Digitally She Does It Podcast

EPISODE 117: How to avoid burnout and build a business on auto!

• Karen Davies • Season 1 • Episode 117

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Are you feeling burnt out in your business? You are not alone and you don’t have to stay stuck!

In this episode of Digitally She Does It podcast, I talk about my own experience with burnout and how it became a turning point in my entrepreneurial journey. I share personal insights and practical tips to help you reclaim your time, reignite your energy, and reshape your business in a way that feels aligned with you and freeing.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Recognise the subtle signs of burnout before it takes over
  • Give yourself permission to evolve your business model
  • Start building scalable digital offers like online courses, templates, and memberships that run on autopilot!

Whether you're craving more time, more freedom, or simply more joy in your business, this episode is packed with encouragement and clear next steps to help you get there.

If you're an ambitious entrepreneur ready to build a business that works for you (and not the other way around) then this episode is for you!


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GOT...

Karen Davies [00:00:00]:
Hello, and welcome to the Digitally. She does it show. This is episode one one seven. And in today's episode, I'm going to be talking about burnout and how to avoid it and also how to build your business on auto so you can actually build a business that works for you and not the other way around. So let's jump right in, and let's get started. Welcome to the Digital. She does it show. I'm your host, Karen, and I'm here to lift the lid on what it actually takes to create a successful business.

Karen Davies [00:00:38]:
If you are an ambitious creative ready to build a business on your own terms and without compromise, then this podcast is perfect for you. With my award winning approach to marketing and expert knowledge in creating online courses, this show will leave you feeling inspired, energised, and ready to bring those big dreams to life. 

Join me each week for a dose of motivation and marketing know how, along with actionable step by step strategies to help you accelerate your businesses' growth. So let's dive in, and don't forget to subscribe to all my upcoming episodes, which drop every Wednesday. Hello, and welcome. Thank you for joining me today. I am your host, Karen, and I really do appreciate you hitting that play button to listen to today's episode. Today's episode, I am talking about avoiding burnout in your business, so you can actually build a business that brings you joy.

Karen Davies [00:01:37]:
But before I do, I want to just talk about the Digital Creators Hub. This is your one stop shop for getting started online. If you're not in the hub, then go and get yourself in the hub because I've got lots of tools, templates, resources to help you kick start your online business. So go and head over to my website, www.karen-davies.com/hub. It's completely free, because there's no better time than now to actually get started online and actually create a business that works for you and not the other way around. 

Okay. So back to today's episode, and today I am talking about something that I think affects so many entrepreneurs and that is burnout. And more importantly, how to move from burnout to building a business that not only gives you your time back and your energy, but also your life as well.

Karen Davies [00:02:43]:
Because one thing that I have noticed sort of in my own experience and, of course, talking to friends who have businesses, this often entrepreneurs create a business because they're looking for some kind of freedom. And it might be freedom to earn what they want or freedom to do what they want or creative freedom or some kind of freedom that that sort of gives them that sense of control. And then what tends to happen is that people get really busy in their businesses. So they're good at what they do. They start a business. And then before they know it, instead of having one employer, they have multiple because they're juggling so many client projects. And so what then tends to happen is that they become trapped in their businesses. Now I know this all too well because pre lockdown, this was me.

Karen Davies [00:03:43]:
I was running my branding studio and I was juggling so many projects. And I also had a team that was working with me on these projects, and everything was on my shoulders, everything. And it was exhausting. And I think when COVID happened in March 2020 and things started to come to a halt, I I was running about 12 different, creative projects, and that was a lot. And I was busy all of the time, and I was always having to respond to clients. I I had, if you like, sort of what felt like 12 different employers as opposed to the employer that I left back in 02/2016 to start my business. So I was I was trapped and I was also very tired. I was burnt out.

Karen Davies [00:04:44]:
And that period of time during the summer of twenty twenty, I remember feeling so emotionally exhausted and tired that I started to lose that passion for the business that I was building. And it was because I was trapped. I was trapped having to be there all the time to deliver my services, but also what I was doing is I was trading my time for money. So I was capped every which way. It didn't matter what project I was working on, I was always going to be capped financially because of what clients deemed acceptable in terms of what they they were prepared to pay. So I know that feeling really well, that feeling of feeling burnt out, trapped, and just losing the passion that you once had for something that actually you you that means a lot to you. So today, I really wanted to talk about how to get that back because I do believe that people start businesses because they're passionate about what they do. They want to serve.

