Just Between Coaches – Episode 126
Stability Meets Ambition (Megan Hale)
Megan Hale: For stabilizing the business and stability creates speed every single time. But it’s like we just have to go, go, go, right? It’s like if you focus on stability first, I promise you that is going to be the thing that just puts fire on your business in the best of ways.
Melinda Cohan: Are you ready to uncover the secrets to creating lasting stability and growth in your coaching practice? Well, today we’re delving into the essential foundation of every successful coaching venture. First stability, then growth. We’re going to navigate the delicate balance of stability and ambition, exploring both the pitfalls and the triumphs along the way.
I’m Melinda Cohan and you’re listening to Just Between Coaches. I run a business called the Coaches Console and we’re proud to have helped tens of thousands of coaches create profitable and thriving businesses. This is a podcast where we answer burning questions that newer coaches would love to ask a more experienced coach. On the show today, we’re going to get into what’s not your ordinary coaching conversation. It’s going to be a journey into the depths of stability, growth and financial empowerment. So keep listening.
Megan Hale is joining me today for this conversation. Megan is a trailblazer and dynamic business strategist and fintech founder. As CEO of Megan Hale Co, she guides leaders to six figures and beyond by blending practical and intuitive strategies. She emphasizes the conscious business growth, especially for women entrepreneurs, through her coaching program flow and her signature tool, the Dream Money Blueprint.
Welcome, Megan.
Megan: I am so glad to be here. Thank you so much for having me.
Melinda: Oh, it’s my pleasure. And I’m thrilled to have you on the show and really pumped to dive into this topic. And before we do, I’d love for you to share a little bit of your background and your path towards where you are today with our listeners.
Megan: Yeah, of course. So for everyone who’s new to me, I got my start in coaching actually by way of being a psychotherapist first. So I always knew from the age of 15 that I was here to help people live happier and healthier and fuller lives. I started a private practice and achieved that dream and also started to think like maybe there was something beyond the couch for me. And so that’s when I found the world of coaching and I made the leap back in 2015.
Started off with life coaching first, really being able to apply my skills as a psychotherapist, and then found myself really going through a lot of money healing work in my own entrepreneurial path and kind of stumbling across sustainable strategy and business design just through my own journey and made that pivot back in 2018. So I’ve been a business strategist since then, and then helping people really step into a more nourishing relationship with money because it’s been so life changing for me.
Melinda: Now, you said an interesting phrase right there. Stability. Business growth.
Megan: Sustainable business growth. Yes.
Melinda: Yeah. Sustainable business growth. Talk about that because I don’t care what kind of entrepreneur you are, when you make that claim, I’m going to do x and off you go. It’s not because we want to have another job, it’s because it’s a calling. It’s more than that. And so that enthusiasm and passion just propels us and we want to go as fast and far and furious as possible. But that sustainable aspect of it, talk about the importance of that.
Megan: I have so much to say about that. I think I’ve always been growing my business. First, I had my private practice while I was growing this coaching business. And so balancing two different businesses at the same time was an interesting lesson on just understanding your capacity. But it was in 2018, when I was a mom to two young kids under two, where I really did not have much capacity. And I also wanted to step into a lot of big dreams. And I think that’s when I started to ask myself different questions around how can I create more growth while also having the least amount of time I had ever had, the least amount of energy, the least amount of sleep, the least amount of resources.
And that led me to really thinking about the design of my business, how many things I was saying yes to what my goals were at that time that were still allowing my ambition to have a seat at the table, but really directing that ambition in a certain way where it wasn’t overpowering me to overwork and burn out because that wasn’t an option. I had so much on my shoulders. My partner was deployed during this time in 2018, and so I couldn’t afford to overdo. And so I really had to rethink how am I structuring my business to create the financial growth that I want for myself.
Melinda: I love that because so often, that enthusiasm propels us forward. And when we don’t get there far enough or fast enough, I find that coaches, business owners, everybody, they just beat themselves up for it.
Megan: Oh, yeah.
Melinda: But I love that you asked a different question. I just want to really land that for our listeners. How can I fill in the blank with whatever it is, while also when you have what seems to be two competing priorities, they just bouncing back and forth in this tug of war and it’s not sustainable. It’s not fun. It’s exhausting. But I love how you asked a different question, that you could take the reins.
