Selling Without Sacrifice: Sustainable Business Growth for Entrepreneurs

Hey friend, if selling what you do has started to feel like a performance you can't keep up with, I created something for you. It's called Rooted Sales, a free 5-day private audio series for creatives, coaches, and women living with chronic illness who want to sell in a way that actually feels safe, sustainable, and true. Each day you'll get a 5 to 8 minute voice note delivered straight to your inbox, and you'll be added to our private group signal chat with nervous system friendly shifts soft journal prompts, and one doable micro action a day. This is where you'll get coaching and access to support in a way that feels good. We'll cover things like why your current strategy feels so hard and how to stop building the hard way, how to reconnect with your story so people trust you without you trying so hard, and how to show up even when you're tired, flaring, or offline for days. This isn't surface-level mindset fluff. This is for the woman who's craving a version of business that fits her body and her capacity and energy. You can build something profitable and peaceful without burning out. Let this be your gentle reset. Click the link in the show notes or DM me @rooted on Instagram to join us for free. No pressure, just one clear grounded step at a time. See you there.

Welcome to Business with Chronic Illness, the globally ranked podcast for women living with chronic illness who want to start and grow a business online. I'm your host, Nikita Williams, and I went from living a normal life to all of a sudden being in constant pain with no answers to being diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses and trying to make a livable income. I faced the challenge of adapting traditional business advice to fit my unique circumstances with chronic illness. Feeling frustrated and more burned out than I already was while managing my chronic illness to becoming an award-winning coach with a flexible, sustainable online coaching business. I found the surprisingly simple steps to starting and growing a profitable business without compromising my health or my peace.

Since then, I've helped dozens of women just like you learn how to do the same.

If you're ready to create a thriving business that aligns with your lifestyle and well-being, you're in the right place. Together, we're shifting the narrative of what's possible for women with chronic illness and how we make a living. This is Business with Chronic Illness.

