Anna Wolfman
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Mel: [00:00:00]
Hello, Anna. Thank you so much for joining us. Hi,
Mel.
Anna: Thank you so much for having me. I love that you're
Mel: able to join me. Anna and I met a little while back now, maybe about a year actually. Yeah. On Stu McLaren's, um, membership experience. And I have loved what you are doing, Anna, since [00:01:00] the moment you mentioned it all about collaboration and that just makes my heart smile.
So,
Anna: um, thank you. We've reached out and chatted to each other. Huh. Yeah. And I love everything that you're creating, so I think it was just, it just felt aligned and, uh, I love it. I'm so grateful to be here. Amazing. Tell
Mel: us a little bit about, about you in general.
Anna: I. Yeah. Um, I am, wow, that's a loaded question.
I'm a mom of two, and, uh, a five-year-old and a two-year-old. And yeah, I've gone through several changes in my life. I've lived in three countries and I, uh, generally live in Canada now, but taking a few months, um, away from the harsh Canadian winter to Relocate here to Costa Rica with my husband and my kids.
But I've spent about 13 years in the corporate world where I've done pretty big variety of things, kind of starting from c p a being [00:02:00] c p A in accounting, um, and quickly sort of realizing that that's not really where my true calling is. But, um, That took me down a path of going into a whole bunch of different areas that were exciting and interesting from strategy to, um, digital and customer experience, uh, product management in banks, in telecom companies.
So I've kind of, um, have built a pretty successful career for myself. , but I've hit a point where I just felt a little bit, , I kind of felt like there's more out there for me and. Didn't feel quite as fulfilled as I wanted to in my corporate life. Felt like my impact was narrow and my path was very much defined for me to some degree, , in the sort of on corporate hierarchy.
And, , after several years of sort of having that voice in my head, trying to figure out what's next for me, I finally made the leap [00:03:00] into sort of the entrepreneurial space and. And have, have made the shift to leave that corporate career behind and, and sort of start my own business and pursue my dreams and here I am.
Mel: Amazing. I love that and I love that this, this is a great opportunity for those who are listening who maybe are, they do have a job and they're out there and they're pursuing what they thought was their dream at one point in time, and it's just not feeling full for them. And. And hearing your story about that I think is really powerful.
Anna: For sure. Yeah. And that's, and that's kind of how it was for me. And it, it's definitely a scary thought, especially when you feel like you've invested so much time and so much energy and effort into building yourself up in your career. , and it's scary to let that go, especially when you've built a certain.
Almost like nest egg for yourself, a guaranteed salary, a brand for yourself in, in your sort of corporate [00:04:00] world. Um, it's scary to walk away from that for sure. Uh, but I think at the same time you have to sort of honor that feeling and that part of yourself that is telling you that there is more out there for you and that, um, there's more you wanna do and there's, and you wanna feel more fulfilled and there's a bigger impact that you wish to make.
And I think that you have to. Try to give yourself some time and space to explore that. And it doesn't have to happen overnight. Like I said, it, it probably took me about four years, four or five years to really fully make that leap. And often I was kind of working on things in parallel and was exploring with different ideas.
, you know, it, it didn't happen as like a, I just woke up one day and quit my job, you know? , so, so it takes time. But I think, I think you have to listen to that inner voice, uh, within you for sure. Yeah. Yeah,
Mel: for sure. And I think, I think that's really important in that everybody will take a different amount of time in that.
But pointing out that, you know, it took you four years of [00:05:00] like contemplating this kind of thing and I'm, I'm curious how an if, uh, motherhood came into play
Anna: there. So we did actually, uh, for sure did. Um, the timing of it was kind of, Interesting, I guess. But, um, when I was coming back from maternity leave with my first baby and I had the most amazing maternity leave experience and in Canada, very, very grateful.
We get a lot of time, a lot more than in other countries. My, my first maternity leave was 12 months. I really like, I got to enjoy so much beautiful time with my baby and we traveled the world and, and I was a social with all these friends and, and doing all these mommy baby fitness stuff and it was, it was the best, but I was excited to come back.
I was excited to come back to, to working, to working with. People to kind of being in my element, I'm a bit of like a type A personality, an overachiever. And so I li I like being in that element too. And, and I was ready to come back and, um, I decided that to kind of help me get into that mindset, I [00:06:00] was gonna maybe start listening to some inspiring podcasts.
