From Burnout to Balance: Reclaiming Your Entrepreneurial Spirit with Maegan Megginson

Narrator: [: 00:00:00

Peter: welcome.

e Ask Brian Radio Show on KHS: 1220

We have our host Peter. [00:01:00] We have our co-host Tracy. There's no Brian there. Where, where, where did Brian come from? Anyway, we do have. The resident e expert, Tracy, if she's there. She's going to try to explain why Brian is spelled with an E. Because when we went to school, hold on. When we went to school, Brian was spelled B R I A N or B R Y A N.

But the only Brian, B R I A N, was the O'Briens down the street. The Irish people who used to go to the pub or eat potatoes. Well,

Traci: I knew you were going to bring up a pub because you just got back from London and my guess is that you visited many a pub, my friend.

tional engineer. Hello, Jen! [: 00:02:00

First, of course, but then the second most important, uh, part of the ease and our experience here on the Ask Brian radio show.

Peter: My ego? Oh.

Traci: No. Your ego is always at play. Today is no different. Tomorrow won't be any different. I'm sure yesterday wasn't any different. But the other element that is consistent, as consistent as your ego is our experts.

a year, that would take you [: 00:03:00

But come on startups. We know that's not happening. Everybody starting a business better strap in if they haven't already from doing a little bit more than 40 hours a week. And so yeah, three years, maybe we could, we could accelerate that this year for me, even though I'm not a startup anymore, I feel like it's.

Happened in one year. So whatever, um, and speaking of that, I think, um, Peter, although you lack a certain amount of empathy, what is that you could,

Peter: what's empathy?

Traci: Yeah, exactly. I just want you to know you're giving me some You'd be giving me some empathy because I have a torn tendon in my left bicep and it has made my energy very low because I've had to do everything one handed recently.

And you didn't know that because you were traveling abroad having, you know, living your best life. But, I just wanted you to know I need a little empathy from you

Peter: today. The injury did not happen at the office, correct?

Traci: I think it did [: 00:04:00

Peter: covered by workers comp percent

Traci: go ahead. Yes, it is.

There is no scenario where that would be feasible now. So unfortunately, probably. But anyway, okay. So we have such a great guest that I just wanted to let you know. Want to say that I'm very enthusiastic about our guests. How are you feeling? EXCITEMENT!

Peter: As Sam Kinsella said. Wow. That wasn't as strong as you usually do. Well that's because No no

Traci: no no no! Don't say that! I thought it was great!

Peter: Hey! Don't give him a second chance. That's because I got back from London. at 3 30 in the morning and I'm still kind of like, okay, that's the key. That's what we need to do.

Send me every week. Send me out coming back on Wednesday nights.

re onto something here, Jen. [: 00:05:00

And we're going to talk even more about the challenges and hurdles of entrepreneurs facing. And, um, she is going to talk to us about how to start a business. Avoid being burned out and really embrace rest. So, I'm thinking like, let's just get on with this party because it's a conversation we need to have, but I'm pretty sure there's one more E that I always like to share, but I don't want to share that until Peter like really presents it in the beautiful way he always does every show.

Peter: Well, except you can't see me, but I can go, Grease lightning is. Electrifying

Traci: and so are we! All right, well

Peter: there are a couple [: 00:06:00

But before we do, and without any further Adieu. A D I E U. I love that word because it has, what does it have? Just one consonant, all those vowels. All right. So our guest today is Megan. Megan, you there? Yes. Hi. All right. You survived. All right. You know, half the people just I survived. Half the people just run out the door.

Oh my God. I can't deal with that. What is going on here? Anyway. So Megan, first of all, before we get into what you're currently working on, we want to know, just know who you are. So we want to know, give us a little bit of a background. We don't need to know from kindergarten on, but basically once you started working, give us a little background summary.

Thanks.

Maegan Megginson: Yeah, [: 00:07:00

Uh, and decided along the way that I, I was feeling called to work with business owners. This was around the time I had actually started to expand my therapy practice. If I hired other therapists, it became An agency with an agency model, and I loved the business building side of things so much that I decided to hang up my hat as a therapist and pivot into the business coaching space on for quite a few years.

red that I was actually less [: 00:08:00

Peter: And so when did you make that pivot?

ivot really started for me in: 2018

Peter: So are they called clients or patients for you?

r practicing as a therapist. [: 00:09:00

So hanging up that therapist hat, uh, has really allowed me to open myself up to more flexible and diverse ways of working. Um, and, and it's important to note with people who are coming to me, Hey, I'm not your therapist. I'm not your therapist. You need a therapist. It's not me. Uh, but what I am bringing into our work together is an understanding of emotional health of relationships.

