Talk about it more with Jenn Donovan

#Ep 41 - Jenn Donnovan (EDITED)

Tue, Feb 06, 2024 8: 59AM • 41:14

Tue, Feb 06, 2024 8: SUMMARY KEYWORDS

Tue, Feb 06, 2024 8: book, podcast, episode, writing, talk, photoshoot, jen, work, love, retreat, small business owners, live, business, years, life, emma, amazing, head, promote, marketing

00: 01

00: Do you want to live a life of freedom and adventure? Are you wanting more than the daily grind? Me too. Welcome to the Emma Lovell show, a place where we talk about living a life you love now, I'm your host, Emma Lovell, and my number one value is freedom. I've spent the last 14 years running a business and traveling the world. And now I take my husband and toddler along for the adventure to it's possible and I know you can create a life doing what you truly love as well. This podcast will inspire, motivate and encourage you to go after your dreams to create a life you love until you get now don't wait for a time and or someday in the future. I'll be sharing episodes weekly about how I harmonize business travel and self care. I'll also bring on incredible guests to share their journeys, wins the challenges and how they're creating a life they love. Let's jump in and get dreaming. This is a space for you to manifest a life you love.

01: 03

01: I would like to acknowledge and recognize Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first peoples of this place now known as Australia. I am grateful for the continuing care of the land waterways and skies where I work live. Listen, learn and play. From here on you can bear country and from wherever you are listening. I pay my respects to the elders past and present.

01: 25

01: Welcome to the podcast. I'm so excited today to introduce you to Jen Donovan, a digital marketing coach and mentor. Jen is an incredible force in business. And she's known for her impactful work in empowering small businesses. She's got multiple best selling books, including her brand new book, small town big impact. She's known for her international speaking engagements and successful ventures like social media and marketing Australia, buy from a bush business and spend with us. And she transforms clients from being invisible to Invincible using her strategic marketing principles. She also has a pet peacock named Charlie, which is super fun. I have loved getting to know Jen online and offline and was proud to actually help her with a photoshoot. After the launch of her book, she's become a wonderful mentor to me as well. So please enjoy this episode where she shares her generous wisdom with you all. Introducing Jen Donovan.

02: 33

02: Welcome to the podcast. Jen Donovan. Thank you, Emma, I'm very excited to come and have a chat on your new podcast that maybe isn't so new, but it's still new new is new, new, it's half two episodes a week. So it's sort of racked up quite quickly in the 30s. Also now, but I think even when we did our last podcast, I was already talking about the next podcast are very close to it. So yeah, you were. And it was very fun. Because today I actually had scheduled from but without kind of consciously doing but I had scheduled that I will be promoting when I was on your podcast. And

03: 12

03: today. So the cycle of podcast love continues and asked for quite a while. Yeah, so my small business made simple podcast actually turned five at the start of 2024. So I'm now in season six. So I honestly thought I'd run out of things to say in Episode 27. Like when I first planned out the podcast, I thought, you know, who do I know that I could interview? And what sort of subjects could I cover? And I literally had 27 episodes written down as titles. And I don't know, I've met more amazing people. I've listened to my clients, I guess to devise more questions. And so far, I haven't run out of content, but I think the day will come where I just might

04: 03

04: know and I agree you meet people, but also then like I've had a few repeat guests because you can't get through everything in an episode. And even obviously, I've had two different podcasts. Well, I have three different podcasts.

04: 15

04: You talk about a different topic on each one. And you know, I said to you on the last one because you're in the process of writing a book. And so I said I would get you on when you wrote a book and for the listeners, not the watchers, I'm holding up small town big impact and which is amazing. So congratulations, author. Thank you. Thank you. Yes, that was to be an author. Yeah, look, it's a little bit surreal, I have to say. So back during the pandemic, like there was a lot of people who put pen to paper then and I actually created like a chapter to a book. It was one of those joints sort of books around you know, we have several authors, and that was probably my first taste of it.

