If you’ve been coaching or running your business for a while, there’s a good chance you’re going to shift gears, pivot, or adjust your services or brand sooner rather than later. But instead of feeling nervous, scared or overwhelmed, I want you to embrace these changes and find alignment with different versions of your business. Because I know for a fact that when you tune into your intuition, you can flow and evolve with your business in a way that feels authentic to you.
In this episode, I am talking to Alison Leipzig, a multi-passionate entrepreneur, brand strategist, and healer who has combined multiple brands and businesses in a way that’s authentic to her and allows her to live in her truth every step of the way. Alison shares her journey of evolving from a body confidence coach to a brand strategist and co-founder of Soul Camp. We’re also talking about why entrepreneurs need to dig deep to find their truth, the importance of aligned relationships, and how to create a life that allows you to live beyond your wildest dreams.
Connect with Alison:
Website: https://soulcampcreative.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soul_camp/
Rachel: Hey guys, we’re back. It is Rachel Feldman. I am so happy – pumped, as I always say, but really pumped because I have my friend Alison here. I’ve known this woman for a very long time, through school. I have watched her go and do what I call branding and rebranding in the most authentic and beautiful way.
So for any of you who are scared and are overwhelmed, or just are like that, analysis paralysis, and you say, “I don’t even know what to do. I’m changing.” I want you to listen to Alison because not only has she been able to combine different brands but do it in such an authentic way. But she has been able to live her frickin’ truth at every point of the way.
Alison: First off, hi guys and Rachel, so I was just staring at you when you were talking. I was like, you’re the Carrie Bradshaw of holistic well-being. I’m just seriously so honored to be here with you, with your people and just share any insight I can from my past 10 years in this entrepreneurial game.
Rachel: So I know you’re like, timeline, please. All right. First off, take us back. We both graduated from Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I think you were like one year, one semester ish or something like that before me?
Alison: Yeah, I don’t even know. But I graduated in 2010-11. Right? So eight, nine years ago. Do you want me to take you through my different versions of business?
Rachel: Tell me the biggest thing. I was saying to somebody the other day because ironically, I was talking about you, of course. Because for me when I think about it, when people I say what has been so special for you, I always say it was the people I met. It was being able to watch how they formed their business. And those who I’ve seen successful. And those who shine and you see really have enjoyed it even though building a business is tough.
I think of you and I and one of the pictures that I’ll never forget was you in the middle of Central Park in New York? Or was it at Whole Foods? But you’re like, I don’t have to fit into this perfect mold. But you will also do branding for health coaches. So walk people through the fact that you were able to do both. How did you start at one place and not go into another? So just like take us back in place?
The Different Versions Of Business & How They Can Start
Alison: We’re gonna rewind to 2000, Okay, so I am just gonna share that I never thought I would be a business owner or entrepreneur only because I really believe I didn’t know that was a possibility for me until I saw other women doing it. When I graduated from college –I went to school for graphic design– and I was applying for branding jobs in New York City, not finding anything and was hitting this like quarter life crisis. I was only 22 At the time, right? I was like, what am I gonna do with my life?
I’ve always been interested in nutrition. I had been following IN for years. One of my friend’s sisters went and was like, you should do this while I’m trying to figure everything out. So I went. And on both ends, I was seeing all of these people starting businesses and realized my skills in branding and graphic design could really help them communicate their message.
I realized there was a business opportunity here. Let me start making logos for people and see how it goes. And I found this amazing community. I live in New York City. I did a logo for someone in that community and then word just spread.
Simultaneously, I never was like I want to start a design company. I was in IN at the time and I wanted to be a health coach. And to me, I took the angle of body confidence coaching. Like I said, I’m not a skinny mini. For me health and well-being is on all levels as we learn, and I am but for me, my journey was all about confidence in my body.
Rachel: You weren’t even –and I’m sorry, if I’m interrupting, welcome to the show – you were breaking the mold. And this is so important, especially here we are 10 years fast forward. Because in 2010, nobody was talking about that back then. I think even at that time, I remember one of your first branding shoots. You were talking about body consciousness at a time when no one was. It was like diet, it was who was on the front of Vogue. Everyone was talking diet and you were talking the complete opposite. You weren’t necessarily taking the verbiage of Iron Man and talking about it, but this is you really made it special.