I've never really been so much into like the self-development space before. It was just not really something that was in my stream of consciousness. And I asked a couple friends for some recommendation for a podcast. I started like with Robin Sharma. That was what they recommended. And I feel like that was a bit of a turning point for me because I felt like my whole world opened up when I started becoming more aware of, um, all this self-development sort of world out there.
Um, and. I can't say at that point that I necessarily had this desire to like start my own business. Not at all. I was, I was doing it from the perspective of actually coming back into my corporate role, just feeling a little bit more excited and on top of my game I. But it really just slowly but surely opened up a whole new world for me of this, this mindset of, a, how much your mindset is important.
B, , you know, really tapping into your gifts, your, your desire to add value, [00:07:00] your ambitions, your dreams. Giving yourself permission to pursue those. Asking yourself the difficult questions of, am I actually happy here? Do I feel fulfilled here? Is there more out there for me? And I think it was at an interesting stage in with motherhood too, because I mean, although it started the timing-wise of me coming back from maternity leave.
But I think, , as a mother, you often question yourself like, what is your role as a parent? And, , how do you best guide your children in this, in this life? It's, it's also very difficult questions, right? And of course, as a mom, you want the best for your children. And I sort of realize that. I, I want my kids to feel like they can do whatever it is that they wanna do, that they have the courage and strength to follow their dreams, their, their aspirations.
I don't, I wouldn't want them to be limited by anything, and to have fears and doubts around it. And, and as much as I'd want them to pursue all of these things, It's like I have to lead by example by doing it myself, right? It, it doesn't, it [00:08:00] doesn't make sense for me to wish that for them and yet quiet my own voices down and play small myself and hold myself back and let my own fears get in the way.
And so I. If I wanna model that for them, then I have to step into that myself, right? And so I think that realization of, if I wanna be their best role model for my kids, I actually owe it to them and to myself to step into that unknown, unchartered territory and explore those, , feelings and dreams and desires and, and, Voices or whatever they're telling me that there's something greater out there for me and there's something that, you know, bigger that's meant for me and there's an impact that I'm meant to make and, and more fulfillment that I'm looking for, and I owe it to myself to explore it.
That's so
Mel: beautiful. So beautiful. You know, just to reflect that back, what you just said, you decided to listen to the voices in your head, to listen to the thing that keeps telling you, you. There's more out there for you [00:09:00] because. Not only for yourself, but for your children to show them that you want them to do that.
You can't hold your self back because you don't want them to hold themselves back. And just giving them that example that, that this is the way we can live. It's just so beautiful.
Anna: Sure. And it's scary, don't get me wrong, because so often, especially as moms, we put ourselves in a position where we're willing to self-sacrifice ourselves for the betterment of everybody else and for the opportunities of everybody else, and so we.
My tell ourselves the story that, you know, my, my kids need me so much and my time so much, and I, and my, and I need to invest all of myself wholeheartedly into bringing them up. And it needs to come at the expense of me. And if that is a decision that people wanna make for themselves because that wholeheartedly makes them so fulfilled to to be a full-time mom, to give all of themselves for kids.
And absolutely you need to pursue that because that's what makes you fulfilled. [00:10:00] And I think if there's a part of you that also wants to do something for yourself and for others, and, you know, pursue other dreams and aspirations outside of just your kids, I think you owe it to yourself to honor that part too.
And that is the, the scariest part, because the reality is it's sometimes can come at the expense of, you know, life and kids and things like that. It becomes, um, More complicated to integrate all of these things together. It's part of what makes it also exciting. It's part of what makes it also real, right?
But I think, I think stepping into your best version of yourself and honoring your dreams and your aspirations is, is so important. And I think it, it doesn't, it doesn't mean it's gonna come at the expense of other things. It just means that you are living a very, Well-rounded, fulfilled life where you're honoring all of your desires and dreams, both motherhood and, you know, have being a business owner and making an [00:11:00] impact, um, you know, and adding value and being of service to others.
Yeah, exactly.
Mel: Exactly. Just as if like you say it better than I even I do. And I think what's in there, there's so many things in there to pull out. The part about self-sacrificing and we are culturally ingrained to. Wanna do that as mothers, we will sacrifice ourselves, we will put ourselves on the track if we have to, like when the trains coming, right?
Like we are designed to do that. And that is such a beautiful thing in so many ways. And at the same time, it's at the expense of everybody and, and ourselves, included. Because when we, when we do that, we're. We're not our best self. Yes. Right. Exactly. Yeah. And that comes across like people are gonna, our, our kids pick up when we're at our best self.