05: 00

05: So I probably do this. And then yeah, the I guess all the pieces fell into place in 2023. And yeah, created small town big impact and had just been one of those. I guess I always thought there was a book inside me but never really thought about when the time would come that I would write that. But like I said, you know, everything just seemed to fall in place. And so it's out there in the big wide world. And I have to say that the day because I did pre orders, so once I knew it was going to print as in it was at the printers, I was confident that I could start pre selling copies. And the day I had to actually send out the copies to people who had paid for the book was probably one of my worst days of my life I hadn't really. So they've had not a panic attack, but a real like, oh my god, someone's actually going to rate this. I kind of just never really thought about the fact that people would read the book when it was written. So it was really quite a bizarre feeling to put your information out there. Even though I've been podcasting and blogging for years, it just felt strange, indifferent. It's I think, well, we know that books live on the island, it's such a legacy item, they live on something that we've had since children, and that, you know, you look at a library, I think, I don't know, for me, it's that, you know, Bell and be the beast and to get a

06: 30

06: library going to Trinity in Trinity College in in Ireland, Dublin. And they've got this fantastic, very Instagrammable library. And it's just so you know, and I look forward to the day where I have a home where I can make

06: 45

06: my bookshelf, and have all the books of the people that I know and love. I think they are quite something is something feels more solid. And you know, you sort of do I have enough to say I'm like, Yeah, Jen, you have five years with the podcasts like you have blown. Some people do just take their podcasts and put it in a book, but

07: 04

07: at the same feeling about it that and I understand where that fee came from, or that whatever that realization, because I my book coach, I'm working on a book, which is why I love talking about.

07: 16

07: I have mentioned it a few times where they already announced and I'm like, Oh, I'm mentioning. Yeah, but you know, which is what you've got to do. Right? Got it? Absolutely. It's real. But my book coach wrote that she's writing her second memoir, and she got it back from the editor the other day, and she's like, I just want you to know that I'm scared to open this file. And I feel the same way. And I understand how you feel. And I think it is a mixed emotion. I sent off a proposal to a book publisher the other day, and it's exciting, because it's reality, but then you're also like, well, now they can say no, or sell me. Tell me that. That my writing? What I said isn't right. I don't know. Like, even though all of it, all of it. Yes. Friday books in the past, I think mine will probably be better. But I already know that. You know, I had I said to full disclosure, I haven't had the chance to read it because I want to read it properly. But you know, yeah, you've got him here. 107 Simple marketing strategies for regional business success. So you had at least 107 things.

08: 20

08: That's right. That's right. Yeah, at least 107. But yeah, it's it's just a strange process. I think for me, I think it's a bit like when I look at my podcast stats, and someone downloads Episode One, I'm like, don't do that. Don't listen to that. Like I wouldn't even listen to that, like I was five years ago, the information probably isn't relevant, although I think it is still very relevant. As opposed to maybe episode three. That was that Instagram has probably changed streets in five years. But it's kind of like, I wouldn't even listen to that. And I think the book, I can't do anything about it. But yeah, I can publish a second edition and things like that. But once it's out there, I can't change it. Whereas I can take down a blog of potentially I could take down a podcast, but I think that's where the fee came from. And so I can't change this. It's gone. Yes, it is, like you say an ebook or a Kindle version. But like, the book itself is pretty solid. But

09: 16

09: there's a pro and con to that. That's right. Well, I had the honor as well of getting to be part of this in a small way, which is getting to help you with your photoshoot to promote it. And I felt very excited seeing a suitcase full of your books and getting to play around. We stacked them all up high and loaded them in your arms and how was that for you? Yeah, it was really good. It was really good. I think again, you know, being a mark there, there's so much power in having your own photography done. And you know that that real branding that you know, you know, just so well, and I think too many small business owners don't embrace that power. I

