Quote: ”Legom” is a Danish word, and it means just enough. So basically, we have this number that I need to earn for us to have that.” Stephanie Staples
We’re always talking about creating the perfect lifestyle and the business of your dreams, and for each of us, that will look much different. What remains the same is that we all have a vision of what we would like our life to be and, hopefully, a plan to get there. On this episode of The Wealthy Speaker Show, we welcome CSP Stephanie Staples to share her insights on how she has achieved creating a business that allows her to live the life she’s dreamed about and how you can too.
Stephanie is a master motivator and revitalization specialist and has worked internationally as a keynote speaker from the Mayo Clinic to the Middle East, delivering idea-packed programs proven to increase feelings of hope, happiness, empowerment and the ability to apply actionable, positive change for participants. Plus, they are fun!
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Jane Atkinson: Welcome everyone to the wealthy speaker. Podcast. I'm. Your host, Jane Atkinson, and i'm excited to talk today on one of my favorite subjects which is creating your perfect,
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Jane Atkinson: your lifestyle business. You're perfect, being the operative words there, because I think everybody's might be a little bit different, and we have someone who does just that Stephanie Staples is in the house. Welcome, Stephanie.
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Stephanie Staples: You know what any day that I get to talk to you is a great day, Jane. So
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Stephanie Staples: yay,
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it's
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Jane Atkinson: so lovely. Well, tell everybody just about your business model, and then we'll kind of unpack the lifestyle piece coming up.
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Stephanie Staples: Okay? Well, so keynote speaking is my. I probably had the worst business model ever so keynote speaking. That's it. That's pretty much all I do.
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Stephanie Staples: Um started coaching. That's how I got into it, but I quickly discovered keynoting was my It was kind of my thing. I do the odd bit of other things. But basically
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Stephanie Staples: and everyone's told me this is terrible. It's a terrible business model especially. And then Covid came, and it was a terrible business model. But that's what I love to do, and that is what I do. And yeah, that's it.
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Jane Atkinson: And so what would be your goal in terms of a number of speaking engagements per year. I won't. Ask you your feet. I'll just. I would just curious to know what your numbers are.
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Stephanie Staples: So if I did
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Stephanie Staples: between thirty, five, and fifty a year.
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Stephanie Staples: I'm. I'm way way way way happy with that
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Stephanie Staples: that makes sense. Thirty-five to fifty and I feel like that's a really nice lifestyle number, too. And so we're talking about lifestyle. Um thirty-five to fifty.
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Jane Atkinson: thirty-five to fifty.
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Jane Atkinson: You're out on the road several times per month. But talk about how you started to develop the lifestyle that was perfect for you. What are some of the changes that you? What did you recognize? What was the need for a change? In the first place?
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Stephanie Staples: Well, even before I was speaking, I had, and I was nursing, and I had a nursing business, and I developed that nursing business. I had three small kids, and it's like I wanted to be. I wanted to go to their games. I didn't want to do shift work. I wanted to go to hot lunch. I wanted to
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Stephanie Staples: be there for my kids in the morning, So, anyway, sort of this nursing business where I had other nurses working for me, and I saw my clients in between like school hours and my kids basically didn't know I worked so that was lovely.
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Stephanie Staples: And so when I started building up my speaking business, I had that freedom to go. I was doing regularity. I couldn't take three days off here and three days off there, but I had this freedom to create this lifestyle, and I knew that my major goal, when I got those kids grown up I wanted to retire. My husband that was my major financial goal.
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Stephanie Staples: Yes, yes.
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Stephanie Staples: What did you do? Sorry. What was business was he in.
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Stephanie Staples: He was a blue-collar worker, so he had a a job, not a career that he loved, or he went to work to provide blah blah blah. So yeah, he was totally on board with my plan very supportive.
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Stephanie Staples: And I think one of the you know we kept looking at how much money do we need to live the lifestyle that we want to live? And we kept coming up with this number coming in the same number over and over again, and it was like, Okay, how much do I have to work to make this number like we both don't need to work full time to make this number,
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Stephanie Staples: and we just kind of put all the eggs into this keynote basket,
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Stephanie Staples: and it was the best thing we ever did, and five years ago we moved from the prairies to Vancouver Island.
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Stephanie Staples: We retired him. And now we live in this little paradise, and you have to pay me a lot of money to get me off this island now,
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and so you retired him. What age was he at when he retired?
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Stephanie Staples: He was fifty two. I love that.
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Jane Atkinson: Hi! I shared with you before we get started here, that my husband's sixty, five, and he just I mean he's in the throes of retiring as we speak literally this week there could be a contract
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Stephanie Staples: his business. And so if it all goes through
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Stephanie Staples: when it all goes through, and that all goes through. Yes, and I kind of like it under different terms than it is right now. But that's me. They're here to there. But yeah, when it's all finalized.
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Jane Atkinson: It would be so great
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Stephanie Staples: it should be now or mobile. We can go anywhere. All I need is a good Internet connection. I just got starlink up at the cottage so that I will no longer be faced with a lot of Internet. Outages. I hope that's brand new. And so now it's a total game changer.
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Jane Atkinson: So how was it like in the early? Okay, when he first comes home from work that last day? Was it a big like gulp for both of you, or how did you feel your way through that?
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Stephanie Staples: So how it had happened? It wasn't quite like that. So one day I was. I had a job in in Chicago, and for whatever reason I looked up Victoria, and it was like cheaper to go to Victoria than it was to Winnipeg.
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Stephanie Staples: So I sent him a note. I'm just like i'm gonna go to Victoria. I'm just gonna look at some properties because we talked about. Maybe you know, retiring here, and he says that sounds good, He says if you find something by it we'll just rent it out. And so I came to Victoria. I bought a condo
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Stephanie Staples: then, and it was He's like great, you know we'll rent it out. I got to the airport in Victoria, and I phoned him. And I said,
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Stephanie Staples: I think you should quit your job
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Stephanie Staples: literally every week, literally literally every week i'd get an email. This one had a stroke. This one had an aneurysm. This one had cancer, this one would.
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Stephanie Staples: Every week I was getting emails from people about something horrible. And I said, You know what we don't know like what tomorrow holds. We don't know how much time we have left like we can do this. I can do this, and just I think you should put your and in that parking with Victoria, partner what he said, Okay,
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Stephanie Staples: And that was in April, and we were. We left home in July,
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Stephanie Staples: and you move to Sydney in Victoria Vancouver Island, and you have never looked back.
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Stephanie Staples: No, no, not all to say okay. So I have three kids. And I had told them. I said, We gotta move now before we get grandchildren, because if we get grandchildren we're never going to leave, and that's exactly That's exactly what happened With three months after we left, our son said, We're having a baby just despite you for leaving.
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Stephanie Staples: It's not all like perfect, because we left our three kids right, and people are like, How could you leave your family? Let's be clear,
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Stephanie Staples: grandchildren. Yeah. So they aren't seven.
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Stephanie Staples: And
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Jane Atkinson: so yeah, I get that we have six grandchildren, and we will be
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Stephanie Staples: maybe somewhere else in the South in the winter times, and we will be up north at our cottage in the summertime. Luckily one family we only have two families to contend with, and one family is close to us near the lake now, so
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Stephanie Staples: our family would just move up there. It would be all perfect. But of course we don't know what will happen, but it's really interesting to just think this through.
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Jane Atkinson: I'm wondering if there are a lot of listeners going. Hmm.
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Stephanie Staples: What would it take for me to retire? My spouse might not always be husband. It might be
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Stephanie Staples: partner, or
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Stephanie Staples: or that might not be their ultimate goal. But I think, like the concept, and I don't know if you've heard of. This is called the Leilon L. E. G. O. M. Lay. Om. It's a Danish word, and it means just enough
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Jane Atkinson: just enough.
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Stephanie Staples: So basically we have this number that I need to earn for us to have
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Stephanie Staples: that, that we can just live this lifestyle and whatever. If I earn twenty thousand dollars more, we can do this if other than twenty thousand,
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Stephanie Staples: and to be clear, like I am not just super candid. I am not in the high income, earnest group. I am super happy with, like my home, I except for twenty twenty. I'm. Consistently at six figures. I'm super happy with that. It's low six figures, but i'm living the life I want to live.