How She Became A Body Confidence Coach
So can you talk about that part of the body? Because now we’re everyone’s talking about that. But at that time that was so avant-garde, in my opinion.
Alison: Thank you for saying that. I didn’t really even think about that until you’ve just said that. So it’s interesting. For me, I knew that. If I was going to create a business that was based on my heart’s mission, it had to be so authentic. I wasn’t going to show up and say, Oh, this is what I’m eating all day. I’m going to help you lose weight, even though then I’m just going to actually help you love your body. That didn’t feel right to me. I was seeing so much of that in the marketplace. I was seeing so many people that actually believe the same things that I did. But we’re not talking about giving them what they want or not. Does it say what you think they need and then give them what they want once they come in.
I had been burned so many times that I think that the marketing ended up itself feeling like an opportunity to educate and share my message. So I’m really glad you said that. I will say it took a lot of digging to get that verbiage. It wasn’t like one day I woke up. Oh, I’m a body confidence coach, right? It took me a while.
I was kind of mentoring under an emotional eating coach at the time, Sarah Jenks. I was following her around for a year and a half. I loved her message. I really loved her, but also got to see okay, this is what I resonate with. This is what I don’t resonate with, how can I make my own spin on this?
Then I had my business coach at the time, Nisha Moodley really helped me with this. It was like a digging in my soul. It was, what do you really believe in? What is this? And then putting things on the wall. Is it this? Is it this?
Finally there was something I could land on that even though it’s two words: body confidence, it felt like it could encompass my huge heart’s mission. And that’s a difficult thing to do. It’s what I do as a brander. Now, it’s bringing in this larger-than-life energy that as someone who is starting a business, you have a huge mission, right?
It’s hard to pinpoint, write that down in three to four words. But can those two words encompass what it is that you’re about? I found that body confidence did that for me at the time.
Rachel: It’s so crazy, because even before we were recording, I was saying why I keep bringing these emails from entrepreneurs, coaches, where I hear coaches saying to me, “You teach differently. You’re not giving a blueprint.” And I say I have all the blueprints in the world. But the way that I was taught, and Nisha was like my second coach was like, what do you really want to say to the world? And why?
I was like, well, I want people to feel good. She was like, that’s not enough. If anyone knows Nisha, even if you went to our Facebook page, and you don’t even know her, you would see a very soulful woman who’s very passionate about the world and about justice. You wouldn’t think that somebody would be That’s it. I’m off to another cocktail. I’m off to the next person at a cocktail party, but that’s what I feel we were taught back before social media. We had 20 platforms and didn’t really understand what platform to be on. Not LinkedIn, not Snapchat, not fit. We had Facebook, but we really had to understand if I was talking to somebody, or if I looked myself in the mirror, what actually did I believe? What did I stand on? How strong was my why? And what did I really want to say to the world? Do you agree?
Drilling Deep Down To Find Out Why You’re Doing What You’re Doing
Alison: I’m so glad that you brought that up, it really takes drilling down. I also will just share with you guys because many of you don’t know me. As I mentioned, I started out with design. But right now and for the last 10 years, I have been doing branding specific in the wellness, empowerment space.
So I have worked with hundreds and hundreds of clients. And we’re all at the end saying the same thing, right? We’re all helping people live better lives and connect more to that loving place inside of them or that vibrancy that’s available to them through different healing and lifestyle protocols. Whatever form it takes, we’re all doing the same thing.
But we have to drill down to the heart of why we’re doing what we’re doing, and what we’re providing for people to be able to differentiate ourselves, right? If I just said love your body, it would just get lost in the sea of everything else. If it doesn’t come back to the emotion of there are people that need your help. You need to drill down to how you were going to help them and why you’re doing it so they can find you. Because otherwise, it’s just oh, you mentioned smoothies. Okay, no one’s sitting there wishing for the ability to make a smoothie or waking up at three o’clock in the morning thinking if I don’t have a smoothie, I may die.
The interesting part is, and people give me a little fight and something because I’ve seen this in my free forum where I keep saying –andwe love copywriters. both of us have grown up with Hillary Weiss, Nikki Groom being both our storytelling copywriters? So I’ve gotten a lot of kickback, because I also believe in marketing and digital marketing and hardcore marketers are it’s not about you. It’s not about your story. It’s all about them.
