doing and how am I prioritizing, and how am I removing things that once were important but not important enough anymore to keep on as a priority. So perfect timing for the book, as always. Right? Like, that's the kind of stuff that happens. But whether it's March of 2020 or it's today, or it was five years ago, we always put on, take on more than we can chew. Right? We're always overwhelming ourselves, stressing ourselves out. It's like our human nature. And I think the biggest thing for me was to really share with people how to make it look like you're doing it all and doing all the things when really, in reality, there's a lot more going on behind the scenes than you realize.
Melissa: You are the systems Queen. You have amazing systems. You have an amazing team behind you that helps with that. And you and I both coach business owners. And one struggle that I hear so much, I help business owners that are earlier in business and trying to hire on the first couple of team members. And usually, they're hiring too late, like they needed help a while ago. So they're overwhelmed and they don't know how to get that off their plate and train that person. Do you have some tactical advice to give them? Because that is one question people were asking me. Ask her this. I am so busy. I don't know how to get it off my plate and get a system. How do you create a system when you're so overwhelmed?
Stacy: Yeah! Just now, as you said, when you need it, you've already needed it. So it just feels like you don't even have time to do it properly. But doing it quickly isn't going to solve your problem. So you've got to really decide what is the system. There's something going on in my head that when I go to do this thing, I am doing it in a certain order. It's just probably not written down. It's just in your head. And you've got to really talk through what it is you do and how you do it and get it on paper. Right? So that when you go to have somebody else step in, it's like they're in your brain, and they're thinking for you. So one of the best examples I use is I remember thinking, I could delegate anything, but the only thing I couldn't delegate was my travel. Like, you could not book an airplane for me. I just didn't believe that I could teach anybody how to book an airplane because there are a lot of variables. Like, I might be deciding, Is it just me and I might go as fast as I can and as fast as I can come back? Or is this like, are the kids coming? Am I trying to fly the cheapest plane on Southwest, or am I looking for a nice first-class? Like, there's a million things, right? So I thought, there's no way. And then my friend actually said to me, when you go book this next flight, record yourself and talk out loud about what you're doing. And literally, as I did it out loud, I was like, there's a system. I never knew it before, but there's a system.
Melissa: I love it.
Stacy: So anything you are doing, if you could just do it and talk out loud on Zoom.
Melissa: Yes.
Stacy: Even if you think it's just for you, just see what comes out, see what you're doing. And I bet you you've got a system, like, tucked away. You just don't even realize it's there.
Melissa: Oh, I love that practical advice. That was great. I'm a big talker-outer. When I'm doing something like through Voxer, I'll Vox it out. That's something that can be communicated to the team member to then document it, like, just talk it out even. And then they can write it out for you, and then you can go back and forth to get started. The Loom video is one I always talk about, too, recording yourself with Loom.
Stacy: The more you can show people versus just tell people, the more you can actually spend... So like today, we were on a call, and somebody on my team was describing something, they're like, oh, well, when you go to Instagram, there are these three little dots. And I could see the other girl like Ahan, Ahan. But I'm like, I don't know if she's catching it. So I just immediately said, Bella, just do a Loom video for her and show her! Right? Because people don't want to look dumb. They want to be like, yeah, I get it. And then it's like, wait, what did she say? I don't know. You want to look good in front of that person. So I could just tell, I don't know that she's getting it. Just give her a video. She can watch it later, and then she just feels more confident. We know it's exactly what we're looking for. So the more you can 'show' versus 'tell', the more you're going to get the outcome you're looking for.
Melissa: Excellent. So this book is about getting it all done. Is there one code for everyone?
Stacy: No. I mean, obviously, as you're going through the book, right? I want people to realize these are some tips and strategies, but we're all in different stages. We all have different priorities. We have different values. Right? It really is trying to teach you. I always tell my team. We can't just tell them what to do. We have to teach them how to fish. Right? We have to teach them how to take this tool and use this as an asset and a resource moving forward. And that's what the book is. It's to get you learning how to assess, how to prioritize, how to decide what the next best step is for you. And that like, I love assessing myself. I'm constantly looking at where we're at what could be done better. How can we fix it for next time, right? If you look at that assessment as this negative thing, as this judgmental thing, as, like, we could have done better, I'm looking at it as an opportunity. When I see that gap in where we are and where we could go, that's exciting, right? That's exciting because there's only up from here. So really getting good at knowing how to observe and assess where you're at and then seeing that as an opportunity for growth versus shaming yourself, I 'should have', 'would have', 'could have', right? Having all those stories and thoughts about you should be better. You could have done it that way. Like, let that go. Let that go.
