Full Transcript

Sari 0:00
Are you loving this podcast? Or do you wish there were certain things that I addressed and talked about, certain guests you'd love to see? I want to hear it all, the good, the bad, the ugly, the amazing. I want to hear your opinions so that I can help create even better content in 2024 to support you. That's why I'm here. The survey takes about five minutes. And to thank you, as an added Thank You, you will be entered into a drawing for $100 and a Fuel gift box. Plus, I'm going to do some other smaller prizes as well. The survey is open until the end of November, please take five minutes and go to foodbizsuccess.com/survey. It's completely anonymous. And then you will be prompted to enter the giveaway if you would like to. I really appreciate you taking the time to do this so that I can make Food Business Success and everything inside of that container even better in 2024. Thank you so much. Welcome to your Food Business Success. This podcast is for early stage entrepreneurs in the packaged food industry ready to finally turn that delicious idea into reality. I'm your host Sari Kimbell. I have guided hundreds of food brand founders to success as an industry expert and business coach. And it's got to be fun. In this podcast, I share with you mindset tools to become a true entrepreneur and run your business like a boss, interviews with industry experts to help you understand the business you are actually in, and food founder journey so you can learn what worked and didn't work and not feel so alone in your own journey. Now let's jump in! Hello, and welcome back to the podcast. So glad you're here with me today. All right, it is Thanksgiving week, which in the US is an awesome Holiday. It's my favorite, lots of food, and all my favorites, but also such an opportunity to support local and to find new treats and new ideas and new makers. And I spent part of Saturday I was able to go to my farmers market and just stock up and buy a whole bunch of yummy things as gifts and for myself. It's just one of my favorite things. But as you guys can probably hear in my voice. I have been sick, I got really sick this last week. And so it's been a little bit rough. I've had to really say no to a lot of things, I've had to reschedule, had to let go of some things. And I'm sure I'm not the only one, things are going around. And so I hope you guys are taking care of yourself. And if you have been experiencing sickness in yourself or your family, just know, I feel you, I am with you. And we had to take care of ourselves. So rather than recording a brand new podcast, which I have limited brainpower for right now, I decided to actually go back to the very first Thanksgiving episode of the podcast. So this would be four years, which is crazy. And I went back and listened to it. And it was so good, you guys are going to hear it now. So it's about how we sometimes use gratitude as a way to stay small, and to not go after our dreams. And so we want to be mindful of using gratitude in that way. If we're using it to kind of no, no, you don't need to go after more. And then I give you three exercises. And I'd love for you to just choose one. I don't want to overwhelm you but choose one that calls to you around gratitude and a way to fuel you into action. I think gratitude, sometimes gratitude feels very passive. It's just like hashtag gratitude. I think gratitude can actually be very activating, very energizing. It's something where I like to use gratitude as a way to like fuel me and like, alright, let me get up off my ass and I'm going to start taking bigger action and going to be more courageous. I'm going to be bolder, I'm going to go for 10x and I'm going to do a podcast for you guys. Hopefully next episode will be around. What does it actually mean to 10x your goal and why that is so important. But I think gratitude is so perfect, actually that we're going to do this one now because gratitude is the fuel for that. And, you know, being sick this last week and having to cancel things and not feeling great. And a lot of just leaning into it of like, okay, here's where we're at now and feeling frustrated and having to miss things and disappointed and all the emotions that come up. And I just kept thinking, you know, I've heard this before, but I read it recently, like, you can't feel anger and gratitude at the same time, you can't feel disappointed and gratitude at the same time, can't feel fear and gratitude at the same time. And so, you know, while it sucks to be sick, I also lean into, like, I'm so grateful that I do normally have my health, I'm so grateful I have a home and I have food that is available. And I have the availability to DoorDash stuff to my place, and the cold medicine and the heats and the bath and all the things and so just, because sometimes that stuff can just really consume you, especially when I'm sick. You know, if you're sick, like, I swear, it's like the emotions just get so much stronger for me. And that doesn't help the healing process at all. So how can we lean into gratitude, to feel that instead of maybe some of the other emotions that are not as productive, not say we shouldn't feel those feelings, but we don't need to just wallow in it. And gratitude can be a great medicine, great antidote for that. And before we get into the episode, I just wanted to say I'm so grateful for all of you, for all the listeners, for all of you listening over the years. It's so fun just listening, you know, to the four years ago, when I did that last podcast, the very first one for Thanksgiving, and thinking about where I was then. And it's such a different life and different business. And I've met so many more of you through my programs