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Stephanie Staples: And so I think there's a lot. I think there's a lot to be said with that, because we go to our speaking organization, and I mean, I listen to you every week, too. And you know there is. You hear these like more and driven and focused, and Yes, and there is also another way also.
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Stephanie Staples: I love that, and that's why I wanted to have you on this step in it. I don't know what we're going to talk about, and i'm like we have
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Stephanie Staples: it's, it's it's it's, it's, it's it's it's it's, it's, it's it's, it's, it's, it's it's it's it's, it's, it's, it's, it's it's, it's it's, it's it's, it's, it's, it's, it's it's, it's, it's it's, it's, a it's, a it's, a it's, a it's, a it's, a it's a it's a it's a it's a it's a it's a it's, a it's a it's a it's a it's a it's a it's a it's A. It's a it's a it's a It'
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Stephanie Staples: a lifestyle, because the wealthy speaker lifestyle. Yes, there's something about wealth built into the title, but it's really more of about an abundant mentality and abundance means lay home. It means there's enough,
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Stephanie Staples: and that that's the first line in your original book, right like. Imagine this right. Imagine you're perfect. It's like i'm sorry i'm. I'm living my perfect day like right Now, I went for a run. This morning I came home secured
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Stephanie Staples: local full-feed job. I'm having an interview with you, and then i'm going to go kayaking So this is my perfect. Day.
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Jane Atkinson: It is your perfect day, and I think over time. Things for me have gotten to be,
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Jane Atkinson: or simple like in in my business as well. This whole summer was all about evaluating and reevaluating, and when I went to my coach in Toronto I go to strategic coach once a quarter,
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Jane Atkinson: I she. My coach, looked at me and said, What's up. There's something going on there, and I said, Well, you know, all summer along my husband's been talking about retirement, and all summer long I've been deciding, and then deciding again, and then deciding whether or not I want to continue doing this business.
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Jane Atkinson: And so what we came to during that coaching session that it gives me goose folks to think about it. I decided that within three to five years I am going to retire only from the pieces of the business that I consider to be paid to my ass.
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Stephanie Staples: And so I am very clear on where i'm going now, and i'm recommitted to this idea, and everything is about simplicity. Now,
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Jane Atkinson: would you say that you've simplified your life since moving?
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Stephanie Staples: Oh, one hundred percent? It's that whole voluntary simplicity concept. We sold. We we lived in a a bungalow on a cul-de-sac with a pool and a hot tub and three kids and four pets. And
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Stephanie Staples: yeah, we moved like with a truck full of stuff we had in our condo for nine months. We had a coach, a bed, and a massage table, and that's all we had for nine months, but after twenty five years of like every decision being about that family
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Stephanie Staples: um, it felt so fabulous to have. So how i'm doing air quotes have so little just to be yeah. The outdoor is my backyard, and most things we do don't cost any money, and I make super good use when I have a trip.
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Stephanie Staples: My husband's not a big travel guy. So when I take my you know, I had three days in. I had one job in Indiana this last week, and I went straight from the airport to this restaurant that one of my speaking colleagues, that you must go to this restaurant.
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Stephanie Staples: Then I went straight to the Indianapolis Speedway and did a tour there and then, you know, I made like super good use of of my time when i'm away, and I actually I'm just gonna talk with that for a moment, if I may. While I was there. At this event I connected with two holidays same speakers who were also speaking at this event.
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Stephanie Staples: I had the supper with each of them one night, and both of them were they
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Stephanie Staples: just so shocked that I would do anything else while I was there. Like they they fly in, they speak, they leave like I never. I virtually never do that. I always either meet somebody, do something like always. That's part of my experience
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to absorb what there is to see in the city that you go to like, What are some of your goals when you arrive in a city?
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Stephanie Staples: So I either want I I don't I how I learned this was the first time I got an outer-country job. It was in Nashville, and my friends were like Oh, You're going To Nashville. They went to Nashville, and I was like I saw the airport and the convention center. That's all I saw,
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Stephanie Staples: and I just went. If i'm doing this, this is not how i'm going to do it. If I want a lifestyle business. This is part of my lifestyle. Travel is part of my lifestyle, so i'm not just going to fly there for an hour and come home, so I watch. I will always always reach out to somebody in the speaking world. Wherever I am
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Stephanie Staples: I will always find some sort of food, or experience or adventure, or whether it's white water rafting, or a certain museum, or I will always always
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Stephanie Staples: So you have kind of some ideas. So let's get intentional people about what we want to do when we arrive in cities. If you go to Nashville, by the way, you have to go to the Bluebird Cafe.
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Stephanie Staples: Yes, all the amazing singers. Um! And when you do that you have like incredible stories. Then to tell at your place right like. I have an incredible blueber cafe story, you know, to tell that I never would have had if I just stayed at the hotel.
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Jane Atkinson: Hmm. Jenna Stanfield and
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Stephanie Staples: an essay speaker was kind enough to take me on a tour of her. Then Husband's Record Company at Ca. Records, and she actually taught me all about the music business when I was in Nashville, and we went to the Bloomberg Cafe. You know that is a trip that I will never ever forget,
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Stephanie Staples: and so I can tell you. I've gone to conventions in cities that I don't know. I don't remember being here. I don't really have anything about it that is lodged in my memory for life.
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Stephanie Staples: Yeah. Otherwise all the cities seem the same. You don't know which side of the hotel bed you wake up on it, and and I can tell you a whole Jenna sample story like she She changed that woman like. But everybody I meet, and that's part of to me. That's part of lifestyle, right? That's connecting that. And it's not networking. It's connecting.
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Jane Atkinson: Hmm. You got me thinking about my next trip to see. So people say to me,
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Stephanie Staples: Oh, well, while you're there, you should call the chapter and go and do a speech. I don't really want to do that.
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Stephanie Staples: You work more, and I do understand people who do want to work more.
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Jane Atkinson: But i'm kind of thinking more along these lines where I want to connect and have an experience.
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Stephanie Staples: So the next time I went to Nashville I went on to Nsa. And I, whoever was a president at the time, she I didn't know who she was, but I send a note, and I'm like, Hey,
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you don't know me but now, and I do throw in now like, especially with these two follow things I did throw in like I'm a Csv like I thought i'll throw that in. Just so. They don't think I just want to be, you know, tapping into their brilliance, or whatever. I just threw that in. Just so. They know i'm not.
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Stephanie Staples: Yeah, Anyway, I just did um. And this this woman ended up picking me up at my hotel, I said, I said, she said, how will I know you? I said I'll be the one with the Princess Crown, and she said, i'll be the one with the red clown nose, so it sure enough she picks me up, you know, from her car with
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Stephanie Staples: um. Yeah. So I always reach out if if they say no like, I just don't take it personally, it's more about them than and actually one of the um people that I met in Indiana. He just said he said, I don't norm I don't normally do this, you know like um that's that's cool like you if you just said no like That's too bad, because i'm a really nice fun, Interesting person, actually, And and at the end of the night. He's like i'm so glad I said yes, like this was great, and you know, so maybe he'll say yes more easily next time.
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Jane Atkinson: That's really
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Jane Atkinson: beautiful. And I, you know, when you're kind of old in the industry I've been in this industry for over thirty years. You can get jaded, and it's very easy for you to say no to things like that, and I want to circle back to something that happened between the two of us and your year one. I believe it was your year one. Did you do rising stars on your one?
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Stephanie Staples: I did. I did.
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Stephanie Staples: I just wanted to bring this up because I felt like it was a teachable moment if it was teachable for myself.
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Jane Atkinson: Uh, you did an amazing presentation which I still remember for a competition that we had uh up here in Canada at the Canadian Association of Special Speakers, and I was on a panel of judges, and we gave you a lot about that, but I also said something about your outfit, and since that moment in time I made a decision. I think I apologize to you later on,
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Stephanie Staples: and I said, I will never ever judge somebody's style ever again, because how you feel good is how you feel good. And I just wanted to say to you.