Rache: I always say, take deep breaths, because this is the wellness space. Especially if you are an empath, feeler type of person, or you really want to have a sustainable business, I will just say that because I really don’t talk about the elephant in the room.
How To Tell Your Story In A Way That Resonates With Your Audience
I’m like, this is how I got my business and it worked. When I really understood this is that I had to have somebody identify with me. If I just was like, Hey, are you struggling with one to one to 10? I’ve got this system and it’s about, that’s great for that person who identifies. But for me, I was more of a person, I remember crying in the bathroom every time I got a diagnosis, hoping for miracles. I remember every time I have a doctor be like, “Here, you are going to do this protocol.” That was my big “why” of wanting to say ditch the box, ditch the protocols. You have to really be your own doula and your advocate and I’m going to teach you the tools. Then you’re going to fire me when I’ve taught you. But you’re going to go be empowered and know how to shop, travel, eat, talk to your doctor, all that.
Alison: Absolutely. When you were talking I was just thinking oh, the reason why right there. Even you just sharing. I love you, Rachel but that’s the feeling. By the time people get to a space where they really need to make an internal change. Something’s not working. They’ve been burned by doctors. They’ve been burned by the system. So you’re the person that they’re looking for that says, Oh, I get what you’ve been through. I can help you because I’ve been there and I’ve done it a different way. That’s why they’re coming to you. Right?
No matter what you’re doing even as a branding designer, it’s like people come to us. I wasted so much money on this website with someone who didn’t understand our industry and someone that didn’t.
So it doesn’t matter what, people are coming to you exhausted with or all of what they’ve tried to do. And they’re just waiting to say, she gets me, he gets me, okay good. I will give you my money.
I just enrolled in a program last week and I’ve been following this woman for years. And at one point, I was so triggered by her. I said let me look at that. Why am I so triggered by her shadow work? I did a little shadow work. And I really thought, why did I choose to give this woman my money? Because she gets where I’ve been. I hear her story. Her clients are where I have been, she tells a story of where her clients were and where they are now on what changed for them in this program. I wouldn’t know that. And it’s something that we’ve implemented a lot.
What Soul Camp Is & How It Helps Women Share Their Stories
Also, I didn’t get to this part of the story, about five years ago, I started an adult sleepaway camp for the wellness days called Soul Camp. We brought together like 250 to 300 people each time at summer camp for four days, four nights. It brought together 30 to 40 different instructors. It was amazing. What a beautiful journey that was, but we learned so much about marketing and what feels aligned because we made plenty of mistakes, which I’m happy to share.
But for me, it was I really got to see, oh, it’s all about the story. Why are people coming to us? Why are people coming to camp? What did they experience there? What did they experience after? Because that brand really wasn’t about us, it wasn’t a personal brand. So it was who is coming to camp? Who are these people whose lives are being transformed? Their stories need to be told. Your life can be transformed. If you come, let me share that with you and show you how we do it.
Rachel: I think the part that is really interesting is you decided to focus more on the websites and the branding. Then you did the Soul Camp. What I thought was so beautiful about this whole evolution is it wasn’t that wasn’t a good move, to try to be a body conscious coach that was part of the journey.
Alison: Looking back now, so I’ll just give a little overview of my story. So I did branding throughout the last 10 years. I’ve been doing branding and design for people in this space, coaching for about three to four years. I really needed to be talking about that, for my own journey around body confidence. It was very much me working through my stuff, me helping the people that needed it at the time.
But looking back, it was more honestly, it was more about me. It gave me so much joy. It was a forum for me to begin to self express and share myself in a really vulnerable, authentic way that at the time was very accurate. I’m sharing different things now because I’m a different human. I’ve worked through a lot of that body confidence stuff so that I started to just feel like I never really ended it.
I guess the way to think about this is I’ve evolved. I am me, I am my brand, right and at one moment, body confidence was really important, my journey. And then this universe really honestly brought this opportunity to me and my business partner, Michelle, to create a camp. And we did it. That was an expression of myself at the time, too. It’s connected, it was all about connection. Because for me, connecting to other humans, connecting to myself, creating and carving out that time to be with myself is something that impacted every single area of my life.