Right, exactly. So I love how you explain that and that, um, also the thing in there around some moms are wholly and [00:12:00] completely fulfilled by being
Anna: mom, and that is so
Mel: hundred percent so beautiful and I really admire that. Yes. In absolutely that as the case and I am. And have had stages where I felt that actually, so I had 12, well, I was a, an entrepreneur already, but I had, so I had a very long time with my daughter when she was first born, my first one.
And, um, she could come to meetings with me in cafes and it was such a beautiful space and it was like this nice combination of, of feeling a hundred percent fulfilled by motherhood and, and my own ambitions at the same time. And then there are times when that has not been the case, right? Yeah.
Where I'm like, no, I need, I need to do more than what I feel like I'm doing right now to feel fulfilled. And, , while there's lots of practices, many of which we'll be talking about on this podcast, of how we can enable ourselves to feel fulfilled within what we already have, it's also okay to honor that voice that says, I think there might be something
Anna: [00:13:00] more.
Yeah, sure. What would that be? And I love how you said it, that it can come in stages. Like that is the beautiful thing about it. And I think it, it really does boil down to honoring that part of yourself, that, that feels fulfilled and happy right now. And we like life is, is ups and downs and it's seasons and stages.
And so there will be seasons. Perhaps where you're very much fulfilled. Like, and even similarly, like my example of in corporate, there have been times where I've been very much fulfilled in my corporate career where I felt like this is what is right for me, and this is where, this is my place, this is my jam.
And I love working with all these people. And I see myself climbing up that corporate ladder, and then there was a season when I didn't. Right? And then you make the change. And I think it's about, It's just about really tuning into where you feel happy and checking in with yourself and, and honoring the part of yourself that wants to be at a certain place and wants to do certain things because you feel, you feel like your best self there and you are most fulfilled and.
And giving yourself permission to also acknowledge [00:14:00] that it could change and seasons could change. And today maybe I'm all in on my business and tomorrow maybe I wanna step away from it and do something else and maybe spend more time with my kids and vice, vice versa. Today I'm more, um, you know, with my kids and I'm a wholeheartedly dedicated to that, and tomorrow I wanna do more and I wanna start that business.
I think it's just about giving yourself permission and tuning in with yourself and allowing yourself. Um, to, to take that risk and encouraging yourself to take that leap wherever it leads you next. Yeah. Yeah.
Mel: And I love that. I love that word seasons, the different seasons that we will go through, whether that be a day or a month or a year, they shift.
Yeah. So frequently. And um, that permission to be human right. Name of the podcast. Exactly. Permission to be human. As a human, we need. There are like a variety of things that we need, and connection is a huge part of that. Often moms feel very disconnected when it's only with their families because we don't have the village that we used to have in [00:15:00] raising our families unless we're super intentional about it.
So you know that being one example where. Starting your own dream might actually start to achieve some of that connection. The other one is mattering and purpose. So mattering and purpose. If I feel fulfilled within my motherhood, it's because I feel like I matter within there. And some days I really do.
I really do. I'm like, this is amazing. Look at the difference I'm making in my kids' lives. And sometimes I really don't because it'll be one of those days where, I don't know if you've had it, Anna, but. You know, we're having dinner and I, I wanna tell, I wanna talk about something and my four-year-old will just talk right over me
Anna: and there's no, like, you know, there's no reciprocation for sure.
Yeah, for sure. Um, the kids don't, especially at a young age, it can be a bit of a thankless job sometimes, right? Where you don't always feel, um, as, as appreciated by, by the [00:16:00] young ones. But of course, it's an investment too, right? Like you, you recognize. Yeah. But, but yeah, it's, it's, I mean, motherhood is the toughest job, right?
The, I, I truly believe it is the, the toughest, most challenging, most testing and trying type of job as much as it could be the most fulfilling and the most beautiful, right? So, so it comes, like anything, it comes with its sets of challenges and, and, um, its set, its amazingness as well. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Mel: So I wonder if there's any challenges that you're willing to chat to us about, like on your way.
We will get to exactly what your big, audacious dream is soon, because I really wanna tell people about it and it will lead to some great conversation too. But in the lead up to that, I'm, I'm curious, within what we've talked about already, what are the challenges of that have come up for you in, in making this shift and deciding to listen to those voices?
