Episode 320
Stop Chasing Easy: What Business Growth Actually Looks Like [Ep. 320]
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So many service providers are chasing easy, thinking it’ll all finally click once they hit $10K months, hire a VA, or automate a few systems. But here’s the truth: business doesn’t get easier… it gets clearer. In this episode, I break down the dangerous myth of “easy,” what true ease actually looks like, and why high-level coaches, consultants, and creatives still work hard, just differently.
Whether you’re a done-for-you expert, graphic designer, VA, online business manager, copywriter, or ADHD entrepreneur trying to build a business that flows, this one’s for you.
You’ll learn:
- Why automations shift what you do, but don’t remove the need to lead
- What “ease” actually means (hint: it’s not less work)
- Where to look if everything feels heavy and unclear
- The key mindset shift that creates momentum
This is the real truth about business growth, especially for neurodivergent service providers navigating demand avoidance, overthinking, and inconsistent energy.
Related Episodes:
The Real Truth About 6 Figures (It’s Not What You Think) [Ep. 300]
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Here's your Next Steps:
- Take the "Where's the Gap in Your Business Strategy" Quiz
- Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn or Facebook
- Visit my website to learn more and apply for the Focused Visionary Accelerator
- Sign up for my newsletter - Sunday Morning Brew - delivered every Sunday at 6 am
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About the Host:
Michelle DeNio is a business strategist and growth advisor for service-based entrepreneurs, especially neurodivergent and ADHD business owners. Creator of the Focused Visionary Accelerator and host of The Real Truth About Business podcast, she helps clients simplify, focus, and grow sustainably. With 15+ years in business operations, she’s known for turning big ideas into simple, profitable action plans.
Transcript
Hey.
Speaker B:Hey.
Speaker A:All right.
Speaker A:I want to have a conversation today about business getting easier, right?
Speaker A:I've had a lot of conversations lately where everybody's kind of chasing easy.
Speaker A:They think, like, once I hit a certain revenue or I get a few systems in place or I can hire a va, business will finally get easier.
Speaker A:But here's the truth.
Speaker A:It really never gets easier.
Speaker A:And I don't say that negatively.
Speaker A:And I don't say that to be a jerk, and I don't say that to be like, you know, that's not true, Michelle.
Speaker A:Other people say that, you know, they.
Speaker A:Things flow with ease in their business, and it's easy.
Speaker A:What?
Speaker A:That's exactly my point is that I do firmly believe that what happens is that business can start to flow with ease, but only when you stop waiting for it to be easy and you do the work to build the right foundation.
Speaker A:Now, okay, I. I really want to talk about this because again, I think that there is this misconception in.
Speaker A:In business of this chasing easier.
Speaker A:And I think that chase is starting to affect people negatively in the sense that they're continuing to chase something that is never really, I don't want to say never going to happen, but is years, maybe down the line, right?
Speaker A:And honestly, I think if you talk to any really successful business owner, years and years in business, I don't know that they would ever tell you it's easy.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:And that's really what I want to talk about today.
Speaker A:So if you're ready, buckle in.
Speaker A:This one might be a hard one for you to hear, but we're going to.
Speaker A:We're going to talk about it because I do believe it can flow with ease.
Speaker A:All right, you ready to dive in?
Speaker A:Let's do it.
Speaker A:Okay, so again, I talked about this a little bit in that intro paragraph, but again, I really do think that there's this.
Speaker A:You know, I've had a couple conversations in my different coaching programs lately of like, I just need this to feel easier.
Speaker A:I just want this to be easier.
Speaker A:I just want this to be easier.
Speaker A:And the thing about it is there are systems that you can put in place, right?
Speaker A:There's a lot of people that promote systems and operations and all of these things.
Speaker A:And I am a firm believer in that.
Speaker A:I'm a firm believer in automation.
Speaker A:I think AI makes things a lot easier.
Speaker A:I think there are a lot of tools that can make things easier, right?
Speaker A:But there's this myth of easy in business, right?
Speaker A:So it's like, well, once I hit 10k months, things will be easier, actually.
Speaker A:Just had somebody tell me this in, like, a cold DM.
Speaker A:I tried to DM this woman.
Speaker A:Well, this woman, like, was cold DM DMing me.
Speaker A:And I tried to turn it into a teaching moment, and it was a very awkward conversation.
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker B:She.
Speaker A:She just went on and on about how she's just, like, not making any money and blah, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker A:But once I hit 10k months, everything will be fine.
Speaker A:Everything will be fine.