10: 00

10: They don't want to show up in front of the camera, but be they don't actually realize the power that he's behind, you know, having your own photos, having your own photo stock showing up for your audience. So it was a bit of a natural progression for me. And it just worked. Timing was just so beautiful. You know, my book went to the printer on the first of November, I knew that I would have it sometime in mid November. And the photo shoot was like the first of December. So it was kind of like, you know, I guess, just the way the cookie was supposed to crumble, you know? Yeah. So it was really interesting how to come and do that. But you know, if I hadn't had to climb four flights of stairs, I might have bought about six boxes. But it was a little bit hot that day, and I think my 49 year old, perimenopause body was kind of like, ah, when I'm climbing those stairs again. Sorry. Yeah, that was really fun, actually, because we have done a few. So I partner which I won the photographer and we run photoshoot branding photo shoots together. I'm play the role of cheerleader and it gets branded guide and hand holder and hugger when needed or prop prop head, very good prop head.

11: 14

11: You know, Jade's phenomenal photographer has a wonderful eye. But we've often done book

11: 21

11: shoots where we've held a book. So even I could do my book, photoshoot holding your book. And with it superimposed, so it was quite fun to do it with the actual product. So we didn't Yeah, a few people supposed got the positions, right. So that when the books ready, and the artworks ready, they then put it on

11: 43

11: the books to actually use. I think it was really fun celebration. And yeah, to actually, you know, because we could have totally superimpose that, like, had a stack of books and put your label. I know you did. I mean, of course, Reese Witherspoon really does have your book. But you've done some clever, you know, Cambering I've seen but that was something I don't know, for me, it felt really cool. Being able to like just hold such a volume with your name, and your cover and all your things. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, absolutely. But it is one of those processes. I think whenever you're doing a really big project, such as, you know, writing a book, or even if you're developing your first website or something like that, by the end of it, you're like, Yep, okay, I get that. It's really hard to get excited, you have to almost fake your excitement about it. Because all you've done for four months is look at that silly book. Like, I've just like, if I have to read my book one more time, I'm like, I just don't know if I can do it. It was kind of, you know, just reading like, I think I had to read it like five or six times. And it's because the book is it's kind of like, I know, like, I know what it says, Do I really have to read it again. And then by the time you start with a blank canvas of the cover, and you kind of asked, you know, what cover Do you want. So you spend hours researching Pinterest and Google Images and looking at other people's book covers, and then four iterations later, you finally get to a book cover that looks like you're so by the time you actually see it in physical form, you kind of like, yep. Okay, like I looked at it. But, you know, three months or something like that, like, it was really hard to sort of, I guess, and maybe this is something that women and you know, like myself need to work on is it was a really big achievement, stop dumbing it down just because, you know, you kind of like you're tired of it, or you don't want to make a big deal out of it. And I really had to talk to myself about that a couple of times. And I still do like, it's only been out for a few months now. And I still really do need to.

13: 59

13: Yeah, recognize that this isn't something everybody does. It was funny to go to cousin reunion over Christmas, and they will call it what you wrote a book, you know, because they're not entrepreneurial. They're amazing humans, but they don't have that entrepreneurial spirit. So to them, it was just like, holy crap. How did you do that? And you know, so yeah, you do have to sort of make sure that you you know, have the pride and you do realize that it was quite a thing to do just like running a business every single day for most small business owners. We really do have to celebrate the small stuff because the big stuff doesn't happen all that often. No, and you know, I think we are you're so close to it you're so in it even I liken it to the retreats. You know, people like it's you know, Jay was like you you're running a retreat in India like that's a big deal. I'm like, but is it like, not a big thing because India is like home to me. So going there. It's like going home. I'm very comfortable.

