Shows
Building Balance093: What working with Jenna looks likeIf you want some help applying some of the things I talk about on this podcast, and you’d like to know more about what it looks like to team up with me, this episode is for you.
I’ve had some experiences where I’ve paid good amounts of money and spent a lot of time or effort on a course, a service or coaching program, and afterwards felt like maybe it wasn't the best investment.
Hopefully this episode helps you make a more informed decision on whether or not I’m someone you’d like to...
2023-03-2020 minBuilding Balance082: Listen to this before planning and updating your business for next yearIf you’re feeling really excited about all the changes and plans you have in mind for next year, this episode will hopefully help you follow through on them in a sustainable way.
On the other hand, if you feel overwhelmed at even the thought of making big sweeping changes for the business just because a new year is coming up, I think this episode will help you feel better about wanting to take small steps toward improving your business.
In this episode, I share 6 reminders that I hope help you navigate end-of-year/new year's ch...
2022-12-1216 minBuilding Balance081: A different way to view (and experience) balanceWhat if we didn't view balance as something we need to achieve?
The concept of work-life balance is often talked about in a way that’s unhelpful and makes it feel unattainable – especially for business owners.
Viewing balance in a different way might make it easier to experience.
In the episode, you'll hear about
1. Two unhelpful "facts" about work-life balance that make it seem impossible
2. A different way to view balance that makes it more accessible and easier to create
3. Five things you could consi...
2022-12-0520 minBuilding Balance080: Worried about the optics of tweaking your business?If you’ve ever felt like making tweaks and pivots in your business makes others see you as flaky, inconsistent, incompetent, or like an imposter, this episode is for you.
In the episode, I share
- the story of how I got that judgmental voice in my head
- all kinds of things I’ve tweaked in my business(es) despite that voice
- two benefits of regularly tweaking and experimenting in your business (and life)
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and sh...
2022-11-2813 minBuilding Balance079: 5 tips to prep for a holiday break as a solopreneurDoes the thought of making space for a holiday break from your business make you sweat a little?
Don’t worry, you can totally step away from your business without having to sacrifice all the hard work you’ve done so far; it just takes some planning and prep ahead of time.
The 5 tips I share in this episode help you
- reduce your workload in the week(s) leading up to your holiday break
- reduce worry and guilt about the business when you're enjoying time with family and friends
2022-11-2115 minBuilding Balance078: Why I removed 100+ YouTube videos from my channelIt can be surprisingly hard to let go of things that you’ve put a lot of time and effort into, even when they aren’t currently serving you.
So I wanna talk about something that I did earlier this fall - I removed ALL but two of my Youtube videos. We’re talking over 100 videos that I created over the course of about 1.5 years, starting in fall of 2019.
I thought that sharing why I did this might help you with some decisions you’re making in your business when it comes to letting go of the s...
2022-11-1411 minBuilding Balance077: On considering revenue metrics when working lessWhat do you do when you want to show yourself that working less doesn’t have to mean a decrease in revenue, but your monthly numbers don’t always help you out with that – and you're tempted to work a bit more to hopefully avoid a dip in your numbers, instead of stepping away from your laptop? Let's talk about a few ways that you can look at your numbers differently.
I recorded this episode as a response to a question I got during the High Achiever Experience training.
In the episode, you'll hear
- Da...
2022-11-0714 minBuilding Balance076: “How do I show up for business when burned out?”So, how do you keep showing up for your business when you’re burned out? It depends.
If you’re a regular listener of Building Balance, you know that I don’t like to share super prescriptive advice here since I feel like I need to know you and your situation better before I can start to tease out solutions with you.
But what I can do here is share what are the kinds of things I’d keep in mind, or take into consideration when finding potential solutions – and I hope that these 5 questions can help y...
2022-10-3114 minBuilding Balance075: Why “proven” strategies often don’t work (with Cassie Widders)If you’ve ever felt frustrated about a “proven” strategy or framework not working for you, this episode can help you understand why they haven’t worked – and in which cases it might be better to work with someone who customizes their approach or the strategy to you.
In this episode, Cassie Widders of The Social Self podcast and I break down:
- why "proven" cookie-cutter strategies, frameworks, and tactics aren't a good fit for most people
- why it's so easy to get sucked into them (over and over again)
- why they...
2022-10-231h 13Building Balance074: Feel guilt when life distracts you from business? [Consult call]What if it’s just normal not to be able to give your business 100% of your attention all the time?
We all go through periods of time when *big life stuff* takes priority, while the business might not get as much love as it usually does. It doesn't mean that you're not doing a good job, that you're not amazing at what you do, or that you don't care about your clients.
If you go through seasons in your business when you feel guilty because you’re either
a) not giving it quite as m...
2022-10-171h 00
Building Balance073: You, but with a reduced workloadIf you feel like you’re being pulled in a million different directions right now, and you're busy all day but don't see the progress or success you’d like to, it might be time to reduce your workload.
In this episode, I share the many, many benefits of a reduced workload – and you might be able to enjoy them without sacrificing revenue or the quality of your services.
Go here for a transcript: https://jennahellberg.com/episodes/073-you-but-with-a-reduced-workload
Episode mentioned 059: Jenny's client experience interview: https://jennahellberg.com/episodes/059-reduce-busy-work-as-small-business-owner
...
2022-10-0915 min
Building Balance072: My first 10k month wasn’t sustainableDoes hitting a revenue goal matter, if the way you made it happen isn’t sustainable?
$10k months (or 6-figure businesses) are talked about *a lot* in the online business space.
In this episode, I share the cautionary tale of the first $10k month in my photography business. I'll talk about two things that made it unsustainable in terms of replicating it over and over, as well as whether or not I needed to bring in $10k/month in the first place.