Speaker A:It'll just be easier.
Speaker A:Everything will be fine.
Speaker A:And I'm like, I ended up just saying to her, like, good luck, because it wasn't going to go anywhere.
Speaker A:But it was such an interesting thing to me.
Speaker A:It's like, once I hit 10k months, things will be easier.
Speaker A:Now, you know that I've got really strong opinions.
Speaker A:In the myths around 10k months.
Speaker A:There's an episode on that about, like the myth around six figures.
Speaker A:I'll link it in the show notes.
Speaker A:Because there's.
Speaker A:There's so much more to six figures than 10k months.
Speaker A:And 10k months, when you add everything in, really isn't.
Speaker A:You know, it's not the be all end up.
Speaker A:But anyway, and then it's.
Speaker A:You know, my point is, is like there's this myth around it that once you hit that, it's going to be easier.
Speaker B:Not.
Speaker A:Not true.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Once I hire somebody, it won't feel so hard.
Speaker A:Maybe if you hire the right person.
Speaker A:But again, if you don't have the right foundation in place, if you don't have the right systems, if you don't have the right structure, hiring somebody is not going to solve your problems.
Speaker A:It's just going to add to them because that person's not going to be able to follow a broken system.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:A broken system is a broken system.
Speaker A:Garbage in equals garbage out.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:And so hiring somebody is not always the answer, unless you're hiring somebody to fix that broken system.
Speaker A:But again, you have to understand the strategy around it.
Speaker A:You have to know what the system is that you're trying to create.
Speaker A:You.
Speaker A:I mean, there's so much here.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:And so the truth is, is that success doesn't eliminate the hard.
Speaker A:It just doesn't.
Speaker A:It just changes it.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Like, it just changes it.
Speaker A:There are things as you get more successful and as your business grows and as you scale, that will feel much easier.
Speaker A:That in the beginning were, like, really felt hard.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:So for me, I'll just give you, like, a super easy example.
Speaker A:For a long time, it was very hard for me to go on video.
Speaker A:Now it's like it's so easy, it's ridiculous.
Speaker A:Like I could pop on video no matter, any, like anytime, anywhere.
Speaker A:Like, it doesn't faze me.
Speaker A:Like, it's so easy.
Speaker A:That's what I'm saying.
Speaker A:Like, there are certain things that get easier.
Speaker A:But what is that video doing, right?
Speaker A:Like the strategy around it, the work that goes into it, getting people to watch the video, all of that is still work, right?
Speaker A:Like you, you cannot automate client acquisition, right?
Speaker A:Even people say, like, well, I just want to put money towards it.
Speaker A:Let me just throw some money at it.
Speaker A:Like, what if I run Google Ads or meta ads or any of that, Even that.
Speaker A:Like, you're either going to pay somebody to manage it or you're going to manage it yourself.
Speaker A:And the management itself is not necessarily easy, right?
Speaker A:It's still work, right?
Speaker A:You still have to do the work.
Speaker A:And so I think about like your local businesses, like, go to your local business.
Speaker A:This is what kills me is anytime the online space, because the online space just overinflates everything.
Speaker A:It makes everything out like, it's just so easy.
Speaker A:And you can do all these things, right?
Speaker A:But like, go talk to your local brick and mortar small business, like local coffee shop, local boutique.
Speaker A:Like, I'm thinking of a little local consignment shop here that I love.
Speaker A:The woman, she works her freaking ass off, right?
Speaker A:Like, there is nothing about it that is easy.
Speaker A:Even though she's been in the fashion industry for a freaking million years, she's incredible at what she does.
Speaker A:She has so many people that want to consign with her, it's insane.
Speaker A:Like she actually had to turn off her consignments because.
Speaker A:Or her consigners, like, because she just couldn't take anymore, right?
Speaker A:But the amount of work that goes into that, even though so it, like it sounds and it looks like from the outside, like she's so successful and things are going so well and it must be so easy for her.
Speaker A:But again, like, you've got to manage your consignors.
Speaker A:You got to know what, who you've paid, who you didn't pay.
Speaker A:You got to track all of that.
Speaker A:You've got to, you know, set it all up.
Speaker A:She's got to hang it all, she's got to steam it all.
Speaker A:She's.
Speaker A:I mean, there's just a lot of work that goes into it.
Speaker A:And on the other hand, she's still got to drive traffic to the shop just because she's got a million consignors and she's got an overflow of clothing to choose from doesn't mean she's got buyers, right?
Speaker A:So, like, again, there are parts of your business that will flow with ease, but there are other things that are still hard work.