Anna: Honestly, I mean a lot, right? Like the , mindset fears. All kinds of fears. Fear of failure, fear of [00:17:00] humiliation, and rejection of, of, you know, what will other people think of me if, if I, if I leave behind my successful, career that I've, that I've built, , and, and start something from scratch. And what if that doesn't work out and I'm a complete failure?
Like all of these things, of course, naturally as well as even the fear of the leap itself of like, where do I start? Where do I go? When I first had these feelings of. I meant for more. I didn't have any specific idea. A lot of people first have an idea and then they start getting more confidence than, and that idea to go on their own.
Some people don't like me. I didn't have any specific path or direction or idea of what I actually wanted to do. I just felt like I needed to do. I. Something more that is on my own and have that level of autonomy and freedom to explore that., and it could be a very scary thing because especially having come from the corporate world, you are used to a certain level of structure you're used to.
And also I'd say, I think as women and as moms, like you're used to sometimes [00:18:00] being told what to do or having even not like. Just expectations that are placed on you that you, you know, you should be doing this and you should be doing that. And so sometimes it is hard to almost step into this place of unknown where it's like, it's a blank canvas.
You could design your own business, your own way around it, your own hours, your own expectations, your own boundaries. And so sometimes it's a little bit scary to kind of step into that white space also,, especially for someone who's used to having like things very planned out and structured.
So definitely a lot of fears. Um, you know, there's also questions around worthiness, right? Because again, you've come from a place where it's like things are very defined and your salary's very defined, and your role is very defined, and it's like all of a sudden you're stepping into this place where you're trying to.
Worth a new idea. Create something, put yourself out there, market it. Figure out how to, how to sell it to people, right? Put a price on it. Like it definitely raises questions around around worthiness. And so those are also [00:19:00] challenges that you sort of. Have to overcome. And then of course there's, there's a whole juggling part, right?
Because there's motherhood and there's household, and then there's, and there's this business that has so many different parts and components to it. And all of it is your mental space and your capacity in, in both your time and your energy. And so also, you know, um, learning to set boundaries and to protect your energy and your time, um, and to be very intentional with.
How you wanna spend your time and how you wanna spend that energy is also a big challenge. So definitely lots of challenges, but it's also makes it like so exciting and so fun and so interesting that you get to try this out and you get to chart your own path and you get to define what that looks like for you.
And, um, you get to have that sense of freedom and flexibility to really. Build what it is that you wanna build, but you have to be very intentional with it because it's, it's, uh, yeah. Oh, it, [00:20:00] it's not easy, for sure. It's not easy and there's setbacks, you know, and you have to learn to also deal with setbacks, but I also think it builds resiliency as well.
So it's, it's, it's an interesting, it's like, it's like a game, right? It's like, it's a whole, it's very layered. It's very, very layered. Right. Um, so yeah.
Mel: Yes, yes. And yes. All of those things I have felt and, and more and the season thing comes up for me, you know, what you were mentioning before, it seasons within our business as well of, of how we're feeling and the confidence and worthiness that we might feel in that moment.
And I know that for myself around worthiness it, it was easy at the beginning to assume that I needed to do something to be worthy. I needed people to show up to the masterclass I was running or I needed, you know, and it was on other people. That somehow like meant I was worthy. And then all of a sudden I realized through some coaching support that that what if I'm worthy no matter what other people do.[00:21:00]
Right? And that is a whole nother mindset and one that I have to remind myself of very frequently. Very
Anna: frequently indeed. And thank, yeah, thank you for bringing that up because that is actually a really, really big one. , again, like especially coming from a corporate world and also from my type of upbringing too, Oftentimes, you know, we define our worthiness by our achievements and by our accomplishments.
Right? And, um, and, and it's. It's tough to sometimes walk away from that mentality or try to separate your achievements and accomplishments. Like you said, you know, how many people showed up for this or how many people bought this, and you sometimes see it as a reflection of yourself and what you offer.
And you can take rejection very personally, especially when it's like a service or something that you offer. And so it does require a certain. Building of that mindset and working on that mindset to see beyond that, to value your, your own worthiness and what you bring to the table to, to feel [00:22:00] connected with what you're doing and, and.
Just appreciate that sense of fulfillment that you're getting, um, you know, by, by taking this on and, and by putting yourself out there. And yeah, it's, there's a lot of, definitely a lot of mindset work. And I call it like flexing your muscle too, right? Like it's, it's just a lot of milestones and things like that that we have to go through and.