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Stephanie Staples: That was a moment that I wanted to take back, You know, as a judge. It's very easy, you know. You're literally judging people which is not
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Stephanie Staples: necessarily a comfortable thing to do, and I said something about something. I don't even remember exactly what it was. It was it was busy,
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Stephanie Staples: and you just said, like the busy takes away from the message
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Stephanie Staples: attracted by it. Yeah. But what if that was your blouse that made you feel like a million bucks.
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Stephanie Staples: Well, I think that affected you more than it affected me. I I also go to this don't be Disney like it Shouldn't be looking at your outfit. They should just be like concentrating on your message, and that I didn't take any of offense by them. I'm like. If that's the worst you got to tell me after I spoke then. That's good.
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Stephanie Staples: I've always wanted to tell you that. Ok. So we actually do have a quasi outline here.
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Stephanie Staples: I really have loved. By the way, having kind of like a front row seat, how many years have you been in the business now?
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I think i'm tottering on a fifteen now.
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Stephanie Staples: Okay, So crazy years ago is when I met you. And I love. The beautiful thing about social media is that I've been able to kind of watch your growth evolve and change, and I don't get to see a ton of everybody, every one person but I love like I I would have caught. We're moving to Victoria and I'm like, Yeah,
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Stephanie Staples: what a great thing! And congratulations it's been so great to just kind of sit on the sidelines and watch all of that go.
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Jane Atkinson: Now you landed on. Revitalize your work in life. That's your promise statement. How hard was it for you to land on a lane that serves you, I mean. Gosh! This feels so appropriate for you,
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Stephanie Staples: does it? Oh, good! I'm so glad. So let's Let's go back more years because I did a focus forty with you, and
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Stephanie Staples: you know I just love how you you. You heard something, I said, and you just like the cream rose to the top, and what the cream was in that for us, Cody Forty was. Bring your a game to work in life.
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Stephanie Staples: I used that, for I don't know twelve years, and actually until and then I was like,
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Stephanie Staples: Never mind, bring your a game to her I just bring. I've changed the capital a to like a little a just I mean whatever game you can muster.
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Stephanie Staples: So it evolved and changed, and and this is yes,
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Stephanie Staples: and then and then after Covid um after Covid. I was the people within it like asking, and I was literally going. I don't think that's appropriate like I don't think, and during, you know, in the height like It's just not appropriate to to ask people of this. So it just seemed, even though people asked me I
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Stephanie Staples: I would offer them this. How about this revitalization? Like? Just breathe some new life, And every time I say it, people are going. That's exactly what we're looking for so I have not done one. Bring your egg, and there's still lots of similar concepts in it, but it's just it. It had to evolve because I couldn't. I couldn't stand up there and speak that with from truth.
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Jane Atkinson: Well, that's the evolution of a Speaker's business is that the the times have changed the way that you do. Business has changed. How much virtual are you doing today?
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Stephanie Staples: That's all. Just one more thing about what I changed so much. My business name was you is technically your life unlimited.
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Stephanie Staples: Um, so I I am pretty much back to in person. I there's some virtual, but people are so excited, and I do a lot of work on them. Ah, in the States people are so excited to be back in person. Yeah, it's nice to have this virtual option.
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Stephanie Staples: But again I I really did that my way as well. And so it's nice to have that auction. Now I I didn't want to do it, like many other people. And then I fell in love with it. I'm like Oh, it's an hour keynote. Now I can go hiking like here where I love living So that was great.
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Stephanie Staples: There's a lot of speakers out there who are living lifestyle businesses, and virtual is their friend. I mean, embrace it for that reason alone,
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Stephanie Staples: absolutely absolutely. So. Now it's like I feel like It's the perfect auction now, because you can give people like, maybe a better price or a different option.
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Stephanie Staples: And this way I can still have the travel. But then still have the ease. If i'm honestly pinch me
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Stephanie Staples: well just to to reiterate what we talked about, and I don't know, if you remember, that you probably don't remember the talk that I did at Caps from the main stage, and it was about the triathlon that I had done. And it's like You're always trying to, you know, to be
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Stephanie Staples: like I was last in this triathlon, and you just want to be. You're trying to catch up to everybody. You come to our speaker conventions, and everybody's doing this and that. And oh, my gosh! The more and better and bigger, and
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Stephanie Staples: it's like Yes, that's like I have. You know I. Some of my friends are the hardest working people I've ever ever met, and I have so much admiration and respect for them. And another word I don't know if you heard is called mudida um mu D. I. T. A. And it means it's the opposite of jealousy. It's like celebrating
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Stephanie Staples: other People's success, and I can go to social media. I'm. So i'm so joyful and happy for people that are are doing their business their way. And I think if we could just get a handle on how, how I do my business. And no, it's not for everybody. This is not, you know. My way is not the right way. There's a thousand different right ways, and your business doesn't have to be anybody Else's business. Just do what works for you and your family, and your life and your lifestyle, and your health, and your mental health and
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Stephanie Staples: be happy like you might get hit by a bus tomorrow like who knows? I love? I don't love the getting hit. My best idea
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Jane Atkinson: that idea of you, do you?
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Jane Atkinson: And stop looking over your shoulder and having professional jealousy, or whatever it is you want to call it, and be of some sort of somebody else's business. Just walk your own path, and I think if we can all just be reminded of that lesson,
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Stephanie Staples: it's so good. It's so good to just, you know. I did a thirty day social media cleanse, and that was one of the big benefits of it was, I didn't once in thirty days. Think I'm not doing enough.
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Stephanie Staples: Hmm. Hmm.
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Stephanie Staples: Good for you. Good for you. I need to judge now. I just need to embody that and do my own business like. Whoa!
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Stephanie Staples: And one thing that you said about the stuff that doesn't bring you. J. Like in three to five years. You're not going to do it. My first bob is like. Why are we waiting three to five years?
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Stephanie Staples: Oh, that's true, or maybe three to five months, when you get those things off your plate, or you can get rid of one, or get a pushing all about this change. But i'm just saying why? Because I have a plan with my,
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Jane Atkinson: and there's a few things that need to fall into place first. It's going to take a little time,
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Stephanie Staples: and it's not, and it, and it's none of my business right like you've got to play on. You wouldn't like it like if you look at my social media like I have a nice, you know, email list,
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Stephanie Staples: and I really understand that you shouldn't be. And I hear you I your low voice in my ear. Just be regular, be consistent. It's like, okay. I haven't done the post in June. Because I I don't know. I don't. I just. I don't know, like whatever one hundred reasons why I just haven't if you looked at my linkedin whatever I think today, I posted some of the main blood services in these blood. But but for my own business, like I just I'm. I'm probably doing most things contrary.
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Stephanie Staples: But i'm but you're getting books, so tell me how you think.
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Stephanie Staples: Well, i'll tell you about this one. I got you this this morning, which just blew my mind. So somebody I met from here at the Newcomers Club. I don't know just about to know each other whatever, but not really well, Just an acquaintance, I would say she worked for an early childhood education, something something
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Stephanie Staples: haven't seen this woman in like three years.
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Stephanie Staples: She connected me with this early childhood care thing. We have a conversation. If they're here on the island, they can't afford me,
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Stephanie Staples: but in my head i'm like they're here on the island. I love working for Ecs like, you know, if we did it like in a down time. I'm trying to. We just keep talking and she goes. She goes, you know. I have an idea. Just leave it with me.
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Okay,
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Stephanie Staples: i'm going to call this morning from our local theatre here, which brings in like Burn Cummings and Randy bachman, and like whatever it's a beautiful three hundred-person theater.
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Stephanie Staples: We're doing a full fee.
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Stephanie Staples: He's asking me like what I want in the dressing room like like Red M. And Ms. And cheese. A cracker. I'm just like what you
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Stephanie Staples: this came from like a you know a volunteer thing.
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Stephanie Staples: I don't even know how to wait a second piece it together for me. So the Ec. Gig, the early childhood,
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Jane Atkinson: Then the theater got involved. Is that the same?