Speaker A:And I think this constant chasing of, like, how do I make it easier?
Speaker A:Is really detrimental to people because they're chasing something that they think is going to just change their world.
Speaker A:And it's not.
Speaker A:Not right.
Speaker A:And again, I'm not trying to be a jerk here, and I'm not trying to be, you know, but I'm the coach.
Speaker A:Everybody says, like, Michelle gives it to you straight.
Speaker A:That's the name of this podcast, the Real Truth about Business.
Speaker A:Even this whole thing with her, Mosi.
Speaker A:And I don't even want to get into that because it's like, I don't even want to buy into the hype of it.
Speaker A:I don't want to use him as part of my selling.
Speaker A:But all the while, like, he's.
Speaker A:He makes it out like 100 million dollar offers, 100 million dollar sales, $100 million.
Speaker A:This.
Speaker A:Like, he makes it out like, you can just make $100 million, like, easy.
Speaker A:No, you can't.
Speaker A:Like, and half of his strategies are not going to work, right?
Speaker A:Like, I'm sorry, he works his ass off.
Speaker A:He's worked his ass off for years.
Speaker A:And even the amount of work that just went into that upcoming launch, I can guarantee you, if you talk to Alex or Mosey today, there is not one part of that that he would say was absolutely easy.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:So I think what's happening is this mindset of waiting for things to become easy is just a delay tactic.
Speaker A:And then it's like an excuse to not fully step into the work and your business and the CEO role and, like, the things that need to be done because you're just thinking.
Speaker A:And there's this mindset around that that, like, it will become easier, right?
Speaker A:And it's, it's just.
Speaker A:It keeps you from fully stepping in.
Speaker A:And so I want to change the narrative here.
Speaker A:And you keep hearing me say, like, it can flow with ease, right?
Speaker A:But that's not the same as easy, right?
Speaker A:Ease comes from clarity.
Speaker A:It comes from decision making.
Speaker A:It comes from a simplified structure, not from shortcuts.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:People that chase easy are usually chasing a shortcut of some sort.
Speaker A:But ease means, like, you're fully.
Speaker A:You're like, so crystal clear.
Speaker A:You've got immense clarity in, like, who you are, what you do, who you serve, what your offers are, right?
Speaker A:Like, when you have that clarity and you know where your focus is, things do Start to flow with ease because you're crystal clear on where you want to go.
Speaker A:The decisions become easier, there's a structure in place.
Speaker A:Like, all of these things start to flow a little bit more with ease because there's this structure in place, there's clarity, right.
Speaker A:And then also too, like, there are certain seasons that do feel lighter, right?
Speaker A:Messaging is just hitting your audience is warm, right?
Speaker A:Like, there are.
Speaker A:You've done a ton of planting seeds.
Speaker A:And so, you know, there are seasons where it's like, sometimes it's like everything just harvests at once, you know, and it feels easy.
Speaker A:It's like, wow, this was amazing.
Speaker A:Like, all these clients came in, they all said, yes.
Speaker A:Like, but you need to remember and think about all the work that you put in into that before they just started harvesting, right?
Speaker A:Like, all the work you did to plant the seeds, to water the seeds, to nurture the seeds, to reach back out, to follow up, to create the content, to create.
Speaker A:Like, all of that, right.
Speaker A:Is still all work that was done to allow for this next season to feel a little bit lighter, to feel like it's flowing with more ease.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:Again, it's the result of sustained effort, not luck, not automation, Right?
Speaker A:Like, yes, there are automations.
Speaker A:You know, I love automation.
Speaker A:Don't get me wrong.
Speaker A:Like, I love that my onboarding.
Speaker A:So I'll give you an example.
Speaker A:So, like, onboarding a client used to be such a hassle for me because I didn't really have a good system.
Speaker A:I was having contracts needing to be signed and those didn't lead to the invoices, and the invoices needed to be created manually.
Speaker A:And I could have done it all, like, automated, but, like, there was.
Speaker A:Everybody was on a different payment plan.
Speaker A:And like, it just wasn't easy.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:And so when I switched to the FBA program, which is a group program and it's evergreen, that did, and I was able to systemize that, right?
Speaker A:So it's like you go on the website, you check out, you sign up for your payment plan, it auto bills, it sends the invoice, it's got automated emails set up behind it to make sure that you get everything and you get logged in correctly.
Speaker A:Each week you get an email reminding you of, like, the next step in your journey in through fva.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:You've got me there.
Speaker A:So, like, there are so many parts of it that just are super easy right now.