Go here for shownotes: https://jennahellberg.com/episodes/072-my-first-10k-month-wasnt-sustainable
2022-09-2616 min
The Digital Wellness Podcast#28 Escaping Hustle Culture with Jenna HellbergToday I'm joined by psychologist-turned-productivity-mentor Jenna Hellberg to talk all things hustle culture. We chat about what hustle culture is and what it encompasses today, and why it's so prevalent in the online business space.We dive into a personal story of Jenna's when she ran a photography business - about how online social pressure led to her taking on way too many marketing tasks, and how that impacted her business.Jenna talks about how she learned to focus only on the most impactful tasks, avoiding the shiny object syndrome of social media, a...
2022-09-1354 min
Building Balance071: Should you let go of a time-consuming marketing activity you love?What do you do, when there’s a marketing activity you love doing in your business, but it takes up more time than you’d like it to?
If you’ve been around for a while, you know that I like to declutter tasks and activities in my business that aren’t making an impact. So today I thought that I’d share the three questions that are helping me make a decluttering decision I’m making in my business, which I hope will be helpful as you’re making hard decluttering decisions in your business.
Episode 057...
2022-09-1210 min
Building BalanceInstant Insight is here! [Audio course announcement]Popping into your feed with a bit of an announcement:
Instant Insight, the audio course I've been working on over the summer is finally ready!
Course details: https://jennahellberg.com/course
In the lessons I cover
why nothing’s actually wrong with you when you can’t follow through on the things you want to do
why being a high achiever may be part of what got you into trouble with your productivity
how being human affects us all in terms of getting things done and following through
a holistic approach to iden...
2022-09-0807 min
Building Balance070: Find better solutions by asking yourself better questionsWhen we struggle with following through on what we want to do, we tend to ask ourselves "What's wrong with me?"
In this episode, I walk you through why focusing on that question often isn't helpful, and what you could ask yourself instead to find better answers – and solutions.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find mentioned/current resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services: https://jennahellberg.com
Want to leave me a...
2022-08-2816 min
Building Balance069: Set goals in a way that's actually helpfulAre you setting goals – or making wishes?
That's what I'll dive into in today's podcast episode. You'll learn 3 reasons why traditional goal setting can set us up for disappointment, and a different way to set goals that you have more control over.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find mentioned/current resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services: https://jennahellberg.com
Want to leave me a note? You can do that here...
2022-08-2213 min
Badass Business Squad PodcastReal Productivity Solutions without the Hustle with Jenna HellbergConsistent motivation can be a real struggle as an entrepreneur. Listen in to today's podcast as psychologist Jenna Hellberg shares her framework for creating a sustainable business that feels good. KATRINA WIDENER COACHING INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/katrina.widener/ BADASS BUSINESS SQUAD SHOW NOTES: https://www.katrinawidener.com/badass-business-squad-podcast
2022-08-1719 min
Building Balance068: Getting back into the swing of things after vacation?What if instead of feeling bad about not being productive on your first days back from vacation, you’d take the opportunity to improve how you operate?
In this episode I talk about a couple of things that can make it hard to settle back into work, even if you're generally someone who's ambitious and gets things done. Then I'll share 8 ideas for how you could ease back into work while preparing for the coming months – before you're back in a routine.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on...
2022-08-1513 min
Building Balance067: 6 tips to spend your work time productively (community episode)This week I’ve got something special for you – I’ve asked a few fellow business owners to come on the podcast to share a tip that helps them spend their work time more productively, so that you can pick up what sounds good to you and save yourself some time.
You'll hear from...
KINSEY STRIBE, social media marketing expert and host of the Feel Good Social podcast****
Website: Whttps://feelgoodsocial.com/
Freebies: https://feelgoodsocial.com/freebies
STACIE MITCHELL, coach and host of the Something Even Better podcast
Webs...
2022-08-0823 min
Building Balance066: A skill that sets you up for resilience in businessWhat if there was a simple way you could shift your thinking, so that you would feel more capable as you grow your business?
Psychologist Jenna is by the mic today!
I’m going to share a mindset tool that you can use to set yourself up for resilience in your business – and well, in your life. And in case you’re worried that this will be one of those icky toxic mindset things… Well, this is not that. Please stick with me.
The article I referred to in the episode: https://www.cnbc.com...
2022-08-0113 min
Building Balance065: 5 things to think about as a solo business ownerI’m going to share a few things that I wish I had known about being a solopreneur. I probably still would’ve started my photography business even if I knew these things up front – but I would’ve approached business differently. At least knowing these things now helps me think about business and the things I do differently – and I hope they’ll be helpful to you too.
Mentioned in this episode:
Episode 045: https://jennahellberg.com/episodes/045-productivity-for-entrepreneurs-and-creatives
Episode 049: https://jennahellberg.com/episodes/049-frustrations-of-a-business-owner-results-dont-match-efforts
Don’t forget...
2022-07-2516 min
Building Balance064: Social media marketing and the true costs for small business (PART 1 with Stacie Mitchell)This episode is part 1 of a conversation I had with Stacie Mitchell (Something Even Better podcast). In part 1, we discuss how social media marketing is costing small business owners in a few other ways than just time. Read shownotes here: https://jennahellberg.com/blog/social-media-marketing-and-the-true-costs-for-small-business-with-stacie-mitchell
In part 2 we talk about how you can figure out where your marketing time is best spent, whether that’s on social media or elsewhere. We also dive into what we’ve found works best for us and why –– super helpful to listen to especially if you’ve been feeling a bit crappy abo...
2022-07-1836 min
Building Balance063: 3 common planning mistakes that aren’t commonly talked aboutIf you often find that things don’t go to plan, or that you’re not getting to the work you’d actually *like* to do, there are a few little things you can shift in the way you plan that could make a big difference.
