#437 20 Things I've Learned in 20 Years of Online Business

Welcome to Kingdom Writers, where we help equip and empower Christian writers of all genres to share your unique gifts with the world. We're your hosts, C.J. and Shelley Hitz.

This podcast is filled with spiritual encouragement as well as prayers to help you overcome the resistance you face as a writer. Your story matters.

Hey Kingdom Writers, it's Shelly Hits here, one of your hosts of the Kingdom Writers Podcast. And today we have a really special episode for you. We are celebrating 20 years in online business, and so I'm going to share 20 things I learned in 20 years of online business. And it's been both challenges and blessings. But through it all, God has taught me so much. So as I reflect on the last two decades, let's me share a few lessons with you. But to celebrate this milestone, we're giving away our Kingdom Writers book for free from December 17th through the 19th, 2024. So go ahead and grab your free copy@trainingauthors.com book no coupon code is needed. We'll just lower the price during this time. So go ahead and grab your copy and make sure to share with your writing friends. So let's get into these 20 different practical as well as spiritual lessons that I've learned. So, number one is obedience doesn't come with a shortcut. And when God calls you to something, it doesn't mean the road will be smooth or easy. In fact, it's often the opposite. But his faithfulness never fails, and the journey is always worth it when you trust him step by step. Number two, turn your fear into fuel. So this sounds a little bit dramatic, but I really used to be deathly afraid of finances and numbers, but I've learned to embrace them. Books like Profit first and tools like a weekly Cash flow Spreadsheet have turned my fear into confidence and clarity. Number three, Closed doors are often divine detours. So sometimes what looks like a closed door is really God saying, no, not yet. Because I tried to sell Christian Book Academy, our signature membership for kingdom writers like yourself. I tried to sell it twice and both times I got zero offers. Nothing. Not a zilch. Instead, God gave me a renewed passion for it and told me he was not done with CJ and I in this role. But now I would not dream of selling it. And so it's just so interesting how God works. Number four, this mission is not for the faint of heart. Owning a business is definitely one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced. It takes more time, energy and patience than I ever imagined. But yet the rewards of obedience and Perseverance far outweigh the cost. 5. Start scared, but start anyway. You don't have to feel ready to start. Some of my greatest breakthroughs came when I stepped out in fear but trusted God to guide me. Like when I quit my physical therapy job in 2011 and we stepped out in faith, it was so scary, but God really worked it all out. Number six, Small wins can yield big momentum. So celebrate the small wins. They do build momentum. Whether it's writing one chapter or making one sell, every step forward matters. Number seven, pay attention to your growth curve. Investing in yourself and your growth is not optional, it's necessary. Courses, coaches and communities have been some of the best investments I've ever made. And some of them were very big sacrifices. I remember when I invested in my first coach in 2014. It was a huge investment and sacrifice and especially because CJ and I don't live on credit cards at this point. You know, we have had credit cards in the past and, you know, just didn't make good decisions. And so we paid them off and we decided no more. And so if we don't have the money, we don't purchase something. And so it was a big sacrifice, but it really helped to move our business forward. Number eight, your ministry matters more than you know. Your calling isn't just about you. It's about the lives you're called to impact. So never underestimate the ripple effect of obedience. And I truly believe CJ and I won't truly fully the ripple effect of our own obedience and our sacrifices that we've made over the years for this ministry and this business until we reach heaven, we don't know like all the people we helped to publish books who whose lives their books impacted and so forth. So, number nine, God's clock runs differently than yours. So be patient with God's timing. I've learned the hard way that his plans often unfold a lot slower than I'd like, but always in ways better than I could imagine. I always want things to go fast. I'm a get it done type girl. But God has really taught me over the years to have patience and to realize that sometimes, you know, the prayers that he doesn't. Answers answer in the way I want are actually his protection or his provision for us in different ways. Number 10, tame the chaos with simple systems. Systems save time and sanity. Whether it's a content calendar, a to do list app, or automated workflows, systems are your best friend. I often say systems are my secret sauce. And this is the way that I'm able to get so much done. People are always like, shelley, how do you do all these things? Well, first of all, I do have a team now. But second of all, we have a lot of systems, and those systems help me to be productive and effective for the kingdom of God. In this current assignment that we're in, number 11, don't underestimate the power of prayer. So God is doing things all the time in your business. So every launch, every decision, every plan starts best when it starts with him. And with business meetings with God, praying and journaling and asking him for the next steps. Number 12, stay in your lane and shine. Bright comparison is truly a creativity killer. God has given you a unique voice and message, so stay faithful to your calling and not someone else's. Number 13, let go to level up. Delegation is a game changer. As I already mentioned, we have a team. And bringing others into your business, whether a team member or a tool, frees you to focus on what only you can do. And this has made a huge difference in our business, especially the last 10 years. Number 14, your testimony is your superpower. Never be afraid to share your story. It's the one thing no one else has, and it can be the key to unlocking someone else's breakthrough. Number 15, God's math always works out. God provides in unexpected ways, and he has shown up in our finances and time and time again when we chose to step out in faith. We have so many stories and so many that we probably have already forgotten about how God has provided. Like I said, we don't live on credit, even with our business. And so if we don't have it, then we don't buy it. And, you know, we have had to really make a lot of sacrifices. But over the years, and when I really look back, it wasn't like a huge sacrifice. You know, we didn't always get what we wanted, but we always got what we needed. And number 16, rest. To run again. Rest isn't just a nice