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Stephanie Staples: Yeah, She She phoned the theater and said, like, if I can, I can bring like one hundred like early childhood educators. And here's this person who lives here and does this, and and and he's like this Looks amazing like. Why don't I know about her, and like so you never get to speak like literally in your own back Here it's a kilometer from my house,
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Stephanie Staples: you know, whereas if I had just had that call with her like she can't afford me, and that's the end of it, you know who who to know. So I think at this point, you know, almost everything is is word of mouth, because, as you've heard, i'm a terrible social media person. But the other thing I have done that I think, has been really smart.
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Stephanie Staples: When I wherever I go somewhere, I almost always try to invite some a speakers bureau
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Stephanie Staples: person, and you would think, Well, they don't know who you are, and they're very busy, and they probably won't. Come, but they come, they come not always, but sometimes they come, and that has been that's been a bit of a game changer
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Stephanie Staples: great great. So let's boil it down to number one word of mouse spin on being good on the platform, and I would say, one of your really huge strengths is connection, and you are out making friends wherever you go.
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Jane Atkinson: This ends up being business for you at some point in time.
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Stephanie Staples: Well, and it's genuine like. I actually like people. I like people, stories. I like learning about people if it turns into work. Great, but kind of one of my one of my few business things is is every day. I want somebody to know
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Stephanie Staples: what I do. I didn't know yesterday.
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Stephanie Staples: So just every day somebody need to know what I do that didn't know yesterday, and that
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Stephanie Staples: so the bar is pretty low, not making twenty calls a day, or whatever like just somebody version of social media, though that's your version of consistent action, and I want you to recognize yourself
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Stephanie Staples: for the things that you do, and that's the thing. Sometimes we can really beat up on ourselves.
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Jane Atkinson: We talked earlier about some stuff. But what bold moves have you made that were really pivotal in your business?
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Well, I think the Speakers Bureau is one of them, because most of me goes like, Who do you think you are to do? Blah blah blah
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Stephanie Staples: and an epiphany that I had a couple years ago?
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Stephanie Staples: I don't remember what happened that I had this, but I realized, like I am I'm definitely not the best speaker in the world like I have fallen on stage. I have forgotten the words of the song that I wrote, like I have done everything you could possibly do wrong. I have done it, and then some. But what I realized is that I know,
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Stephanie Staples: and I will literally start crying. I know to the core of my being that this is how i'm supposed to nurse. This is how i'm supposed to share my gifts, and this is what i'm supposed to do with my life. I just know that, and I realized I don't have to be the best. I just have to be good enough
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Stephanie Staples: to get my message across,
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Stephanie Staples: which again might be contrary to like every speaker coach thing I don't know, but I just realized, and I think that part of my charm is, or is that I am very relatable, and
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Stephanie Staples: because i'm, i'm very, not perfect.
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Stephanie Staples: It doesn't fall down on stage once in a while in life like that happens, and I think that is what makes you both charming and relatable.
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Stephanie Staples: Oh, and i'll tell you what one of the But so one of the Speakers bureau, the president is the A. Vegas Speaker's bureau that came to see me. When I was done she came to stage, and she just. She said she said, you
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Stephanie Staples: you should be. She says. I don't know what you charge, but you should be a ten thousand dollars. Speaker. This was like five years ago, and I was like, oh, like, thank you like. Why, like that meant more coming from her than just anybody. Right? I said. What like? What did you hear? Why, why do you say that you could see her eyes like look up as she's thinking. She says
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Stephanie Staples: you're perfectly
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imperfect,
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Stephanie Staples: and I was like
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Stephanie Staples: I can own that like that. Maybe that was when, the if you have. I can own that I just need to be good enough to make them stay off their phones. Not go to the bathroom, hear my message, treat somebody a little nicer be nicer to themselves like that. I just need to be good enough for that. And then that makes me feel confident and not, and I know I am. I know if they're not. You know I'm going to take that money from them, but i'm going to do a great job for them. Somebody's world is going to be different because I was there. I am so confident of that
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Stephanie Staples: that I will phone that speakers for and say, come like I'll make it worth your time, even if you never hire me. You'll get something from this program, so come and watch
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Stephanie Staples: right Well, I like the perfectly imperfect that could be the theme for life and business, like my business, is perfectly imperfect. It's perfect for me
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Stephanie Staples: not be business by the book. It may not be Mba style business, but it's perfect for you. Exactly. Okay. So let's just take you back one final question:
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Jane Atkinson: What
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Jane Atkinson: advice do you wish that you knew
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earlier on something that you know now that you wish you would have known sooner.
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Stephanie Staples: Well, I guess we really do have a theme going through this this call, and that theme seems to be enough like
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Stephanie Staples: you are good enough wherever you are right Now you don't need one more certification. You don't need one more. Ah, fancy, Logo! You don't need one more blog post. One more new website. You don't need anything else more than what you already have at this moment in time. Just
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Stephanie Staples: lean into what you're good at. Lean into what you love. Believe in what you do, and you're good enough. I just I think I wish somebody would have. I think I could have wish I could have believed that, because because I didn't climb a mountain, I didn't lose a limb, and I did. I don't have anything spectacular. I'm just so regular that I always am shocked when people turn on my microphone, but that in itself is enough. And
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Stephanie Staples: yeah, that is a fabulous message, especially for emerging speakers who are trying to find themselves, and who look at others and say, Well, i'm not that.
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Stephanie Staples: And maybe, if I may be so bold, maybe it's a fabulous message for seasoned speakers who think they still have to be reaching and striving and growing like, maybe, and maybe if that makes you happy, then yay,
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Stephanie Staples: and if you don't feel like doing a newsletter this week, it you don't have to, because it's yours, and you get to decide,
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Stephanie Staples: Gave me permission to back it up on mine. Um, I love that, and we this whole summer we have spent in review of everything and definitely, we're not adding thing. If anything, it's just less is more simple, simple, simple. Let's take that away. That's take my team is always saying, let you know. Let's do something.
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Jane Atkinson: Thank you very much.
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Jane Atkinson: So this has been. I loved this message, Stephanie, and this conversation. Tell people how they should connect with you. What's your favorite place of connection?
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Stephanie Staples: Well,
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Stephanie Staples: i'm a Facebook girl that's where I I know It's not the trendy whatever, but that's where I've been doing so this year. I've been doing twenty to twenty, two
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Stephanie Staples: every month. I do something different for twenty two days, and so I've been tracking that Facebook is where I play, and I love my Facebook community. But Linkedin also is a great place, and
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Stephanie Staples: works for you. You know what I it's. I have fun there.
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Stephanie Staples: We'll do step before you kind of does it
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Jane Atkinson: on our business. I've only just noticed lately a lot more business coming from,
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Stephanie Staples: I think Linkedin is brilliant. I would like to spend more time there. Maybe when it's rainy i'll spend more time there, but but I love that. That is always my first point to reach out, to connect with people, because I think that's a great point to just to stay connected. But I do. But I do play on this. I'll get on like zoom when it's rain. But in the meantime i'll be out and my my axe. Yeah, that's right,
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Stephanie Staples: exactly. And I hope to be joining you. So i'll be on my paddle board. I don't know where we will be in terms of like latitude across from each other. I don't know.
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Stephanie Staples: Oh, yes, but anyway, i'll wave to you.
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Stephanie Staples: It did. This is a wonderful place for a vacation, so anybody who's listening. You have a friend on Vancouver Island. So Stephanie Staples, dot. Ca: i'm easy to find. I'm the one that's not the gospel singer.
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Stephanie Staples: So. Hi! Stephanie Staples. Ca: Let's make sure we get that right.
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Jane Atkinson: I'm just thankful she's not a stripper or something like that, so that's good.
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Stephanie Staples: It's like a gospel singer. It's not the worst.
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Stephanie Staples: It would definitely be yours. Thank you so much for your time today, Stephanie. I'm so glad this interview went where it went. I really feel like this is helpful for people.
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Stephanie Staples: Yay, I hope so. I'm there for you and for anybody listening. And with that we're going to say, See you some wealthy speakers bye, for now everyone.
