Episode 198. Impact over metrics, forever ever. A business lesson from the retreat.
Fresh off the 2024 Birth Worker Retreat, I’m excited to share my biggest takeaway & business lesson with you. Keep in mind, this was my first in-person speaking gig since 2020, and I have to say - it was better than I could have imagined.
Back in 2020, my first in-person event had a handful of attendees. The plan was to keep them rolling every six months, but well, as we all know, life had different plans. Now, fast forward to the first Birth Worker Retreat – we had about 40 birth workers from all over the U.S. Plus, huge shoutout to two former clients who made the trek all the way from Canada, one who traveled 18-hours each way from Victoria to Clearwater, Florida.
Pause. If you’re wondering, why birth workers? Sure, I work with various professionals – from nutritionists to real estate closers, youth sports camps to pediatric therapists – but my heart will forever and ever live in the birth industry. Birth nerd for life, amen?!
So, my biggest takeaway from this retreat? The impact of my work, especially my podcast and voice, on real, living, breathing humans. People came up to me, sharing how they've been listening to and loving my podcast for some time, and were thrilled to meet in real life. I had no clue that my podcast was weaving into their lives in such a profound way.
Here's the thing: many of these amazing humans never told me this before. No reviews, no messages, you get it. And, listen, in case I’ve never told you before… if you're enjoying the show, don't be shy – tell me (*bats eyes*). As a Projector in human design, that recognition is like plugging a freshly charged battery into me.
What does this have to do with you? If you’re a fellow entrepreneur in ANY industry, remember that success isn't measured in metrics. Even if the algorithm seems to be ignoring you, or your engagement is low, rest assured – people ARE watching, listening, reading, and being impacted by your message.
Let’s normalize telling people when their work helps us, moves us, inspires us.
Up for a challenge? Let's make it a habit to tell five businesses or individuals this week about the positive impact they've had on us. Write a review, send them an email, text, or DM. Comment on their content. Remember, you attract what you ARE.
And to wrap up the episode, I've put together a sweet compilation of clips from the retreat – snippets of attendees sharing their favorite moments. If you were there and didn't make it into the video, feel free to send it to me for version 2.
And if you missed the retreat this year, good news: we booked the same spot for 2025! Secure your seat here: https://mailchi.mp/behervillage/thebirthworkerretreat
Ways to work with Nichole:
https://www.nicholejoy.com/more
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https://www.instagram.com/nichole_joy__/
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Transcript:
In case you missed it, even though I have mentioned it numerous times on the podcast, I co hosted a retreat this past week.
It's my first in person speaking gig since 2020, and it was by far the largest. In 2020, I think I had seven or eight people at my event, and the plan back then was to do regular events like every six months, and then of course, things shifted for everybody. So this was my first Bigger and in person event ever, really.
We had about 40 birth workers from all over the United States. Two of my former clients came from Canada. One from Victoria, Canada, which is like the furthest possible you can get from Clearwater, Florida. She traveled 18 hours to spend less than 48 hours with us.
And if you're wondering why a birth worker retreat,
because yes, I work with more than birth workers. I also work with nutritionists, real estate closers, youth sports camps, pediatric therapists,
and more. , My heart and most of my community still tends to be in the birth industry.[00:01:00]
My biggest takeaway from the retreat is something that I want to share with you, but also with a message for how you can apply this to your business. And that is the impact that my work and more specifically, my podcast and my voice is having on real humans.
I don't remember how many people at the retreat came up to me at various points before, after my segment. And said something along the lines of, . I hear you in my ear when I love your podcast because I've been listening to your show for so long and I'm so glad to finally meet you.
, I had no idea , that my podcast was helping these individual people. They've never mentioned it. They've never perhaps written a review. They've never messaged me. I had no clue. And side note, if you really enjoy my show, you are welcome to tell me because it lights me all the way up,
especially as a projector in human design, I'm
That feels like recognition to me.
And that recognition being seen, being heard for a projector is like panty dropper.
No, but really [00:02:00] it gives me so much energy. And turns on my wiring, my circuitry so that I can continue doing this in a way that feels really good.
And to continue to take you deeper on in our conversations about business, about energetics, everything that I was sharing was so well received with the group that I feel invited. I feel invited to keep going and to go deeper. So that's something that's to come.
And the message I want to share with you, if you're an entrepreneur, if you have any kind of business online you may be out here wondering, especially if you're newer or you're within, I don't know, the first several years really of business, I've been in this online space since late 2017 and I still have moments where I wonder if what I'm doing is actually working. If the stuff that I put on my vision board in 2017 about empowering women, helping people, helping women, all of these phrases that I took off of Pinterest and pinned on my vision board, having no clue if it would ever, how it would ever happen,
I still have those moments of wondering if it's actually happening.
[00:03:00] And for you, that might look like maybe the algorithm isn't pushing your work out there or your engagement is very low on your social media, sometimes non existent, or only a couple of people signed up for a program that you're offering, or you only have a couple reviews on your podcast or on your Facebook business page, Or testimonials from work that you've done, and usually it's because you've asked specifically for them.
The reality is there are people watching, there are people listening, there are people reading.
And there are people being incredibly impacted by your work, by your voice. The thing is, most of them just don't tell you. They are busy, they are lifing, and sometimes they just don't think to tell you.. So while yes, I thoroughly enjoy chatting back and forth in the comment section of one of my reels or one of my posts. Yes, I enjoy talking to you,
I hope this is a reminder to you, as it was to me last week. That social media engagement, or the number of reviews that you have for your work is not the indicator of success.
If you enjoyed this please tell me. I would love to hear it. I would [00:04:00] love to hear from you. Write a review, send me a quick note, send me a quick email, send me an Instagram DM. Let's normalize telling people when their work helps us inspires us, shifts something for us.
Or moves us. So my challenge for you, and I'm going to do it too, as this episode is coming out, is to take a moment sometime this week and let five businesses or people know that they've helped you or inspired you to do something different or shift something that, how has their work impacted you? Write a testimonial, write a review for their podcast, comment on their work. Because unless there's somebody like Beyonce, I would imagine that they're probably somewhere wondering something very similar to what you wonder sometimes is, is this actually working? Is this actually helping people? Do people actually enjoy this? Am I creating impact?
So can we normalize telling people that they are creating impact and they're doing a good freaking job? I also want to share with you a little compilation of clips from videos that I took on the last, I [00:05:00] don't know, 30 minutes of the retreat. I was walking around with my phone asking people what their favorite part of the Birth Worker Retreat was.
And they shared from their hearts. So I put together this really cute video of about 14 out of the maybe 40 attendees because that's all I could get to this time. Mental note, next year I'm going to be doing this throughout the retreat so that we have everybody's feedback.
If you're not in the video and you were at the retreat, I'm sorry, I didn't get to everybody because I ran out of time. If you'd like to send me a video, feel free to send it to my email or send it to me in Facebook Messenger.
Have a great week.