Leah Goard - Go From Surviving to Thriving in Business & Life

Welcome to the Real People, Real Business show. My name is Stephanie Hayes and I am a business strategist and coach who loves to speak with like-minded entrepreneurs to share their real stories and the gritty details on building their businesses. On this show, you won't hear about the glamorized entrepreneurship journeys that you see online. You won't be told how to make six figures in six weeks. Instead, you can expect to hear real vulnerable and inspiring stories that you can relate to. That have helped create the foundation for each of our guests businesses. Good by boss babes. Hello, real life entrepreneurs today. I'm so excited to welcome my good friend, Leah Goard. Leah is a business and life strategist, serial entrepreneur, professional organizer writer, speaker, and independent mom. She's deeply passionate about redefining success and curious about what it really takes to truly thrive. Welcome to the show. Leah, thanks so much for taking the time to share your story. thank you, Stephanie. I am more than excited to be here. Our conversations are always so, um, rich and real. Yeah. And long, I know that we long we tried to record this podcast already, but we ended up having a conversation I know. And it's so good. And I think that part of the reason that we have such great conversations is because we've been on really similar journeys. We live near each other. We have, you know, a lot of the same experiences. So why don't we dive in? I would love to hear more about kind of, how did you get to where you are? How long, tell us where you are right now. Yeah. Tell us where we are. Uh, well, I am, uh, literally on the sunshine coast of British Columbia, um, and where I am, where I'm at in, uh, my business and my life could probably be summed up in, um, I'm really excited to have 30 years under my belt and, um, to understand. what it really actually takes to run a thriving and sustainable business and, um, be fulfilled in life, which is very, very different than a lot of the BS that's that's out there. So, so that's what I'm excited about. Uh, a super short summary of an incredibly long journey is that, um, I started out, I've been an entrepreneur for 30. And I started out in health and wellness and, uh, fitness and then managed to run. uh, four, five different businesses in four different countries. Um, all really at the end of the day, um, focused on what it really takes to thrive in business in life. So I did marketing and finance and, um, yeah, coaching and consulting and, uh, business development, which all sort of culminated in becoming a business and life strategist. So. So tell me a little bit more about the work that you do today, because I, I really love where your programs have evolved to. Thank you. Um, I'm really fascinated by, um, sort of the inner work, not just the, the, the, the external strategies. I think that there is, um, a tremendous amount of power in who we are and how we show up and how we run our businesses. And so the work that I do is, you know, on the outside traditional business, you know, development, so there's marketing and business plans and financial plans and branding and all, and, and really the ecosystem of a business, but where I'm really fascinated and interested in focusing on is the business owner. Themselves, because at the end of the day, we are the driving force behind the experience that we have and, and the results that that we achieve. So with that, um, a lot of the focus is around, um, what it actually takes and what it actually means to be the CEO of your, of your business. Yeah. And who are the people that you're working with? Mostly. Mostly women, mostly women in business, um, entrepreneurs that have been, um, you know, I don't, when it comes to our ideal clients, um, there really is a through line more so, um, not so much in terms of demographics or, or business, um, size or capacity it's, it's more around, um, really purpose driven people who are wanting to. Um, they have really meaningful work to get out into the world and they are moving from surviving to, to thriving. They started with a passion and a purpose, and they really need to understand the structure and, um, the pillars in their business that are gonna allow them to do the great work in, in the world. So, um, when it comes to who my ideal clients are, they are. Um, people that really have a, a gift to, to put out out in the world. And they're typically solo entrepreneurs or running small businesses, small businesses and solo entrepreneurs. Yeah. Yeah. And I think you and I are very similar in, in our preference there and having done all the work that we've done over the years, we're attracted to that sort of, that impact and the, the ability to make changes in very personal ways. Yeah. Yeah. Very, very much so. Um, I had to, you know, I mean, there's. There's been a trend in online business for many years, as you know, and it's all about leveraging and scaling and, you know, working with as many people as you can and, um, intimacy can scale. Um, but I came to the realization probably seven years ago, cuz like you we've been doing this for a long time. Um, that