So I'm able to bring to the table, uh, two business conversations, elements, and, uh, layers of, of nuance and depth that most strategic business coaches aren't as familiar with.

Peter: So when you, do you, who's your client? Is your client a business owner or is it a company?

Maegan Megginson: Great question. My clients are business owners.

y clients are, um, you know, [: 00:10:00

Peter: And so if you took on a new client, well, first of all, how do you, how do you find your clients?

Maegan Megginson: I, uh, I find my clients primarily through email marketing, so I, my newsletter is my main form of, um, content creation, if you will. It's my main form of, of communicating and curating an audience. We just launched a podcast actually a couple of months ago called Deeply Rested.

the newsletter. And when the [: 00:11:00

Peter: So if somebody wants to sign up for the newsletter from today's show, how would they go about that?

Maegan Megginson: deeplyrested. com slash newsletter.

Peter: Deeplyrested. com. Yep, deeplyrested. com slash newsletter will take you right to the signup page for the newsletter. Super, super. And about currently, how many clients do you have?

Maegan Megginson: Oh, that's a great question. You know, I work with people in lots of different capacities. We have, uh, paid client communities.

So groups that I facilitate. We have some free groups. We facilitate that. I have a handful of private clients that I work with one on, uh, deep rest retreat as part of our offering. So these are in person five day gatherings. Business owners come together and I guide them through this process. Um, and then we also have a number of groups that are on retreat.

[: 00:12:00

Peter: And is, are you doing this remotely or is this being done in your office? Or most of it's

Maegan Megginson: remote. Yeah, most of most of my work is virtual. So I'm located in Portland, Oregon. So when I happen to connect with a client who lives locally, Uh, it's a treat to be able to connect to work together in person.

Obviously, the retreat, five day retreats are always in person gatherings. Uh, and everything else happens via Zoom.

Peter: And are these retreats in Portland, Oregon, or do you do them outside of Portland?

Maegan Megginson: All over the place right now. Our next retreat, which is happening at the just a couple weeks here at the end of October, will be at a retreat facility just outside of Portland.

Next year, we're hoping to branch out and host retreats in different parts of the country as well.

gn up or how does that work? [: 00:13:00

Maegan Megginson: So I, you know, I'm a big believer that as a business owner, we need to be doing what works for us first and foremost.

It's one of my big beliefs that my, my business is, it's for me first and my clients second. That's a major tenant that I, I work with, with my clients too. How can you make your business really work for you? And something I've learned about myself over the last couple decades of, you know, being in the business space is that I don't like doing the same thing in the same way for too long.

Uh, I need variety. I need things to, to change and evolve sometimes rather rapidly. So I'm really intentional about not, um, narrowing myself and, and packages, uh, that kind of keep me locked into a certain way of working for a long time. So I, I tend to change up my offerings seasonally, just kind of checking in with myself.

ight. And with who does this [: 00:14:00

And that feels great. And next year, I'm anticipating that we're going to move towards more group offerings. So more facilitated group experiences. And I like to keep it fresh and do what feels right. So

Peter: what can a business owner expect after the first 30 days of working with you?

Maegan Megginson: Mmm, that's such a good question.

I think it depends, kind of like when you go to therapy, right? It depends, what you get out in the first 30 days really depends on what you're bringing to the work that we're doing together. My, the way that I work as a mentor, Um, it isn't a one size fits all approach. It is not heavily curriculum based.

col nor the same recipe. I'm [: 00:15:00

But at the end of that 30 days, I really want you to be feeling more connected to yourself and a little bit clearer about what the real questions and problems are that you want to answer and solve.

Peter: So this seems partly business, but partly personal, right? I mean, you're dealing with, you're dealing

Maegan Megginson: with

Peter: both aspects, right?

py part of it, or are you to [: 00:16:00

Maegan Megginson: That's a great question, Paul. I'll answer that in two ways. First, yes, I'm a big believer that the line between professional and personal is often quite arbitrary. Right? We're taught that our businesses are these things that exist separate from us. And if you own a huge company, that might be true. But for most people who are small business owners, when it's just you or you and a small team, your business really is an extension of who you are.

And your business is the vehicle that's going to help you live the life. So I believe that the more we can erase that line between professional and personal and really blend who we are and what we need with the businesses that we're creating, the happier we're going to be as business owners. So erasing that line, bringing the personal into the professional is a key component to the work that I'm doing with business owners.

ould require a therapist. So [: 00:17:00

Peter: That was great. Tracy, you're on. He's really

Traci: presenting some really great, thoughtful, considerate content for us to ponder over today. And I want to dig in a little bit deeper on, you know, there's probably not an entrepreneur listening to this live radio show or the replay on the podcast. That isn't saying, am I burned out?

do you need like a full on, [: 00:18:00

Maegan Megginson: to pay attention to for ourselves.