These things that we have to practice over and over and over again to remind ourselves, um, you know, of all, of all these different things, right? And, and to get past some of these blocks and fears and, you know, scarcity mentality and things like that. So, for sure, a lot of these things. Come up, but, but it's, it's also been a beautiful journey of becoming more aware of it, of learning to work through it, right?
And of moving forward like in spite of the fear and through the fear, you know, feeling the fear and still moving, moving through it. And I think that also helps build your level of confidence, your level of, , you [00:23:00] know, excitement and fulfillment. And so it's just kind of keep to keep going, right?
Keep going with it.
Mel: Definitely. And I think the more we move, the more we get that momentum, the more we step into that fear, it seems a little less scary. And then, don't get me wrong, another fear will come up. Yeah. Because you just stepped into a new unknown territory., but we've moved past the other one and it doesn't seem as big anymore.
And. I think I just wanna put it out there for our listeners, that you will feel unworthy at some point in time in your journey towards your big audacious dream, whether that be a business or whether that be some other type of dream. And because you're stepping out of your current life, you're stepping into something that is unknown to you, and your brain is going, whoa, whoa.
Right? It's unsafe. Unsafe. And it's our job to slowly convince our brain that, and our bodies that. This is, this is pretty safe. We can do this. It's a little scary, but, but that's good, right?
Anna: Um, [00:24:00] yeah, for sure. Yeah, and like you said, it's like that taking action is really what helps you get across and work through all of those fears because we can hold ourselves back and let all these fears sink in and let perfectionist tendency think in, and then you, you hold yourself back from moving forward.
But in my experience, every time that I found myself, Going through that hump or going through that, that fear is when I've actually just kind of forced myself to just do it. Just take action, just move forward. And then you realize that you actually get so much more clarity and so much more momentum. And then like you said, of course the next fear pops up, you know, but, but, um, but it's kind of just part of the process.
I'm part of the journey. Yes,
Mel: for sure. So in line with that, taking action before you felt ready, cuz I know that's how this all started for you. Tell me about Femuniify and this big audacious dream that you have and are now
Anna: pursuing. I. Yeah. [00:25:00] So this was kind of happening as I was with, on maternity leave with baby number two this time a few years later.
And I think I've, I've gone through several years of just kind of feeling this, like nagging feeling of, there's something else for me, I wanna do something else, but I really didn't have any ideas and I really didn't know what to pursue. , what to kind of put out there. And I had this like goal for myself that while I'm on maternity leave with my second baby, um, which I was gonna do an ex extended maternity leave this time and take 18 months off because Canada is extra generous at that point and even allowed us up to 18 months.
I said, I'm gonna have a goal for myself to also pursue a certain dream and an opportunity at that point, but not knowing what I wanted to do. I thought, okay, let me at least. Get my feet wet, get my, um, foot through the door, let me expose myself to other entrepreneurs, to other you know, online businesses, communities of female entrepreneurs, and just learn, observe.
Let me maybe pick up a few skills like that. Regardless of what business I go into, [00:26:00] I'm gonna need, like, marketing for example, right? So I took it as more of like a, an exploration type of stage. And the more I immersed myself in different communities and groups of online businesses and female entrepreneurs, the more I was able to tune in to what are the challenges that they're having and what are they struggling with?
And right away, some of the things that blew me away is there's actually so many parts to running a business like. It is, it is mind blowing that women entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, like the one woman show that we are trying to do it all to start a business from the ground up. And we have to do everything right between all the websites and the branding and the, you know, social media and the marketing and the selling and the creating the products and the customer service.
Like we wear all the hats. And so the. But right away I realized there's like, there's like a bit of a, almost like a gap. Like there's, there is, it's daunting and exhausting and overwhelming to try to do all of this on your own. And then another thing that I actually observed and I saw during this sort of learning stage is [00:27:00] that a lot of women were struggling with the worthiness.
They had a skill, a talent they might have even. Had years of experience before, like maybe they were a web designer working for, uh, a corporate company or an agency for so many years, but then it's time to start their own business. And it's like, it's as if they discount all of the experience that they've had before.
And so they, they're scared to put themselves out there. And so there, I felt like there's also a need to like, help women, lift them up in, in showing them some of that worthiness and helping them, um, to create a safe space to put themselves out there. And so some of these ideas kind of combined gave me this idea of, uh, creating this community for female entrepreneurs where they exchanged their services and expertise with each other to help each other.
Grow their businesses. And so it's an amazing opportunity to flex your own muscle, put yourself out there, um, showcase your own services, get feedback, you know, and, and testimonials as you build your portfolio, but also help fill each other's gaps because we [00:28:00] all have things that we are strong at, and we all have things that we need help with.