my, I. What really, really drives me is really working intimately with people and business, because at the end of the day, um, that's where you can make a real impact and then they can go on make their impact in the world. So, absolutely agree. And I think we had this conversation just last week when we attempted to have. This podcast, interview and how, you know, I've changed my business in the way that I deliver my services, because I, I do, I crave that intimacy and that deep connection, because that's when I can serve people best. And I think that that's, that kind of falls back to that sort of templated approach that has been really. Prevalent in the online business world and just in the business world in general, for so many years, people are seeking out the answers. They're seeking out the, the magic bullet. Yeah. And I really think for a business to be, to feel effective. Yeah. It needs to be so, so personal and so custom. Right? Yeah. And I think that that's what you're doing with your clients as well. Are you. Very much so well, and I mean, there are, I'm a firm believer in, there are methods that work, and there are processes that work. However, how somebody implements those or, um, what methods and tools and templates work for somebody. They need to be customizable and they have to work for the individual, you know, that's why, um, so I have a method that I've developed and, and that's one of the things I really noticed years ago is that there were patterns for what was working and what wasn't working. There was. Certain steps and journeys that people went on that were very consistent, but they, the ways in which they traveled that journey were highly dependent on where, who they were, what their experience was, what their business model was. And so I think there's a real sweet spot in there, um, where you can use methods and tools and systems, um, that really do work, but they have to. Be in alignment with who the person is and where they're at and, and what their desires in their business is because everybody's definition of success is very different everybody's experience and pathway to it is, is different. So I know you and I, um, are very, very similar in our, our approach to, to that. So I think there is strength as you know, in, in structure and methods, but it highly depends on. where somebody is at. Yeah. And what they, where they want. Tell me, let's dive deeper a little bit into the, the programs that you're running. So you've developed kind of this framework yourself. Can you talk a little bit about that and how that looks a little bit different than what people might get elsewhere? Sure. Um, so the original defined design align method, um, actually started when, so this business. After doing a bunch of other different businesses. When I, um, landed back in Canada after being overseas for over a decade, um, I, in a a personal, a professional organizing business. So I went from finance to professional organizing only to realize really quickly that I am so not Martha Stewart. And so, and so the whole organizing, uh, industry, I, I moved kind of a away from that and back into business consulting and. So I really just noticed patterns for what needed to happen in terms of trans, like for people to really shift and transform and, and go from where they wanted to, where they were now to where they wanted to be. And so in that sort of came through a seven step method that you can apply to any area of your business in life, and you will get the same transformational results. That being said, it's a method. So within that there are, um, very, there's a lot of freedom and flexibility to, um, to customize what's actually happening for someone. So for example, if you want to, um, well, I'll, I'll, I'll actually run, you know, you and I talk a lot about money, so why don't we just walk through it in terms of money? Is that. We need to start by taking stock. So that is the first step in this method. So when you apply this method to your money, you would first stop and take stock of where you're at financially. So what are the stories that are, are driving, you know, your experience and what do you believe to be true? And then what are your actual numbers? So you could take that and apply that to your, um, health. You could apply that to your environment. So the second step in the method is really understanding and unveiling what you really want. You know, what is success defined for you? Then you get into clearing your path, which is around. What's actually standing in the way of where you are now to where you want to be. Then we get into the design section, which is all about planning and creating a strategy. And understanding the support and expertise that you need. And then you step into the alignment, which is then what are you doing on your, your practices, your thoughts, your decisions, your habits, your rituals, that are actually supporting you to close that gap from where you are now to where you wanna be. And then the final step is all about, um, measurements of success, savoring, and, and measurements of success. How are. Actually tracking and measuring your success, um, based on your own core values and your