Melissa: You talk about in the book, four stages of business ownership. Could you talk a little bit about that and what sets the top apart?
Stacy: Yeah. So I think just in general, we are constantly thinking, I got to learn something and then I got to do it. Right? Learn more, do more, learn more, do more. And then we're going, I'm doing all the things, I'm learning all the things, I'm buying all the things, right? I'm buying all the books, I'm buying all the courses. But why am I not getting the results I'm looking for? Right? And when people started to ask me, like, how are you doing so much? How are you getting so many results or growing so quickly? I started to really look at the way people were implementing and the way that I was implementing. Right? And that's where really came up with that word, the phrase, 'The Implementation Code'. Right? So you got to learn because we don't know what we don't know. We've got to do the implementation piece. But it doesn't stop there. It's not just the learn, do, learn, do cycle. It's really looking at how do I refine what I just did? How do I, again, assess the good, the bad, the ugly, and how do we make it better next time? Right? And the refinement is not fun. And it's not the sexy part because we like to start things, not finish them. Right? The refinement is where the gold, the magic is happening. The refinement is where that growth is coming from. When I'm growing rapidly, it's not because of something new that I started. It's because I'm refining something I've already created. Right? I was talking to one of my coaches yesterday, and he literally said to me, you can make those two changes to an existing situation. I said, double your business easily. I'm like, I agree. Literally, I agree. Two minor changes, refinements of things that we're doing well, but we could do way better. Right? So stage three is the most important stage. You will stay there for a long time. Because the refinement, I mean, some of the things we never get out of refinement, we are always improving, we are always outdoing, we're always looking at how the market has changed. The next piece is crucial because a lot of times, especially when you're looking online, you see certain podcasters, you see certain people on Instagram, and you're like, what happened to them, right? At some point, they thought they were on maintenance mode, and they weren't there yet. And the maintenance mode is what keeps you in the game. So you learn, you do, you refine from doing. And at some point, you're going to say good enough. And this is where the perfectionists hate that phrase, but I've got to say it, good enough. How do we maintain this? How do we keep this going while we work on the next new, exciting, fun project? Because we like to be starters. Right? So you've got to be really careful because we like to jump from 'the learn', 'the do' back into the learning. And then we have a lot of unfinished projects. We have a lot of, I should say, we have a lack of production, a lack of growth, a lack of revenue because we're always producing, but we're not finishing it. And then there's nothing to show for it. Right? So you've got to keep learning. You've got to then do from that thing, refine those strategies stay there. And the only way you go to something new is after you've got that maintenance plan in place. So think about this when it comes to social media. If you're on Instagram and you are not right now doing reels, doing videos, Right? Don't think about going to YouTube. You've got to maximize and refine your Instagram strategy and put it on maintenance before you jump ship. Because if you jump ship and you keep moving all over the place, you're just going to have an ineffective strategy. And now you're going to build the next ineffective strategy. You've not maintained anything, and you're losing all the momentum of where maybe you did start. Does that make sense?
Melissa: It does to me, It does to me. Because I listen to you and know your stuff, but I think of your 'Foot Traffic' formula. You've been doing that for so long. So can you tell us how you have refined that and you have zoned in on it for so long? And it's not just a six-month thing, it's like you've been doing that. So share a little bit about that.
Stacy: Yeah. So there's not too much we can teach business owners. Like there are only a few things that move the needle in the business. And the bigger we get, we just have to keep going back to the same stuff to continue to redo it. So the 'Foot Traffic' formula is driving traffic, getting more visibility, touch is the next piece, which is getting leads, getting qualified leads, people to raise their hands, transaction, clients, new sales, upsells, referrals, renewals, reactivation, right? It's the money piece. And then that secret sauce is tracking, tracking those most important numbers and using that data to move forward. And again, refine. So we created the 'Foot Traffic' formula maybe two years ago. And next week, I'm attending my highest level mastermind with people that have been part of the program. Some of these people have been in the program for those two years. Right? And I'm teaching the foot traffic formula. And you're thinking, why are we learning something we've known? Because again, what is more, important in those four stages? And if we could just go in and refine what they've got going on in each stage, they could double their business next year. So a lot of times, we're looking for the new opportunity, the new strategy, the thing you've never heard of. And it's not that thing that's going to take you to the next level. It's the thing you already know and the thing you're already doing, but making it better. Like, if you're looking for leads, imagine if you increase your leads by 10%. Imagine if you got out of that. However, many people are showing up for the trials, the concerts, whatever it is, that you generate leads for. Imagine if you just increase the close rate by 15%. I mean, the numbers start to scale like crazy, right? So if you're looking for something new, you probably have everything you already need. Let's be honest, if you could just dial it in and refine, that is where the secret sauce happens. And I'll tell you too. We've taught that formula over and over and over again. And I've never heard somebody say, like, we're a ten out of ten in every category. It's impossible because even if you start working in your fives and then your sixes and sevens. By the time you get to ten, you're going to go. There's a whole new level I didn't even know existed. There's a whole new strategy I could be doing now, right? The foundational pieces do not change.
