CEO Unapologetically

Val:

Hello, beautiful. Yeah. We get some sunshine today. Surprise. Surprise. Surprise. Some sunshine today. And, of course, I've also had some really good coaching sessions this week.

Val:

I have hired my own strategy coach. It's my rebranding is going on. Might start seeing some of that with by the time this one's up. I don't know. There's so much going on, and it's so good. So good. So good. So good.

Val:

But I have my ranty pants on today. I met with the bash pass members yesterday. And as we were talking, the whole idea of money came up. And, you know, a conversation with we had a lot of mindset, a lot more than a lot more than usual. Like, it was very pointedly mindset. And it was it was mentioned by somebody that, that that they do hear from a few people that, oh, you're just in it for the money kinda thing. And I was like, you know, not losing it at them, of course, but immediately ranty because I'm like, of course, we are in business for the fucking money. Yes.

Val:

We love helping people, but we're in business. Goddamn it. Oh, it makes me so mad that those people are per trying to project and make other people feel uncomfortable and greedy and selfish for wanting to earn money. And all of a sudden this analogy just popped into my head and I was like, oh, that's so good. This is exactly what I'm talking about right here because we're CEOs. And I I talked to the members about the the the difference I've had just in the last few months. I've really been been focusing on these three initials, CEO, because I would write it on stuff, and I'd be like, oh, oh, oh, am I this is uncomfortable. It's so uncomfortable.

Val:

I'm not a CEO. I don't run I don't run a huge corporation. And I was so uncomfortable with just his initials. I'm like, what the hell is a CEO even? I don't even know. You know what I mean? It's like this big corporate thing in my brain. And once I started embracing it, which when I just switched my LLCs around, shut down the other one, and I'm totally just on my own LLC now, not the not the old one. And once I once I did that and I had to go set my bank up bank accounts up, I was sitting there with the guy setting up the the new accounts, and he's like he's like, okay. So what are you? You know? And I knew he was talking about what I am when I'm in I in the business.

Val:

I said, well, I'm I'm a CEO, and it was like a light question in my voice, but not the usual. There was not the usual, well, it it was well, I'm the CEO, and I did come back afterwards. And and as soon as I said that, I'm like I'm like and that's crazy that that's, like, one of the first time this is one of the first times I think I've ever felt, like, more comfortable with saying that. I'm like I make it seem so weird. I'm having, you know, I'm having a total conversation with a stranger at the bank. I left my bank. And having this conversation, I go, it's really weird. He goes, but you are.

Val:

I I know. But why is it so weird? You know? So needless to say, for the last, like, few months, I it's been working through my brain. It's been sitting there in my brain. So when we were having this conversation in the meeting yesterday, and and the whole money thing came up, And I'm like, oh, here we are going for this girl's. I'm like, because I got a lot to say. And when I ended, I'm like, obviously, I need to, obviously, this is gonna be the podcast recording this week because I got lots to say, and I'm over it. But here's why I'm super over it. I'm working through what I am now realizing is big time money issues that I did not know I had ingrained in my head.

Val:

Don't really wanna go into detail with that right now. Client and I, did go into it today, and I shared with her, but I'm not ready to go into it right this minute. But I'm I'm realizing now, how much negative negative has actually been in my life for all of these decades around wealth and and those that have money. And the thought process of those, you know, of not the thought process. The the feeling towards those people. So, again, I'm not gonna go into detail, but I'm aware, and I'm working on it. And, I don't have that same feeling. So I have to work through that that feeling when it when it bubbles up now that I know where it's coming from.

Val:

But it's really, really insane. Crazy that we grow up with this ideal that it is not just perfectly acceptable, but that you should be looking to move up the corporate ladder. You should be looking to become the CEO. Why not? Why not? Shoot for the stars. Be the CEO of the corporation. And yet in those exact same people, will have that idea of, but you're in business for the money. Oh, gosh. That's so greedy.