Megan: Yeah, I think at the time, it felt like the biggest obstacle, honestly. But what I learned through that process is that obstacle was creating this intentional, undesired constraint at the time because it was really minimizing how much I could show up for my business. But that constraint ended up being the greatest gift because that’s what allowed me to say, okay, if this is all I have to give that I knew would be sustainable for me to maintain, what does it look like to show up with, like, 10 hours a week, for instance, and still make progress towards goals? So it felt like the hardest predicament to be in at the time, but it ended up being the right one that just made so many more things possible.
Melinda: Now, did you have to, because a lot of people, when I have this conversation, they’re like, oh, well, I just have to lessen my goals. They’ve just got to be smaller goals because I only have x amount of time. I’m thinking of a few of our students that, you know, they were single parents, had kids much like your situation. They also had a full-time job. They couldn’t give that up because they had to provide for their kids, but they wanted to start this. And so a lot of times, they’re like, well, I have to just have smaller goals. Is that what you found when you asked a different question?
Megan: No, it’s not. So 2017, I was really starting to find momentum organically building my coaching business. That was my third year in business. So it took some time to finally start to feel like things were working. And I also knew that I was getting ready to have a second baby. My husband was going to be deploying for six months, three weeks after we had him. And so I was like, how is all of this going to work? And because the momentum was finally starting to build in my business, that deep, like, inner soul knowing aspect of me said, now is not the time to put on the brakes. It’s the time to keep going. But what does keep going look like when our capacity is so different?
And so for me, I wanted to know that I had financial stability that next year, which I had not created for myself yet. And for me, that meant getting clear on what does financial stability look like? What numbers are we talking about here? What are we trying to get our business to do? And that was the first time that I had ever asked myself that question of, what does stability look like first, so then I can be present in my personal life, because it was going to need a lot from me, right? And I think up until that point, I’ve just been pursuing random revenue goals that people were saying, this is what you need in order to be successful. And that really allowed me to start defining what success meant on my own terms, which is, you know, so healing and transformative in and of itself.
Melinda: That phrase right there, success on your own terms. And what that means for me, very different from what it means for you, very different from what it means for each of our listeners. And when we can each embrace that aspect, there is freedom in that right there. And so you sat down and said, okay, what does stability have to look like first? And you got real with the numbers. How did you figure that out? Can you, like, get us into the nitty gritties of what that’s like?
Megan: So up until this point, I’d never opened up a spreadsheet in my life. And I was like, this is a new thing for me, but I have to really get serious and clear with myself. And so I opened up a spreadsheet and I was like, what are the expenses that I have going out? What do I need to come into our family? What are the investments I’ve already made for the people I’ve already hired because I was working with a coach at the time. And I just started doing math honestly.
And totaling up, here was the biggest shift, instead of totaling up what I needed for that month, I couldn’t work on a month-to-month basis anymore because I was getting ready to have two babies and go on maternity leave. And, like, you know, I didn’t want to be stressed during that year. So I said, instead of, how much do I need this next month? How much do I need next year? So I calculated that yearly revenue goal that equals financial stability for me. And that was the anchor point that I needed, saying, what is the easiest, most sustainable way to get there?
Melinda: I just want to let that sink in, get the anchor point and then asking the question, what is the easiest? Easy does not mean wrong. Easy means you’re in the flow, which is why I love the name of what you do. And so you find the anchor point and then what is the easiest, how did you say it? The easiest and what?
Megan: Most sustainable way there.
Melinda: Yeah, that’s a powerful coaching question for any of us to ask any of our clients for anything that they’re pursuing.
Megan: Yeah, I think sometimes, you know, when we’re faced with a big obstacle, like, that’s what it felt like at the time. It can also be like a very fortifying time for us where maybe some options that we wouldn’t have allowed in start to become more allowable in the sense of if we have a money story, for instance, that money comes from hard work and we’re faced with this obstacle. Like, I can’t hard work my way through this next year. Like, that is no longer a viable option.
So we start to make more space for different options to show up. And I think that’s one of the other gifts that comes with constraint, too. Like, there’s an openness for we have to start thinking differently and outside of the box. So things that we might not have considered in the past, we’re like, you know, maybe this can be easy because I know some other things are already going to be really hard, I think, too, doing most of that alone, right? So let the hard be there. But how can I create more ease on this other side?