idea, it's a necessity. So building regular rhythms of rest into your life is key to staying healthy and productive in the long run. I really hit burnout. I hit a wall in 2017, and God taught me so much through that, and I realized I really wasn't taking a Sabbath. And so since then I have been doing that and really learning these rhythms of rest, and it's allowed me to keep going. I don't think I really would be this today if I wouldn't have learned that lesson. Faith grows in the FOG is number 17. The seasons where things felt the most unclear were often when my faith grew the deepest. Trust him even when you can't see the next step. When we first moved to Colorado Springs, we were so excited because we have a view of Pikes Peak from our condo. And there was a day that I woke up and it was the first day that it was completely cloudy and like you literally could not see see the mountains. It was like they were gone. Poof. They were erased from the landscape. And God spoke to my heart in that moment. Like Shelly, Even though you can't see the mountains, you know they're still there. And even though you're going through a difficult time and you can't feel my presence or hear my voice, I am still with you. And I am going to help you and lead you and guide you. And so he has, he has just been with me and with us every step of the way. Number 18, anchor in your why when the waves hit. So when your challenges come, your why will keep you going. For me, it's always about helping Kingdom writers fulfill their God given calling. Because when you're doing that and you're living out your calling, that's when things are going to happen for eternity that I could never do on my own. So that's such an exciting thing. Number 19. God is faithful always. Every challenge, pivot and opportunity has been marked by his faithfulness. He's never failed to lead me when I sought his guidance. And finally, number 20. The journey is the reward. So it's easy to focus on the destination. Both CJ and I are goal oriented people, but the real treasure is in the journey. The lessons learned, the people impacted, the faith grown and that's what makes it all, all worthwhile. So I hope that these lessons encourage and inspire you in your own journey. Whether you're just starting out or you've been at this for years, know that God is with you every step of the way. And as we're celebrating 20 years in online business this week, I encourage you go grab your free copy of the Kingdom Writers book where it's going to be free from December 17th through 19th, 2024. And it's our gift to you. So go ahead and get it@trainingauthors.com book and if you already have copy, share this free offer with your writing friends so that they can also be encouraged and get their free copy of the book. So I'm so excited to be on this journey with you and I cannot wait to see what the next 20 years have in store as God continues His faithfulness. All right friends, we will talk to you soon and thank you for being on this journey with us. Would you like more and more? If you are enjoying this podcast but want more, I have something exciting to share with you. We have released what's called a private podcast. So a private podcast you will not find by searching an apple. You have to know specifically how to subscribe to it. It's more private and exclusive and it just can be more relaxed behind the scenes. And my new private podcast is called Hit Blitz and it's wisdom for writers that you're gonna learn from my 18 plus years of experience in publishing and online marketing so that you can move forward in God's call to write. I am best known for injecting energy and enthusiasm into everything I do and inspiring those around me to take action. So I encourage you to listen in to this exclusive private podcast. It is free. Free. 100% free. You don't have to pay for it. And be prepared to be inspired by my next Hits Blitz. So you can sign up at training authors.com forward/hits blitz and if you have any other writing friends that you think could benefit from it, definitely share it with them. They can go to the same link trainingauthors.com hitsblit to get access. Again, this is a private podcast so you cannot get access to it any other way. It's completely free. All you have to do is sign up and then you'll get all the information on how to add it to your podcast player of choice. So I can't wait for you to join me over there. I share a lot of things behind the scenes and more content just in a real time basis. So it's more like chatting with a friend or following someone on stories on social media. Except you don't have to get caught up in any of the algorithms. You'll just have this in your podcast player and be able to listen in wherever your at whatever you're doing. Some of the listeners told me this week that they were listening while waiting in the Target parking lot, while brushing their teeth. You can fit this into the pockets of time that you have. So I hope you'll join me. Come over to trainingauthors.com hitsbullitz if you're ready to take a step of faith and finally finish your book, we have a few ways we can help you. First of all, you can join our Free Writing Week challenge to create a writing habit in just 15 minutes a day. Free. Thousands of writers have taken this over the years and it is incredible the progress that you'll see. So join us@writingweek.com and again, this is completely free. Inside our Book Writing Lab workshop. You can choose your book topic, write an outline and create a writing plan in just 90 minutes so you'll finally feel confident that you'll actually finish your book. Get started@bookwritinglab.com and finally you can get more support and personalized feedback from myself and our team by joining Christian Book Academy because the honest truth is most writers stay stuck and never finish their first draft. But inside Christian Book Academy we help you partner with God to write your book so you can become a published author. So finally ditch your self doubt and take a step of faith so you can finish your book. Join Christian book academy@christianbookacademy.com and get 50% off your first month by using the Coupon Code podcast at checkout. There's a special coupon code for our podcast listeners. We love you. So come over to ChristianBookAcademy.com, use the coupon Code podcast and we look forward to working closely with you.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Kingdom Writers. We believe that you, as a Christian writer have a specific role to play in the Kingdom of Heaven to impact lives for eternity.

And because of this, we choose to pour out our lives into encouraging writers like you to not only tell your stories, but to take the courageous step of self publishing your stories in books that will outlive you and leave behind a powerful legacy. This podcast is sponsored by Christian Book Academy where we help you give birth to your books. We invite you to join our community of Kingdom writers.