Hustle and Flow - Both are needed to grow!

In the last year, some consistent buzz words we've heard are mindfulness, meditation, alignment and flow.  Ultimately, everyone is seeking a more balanced, peaceful life!  We are all trying to reach for this the holy grail, and at times it seems inaccessible no matter how hard we try. Especially if you have children, it’s a bit of a two-steps-forward and three-steps-back dance. The important part is that you start the dance and become more aware and awake to your mind and body's needs.

As a coach, I believe that we must have a healthy balance between the hustle and the flow in order to achieve what we want in our lives whether it be a new job, a sale, new account, running a marathon, getting into our desired school, winning a game and/or some sort of claim to fame... We need a little bit of both in order to grow. As a society, I sometimes feel we move too far to one side and forget how the other side serves us. Both are important and you likely have more of one, than the other (depending on your personality type). Growth or change is not always comfortable but we have to go through the discomfort to get to the reward on the other side. Yes, we should be mindful and release the stressors, or focus on the intention - whether are not we are selling ourselves out, or honoring ourselves, or setting boundaries. Sometimes these roadblocks can be fear or key lessons to learn from. We need Yin and Yang, Hustle and Flow, Strength and Weakness, Risk and Gain in any given circumstance…I believe at younger ages we would often push ourselves beyond our limits to test the gain, but as we get older, particularly as women, we choose a safer route. But why?  The gain might be worth the pain or the little bit of extra effort - whether it be a meeting, a lunch, a phone call or a simple outreach email. Perhaps we need to not stop ourselves and push through or listen to our intuition about when we need to pull back and when we need to move forward in our efforts.

In December, I chose to go on a trip for less than 24 hrs - flying in and out and making sure I was back in time for my daughter’s performance. Crazy? Many may say, "Yes,” and others might say; “I do that all the time.” I used to do these sorts of things often in my early career, but certainly not in the last few years. Many people did not understand my rationale and why I would put myself through this – “What is the upside?” they thought. My only thought was to continue my mission to build strong, confident women/girls to allow them to step in; if I could expand outside of my community and make a greater impact in other areas, it could only be upside possibilities.

This made me start to think about the word - Hustle. But what does Hustle really mean? The Urban Dictionary defines Hustle as:

“To have the courage, confidence, self-belief, and self-determination to go out there and put in the blood, sweat, and tears until you find the opportunities you want in life.”

When I read that definition, I thought to myself, YES, that’s me!  In order to accomplish the goals, you’ve set out for yourself - whether they’re financial, personal development, or career goals, you have to motivate yourself. You’ve got to push yourself to get the job done. Dig deep! You’ve got to HUSTLE! I have always been someone who is self-motivated and goal-oriented. I will admit that once I left the corporate world, I too, was trying to find the Chi between the work grind and finding balance. But what I haven’t always been is mindful of the choices that I was making – that is the Flow and my more feminine side, or the Flow of setting boundaries for others and myself and not trying to gain the approval of others. 

The Hustle is not just about chasing your goals and dreams, but it can also be about creating a side-hustle. I discovered through my research that not only do women make less money than men on average, but that women 40+ are less likely to be hired than men. One in three Americans now make money independently from a 9-5 paycheck because, let’s face it - there’s no such thing as job security anymore. There’s never been a better time to be an entrepreneur or to make money from multiple revenue streams. My recent side Hustle is Beautycounterand I love the experiences and direct interactions with the client. I also missed having a product. My whole life was around products until I moved into a service business 15 years ago with coaching.

There are many benefits to having a side hustle too! You’re your own boss, you set your own hours (more availability to spend time with family and friends) you have multiple sources of income, you save for retirement, you won’t be wasting your time watching TV or browsing Instagram anymore, and you get to flex those creative muscles doing something you love and feel passionate about! Plus, it’s empowering! What’s wrong with receiving a paycheck? It feels good!

Often, embarking on something new is exciting and fun. It’s easy to get caught up in the endorphin rush. The honest truth is it will likely will not be easy but it WILL be super rewarding! Most entrepreneurs will tell you, “The Hustle is Real!” If you want to make magic you better work for it. Understand what’s realistic and don’t undervalue yourself. It’s an opportunity to learn, and if you want to make something from nothing you have to be consistent. What it takes to build confidence is taking risks and failing, and "feeling the fear, but doing it anyway," to quote Susan Jeffers. Be willing to take that extra step and go the extra mile without any guarantees. 

At EmpowHer LA we want to instill confidence and courage in women and girls allowing them the opportunity to reach for their dreams and goals without limitations. Transitions in life are inevitable, it’s how we flow through them and grow through our experiences that make us who we are today! My whole career and life has been one big transition and I’m here to help guide you in the Hustle and Flow! 

Feel free to reach out to me about coaching, entrepreneurship, business, marketing, hustle, flow and transitions at michelle@empowherla.com.

XOXO,