The Power of Letting Go in Business and Life

Beatriz:​

Hello everyone and welcome back to another Beabosscoaching podcast episode. My name is Beatriz, and today I have something important to share with you, something that's been on my heart for a while now. But life has a way of bringing us to crossroads, doesn't it? Moments where we have to make decisions that feel both right and difficult at the same time.

And I'm currently at one of those crossroads right now as I'm about to enter my third trimester and prepare for motherhood. I've been doing a lot of reflecting on what matters most and where I need to focus my energy and. That reflection has led me to a bittersweet decision. Something that, you know, it wasn't easy to come to.

But, uh, I've decided that after four incredible seasons, I've decided to bring the Beabosscoaching Podcast to a closed. And, um, this episode is not the last episode. But I wanted to make it count by talking about something that is relevant to this moment, which is the power of letting go Now.

I know that you might be thinking that letting go sounds like giving up, like admitting defeat, but here's what I've learned throughout this journey is that letting go is actually one of the most powerful tools that you have at your disposal for growth. It's not about quitting, it's about making space for what's next.

And I've loved every moment of creating this podcast. Don't get me wrong, it's really taught me how to take up space and to share my voice and to connect with all of you in such a genuine way. But as my life evolves. So what's my business? And I am re-imagining be a boss, coaching with better services, a clear mission and a renewed sense of purpose, and sometimes to.

Build something new. We have to release what we've been holding onto. So today I want to walk you through the process of letting go in your own business in life, whether it's a project that's no longer serving you or maybe a service that you've outgrown or even a dream that needs to shift. This episode is for you.

So we're gonna explore three essential things. First, how to identify when it's actually time to let go. Second, how to make the decisions with confidence and clarity. And third. Why letting go is actually absolutely critical for your own growth as an entrepreneur and as a person. Because growth isn't always about adding more.

Sometimes it's the most expansive thing that we can do is to release what no longer fits. So I wanna talk about how to recognize when it's time to let something go. So let's get started./

All right, so let's talk about how to identify when it's time to let go. And this is such an important skill if I wanna give you some really practical ways to recognize those moments in your own business and life. So the first sign is misalignment. And when something you're doing no longer fits with your current goals and values or circumstances, that's a clear signal.

Maybe you started a service because it made sense two years ago, but now your business has evolved, or perhaps your personal life has shifted like mine has with preparing for motherhood and what once worked doesn't fit anymore. So I want you to ask yourself this question, does this project or service still align with where I want to go?

And if you're feeling that disconnect, that's your intuition telling you something, right? It's something important that it's telling you. The second sign is to think about as, think about it as an energy drain. You know, I've really learned throughout this pregnancy how much my energy for me is sacred. I mean, I've always learned that.

I've always known that about myself, but I've never experienced energy drain like how I experienced it now during pregnancy, and that's something that I had to pay attention to for. For this decision, and it's something that you should pay attention to as well for how you think or how you feel when you think about or work on this particular thing.

So, for example, do you feel excited and energized, or do you feel heavy and exhausted? And it's, if it's something that's consistently draining you, if you're dreading it rather than looking forward to it, that's a red flag.

So here's a question for you to think about. When you sit for this particular project, do you feel alive and engaged, or do you feel like you're just going through the motions? I want you to think about your energy as a precious stone. It really matters. And it's actually something that can be indicative of what brings you joy and what brings you fulfillment.

The third line is diminishing returns, right? So sometimes we hold onto things because they used to work really well, but if you are putting in the same effort and not seeing the results you once did, or if the impact just isn't there anymore, it might be time to reassess.

So consider this is the time and energy that you're investing, giving you a meaningful return, whether that's a financial or personal growth or a fulfillment. If the answer's no, then you have valuable information. And then finally, this one's a big one. It's holding on out of fear or obligation.

And sometimes we keep doing something, not because it continues to serve us, but because we're afraid of what others will think, or We've already invested so much into it. So that's called the sunk cost fallacy, and it can keep us stuck. But really ask yourself, honestly, am I holding onto this because it truly serves me or am I holding on out of fear or guilt or habit?

There's so much freedom in answering that question truthfully. And finally, the fifth sign is with something has served its purpose. And that for me was for example, I wanted this podcast to be. A vehicle for me to express myself and for me to take up space and to learn how to articulate myself and to talk with people, build community, and it really has served that for me already.