and clients and at events. And it's just, it's just been an incredible journey. Yeah, I told you guys, I'm like extra emotional now, but I'm like, so full of gratitude for all of you, and all of the work that you're doing to go and change the world. And we're making the world a better place as well as more delicious place, which is amazing. And speaking of deliciousness, the Fuel boxes are out and available. And if you go to foodbizsuccess.com/fuelbox, you can see all of the goodies that are in this year's box. And we did this last year, shout out to Maggie with Dos Margarita Salsa, she helps me put them all together. And we basically ask our members, unfortunately, they do have to be shelf stable products. Wish all of our members could participate, all of our frozen and refrigerated products, but we're not quite there yet, someday. But we put together these boxes, there's a small box and a large box. And all of the proceeds go to to the makers. So Maggie's works with all of them, gets all of their product, puts together the boxes, you get. In the smaller meat, you know whichever one you choose, you get a certain number of products at certain levels. And she puts all those things together and ships them out in this great, awesome box. That's super giftable. And you get a postcard with all the photos of the makers, and everything goes to them. And then a tiny little amount. It's you know, when you get into this business, between all the shipping costs, and of course the product costs, but a tiny little amount does go into a scholarship fund that I am so excited to launch in 2024 for all of you. So this scholarship fund, I have been building up over the last I guess, a year and a half. And so any proceeds that do end up coming back to me from the field box, go into that scholarship fund. Super excited about that. So without further ado, I just want to wish you a very happy Thanksgiving again, I express my gratitude for this community. And in this year, as tough as it's been, it's also been incredible. And I wouldn't want it any other way. All right, here is the episode.

Today, the day the episode drops is the week of Thanksgiving. And I've been thinking a lot about gratitude. And I want to share with you an idea that I've been thinking about and it's a little bit counterintuitive and that I didn't want to do just a typical gratitude podcast where we're just saying make a gratitude list. And isn't this amazing. But I actually want to first start with how I actually think you're using gratitude against you. And it doesn't always serve you in the best way. And then I'm going to give you three maybe twists on gratitude, I'm going to give you three concrete ways that you can use gratitude to actually propel you forward, to help you get over your fear and move you into action, and at least a place of moving forward rather than just sitting in sort of passivity. So here's how I see gratitude working against you. When you're trying to go after a dream, start your business, you commit, right? You get excited, you're like, yes, I'm going to do this. And then you're in immediately or shortly after, and I've talked about this on previous podcasts, that you feel fear, right? Fear comes up for you, and you're like, whoa, wait a second. One minute, I was like, all in. And now I'm like, oh, my gosh, this is really scary. All the things that I'm going to have to do in this business. What I see all the time from clients and people I get on a discovery call with is they're very excited and then they start rationalizing in some way to stop feeling the discomfort of fear, why they should stay where they're at, why they should stay in the status quo, and not go after their dreams, sort of like, pack the desire back into the box and try to return it to sender. So you use gratitude as a way to say, oh, I don't need to go after my dream. I mean, my life is so good right now. I mean, my kids are healthy, or I'm in a great relationship. Or money's not an issue, I get to stay at home with my kids, or I have a great job. I mean, why on earth would I want to invite all of this unknown and uncertainty and doubt and confusion? Like, why don't I just stay where I'm at. I mean, I'm so grateful for my life, right? So you kind of make this gratitude list of like, why you should accept where you're at. And that is how I think gratitude does not serve you. It keeps you stuck, and you're just trying to like stuff back in that desire, that dream. And I really believe that desires are the roadmap for your destiny, they are the things that are going to help you grow into the person you're meant to be to fill your potential. And you're never going to fulfill all of your potential in your lifetime. It's just not possible. But I do really believe that there is a way, otherwise you would not have this desire come up. I mean, think about it. There's a lot of things that you could want and you could desire. But you don't, right? Like, I could desire to want to run a marathon, but I don't. If I did, there would be a way for me to do that, right? I would make a plan and I would overcome my fears. But I don't I don't have that desire. What I do have a desire for is to help other entrepreneurs, to help people like yourself who have a dream, and help them believe in it and themselves as much as I do. So there is a way for me to achieve that desire, to achieve that goal. So I believe if you have a desire to turn your grandmother's salsa recipe into a business or take this recipe that you've developed by staying indoors during COVID and you've created this amazing gluten free bread or this amazing jam or in you know you're brewing kombucha now in your basement, like if you have a desire to turn that into a