Speaker A:But the amount of work that went into that, to create that, the people I had to hire, the things I had to do, the systems I Had to get in place, right?
Speaker A:All of that was so much work.
Speaker A:And so, yes, now I have this system that is easy, but in, you know, there's still a lot of work that goes into it because a lot of times people don't just like go to the website and sign up.
Speaker A:I've had calls with them, them, we have conversations, we talk about it, we make sure it's a good fit, right?
Speaker A:So again, I just want like, once they say, yes, it flows with ease, right?
Speaker A:It's flowing, but wasn't easy.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:So that's what I think is like the biggest mindset shift here is ease equals flow, right?
Speaker A:How can things flow with ease versus easy usually equals like a false promise, right?
Speaker A:It's a shortcut.
Speaker A:It's this something that you're chasing that is not necessarily within reach, right?
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:And I just think that when you can really shift your mindset there you will start.
Speaker A:That's when things will start to flow with a little bit more ease, right?
Speaker A:Like, it seems counterintuitive, but it's like when you actually like stop chasing easy, things start to flow with more ease because there's less pressure.
Speaker A:You're just doing the work, you're doing the things.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:And so again, like, to the point, we've talked about this now, but just to like bring it home is like Automations and systems help.
Speaker A: They absolutely: Speaker A:Again, like I was saying with fva, right?
Speaker A:Like there's Automations, there's systems in place so that when somebody signs up, it all just goes through and it's super simple for them, it's a really simple process.
Speaker A:But there's a lot of work that goes into drawing people into FVA to the client attraction, the content creators, right?
Speaker A:The managing and following up with people, moving people through my pipeline, having conversations with them, the networking, all of the things, right?
Speaker A:So Automations shift what you do, but they don't erase the need to lead.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:Think about that.
Speaker A:Like I'm going to say it again, Automations shift what you do, but they do not erase the need for you to lead your business.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:That's really what it is.
Speaker A:It's really more about you leading.
Speaker A:And so that is also a place where I think that you can shift a little bit from being that, that place of ease, right?
Speaker A:That flow of ease or chasing easier is when you shift from doing to leading, right?
Speaker A:And in the beginning, a lot of us are the operator.
Speaker A:We're everything, right?
Speaker A:And even as business grows, there's still a lot of pieces in my business that I'm the operator, I'm still doing the work, right.
Speaker A:I still schedule a lot of my own social media.
Speaker A:I have a VA that helps repurpose this podcast and all of that.
Speaker A:But there's still a lot of content that I still manage.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:But I am leading it.
Speaker A:There's.
Speaker A:There's a flow to it, there's a structure to it.
Speaker A:There's a, you know, there's just, it's my leadership.
Speaker A:And so again, so even when you hire though, like, you're still managing people, right?
Speaker A:So even that, my VA with the repurposing, she still relies on me to lead her to make those strategic decisions, to really follow up and make sure that the process that we have in place is, is working, right?
Speaker A:It's not really on her.
Speaker A:That's not what I've hired her to do.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:And so there's still a lot of leading.
Speaker A:So you just start carrying that, you start carrying that, that ownership.
Speaker A:You step into that more ownership role and then things do.
Speaker A:Because again, really, what's chasing the ease, again, the easy, is that decision making, it's that clarity.
Speaker A:It's like understanding and knowing what is actually going on, right?
Speaker A:This is what I talk about, like inside of fba.
Speaker A:My goal is to help you get your business flowing with ease.
Speaker A:I will never promise it's going to be easy, but I can help you simplify it, right?
Speaker A:We look at what's working, we look at what's not working.
Speaker A:We make sure your leads have a clear process to move through.
Speaker A:We.
Speaker A:So, you know, making sure there's systems in place, like there are things that we do in that whole entire FBA program is designed to help make life a little easier, to make your business flow with more ease, less stress, more simplification, right?
Speaker A:So again, there are things that you can do.
Speaker A:But really, I think what most people are chasing is not necessarily easy.
Speaker A:It's that they're chasing clarity, right?
Speaker A:There are so many business owners out there that just have such a lack of clarity, right?
Speaker A:And if you would just get that clarity on what exactly you should be focused on how to focus on it.
Speaker A:Where do you go, what do I do?
Speaker A:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:Like, how do I stop over complicating this?
Speaker A:How can I, you know, start taking action and just like simplify this?
Speaker A:What is the simplest way to deliver this right now?
Speaker A:You know, that's what you're really chasing is not so much this.
Speaker A:Like, I just want this to feel easier.