Karen Davies [00:06:02]:
They want to create something that creates an impact in somebody else's life and I think that can that can dwindle over time when you're just in that state of exhaustion. And I think there's a lot of hidden signs when people are feeling burnt out. I don't think it just happens. It is a build up. So it's not always obvious when you are burnt out because it might be that you're just feeling certain things about things, but these things happen what you think in isolation, but together, it's it's obvious. It's obvious that you're tired, you're burnt out, you need a break, and maybe you just need to reassess reassess where you are, what you're doing, and, of course, the business that you are creating. So how does it kind of manifest itself if you like? How does that burnout feeling show itself? Sometimes it's this creeping sense of resentment towards your work And I know I felt that, and I know I felt it towards my clients as well. You love what you do.

Karen Davies [00:07:15]:
You, you know, you're you're highly qualified. You're trained. You know your staff, and you want to help clients, but when they ask you to do something, you resent doing it because it's effort. You feel it's effort to actually get up and do something. Maybe it's also feeling disconnected, disconnected from the work that you're doing but also disconnected from the passion that used to light you up. And, it's noticing that even the most simplest of tasks in your business feel heavier, and days that once felt exciting now just feel like you're just having to get through. Now if any of this sounds familiar to you, then I want you to kind of recognize it. Burnout doesn't mean you're broken.

Karen Davies [00:08:15]:
It doesn't mean that what you once had and what how you once felt, you're never going to get back. It doesn't mean that at all and it doesn't mean that you're not good at what you do. Sometimes it just means that what you're doing is taking too much from you and that maybe your business model needs to grow and evolve with you. And I know for me, this was very much the case because I was running a lot of projects. I was doing a lot of things. And when I look back, what I realized is that I was venturing into new areas, but I was still holding on to things that I knew how to do really well. So it wasn't like I was giving up one to do something else. If anything, I was probably overloading myself because I was trying to do too much.

Karen Davies [00:09:15]:
So I think first and foremost, it's about recognizing where you're at, how you feel, how you once felt, but also knowing that you can get that back. It may just mean there's some changes need to be made Because as we grow in our businesses and we all grow, we all evolve over time, the one thing about running a business is that you are constantly learning. You are constantly growing And when you when you are growing, you're evolving. And sometimes, we need that change. That change has to happen because it's part of the journey that we're on. And our businesses need to be flexible enough to support that growth and not hold us back. And I think most entrepreneurs at one point or another eventually reach a point where just trading their time for money stops being sustainable because it's draining and it can feel like you're stuck on a treadmill and you cannot get off. Always moving but never really feeling like you're actually getting anywhere.

Karen Davies [00:10:35]:
And and like I say, I know this feeling well because this was me. And what I ended up doing was recognising that my model needed to change because the business that I was creating, that I was building, I realized wasn't sustainable long term. It relied on me way too much and because of that commitment that I had to my business it was burning me out. So we need to first and foremost recognize that it's happening and then be open to making changes And there is a better way. And what it doesn't mean is that by getting a better way, you need to work harder, you need to work longer, or you need to take on more clients. It doesn't mean that at all. This is where creating scalable, repeatable digital products come in. This is where they become your best friend.

Karen Davies [00:11:42]:
So things like online courses, memberships, templates, or group programs, because these are assets in your business that allow you to serve your audience, to share your brilliance, and to make an impact without needing to be on all of the time because it's not healthy to be in that state. We need to close the laptop, turn off the PC and we need to take those breaks where we don't think about work And if you are somebody that is on all of the time thinking about the next thing you need to do or the the next demand of your client or how to even find your next client, you you're never quite shutting off. So you're never giving yourself that break that you need to be able to run your business in a in a better way, to be as effective as what you can be. So I want you to imagine a business where you wake up every morning, you feel that joy for your business, and you see new sales notifications. Wouldn't that be amazing? And you've not had to exhaust yourself trying to make that happen. Wouldn't it be amazing to know that your expertise is out there, you're creating transformation for others even whilst you're even sitting in your favorite cafe, drinking a cup of coffee, taking a morning walk, or spending time with your favorite people. Now, that doesn't need to stay a dream it's just a shift in the way you actually see your business and it all starts with some simple but powerful steps. Now to do this, first and foremost I want you to audit your brilliance.

Karen Davies [00:13:45]:
Take stock of your strengths, what are you good at? What are people always asking you for? What transformations have you created for other people? Because that's your gold mine, when it comes to creating digital, scalable offers that's where you start. Digital offers are all about transformation, they are all about results, it's not about what you enjoy creating it's about what you can do to help others and when you touch upon the thing that you know that you're brilliant at that creates that result for your ideal person that's where you need to start because what you'll do then is you'll tap into so many ideas and then you'll soon realize the gold mine you are literally sitting on. The second thing that I want you to think about is when it comes to problems, is choosing one problem to solve. Now nine times out of 10, we are all solving different problems for a sit for for our audience. It might be that you help your ideal person move online, create an Instagram account so that they can promote their business. But you may also help with design and visuals. You may also help with other areas as well. You might e also be a whiz at LinkedIn or Facebook or whatever.