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Jane Atkinson: Welcome everyone to the wealthy speaker. Podcast. I'm. Your host, Jane Atkinson, and i'm excited to talk today on one of my favorite subjects which is creating your perfect,
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Jane Atkinson: your lifestyle business. You're perfect, being the operative words there, because I think everybody's might be a little bit different, and we have someone who does just that Stephanie Staples is in the house. Welcome, Stephanie.
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Stephanie Staples: You know what any day that I get to talk to you is a great day, Jane. So
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Stephanie Staples: yay,
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it's
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Jane Atkinson: so lovely. Well, tell everybody just about your business model, and then we'll kind of unpack the lifestyle piece coming up.
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Stephanie Staples: Okay? Well, so keynote speaking is my. I probably had the worst business model ever so keynote speaking. That's it. That's pretty much all I do.
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Stephanie Staples: Um started coaching. That's how I got into it, but I quickly discovered keynoting was my It was kind of my thing. I do the odd bit of other things. But basically
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Stephanie Staples: and everyone's told me this is terrible. It's a terrible business model especially. And then Covid came, and it was a terrible business model. But that's what I love to do, and that is what I do. And yeah, that's it.
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Jane Atkinson: And so what would be your goal in terms of a number of speaking engagements per year. I won't. Ask you your feet. I'll just. I would just curious to know what your numbers are.
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Stephanie Staples: So if I did
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Stephanie Staples: between thirty, five, and fifty a year.
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Stephanie Staples: I'm. I'm way way way way happy with that
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Stephanie Staples: that makes sense. Thirty-five to fifty and I feel like that's a really nice lifestyle number, too. And so we're talking about lifestyle. Um thirty-five to fifty.
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Jane Atkinson: thirty-five to fifty.
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Jane Atkinson: You're out on the road several times per month. But talk about how you started to develop the lifestyle that was perfect for you. What are some of the changes that you? What did you recognize? What was the need for a change? In the first place?
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Stephanie Staples: Well, even before I was speaking, I had, and I was nursing, and I had a nursing business, and I developed that nursing business. I had three small kids, and it's like I wanted to be. I wanted to go to their games. I didn't want to do shift work. I wanted to go to hot lunch. I wanted to
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Stephanie Staples: be there for my kids in the morning, So, anyway, sort of this nursing business where I had other nurses working for me, and I saw my clients in between like school hours and my kids basically didn't know I worked so that was lovely.
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Stephanie Staples: And so when I started building up my speaking business, I had that freedom to go. I was doing regularity. I couldn't take three days off here and three days off there, but I had this freedom to create this lifestyle, and I knew that my major goal, when I got those kids grown up I wanted to retire. My husband that was my major financial goal.
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Stephanie Staples: Yes, yes.
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Stephanie Staples: What did you do? Sorry. What was business was he in.
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Stephanie Staples: He was a blue-collar worker, so he had a a job, not a career that he loved, or he went to work to provide blah blah blah. So yeah, he was totally on board with my plan very supportive.
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Stephanie Staples: And I think one of the you know we kept looking at how much money do we need to live the lifestyle that we want to live? And we kept coming up with this number coming in the same number over and over again, and it was like, Okay, how much do I have to work to make this number like we both don't need to work full time to make this number,
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Stephanie Staples: and we just kind of put all the eggs into this keynote basket,
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Stephanie Staples: and it was the best thing we ever did, and five years ago we moved from the prairies to Vancouver Island.
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Stephanie Staples: We retired him. And now we live in this little paradise, and you have to pay me a lot of money to get me off this island now,
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and so you retired him. What age was he at when he retired?
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Stephanie Staples: He was fifty two. I love that.
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Jane Atkinson: Hi! I shared with you before we get started here, that my husband's sixty, five, and he just I mean he's in the throes of retiring as we speak literally this week there could be a contract
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Stephanie Staples: his business. And so if it all goes through
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Stephanie Staples: when it all goes through, and that all goes through. Yes, and I kind of like it under different terms than it is right now. But that's me. They're here to there. But yeah, when it's all finalized.
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Jane Atkinson: It would be so great
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Stephanie Staples: it should be now or mobile. We can go anywhere. All I need is a good Internet connection. I just got starlink up at the cottage so that I will no longer be faced with a lot of Internet. Outages. I hope that's brand new. And so now it's a total game changer.
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Jane Atkinson: So how was it like in the early? Okay, when he first comes home from work that last day? Was it a big like gulp for both of you, or how did you feel your way through that?
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Stephanie Staples: So how it had happened? It wasn't quite like that. So one day I was. I had a job in in Chicago, and for whatever reason I looked up Victoria, and it was like cheaper to go to Victoria than it was to Winnipeg.
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Stephanie Staples: So I sent him a note. I'm just like i'm gonna go to Victoria. I'm just gonna look at some properties because we talked about. Maybe you know, retiring here, and he says that sounds good, He says if you find something by it we'll just rent it out. And so I came to Victoria. I bought a condo
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Stephanie Staples: then, and it was He's like great, you know we'll rent it out. I got to the airport in Victoria, and I phoned him. And I said,
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Stephanie Staples: I think you should quit your job
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Stephanie Staples: literally every week, literally literally every week i'd get an email. This one had a stroke. This one had an aneurysm. This one had cancer, this one would.
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Stephanie Staples: Every week I was getting emails from people about something horrible. And I said, You know what we don't know like what tomorrow holds. We don't know how much time we have left like we can do this. I can do this, and just I think you should put your and in that parking with Victoria, partner what he said, Okay,
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Stephanie Staples: And that was in April, and we were. We left home in July,
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Stephanie Staples: and you move to Sydney in Victoria Vancouver Island, and you have never looked back.
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Stephanie Staples: No, no, not all to say okay. So I have three kids. And I had told them. I said, We gotta move now before we get grandchildren, because if we get grandchildren we're never going to leave, and that's exactly That's exactly what happened With three months after we left, our son said, We're having a baby just despite you for leaving.
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Stephanie Staples: It's not all like perfect, because we left our three kids right, and people are like, How could you leave your family? Let's be clear,
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Stephanie Staples: grandchildren. Yeah. So they aren't seven.
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Stephanie Staples: And
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Jane Atkinson: so yeah, I get that we have six grandchildren, and we will be
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Stephanie Staples: maybe somewhere else in the South in the winter times, and we will be up north at our cottage in the summertime. Luckily one family we only have two families to contend with, and one family is close to us near the lake now, so
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Stephanie Staples: our family would just move up there. It would be all perfect. But of course we don't know what will happen, but it's really interesting to just think this through.
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Jane Atkinson: I'm wondering if there are a lot of listeners going. Hmm.
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Stephanie Staples: What would it take for me to retire? My spouse might not always be husband. It might be
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Stephanie Staples: partner, or
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Stephanie Staples: or that might not be their ultimate goal. But I think, like the concept, and I don't know if you've heard of. This is called the Leilon L. E. G. O. M. Lay. Om. It's a Danish word, and it means just enough
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Jane Atkinson: just enough.
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Stephanie Staples: So basically we have this number that I need to earn for us to have
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Stephanie Staples: that, that we can just live this lifestyle and whatever. If I earn twenty thousand dollars more, we can do this if other than twenty thousand,
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Stephanie Staples: and to be clear, like I am not just super candid. I am not in the high income, earnest group. I am super happy with, like my home, I except for twenty twenty. I'm. Consistently at six figures. I'm super happy with that. It's low six figures, but i'm living the life I want to live.
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Stephanie Staples: And so I think there's a lot. I think there's a lot to be said with that, because we go to our speaking organization, and I mean, I listen to you every week, too. And you know there is. You hear these like more and driven and focused, and Yes, and there is also another way also.
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Stephanie Staples: I love that, and that's why I wanted to have you on this step in it. I don't know what we're going to talk about, and i'm like we have
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Stephanie Staples: it's, it's it's it's, it's, it's it's it's it's, it's, it's it's, it's, it's, it's it's it's it's, it's, it's, it's, it's it's, it's it's, it's it's, it's, it's, it's, it's it's, it's, it's it's, it's, a it's, a it's, a it's, a it's, a it's, a it's a it's a it's a it's a it's a it's a it's, a it's a it's a it's a it's a it's a it's a it's A. It's a it's a it's a It'
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Stephanie Staples: a lifestyle, because the wealthy speaker lifestyle. Yes, there's something about wealth built into the title, but it's really more of about an abundant mentality and abundance means lay home. It means there's enough,
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Stephanie Staples: and that that's the first line in your original book, right like. Imagine this right. Imagine you're perfect. It's like i'm sorry i'm. I'm living my perfect day like right Now, I went for a run. This morning I came home secured
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Stephanie Staples: local full-feed job. I'm having an interview with you, and then i'm going to go kayaking So this is my perfect. Day.