mission. So you can see is as a method, that really is a step by step process for somebody to follow. But within that, you are looking at where you specifically are and what your definition of success is and what your stories are that are blocking your path and your strategy, or the, the plan that you put in place is going to be specific to. Your timeline and your current capacity and your current resources. Um, so, so yeah, so that's how you can see that there's methods that work. And then, um, there's, you know, it really is a personal, personalized journey. So within that and the program and the structure is I have a program that focuses on the ecosystem of your business, which is the DDA academy. And then I also pull out a couple of those pillar. Like the, um, money immersion, where we focus just specifically on money, but it's all based on that foundation methodology, because at the end of the day, we have so many, um, quick fix solutions and tools and it gets very confusing. Whereas if you have one methodology that you can return to time, and again, it it's a game changer. It changes everything because it puts you in the driver's seat with the skillset and the navigation tools to figure out what's right for you. And we stop looking outside of ourselves for that. So I love that. I, and I, I love the shift from the, this is so relevant right now, and it's funny. I was just having a conversation this morning with my own. Business coach about comparison. And I'm not usually somebody who is prone to comparison, and I don't really pay attention to what's happening in my industry, but the conversation that we are having, um, is really relevant to my clients too. And, you know, noticing how we respond to things that are outside ourselves and how much of that we take in to govern our own thoughts around, you know, our own progress. And it's a, it's a tricky. Yeah, that's good information because what it tells me is that's something that matters to me, but, and so her reframe is how can I make it mine? Yeah. But the, you know, from the perspective of my clients who get really, really, really yeah. Um, caught up and tripped up in that it's it's can be really, really significant for them and I can hold them back a lot. So can you talk a little bit more about moving people from that sort of external focus of control? Yeah, I would love to, well, and I'd love to respond to what you just shared is that when it comes to comparisonitis or, you know, um, I think one, we need to acknowledge that we are in a time and place in history where we have, um, access to. A and, and the information and what we're observing is way beyond what we are built for, because you know, our systems and our bodies and our nervous systems are built for our community. So. You know, even 20 years ago, we would look to our neighbor next door. We would look to the successful business in town and have be able to look at and reflect on that and see the things that we love or didn't love, or, you know, it was within, around right now. We have, um, 15 year old girls comparing themselves to the Kardashians. and the impact that that has is huge. We have small business owners who are just starting out, who are comparing themselves to influencers with, you know, a million followers and the impact that, that the so-called impact that they're they're making. And so I think it's just really important to first. For all of us to gain some perspective around the sheer magnitude of information and reflection that we are getting, we have access to that is not, is actually not relevant to what our own definition of success is. And so when we look outside of ourselves to what Betty down the road is doing, Instead of looking it at well, there's Betty and here's me. You can go, well, what is it about Betty that I am so attracted to? Or what is it about Betty that I admire or respect or I'm jealous of because that comparitis, you know, or what, I don't even know what the word is. We call it, whatever that thing is, is just inform. and if we can look at it from that place of curiosity instead of self judgment, um, then it gives us a window into really identifying what within Betty is it that we want for ourselves, which is exactly what, what, you know, I think you guys were, were talking about with, with your coach. So, so yeah, and, and I think it comes down to. You know, when we wake up in the morning, we, we look at our phones and we look at Instagram, we are looking outside of ourselves all the time and then questioning why we feel so ungrounded and out of alignment in our own lives. And so we need to get fierce around boundaries in the information and what we're digesting from the outside and get hyper focused on what our core values. And what really actually matters for us and what success actually looks like and feels like for us. And if you are somebody who wants to have high profile success, or you want to make millions of dollars, that's great and wonderful. So know that and then return to what does that then mean? Your next level of success is for you where you are right now. So you can incrementally close the gap while having. An experience of success along the way. I love that this