Karen Davies [00:15:22]:
Often, as entrepreneurs, we're not good at just one thing. We're good at many things. We have expertise in many different areas. So what you want to do is really start simple and pick one clear problem that your audience is facing right now and you design a solution for that. You do not need a massive program, you just need a targeted offer that works in the best way possible to give that audience a result. And then the third thing that I want you to think about is creating a repeatable system. A system where you build something once and then you sell it again and again. So think of mini courses, recorded master classes, toolkits that you can create, products that work for you whilst you're busy living your life.

Karen Davies [00:16:22]:
And remember you don't have to create a massive course or a complex funnel to get started. I think that's one of the biggest myths that people often think. They're not expert in a certain area so therefore they can't do the thing that they know is going to make them money. So what I just advise people to do is start simple. Start where you know. Work with the audience that you know, where you know you can create a solution to a problem that's going to actually have an impact and it doesn't have to be a massive solution. It can be a small solution as long as your audience is struggling with something and you know you can create something to get them over that hurdle then you're providing huge value. And when people are buying digital products, they're buying value.

Karen Davies [00:17:18]:
The simpler and the more focused you can make your offer, the easier it's going to be for your audience to say yes and then take action. So just as an example, one of my clients was feeling really stuck in her business. She was delivering her services through coaching, and a lot of it was based on the time for money model. So she felt trapped. She was brilliant at what she did, but she was constantly trading her time for money and she was exhausted. She was burnt out and she wasn't making the movement in her business that she wanted to make. So, she then created a signature offer where she put what she knew, her framework, into a process and then automated it. All it was was a simple three module course.

Karen Davies [00:18:17]:
She set it up so that she could sell it on autopilot. She didn't have any big launches or any massive live events. She just sold it through her existing audience. And then she spent time creating freebies and tailored, lead magnet that that grew her audience. What she did was just be strategic and through being strategic she was able to expand her audience and of course then make more sales. Once she'd done that she finally felt that she had that room to breathe again because she had more energy, she had more income but most importantly she got her life back because that's what happens when you take your brilliance and you actually put it to work in a smart way. So, if you are sitting on knowledge, on expertise, on skills that you think will benefit your audience and you have a simple three step process or a way of getting them to that result, maybe you're delivering it at the moment in in a one to one setting. But can you package that up? Can you automate it so that you can sell it on repeat? And if that if the answer is yes then that's brilliant, that's your starting point because you have everything that you need, you have the knowledge, you have the expertise, You just need a very simple roadmap on what you need to do to make that happen.

Karen Davies [00:19:59]:
Now something I've recently been working on and I've recently launched is my easy course kickstarter kit. It's only £27 so it it's really affordable. It is designed to get you started. This has been designed to get you out of your own way so you can start creating the thing that's gonna generate you that income, but also give you your time and your freedom back. So if this is something you're interested in, it's just a three step plan to getting you planning and outlining your online course, then head on over to my website, www.karen-davies.com, and you'll find it there. As I said, it's only £27 and you'll get my road map for getting started. So you can actually outline your course in a really easy way. Now remember, there's always going to be work in whatever you do.

Karen Davies [00:21:10]:
If you are currently delivering services in your business, there is work to do there because no doubt you're having to go and find clients and do all the things in order to bring that business in and it's exhausting. So why not spend your time focusing on creating something where you actually create it once, you sell it on repeat, and then you can scale? 

It's going to take less time, and it's going to give you that time, freedom, and that joy back in your business. And you can actually then create a business that is gonna work for you rather than the other way around. Because the brilliance that you have that you already share with your clients, there are so many more people out there waiting to access it. You just need to take those steps to bring it to life. Now is the perfect time to create something that works for you so that you can build the life that you actually want and use your business as the vehicle that's gonna help you get there. If this episode has lifted you or given you a new perspective on what you can do, then please do share it with a friend who might need that encouragement as well. And please don't forget to subscribe to my episode where I share more actionable strategies to help you build your business online.

Karen Davies [00:23:14]:
Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode. I hope you found this episode of value. And, of course, please do feel free to share it with others who you may think will also benefit from listening to today's episode. If today's discussion has sparked some inspiration and you're eager to dive deeper into getting started online or creating your online presence or your digital products, then please go to my website, www.karendavies.com, where you'll find lots of things to help you get started. 

And if you're ready to take the next step and want to learn about how to create an online course, then please go to my website and download the easy course Kickstarter kit because this will help get you started. It will remove the overwhelm and it will actually give you the clarity that you need to build the business that you need to build that's going to work for you. I will be back next week with another episode, but until then, have a great week.