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Jane Atkinson: It is your perfect day, and I think over time. Things for me have gotten to be,
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Jane Atkinson: or simple like in in my business as well. This whole summer was all about evaluating and reevaluating, and when I went to my coach in Toronto I go to strategic coach once a quarter,
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Jane Atkinson: I she. My coach, looked at me and said, What's up. There's something going on there, and I said, Well, you know, all summer along my husband's been talking about retirement, and all summer long I've been deciding, and then deciding again, and then deciding whether or not I want to continue doing this business.
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Jane Atkinson: And so what we came to during that coaching session that it gives me goose folks to think about it. I decided that within three to five years I am going to retire only from the pieces of the business that I consider to be paid to my ass.
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Stephanie Staples: And so I am very clear on where i'm going now, and i'm recommitted to this idea, and everything is about simplicity. Now,
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Jane Atkinson: would you say that you've simplified your life since moving?
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Stephanie Staples: Oh, one hundred percent? It's that whole voluntary simplicity concept. We sold. We we lived in a a bungalow on a cul-de-sac with a pool and a hot tub and three kids and four pets. And
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Stephanie Staples: yeah, we moved like with a truck full of stuff we had in our condo for nine months. We had a coach, a bed, and a massage table, and that's all we had for nine months, but after twenty five years of like every decision being about that family
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Stephanie Staples: um, it felt so fabulous to have. So how i'm doing air quotes have so little just to be yeah. The outdoor is my backyard, and most things we do don't cost any money, and I make super good use when I have a trip.
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Stephanie Staples: My husband's not a big travel guy. So when I take my you know, I had three days in. I had one job in Indiana this last week, and I went straight from the airport to this restaurant that one of my speaking colleagues, that you must go to this restaurant.
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Stephanie Staples: Then I went straight to the Indianapolis Speedway and did a tour there and then, you know, I made like super good use of of my time when i'm away, and I actually I'm just gonna talk with that for a moment, if I may. While I was there. At this event I connected with two holidays same speakers who were also speaking at this event.
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Stephanie Staples: I had the supper with each of them one night, and both of them were they
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Stephanie Staples: just so shocked that I would do anything else while I was there. Like they they fly in, they speak, they leave like I never. I virtually never do that. I always either meet somebody, do something like always. That's part of my experience
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to absorb what there is to see in the city that you go to like, What are some of your goals when you arrive in a city?
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Stephanie Staples: So I either want I I don't I how I learned this was the first time I got an outer-country job. It was in Nashville, and my friends were like Oh, You're going To Nashville. They went to Nashville, and I was like I saw the airport and the convention center. That's all I saw,
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Stephanie Staples: and I just went. If i'm doing this, this is not how i'm going to do it. If I want a lifestyle business. This is part of my lifestyle. Travel is part of my lifestyle, so i'm not just going to fly there for an hour and come home, so I watch. I will always always reach out to somebody in the speaking world. Wherever I am
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Stephanie Staples: I will always find some sort of food, or experience or adventure, or whether it's white water rafting, or a certain museum, or I will always always
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Stephanie Staples: So you have kind of some ideas. So let's get intentional people about what we want to do when we arrive in cities. If you go to Nashville, by the way, you have to go to the Bluebird Cafe.
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Stephanie Staples: Yes, all the amazing singers. Um! And when you do that you have like incredible stories. Then to tell at your place right like. I have an incredible blueber cafe story, you know, to tell that I never would have had if I just stayed at the hotel.
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Jane Atkinson: Hmm. Jenna Stanfield and
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Stephanie Staples: an essay speaker was kind enough to take me on a tour of her. Then Husband's Record Company at Ca. Records, and she actually taught me all about the music business when I was in Nashville, and we went to the Bloomberg Cafe. You know that is a trip that I will never ever forget,
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Stephanie Staples: and so I can tell you. I've gone to conventions in cities that I don't know. I don't remember being here. I don't really have anything about it that is lodged in my memory for life.
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Stephanie Staples: Yeah. Otherwise all the cities seem the same. You don't know which side of the hotel bed you wake up on it, and and I can tell you a whole Jenna sample story like she She changed that woman like. But everybody I meet, and that's part of to me. That's part of lifestyle, right? That's connecting that. And it's not networking. It's connecting.
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Jane Atkinson: Hmm. You got me thinking about my next trip to see. So people say to me,
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Stephanie Staples: Oh, well, while you're there, you should call the chapter and go and do a speech. I don't really want to do that.
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Stephanie Staples: You work more, and I do understand people who do want to work more.
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Jane Atkinson: But i'm kind of thinking more along these lines where I want to connect and have an experience.
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Stephanie Staples: So the next time I went to Nashville I went on to Nsa. And I, whoever was a president at the time, she I didn't know who she was, but I send a note, and I'm like, Hey,
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you don't know me but now, and I do throw in now like, especially with these two follow things I did throw in like I'm a Csv like I thought i'll throw that in. Just so. They don't think I just want to be, you know, tapping into their brilliance, or whatever. I just threw that in. Just so. They know i'm not.
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Stephanie Staples: Yeah, Anyway, I just did um. And this this woman ended up picking me up at my hotel, I said, I said, she said, how will I know you? I said I'll be the one with the Princess Crown, and she said, i'll be the one with the red clown nose, so it sure enough she picks me up, you know, from her car with
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Stephanie Staples: um. Yeah. So I always reach out if if they say no like, I just don't take it personally, it's more about them than and actually one of the um people that I met in Indiana. He just said he said, I don't norm I don't normally do this, you know like um that's that's cool like you if you just said no like That's too bad, because i'm a really nice fun, Interesting person, actually, And and at the end of the night. He's like i'm so glad I said yes, like this was great, and you know, so maybe he'll say yes more easily next time.
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Jane Atkinson: That's really
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Jane Atkinson: beautiful. And I, you know, when you're kind of old in the industry I've been in this industry for over thirty years. You can get jaded, and it's very easy for you to say no to things like that, and I want to circle back to something that happened between the two of us and your year one. I believe it was your year one. Did you do rising stars on your one?
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Stephanie Staples: I did. I did.
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Stephanie Staples: I just wanted to bring this up because I felt like it was a teachable moment if it was teachable for myself.
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Jane Atkinson: Uh, you did an amazing presentation which I still remember for a competition that we had uh up here in Canada at the Canadian Association of Special Speakers, and I was on a panel of judges, and we gave you a lot about that, but I also said something about your outfit, and since that moment in time I made a decision. I think I apologize to you later on,
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Stephanie Staples: and I said, I will never ever judge somebody's style ever again, because how you feel good is how you feel good. And I just wanted to say to you.
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Stephanie Staples: That was a moment that I wanted to take back, You know, as a judge. It's very easy, you know. You're literally judging people which is not
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Stephanie Staples: necessarily a comfortable thing to do, and I said something about something. I don't even remember exactly what it was. It was it was busy,
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Stephanie Staples: and you just said, like the busy takes away from the message
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Stephanie Staples: attracted by it. Yeah. But what if that was your blouse that made you feel like a million bucks.
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Stephanie Staples: Well, I think that affected you more than it affected me. I I also go to this don't be Disney like it Shouldn't be looking at your outfit. They should just be like concentrating on your message, and that I didn't take any of offense by them. I'm like. If that's the worst you got to tell me after I spoke then. That's good.
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Stephanie Staples: I've always wanted to tell you that. Ok. So we actually do have a quasi outline here.
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Stephanie Staples: I really have loved. By the way, having kind of like a front row seat, how many years have you been in the business now?
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I think i'm tottering on a fifteen now.