15: 00

15: Well there, but honestly, it was easier than organizing one in Australia just because of

15: 05

15: just because of, yeah, the availability, the finance difference, and that I have a travel partner there who I've worked with for six years. So a lot of it was in some respects was easier. But it was, once we were on the boat during it, that I realized that five years before I had had this idea, or thought that one day, I could run a retreat like this, and you're like, oh, wow, I had a thought. And now it's happening. And then I think sometimes it's after it. And it could be a silly little moment, that then you have that release, and that reflection of like, and for me, it was doing the podcast, so maybe it's worth doing a podcast where I might, and it's one of my highest listened to episodes where it is me reflecting upon what it was. And it was like that, saying all that out loud. made me go well, I guess it is kind of a big deal. And I did have a dream come true. And but I also understand what you're saying that when you're in the process, and you're part of it. And you know, you understand what you've seen all the steps. And it's like, yeah, this seems like a really big, hefty thing. But like, if you break it down into step by step, I wrote some words. We edited some words, the debit, or the designer did their bit. I got some photos. Like if you break it down into pieces Project, Project wise, yeah, it's understandable that it got completed. But, you know, to have worked on that, for what it was a year almost or no, it was only probably four or five months.

16: 35

16: It was really quite a quick process really? Like, yeah, because again, you know, I been a content creator for like, potentially eight, nine years, I'd been writing blogs. I've been podcasting for five years. Like there's 107 strategies in there. There was probably 50 of them that I already had content for. It just needed to be reworded updated. You changed around a little bit.

17: 03

17: Yeah, yeah. But probably my biggest compliment that has come from writing the book, and having the podcast is how people read the book and can hear me, because they're podcast listeners. So they know my voice so well. And I think that's a really a different thing, too. If you just buy a book, and you kind of don't know the author, like, Well, they probably, you know, they might never have physically met me. But they've listened to the podcast so they can hear my voice as they're reading the book, which is such an amazing thought like, that's really something that has struck me. And it made extra amazing when a friend and I use that term lightly asked me how much of my book was written by AI because you know, chat GPT was a huge thing in 2023. And here I am appearing now as an author. And they're like, how much of Chechi Beatty wrote your book, and I was kind of like, the chapter on the future of marketing. And, you know, I've disclosed it in the book, I asked the future of marketing what the future of marketing was, and here's what it said. So yeah, but and so to think that people aren't reading my book, wondering how much of it is written by TPT because they can hear the voice of Jen Donovan in it. So that was probably one of the best compliments I can get. I was yeah, now the Calkins said that before as well about even how we we have met, like, because I did meet you very briefly in person at an event just for like 15 months ago. And then, you know, seeing each other online, doing these zooms, doing podcast recordings, when I met when I saw you again, in real life for the photoshoot it doesn't feel like this is our second meeting in person. It was all like, you know, idea, a dear friend, and I love that connection. And I think that that's what the benefit of social media is, and the benefit of online is, is that we can, you know, kind of nurture that relationship. I think that the true connection does come when we get to hang out

19: 12

19: and have some quality one to one time. But you know, I just it was so nice to you know, just to see you and it just to not even be like, oh, whoa, whoa, like, line like oh, it was just like

19: 29

19: a craving to talk to like Monday I told you that and then I looked in my calendar and realized we had the podcast recordings. And we talked for an hour all this just full disclosure, because you are now a voice in my head of because you said something to me at the photoshoot and in a you know, mentoring wonderful way. We were talking about my retreat to India and you said, you know, honestly and your heart do you think you promoted enough? And I said no. Like, do you think you might get it? Do you think he talked about it enough?

20: 00

20: And I said no. And so Jen's voice comes into my head. And obviously now I have 107 Wonderful strategies.

20: 07

20: But to think like, am I talking about this enough? Am I marketing enough for like doing this today? But have I go back and look have I really actually given it exposed my audience to this thing enough.