We're going to be talking about working with chronic illness as an entrepreneur and working with chronic illness in general, whether you are working a 9 to 5 or you have a W-2. And you're trying to decide whether or not you are going to start a side hustle, or maybe you've been thrown in the cusp of needing to work for yourself because of losing your job, leaving your job, exiting your job, whatever the case may be, and you're finding that you're not really sure how traditional business advice is going to be able that's going to be sustainable for you living with chronic illness. And you might be already feeling tired, you might be already feeling fatigued, you might be already feeling like, I have consumed so much information and I'm not even sure I am who I am anymore because I'm trying to do everything, quote unquote, right. This episode's for you. You're going to hear me say something that I have said 1,000 bajillion times on the show. It's not your fault. We have been put in a system where the conditioning around how we do work is built on always on, being always on, quote unquote, like quote unquote, always being on. An ableist assumption that vigor and strength is infinite or it needs to be. And therefore, if you aren't, you aren't the, you can't succeed, right? And when you're navigating chronic illness, that, that with that in mind, with that system in mind, and you're receiving, you know, I wanna say like you're receiving coaching or ideas or strategy with that being kind of, kind of the foundation of how people view business, that taxes your nervous system before your marketing even starts. Even hits— before you even hit publish, right? So before you even do the thing. So no wonder you're feeling exhausted and you feel like conversions aren't happening, like you aren't getting clients. You're doing everything right though. You're showing up on social media, you're doing the blog posts, you're doing the podcast interviews, you're doing the marketing on all the platforms, you're doing reels and carousels, you're doing TikToks, you've decided, oh, I don't want to do social media anymore, so I'm going to just focus on long-form content. Now you're doing all of that. You're starting a YouTube, you're being on Substack, you're doing LinkedIn. You started a business most likely not to be a quote-unquote marketer, but to be a creative, to be a coach, to help people to do something right. And part of the job is being quote unquote a marketer. And in that space, the key piece that often I have found that slips out of the door the quickest is you, your expertise, your sparkle, your dazzle, if you will, goes out of the door because we go into, I am not a marketer. And so I need someone to tell me how to do a thing right. And we don't bring us into the picture. We heavily rely on what other people say will work, and it's not that it doesn't work, but the key that's missing is that people are missing teaching people how to bring themselves, who they are, their energy, into a thing. And on top of that, if you're living with chronic illness, there's this underlining expectation that the way we run our businesses to quote unquote sell and market is coming from this space of being able to just push through and sacrifice until you've paid your dues. And that model doesn't work for the majority and it doesn't work for the minority either. But that's the idea, right? With AI coming into the scene, and it is in the scene, it's not even coming, it is fully here, y'all. AI is here. It is not just coming, it's not trickling, it is here. And you might be even more seeing content that sounds like everybody else. Everyone's using a strategy or whatever, and it's all starting to sound the same. It's starting to look the same, it's starting to do the same. The challenge is going to be, how are you bringing you to the thing? Because no matter how many robots there are, there's going to be a part of your energy how you show up, who you are, your values, your story, your lived experiences that are going to make the difference of supporting and building a community for your business. And it doesn't have to be a non-nervous system friendly way, right? Here's the thing. Traditional business advice is built on, as I mentioned before, an always-on body. Just be able to do things all of the time. But when you're navigating chronic illness, that model does not support your nervous system for sustainable growth for yourself or for your business. And because of that, and because you have disconnected from yourself in that way, you're not making sales because you're disconnected from your message, your energy, and your unique point of view. So even in the view of using AI to support you in your business, if you are not connected to your message, your energy, and your unique point of view, you're not going to convert. You're not going to convert. So strategy of not connecting back to you does not help you create the results. Okay, so here's why you feel tired and unheard. Your nervous system is overloaded. Hustle hacks spike cortisol and focus nosedives. This is scientifically how and why you are feeling tired and unheard. Your nervous system is overloaded. There is potentially some internalized ableism. I should be productive at all times whispers guilt every time you rest, every time you're feeling tired, every time you take a break. There's an internal ableism of I should be productive all of the time. I should be doing all of the time. And then there's what I'm gonna call the, the template tangle, layering everyone else's voice into doing a strategy so that it converts. It's actually silencing you. What's yours? What makes the thing actually convert? So how does this look like in real time? You've bought the co— you've bought the courses, you're posting, You're showing up to show up. You're using AI and those templates and repurposing content. You're doing all the right things, but the sales are still slow, the clarity still cloudy. And maybe if you're really honest, you're even kind of bored a little bit with what you're creating. It doesn't even sound like you anymore. Your business doesn't feel like you, doesn't feel like it aligns with your values anymore. It's a thing. It's a quote unquote J-O-B.. And you, maybe you want a J-O-B, maybe you want a job, but do you want this job to affect your nervous system in a way where you can't create sustainable growth? So this is not a strategy problem. A lot of you are looking to solve this with a strategy, a, a go-to, an AI prompt, a da da da da da, but you've lost your voice and that is the problem., and I say this with like knowing I have clients that have experienced this. I have gone through this multiple times and I feel like there's not people talking about this enough. That's where I want to help you, but I wanna also like round into some research that I've been doing specifically about working with chronic illness because there isn't a lot of people talking about this and you might be feeling completely alone in this process. This because you're thinking, I'm not doing enough. But here's what I want you to keep some numbers in mind. This is from different places of research that I've done. A lot of this that I'm going to share with you comes from the Harvard Business Survey Working with Chronic Illness. Uh, it was a really interesting survey that collected, I believe, over 200 people for this survey. And there is already just not enough research when it comes to living with chronic illness and making a living working. But we're gonna take what we have. 60% of US adults already manage at least one chronic health condition. And Long COVID, since COVID happened, will push this higher. There is still, maybe there's still some research being done on this, let's hope. But back in, in 2021, that was the information that we were seeing. So 60% of US adults already manage at least one chronic health condition. And after or during COVID we know that there is a chronic condition connected to long COVID that's adding to this. So this is something to keep in mind. Your chronic illness isn't a niche. It's half the talent pool that's out there in business or even in the workplace. So strategies that demand uninterrupted effort are already kind of crazy and obsolete. It doesn't make sense because we're all human. The majority of us are navigating that. People with disabilities are nearly twice as likely to be self-employed. 