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Stephanie Staples: Okay, So crazy years ago is when I met you. And I love. The beautiful thing about social media is that I've been able to kind of watch your growth evolve and change, and I don't get to see a ton of everybody, every one person but I love like I I would have caught. We're moving to Victoria and I'm like, Yeah,
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Stephanie Staples: what a great thing! And congratulations it's been so great to just kind of sit on the sidelines and watch all of that go.
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Jane Atkinson: Now you landed on. Revitalize your work in life. That's your promise statement. How hard was it for you to land on a lane that serves you, I mean. Gosh! This feels so appropriate for you,
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Stephanie Staples: does it? Oh, good! I'm so glad. So let's Let's go back more years because I did a focus forty with you, and
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Stephanie Staples: you know I just love how you you. You heard something, I said, and you just like the cream rose to the top, and what the cream was in that for us, Cody Forty was. Bring your a game to work in life.
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Stephanie Staples: I used that, for I don't know twelve years, and actually until and then I was like,
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Stephanie Staples: Never mind, bring your a game to her I just bring. I've changed the capital a to like a little a just I mean whatever game you can muster.
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Stephanie Staples: So it evolved and changed, and and this is yes,
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Stephanie Staples: and then and then after Covid um after Covid. I was the people within it like asking, and I was literally going. I don't think that's appropriate like I don't think, and during, you know, in the height like It's just not appropriate to to ask people of this. So it just seemed, even though people asked me I
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Stephanie Staples: I would offer them this. How about this revitalization? Like? Just breathe some new life, And every time I say it, people are going. That's exactly what we're looking for so I have not done one. Bring your egg, and there's still lots of similar concepts in it, but it's just it. It had to evolve because I couldn't. I couldn't stand up there and speak that with from truth.
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Jane Atkinson: Well, that's the evolution of a Speaker's business is that the the times have changed the way that you do. Business has changed. How much virtual are you doing today?
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Stephanie Staples: That's all. Just one more thing about what I changed so much. My business name was you is technically your life unlimited.
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Stephanie Staples: Um, so I I am pretty much back to in person. I there's some virtual, but people are so excited, and I do a lot of work on them. Ah, in the States people are so excited to be back in person. Yeah, it's nice to have this virtual option.
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Stephanie Staples: But again I I really did that my way as well. And so it's nice to have that auction. Now I I didn't want to do it, like many other people. And then I fell in love with it. I'm like Oh, it's an hour keynote. Now I can go hiking like here where I love living So that was great.
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Stephanie Staples: There's a lot of speakers out there who are living lifestyle businesses, and virtual is their friend. I mean, embrace it for that reason alone,
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Stephanie Staples: absolutely absolutely. So. Now it's like I feel like It's the perfect auction now, because you can give people like, maybe a better price or a different option.
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Stephanie Staples: And this way I can still have the travel. But then still have the ease. If i'm honestly pinch me
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Stephanie Staples: well just to to reiterate what we talked about, and I don't know, if you remember, that you probably don't remember the talk that I did at Caps from the main stage, and it was about the triathlon that I had done. And it's like You're always trying to, you know, to be
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Stephanie Staples: like I was last in this triathlon, and you just want to be. You're trying to catch up to everybody. You come to our speaker conventions, and everybody's doing this and that. And oh, my gosh! The more and better and bigger, and
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Stephanie Staples: it's like Yes, that's like I have. You know I. Some of my friends are the hardest working people I've ever ever met, and I have so much admiration and respect for them. And another word I don't know if you heard is called mudida um mu D. I. T. A. And it means it's the opposite of jealousy. It's like celebrating
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Stephanie Staples: other People's success, and I can go to social media. I'm. So i'm so joyful and happy for people that are are doing their business their way. And I think if we could just get a handle on how, how I do my business. And no, it's not for everybody. This is not, you know. My way is not the right way. There's a thousand different right ways, and your business doesn't have to be anybody Else's business. Just do what works for you and your family, and your life and your lifestyle, and your health, and your mental health and
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Stephanie Staples: be happy like you might get hit by a bus tomorrow like who knows? I love? I don't love the getting hit. My best idea
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Jane Atkinson: that idea of you, do you?
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Jane Atkinson: And stop looking over your shoulder and having professional jealousy, or whatever it is you want to call it, and be of some sort of somebody else's business. Just walk your own path, and I think if we can all just be reminded of that lesson,
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Stephanie Staples: it's so good. It's so good to just, you know. I did a thirty day social media cleanse, and that was one of the big benefits of it was, I didn't once in thirty days. Think I'm not doing enough.
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Stephanie Staples: Hmm. Hmm.
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Stephanie Staples: Good for you. Good for you. I need to judge now. I just need to embody that and do my own business like. Whoa!
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Stephanie Staples: And one thing that you said about the stuff that doesn't bring you. J. Like in three to five years. You're not going to do it. My first bob is like. Why are we waiting three to five years?
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Stephanie Staples: Oh, that's true, or maybe three to five months, when you get those things off your plate, or you can get rid of one, or get a pushing all about this change. But i'm just saying why? Because I have a plan with my,
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Jane Atkinson: and there's a few things that need to fall into place first. It's going to take a little time,
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Stephanie Staples: and it's not, and it, and it's none of my business right like you've got to play on. You wouldn't like it like if you look at my social media like I have a nice, you know, email list,
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Stephanie Staples: and I really understand that you shouldn't be. And I hear you I your low voice in my ear. Just be regular, be consistent. It's like, okay. I haven't done the post in June. Because I I don't know. I don't. I just. I don't know, like whatever one hundred reasons why I just haven't if you looked at my linkedin whatever I think today, I posted some of the main blood services in these blood. But but for my own business, like I just I'm. I'm probably doing most things contrary.
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Stephanie Staples: But i'm but you're getting books, so tell me how you think.
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Stephanie Staples: Well, i'll tell you about this one. I got you this this morning, which just blew my mind. So somebody I met from here at the Newcomers Club. I don't know just about to know each other whatever, but not really well, Just an acquaintance, I would say she worked for an early childhood education, something something
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Stephanie Staples: haven't seen this woman in like three years.
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Stephanie Staples: She connected me with this early childhood care thing. We have a conversation. If they're here on the island, they can't afford me,
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Stephanie Staples: but in my head i'm like they're here on the island. I love working for Ecs like, you know, if we did it like in a down time. I'm trying to. We just keep talking and she goes. She goes, you know. I have an idea. Just leave it with me.
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Okay,
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Stephanie Staples: i'm going to call this morning from our local theatre here, which brings in like Burn Cummings and Randy bachman, and like whatever it's a beautiful three hundred-person theater.
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Stephanie Staples: We're doing a full fee.
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Stephanie Staples: He's asking me like what I want in the dressing room like like Red M. And Ms. And cheese. A cracker. I'm just like what you
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Stephanie Staples: this came from like a you know a volunteer thing.
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Stephanie Staples: I don't even know how to wait a second piece it together for me. So the Ec. Gig, the early childhood,
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Jane Atkinson: Then the theater got involved. Is that the same?
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Stephanie Staples: Yeah, She She phoned the theater and said, like, if I can, I can bring like one hundred like early childhood educators. And here's this person who lives here and does this, and and and he's like this Looks amazing like. Why don't I know about her, and like so you never get to speak like literally in your own back Here it's a kilometer from my house,
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Stephanie Staples: you know, whereas if I had just had that call with her like she can't afford me, and that's the end of it, you know who who to know. So I think at this point, you know, almost everything is is word of mouth, because, as you've heard, i'm a terrible social media person. But the other thing I have done that I think, has been really smart.
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Stephanie Staples: When I wherever I go somewhere, I almost always try to invite some a speakers bureau
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Stephanie Staples: person, and you would think, Well, they don't know who you are, and they're very busy, and they probably won't. Come, but they come, they come not always, but sometimes they come, and that has been that's been a bit of a game changer
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Stephanie Staples: great great. So let's boil it down to number one word of mouse spin on being good on the platform, and I would say, one of your really huge strengths is connection, and you are out making friends wherever you go.
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Jane Atkinson: This ends up being business for you at some point in time.