20: 22

20: So I have my head to

20: 25

20: look, everything of mine that has failed or hasn't

20: 30

20: succeeded or reached the goal that I wanted to has all been my fault. Every single time I can come down, I can look at it and go, you probably didn't promote it enough, you probably didn't market it enough, you probably didn't believe in it enough to market it enough. Like there is a reason. And the reason isn't that? Well, rarely, I would say, well, not really, for me, but maybe occasionally for other people. The reason is never, no one wanted it. Like every now and then you might come across a product or someone who's got a business model you kind of like, is that actually desire or need out there for that? But 99.9% of the time, it's because we didn't we didn't either believe in the product or the service enough to promote it. Or we just didn't promote it enough. So yeah, hard lesson in business that maybe it's our foes but don't don't.

21: 25

21: Good lesson. And I think we'll as well, though, I think, though, like when we talked about the retreat, and I said I didn't promote it enough. I still it was absolutely still a success. It's just that it wasn't a fold out success. And yeah. And it fitted more financially from it. But like you said, I do kind of have this belief that I had the group that I had. And I'm so happy with the group that I had, and the wait times even I thought about going oh, wouldn't it be awesome if someone which is what happened with my next retreat wouldn't be awesome if someone just found my Instagram and signed up from across the world, which they did. And so I made that happen. But then I would have another thought of going, but I don't want to random for this one. Like I don't want to come in and change the dynamic. And so maybe I wasn't, you know, I wanted people that I kind of knew or friends of friends or someone who was in the right vibe, to make sure that that was the right energy. And yet, but totally financially, of course, it would have been better to have another five people, but I was 100% of success. So it's like, and I think we have sometimes, you know, we've talked about our movie telling stories. So this comes into my head a lot, which is you had this Emanuel Elena ones coming. No one's buying it at all. It's too it's too late in the game. I'm done. And then was it like three weeks or something away? Or even one week away? And you're like, No, there's still time and you promoted it? And you've got sales? Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

22: 55

22: You know, 20. And so then when we get five, it's a failure. It's an advice. We got five, huh? Yeah, absolutely. And I think again, we're so hard on ourselves as well, we have to be a little bit more gentle on ourselves as small business owners as well. So, hmm. And know that you're, I think I'm trying to play the long game. And I love looking at your podcasts. And I talked to you about, you know, another guests I've had on called Edie Candia who has a million downloads and you got loads and he just felt like I've been podcasting for 11 years. That's compound interest right there. Like, and not to take away from, that's amazing. But

23: 36

23: that's 11 years, times 50 episodes, potentially, or even if it's time is 25 episodes, you got, you know, 250 to 500 episodes, 600 episodes that people can listen to. So he goes, you know, however many downloads per 600 Or yeah, okay, well, that kind of checks out. Yeah, does it does like my podcast is ranked in the 1.5% globally. So my like, if you look at my podcast, it is in the top 1.5% globally. And that sounds like an amazing statistic. And it is an amazing certificate.

24: 10

24: achievement, but it's the long game. It's because the average podcast has 11 episodes in it, and mine has been going for five years. So that is why it's ranked so high. It's not because I'm getting millions and millions of downloads, but it is because of the longevity. So as a marketer, of course, I'm gonna spin it that it's in the top 5% globally, and not put brackets because it's five years old, like you do. You've got to spin these things the way you do, but that's the reality. My podcast is ranked so high globally, because it is so old and there are not many podcasts out there that click over five years, not many of the click over two years or one year or really even six months at the end of the day. So you know, statistics are great. You know, they're great little math

25: 00

25: cutting tools but the reality is I just sit down in my office on my farm and I talk into a microphone once a week and hopefully, you know a few 1000 People listen to it and take some action and improve their lives. Hi lovely. I want to open the doors to incredible opportunities for you on an all inclusive luxury retreat exclusively for people who are ready to live a life they love. I invite you to join me for five inspiring nights in sensational SriLanka for the rest and receive retreat, hosted from second to seventh of November 2024. by yours truly, Emma Lovell, I asked you to disconnect your senses and immerse in this exotic culture while you reconnect with yourself. You get to share this luxurious experience with 12 incredible people while forming connections that last a lifetime. I really cannot undersell overestimate this incredible retreat and the magic of going to a place to give yourself space and time. I want to share it with you. And if you are interested, then please head to my website, Emma lovell.au/srilanka Retreat. I'd love to see you there. And I'm happy to chat. If you have any questions whatsoever, please take this opportunity to come along and join me in stunning Sri Lanka.