10.6% of US small business owners identify as disabled. So flexibility is why many of us start businesses, yet most business models, a 24/7 hustle, which is crazy because again, the majority of those of us starting a business are looking for flexibility in the way that we run our business. Here's something that I thought was really interesting in the concept of thinking about, can you make a living as a person living with chronic illness, building a business and having, you know, being an entrepreneur? The global disability market controls $13 trillion in disposable income. So this was taken from the sba.gov. So building access isn't charity, it's smart growth. So for those of us struggling with charging what we you need to charge and making prices that are sustainable, keep $13 trillion in disposable income at— in mind. Okay. And lastly, mental health has a huge effect. There was a— in Psychology Today, UCF study where it says entrepreneurs are significantly more prone to anxiety, depression, and loneliness than general population. And I would say just from me talking to so many women with chronic illness illness, this is an added piece to the fact that you live with chronic illness. We are already more prone to have struggles with our mental health and our load with that. And so the, just the fact of being an entrepreneur can double that load. So burnout for those of us who feel like burnout and feeling exhausted and dealing with all of the mental load of what's going on in your personal life and life and living with chronic illness and being an entrepreneur who feel like it is a personal failing when you quote unquote can't keep up. Burnout isn't a moral feeling. It's a predictable side effect of the founder role amplified when you're also managing a body that's negotiating pain, that's needing more rest. So we have to find another way, right? And so in our attempt to try to find another way, many of us have gone so far that we've disconnected from the thing that actually helps businesses grow, the most, like the fastest and the most, I would say, sustainable way is your genius, your story, your strengths. And so that's why I created Rooted Sales. I've been in this journey personally recently trying to figure out in my new normal, because I've got new things going on with my health and my energy and my capacity and trying to figure out a way to be able to support clients and also build sustainably and keep true to my values and my strengths. And after weeks of pain and fog, I finally had a moment of clarity and I realized I didn't want to create another webinar or Zoom-style workshop challenge kind of thing. I wanted to create something live but low pressure and something supportive. And going back to that key point about mental health load, I wanted to really even more so lean into the community aspect that we are all needing because of the journey we've decided to be on as an entrepreneur. And then also living with chronic illness. That's, that's not something we choose, but at being an entrepreneur and working for ourselves and starting a business and being our own founders and CEOs, we need community to hold space for what the nuance of that looks like. So, That brought me to, I want something more supportive and just deep, something that brings you back to your own voice, your own message, your own values, and the sales that come when you finally feel like yourself again and you convert with more ease. And you can use those tools like the AI and the templates and all of those things without removing the most important part that makes those things work, which is you. So I created Rooted Sales. It's a 5-day live audio series delivered in a private Signal chat along with inbox access to this, where you will rebuild your sales rhythm from the inside out. So who is this for and what is it? This is for you if you feel like your content used to hit and now it doesn't. You're tired of pushing strategies that don't feel like you. You're doing all the things, quote unquote, but still not making consistent sales or sales at all, or you're not converting, and you're craving more peace in your process and more profit with less burnout. Each day in this 5-day Rooted series, I'll share one short, powerful voice note live to help you reconnect with yourself and your sales and your business. And your why and your values, you'll walk away knowing exactly how to start showing up again, rooted in your story and values, not just the strategy. And this is going to apply even if you have decided, I don't wanna be on social platforms anymore. I want to be in person doing, you know, events. We're gonna bring you back into the mix of this. And yes, we're gonna talk about the role of AI and what that plays into all this, because if you've been using AI and still feel exhausted and Or you're resisting it, it's because you feel like you don't wanna lose yourself even more, and that's why you're resisting AI, or that's why you've been using AI because you feel like you've lost yourself in some way. You're trying to chase it and find it and hope there's a quick fix for it, but AI can't help you find you, you. Okay, so this series is especially on that first day. It's gonna be helpful for you. This matters now because you don't need more to do. So many of us are like scrambling and trying to learn all this stuff and trying to do more, but you need to really reconnect with what makes you different because that's what is selling and has always sold. But even more so now, we are in a new era of marketing. People don't buy based on just value anymore, they buy based on emotional resonance, vibing on alignment on your story and on connection based on values. This isn't just a feel-good experience. This strategy, if you will, is rooted in you understanding you and bringing you to the table. Because when you're connected to you, sales actually get easier. Sales convert. People are attracted to you. You become a magnet because people trust what feels real. Okay, so if you're ready to try something different, if you want to sell with peace in your body and profit in your business, if you're craving honest growth and sustainable growth, not more noise and not a larger to-do list, then I want you to join me for Rooted Sales. We're going to talk about a couple of different things that I am incorporating inside of my program Chronically You and Profitable. I have redone the curriculum completely in a lot of different ways and added some more clarity and the importance of connecting to the real you and how to incorporate that in however you're showing up in your business in person, online, using long-form content, which is my favorite place to do this, and how it makes it easier for you to build a sustainable growing business along with creating community along the way. So we start June 23rd in the live chat and in the email on June 23rd. You wanna join Rooted Sales. You can actually go in the show notes right now and join. So I hope this episode kind of gave you some hope in how you can decide to show up in your business. And also in your life, you know, we've read a lot of books about, you know, how businesses in times of change and shift really evolve, right? We all have to evolve, but I have seen you can evolve, but you still have values and things that matter for you, lived experiences that really are part of who you are. And if you're not leaning into those things, if you're not leaning into your strength and trying to feel how to leverage and amplify those things, and you're just taking on everybody else's coat, if you will, it's harder to see how you can succeed because you're just going to be like everybody else. And for those of us living with chronic illness, we aren't, but we are, right? We kind of are. We all are trying to figure out how to do this sustainably, but we don't have to do it alone. We don't have to do it at the expense of our health and our happiness. You can find a way, and this is going to help you. So I hope you join us. Inside of Rooted Sales. Each day I'll share one short, powerful voice note live to help you reconnect with yourself and your sales. You'll walk away knowing exactly how to start showing up again, rooted in your story and your values, not just the strategy. I am so excited for this. It's been a while since I've done something live like this, and I know the women who join us are going to walk away feeling more seen, more supported, and more ready than ever to. So come on in, let's root your sales and self-trust and make the money you want without losing yourself in the process. I'll see you inside. Go to the show notes and join us. We already have a pretty nice posse growing here, and I hope you continue to lean in and learn more.

That's a wrap for this episode of Business with Chronic Illness. If you would like to start and grow an online coaching business with me, head to the show notes to click a link to book a sales call and learn how to make money with chronic illness. You can also check out our website at www.craftedtothrive.com for this episode's show notes and join our email list to get exclusive content where I coach you on how to chronically grow a profitable business while living with chronic illness. Until next time, remember, yes, you are crafted to thrive.

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