So I wanted to give people the space to do that as well, right? Now currently we have paused on the camps just for many, many reasons that I can go into, but have now gotten to show people how they can create their own movement, and really a high profile company and brand through authentic expression through beautiful branding through storytelling, through all of that, and we’re really focusing on that now. So that’s kind of overarching
Rachel: Before we even go into Soul Camp, when I first started I was like oh my god, this is brilliant. Now, of course, I was like why didn’t I think of this for myself?
Why You Shouldn’t Worry About The Transitions Of Your Brand Story
Alison: We got that so much.
Rachel: The biggest thing that I hear is and what I also struggle with myself was not to worry so much about the transitions. Because even as my kids were growing up I wasn’t working and attracting families with little kids, right? I see people, they’re like, Well, I’m doing a total rebrand. Well, you’ve just grown up, that doesn’t mean you have to throw out everything.
It’s just like what you said at that time, was this a really important thing? And be okay with it just. You’re not to be Oh, guys, let me tell you, this really worked. Because I love that you said that. And I think this is a really important thing for coaches to hear as long as you’re real honest, transparent, and I don’t mean(as we call it) like a Facebook diary, where you’re telling everyone things that are completely not appropriate.
I tell a lot. I also chose coaches who are very open, because that was one of my biggest fears, even though one would never think it was what if people really knew me? No, I would not be lovable, I would not be liked, I would not be now all those interior fears. That’s why I say I should have not gone to therapy at 13, I should have just started a business like that. But I really love that you were like what, this is where I was. That was really important for me. I think coaches need to hear that.
As long as you are right there with your people and you’re not trying to be something else. I had a massive potato chip addiction because my dad and I were really trying to mend a relationship. I’ve talked about this. Cape Cod potato chips were what he used to give me because we would go to Provincetown. He used to ship me a box on my birthday. When I was like really trying to work through stuff I ate a bag. I compulsively ate a bag. And I was coaching and of course, in the midst of my throws of my autoimmune, new consciously clearly, eating a bag of Cape Cod potato chips, probably not the best thing.
But I talked about it on Facebook and I talked about the fact that sometimes who know exactly what to do, but we are connected to food. I talked about how hard that was because I felt connected to my father through that bag of potato chips. People were thank you so much. Can I hire you? I talk about that because I get chills. You don’t have to be perfect. That was my first addiction. And it’s still the deepest one I work on perfection, perfection is disease.
So I love that you really shared about finding the business that felt right for you. And because of it, you had a business from that. So now, it’s not only beautiful, but that’s what makes a real business. So what brought you into saying, Okay, we’re gonna do this rad camp? That’s a lot to manage with a lot of people. What were the learning lessons? What happened? Why are you not doing that anymore?
Accepting & Embracing The Necessity of Pausing A Business
Alison: Oh, my God, let’s get into it, Rachel. Before I even say that, to all of this, I want to say when you were talking about the coach, that’s if you’re in this place of wanting to rebrand. I’m thinking, did I ever even say I’m not doing body confidence anymore? I don’t think so. I was being me. So it wasn’t like, I’m done with this chapter. Right? We have to continue. I’m done with Soul Camp for right now.
Honestly, it really is a pause. We had to announce that because we had a big community that was shaking hands. It was different. It’s not about this being a new chapter. It’s almost like you’ve just got to evolve along with your audience.
I just love what you just shared about the Cape Cod chips because first off I’m with you but with french fries with my family. I had to work through eating stuff. That was one of the reasons that I am grateful. I wouldn’t say that I learned everything about my gut. But I learned that one circle of life thing, that one exercise. I’m failing in a few areas, of course, with the perfection disease. I didn’t say, oh, I need to work on this. I use the word failing.
I see so many people that feel like they have to announce it email their list. Not do this come out with a whole new and then and as pay somebody another $4,000 Instead of just calling. Like you said hey, oh my god. Okay, this is so exciting. This new chapter of my life now.
Okay, Soul Camp. I’m going to share the synchronicity part and then get into the business. All the stuff. So the synchronicity is Michelle, my business partner, we became really close friends. We’ve both gone to camp together as kids, and our camp director just through sharing on my Facebook, her sharing on her Facebook about her personal journey of awakening me to sharing my body confidence stuff. He knew that we were into wellness and mindset. You guys are into yoga?