And so if we can come together as a community and support one another and help fill each other's gaps, everybody could win. Because also having, coming from the corporate world, I realized how much I took for granted. Having teams to support me all the time and having departments to go to all the time.
And you don't really have that when you're starting out as an entrepreneur, can be a very lonely place. And you find yourself having to figure everything out on your own. And it doesn't have to be that way. Um, and that's kind of how the idea sort of came about. And honestly, I, I just told myself, I ran it by a few idea, a few friends, and they said, that sounds interesting.
And I said, okay, well, the best way to. Started is test it out. Um, and, and I'm so glad that I didn't spend like. Months just building a website or things like that out of the gate and pushed myself to actually put it out there and test it out. I literally, it started out with Facebook posts of going to these Facebook groups of female entrepreneurs and saying, I'm thinking of starting this group for women that are looking to exchange the [00:29:00] services and expertise to help each other.
If you're interested, let me know and. My goal was like, let's find 50 people to, who are committed to the idea and we can explore this I, and, and sort of cap it at that and really test it out. And I got to these 50 people in like a matter of 10 days. So I was really. Um, reassured to see that there was some interest in it as well.
And yeah, after doing a little bit of kind of market research and, um, actually we turned into a quite long market research of several months of nurturing this community and co-creating this community together. Um, I then finally pushed myself to turn it into an actual business and create a membership out of it.
Mel: Amazing. Amazing. So many things. Amazing about that one you're like, I don't know exactly what this is gonna be. I've got this, this idea, I've got this like mindset. We know the overall goal of where we wanna get to. I have no idea if people wanna do this. So I could, I could spend a whole bunch of time filled building a website and doing all these things that so many of us are tempted to do because we worthiness, [00:30:00] right?
Because we're like, I need it to look pretty before I invite someone, or I can just go invite someone. I can just go find 50 people. To do this and the fact that you got that to that in 10 day must be so validating. You're like, yes, okay. There must be something here.
Anna: Right. For sure. It was definitely like, okay, that's.
People are interested in the concept. That's a first good step. Now. Now let's experiment a little bit further. Are people actually exchanging? Are they supporting one another? Is this truly happening? Um, and, and are there opportunities here to benefit, um, one another and to support one another? Um, and don't get me wrong, there've been plenty of people that I ran this idea by.
Especially men who have said what, who's gonna wanna give their time? Like, I'm like, yeah, but you, you're seeing this wrong. It's not giving you time for free. Your time is very valuable and you are getting, um, you're using it almost as a sense of currency to get support in other parts of your business that you might not be able to afford right now, or you might not even know exactly what you need.
[00:31:00] And so it's, it's an exchange, right? It's, it's. Um, it's an exchange of value and it's also very validating to offer your services and see the impact that it has on other people and get that feedback from market research. It's so valuable, especially when you're starting out, or especially when you have a new offer.
And so if you can do that in a safe container right then, then you're flexing that muscle, then you're, you know, you're one step further ahead into like really growing this into a big business. And so, Yeah, I'm glad I didn't listen to some of the people that's, you know, that sort of said that, who would want this idea?
And I just decided, well, you don't know. And I don't know unless we test it out with the right target audience. Right. And that's kind of how this sort of started. I. And even then, you know, at first it started as a, as a free group in, in a free community. And then making this, making the decision to then turn it into a business is a whole other fear and stepping stone in itself too.
Right. Because it's scary, of course. And you question, [00:32:00] are people gonna pay for this now? Um, you know, and how is this gonna work? And so that, that also is a hurdle that that has to be overcome. Right? But, but that's part of like the evolution and that's, All of this are stepping stones into growing that, that business that we are dreaming of and, and stepping into that, um, you know, purpose.
Yes.
Mel: The thing that's coming up for me is this phrase, and I think this is why we have always felt so aligned, because it's a high, it's a very strong value of mine as well, which is collaboration over competition. And that's something that not all people in business and old school, very male focused, uh, business models are not that, you know, we have this fear attached to what if someone steals my idea or what if, you know, they do it.
Yeah, mostly. What if someone steals my idea and why would I give my my things for free? And they're my competition, right? Well instead, you know, I'm, I'm actually part of Anna's [00:33:00] community for people to know. And I love being there and being able to see what people are offering is fantastic and being able to say, yeah, I'll go out there.