I didn’t want to bring you just another episode with planning or productivity tips that you’ve heard a bazillion times before or that you can easily find on Google. I wanted to instead talk about a few things that I haven’t, or that have been very rarely mentioned in productiv...
2022-07-1115 min
Building Balance062: Increase your productivity by removing pressure (5 ideas)Feeling the pressure to get things done can actually make us less productive, not more. So what can we do to reduce the pressure?
In the episode, you'll learn an uncommon approach to batching, tips for making your to-dos feel manageable, and a trick that helps you feel less pressure even if you don't change anything in your plans as a result.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find mentioned/current resources here: https://jennahellberg.co...
2022-07-0409 min
Building BalanceSummer Refire: 7 simple ideas to enjoy your workweeks as a solopreneurSo far in the summer refire, I’ve talked about how you can create a schedule that works for you, and I’ve hopefully helped you shift our thoughts from feeling like schedules and plans are boring to seeing just how helpful they are in making it possible for you to spend time on the things you actually want to spend time on.
I wanted to bring in this episode, as I 100% believe that it’s important for your productivity that you feel enjoyment in your workweeks – not just on the weekends or not just when you get to g...
2022-06-2712 min
Building BalanceSummer Refire: Worried that schedules and structure make your weeks too boring?In the last summer refire, I walked you through how you can create a schedule that works for you, your life, and your business. For some, creating a schedule might actually feel pretty fun and exciting, BUT following through on it might be hard, or it might feel boring to have your weeks planned out.
In this episode, I’ll walk you through 8 ways that planning and routines and schedules and structure can make your life more flexible and enjoyable. I'll also talk about *why* many of us can feel like schedules and structure just don’t work...
2022-06-2024 min
Building BalanceSummer Refire: How to create a schedule that fits youThis first episode of the summer refire is all about how you can create a schedule that fits you, your life, and your business.
This episode would fall under the DESIGN part of my productivity ecosystem, because planning for routines that help you reach your goals is ra key part of designing your business operations in a way that helps you be more productive.
And if you have no idea what I’m talking about when I mention the productivity ecosystem, you can go back a few episodes (to episode 31) to get the basics, or re...
2022-06-1314 min
Building BalanceJune 2022 announcement + giveaway***Let's start with an announcement for June***
I’m working on something kiinda big for you! I’m going to create an audio course for solopreneurs who have trouble sticking to their plans, or following through on the impactful tasks and projects that they know would propel their business forwards. Or, who want to spend more time outside of their work but have trouble sticking to those plans, too.
So because this course will be a time-consuming project, I decided to not create new podcast episodes while I'm working on it. Instead I’ll republish three...
2022-06-0705 min
Building Balance061: Saying NO simplifies your business and brand (with Petchy)Have you thought about how saying NO could benefit your business, and through that, you? I asked Petchy come walk us through that in this week's episode.
What we talked about:
- how saying NO more benefits your business and brand
- what kinds of things you could say NO to
- 3 tips that make it easier to say NO without feeling crappy about it
Solveig Petch [aka Petchy] is a brand strategist and identity designer who helps purpose-driven business owners build brands their own way; without compromising their...
2022-06-0641 min
Building Balance060: 6 things I believe about small business coachingA business coach can help you grow and evolve your small business, so you can move closer to the life and success you’d like to experience. A great coach can help you focus on your strengths while identifying areas in your business that could be shifted to see progress.
Whether you’re looking to update a thing or two about your business, or you’re looking for someone to team up with long-term, I'm sharing 6 things that I believe are important to keep in mind as you’re choosing a business coach.
Above everything else, I...
2022-05-3018 min
The Brandsmith3 ways to support your productivity – without the hustle w/ Jenna HellbergI dunno about you, but I’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately. Take the daily grind of juggling running a business with family commitments, add all the expectations to show up everywhere, be on every platform, say yes to everything… top it with the stress that builds up during a couple of years of global pandemic, and add in a war, political polarisation, looming climate changes. It’s a lot. With everything going on in the world right now, do we really need to add to the stress by placing unrealistic expectations on ourselves as business owners? Is there a way...
2022-05-2636 min
Building Balance059: Reduce the work that keeps you busy (featuring client Jenny Collins)Mini series part 7: What if you could cut the time that you’re currently spending on marketing and admin tasks in half, so that you could spend more time on your paid client work, on your dreamy business updates, or just free that up for your life outside of work?
During the past 6 episodes, I’ve been diving into what productivity actually looks like for business owners and how we can keep growing our businesses without having to resort to hustle and overwork.
But I know that it can feel really hard to trust that it’s...
2022-05-2341 min
Building Balance058: How to balance out your Productivity EcosystemMini series part 6.
The tricky part with productivity, or not being productive, is that we often think that we just don’t have enough willpower to do the things, so we think we need to push harder. But usually that's not a solution that's sustainable.
Feeling like you have to push yourself a ton (but you just can’t push yourself enough to get eeeverything done), that’s a sign that your productivity ecosystem is off-balance.
Let’s talk about what that might look like and what you can do to strengthen the parts th...
2022-05-1624 min
Building Balance057: Use the Productivity Ecosystem to support your productivitySolo business mini series part 5 – introducing the Productivity Ecosystem!
In the past few episodes I’ve talked about why things tend to get complicated in solo businesses, how focusing on your most impactful tasks help us make faster progress in our businesses without hustle, and why it’s challenging to prioritize our most impactful tasks.
So today I want to talk about how you can make it easier to be more productive, aka prioritize impactful activities and projects that you feel would make a difference for you or your business.
Last summer, I realiz...
2022-05-0918 min
Building Balance056: Why it’s hard to do "important, not urgent" tasks and projectsSolo business mini series part 4.
You may have heard of the Eisenhower Matrix about 170 times before, because it’s a tool that many have found helpful for prioritizing their most important work and working more effectively.