Yeah, absolutely. Well, first of all, I want to say that, you know, these titles, these labels, at the day, they're all pretty arbitrary. You don't feel good in your business, regardless of where you are on the burnout spectrum. It's worth paying attention to, and it's worth kind of slowing down and really examining What's going on?

Because like I said earlier, I want your business to work for you. I want your business to serve you in your entire life in a really holistic way. And if you are fatigued, stressed, angry, resentful, whatever the case may be, something is off and it needs attention. So I just want to say that as the disclaimer.

burnout, when you're in, we [: 00:19:00

You are struggling to maintain day to day operations, right? It can be hard to get out of bed. You can feel rageful, resentful, or on the opposite end of the spectrum, you can feel totally numbed out. Your motivation is gone. Your passion is gone. And you're just kind of ready to sit down and get a job at Starbucks.

You know, if you're at that point in the process, like, why am I even doing this? So burnout, it has that level of intensity that really is hard to get over. A vacation will only make your burnout worse, right? Because you get a momentary escape from reality, but when you come back, you're even more behind than you were when you left and you feel even worse.

t you have to really do some [: 00:20:00

Does that make sense?

Traci: Yes, absolutely. I was wondering if you could get even more specific about some pink flags to look for before they turn into red flags, things that may go just beyond some of the standard things we think about in terms of fatigue or burnout so that people can have awareness around what's happening with them.

Yeah, that's

Maegan Megginson: great. Pink flag that I hear all the time is the phrase, I love my work, but I can't do it this way anymore. Yeah. Right. So when you feel in your body, you're like, wait, I still love my work, whatever it is. I'm still here for it. I'm still inspired by it, but the way that I'm doing it right now has an expiration date.

gas in the gas tank, if you [: 00:21:00

So that's a really great place to start paying attention. I think another place to pay attention is when you start to feel like a little bit Not necessarily fatigued, like physically fatigued, but you start feeling a little bit tired of the work that you're doing. You start to, you have a sense of like, okay, I think it's time for something new.

I think it's time for something fresh. But maybe you feel really stuck in the work that you're doing now and the business model that you're doing now. This is when people talk about having golden handcuffs, right? I feel kind of financially trapped to the way things are going today. I can feel that I actually want to go somewhere different.

That's a good pink flag moment to notice, hmm, I need to intervene, I need to make some changes so that this doesn't lead to a deeper well of burnout.

moments to pay attention to, [: 00:22:00

Much more of a serious matter to address. Like what are some things that people can do? Great. The first thing you

Maegan Megginson: can do to really prevent burnout is to do an assessment of your life and your business. I kind of ask yourself, where am I feeling really good? And my life, where am I feeling really good in my business?

And where are things maybe lacking a bit? Do an inventory of your world, especially inside of your business. This is a great place to start asking questions like, am I working with the kind of clients that really light me up and energize me, or am I working with clients that I dread seeing every day? And what about the way you're working with clients?

lly get clear with yourself. [: 00:23:00

Is my business supporting me? And being well rested, does my business allow me the time off that I need to go on vacation to spend time with my family? Is my business supporting my life, or are the two of these things in conflict with each other? And as you start to get honest with yourself about these elements, and as you start to get clear about where you're doing well, but also, You know, where things are out of balance, you can begin to create an action plan that will inevitably protect you from burnout because the more supported you feel in your business in a holistic way, the further away from burnout, you're going to move.

ieces and parts of running a [: 00:24:00

As they're also trying to deliver and execute on their own deliverables for their clients. Would you agree that this challenge around support in terms of from a chicken and eggs perspective, I know when you were talking about support, you were talking about feeling supported with your peers, your family, other business colleagues, support like that you offer for your clients and things like that.

But how do you help your clients with this journey through getting out of the, I do everything in my business all the time and help them Really position themselves to be able to extend and bring in more support for them so they can Implement some of the practices that you teach them. It feels like such a conundrum of chicken and egg

rum and it's such a personal [: 00:25:00

So I want to talk about this. It's a great question. And just, we'll just be nuanced about it. Understanding that different people are coming from different financial positions. And I also want to say, I think this, this question, it applies to business owners with, you know, small, medium to large teams, just as much as it does to fellowpreneurs.

icient way, right? This is a [: 00:26:00

This is a strength, but there comes a point, like you're saying, when what we're building and creating, it really does, it needs more hands on deck and it can be so hard for us to loosen our grip on control, to loosen our grip around financial scarcity, to really allow ourselves to be supported. In ways in which perhaps we've never been supported before in our lives or our businesses.