Speaker A:No, I Just want this to not feel like such a heavy decision, right?
Speaker A:You want the decisions to come faster.
Speaker A:You want the decisions to come clearer, right?
Speaker A:That's really what it comes down to.
Speaker A:Okay, so just to wrap this episode up, like, there's a couple things.
Speaker A:Like, if you're really feeling like, I don't.
Speaker A:I don't know, like, I just want.
Speaker A:I'm still feeling like everything feels so hard.
Speaker A:Here's a couple of things that you can journal on, right?
Speaker A:Is like, where are you waiting for your business to get easier before you take action, right?
Speaker A:Where are you waiting for your business to get easier before you take action?
Speaker A:Because I guarantee you what you're waiting on is what's going to create the ease.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:So that's number one.
Speaker A:And then identify like one area that you feel like you're over complicating or procrastinating on or that demand avoidance that we talked about in the last episode is triggering because it feels hard, right?
Speaker A:Does it feel hard?
Speaker A:Does it feel unclear?
Speaker A:Does it feel like, where are you struggling and why, right?
Speaker A:Like, why are you procrastinating on it?
Speaker A:Why is it overcome complicated?
Speaker A:And then, you know, really ask yourself, what would ease look like, right?
Speaker A:Really think about that.
Speaker A:That's something that, when I do business planning at the end of the year, I always ask them, like, how do you want your day to feel?
Speaker A:How do you want it to look?
Speaker A:And so if you're really craving that ease, like, what does that look like?
Speaker A:What does that feel like?
Speaker A:What does that.
Speaker A:How does that show up every day in your business?
Speaker A:Like, what really is it that you're.
Speaker A:What is exactly that you're craving, right?
Speaker A:Because if you can't identify what that is you're craving, you can't put a.
Speaker A:A solution to it, right?
Speaker A:And so just saying, like, you know, again, like that woman that said, I just need to get to 10k months and that'll be good.
Speaker A:It's like, where, why?
Speaker A:What?
Speaker A:Like, what is it like?
Speaker A:And how is that going to make your life easier?
Speaker A:Especially when her program was like, 97, you know, 10,000 month.
Speaker A:$10,000 months on a $97 offer is a lot of sales, right?
Speaker A:So I look at that and think, that's not easier, right?
Speaker A:That's not easier.
Speaker A:I mean, you're talking thousands of people that you have to manage, right?
Speaker A:On a 97,000.
Speaker A:A $97 offer, right?
Speaker A:You're.
Speaker A:You're talking that you need like over 100 clients to.
Speaker A:To manage that.
Speaker A:Like, that's not easier to me.
Speaker A:That doesn't feel easy.
Speaker A:Right again.
Speaker A:So, like, what does ease really look like?
Speaker A:Okay, and then how can you step into that ownership role?
Speaker A:How can you step into that leading role and start taking ownership of these things?
Speaker A:Okay, so again, I just want to be very clear that I do think there are seasons in business that are easier than others.
Speaker A:I do think that there are periods of time and that you can really create a business that flows with ease.
Speaker A:I 100% believe that.
Speaker A:But the constant chasing of easier is detrimental to your growth.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:So if you.
Speaker A:If this one kind of hit a nerve with you and you're realizing that you've been waiting for ease to just show up instead of trying to create it again, this is the work we do inside of the Focus Visionary Accelerator.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:So I want to help you to build a business that flows with ease, even in the seasons that are hard.
Speaker A:Okay, the link is in the show notes.
Speaker A:There's a call link.
Speaker A:Schedule a call, have a chat with me, ask questions.
Speaker A:Like, let's talk about it.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker A:There's so many people I know right now that are kind of really looking at the Focus Visionary Accelerator, but they're kind of on the fence or they're not sure.
Speaker A:And I. I want to answer those questions for you.
Speaker A:So shoot me a DM on any of the social platforms, I don't care which one.
Speaker A:And let's talk about it.
Speaker A:Like, I'm never, ever going to pressure you into a sale.
Speaker A:I'm never going to tell you you need to take out a loan to get into this program.
Speaker A:Like, if it's a good fit, great.
Speaker A:If it's not, that's okay.
Speaker A:But let's see if I can support you in another way.
Speaker A:All right?
Speaker A:So I just want to.
Speaker A:To share that with you because it's something that's very, very heavy on my heart, is I don't ever want people to feel like they can't reach out.
Speaker A:I don't want people to ever feel like you can't ask your questions.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:So I love you, I believe in you, and I will talk to you soon.