Melissa: And that refinement stage is boring. It's the nitty-gritty, but it's what sets you apart from the others. And it's the boring work, the day to day, showing up, consistency, and action that needs to happen. And it's not quick.
Stacy: No.
Melissa: It takes time.
Stacy: And we're getting back into our challenges. We had done them for a long time. We took a little break, we really restructured some things, and we're going back into challenges. And I said to my team. We're going to do the monthly and every month we're going to make a massive improvement to it. So the first one is not going to be the one we are envisioning a year down the road, but the first one is going to be the first draft, and we're going to take everything we learn from it, and we're going to make it better. And who knows what we're going to end up with. But we are about to head in the refinement stage, and it's not the fun part until you track your numbers and then it's fun. Because you're like, oh, wow, this is getting better. Oh, wow, we just increased our conversion rate. Oh, wow, look how many people sign up this time. Then it starts to get fun. But in the beginning, the learning lessons. No, it's never fun to be like, oh, we could have done that better. We should have sent out more emails. There's just a lot of, like you said, the boring stuff, the tedious stuff that somebody's going to do.
Melissa: Awesome. So good. And that's where tracking numbers, the black and white proof for all of us to see. Because when you see those black and white numbers, that just helps so much and gives you the energy and motivation to keep going with the refinement, with the day today. And that's what's so important.
Stacy: Can I add something real quick?
Melissa: Yeah!
Stacy: So one of my team members said, I've got a new person, and she's not making sales every day. I kind of think we should let her remove the daily tracking of sales because it's really demotivating to see $0, $0, $0. And I said, no! She needs to see that there is nothing more important than making money. And if it's zero, zero, zero every day, I need her to know, what are you doing to make money? If you take away the number one tracker that we need in our business, which is to make money and we think there's something else more important to focus on. All of a sudden, your activities are being derailed to something else. I need her to see zero, zero, zero to get her in gear to go. What am I going to do today to produce revenue?
Melissa: Arcastillo just talked about one of her latest podcasts about The Wins and the Losses and paying attention to that. And that brings me to my next question with you. With being busy versus productive.
Stacy: Yeah.
Melissa: I think you can then become busy with other things when you're not tracking, when you're not paying attention and getting derailed, doing the busy work versus productive work, dive into what you mean by busy versus productive.
Stacy: Yeah. So let's talk about this person, right? Who's not making money. So all of a sudden, she starts to think, well, what could I put down? I could post on social media every day, and she starts to track the tedious work versus the important production. So she might be busy on social media feeling like she's done something, feeling like she can check the box because she posted her real. But if that didn't produce leads or sales, it's just a waste of time. And your busyness all of a sudden is no longer producing. Right? So we want you to be productive. And that word comes from produce. So what are we producing? And is it moving the needle in our business? So we have an Instagram. This somebody does our Instagram. Right? And when she says, we had a really great week financially, like a couple of weeks ago, and she's like, you could tell in her face. But then, on Instagram, we lost followers. And she said it like she felt so bad. I'm like, listen; we made more money from Instagram last week than we have. And so I don't even care if we lost followers. And if you think that I'm judging you on followers, no way. Like the fact that you created content that got people to DM us to buy from us is so much more important than follower counts. If anything, you might have done such great content that you repel the people that aren't good fits, and they were like, I'm out of here, which is even better, right? So our engagement was up, follower count was down, revenue was up. But because we are so brainwashed to think Instagram growth means dollar symbols, right? Or Instagram growth just means follower count; she felt bad coming to me that week to show me her KPIs. As the leader, I have to remind; I'm not here for Instagram followers. I am not here to hit the next big milestone. Right? I am here to use that platform to attract and repel. Right? The right person who needs to hear my message that I'm going to change their life when they start putting these systems into place. That's what I'm here for. And we did that week. Right? So get really clear on what are we doing here? What is the mission? Is your mission to get Instagram followers, or is it to whatever your mission statement is? Right? Really get Crystal clear and make sure your people know that.