Melinda: I imagine it wasn’t easy. Like, when you’re in the throes of it and you’ve got those kids and you’re hitting these obstacles, it’s easier to talk about it now. But when you’re in the throes of it, what were some of the tools or resources that supported you getting through the messy parts?
Megan: I think a couple of things. One, when I started to look at the numbers, I started to develop what the Dream Money Blueprint is now, which was basically like my map for this next year of what I wanted to create and how I was going to get there. And there were so many things that felt out of control in my life that year. When you have a toddler who’s not napping and they’re irritable, and you’re breastfeeding another child, and your partner’s halfway across the world. You’re like, oh, my gosh, how is all this going to function?
But the blueprint ended up being this anchor point for me where I was like, I can’t control a lot of things that are happening out here, but I can channel my focus and my energy to show up for my dreams. And that became, like, a safe place for me of like, okay, this is steady, this is steady. The other thing that also helped is I had these daily practices that I would do just to manage my mental health, honestly. Like, I would always be outside 30 minutes every day. I had to have a grounding practice.
I also took, like, 15 minutes in the morning and evening just to clean up my space, because order helps me feel like, you know, we got some organization going on. And I would also take, like, five minutes at the end of every day just to do some breathing.
Melinda: Yeah, yeah. I just read something yesterday. They were talking about this five five five rule and high achievers, high performers. At the end of 55 minutes of output, they will spend five minutes of non-productive stuff, like breath work or grounding or outside or playing with your dog or kid, whatever it is. But just the 55 minutes of output, five minutes of non-productive, just to keep that mental health and keep your energy going. And I know for me, it was also very imperative to not go it alone. Like, I had a coach, but I had to have my confidants.
Megan: Oh, yeah.
Melinda: Those colleagues and girlfriends that when I’m face down in the mud, they’re right there with me. And that was a vital part of the equation to keep moving through the messy parts as well.
Megan: Yes. Those 30 minutes outside, I had my walking track in my stroller, and I had my best friends on speed dial, you know, leaning on them for support. And all of it was happening all at once. But it’s so, so important not to go it alone.
Melinda: When you’re prioritizing stability first and you’re working with your clients, like, what are some of the common mistakes that your clients might make when they’re trying to find that point of stability?
Megan: Well, I think a lot of us don’t even have a framework for defining what stability even is just from, like, a numbers and metrics perspective. So I think that’s always really clarifying for them. Oftentimes, when we’re calculating those numbers, this number is actually higher than you might think it needs to be, because I’m making sure we’re taking a holistic picture of what stability looks like, that we’re not just setting you up to have just enough to get by, because that’s stressful. How can we bake in some wiggle room here so you have some breathing room when it comes to stability?
So I think when they see that number, sometimes it’s higher than what they thought, which can also inform what might need to shift in their business, right, of maybe we need to sell more of a product or course, or bring on another client, or maybe we need to raise our price points or whatever that is. Sometimes this number isn’t nearly as much as they thought, which usually gives them a huge sigh of relief of I’ve been putting so much financial pressure on myself and I don’t need to do that anymore.
So I think the numbers piece is really a big component of it. And then it’s the belief work of what is the most easeful, sustainable way for you to reach that number where you’re not selling 9 million things, but you’re really focusing your energy in some very intentional directions and trusting that it really can be that sustainable for you.
Melinda: Yeah, a lot of people will think if I cast a wider net, surely, I’ll get more of something to come into my business. And it just really diffuses things more than helps us keep that focus. Cause when we keep that focus, we can keep our thoughts and our mind and our emotions and everything aligned. And that’s where the power of creation exists. Are there any other common mistakes or pitfalls that you see folks making when they’re towards that stability first?
Megan: Yeah, I think this shows up in enoughness works, too. If we get to this place of enough, then that means that we’re content and we’re not going to want for anything else. And the same is true with money, right? If we create stability first and we don’t prioritize big growth, that’s just where we’re going to stay. That’s all we’re going to get.
So I think that there’s something that we have to unlock, like stability doesn’t mean that’s where you’re going to stay, but it’s a really, really powerful place to get to first because that’s the thing that allows your nervous system to relax, to know that you’re provided for. You get to create from that place of inspiration versus desperation. Like so many things start to open up from that place. So I think it’s allowing that to be a good stepping stone and not all that you’re allowing yourself to step into. So it’s the yes end.