experience of success, because one of, I just posted a, an episode on, um, a little solo show on Sunday night around money. Yeah. And, you know, like just scratching the surface in terms of all the things that I have learned about money and about, you know, the, our mindset and our, how we think about money in our businesses. Yeah. and I, you know, it, one of the things that I sort of touched on is how we create the reframes ourselves. Like how what's our commentary, what's our commentary on, um, how we got to where we are and the, the fact that we can see the same amount of money differently. At different points in our lives means to me, that money is not like a, a fact like a finite thing. Money is actually just energy. Like it's just a, an exchange of energy. It means nothing on its own. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah. You know, I love talking about money and I just really wanna share, you know, I think it's really, I. for, you know, we talked a little bit about this before we sort of hit record, is that when it comes to money, I mean, I love the subject of money because it has been, um, a real challenge for me in, in my life. And we don't talk enough about money and people. Um, you know, the, the greatest reason why. People are not able to step into an empowered relationship with money and, um, make more money and build more wealth. And financial independence is because it's the shame and the stories that get in the way of us even being able to look at it, which is exactly what you just said is it's the stories that we have around. Money that that actually stops us from being able to shift it and shift into a, a, a new level of, of financial in independence. And it all starts. Yeah. It all starts with our beliefs and our stories, you know, because our beliefs and, and, and our stories drive how we feel and how we feel drives our dis our experience. And our experience in how we feel drives our decisions and our decisions drive our actions and our actions drive our results and our results affirm our identity, whether that's positively or negatively, which fuels our experience in how we feel in our stories. So it's a loop, it's a cycle. It's totally. And, and it like the, and the, just the shift I got so much to say about this. I know but the, the shift from thinking about money is this thing that happens to you. Yeah. Right. I think that's been really powerful. And I know that I shared a lot with you over the last, you know, few months of, as I've been on this own sort of journey, my own journey of exploration. Yeah. It was. So it was so funny to me because you and I sat down together. Yeah. The day, um, after I realized that my big problem with money was that I, I knew how to make it. Yeah. I didn't know how to receive it. Yeah. And that goes back to all this crap that we've got held over from. You know, forever in our lives. Like I'm a person who has always protected myself. I'm a person who has lived extremely independently out of necessity. Uh, well, I was just gonna say for very Val valid reasons, valid reasons, right? I mean, I, it's so important for people to really understand that the stories and the beliefs that we have were designed to keep us safe. It's it, it's our body and our brain and our incredible, um, spirit. taking care of taking care of you, cuz it wasn't safe. So that's a really interesting, I would love you to comment on this because if we've done the things that we've done in order to keep ourselves safe, mm-hmm by nature of logic, doing something different. We make us unsafe. Mm-hmm so how do we break? And that's the reason that we have such a hard time breaking through our. Our old habits. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I, well, I love this topic. Um, yeah, our stories and our beliefs are, are from our past experiences. They can also be generational. It can also be generational trauma or experiences and, um, The, the first thing is to become aware of it. You know, I have something called the shift method, which sort of walks you through that, that process. And I think probably the easiest thing to do is just to share what the shift method is because it is that process of transformation. How do we go from where we are right now? And we can see the patterns we can see. What's happening. We so deeply desire to have a different relationship, to feel differently about money, to make more money, to have financial freedom, but we just can't seem to, we keep defaulting to these safe places, you know, whether it's we hit a financial ceiling, um, or we self sabotage or, you know, all of the different things that, that happen. And I think that. The first step is be is, is compassion. The first step is really understanding that that, um, not only is our brains and our bodies designed to keep us safe society and culture, and our education system has not set us up for success. We are not educated about money and we are in a consumerist, you know, patriarchy society that. Designed to actually keep us safe and, and small and, and disempowered. So once we can start to see it in that way, then I think it releases starts to release this grip of, oh my God, I've done. I I'm doing this