26: 27

26: And, you know, I love that though. Like as I said, I find it really comforting me, especially when you're starting out something and it's that whole don't compare your first episode and somebody's 250th episode.

26: 39

26: It's quite adorable, though and listening to your first one. and wonderful and like proud that you started but like, yeah, don't don't judge your first post or reel or video or offer or whatever, on somebody's 14th Year 20th year in business like it's it's just, there's no comparison, but you have to start somewhere. And so it was really great. You know, I think I was I had the thing of too many ideas and too many people I wanted to have on the podcast, and there's so much I want to do with this. And my lovely friend back chap always also marketing's like, think about it me you want to run this for five years, you have 250 episodes ahead of you. So don't worry, like those episodes will get done, you know, you will get to say those things you will get to talk to those people like Don't Don't worry about, you know, trying to do them all now kind of thing. You know, it's like, yeah, at some point, I'll turn around and I'll have, well, I've already got something like 36, you know, at some point, turn around and go, I've got 50 At some point, you'll turn around and go, I've hit my 100 At some point, you turn around and say, Well, my gosh, it's been five years, you know.

27: 45

27: And I think some of that same with the books, the books, it's that,

27: 49

27: you know, there's that short term marketing push, which is important. And I think they talk about the first two years like the you know, bang bang on about it for the first two years. But then, you know, it's a long guy. And then in five years, 10 years, this book will still exist, and people will still bought like still buy it and people will still buy it, there might have to be a few additions. But like they like my book coach tells me there to be two years between good books. So you know, if you read a book, it is like two years, you should be promoting that book, you should be like, am I talking business books here? We're not talking novels and such, but for two years. That's what my keynotes are about that. So my workshops are about that's what, you know, my everything is kind of based on my book, and then I write a new book, and then that is fresh content. But you know, to give you a book two years, basically, it's you know, is his point, which is really quite interesting. So, yeah, and just I'll let you know, in two in one year and nine months how I'm going.

28: 52

28: Please come back for episode 160. When we talk to Jen again and go, this is your life. I don't know, I'm finding that.

29: 01

29: I find patients difficult, but I am learning, I think has been such a reflection in the last six months or so even if I attribute it to my investment property of things being told it needed to be a long term investment. And then when I look back, I'm like I haven't been long enough for it's meant to be a long term investment. I can't sell it that it's been seven years. It's like, Oh, that is a long time, actually. amount of time. And when I did that initial purchase, you know, you can imagine what it would do. I just I don't know what I thought I knew that it was a solid investment, but not that it would give the return that it's going to give and it's like oh, okay, well, it's done what it was meant to do. It's done its job, but

29: 45

29: at the start, you just can't see where it's gonna go. And it's I think it's that one foot in I mean, I'm basically talking to myself agents, one foot in front of the other, just like my emotional support business person.

30: 00

30: To do that,

30: 02

30: now I asked people, I love this because yeah, I never know where this episode is gonna go. But I knew that I wanted the focus to be on the book. But I want to ask you, you sort of mentioned right there that you live on a farm, you have been in business for a long time, you and I are very different life stages. But I would love to ask you, what does living a life you love look like right now.