Melinda: Now, one of the words that I hear a lot from coaches is I want to scale my business. And there’s a lot of pressures.
Megan: Oh, yeah.
Melinda: That they either put on themselves or these external pressures to scale. Like how do you coach your clients to resist those external expectations and focus on their own pace? So kind of two questions there. How do you help them focus on their own pace and when is the right time to scale?
Megan: So glad you asked that question. In the Dream Money Blueprint framework, like, I’m going to help you clarify a couple of key revenue goals for you. The first is your good goal. That’s what creates financial stability, because when you get there, you’re good, you’re covered, right? But I also want there to be room for us to dream, and that’s where we start calculating what I call your better and best goals. So when we have these three different financial milestones that we can pursue in our business that are all meaningful, they’re unique to us based on our needs and our dreams, we can then say, check in with our capacity, right, of do I want to focus on my good goal this next year? Do I want to focus on my better or on my best, right? Because your strategy to get to those numbers is going to be different for each one.
I have clients who have a best year, one year, and then they say, I just want to focus on good this next year. And that’s 100% okay. We get to choose that we don’t always have to go more, more, more, bigger, bigger, bigger. And so I think when you have that context, it gives you a lot of permission to choose and then also check in with your capacity. So I think that’s the first thing. The second is, I think the word in term scaling gets thrown around a lot when a lot of us don’t really understand all of the developmental processes we have to go through in business to even get to a place where we’re ready to scale.
And so in my opinion, kind of from my background as psychotherapist, just like we have these developmental stages, right? We have developmental stages in business, too. And in my mind, we have our building stage when we’re just getting started, we’re figuring out who is it that we’re serving, what’s the work that we’re doing, what is the transformation we’re providing. We get clear on all of those things that take some time to figure out and dial in.
Once we have that clarity now, we move into the refining stage where we’re now refining our process and methodology for how we’re helping people get this transformation and getting those results consistently. That’s when your framework is really going to show up and the offers that are delivering that framework from that place, now what I think we move to is streamlining, saying, okay, so how are we now streamlining the systems around all of this methodology so the business is now ready to support more people. And from that place, then we move into the scaling stage.
And so, I remember my first three years, I was all about scaling, right? Because I just thought scaling meant more money. But scaling is like you’re scaling a service, you’re scaling a product. And so you have to know what the process is. You have to have the systems in place to support that because the last thing that you want to do, lived experience here, is scale too fast before you have that infrastructure really ready, because it feels like your business is just going, it’s like riding a rocket and you’re just trying to keep up. And it is very, very stressful. Do not recommend for any of my clients.
Melinda: Yeah, it is very stressful. And it feels like you’re riding the rocket and you’re building it while you’re riding it.
Megan: Yes, 100%.
Melinda: Yeah. And it’s interesting because scaling, I agree with you, it’s more money. And the other thing that I hear a lot is in less time, I want to spend less time doing this, helping more people, making more money. What’s that formula? And a lot of times what I see is people will get through the building stage and they’re like, oh, my gosh, I figured out who I’m serving. I’ve got my initial offers. I’m ready to go. Okay, let’s scale. And then they skip those two.
So I really love the clarity that you brought to the refining stage because consistency, you have to know that what you’re doing is consistently getting people results. Consistency is queen with that. And then the streamlining. I’ve got to be ready. I got to get a team ready, and then we can scale. And I find that a lot of times when people talk about scaling, it’s because their offer isn’t as effective as it could be or their pricing model isn’t as ideal as it could be.
Megan: Oh, my gosh. Yes. That’s the foundational work. Because again, like, even with money, we’re stabilizing the business, and stability creates speed every single time. But it’s like we just have to go, go, go. Right? It’s like if you focus on stability first, I promise you, like, that is going to be the thing that just puts fire on your business in the best of ways and helps it take off in a sustainable way that does not feel overpowering for your nervous system. That is the biggest thing.
Melinda: Preach it. Oh, my gosh, this is so good. I want all the listeners right now, if you’re not driving to write down stability creates speed, but you have to be intentional about it. So let’s talk about the resistance, because money is a, that’s a funny topic for a lot of people and they find it intimidating or triggering. Like, how do you help your clients overcome the resistance to developing that financial fluency that they need?