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Stephanie Staples: Well, and it's genuine like. I actually like people. I like people, stories. I like learning about people if it turns into work. Great, but kind of one of my one of my few business things is is every day. I want somebody to know
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Stephanie Staples: what I do. I didn't know yesterday.
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Stephanie Staples: So just every day somebody need to know what I do that didn't know yesterday, and that
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Stephanie Staples: so the bar is pretty low, not making twenty calls a day, or whatever like just somebody version of social media, though that's your version of consistent action, and I want you to recognize yourself
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Stephanie Staples: for the things that you do, and that's the thing. Sometimes we can really beat up on ourselves.
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Jane Atkinson: We talked earlier about some stuff. But what bold moves have you made that were really pivotal in your business?
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Well, I think the Speakers Bureau is one of them, because most of me goes like, Who do you think you are to do? Blah blah blah
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Stephanie Staples: and an epiphany that I had a couple years ago?
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Stephanie Staples: I don't remember what happened that I had this, but I realized, like I am I'm definitely not the best speaker in the world like I have fallen on stage. I have forgotten the words of the song that I wrote, like I have done everything you could possibly do wrong. I have done it, and then some. But what I realized is that I know,
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Stephanie Staples: and I will literally start crying. I know to the core of my being that this is how i'm supposed to nurse. This is how i'm supposed to share my gifts, and this is what i'm supposed to do with my life. I just know that, and I realized I don't have to be the best. I just have to be good enough
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Stephanie Staples: to get my message across,
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Stephanie Staples: which again might be contrary to like every speaker coach thing I don't know, but I just realized, and I think that part of my charm is, or is that I am very relatable, and
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Stephanie Staples: because i'm, i'm very, not perfect.
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Stephanie Staples: It doesn't fall down on stage once in a while in life like that happens, and I think that is what makes you both charming and relatable.
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Stephanie Staples: Oh, and i'll tell you what one of the But so one of the Speakers bureau, the president is the A. Vegas Speaker's bureau that came to see me. When I was done she came to stage, and she just. She said she said, you
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Stephanie Staples: you should be. She says. I don't know what you charge, but you should be a ten thousand dollars. Speaker. This was like five years ago, and I was like, oh, like, thank you like. Why, like that meant more coming from her than just anybody. Right? I said. What like? What did you hear? Why, why do you say that you could see her eyes like look up as she's thinking. She says
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Stephanie Staples: you're perfectly
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imperfect,
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Stephanie Staples: and I was like
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Stephanie Staples: I can own that like that. Maybe that was when, the if you have. I can own that I just need to be good enough to make them stay off their phones. Not go to the bathroom, hear my message, treat somebody a little nicer be nicer to themselves like that. I just need to be good enough for that. And then that makes me feel confident and not, and I know I am. I know if they're not. You know I'm going to take that money from them, but i'm going to do a great job for them. Somebody's world is going to be different because I was there. I am so confident of that
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Stephanie Staples: that I will phone that speakers for and say, come like I'll make it worth your time, even if you never hire me. You'll get something from this program, so come and watch
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Stephanie Staples: right Well, I like the perfectly imperfect that could be the theme for life and business, like my business, is perfectly imperfect. It's perfect for me
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Stephanie Staples: not be business by the book. It may not be Mba style business, but it's perfect for you. Exactly. Okay. So let's just take you back one final question:
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Jane Atkinson: What
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Jane Atkinson: advice do you wish that you knew
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earlier on something that you know now that you wish you would have known sooner.
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Stephanie Staples: Well, I guess we really do have a theme going through this this call, and that theme seems to be enough like
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Stephanie Staples: you are good enough wherever you are right Now you don't need one more certification. You don't need one more. Ah, fancy, Logo! You don't need one more blog post. One more new website. You don't need anything else more than what you already have at this moment in time. Just
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Stephanie Staples: lean into what you're good at. Lean into what you love. Believe in what you do, and you're good enough. I just I think I wish somebody would have. I think I could have wish I could have believed that, because because I didn't climb a mountain, I didn't lose a limb, and I did. I don't have anything spectacular. I'm just so regular that I always am shocked when people turn on my microphone, but that in itself is enough. And
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Stephanie Staples: yeah, that is a fabulous message, especially for emerging speakers who are trying to find themselves, and who look at others and say, Well, i'm not that.
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Stephanie Staples: And maybe, if I may be so bold, maybe it's a fabulous message for seasoned speakers who think they still have to be reaching and striving and growing like, maybe, and maybe if that makes you happy, then yay,
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Stephanie Staples: and if you don't feel like doing a newsletter this week, it you don't have to, because it's yours, and you get to decide,
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Stephanie Staples: Gave me permission to back it up on mine. Um, I love that, and we this whole summer we have spent in review of everything and definitely, we're not adding thing. If anything, it's just less is more simple, simple, simple. Let's take that away. That's take my team is always saying, let you know. Let's do something.
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Jane Atkinson: Thank you very much.
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Jane Atkinson: So this has been. I loved this message, Stephanie, and this conversation. Tell people how they should connect with you. What's your favorite place of connection?
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Stephanie Staples: Well,
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Stephanie Staples: i'm a Facebook girl that's where I I know It's not the trendy whatever, but that's where I've been doing so this year. I've been doing twenty to twenty, two
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Stephanie Staples: every month. I do something different for twenty two days, and so I've been tracking that Facebook is where I play, and I love my Facebook community. But Linkedin also is a great place, and
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Stephanie Staples: works for you. You know what I it's. I have fun there.
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Stephanie Staples: We'll do step before you kind of does it
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Jane Atkinson: on our business. I've only just noticed lately a lot more business coming from,
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Stephanie Staples: I think Linkedin is brilliant. I would like to spend more time there. Maybe when it's rainy i'll spend more time there, but but I love that. That is always my first point to reach out, to connect with people, because I think that's a great point to just to stay connected. But I do. But I do play on this. I'll get on like zoom when it's rain. But in the meantime i'll be out and my my axe. Yeah, that's right,
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Stephanie Staples: exactly. And I hope to be joining you. So i'll be on my paddle board. I don't know where we will be in terms of like latitude across from each other. I don't know.
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Stephanie Staples: Oh, yes, but anyway, i'll wave to you.
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Stephanie Staples: It did. This is a wonderful place for a vacation, so anybody who's listening. You have a friend on Vancouver Island. So Stephanie Staples, dot. Ca: i'm easy to find. I'm the one that's not the gospel singer.
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Stephanie Staples: So. Hi! Stephanie Staples. Ca: Let's make sure we get that right.
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Jane Atkinson: I'm just thankful she's not a stripper or something like that, so that's good.
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Stephanie Staples: It's like a gospel singer. It's not the worst.
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Stephanie Staples: It would definitely be yours. Thank you so much for your time today, Stephanie. I'm so glad this interview went where it went. I really feel like this is helpful for people.
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Stephanie Staples: Yay, I hope so. I'm there for you and for anybody listening. And with that we're going to say, See you some wealthy speakers bye, for now everyone.
Highlights you won’t want to miss:
- What’s your magic number? [2:30]
- Taking a giant leap. [5:30]
- What’s your perfect day? [9:30]
- Take advantage of the travel. [11:30]
- Make connections instead of networking. [16:00]
- Your lane can (and will) evolve. [20:30]
- Your business is nobody else’s business. [24:00]
- Sharing your gifts is enough. [31:00]
Stephanie is a multi-titled (non-best-selling) author with eclectic qualifications that combine learnings from her background in healthcare, journalism, fitness and communications. Steph has some unique insights and tools to share. She has founded three businesses, two successfully and one a flop. This rewired nurse is a mom of three, Lolli of two and wife of one, a (last-placed) triathlete and a BIG JA (and Monica) fan!
If you want some great ideas to help you plot out your perfect lifestyle and the business of your dreams, you simply can’t afford to miss this episode.
I hope you’ll download and learn.
Links:
Stephanie’s website
Facebook page
Stephanie’s LinkedIn profile
Jane’s LinkedIn profile
Focus 40 Coaching Session with Jane
The Wealthy Speaker School