30: 23

30: Right now, so living a life that I love. So I, I have grown up children, I, so my son is 24 My son is 21. And my daughter is just about to turn 20. So I will no longer have teenagers, which again is another life stage that

30: 46

30: you know, well another life stage in life. So yeah, my children are like my best friends now. And I love when they come for dinner. And I love when they come off to work. And I love that they come and read my cupboards, like all of those things that you know, maybe as when you have younger children you kind of wish for. But now, of course, I wish for younger children. Because time just go so very fast. So living a life that I love is being able to work to my own schedule. You know, we were just talking before how I had posted my Facebook group, I have a Facebook group called like minded business owners, and there was a post in there that was kind of lazy when I was thought about getting a job this year.

31: 33

31: And most of us acknowledge that even though maybe the steady income might be what we're looking for, we are actually unemployable. And I would say hands down, I am quite unemployable, I could probably do reception at night or something like that, I don't know, but turning up for, you know, at nine o'clock and leaving at five o'clock. And I love my friend Sam, we had in the group, she's kind of like, well, I have to wait till five o'clock, I've already done my work, you know, why should I be punished just because I'm efficient, more efficient than everybody else. And I kind of feel that is either how we work with small business owners, we have the work that we have to do. And you know, if we finish it at two o'clock, good on us, what are we going to do for the rest of the day type of things. So that's what I love about being a small business owner, I have aging parents that live locally.

32: 23

32: You know, again, COVID has kind of turned that on its head. And now you know, I offered to do the shopping once a week or I offered to do you know, the jobs down this shops and that sort of thing, if they're not feeling well, or if COVID is really rife, and I don't want them to get it type of things. So you know, I've got them, I'm not gonna say I look after them, they are very capable of looking after themselves. But it's more of a caring role.

32: 51

32: So I often, you know, think about how powerful women are my age. So I'm in my late 40s. And I have a lot of economic power. And yet, not many people think to market to me, or to count me when they're looking at stats and things like that, like, I've got the economic power of my own wealth, I've got the economic power of helping three children that are adults thinking about their wealth, and where they're going to invest their money and things like that. And then I have, you know, some influence over my parents wealth. And I mean that in a really nice way. But it's kind of amazing. I've never thought about it like that. It's obviously kind of sandwich generation of like the care needs, but I think I'm in the sandwich generation.

33: 46

33: But that's it. No, it's a wonderful, again, looking at that future of going, Okay, this is where I am right now. And that's why I asked living a life you love now. Because in five years that I'll ask you that question, I'd be different. And you asked that question five years ago, it'll be different. And so it's like, well, what can it look like? Because I can go cool, I can have some more.

34: 09

34: Yeah, there will be a time where they'll be more wealth. And there'll be things that are like more, I don't know, stable, or data or whatever. But I have to deal with the situation I'm in now and how can I make that the best situation that I'm in now, as well as aspiring to what life might like be like in the future? Hmm, absolutely. Absolutely. You know, in five years time, I'll probably be Mamaw like, you know, you just never know what might have happened in five years. But yeah, living the life that I love now is having that freedom.

34: 40

34: You know, that my husband and I have made a deal in 2024 We're going to eat somewhere every month that we've never eaten before. So sort of, you know, just try and have they're not really date nights, but just trying to do things differently. You know, and go and have some experiences together because the kids are growing up and

35: 00

35: As much as I'm more than that, and don't even get me started on that, like, I really find that really hard. Because it all happened in a blink of an eye. It really did happen really quickly. But yeah, that's what I like. And I like, over the summer. Yeah, my husband's a farmer. So yeah, he gets up really early, like five 530 goes and does his work. And then we have the afternoons off. So I've been working in the mornings, and I've been having afternoons off. And as long as I can get the work done for my clients, I'm happy with that. I love that Jen and I love the font. I just, I don't know, I might be a bit idealistic or romanticizing it, but I love that the book was targeted at regional areas, because I'm, you know, I'm a city girl. You know, I live near the bush, but it was like, you know, the fact that there was bush in my suburb as opposed to living in the country. It's a very different thing. So it's very idyllic for me to hear that. Yes, he's out the farm and what am I greatest podcast wins ever was visiting a small town on the border of South Australia. And Victoria, literally called border town. And a I went to dinner with my friend and this guy was like, a you, Emma from the podcast. I was like, yes, my podcast because I had interviewed Meili about being a farmer's wife. And he said, Oh, I listen to your podcast in my tractor.