Val:

You should just be helping people. It's like, no, bitch. This is not a 501 c. If I wanted to run a charity, I'd run a charity. Yes. I'm here to help, but I'm also here to pay my damn bills. And why is it any different than if you were a CEO of a company? Why is it any different? Nobody would think that, oh, you're just greedy. All you want is that corporate money.

Val:

I mean, some people would. But because some people are gonna find negative at anything. Right? But that's, like, the ideal still that we've been talk told that I mean, even still, I think some of the the lower generations coming up, that's still a feeling. It's getting better. I do believe it's getting better. But for mainstream America, it's still there that you should be working your way up the corporate ladder, and that means success. CEO of a corporation would mean ultimate success. Meanwhile, CEO of your own business, where you could potentially be making way more money and way more difference in people's lives and hiring people, which makes difference in those people's lives.

Val:

And many people are gonna look at that and go, oh, you're only doing it for the money. Like, to quote the wonderful GI Jane, suck my dick. I am in it for the money. I am. If I wasn't in it for the money, I would just be a charity. I would go create a charity. Because there's many years that I probably would have made more money if I paid myself as running as a charity in some of my past fashion businesses where I could have easily turned them into charities very easily. I've been it's because that's not how I wanted to run things.

Val:

It's not the dynamic. I will be honest. I wanted to be in charge. And when you start running a charity, you start having way more moving parts. And, thankfully, I have friends that have started their own 5 zero one c's, and they're like, it's way more business way more work than running your own business ever. I'm like, okay. That's all I needed to hear. I don't want that.

Val:

I don't want more work. No. So if you have people talking to you about the whole money issue making you feel bad about it, just look at them and ask if they work for free. Or just totally ignore them. Either either one. It depends on who you're talking to and how you're feeling and if you're me. Or I don't think I'm gonna get people like that because I'm I I well, that goes into what I was gonna talk. I don't.

Val:

That was goes into what I know I wasn't gonna talk about. So, because I take that back. I did have somebody that kind of made some comments. So that's why it's really fresh in my head and why my ranty pants immediately came on is because I just just came up with this realization last week of, oh, my word. Oh, oh, oh, shit. There's some some things that I gotta work on around money, but, definitely, the whole CEO concept is a huge level up. Even to the point now where I'm putting it on other things. I have put it on my email signature here and there, and I'm, like, totally comfortable with it.

Val:

And it's like it's like, I am the CEO of this company. I am solely in charge of every decision and if it fails or succeeds. That is on me, 100%. And I say that in a good way because I feel really good about it. So if people are bringing up the whole money thing, take a deep breath, Realize that's on them. That is their insecurities with money. Tell them what you wanna tell them. Address it however you wanna address it.

Val:

But just remember, it has nothing to do with you because you could be charging $2 for a product, and that person would still be saying, oh my god. How come you're not giving it away for free? You could be giving it away for free, and they could still be doing, how come you're not giving away coaching with it? I mean, these are people that have such money issues that there's never going to be a happy answer. You know? So that's why I'm loving this analogy of going, hey. If I was a corporate CEO, you'd all be cheering. But instead, there's jealousy going on or whatever's going on. They're just miserable, and they wanna bring you down. So let's not go down with them. Don't let them bring you down.

Val:

Keep being the CEO. If that word makes you cringe, keep calling yourself the CEO until it feels better. Write it down. Put it everywhere. This is your company, your business. You are the CEO. You are the chief executive officer, or you could be the COO. Take your poison, but that is what you are.

Val:

Alright. I got this done before my husband got home, so that's good because as soon as he gets home, the dogs go crazy. So I will be talking to you next week, and I'm looking at my schedule right now. Next week is episode 100. Oh my god. Episode 100. Episode 100 will absolutely be recorded ahead of time because episode 100 comes out on my 30th anniversary, and I will be in Mexico, Unplugged, which stresses me out just a tiny bit. I'm looking forward to it, but oh my god.

Val:

Not even bringing my laptop. Okay. Anyways, I've gotta find go find some really great topic for episode 100, but this is episode 99. Wow. Thanks for being here, and go be the CEO of your company. Go do it. Bye.