wrong. And there's something wrong with me and I'm stupid. And why can't I figure this out when the rest of the world seems to have it figured out, you know, Betty on Instagram is living. Life of manifesting, you know, all her wildest dreams. And I can't seem to, you know, I can't seem to raise my rates or I can't seem to get, you know, buy a new car. Like I think it's so important. That's our starting point. And so I, I I'd like to say that I developed this method called the shift method, but really it just came to me and I know that sounds really. Woo, woo. But you're a little woo woo too. Is that you in yeah, is getting there is that is. So in observing again, the patterns of what people were going through and what needed to happen is when this method came through and the, and the starting point is it's. The first step is to stop and breathe is to really actually stop and breathe and recognize what's happening is that we are dancing with a belief that is trying to keep us. And then the second step is to honor how, how you feel. And this is a really important step in the process because we dismiss how we feel and our feelings are again, just information. So we are, so we're, we're going, I'm, you know, I'm stupid. I shouldn't feel this way. I should be able to X, Y, and Z instead of actually honoring how we feel. And, and until we actually honor how we feel without judgment. Those feelings will come back and will need time and space. And they are the ones that are going to sabotage whatever's, you know, moving forward. So really going, oh my God, I feel like I'm stupid. I feel like I have failed. I feel like all of these things and giving that voice and, and a space so that you can have some compassion and recognize that. Of course you're feeling this. And validate that then the next step in the shift method is to, um, identify what's the story. What, you know, the story is that I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm stupid with money. Okay. So now is that story actually accurate? And how is this story actually serving you? Well, if I believe this story that I'm not going to do the things that are going to actually. Affirm that this story isn't true. So really identifying what that story is. And then the next step is to focus on what your new story is and the experience that you want to have. And this comes back to that experience piece, which I'll circle back around to when you focus on the news story. Well, what if I am smart with money, but I just need to, I need to be open to learning about money. and maybe I can step into the experience of abundance and feeling empowered and smart with my money. Well, that would be a new story. And then the, the se the, the next step is to take action as if your new story is true to take action and trust and talk as if your new story is true. So if I were smart with money and if I were open to learning, and if I. That I could trust in this. Maybe my next step is to take a money course or to call a bookkeeper. So then you would take action as if that new money story is true. And then the final step is to track the magic and gather the evidence that that's, that story is real and true. So once you take that next step, you can then look for the evidence that that's your new story is true. Oh, I'm not actually that stupid with money. I pay my. Or I made this really good financial decision or whatever that that happens to be. And that is how we then step by step, start shifting, literally shifting our stories in action, the other ways. And, and I will never, I'm, I'm huge on. therapy and diving deep into your trauma and really exploring what has held you in that safe place. So I think a combination of doing some really deep work as well as then moving into action, because what therapy doesn't do is it doesn't help you out there in the real world of how do I then shift this in motion? So. I think that as grownups yes. When we we're adults, are you kidding me? Seriously? I still waiting to get there, but you, oh my God. No, I'm an adult. I know. I know. But I think as grownups it's in, it's inevitable that I think a, you know, not a lot of people start out as an entrepreneur. Right. And they, they get to entrepreneurship. Um, A little later in their life or a little bit further along. And by that point in time, we have learned a lot of self punishment. We've learned a lot of yeah. Habits and, and, and stories and, and, um, patterns and all of that sort of thing. And I don't know that there is any business owner I have worked with that does not need to lose. Some of that ingrained knowledge and this tendency we have to self punish, right? Yes. And for some reason, punishment for us, especially as women feels like the more honorable. Right. Right. And so I think that the work that you're doing is incredibly important because this. What I what's becoming very, very clear to me is that the, the big changes that happen in business are so much more nuanced than tactics. Yeah. The tactics can come later, but everybody's seeking tactics because they don't recognize that that making internal shifts mm-hmm, , that's where the results are going happen. Mm-hmm so much so well. And even in, I couldn't