I, I feel like I've learned so much from my podcast in terms of taking up space, but That learning or that lesson has already been learned for me. So some projects and services or ideas are meant to teach you something. The way that this podcast has for me, they help you grow and then naturally you, it helps you do that, and that's clearly a beautiful thing.

But once that purpose has been served. Ask yourself, has this already given you what you needed? Have you learned what you meant to learn? And if yes, you can honor what it gave you and still choose to move forward. So here's what I want you to take away. Take a moment, maybe after this episode, and think about one thing in your business or life that's been weighing on you.

Run it through these five signs. Notice what comes up, and be gentle with yourself in the process, recognizing that it does take time to let go, and that it takes courage as well. And if you're doing that, you're already doing the work just by being here and listening.

Okay, so let's talk about how to actually make the decision to let go, because sometimes recognizing is one thing, but then taking action is another right, and it gets real. So first, let's acknowledge that emotional side of this. When I think about ending. Podcast. I genuinely feel sad and it's bittersweet because it has taught me so much I know that it's leading to growth and maybe even a better podcast down the road, which is what I plan to do.

But still, there's a bit of of grief in letting go of something that you've poured yourself into. Right? I've poured so much. Energy time investment into this. And I remember when I first started learning podcasting, it, it didn't take too long to figure out what to do, how to do it, what type of equipment to get.

Um, but it, but it was a lot of intentional work. So I did pour a lot of time and energy into it. so here's what I want you to do. Give yourself permission to feel whatever comes up, right? Sadness, fear, guilt, maybe even relief or excitement. All of it is valid, and you might feel guilty because again, you've invested so much time and energy, but you might feel scared about what comes next, and that's completely normal.

I would say write them if it helps. Talk them through with someone that you trust and don't rush past the step because honoring your feelings is part of making a clear, confident decision.

Now when it comes to concrete steps that you can take, I would say the most basic thing is a pros and cons list, right? I, again, it's basic, but there's a lot of power in seeing everything laid out in front of you.

On one side, write down all the reasons why letting go would benefit you. Maybe you have more time, maybe be more energy, better alignment with your goals. And on the other side, write what you've been giving up or what your concerns are.

Number two is really seek outside perspectives, trust and mentors or coaches. But really the key here is to trust yourself. You can talk to mentors and peers or people that you trust, but I would say always come back to your gut and your intuition, because even though outside perspectives can be helpful, you really wanna come back to trusting yourself, and that's something that.

You, you can practice balancing. Once you are at this crossroads, again, this is, you know, a tough decision that sometimes it's hard to make, but practice tuning into that intuition, what feels right for you, what aligns with where you want to go, and that inner knowing is your most valuable guide. And then.

Number three is consider the full impact. So think about how this decision is gonna affect your business not just your personal life. Of course, you're thinking about how it's going to impact you and how it's gonna change your daily routine, but it's also going to impact the people that. Rely on it, right?

Who else might be impacted with this decision? If you're ending a service, how would that affect your clients? If you're closing a project, what about your team or your community? And then that brings me to one final point here is communicating, having a plan for communicating this decision.

And you need to share that with the people that it, it's going to impact and that it's going to affect, you know, your clients, your people, your customers, your audience, your community, everybody who has been impacted by this idea of service or project. I'm sure would wanna know that you're making this decision.

So if you've been consistently showing up with something, so for example, this podcast, right? I'm deciding to close it. Uh, but if people come, come to rely on it, they are waiting for it.

You want to let people know that you're making this decision. They deserve to know what's changing and why. And be honest. Be kind, give them context and, um, that's what I'm doing with this podcast episode, right? So here's your action plan. Feel your feelings. Make your pros and cons lists.

Seek trusted advice while honoring your own intuition, and consider the full impact on everyone involved. And then communicate your decision clearly and thoughtfully. I know it's, again, not easy to let go, but when you approach it with intention and care, it becomes an act of courage and growth. So I know you got this.

All right, Joel, so we're closing in on point number three 'cause your girl is winded. So I'm gonna start to wrap this up. Um, but let's talk about why letting go is so critical, right? Why this is important and this is where everything comes together. And I wanna share something that I think is gonna help for me letting go is a form of expansion.

And I know that sounds counterintuitive, but when you can release something, how can that still help you grow? And what I realized is through this journey that I'm going into and this new identity that I'm about to, to go into as a mother, um, the decision to close my podcast is for me to make room for expansion.

I am literally expanding, like my body is expanding physically because I. I'm growing a, a baby, you know, but thinking about that, welcoming this new baby for me and expanding my family, this allows me to make space for a completely new way of life. So creating this podcast has been wonderful. It's served its purpose, um, but choosing that.