So he reached out to us and he saw we were both on a retreat, a family constellation retreat. If you’ve never heard of Family Constellation therapy, look it up. It’s life changing. So we were at a family constellation retreat, he saw it and he was like, “Hey guys, if you ever want to host your own yoga retreat, we rent out the camp.” We were like, this sounds like so much fun. That was the reason. It was just like, Should we do it? We were a little crazy. Let’s do it.
I will say, there was no business plan. This sounds like a blast. We have tons of friends who were amazing teachers, tons of colleagues, and tons of clients, but she was a brand. She’s a brand strategist. We were like, why don’t we invite them? Instead of doing kickball basketball and soccer at camp? Why don’t we invite our intuitive healer, our relationship expert, our holistic health coach? Why don’t we invite them in? Those are the classes. Let’s try it out.
The URL was SoulCamp2014.com. We did not think this was going to be anything more than one fun weekend of transformation and well being. But it just took off. What I will say is we just did it. Like there was no like sitting back. The doubts came up. Is this gonna really work? But that was all there. But it didn’t stop us from taking inspired action because we were very inspired to do it. There was so much momentum and so much energy.
Michelle whipped up a logo is like you don’t whip up a logo. It’s a six-week process. And she’s No, go. We need to email Huffington Post GPS for the soul, we need to email SoulPancake. Let’s get them as sponsors. And like they were a yes. We had SoulPancake. Having them post who sent out a solo email for us the first year we didn’t, we didn’t do anything. We didn’t even have the event yet.
The Importance Of Aligned Relationships & Networking
Rachel: That is such a testament. I want to go back to something you originally said. Because I think a coach would think, well, she had this. But the truth is, I hear this so many times. When you really sit there and you are aligned. I know that you are like this, you’re like, Okay, we’re just gonna have faith. You also have supportive people. You’ve also put yourself in alliance with great people along the way. Relationships. And something that you’ve always done.
So I think for somebody listening, I always say to a coach, I don’t care if you’re new, go find great people who you look up to, and look up to them, and make them your besties. I know new coaches are like, oh, well, that’s not me. That can be you.
Alison: Absolutely. Oh, my God, thank you for saying that. I will say we had no email list. Right? But we had friendships we had built. Rachel, thank you for saying that. It’s so true. So I entered this world in 2009-2010. I had spent five years building relationships with people who I admired. It wasn’t luck. It was going up to them at an event and saying, “Hi, I love your work.”
Or when people say how did you get interviewed with the people I got? I was like, I took a very big breath at 5:30 in the morning, when it was quiet and I sent an email and I said, I admire you so much, would you do this? I would be so honored, please. I told them what I liked about them. And they were like, of course, and I accepted them. But they said yes.
Rachel: I love that you’re saying this because it’s just it’s everything we’re talking about. Before we even started recording. We went to school at a time where you really had to just go out, introduce yourself, put the fear to the side, send out the letter, ask somebody if they would do all that stuff and just take the chance.
And guys, energy is everything in here, okay? If you have the energy of, “What can I get from that person?” They’re going to feel it instantaneously. I have to tell you, it felt that way when people that reached out to me and said, “Can I pick your brain?” If you’re like, wow I love what you’re doing, how can I help you? How can I spread the word for you, authentically, like really give to them. There’s this beautiful connection that can happen. Not with everyone. And it doesn’t have to happen with everyone. But your network really is so important.
Why Hitting Pause On The Camp’s Momentum Made Sense
Alison: I see it now like for referrals, when we started Soul Camp, it was like, Oh, we had this roster of people. If you were in New York, I would have had you in a second. We have all these people that live two hours from the event. We couldn’t pay people that first year, they believed that we had given both Michelle and I actually are like this we had given to these people so much over the years that they were yes, like I believe in you guys. You have such integrity. And I’d be happy to do this for you. But that came after a time of supporting those others, right?
If I came out of the gate and said, I’m gonna start this event, let me ask all these like big hitters? If they could come for free? They wouldn’t. Normally, why would they do that? Right? That took five years of relationship building. So I love that you mentioned that you’ve pinpointed that Rachel, that’s so smart.