Yeah, I might charge X, Y, or Z for my coaching outside of this group, but in this group I wanna exchange my. My things with you. You know, I wanna exchange my time and my energy and my skills and there's some things that I don't know about as much, such as like sales for example. You know, and I go and I learn all these things on these courses expecting, I think a lot of us do in solo entrepreneurship, male or female.
We try to do it all ourself, as you say. And maybe we don't have to, like there's a question you're raising basically. Maybe we don't have to.
Anna: Which I love. Yeah. And, and I think, I think it's a couple things. I think, hey, for sure this group is never meant to in this community. It's, it's never meant to sort of replace the, the.
The business and revenue generating activities a [00:34:00] hundred percent. My whole point is to support women to actually get there faster. Um, it's, it's a stepping stone. It's, it's a, it's part of their strategy. It's part of ways to, um, You know, if you're not fully booked and you have a little bit of capacity if you want to, it's all about just being savvy, right?
It's about using the resources that are at your disposal and accessing experts. It's a way to get help, and it's, and I also see this community, it has evolved in my eyes, at least from what I'm seeing, , to more than just the skill exchanges, right? It's about the sense of community. It's about the sense of support.
It's being in a container with like-minded. People, women who understand what you're going through, who are in the similar stages. We share our experiences, we share our resources. We have masterclass where people, lend their expertise to support the bigger group. And so we get to learn and we get to teach and we get to support.
And we're basically just building our businesses rather than in this like siloed. , Lonely, isolating place, especially when you're doing something [00:35:00] completely new to you. It is so much more helpful to do it in a community and to support one another and to know that you have people that you could turn to for help and to know that also, when you want validation for your own services and your own offers, you also have that space place that's safe space to seek it.
To seek that validation, to seek that support. And so I just think that it's, it's so much more than that. It's a support system and I almost view it as like a bit of an accelerator actually, because you're getting access to resources that you might not be able to afford otherwise right now and would have to spend your time and energy trying to figure out on your own.
And that's not the best time. Or use of your, of your time and your space, right? And so when we, when we get to stay in, in, in that zone of genius, and, and get help with other areas, I think that actually just helps us accelerate our business that much faster.
Mel: It definitely does. It definitely, definitely does.
Um, okay, so I'm gonna start moving us towards finishing this [00:36:00] off. I love everything about Fify. Where can people find out about it?
Anna: You can check out our website at femunify.com. You can check us out on Instagram at, , the handles at fem unify. Those would probably be the best places still growing in all these areas still evolving, right?
, And, and yeah, you can, you can join us there and reach out if you have any questions. I'm happy to support or if there is collaboration opportunities or synergies. Like you said, I'm all about collaboration over competition. We grow so much faster when we lock hands and collaborate and support. One another.
It is very difficult to do this completely on your own, and I wouldn't wish it on anybody. And I also think when we look at the most successful people and the most successful businesses, they have teams, they have powerful networks. , and those are instrumental to getting them to that level of success.
And I think the more that we set ourselves up by having that community, that network that. That [00:37:00] team of different shape, sizes and variations. It doesn't have to look like a fully employed team. It could look like extensions and help and skill exchanges and part-time assistance and things like that. The more we get that help, the more we surround ourselves as community and the network, the more we can just get to that place where our business is thriving.
We are thriving, and we're making the impact that we wanna make.
Mel: Amazing. And something that came to mind there that I just have to share before we finish off is something that I really admire about you, Anna, is as you were saying earlier, you came into this knowing that you wanted to create something and you weren't sure what that was, and you didn't have like a big new invention or a big, you know, grand thing that was yours and that your ego was attached to.
So you said, okay, well what do I need and what community do I need? And you, you went out and built what you need, right? And I think that's really [00:38:00] incredible and really admirable. And for the listeners who are still thinking or maybe thinking the same thing, like, I know I wanna do something more, but I really just don't know what that is.
Tapping into what do you need right now? And maybe other people need it too. And also, Some people don't want to step into the role of like, I'm the big leader of X, Y, and Z and get out there with their face all the time necessarily. And this could be a way for them to, to lead in a more gentler capacity, essentially.
Right? You're a community builder. That's what you're doing here. You're a community builder, and I think it's really in inspiring to see these different ways of creating a business that. Perhaps just tap into some of those fears that us women have. I think in us moms, especially around like, but I don't wanna like go tell everybody my story on Facebook all the time.