Time management experts talk about how you should focus on the tasks that are important but not urgent (and I agree), because that’s the stuff that helps you make progress.
But they rarely address why those types of tasks are challenging to follow through on to begin with – even if you’ve blocked out time for them.
2022-05-0216 min
Building Balance055: The one shift that helps you make faster progress in your solo businessSolo business mini series part 3.
I’m just gonna give it away in this very first sentence; the one key shift that helps you make faster progress is to spend your time on tasks and activities that make the biggest impact.
There are five types of activities that I see as the most crucial ones that make an impact for small business owners, which I'll dive into in this episode.
Episode mentioned:
Episode 049: https://jennahellberg.com/episodes/049-frustrations-of-a-business-owner-results-dont-match-efforts
Episode 045: https://jennahellberg.com/episodes/045-productivity-for-entrepreneurs-and-creatives
Do...
2022-04-2508 min
Building Balance054: Why solo businesses tend to get complicatedSolo business mini series part 2.
Running a business of one feels in theory like it should be fairly simple. So how did things get so complicated?
If you’re like me, you started your business to do the thing you love doing, while having balance, freedom, and flexibility in your life. But in reality, maybe it hasn’t turned out quite like that.
Maybe you keep pushing through with to-dos late at night instead of winding down for the day at a decent hour.
Maybe you’re prioritizing business tasks over time w...
2022-04-1819 min
Building Balance053: Need to grow your business but your schedule is already stuffed?Solo business mini series part 1.
It can feel daunting to reduce your work hours to build more balance into your life as a business owner, if you still need to grow your business and generate more income.
Even if your schedule is stuffed with client work (and with everything else that comes with wearing all the hats in your business), you can probably reclaim some of your time for the things you'd like to make space for – without sacrificing your revenue.
It starts with acknowledging where you are right now, so you know wh...
2022-04-1113 min
Building Balance052: Paused regular business tasks for a week – this is what I realizedWould you pause your regular weekly business activities, if it meant that you’d have time for creative thinking and could solve a huge thing in your business that would benefit you long term?
I did *a lot less stuff* in my business in the past week, to let myself think and ponder about the big picture, my messaging, and my positioning – because my coaching business is growing slower than I'd like it to.
And I wanted to share with you what I learned after having stepped away for a while.
Episode mentioned:
2022-04-0422 min
Building Balance051: Honoring your humanity in business through boundaries with Lorin GallowayThis week I'm chatting with my best business friend Lorin Galloway, a brand strategist and designer based in Cape Town, South Africa.
Ever since I've known her, she's had great boundaries and structure in place in her business and family life, which is why I thought she would have interesting things to share on the podcast.
Originally I was going to name the episode “Boundaries and structure in business with Lorin Galloway”. But after we chatted it didn’t feel like the title did justice to the main message of the episode: how it’s possible...
2022-03-2838 min
Building Balance050: Frustrations of a business owner: the highs don’t lastToday I’m going to talk about some psychological phenomena, some human tendencies, that might be making you feel like the successes you’ve seen so far haven’t really had the impact you had hoped for.
When you understand why the highs of your business accomplishments don’t last, you can be more intentional about what you spend time on and make more sustainable changes to your happiness level.
Episodes mentioned:
Episode 046: https://jennahellberg.com/episodes/046-truths-about-entrepreneurship-and-reaching-success-with-stacie-mitchell
Episode 029: https://jennahellberg.com/episodes/029-the-truth-about-being-a-high-achiever
Don’t forget to...
2022-03-2113 min
Something Even BetterDebunking the myths of entrepreneurship with Jenna HellbergIn today’s episode, I sit down with fellow coach and business friend Jenna Hellberg to debunk the most common myths of entrepreneurship. We share our own stories and anecdotes of entrepreneurship, taking you behind the scenes of our businesses and our lives, so you can get the full picture of what entrepreneurship is really like. Because it’s not all luxury vacations and working from the beach like they show us on Instagram! Jenna and I dig deeper into:Common myths of entrepreneurshipWhy most of us don’t need – or want! – a 6, 7, or 8 figure busi...
2022-03-141h 00
Building Balance049: Frustrations of a business owner: results don’t match effortsIf you moved through life with the experience that when you put in the work, you also see results and rewards, being a business owner can get a bit frustrating sometimes.
At first, I talk about what could be going on when that frustration feels extra strong, because when you understand it you can start to be a bit more understanding towards yourself and your situation.
And after that, I talk about what I find helpful when this frustration shows up. Sound cool?
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of...
2022-03-1415 min
Building Balance048: How productivity and work-life balance can coexistWhat would it look like if productivity and work-life balance could coexist? In this episode I'll share how you can use the three pillars of the Finnish lifestyle to make it work: good design, wholeness, and sisu.
The podcast episodes I mentioned:
Episode 018: https://jennahellberg.com/episodes/018-finnish-way-to-get-things-done-while-feeling-happy
Episode 025: https://jennahellberg.com/episodes/025-goal-setting-for-sustainable-business-growth
Episode 027: https://jennahellberg.com/episodes/027-redefining-what-business-success-means-to-you
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find mentioned/current re...
2022-03-0720 min
Building Balance047: What you can do when business feels heavyIf you’re feeling heavy because of what’s going on in the world, whether that’s in your corner of the world or somewhere far from it, I wanted to record a special episode for you.
On Thursday last week I shared an IG post with a few tips with the go-to ways that I try to support myself when I'm not feeling quite like myself. That post seemed to resonate with people which tells me that people really needed that kind of support right now.
In this podcast, I'm going to dive deeper into t...
2022-03-0113 min
Building Balance046: Truths about entrepreneurship and reaching success with Stacie MitchellLet me introduce you to my first-ever podcast guest, Stacie Mitchell. Stacie helps people quit careers, jobs, and other things that no longer fit them – even social media! She's the host of the Something Even Better podcast, and is based in Colorado.