From there, what I will say is the combination of having people from the 30 to 40 instructors that have their own list. We were both strategic about it and authentic. It was, who do we love? Whose work do we love and who has an audience that they can share this with? And then we created a story around our brand.
I will say those two things together made the company go from here to here very quickly. And that is the community built after the first experience, and we had testimonials, videos, photos, people’s lives were changing, the actual product was so amazing. We were featured in everything from Yoga Journal, Parents Magazine, Inc, Forbes, I can’t even believe that I’m saying this to you guys. These are things that I wouldn’t even put on my vision board because I didn’t wouldn’t even think that was a possibility for me. Do what? It was like in my wildest dreams, like what? So the fact that I’m saying this, is to stay the course take one action after the other that’s fired and true to you. It could be bigger than you could ever imagine.
We lasted five years. Last year, my business partner went on maternity leave. We started, and I mentioned at the beginning, we never created a business plan. Very important. Because our business model wasn’t a sustainably profitable business model. They cost so much money and so much time. It’s a lot. But if they were making money, it’s worth the time. The events are meant to lead into a mastermind or six months or one on one or high ticket coaching.
Michelle and I had tried in the last couple of years to do that. But we didn’t actually want to hold people on their soul journey for that long. We liked our event.
How To Find, Follow & Listen To Your Intuition
Rachel: That’s a really important thing that I love that you said because I think so many people feel this way. And this is what we were talking about also – the blueprint. So many people are like I have to do this. I too have said what, I see these people I want to do an event. Let me resubmit. I am going to do an event and it’s not for it. I want to take a person in a nine month mastermind.
I think it’s really important to, you’ve said over and over and if a coach has not or any wellness professional or any creative thinker or thought leader does not get this by this time, they really need to go lock themselves in a room for about 10 hours and listen to Florence and the machine or Eminem or Pink or Rihanna. I’m not sure which one but listen and really sit.
What you keep saying is we really had to listen to ourselves. I don’t know if you read the email from Derek Halpern, when he was like, I’m not selling my online courses anymore. I’m tired. When I started, I just wanted to create content. I sat there and I cried because I loved his brutal honesty. He said, I tried masterminds, they weren’t for me. I made money. I tried adding light. And it was the entrepreneurs thing, and especially in the last few years of everyone, I think, keeping up with the Joneses, I was like what, dude? And what did he do? He said, Hey, I’m switching gears.
Why You Don’t Always Need A Plan & Why Things Don’t Always Work
People trust you so much more when you’re doing this versus when you’re just saying it, but I love that you said this didn’t work for us. It’s not for everyone. It is great to have a business plan, but I’ll tell you I was at Growth Con by Grant Cardone and Bethenny Frankel got on the stage. She was like, I don’t have a plan. Sometimes looking back, maybe it would be great to have an exit strategy. But sometimes the best things don’t always have a plan.
Alison: I agree. I would say 100% that Soul Camp was the best thing. But that’s because we didn’t have a business model. And we were trying. This is what’s really important that I want to share that you and I were talking about. Once we realized we were at this place where we were building this community brand recognition, like momentum, but our finances weren’t reflecting that. We tried to do everything. So we were like, alright, let’s get a Facebook ad expert. Let’s hire someone to help us build really amazing funnels then a lot of companies out there talking dollars.
It didn’t work. This is where the soul searching comes in. Last year, Michelle and I had to get really honest. Do we want life to continue like this? Is this the life we want? And that’s where, for me, I had to be like I need to do this and I feel my mind’s telling me it’s really selfish because people loved this product. But my life, I said to Michelle, I said every summer comes around and I’m so stressed about ticket sales. Summer is my favorite time, the reason why I started my own business is so I can have freedom and a life that I want. And I don’t have time to do that. I’m stressed beyond belief. This is not the life that I want.
I had to go through so much of my own stuff around, is this selfish? Am I letting people down? What are people gonna see? Are people gonna think that I’m selfish? And what’s so funny is that the first person that we call to tell literally reflected that back to us. It’s so crazy now because everyone else we called, they were oh my god, I think this is the right decision. I’m so proud of you guys for listening to your soul. The first person was like, you guys are just giving up? Don’t you just think everyone’s gonna think you’re selfish, you’re just giving up? I was like, Oh, this is a mirror. She’s reflecting exactly what our fear is right now.