Right. About my life or whatever it might be. I don't wanna be the one that's like, I'm the [00:39:00] best. It's like you don't have to be, yeah. Just say, Hey, sure. Let's come
Anna: together essentially. Exactly. Yeah. And I love that you said that because you're right, it was born out of. My own need to sort of get that health and support.
And I always joke that I have the biggest beneficiary of this community because I have just loved connecting with every single member and getting to know them and leaning on them and sharing with them. and it has been instrumental to my own growth. And so, you know, I think. You have to go find that for yourself too, like you said, right?
You don't have to, you don't have to feel like there's this expectation to come up with this, like completely brand new, never been done before, never been said type of idea. Don't, don't put that expectation and pressure on yourself. Just go out there. Do what feels right for you. Do what feels aligned for you.
Get, you know, get creative and do line up the things that you need for yourself, you know, and, and just, and discover your own path, right? And, and then just tune into what feels right and, and pivot along the way, [00:40:00] right? Like the idea also grew and matured and flourished. And, and we, we, you know, we now have master classes and we now have events.
It didn't start like that before, right? So it's something we actually co-created it with a community. Right. And now, and now we're evolving. So just also don't expect to be like 10 years down the road, right when you're just starting out. Just accept that it's gonna be a journey and take it step by step.
You know, building block by, building block and, and just pursue your dreams and follow your heart.
Mel: Exactly. And I'm chuckling over here because my brain goes in like I'm an eighties child, right? So it goes in and you're like, pivot. I'm like, pivot, pivot episode in the, in the sofa. But, , but you know, that's actually a really good metaphor for exactly as you say, what we need to be doing.
It's like, try, pivot, try pivot, try pivot. And it will be funny sometimes, and it'll be frustrating sometimes, and it'll get stuck in the corner sometimes, but eventually the sofa will get through. Right. Yeah. In one way or [00:41:00] another. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Hopefully we don't have to like cut it in that first, but Yeah.
Maybe you do. Who
Anna: knows. Yeah. Maybe then you create two of different couches, you know?
Mel: Exactly, exactly. Amazing. , I was gonna ask you for any top tips, but that may well be it for anybody that's listening, that may have a, a dream inside them that they already know what it is, or someone who is like, You were, and like I, I know I want something more.
It's there. I can't see it, but yeah. What is it?
Anna: Yeah. The only thing I would just say is honor that voice inside and that fire inside. You wouldn't be having this idea or this thought unless it was meant for you to have and to explore. You wouldn't be listening right now to this podcast unless you had some sense of curiosity about what else is out there, right?
So just honor that part of you that is in this space and in this journey, and trust also that the right thing will come to you at the right time and trust the [00:42:00] journey. Don't put pressure on yourself to know everything that you need to know, to have everything figured out, to have your idea fully.
Fleshed out, it's okay not to know. It's okay to not have a sense of direction. Just trust yourself and take action to just take the next immediate step. You don't have to see the whole road ahead. Just take the next immediate step and know that the next step after that will reveal itself and the next step after that will reveal itself.
And yeah, just don't put all that same pressure. Tune in to yourself, follow that dream, and trust yourself and take action. Amazing.
Mel: What a perfect place to end. Thank you so much for joining us, Anna. Everybody go and check out from Femunify, join the community. Don't do this alone.
Anna: Thank you so much, Mel it's been such a pleasure.
I have loved,, just chatting with you and thank you so much also for sharing your message, for building the supportive, encouraging space for women with big audacious dreams. Your work is so important and I'm just so grateful to be a guest here.
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/Wow. [00:43:00] Just, wow. It is so amazing to hear. Anna talk all about her dreams and how she got there. And I hope that you found this really inspiring and can connect with the fact that she didn't know what she was doing either and each and every day, she adapts and builds upon what came the day before. And I hope that you feel that that's something that you can do.
As well, please do check out Anna, over at fem unify that's F E M U N I F Y. Dot com and on the various social media. Platforms. It's a pretty amazing community that she's building and I highly, highly recommend. Giving it a join.
And as always, if you have enjoyed this podcast, Send it to a friend, get them to listen to, we are a new podcast and we want to get out there far and wide because these [00:44:00] stories and this. Information that we're sharing here. That is impacting you. We need that to impact as many people as possible. So share widely.
Of course come and check us out as well over at permission to be human on Facebook and Instagram. And say hello. I want to hear what you think of these podcasts and how they're impacting you and your life and even better. What else do you want to hear about what questions do you have that would help you move forward with your big audacious dreams?
As always. You fully have permission to be human and permission to be you. See you soon.
