2023 the year I burned it all down

Oh hi 👋🏼👋🏼 

Long time no chat... 

Soooo I'm ready to re-emerge from my 2023 cocoon and get back into the groove with my love of talking and sharing on this podcast!  

Today I share experiences and reflections on my personal and professional life and why 2023 was the year I burned it all down and now I'm ready to start rebuilding!!

I've been feeling the nudge big time to get back to sharing on this platform and have conversations about ALL THE THINGS including, but not limited to: menopause, career changes, personal development, entrepreneurship, and whatever else happens to be on my mind at the time. 💁🏼‍♀️

My new mission here is to create a space for open, honest and REAL conversations about all the things.

No idea where we're going... but I'm certain we'll have some fun. 

Are you with me?

Transcript

0:00

Hey guys, and welcome back to how it's really going with Shana Recker. And this is the podcast where I just tell you how it's really going in life and share all the things that are happening. In my world. And as you guys know, I have been away from this podcast for a while. If you've been in my audience for a while, you will know that I haven't released an episode since September of 2023. And that's because last year was a bit of a shit show. My entire year, I feel like was the year. I literally burned everything down in my life and well, not everything. But a lot of the business side of my life, I burned it all down. And I don't know what happened at the end of last year, beginning of this year, but something feels like. I'm finally ready to start rebuilding. And I don't, I still don't know what that looks like, but I am feeling way more inspired to start creating again. I don't know if you guys felt the same. I don't know if 2023 was a year like that for you. I have talked to quite a few people who have had that same feeling and experience about 20, 23, where it's like. A lot of things came to an end for people. For me, it was my coaching business. I ended that at the beginning of 2023 and kind of felt lost last year as to what do I do now? I had built that business. I'd been building that business since 2016 and. I just got to the end of it last year and was just like, I can't do this anymore. I don't want to do this anymore. I learned a lot about business. Ethics and coaching ethics. You can go back and listen to past episodes last year. You'll know all about it. Because I re I talked about it and recorded podcast episodes about it. But I I, I, wasn't quite sure what to do with this podcast, which is why I stopped recording in September because the podcast has always been something that has supported one of my, like my coaching business. I have kind of. Evolved my coaching business over the years. And it has always been a support for that business. And it's been a way that's helped me. Find new clients. It's been a way for me to help build audiences and that kind of stuff. Plus, I fricking love talking about different things and giving my opinion on things who doesn't. And so I've loved, I've had this podcast since 2016 and I've loved recording for ever like ever since day one. But once I decided to shut down the coaching side of my business, and I really didn't have much of a business once I did that. And I took a job actually at a hair salon, working the front desk, which was something that I'd never thought I would do, but. Last year, I was just in a spot where I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life anymore. And I just knew I had to stop doing what wasn't working for me. And I needed to create some income and figure out what was next. And so the podcast kind of went to the wayside. I did go to the wayside because it didn't. I didn't feel like. I had anything that I needed that I wanted to share or had anything that was relevant. Business wise to share. And so I just stopped. Now. The last couple of weeks. And actually, I wouldn't say that. Since I stopped. The podcast has always been on my mind. Like it's always been on my mind and in fact, I've probably recorded four or five episodes. Over the last three or four months that I just never posted or put up because I was like, by the time I was done recording it. You know, I got busy and then I was like, oh, who cares? No one wants to hear that. It was kind of dumb anyways. Like I just be like, my mind would go, no one wants to listen to you. Talk about that. So just don't even worry about it and blah, blah, blah. And so I did actually record some things. I just never posted them. And then recently I have really been thinking about the podcast and wanting to get back to this. And I posted a little life update on my Instagram and I just asked, you know, I was like, you know, one of the things that's been on my mind is my podcast. You know, if you guys have listened to it in the past, like, you know, how do you feel about me? Starting it back up again, and just talking about anything like, this is the thing. Me starting up this podcast again, isn't going to be about business and entrepreneurship. I'm certain I will talk about those things. But it will be about all things going on in life. In my life and in the world. My thoughts and opinions on things. And. That's, that's kind of the direction I feel. I really want to go with it and make it. Like a show about everything. Versus, you know, over the years I've always felt that I've had to have a niche for my podcast and it had to be, you know, business and about coaching and about entrepreneurship and building a business and all those things. And this feeling in my head goes, well, what if you just had a podcast that you just turned on the mic and talked