Thank you. Because I get to see, oh, that fear is there. And what’s the real truth under that? That this is no longer aligned with what my soul is meant to create and as a creative and a creator, you have to create from that authentic place. Otherwise, it doesn’t work.
An interesting part is from the glass house, I would say it’s everyone’s like, Oh, they have the perfect relationship and then a year later they’re divorced. Oh I want that or they have everything. Oh, look at them. But you never know what’s going on inside somebody’s business. And in a way, it’s none of your business because everyone has a different business model. But also at the end of the day, you need to ask yourself, do I feel like I’m robbing myself blind? Do I just feel like I have no time? Am I exhausted? Be honest when something just feels like it’s done.
Rache: I know, in the last few years, I did let go of things that I didn’t want because they were time suckers. I also had to let go of being a control freak in every area, because it was sucking me dry. At the end of the day, sometimes it’s really hard to know what is the next step. But I think what I’ve always seen with you, that you do, and I wouldn’t say easily, because I’m not inside your soul. But what I’ve always seen you do with your business is to flow with it and flow with it with faith. This was great right now, this is beyond my wildest dreams.
Anytime I’ve ever talked to you, I think I’ve interviewed you a few times over the years, and I’m like this business grew. And it was beyond my wildest dreams. I’m doing it for people who are unbelievable. And if anybody can take also from you. I think it’s like putting the fun in it. Because it’s so freakin easy to get clogged down. Should I be here and there? Instead of just I’m gonna have fun with us.
I never forget when people were like, Oh, well how do you build your business, Rachel? I always say, I had no money. I showed up on Facebook. I smiled and stuff, not fake. I was like, hey, and I didn’t look so healthy. I was going through my health journey. So when people are Oh, I feel like I’m still going through my stuff. I’m like, who isn’t? But you show up real and people are wow, that’s the word is always refreshing. You are so refreshing. So honest, so real, so vulnerable.
Creating A Life That Allows You To Live Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
Alison: I don’t know if you feel like this, but I need to serve my reminder. When you just said, that’s very funny that I am continuing to do this beyond my wildest dreams. You’ve always done that. That’s amazing to me, because it just made me realize what a privilege it is. We are so beyond lucky that one, we’re in this conversation. We can create wealth, a lifestyle and a life that feels so authentic to us. We are so beyond lucky. That’s the thing.
Like I told you guys at the beginning of this interview, I didn’t know this was a possibility in my life. I always went through my life until I was 22/23 thinking I just had to listen to what everyone else told me that I should do and that I thought I’d be miserable my whole life. Like how freaking lucky that I couldn’t walk to go get a matcha latte before this and come back and put on some makeup and talk to a woman that I’ve known for 10 years that I love and be in my home. I can be where I want to be. I’m going to LA next week to work.
Again, it’s not that there are no challenges. It’s not that there have not been many, many moments of failures in the craziness and stress. But I’m so lucky I even have those problems. I don’t have to go into a job. I think of my sister who – this is her path – but she’s a lawyer and she works so much and she gets dressed up every day and has to commute to work and that’s for her and I’m not hating on that path at all. But that’s not me and I would die. My soul would die inside every moment.
I think there’s this gratitude of wow, how lucky are we that we get to choose this life and we’re choosing those challenges. I get to choose to work through my stress around building a team, I get to choose to worry about income flow that I have to take on.
Why Your Mindset Around Your Business Is So Important
Rachel: Your mindset is something that you’ve come back to every part of this because I always hear people –and I say the same thing. One of the huge changes is because people keep saying to me, oh my god Rach, what have you done for yourself this year? I’m like, Okay, well first, my mind on eating and went back to originally, no offense school, but like originally what made me feel good. I’m just a protein girl. no matter what. I’m a high fat girl.
I had to learn to ask for help. I’ve worked so hard to ask for help. And through that came an abundance mindset. When I hear you and everything I’m hearing from you, I keep saying this to coaches, you cannot do this alone. You knew from the beginning.
And I love what you said, you were like, this was my camp friend. The fact that that you are still friends with her shows a huge thing about your personality. Second is everything that you talked about – we were able to call on friends, we were able to call on people who we supported. I had great people that knew me because I chose an amazing tribe in the beginning. And so when you were saying luck, Iit wasn’t luck because you also showed up and you continued nurturing relationships. That tribe is your vibe and your vibe is that tribe? Yes. So when coaches sit there and are like, I can’t do it. No, you haven’t put yourself around the people and really done the work. Let go and shed the old story and just modele people who are acting in that different way.