Melissa: Yes, Yes. All right. We have 'resourcefulness', and I want to talk a little bit about that because that's one of my words for my studio and the people I want to work with and be around be resourceful. So can you explain what resourcefulness is and how it relates to getting things done?
Stacy: Yeah, I did a Reel on this, and it was like, is it a sign or is it a test? Okay. I love when people say, oh, it's a sign. I shouldn't do this. Is it a sign, or is it like a test to see how bad you actually want it? Right? There are a lot of things that I could have interpreted as a sign in my business, but instead, I said, God is testing me to see how bad do I want this? And am I serious? And because I kept going, because I kept being resourceful, I got the outcome I wanted. How many people are interpreting something as a sign not to do something, right? Versus moving forward and going, how bad do I want this? Right? And I think, I think being resourceful is one of the best characteristics you can have. Because it just shows like you're in it, and you're going to keep going. You're going to figure it out. When somebody says to me, well, my spouse is giving me until Christmas to see if this is going to work or not. Right? My first thought is, well, if you've already got an outcome where it doesn't work, a potential outcome where it doesn't work, it's probably not going to work. Like, if I didn't have this business, I would keep figuring it out. Or if the business started to tank, I would keep figuring it out. Or I would just start a new business. I would never in a million years be like, well, I guess I'm not supposed to be doing this. I probably should go back and get a job. No, it's just figuring it out. Go to option A, then B, then C, then D. How bad do you want it? There is always a next step. There is always another way to do it. There's always somebody who can be like, oh, that happened to me, too. Here's what you should do, right? You got to look, you got to be open. You got to look for the test and be okay going through the tests. Say, like, oh, this is just another way to make sure I'm committed, right? That I'm here, that I'm in it, I'm not going anywhere. I think people get really discouraged really quickly, and then it's just easier to give up. It's easier to go. Maybe that's not for me. Maybe it's a sign. Maybe I shouldn't do that.
Melissa: And then they become scared, and then that leads me right into the next question. People are fearful, and they get stuck. And by being stuck, it just perpetuates the fear and holds them back. So can you give us a few tips or practical ways to walk people through fear?
Stacy: Yes. So first, fear of what? Right? A lot of times, it's fear of what people will think. Fear of failure, and even that fear of failure. Who are you afraid to fail in front of, your mom, your kids, your high school friends that are going to see you on Facebook posting that your business shut down. Who are we talking about? Right? I think we're all motivated by different things, and some of us care more about what people think than others. Right? But there is always some sort of fear, whether it's that next level, the fear of the unknown, the fear of the uncertainty, like really do some digging and observe and just watch the way that you're behaving and figure out what is slowing you down. What are you thinking about when you want to do something, but then you don't? What was the reason? Like, no one's listening. Just figure it out for yourself. Because until you kind of move through that specific obstacle, it will come up over and over and over again. Right? And I have so much fear of so many things, but I just do it anyway. Anything I've never done before. And there's an identity shift, right? All of a sudden, I'm like, I'm a dance teacher, and then I'm a dance studio owner. And then all of a sudden, I'm teaching people with businesses, and then I'm an author, and I'm thinking every time, what are people going to think of this? Are people going to think she's an author? She wrote a children's book. Like what? I didn't even know she did that. I'm thinking things like that. But then I go, well, the wrong person is going to think that. But the right person is not going to think that about me. I'm going to do it anyway. And there is going to be somebody that I'm going to serve, and that's going to benefit from me pushing past the fear anyway. Right? I think again, and it's like when you see that fear, and you just let it be a sign, and you let yourself be paralyzed, and you stop who is winning in that situation. Right? So just really think about why am I slowing myself down? And is this a pattern? Do I do this often? And at some point, you have to just rip the Band-Aid off and go for it.
Melissa: I read this quote this week, 'stop caring what people think and stop thinking that they care'. And that was like Oh!, just remember. So business owners, solopreneurs, people with a really small team, they have a lot of things on their plate, balls in the air, things they want to get done, so what are three tips for productivity that you could leave our audience with.