Recently she published an episode where she covered truths about entrepreneurship and working for someone else.
The episode got me really excited, and I thought it would be really fun and interesting to talk to her about all the things that she covered – and realized it would make a cool podcast episode to shar...
2022-02-281h 02
Building Balance045: Productivity for entrepreneurs and creativesI don’t talk about productivity a lot because of how closely linked it is to hustle culture, and I don't appreciate the way productivity is usually talked about.
But *so many* of the business owners I talk to tell me that they feel like they’re not productive enough, that I figured it would be worth addressing.
If traditional productivity isn't a helpful model for business owners and creatives – what is? Let's talk about it.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: h...
2022-02-2116 min
Building Balance044: Weekly CEO check-in and planning practiceMiniseries part 2: I share the weekly practice that helps me feel calmer and in control of my time and energy for the week.
Spending 20 minutes on a practice of your own at the start of the week can save you time, energy, and headaches.
*As of summer 2022 I’ve felt like time has been going so fast that some of these prompts don’t need to be evaluated quite as frequently – so remember to implement what you think benefits you and leave the rest.
Get the (free) PDF with quarterly, monthly, and weekly CEO re...
2022-02-1410 min
Building Balance043: Monthly CEO dateMiniseries part 2: I share the monthly practice that helps me make decisions according to results and lessons from the past month. Instead of throwing spaghetti at the wall, I can see what has worked and adjust my actions accordingly.
*As of summer 2022 I’ve felt like time has been going so fast that some of these prompts don’t need to be evaluated quite as frequently – so remember to implement what you think benefits you and leave the rest.
Get the (free) PDF with quarterly, monthly, and weekly CEO review and planning prompts: https://jennahellberg.com/ce...
2022-02-0710 min
Building Balance042: Quarterly CEO refreshMiniseries part 1: I share the quarterly reviewing and planning practice that helps me align my business to work with and for me, instead of molding myself to someone else’s way of doing what I do.
Things in life and business can change quickly, so refreshing your goals, plans, and business throughout the year allows you to be more flexible than doing it only at the end of each year.
*As of summer 2022 I’ve felt like time has been going so fast that some of these prompts don’t need to be evaluated quite as fre...
2022-01-3121 min
Building Balance041: The three roles that need to be filled in your businessHow often do you think about what your role is as the owner/CEO and the main talent in your business?
Do you get to spend most of your time on those two roles – or does a lot of your time go by as a supporting cast member?
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find mentioned/current resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services: https://jennahellberg.com
Want to leave me a no...
2022-01-2417 min
Building Balance040: How to pick and make space for big projects and updatesIt can be really tempting to try and tackle all the things at once, but it might lead to feeling like you don’t really have time for anything.
I’ve noticed a lot of benefits from pacing myself, even if I don’t always want to when I’m in that super motivated planning mode.
In this episode, I'll share some ideas for what you could consider as you're deciding what to tackle first, as well as how you can make space for those big picture projects without dropping everything else.
Don’t forget t...
2022-01-1716 min
Building Balance039: Are you in growing, scaling, or maintaining mode?Are you growing, scaling, or maintaining right now – and how does that impact what to spend your time and resources on?
What are the differences between growing and scaling, and why is it important sometimes to just maintain the current level or revenue?
That’s what I’m diving into in this episode.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find mentioned/current resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services...
2022-01-1014 min
Building Balance038: On investing your time sustainablyIt's tempting to give our business all our time and energy, because we're sure that it'll bring success our way faster.
But what if that's unsustainable and doesn't actually lead to success?
What if that trains our brain to overwork beyond our wanted time frame?
In this week's episode, I'll dive into how you can allocate your time more sustainably so that you can pace yourself and experience work-life balance on your way to success.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say He...
2022-01-0409 min
Building Balance037: 2021 takeaways and what I’m changing for 2022What could you learn about and change in your business, if you looked back at the last year?
In this episode, I walk you through some of my takeaways from this year and then I wanna talk through a few things that I’m going to change for 2022.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find mentioned/current resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services: https://jennahellberg.com
Want to l...
2021-12-2718 min
Building Balance036: On interrupting the habit of overworkingI help business owners and creatives simplify and streamline tasks and operations in their business, so that they can work more effectively and focus on fewer tasks – the most impactful ones. This sets them up to reduce the number of hours they work, and frees up time and space to do things outside of their business.
Shifting these tangible things can be pretty straightforward, but the changes aren't always easy to live out in practice because of how our brains are built.
I wanted to take some time to talk about this since you might be...
2021-12-2011 min
Building Balance035: Does planning upfront make your days feel boring?I know a bunch of creatives who feel like planning makes life too boring or rigid – that’s it’s nicer to be able to be spontaneous and not be tied to plans.
There might be people out there who do better if they go by whatever they feel like in the moment. But based on how our brains are built and on my chats with creatives and business owners, those people are few.
If you think that having your days planned upfront makes them boring, but you often feel frazzled and overwhelmed throughout your work w...
2021-12-1508 min
Building Balance034: 10+ pick-and-mix planning ideas (to help your brain out)If you struggle and feel stressed, frazzled, or overwhelmed throughout the day because you don’t know what to work on and everything feels equally important in the moment, it’ll probably help you out to have some kind of planning practice in place. Planning and getting a bit more organized really helps free up your brain to focus.
Because we're all different, what works for one person might not work for the next person.
I'm sharing these planning ideas with you today, so that you can mix and match, tweak and refine things to crea...
2021-12-1525 min
Building BalancePart 5: Map out your year (in a human-friendly, flexible way)Your Impactful Year series, part 5. Get the workbook >> https://jennahellberg.com/series
In this last part, you'll create a big picture view of your year. Mapping out your year helps you have a sense of direction, know what to work towards each month, and remember important things to account for.