Decision to let go of it, uh, is again, my process of making space for this completely new way of life that I'm gonna be living. And I'll be honest with you, I am completely nervous thinking about being a mom and how that's gonna change my, my work and my approach to work and my time management, my capacity, how it's gonna shift, how my time will look different.

Everything has already shifted for me. Even my priorities have already shifted for me, but I wanna let go of this podcast because again, I am expanding into something. Completely new and I need to find new breakthroughs and new ways of being for myself. So I wanna think through this period as a time of learning and growth.

I've never been a mom before, so I know I'm gonna have so much to adapt to, to learn to, to being both a mom and an entrepreneur. And that requires space. A space that I can only create by letting go of some things that are currently in my life, right? And what I want you to take away from this is that in entrepreneurship, we're often told that more is better, right?

More services, more marketing channels, more content, more everything. But that's actually a myth. And letting go gives you space to be more intentional and more authentic. And when you understand how you work best, you can actually do so much more with less. So think about it this way. We have this idea that as entrepreneurs, we need to sacrifice everything, work 24 7, pour all our time and energy into everything possible.

But if we're smart about it, we can actually reduce the time that we're working. So that we can be more focused and intentional overall. And what that does, what that focus does is it forces us to think through our actions and ensures that what we're doing and all the tasks that we're actually putting our time and effort into actually moves the needle in our business.

It's really about quality over quantity. Always. So I wanna give you an example but one of my favorite examples of this, and I've actually taught. A workshop on this before, and I talked about the marketing strategy for Inn Out and I've been leaning a lot about Inn Out because I've been craving it these past few months.

It's probably my favorite fast foods. But, um, Inn Out is actually a very special case study, what's really brilliant about in and out from a business perspective is that they have an incredibly limited menu. Right. They have no constant additions. They don't have any value items that are rotating in and out.

Um, they're not trying to be everything to everyone. Just a simple menu focus on doing a few things exceptionally well. And it works and it worked for decades, right. So if you compare that to restaurants with massive menus, pages and pages of options, does that mean that their food is usually better?

Usually it's not often. The best restaurants are the ones with the smallest menus because they put all their care and love into three, four signature dishes. And that's how I want you to think about your business. You can have one or two core services or products, but when you put genuine care and attention into them, that quality translates into real value for the people that you serve.

So what I wanna Leave you with today is these three actionable steps that you can implement right now. Again, first is identify that one thing in your business that you no longer serves you and use. The five things we talked about earlier is misalignment. Is it energy draining? Is it diminishing returns?

Are you still doing it out of fear or obligation or something that simply already served its purpose? Pick one thing in your business and commit to evaluating it this week, and then second, give yourself permission to let go without guilt, right? Remember that letting go isn't failure. It's making space for what's next, and it's honoring your growth, and you're trusting yourself that you're exactly where you need to be.

And third. Focus on quality over quantity. What are your signature offerings? What do you do better than anyone else? And double down on those things and release what's diluting your impact. Letting go is a positive thing. It's very empowering and you absolutely have the courage to do this. So I hope that this process can help you.

Realize some things that you can let go so you can have more space to grow.

All right, y'all. Thank you so, so much for being part of this journey with me. Thank you for listening to the Be Boss Coaching podcast over these four seasons. Again, this is not the last episode. We still have one more guest episode that is coming out next week, so make sure that you tune in for that.

And, uh, I believe after that I have, um. And that will be the last episode after that. Uh, which to be honest with you, I have no idea what that last episode will be about, but I just wanted to go ahead and, Announce this, uh, during this episode. I didn't wanna be the last episode to be the announcement, if you know what I mean.

But I just wanted to talk about the topic of letting go and, uh, just wanna say that you as a listener, thank you so much for showing up and for sticking with me. I hope that this podcast has given you. the example of how you can take up space for yourself as well. but again, this isn't goodbye.

I'm excited about what's coming next, both in my personal life and, and be a bus coaching and how that's going to evolve. So I hope that you stay connected with me as this next chapter unfolds. And as you move forward, I wanna leave you with this question.

What might you need to let go of in your own life or business? Again, you can always let me know through email. You can DM me on Instagram at be a Boss Coaching. But until next time, keep being bold, keep being intentional, and remember that sometimes the bravest thing that you can do is to let go.

All right, y'all take care and I will see you next week. Bye.