Stacy: Yeah. So productivity is definitely something I like to focus on. I like to get stronger. But I will warn you, and this will be tip number one. Don't get so productive that you're just squeezing in 80 hours worth of work in 40 hours worth of time because that's also exhausting. Right? So the more productive you get, I don't want you just doing three times the amount of work you should be doing in a week because mentally, emotionally, physically, it is a lot. And I had fallen into that trap. I was so good at productivity. I was like, why am I leaving so exhausting? I felt like I'm putting in maybe a six-hour shift, a seven-hour shift, nothing crazy. But I felt like I was getting four times what everybody else was doing, and it was because I was learning how to do it so much, and it was getting stronger and smarter and more productive, but it was just leaving me feeling exhausted at the end of the day. So slow down, take breaks throughout your day, recharge. If you've got a squeeze at the end of your day, a 30-minute, 20-minute, 15-minute walk, meditation, something just to like, especially if you have a home office situation and then you just step out and your mom right or dad. You got to be really careful because we don't ever shut off. It's just like go, go, go from one to the next. So putting in a little break in the middle of your day or between changing hats will help your productivity so much. Okay, so that's a big one. Number two, I would say doing regular time audits. I don't know about you, but I have the cycle of, like, cleaning up my calendar feeling really good, and then all of a sudden it's like, wait, how did that get back on there? How am I doing the same old, same old that I said I wasn't going to do. So about every 90 days, I do a time audit to look at. Is this the right thing on my calendar? Is this still a yes, or have I up levelled certain boundaries? Do I need to stop doing that one thing? Do I need to remove it? Do I have to say no? Do I need to reschedule? Do I need to say yes, but only if I can do it, 'x-y-z', right? So I think just really doing that constant evaluation of what is going on in the calendar. And then even kind of staying there a little bit. My third tip will be really multiplying your time by keeping the things that need to stay that really only you can do. But then, where do I find ways to multiply my time without it being me? Is that hiring a virtual assistant? Is that hiring somebody for an hour a week or, sorry, an hour a day, five days a week? Right? Just like 5 hours off my plate. Maybe it's hiring an agency or hiring somebody to relieve some of that. Right? I love the phrase 'if you don't have an assistant, you are the assistant'. And a lot of people don't have help. So they are doing work that can be done by somebody at a much like a lower entry-level, not at the CEO status. Right? So we've got to be really really careful because if the CEO is doing social media, customer service, I mean, never, never-ever, right? It's just that You are too high level that you've got to be focusing on high-level stuff. You've got to get that other stuff off your plate. So not being afraid to delegate, really allowing even if it's just a small, bringing on a contractor here and there, getting a freelancer, Upwork, things like that, you got to just take that next step.
Melissa: And I would Echo that by, it doesn't have to just be in your business either. You can get help inside the home to relieve some of that stress. Because, let's face it, most of us are moms. A lot of us are moms, partners, have other people that we're caregiving. So if we can relieve some stress or busyness in our life in the home as well, that helps our business as well. So get it where you can get help where you can. Stacy, I didn't say much because you just knocked it out of the park as I knew you would. Where can people get your book?
Stacy: Yeah. So you can go to 'implementationcode.co/freebook'. You just pay for the shipping. We will send it to you. It will cover the book itself. If you DM me on Instagram @stacytuschl and you literally say 'Book', I will send you the digital copy for free.
Melissa: Awesome. Wow. Thank you, Stacy. Thank you.
Stacy: Yeah, absolutely. And then my podcast is 'Foot Traffic'. So that's another great way to find me.
Melissa: It is a great way to find her. You guys, I have been listening to Stacy for about six years. We figured that out before we went on live here. And I owe a lot to you because I've listened for many years, and I have applied so much of what you do. I feel like I regurgitate so much of what you say to my friends in business, and you've helped me so much. So I have to thank you for that. Thank you so much.
Stacy: Thank you. I'm so grateful to you.
Melissa: Stacy, what is one thing right now that is saving you? It can be anything personally or professionally.
Stacy: I'm going to say always having a vacation on my calendar.
Melissa: You are so good at that.
Stacy: Right? Just knowing like I'm going here, this day, it's coming up. Especially because we're recording this, and it's the middle of winter in Wisconsin. So I think just knowing warm weather is coming, it's here. Time to recharge. Take a break. And I've got some good ones coming up. So I'm excited.
Melissa: Good. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom on the Brick and Mortar Visibility podcast. We appreciate you and everybody check her out. I adore her. So thanks.
Stacy: Thanks, Melissa.
Melissa: All right, everybody. We'll see you. Same time, same place next week. Peace. Bye-bye.
Melissa: Oh, my gosh, you're still here. You are such a rebel woman. I have to meet you. Come on over to the Rebel Women Tribe on Facebook created for Brick and Mortar business owners just like you. In this group, we empower, encourage, and support each other. And every week, I come in and share with you a tip, tool or strategy that I'm learning in my brick and mortar business to help you and yours. And you guys, this is the real stuff, the nitty-gritty in real-time of what's going on. So come on over to the rebel women tribe on Facebook. I can't wait to meet you.