When you plan in a flexible, human-friendly way, you can feel more confident that your business isn’t gonna collapse if you have a day or week that doesn’t go as planned, because you still have your big picture to guide you *AND* you’ve got...
2021-12-1005 min
Building BalancePart 4: Make steady progress without overwhelmYour Impactful Year series, part 4. Get the workbook >> https://jennahellberg.com/series
In part 4, you're going to decide how you'll support yourself throughout the year, and what the key activities are that you're going to focus on in your business.
When you have a plan that takes you and your key activities into account, business tends to become easier, you make steadier progress toward your goals, and you have more time, space, and energy for… everything.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on I...
2021-12-0904 min
Building BalancePart 3: Let your vision inform how you’ll operate in businessYour Impactful Year series, part 3. Get the workbook >> https://jennahellberg.com/series
Now that you’ve got a clearer vision of what you’d like your work to look like and what success in your business means to you, you can start making decisions around how your business can support that vision.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find mentioned/current resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services: https://jennahellberg.com
2021-12-0810 min
Building BalancePart 2: Unpack your vision for your business next yearYour Impactful Year series, part 2. Get the workbook >> https://jennahellberg.com/series
In part 2, you’re going to reconnect with what you'd like your life to look like as a business owner.
How do you want your business to support your life, how would you like your work to look and feel, and what does this mean in terms of salary and revenue needs?
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find mentioned/current reso...
2021-12-0707 min
Building BalancePart 1: Leverage lessons from the past yearYour Impactful Year series, part 1. Get the workbook >> https://jennahellberg.com/series
When we're busy with the day-to-day operations of business, we can lose perspective and drift off a bit from how we wanted our work to look and feel. Taking a regular step back to get a big picture view and to do some planning helps you simplify and prioritize, so that you can free up time and space for the things you'd love to spend more of your time on.
In part 1, you’re going to review the past year. It’s important to re...
2021-12-0610 min
Building Balance033: Why planning during unpredictable times mattersYou might feel like it doesn’t make sense to do much planning for the next 12 months, because over the past couple of years, life hasn’t been exactly predictable. But planning is a very helpful thing you can do when it feels like everything's up in the air.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find mentioned/current resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services: https://jennahellberg.com
Want to leave...
2021-11-2909 min
Building BalancePlan an impactful, work-life balanced 2022 with me? (Free series coming Dec 6 - Dec 10)Popping in to give you a heads up about my upcoming podcast series Your Impactful Year, so that you can block off some space in your schedule to get yourself and your business prepared for next year.
In the series, I’ll dive into things that you might want to consider and plan for in your business, so that you can focus on tasks that make an impact and spend time away from your desk.
It’s easy to get bogged down with the everyday to-dos and the distractions that pop up, so taking the time...
2021-11-2206 min
Building Balance032: 4 types of pauses to leverage as a business ownerWe often think like we need to get more done, that we need to catch up – and THEN we’ll feel less overwhelmed and be able to take a break. It might feel like if you take a break, if you pause, you’ll end up getting less done. It feels counter-intuitive, but taking breaks can actually help you make progress faster.
In this episode I'm going to share four different types of pauses that business owners – and all humans, really – can benefit from.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode...
2021-11-2213 min
Building Balance031: Reducing the risk of business burnout part 2: Fatigue FailureThis is part 2 of thoughts and tips that I hope will help reduce the risk of business burnout, with emphasis on the engineering term "fatigue failure".
Just like in engineering there are ways to reduce the risk of fatigue failure, we can use good design in our lives and businesses to reduce the risk of lacking motivation, burnout, and quitting.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find mentioned/current resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources...
2021-11-1509 min
Building Balance030: Reducing the risk of business burnout part 1: Failure FatigueThis is part 1 of thoughts and tips that I hope will help reduce the risk of business burnout, with emphasis on failure fatigue and a psychological phenomenon called learned helplessness.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find mentioned/current resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services: https://jennahellberg.com
Want to leave me a note? You can do that here: https://jennahellberg.com/note
2021-11-0812 min
Building Balance029: The truth about being a high achieverThe psychologist in me was very excited to record this episode; let’s talk about what it means to "be" a high achiever, and how that might impact your business.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find mentioned/current resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services: https://jennahellberg.com
Want to leave me a note? You can do that here: https://jennahellberg.com/note
2021-11-0110 min
Building Balance028: How I built balance into my life as a solo business ownerIn light of the new name of the podcast, I thought it would be fitting to share a few things that I’ve done to build more balance into my life as a business owner.
And you can implement these 5 ideas if they resonate with you, too!
As I share these things with you, I want you to know that these are things I do strive to practice as much as possible, but I of course don’t get them “right” all the time. And that’s ok.
Being intentional part-time feels better to me than...
2021-11-0117 min
Building Balance027: (Re)defining what success in business means to youThe prevailing message out there is that we should be chasing 6, 7, 8-figure businesses – and to do whatever it takes. Which (not surprisingly) is a recipe for burnout, damaged relationships, and ultimately not feeling the satisfaction we were looking for.
But what would it look like to experience success in your business, if it was up to you and only you?
Spoiler alert! It is up to you.
You get to decide your own version of business success – and in this episode, I share a few things I thought of when I recently redefined what...
2021-11-0118 min
Building BalanceThis is Building Balance (an introduction)Goodbye, Make Your Day podcast – Hello, Building Balance.
A few years ago, I was putting all I had into building my photography business. This came at a cost to my health, I was missing out on the freedom and flexibility I thought I would have as a business owner, and the behind-the-scenes of my business kiiiinda felt like an overwhelming mess.
In 2018 I needed to find a way to grow my business without hustling and stretching myself so thin. I figured out small shifts I could make to simplify my business and run it with mo...