about whatever was on your mind in that moment or whatever you felt like needed to be shared in that moment? What if you just. Intuitively. Guided yourself through a podcast. And the funny thing is, is my podcast has had many names over the years. The first podcast name that I had for it was keeping it real with Shana Recker, which kind of ironically, that's really what this is all about. This, this is always what I've wanted to my podcast to be about is about. The real sides of things like being authentic, truly authentic about how things. Our how to build a business, like being authentic about that, the good, the bad everything in between. I've always. Really enjoyed sharing all sides of things going on in my world, whether it was my entrepreneurship world or, you know, sometimes. Episodes, you know, got a little bit more personal, but. That was the first name of my podcast. Then it evolved into, it's had a few different names over the years. That was the pursuit podcast for awhile. And then. I forget the last name, but the most recent name is the how it's really going podcasts with Shana Recker and I think it's just so interesting that name still fits even though. I'm shifting a little, not a little bit. I am going to be shifting the content that's on here. From everything from entrepreneurship to middle-age being a middle-aged woman, going through menopause to talking about kids, to talking about getting jobs, to talking about. Just life in general. And. So it's funny that the name still works. So I don't think that's a, I don't think that's just a coincidence. And it's funny that the first name that I ever had for this podcast, keeping it real with Shana Recker is also kind of where I'm coming back to. It's just about turning on the mic and keeping it real and talking about what's really going on. And as a 48 year old woman. With grown children and going through all the things. I think more of us need to turn on the mic and have these kinds of conversations, because I don't know about you guys, but a lot of times over the past year, I felt like I was going crazy. I felt like I was alone. I felt like nobody else is going through some of these life changes that I'm going through. Like, why is this happening to me? You know, and I think. The more we can talk about these things. The more we can realize that it's, it's actually quite normal. That we're not going crazy, that there's a lot of women who are suffering at this time of their life. And. I do think that the menopause is part of the reason why I wanted to you. Shift gears in my life and stop working my business and figure like, and really just not sure what to do with my life anymore. I have, I'm a hundred percent confident that there are hormones that had to play. That were. Playing a role in that. And you know, it was also a lot of the things that I talked about just before I closed on my podcast with the coaching industry and bad business ethics, I had a really bad experience with a. Horrible business coach. And I just. Yeah, it was just a, it was just a really interesting year. And. This past few weeks, even the past couple of months, I've actually started to feel a little bit more energized. I felt, I feel a little bit more creative. You know, even last year, I like, I literally burned everything down. When I see that I don't even, I'm not even slightly joking. I got rid of all my personal development books. I stopped listening to personal development completely last year. And I used to be like a personal development junkie, like. I had, you know, I've been to conferences and books and all the things. And I stopped listening and really there's a lot of things I even stopped believing in last year. And I found myself not necessarily wanting to go full into like the personal development side and mindset and all that stuff again, but just a little bit of. Like, Hey, what are some goals that I want to create this year for myself? What are some things that I really want in my life? Like. You know, really evaluate what do I love and what don't I love and what do I have time for in my life now? And what don't I have time for my life now. And what boundaries do I need to create? And kind of really like reestablishing. Some direction for myself. Because last year, I just felt like I had no direction. I didn't want to do anything. I really barely even wanted to talk to anyone. Let alone. Turn on the podcast, Mike. And plus I just didn't feel like anyone wanted to hear it, you know, and it was like, who wants to hear me complain about being perimenopause and moodiness and just all the things and not wanting to. You know, work my business and feeling annoyed about everything and also social media burnout, which I had a hundred percent for sure. Last year. You know, I still am a little bit PTSD from all the social media burnout that I had over the years of just constantly feeling like I needed to be online and constantly feeling, validated by what's happening on social media and. I could feel that I had an unhealthy relationship with that, and that had to come to an end, which is, another reason why I really wanted to get out of an industry that required me to. Be online all the time, And so. There was a lot, there was a lot, and I will unpack more of some of that. as we go through this new space that I'm in and this new podcast, and I love to talk more about all of those things, because I'm sure I'm not alone in a lot of that stuff. But I really just want to create a space where you can pull up a chair and listen and, I feel like I'm talking to you at the other side of this table. I'm at right now. And we can talk about the things that are going on in life and to help normalize