Megan: Yeah, I mean, I think, like, the first thing that’s important to me is normalizing why money feels this way. Because most of us, we didn’t receive a lot of education around money growing up. It’s definitely not in our school systems. And the education that you got in your household is probably not like a formal education. It’s your own parents, your own family lines, conditioning around money that’s being modeled for you, right? So a lot of us don’t even have money conversations as part of our normal every day. We might have all kinds of, like, financial traumas in our history, financial mistakes.
Like, they’re like, money brings up a lot of stuff. And it’s also connected to a lot of really important things, like independence, freedom, opportunity, options, legacy, like so many big rich things for us. Right? So if money feels charged for you, that is normal, especially if we have a framework for interacting with our money, learning about money, managing our money, any of those things. So just want to normalize that right off the bat. But I think the thing that we often forget if we want to build financial fluency, for me, this is going to come from money systems having a way to organize your money so you know what you want to be doing with it, when you want to be doing it, how that really functions.
And we also want to have strategy for increasing our revenue or reaching our revenue goals, because if we don’t have a how, that’s also going to activate our nervous system. Like, I need to get this much money, but if you don’t have the how there, of course you’re going to feel overwhelmed. But when you do have the plan, you’re like, okay, I know what I am working towards and how I’m going to get there. That how is really key.
But the third piece that’s really important is nervous system safety. So many of us think once I have more money, then I’ll feel safe with it. Money does not work that way. You can double your revenue and still feel completely activated around money. So we really need systems, strategy and safety if we want to build financial fluency.
Melinda: I love that. Now, you have a thing that you’ve built called the Dream Money Blueprint.
Megan: Yeah.
Melinda: Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Megan: Yes. So that’s going to provide a lot of the systems and the strategy. So I want you to imagine the Dream Money Blueprint is literally the blueprint of your business for how you are going to fund your financial needs and your financial dreams. So it’s one of the only financial frameworks that I know that blends in both business finance and personal finance into one. And oftentimes we’re siloing these when I think we really need to have them combined because they both influence the other.
The other thing that’s really important about this is that we are encouraged to show up differently in our business finance and personal finance. And what I mean by that is, in business, we’re usually encouraged to take financial risk to grow our businesses. Personal finance, we’re usually encouraged to minimize financial risk. So we’re growing our wealth, you know, in other ways. So I think it’s really important to have a framework that’s helping you be really intentional with how you’re showing up in each of those areas.
So the blueprint is going to help you calculate what your financial needs are. So financial stability first, and also your financial dreams. What are the things that you want to provide for yourself? The interesting thing that shows up when we start talking about dreams is this is also an opportunity for other people’s dreams to kind of show up from that should place. And I think for most of us, when we’re defining success on our own terms, this is such a rich opportunity for us to really think about, like, what are the things that are really important to me that are going to create more joy and fulfillment in my life, and how much do those things cost and really do that work that I think allows us to be in financial integrity.
So we’re going to start with numbers. We always going to start with numbers because that’s going to be our anchor points. And then we start to actually map out the business model that can fund those streams. So getting clear on your offers, your revenue streams, your price points, your sales goals, all of those things. And then we start building a sales calendar for when you’re going to be launching those things or inviting people into them. And then we also have the money management side of it, they’ve done as well.
So we’re not only focused on earning the revenue, but managing the revenue. So we’re intentionally directing it behind the scenes where we want it to go. So the blueprint is the system for how, like, what we’re doing with our money when we’re doing, how we’re going to get there, all of those things and the strategy and then the nervous system safety piece comes in where we’re starting to build a practice for meeting with our dreams on a daily basis.
Melinda: I love that. I love that. It’s so interesting. I remember all my life I was so good with money in my job when I had it. When I started my coaching business was great. When I first started Coaches Console. And then there was this year where all of a sudden, I got bad with money. I’m like, how did that even happen? But I got bad with money, got myself into big debt fast, and just started, you know, ignoring. I was literally that person. I cannot even believe it. There was literally that person. You know, the overdue notice comes in, I just shove it in the drawer or throw it in the garbage can. I don’t even look.