Alison: Totally. And you just reminded me. Like you said, the biggest thing is mindset. Invest in yourself and your own well whether that’s therapy, a coach, Tony Robbins. Whatever it is. Because that stuff gets in the way.
I’ll tell you my financial stuff got in the way of creating soul camp for sure. So that’s what I’m focusing on right now. It’s that there’s an abundance mindset because I had a belief that if I’m really serving people, I can’t take home money. There was this martyrdom and that’s every decision I made. Again, it was beautiful. It was such a beautiful journey that I have the chance and opportunity now to look at. Okay, how can I do this better? Because I am the common denominator in everything I create. I need to get out of my own way. How do I do that? Whatever modality I needed the time. I’m so pro therapy, I’m so pro having a mentor. I’m so pro having a tribe. I have a pure lead mastermind that I have here in the city that I organized, I need that otherwise.
Actually, can I tell this quick story. So funny, you guys are gonna love this. So Michelle and I, we we just launched our soul camp creative site and we were thinking about how we wanted to do it. And we were like, oh my god, we should do a tell all: the mistakes we made in the personal camp. And then if we made the title like: Our Disasters, Your Dreams and bring it to our mastermind. We thought we had this genius idea. And they all looked at each other, like all right. We don’t think that’s the best idea. They were like, No, you have brand equity. Why would you tell everyone all your disaster? Because you created something so amazing. There were so many disasters, you’re exaggerating it just because you guys are in the space. you’re processing everything. The ability to share this with other people that we trust and to get that feedback because we would have gone ahead and done it and like it would have been fine.
Rachel: I’ve been through launches. And you could go up and like pee, come back, take a nap. Come back to talk. This could go on for 24 hours. I’ve even said oh my god, that was the worst launch in my life. Even my webmaster is like, what are you talking about? I made this mistake.
But I think that is the part, and people don’t realize that at heart, a lot of coaches when they’re looking at somebody, maybe like the face of their school, they’re comparing themselves to a site that the person has developed over 10 years. But they’ve been able to invest in someone since the beginning.
How To Continue Moving Forward
It’s just like what you and I were talking about. Nobody lays out this groundwork, even if it’s perfectly laid out. In every entrepreneurial business, there’s a hiccup. There’s something. But I love that you said also there at everything that happens to me, I look at it and I say, What did this bring up? What do I have to work on?
Were there things that have happened in my business that years ago I wish I was more grown up about? I wish that I had evolved? My business was evolving faster than I was. Yeah, I wish that I handled it better. I wish I had less fears, less jealousies.
Sometimes we can’t go back, but we can go forward and go better. That’s why we have besties that sometimes we can be like, dude, no. It’s not as bad as you think. When I look at you, I do feel like it’s that person. when people are like, Oh, my bucket list or my next life, I feel like you’re one of those people that’s like, no, now. Maybe tomorrow I want to write a book on this or I want to help people to create the most epic events.
When I look at you, You are a creator. You’re a visionary. You see things in people. For anybody who either wants to work with you, follow you, stalk you, all of that, tell them where they can find you.
Alison: I welcome stalking in all forms. Don’t just don’t jump into my windows. I’m on Instagram at Alison Leipzig. You can follow Soul Camps Creatives journey. So @soul_camp, and then soulcampcreative.com. So that’s where you can find out a little bit more about the services that we provide for coaches, healers, experts, authors. Even if you’re starting out or have been in the business for 10 years, we can help you share your authentic story with your people. So come find come look at some of our work on our website. We have our portfolio up and all that jazz so
Rachel: Guys, this woman no joke, I graduated with her. I’ve watched her. She is the bomb.com. If you’re sitting there watching people who you feel are not living in their soul, I would suggest watching somebody living in their soul. With that being said, as I always say, go through these podcasts, stop them and take some notes. Then stay tuned for the next one because it’s gonna be super fly.
We’ll see you on the flip side. All right, And don’t forget to laugh – it’s good for the soul. Alright guys, bye.