agree with you more. I mean, if we take, um, So I, I often to, I have a story about a client that I worked with, who, um, her business wanted to grow. Like it was the products we're selling, her business wanted to grow, and we had a strategy in place and her, she needed to implement and she kept there, things kept happening so that she wasn't in essence implementing, um, and we, you know, for six months it was like, this is cuz the business itself. Cuz as you know, I believe our businesses, they are their own entity. They, they have their own energy and we as business owners need to create a degree of separation so that we can actually honor what the business needs. Now this business was saying, I'm ready, let's do this. This is amazing. And she was doing in very subtle, different ways. Everything she could to not grow the business. . And when we started really, really looking at the stories and the beliefs and what was happening for her around this, the success that was inevitable, that was, was calling, you know, her forward is that the, her relationship with her, with her husband was very codependent. And at the core of her. Sabotaging and not growing her business was the understanding that there was a very good chance that if she became financially independent and if she experienced all this success, it was really gonna rock the codependent dynamic with her husband. I. . And so when you look at that kind of a, she had the strategy, like you're saying, right, she had the strategy, she had the tactics, she, she had everything in place and a product that was flying off the shelves. But at the core, there were dynamics and stories in her personal life that, that were holding her back from, from that. And so it's just, it's a story that reflects how. , it's not just the strategy, you know, the, the strategy and the tactics is one piece of the equation and your relationship to your business and your stories and beliefs are the other side of the equation. And like you said, everybody is looking for the strategies, but they're not understanding the depth of, um, how their identity and who they are and how they relate to their. is impacting the, the results that they're having, as well as the experience. You know, I think that's really important as well. And sometimes, um, it goes back and forth like the shift in tactics yep. Is going to make a big shift in the way. So I have a client who, um, You know, had a great product, but she was very apologetic about talking about it and very sort of lacking some confidence in that sort of thing. And we've done a bunch of work on her, kind of pulling out the truth and the success of her. And she knows that she needs to shift the way that the, this service is designed and the way the product is designed. So that cuz she knows how much better it can. Yeah. And once if she has it at that yeah. Stage, she's gonna, she's already done a whole bunch of work, but she's gonna be able to come into it. Yeah. And talk about it and sell it with a completely different energy. And what she's realized is that when she does come with that energy, when she has started to talk about it in different ways yeah. Um, she sells. Yeah. And so in that, in that particular circumstance, changing the tactic, changing the strategy is going to actually influence, I. Definitely because now that she sees the future, she can't unsee it and she, she knows she needs to move towards that, to like really show up in her fullest self. Yeah. Yeah. I couldn't agree more. It is. It's, it's, it's an absolute dance. And I think the other thing that is important to understand is that often people think that. When, like when we expand and when we see a greater possibility or when things start going well, or any of that, you know, it's, um, our stories and our beliefs will rise as much when they, um, when we're in a state of expansion as they will, when there are, um, you know, things happening, stressful things happen. Um, and so it is that dance is it's, it's opening up that vision of possibility and putting the, you know, the strategy and the tactics in place that give somebody the confidence to step into it. And also they may need to shift their, their identity and their confidence in who they believe that they are in order to fulfill, um, what, you know, what's, what's unfolding. I always like to say it's not, um, Sometimes it's what do we need to do? And then it is who do I need to become? Hmm, yep. And I think we're always becoming something, right? Yep. Oh definitely. Yeah. Anybody who comes into their business with this sort of absolute. In mind is gonna be sorely disappointed and, and constantly feel like they're never getting there because we do, we change, we evolve. We're becoming something all the time. Yeah. And it's exciting. Right? Yeah. And when you let the go of the idea that you have to get somewhere, yeah. Everything becomes a lot more enjoyable. Totally, totally. Well, and there's always a gap because it's it's how do we hold that vision of that expansion and know what our next steps are? While, cuz there's a gap between that and where you are always. And so in that gap, um, the greatest thing that we can do is learn how to