2021-10-2502 min
Building Balance026: Follow your energy to be more productiveWhen you don't feel like doing the task you had planned (continued). In episode 024 I shared a trick you can use when you don’t feel like doing the thing you planned.
Ever since I recorded that episode, I’ve had this nagging feeling that there’s another way that I like to address this, too:
Sometimes the answer is to follow your energy, and in this episode I share 3 things to consider to make a more intentional decision about how you do that.
Also – Make Your Day is now Building Balance. What do you t...
2021-10-2511 min
Building Balance025: Goal setting for sustainable business growthI know it’s only October, but soon enough we’ll be in that typical pressure-filled goal-setting season that usually pops up towards the end of the year. Or maybe you’ve already been seeing a lot of messaging around how to “finish the year strong”.
In this episode, I share a 7 step goal-setting process that you can use to set goals for yourself and your business in a way that's sustainable and that can serve you long term – so that you’re not hustling yourself into the ground to hit a certain numbers goal just because it’s the last...
2021-10-1812 min
Building Balance024: Try this when you don’t feel like doing what you plannedSince I’ve been feeling motivated to get things done in the past week, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about one secret trick that helps you be more motivated to do what you have decided that you’d do.
And just like with most things that I share with you, this is something that gets stronger with repetition and practice. It’s quite a handy trick because all you need is your mind 🧠
BTW I’m not saying that this trick is something you should use to force yourself to do things that don’t...
2021-10-1117 min
Building Balance023: What if I’m not naturally organized?Not naturally organized? That's ok – routines and practices can still help you spend time on what makes an impact in your business and life.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find current free resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services: https://jennahellberg.com
Want to leave me a note? You can do that here: https://jennahellberg.com/note
2021-10-0420 min
Building Balance022: Do less without compromising your goals or revenueWhen our brain picks up on stress, we’re hard-wired to think that we need to do more – like when we’re worried about making enough money.
That’s why the productivity industry does so well – because of the promise that we can squeeze more out of the time we have. The industry also strengthens the belief that the way you show you're valuable, competent, and capable is by getting more done.
But only increasing productivity is not really a smart or sustainable long-term solution.
Since you’re here, you probably already believe that doing a...
2021-09-0620 min
Building Balance021: Ever feel like everything you do is under a magnifying glass?Ever feel like everything you do is under a magnifying glass? Just kidding – we all feel that way sometimes. This is because of a phenomenon that social psychologists call The Spotlight Effect.
In this episode, I talk about how it might affect how you take action in your business, manage your time, or how much you spend time enjoying your life outside of your task list.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find current free resources here: https://jenn...
2021-08-3017 min
Building Balance020: Is hustle worth it the first few years of business?In this episode, I share whether or not I think it's worth hustling in those first few years of your business, and what my own hustling experience was as I started and grew my documentary family photography business.
*Of course, the experience looks different for everyone, and everyone has different limits to how much they can handle – I'm sharing my own experience of overworking, and there's a growing trend of business owners who are sharing stories about how hustle impacted their lives which are along the same lines as mine.
Don’t forget to grab a sc...
2021-08-2312 min
Building Balance019: Feel like doing more is the only way to make progress?Today I want to address this feeling that getting more done is the only way, the only choice you have, to solve the issues or the resistance that you’re experiencing in your business (or life).
You may have heard me talk about the nervous system before, and the flight-fight-freeze response – but I think that a bit of repetition never hurts when it comes to this stuff and I don’t think I’ve gone this deep into how it increases the tendency to overwork.
In case you didn’t know, I’m a trained psychologist...
2021-08-1621 min
Building Balance018: The Finnish way to get things done while feeling happyIn this week's episode, I talk about three key ways that Finns approach life, that I think are part of what makes us some of the happiest people in the world - while we also get the things done that need to be done.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find current free resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services: https://jennahellberg.com
Want to leave me a note? You can do that he...
2021-08-0915 min
Building Balance017: How to feel like there are enough-ish hours in the dayToday I want to talk about how we can all feel a bit more like we have enough(ish) hours in our day.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find current free resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services: https://jennahellberg.com
Want to leave me a note? You can do that here: https://jennahellberg.com/note
2021-08-0211 min
Building Balance016: Declutter your mind in four simple stepsBetween what goes on in the world, what’s happening in your life, plus your responsibilities, thoughts and any aspirations you have for your life – there’s quite a lot that can weigh your mind down.
And when you’ve got a lot on your mind, you have less bandwidth to deal with the things that you need to deal with throughout the day – so!
Today I’m gonna share four steps that I hope will help you get some relief from all the things that are filling up your mind. You can do this to declutter...
2021-07-2605 min
Building Balance015: 7 simple things that can help you enjoy your work weeksI used to have this problem that I’d plan my business tasks for days, weeks, months – and suddenly it felt like I had already “lost” that time. Because I knew exactly what my next few days or weeks were going to look like, I didn’t look forward to them as much anymore because they were already spoken for.
So today I thought I would tell you about some things that I did to get back to feeling more excited about my weeks, even if they were regular work weeks.
Don’t forget to grab a scree...
2021-07-1908 min
Building Balance014: Make choices more easily with the decision-making matrixToday I wanna talk about something that I think we all have to deal with multiple times per day, even if it’s often quite subtle or subconscious even, which is making decisions. I've come up with a decision-making matrix that can help you make choices in the context of how you spend your time, get things done or follow through on what you’ve planned to do. And it can also help you decide what kinds of tasks or commitments to take on.
Decision-making matrix visuals: https://jennahellberg.com/episodes/014-make-choices-more-easily-with-the-decision-making-matrix
Don’t forget to gra...