36: 21

36: How great is that?

36: 25

36: Just like the chili bought a town famous, like seriously that episode conniver. Thank you. The community page shared it like I will get regional guests on or first time podcasters because again, like my top five in this is someone who did their first ever podcast, because they promoted a hell of a loss. And so regional small town businesses come at me, I will have you on anytime. The audience so let's cross promote, but yeah, absolutely. That's very romantic to me. And I know that your life. I'm putting a romantic picture on it. But sometimes we need to see our lives through someone else's eyes. Yeah, yeah. Look, it's not romantic at all. I can't even like tell you on the podcast because you your listeners will tune out. But yeah, no, it's not romantic. It is. It's a beautiful lifestyle. And yeah, we're pretty lucky to have the lifestyle that we do. And you know, I'm lucky that I get to meet so many amazing small business owners. And yet 90% of them I meet through a screen sitting in my home office. And you know, they can change my life and I can change their life through a computer screen. And I'm really thankful for the pandemic for that, like, I know that the pandemic caused so much, you know, angst and upheaval and there was so much tragedy around it, but my silver lining is now my client who lives in Perth doesn't expect me to fly over there. They're really comfortable to have a coach that sits behind a screen and feels that they can get the exact thing that they need from someone who they can't see their legs.

38: 11

38: Legs, people, I've seen them myself with my

38: 15

38: photograph to prove it. Although I did meet someone that is in a similar industry to me and the wards that we went to up in Brisbane, maybe it was last year, maybe it was the year before. And they do actually look at me and they go, Oh, you're shorter than I thought. I was like, oh, okay, so now when I go somewhere, I'm like, everyone, I'm just letting you know that, you know, I'm like five foot two. And you know, I'm a slightly overweight and you know, so don't expect this, you know, tall blonde girl to be entering the room.

38: 47

38: Well, I'm, I'm Yeah, I love connecting with you over the screen and in real life. And I'm going to set a little challenge. And I do lay these things down on the podcast, and they come to fruition. So whether you like it or not, Jen, I'm going to come to that farm. And we're going to record an episode in that office together. I love that. I love that I'll even tidy it for you. And I'll extend the invitation to you I'm in my little hole but your we can sit poolside some time up here on the Gold Coast.

39: 15

39: Spray it sounds brilliant. Love that. Thank you so much. And again, I will celebrate it till the cows come home. Congratulations on the small town big impact. It's I think it's very inspirational and aspirational. So congratulations to you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Yeah, no, it's your support means more than you will know. So thank you. Even my son's a little promotional ambassador made him take a photo.

39: 44

39: Tell us Jen because we will put it in the show notes and we'll put all your lovely links. But please tell us how can we connect with you? Yeah, so being a marketer, you'll probably find me on most blackboards. I do have a bit of a partiality to LinkedIn. I do like

40: 00

40: hanging out over there. But yeah, come on, listen to the small business made simple podcast. Follow me on socials or my website is social media and marketing.com.au and you will find out everything including the book and courses and podcasts and blogs over there. I'd love that. Thank you. Thank you so much, Jen. I look forward to seeing you somewhere somehow soon. Definitely. Thanks.

40: 27

40: Thank you for listening. Lovely one. I hope this has inspired you to dream big and start creating a life you love today. If you love what you're hearing, don't forget to follow and rate on Spotify and rate review and subscribe on iTunes. It helps other awesome people to find this podcast and get motivated and inspired as well. Want to stay connected? Come and join the live a life you love group on Facebook, or connect with me on Instagram. Emma lovell.au, the same as my website. But all the details are in the show notes lovely. I'll see you next episode for more inspiration, motivation and freedom seeking Now go out there and live a life you love