be fully present and ex have the, that experience that we, we desire. Um, cuz that's what ultimately closes, closes the gap, you know, because as you've said, there's always contrast, there's always the next step. There's always the next vision. So how do we fully experience abundance and joy and thriving in whatever it is that somebody wants to experience through the journey, which actually speeds it up. So I'm gonna focus a little bit more on you for a second. Okay. Darn . So you, and you've been a serial you know, you've been through a number of different businesses. And you ended up here. why trust Stephanie to ask an existential question. are we talking about business? Um, why? Oh Stephanie, how maybe how is better? I think, well, no, I think that why is a good, so I'm my greatest. Um, and I think that what I am actually just, you know, like we've just talked about, everything's an evolution and I'm really, am I coming out of a midlife crisis? Maybe that's what's happening here. But in short, I've been going through over the last couple of years, I've gone through a lot of changes. Really looking at why? Like, why am I here? Why am I doing this business? And what is actually at the essence of this? And, um, I was, I, I think why is because I taken the path of most resistance most of my life. Like, I, I really have, like, I, I have a lot of experiences. I mean, I've I, I, as you know, are, you know, I, I was thrown into bankruptcy. I had trauma in my childhood. I lost my mom when I was very little, I've had other, you know, really, really challenging, um, situations in my life. And I've been looking for. How do we, how do we thrive within this human experience? And knowing that there must be a better way than struggling. Like we are hardwired to struggle yet. There must be a better way to, to do this. And so my why or why I'm here doing this work is because it is literally 30 years of a journey of going from being a workaholic to saying actually, I can do, I know there's a different way of doing this, um, to being thrown into bankruptcy and losing everything going. Hmm. There's gotta be a different way of doing this, you know, and, and consistently doing that time. And again, and ultimately what I, I know I'm here to do is to, to really help people, um, thrive in their lives. Um, And be while still navigating this human experience to the, to the degree that we, we have to, like, I, I do believe and have experienced profound, magical synchronistic, divine things over and over again. And it's when we are able to somehow step into alignment, um, and get really, really clear on who we are and what it is that we're meant to be doing. um, and have the courage, uh, to let go of the things that don't serve us, that that's when the magic happens and we can step out of this way of being in the world surviving and really have a new level of, of thriving. So I don't know. That was like, that was my roundabout way of saying thanks, Stephanie, for asking me the existential question. and how, how did I get here? I kept showing. Yeah. At the end of the day, like I, I mean, sure. I mean, there's all the methods I've developed and the steps and all that kind of stuff. But at the end of the day, it's a core belief. I truly believe that, um, the impossible as possible I've experienced it countless times. I believe that we don't need to suffer. Um, and that's coming from a girl who has complex PTSD, um, which is for another conversation, uh, anxiety disorder and complex PTSD. And I am devoted to thriving and not suffering. And it all comes down to staying the course and showing up, cuz you know, my dad asked me the other night, he said, If someone showed up and gave you all the, all the money you needed in order to retire, what would you do? Mm. And I'm like, I keep doing what I'm doing. Yeah. And he goes, that's very telling. Yeah. Cause you know, they come from an old school mentality where it's like, get a job, get a government job. I mean, I would, I would perish. Right. Yeah. And I think he's starting to finally get it that there's more to life than just like grinding and, and we need to be happy and fulfilled. And all the work that you're doing is helping people achieve that because it's a, it's an inside job, right. It's not, at some point in time, you, even if you're very successful in your business, you can still be incredibly unhappy. Yes. Very, very much so. And, um, yeah, I think, and as you pointed out and sort of shared before first, I just wanna say, I think that's really neat too, that your dad is having that, that realization. And I think it would be for all of us, um, to ask that question, that's such a powerful question. It's actually something I ask my clients when I first start working with them. If you were given 5 million, what, what would you do differently right now? Because of all the questions in the, in that intake form. Do you need, you know, strategy or financial planning or marketing or branding, or that is the question that actually gives the greatest insight. Yeah. Because it gets to the heart of, this is what this person really desires, you know? Um, and so for anybody listening to this, if, if I let you publish this