2021-07-1215 min
Building Balance013: 10 reasons & solutions for task overwhelmToday I want to talk about 10 reasons that could be behind feeling overwhelmed by all the things you gotta do – and what you can do about each of those 10 things.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find current free resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services: https://jennahellberg.com
Want to leave me a note? You can do that here: https://jennahellberg.com/note
2021-07-0523 min
Building Balance012: How you can "do it all" as a solopreneurToday I want to chat to you about how you can do it all – or rather, how you can feel like you have enough time for the things that matter to you.
In case you’ve followed me along for a while, you might know or might have guessed, that we don’t have kids. The time available to me is very different from that of a parent’s, but I still believe that the ideas I’m going to talk about can be applied to most people – it’ll just look different for everyone.
Don’t forget t...
2021-06-2815 min
Building Balance011: Permission to start smallToday I’m going to talk about something that I’ve had to remind myself of a lot lately, which is that it's ok to start small – even if the outcome you want is something big.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find current free resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services: https://jennahellberg.com
Want to leave me a note? You can do that here: https://jennahellberg.com/note
2021-06-2118 min
Building Balance010: Monthly reset practice for solopreneursIn this episode I’m gonna walk you through a practice that has made a really big difference in how I feel at home and how I deal with all those nagging things that need to be managed in life, but that don't feel like a priority from day to day. This way they don't pile up so much that they become overwhelming and I don't need to tackle them in a state of stress when they've become a problem.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www...
2021-06-1413 min
Building Balance009: R.U.L.E.S. for a schedule you’ll enjoyIf you’re familiar with me already, you probably know that I think we all need personalized solutions to our time and task management – and I try to steer clear of prescribing cookie-cutter systems.
But as I have talked to people and experimented with managing all of it over the years, I do feel like there are some general rules or guidelines that we can lean on, so that we can within those guidelines create a schedule or daily rhythms and routines that we enjoy. And of course they make sense from a psychological standpoint, too.
Do...
2021-06-0725 min
Building Balance008: Self care tips for mental strengthToday I want to talk about some self care thoughts for small business owners, creatives, really anyone who is looking to change how they go about their everyday lives and would like to have some more mental strength.
So as you might guess, this is not going to be a list of indulgent fluffy self care – this has more to do with mental and emotional wellbeing, because when you’re going against the grain, when you do something different from most people you know – you need to take care of these aspects of your life so that you ca...
2021-05-3110 min
Building Balance007: How to know you’re done for the dayI got a request to make an episode about how to know when you’re done for the day, or how to step away from your work when you still have so much left to do – so that’s what’s on the menu in this quick little episode.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find current free resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services: https://jennahellberg.com
Want to leave me a note? You...
2021-05-2405 min
Building Balance006: Make it easier to follow through on plans, habits and routinesIn this episode I’m going to cover a handful or two of things that make it easier for you to follow through on your plans – whether that’s how you’ve planned your week or if you’re starting new habits and routines.
In the last episode I talked about three reasons behind why it’s so hard to stick to new habits and routines – so if you didn’t listen to it yet, I would suggest you listen to that one first before getting to this one, so that you have a better understanding of what’s going on...
2021-05-1719 min
Building Balance005: Three reasons why sticking to plans is hardIn this episode I’m going to cover three things that make it hard to stick to plans or new habits – even if you originally felt excited about them.
There are a lot of things that can derail us from sticking to plans, but I want to talk about three specific reasons that aren’t being talked about enough in the world of time management, productivity and coaching.
Knowing these will hopefully help you understand your feelings and actions better, so that you can be a bit more understanding and gentle with yourself.
Don’t...
2021-05-1011 min
Building Balance004: Worried that routines and schedules make life too boring or rigid?This episode is for you if you are craving structure in your day, but are also worried that routines and planning make life too boring or predictable. I hope that I can give you a new perspective and help you get more motivated to stick to routines.
I'll offer 8 reasons why I think routines and structure bring freedom and flexibility – plus a bonus tip on how you can make sure that your days include room for spontaneousness.
*If you are someone who is thriving without structure, that's great! What works for you is what works fo...
2021-05-0316 min
Building Balance003: Ditch your ever-growing to do list part 2: Plan effectivelyThis episode will cover how you can plan your tasks into your week effectively, so you don't need to work off a never-ending to do list.
Having everything you need to do already listed out (and decluttered) will help you when planning, so if you need to list out and declutter your tasks first, hop on over to episode 002 where I walk you through that process.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find current free resources here: https://je...
2021-04-2415 min
Building Balance002: Ditch your ever-growing to do list part 1: DeclutterIn last week’s episode I showed you how you can create a schedule that works for you. Now that you have that structure in place, you can work towards ditching your to do list once and for all, by always planning for your tasks into your schedule.
But before you can fully ditch your to do list, it’s best to do a bit of "spring cleaning" aka declutter your tasks.
Declutter questions: https://jennahellberg.com/episodes/002-declutter-to-do-list
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG...
2021-04-2410 min
Building Balance001: How to create a schedule that fits you (and your business)Hi, and welcome to my first official episode! The three first episodes are going to be very how-to oriented, so that you get the basics down on how you can manage your tasks and your time in a way that works for you.
In this episode I’ll show you how you can create a schedule that fits you and your life. I wanted to talk about this in the first episode, because it’s so hard to move through your week in an intentional way, if you’re solely relying on a to do list but don’t...
2021-04-2411 min
Building Balance000: Start here (Nothing's wrong with you)I want to take a moment to tell you a little bit about myself, this podcast, and something that I believe is important for you to know.
Don’t forget to grab a screenshot of the episode and share/say Hei on IG: https://www.instagram.com/thejennahellberg
Find current free resources here: https://jennahellberg.com/resources
Check out my services: https://jennahellberg.com
Want to leave me a note? You can do that here: https://jennahellberg.com/note
2021-04-1814 min