some of the crazy. Which. It's like, we're not crazy because it's normal, but it still feels crazy and it's okay. And it's okay to be crazy. Cause some days I still feel like super crazy, but one day at a time. And that's just really, what I want to do with this podcast is just. One day at a time share what's going on, how it's really going so that we can collectively go, Hey, listen, we're not in this alone. We're in this together. And let's move through it together. And hopefully you enjoy what we talk about here and hopefully you enjoy. The conversation. And for those of you, who've been listening to this podcast with me over the years. I appreciate if you're still listening right now. I appreciate that. You're still here. Even though we haven't had any episodes out since September. And I'm not going to make any promises, but I'm going to do my best to have some consistency to this podcast. I have, since just as a quick update. So I, so I shut down the coaching business. I started doing done for you services, as you guys know, if you don't know, I, my background is graphic design and I am a Kajabi expert. So I work in Kajabi platforms. I help clients build out the backend of their business. So I don't do business coaching or advertised business coaching anymore. But the beautiful thing is, is that my clients are often online coaches. Online service providers. And so I get to through them, hiring me to do their done for you work like the Kajabi work and the design work. Still get to engage in a lot of business coaching because oftentimes they are looking for advice and strategies on how to do things in their business. So I get to still do some business coaching with my clients, which I feel like I've found this perfect balance in my life. Of doing the work that I love. I love creating. So creating websites, landing pages, sales pages, just getting their businesses organized and working for them. But then I still also get to do some of that business coaching. I just have really found a sweet spot. And the thing is, is I'm not on social media, promoting my business right now. Like I, if you go to my, I am Shana, Recker Instagram. I haven't posted since I don't even know when. I share videos of websites that I create. But my clients are coming to me solely through referrals right now. And, because I'm a Kajabi expert. I do get some referrals through the Kajabi network, but there's no forcing, there's no pushing, there's no feeling of half twos and sheds in this business. That I'm in right now. And that feels really, really good. And it feels way more in alignment with the person that I am right now. And it's not to say that business coaching wasn't for me or that I wasn't good at it or in that kind of stuff. It was just more, it was for me at a different time in my life. And I'm at a time in my life now where I just don't need the extra stress I'm already going through enough. That having a business that just seems to roll with me. Like it's just happening. It feels so much more. At ease for me and I really love it. I tried to get on the Instagram more with this side of my business, but I just feel like, I don't know. I just don't know what to say. I think I'm actually going to use that Instagram account for the, for this podcast. And post when I have new episodes and things like that out. But It is still there. And if you are following me still on there, you will probably see some stuff coming out from the podcast on there. But yeah, I'm just kind of playing it by ear and seeing what happens, I do still have my part-time job at the salon, which I absolutely love that happens last year as well. And it was just a job I took to one bring in some extra income, but to just to do something different in my life and just see what happens and you guys, I love that job so much. It is so fun. It's so. It, the people are amazing. The clients are amazing. I love the work. It's just a nice break in my week that I get to go there and do that. So that will still be happening in my life. But yeah, other than that, I'm doing the Kajabi websites, some graphic design. I work at the salon one day a week. I've got kids, I've got dogs, cats, you name it. Just trying to figure it out as we go here. So that's what we're going to be talking about here. All things, entrepreneurship, business, life, menopause, kids, you name it. Whatever I feel like talking about in the moment, personal development will definitely be some of it too. But if you want to join me for the ride, let's do it. Let's see what this is all about. Let's see. How this is really going to work out. Cause I really don't know. And I'm excited to try and I've got this nudge to just turn on the mic and talk whenever it feels right. And that's what I'm going to do, and I'm not going to prejudge my own work because I can tend to do that. And that's why I don't end up posting some things. I'm just going to do the do, and I'm going to do some small edits. Cause I know I say I'm a lot and you know, and like, and all those things. So I will probably edit some of that out. But other than that, I'm just going to post it. And if there's anything you ever want to chat about or me to chat about on this podcast, you guys, my DMS are always open on the Instagram account that I mentioned the, I am Shana Recker account. If you are following me here on the podcast. Thank you so much for being here. And I look forward to just sharing more of how it's really going and we'll see what happens. I'm going to keep this one short and sweet. We will see you on the next episode, what it's going to be about. I don't know. And I'm excited to find out. All right, everyone. We'll talk to you soon. Bye. For now.