after my existential question, crisis question , I'm like, ah, um, Then that's that ask that question right now. It's something I ask myself all the time, you know, um, because it will give you insights into what you truly, truly desire and what really matters the, the most to you not gonna lie. I would probably take a, an extended vacation for, yes, I need to, that. That is the first one. Yep. Yeah. Most definitely. Yeah. Hey, we're we're coming up on time. Um, what's next for you, Leah? Uh, continuing to do what I'm doing. I feel, I, I mean, I'm, I'm in the best place I've been in, in a really long time. And, um, I'm really fascinated by. uh, in going deeper into the methods and the tools, um, that I have been working with in particular over the last couple of years with, um, with my own brain rewiring. So I'm really fascinated by. Neuroscience and how to bring more of that into, uh, the work that that I do. Um, and I'm an empty nester. I mean, I've been an empty nester for like a year now, and it's really only just now I'm getting kind of comfortable with it and in the groove of it also, because you know, everybody's been in lockdown for the last couple of years as well. I'm starting to. I'm really asking, I'm putting myself through my own programs right now is what I'm doing. I'm starting by taking stock and I'm right now in step two of really looking at what is, what does this next chapter look like for me? What, what do I really want? Who am I becoming? Um, and also a lot more play and freedom and, and fun is, uh, yeah, which I think is a lot. Um, I think we could all agree that. You know, play and fun and freedom as much as we desire. It is the, is one of the most difficult things to, to experience, especially coming out of the last couple of years is our nervous systems in our bodies. And the world is in chaos and there's a lot of struggle. There's a lot of stuff, hard stuff coming on or, or happening. And, and so I think us shifting back into. How can we do this? How can we make this easier? How can we have a little more fun? How can we have the experience of freedom and abundance today? Like it doesn't come with the vacation, it comes with, you know, taking a five minute break and going out in nature. And yeah, the word that comes to mind when I think of you now. Yeah. Is, is, uh, uninhibited. That's that just feels like the energy that you've adopted in the last few months is just this like exploration and discovery and, and, um, courage and bravery. Thank you. Love it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And continuing to work with the incredible people that, that I work with. I mean, I get to wake up every day and work with and connect with people like you the most. Amazing people on the planet. I agree. Real, real people doing real things is the most rewarding nourishing best, you know, best people to hang out with. Yeah. And like, like attracts, like, right. Yes. We just happen to be within driving distance of each other too. I know. And we're gonna see each other this summer. Yes, we . I have one question that I ask everyone to hear your answer to it as well. Okay. What's the difference between what we hear out there in the world, in the business world, in the online business world. And what's. What's the difference. All of it. can I say all of it? Um, what is really, I, I think that there is, um, what's the difference? So one thing that comes to mind for you, it doesn't matter. I, what comes to me, is it doesn't is it just doesn't matter? Is that. Um, you are, you are your, you are the expert on you. Like if you're listening, you are the expert on you. And so, um, absolutely pay close attention to strategies and methods and tools and things, and then turn, tune inwards and, um, adopt. The ones that resonate and are in alignment with you because you are the expert on you. I love that. I love it. Okay. We're at the end of time, um, tell us, tell the audience how they can find you. Uh, I am Leah Gord everywhere on the interwebs. Um, Leah gord.com or I'm Leah Gord at Instagram or Leah Gord on Facebook. I spend more time on Instagram than I do on Facebook. Um, and I also have, if you're interested in exploring, shifting your identity and, um, and diving into what that looks like, there's a, I have a workshop on my website that people are welcome. Grab it's free. It's called the business of you and it's a. It's all about the business of you. love it. Awesome. Okay. Thanks so much, Stephanie, That's a wrap. I'm so happy that we had the opportunity to chat with Leah today to hear more about her business and how it came to be her experiences along the way and what the future of her business entails. And thank you for tuning into this episode of the real people, real business show, where we get the real entrepreneurial stories and journeys that you can relate to show notes, resources, and special offers from this episode are available on my website and social media platforms. And if you've enjoyed today's content, I would love for you to give us a review on whatever platform you're on to help us share these genuine stories with even bigger audience until next time, keep building, keep dreaming and keep being real.