So the first thing I would recommend to a client in this situation is to really think about why it's hard for you to get help, right? Because this is going to be a different answer for every single person. Why do you feel like you have to wear all of the hats? What is the block or the fear that's making it hard for you to take the next step to get the support that you need?

okay, let's discern is this [: 00:27:00

That will only make your life worse. That will only make you feel more stressed. But if you're in perceived financial scarcity where you do have money, but You kind of live every day believing that you don't have money, then you need to get some money support, money mindset support to make that first hire.

So I want to understand, you know, what, and this is where the therapist in me comes in really handy, like what, what actually is going on for you that makes it hard for you to take that next step? And it's usually pretty deeply rooted. Does that make sense?

Traci: Yes, it does. And I think that it's something that, what I really love is that you do have the therapist insight on that because, you know, what I want to really reiterate and support as a take away from what you said is that it's not always about the finances.

se I use as well. Is it real [: 00:28:00

Like there's so many different, ways to address these scenarios when I think a lot of times it's just really easy to blame it on the bottom line when that's really only one component. Yeah, I agree. And then I'd love to also explore from this therapeutic perspective how does procrastination fit into this too?

Because I've often observed that procrastination is its own defense mechanism, and it has its own psychological control. Components wrapped up in it as well. So could

Maegan Megginson: you speak to that? I can. I think procrastination is a fascinating topic because just like, you know, the struggle hiring support, the root of procrastination goes really deep and it can be so different for all of us.

I want to shout [: 00:29:00

Correct. But the question is, you find yourself saying, Oh, how can I do this? Instead, ask, who can do this for me? So anytime you feel yourself asking how, how, how, it really should be a who question. And then when you find yourself procrastinating, this is, I got this straight from this book and I thought it was such a brilliant view on procrastination.

They said, when you find yourself procrastinating, take a step back and ask yourself if it's actually a who, not how moment. Right. Are you procrastinating because it really isn't the task that you should be doing? We're really quick to pathologize procrastination. Oh, what's wrong with you that you're such a, you're such a procrastinator, right?

can be some profound wisdom [: 00:30:00

Right? So maybe if what I'm procrastinating on is a really big goal, I'm trying to level up to the next threshold of, of success or achievement in my business and I'm getting in my own way. Procrastination can be a little window into the ways in which I might be holding myself back. Those are just a couple interesting ways to look at procrastination.

're hosting, or get involved [: 00:31:00

Maegan Megginson: circle back and connect with you?

Thank you so much for asking that. I would love anyone who is resonating with this conversation. Please come my way. You're welcome in this community. I think the easiest thing to do right away will be join the Deeply Rested Newsletter. These are weekly emails that dive deeper into these interesting topics.

Just check it out. You know, some of the things we've talked about today have been newsletter topics, so you can come and join the Deeply Rested newsletter and you can subscribe at deeplyrested. com slash newsletter. And I would also encourage listeners to check out the Deeply Rested podcast. And the purpose of this podcast is really to create a space for business owners, people who are doing good work in the world to learn how to take incredibly good care of themselves.

ission and ourselves and our [: 00:32:00

Traci: Well, and I love it that you're doing a podcast on this because I just think they, these are important conversations to have and it's such a great platform for you to get your. Perspectives and your insights similar to what you've shared today out there. So thank you for doing that. And speaking of podcasts, I can't stress enough how you can get all of the information from this episode, as well as our previous episodes, as well.

podcast and of course that's [: 00:33:00

And you can find Megan's podcast and the Ask Brian podcast wherever you listen to your favorite podcast. How many more times can I get podcasts into one sentence, Peter? I don't know, like you would think I was a podcast producer or something.

Peter: I don't ask you to do the Peter Piper pick, pick the whatever.

Anyway. All right. So the question everybody wanted to know, Megan was, what was your biggest challenge starting this business?

Maegan Megginson: Hmm. No, I would say my biggest challenge. Starting this iteration of the business in particular is helping people understand what it is I'm doing, because I am creating a, something that as far as I know, doesn't really exist in the business space, this place where we really are blending the personal and the professional, you know, the strategy and the soul.

questions like well, what do [: 00:34:00

Finding a way to talk about that and create messaging about that can be a little bit tricky.

he Ask Brian radio show, KTHS: 1220

Narrator: Thank you for tuning in to the Ask Brian radio show. You can listen to us every Thursday on KTHS AM 1220 and FM 98. 1 or via Facebook live. Or anytime, wherever you listen to your podcasts, visit askbrian. com to join the conversation and ask us your business questions, and we'll answer them on our next [00:35:00] episode.

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