And the day that I put my credit card in the ATM to get a cash advance to pay my mortgage, and I’m like, this is seriously bad. And it was so interesting because from there, I was like, this has got to be different. And when I was trying to balance my checkbook, just getting back to the basics, I was like, well, no wonder your money situation sucks. Like, if this was an actual relationship that you had with another human being, they would have ditched your ass a long time ago and broken up with you because you’re treating it so poorly.
And I’m like, oh, my God. Well, no wonder my money is behaving this way. Let’s have a relationship with money. Like, what if this was a human being? How would I interact? And I started interacting with my money on a daily basis. It changed my entire relationship. I spoke differently. I had different actions. I listened. I kind of thought I was going crazy there for a minute, but I was like, you know what? It’s working, so who cares? It’s only weird if it doesn’t work, right? And then slowly but surely began to turn things around. Now I have an amazing relationship with money, and money treats me so well, and I treat it so well, and it’s a lot of fun.
Now, when a client faces setbacks, you know, whether they’re going for stability or maybe they’re working towards their better or best goals, whatever, and they’re implementing your dream money framework, like, how do you navigate these moments and turn them into growth opportunities for them? How do you help them see this for themselves?
Megan: Oh, I think, I mean, grief shows up so much in entrepreneurship, and I don’t think that a lot of us talk about it nearly enough. But, like, when we don’t reach a goal, there’s goal disappointment, there’s goal grief that shows up with that, right? So I think it’s one processing that and being honest with it, giving it a space and a voice. I think the other thing is our ability to be observant and take a step back from the situation is so incredibly important, because oftentimes when we don’t meet a goal, it’s so, so easy for us to go down that path of something we weren’t doing enough of or it’s personal.
And if we can de-personalize what happened and be observant and think about it strategically, like, okay, what were the missing pieces here? Let’s just assume that there was nothing that I did wrong. This is all a learning experiment. Like, that’s what business is. It’s a learning experiment truly. If you can approach your business from that place of objectivity, that I think is the best way of just coping with disappointments and then making a plan for really get our body and our heart back on board.
Melinda: Beautiful. Well, I want to summarize some of the things that we’ve talked about today because we really got into what does sustainable look like? And right off the bat, you gave a different question to ask. Just understanding your capacity is first and foremost at the foundation, how can I do x, whatever that is for you, while also doing y? Like, how can both things be true and asking a different question?
And I also love that you talked about sustainability doesn’t mean smaller goals. You don’t have to compromise yourself. You just have to get creative and think differently about your situation. We talked about identifying what stability looks like first versus just random revenue goals. I loved that distinction. And I really appreciated when you gave us that phrase, the anchor point, like, what do you need for the next year? It’s not like, what do I need for each week or each month, but for you, it’s like, let’s look at the money goal for the year. And that’s the anchor point. That was like a beacon for you.
We dove into some of the mistakes that people make when identifying and figuring out the stability. And I really love how you gave us the business development stages when we were talking about scaling and the different stages that you have to go through, you can’t skip them. We talked about your Dream Money Blueprint. I think this was my favorite, favorite, favorite thing. You said, stability creates speed, and I just really appreciate that perspective. Megan, do you have any other parting words for our listeners?
Megan: I’m just so grateful for this conversation first and foremost. And I think if anyone is curious around what stability looks like for them, really take the time to calculate that number for yourself. Because even if it’s hard to look at and sometimes it can be jarring, I want to normalize that. It’s also going to be like the truth that you need to really create the freedom that you’re after. So cannot emphasize that enough.
Melinda: Beautiful. Well, thank you for listening to this episode of Just Between Coaches and also a giant thank you to Megan Hale for this incredible conversation. You can find out more about her at Meganhale.co. That’s Megan M-E-G-A-N, Hale H-A-L-E dot co. And in the show notes, you’ll also find links to her website and other resources like a free calculator to help you figure out what your financial stability is. So, Megan, thank you so much for coming to the show.
Megan: Thank you so much for having me.
Melinda: I’m Melinda Cohan, and you’ve been listening to Just Between Coaches. Just Between Coaches is part of the Mirasee FM podcast network, which also includes such shows as Soul Savvy Business, and the miniseries For Better or For Work. To catch the great episodes on Just Between Coaches, please follow us on Mirasee FM’s YouTube channel or your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. You it’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people. Thank you and see you next time.