business, and not everybody does. Let's be honest, a lot of people make pretty amazing things. But they don't have any desire to start a business but you do, that's why you're here, right? That's why you're listening to this. That's why you're going to my YouTube channel. You are trying to bring that dream to the forefront of your brain and your your mind and you're thinking about it. So I truly believe that you would not be given that desire if there wasn't a way to achieve it, but fear is going to come up and I think that fear does not mean stop. I think a lot of you say fear oh, no, that means it's bad. I'm feeling fear that that's a sign I shouldn't do this. And that is not the case. Fear does not mean stop. Fear means that you work, you build up your courage. We are given fear and we are given the ability to have courage. And so this is an opportunity when you feel fear to build up that courage muscle. So how do you use gratitude to actually fuel you into courage, to fuel you into action, rather than using gratitude to keep you stuck. So here's the three ways that I use gratitude. And I want to encourage you, as we're going into Thanksgiving week, to just choose one of these and sit down and have a 20 minutes with yourself, give yourself that gift, and spend some time doing one of these exercises. So the first one is actually rather than creating a gratitude list, create a want list. And here's the difference. You might say, well, what's the difference between those two? To me, gratitude can sometimes feel very passive. It can feel like what I was talking about earlier, like, okay, I have a great life, I have this, I'm married, my kids, my health, etc, right? It kind of feels like you're just accepting all the things and you're trying to muster up gratitude. And you'll know the difference, because it doesn't feel great. You don't like get up and think, you know, like, I'm going to go out and do this thing. It doesn't really feel that great.

So a want list is this idea of saying, what are all the things in my life that I want, that I'm choosing, right? It becomes more active, it becomes more proactive, like taking your power back. So looking around your life at the physical pieces, the emotional pieces, the relationship pieces, and saying, I choose these. And so I've done this, I did this this last weekend. And I tried to incorporate this in to my morning writing, you know, maybe once or twice a month. And it's so powerful, because it like I said, it really does take your power back that you are choosing these things. So start with things that you can look around, you say yes, I really do want these. And then you can even start looking at the things that maybe you're like, you know, I didn't choose a pandemic. That's not what I wanted, of course. But what are things about this pandemic that I actually want? Maybe it's the deeper relationship with my family, maybe it's the ability to stop and take inventory and get a little bit more calm. Maybe it's like that our planet is healing environmentally. So what are the things even if you may be like, on the surface, you're like, I didn't choose that, I don't want that. But again, taking back your power to say, here's some of the pieces around the pandemic or around other things that you maybe didn't choose, but that you actually do want and that have served you. And then you can also start thinking about future things that you want. So it's kind of like you get into a place where like, all the things that are currently in your life, you really are saying yes, I want these, I choose these. And then you start adding in, layering in the things that are in the future that you do want. You want that business, you want the ability to move out of fear and take action and move into courage. You see yourself, making your product or selling your product. So start layering in those future things and I think you'll feel a really different feeling than making a gratitude list just trying to accept your life as is. So that's the first thing, do a want list. The second one is to do a money appreciation list. And you know, talking about money can be a really awkward thing. We in the US especially just do not like to talk about money and we have such a push pull with money, right? Like and I could do a whole other episode on our attitude towards money. But it's like we all want more money and we all think yeah, if I just had more money, I could do this or do that. And yet we also repel money because we have attitudes around like money's evil or I shouldn't go into business to make money. Like, I shouldn't be asking people for money, we feel bad about it. I have a client who just like her product is priced perfect. And she just really can't accept that people would be willing to pay for her product. And she's always like, lowering her price, which kills me, I'm like, no, you have to be proud of this prize. Like, think about all that they're getting, the value that they're getting from your product, at this current price. So stop diminishing, like the money piece. And we have to get over our issues around money. And so one of the things that I love to do is make a money appreciation list. And if you think about it, you start writing down, like what is possible because of money, like, money is not going to want to hang around you if you're like, no, that's scary. I don't want money. Like, you want to create a space where money is like, yeah, I want to hang out with you like you appreciate me, you're grateful for me. You celebrate me. And that's something I do with my clients. When I was talking to one I was like, she's like, oh my gosh, I'm getting these checks in and it's so fun. I was like, yes, celebrate every single one. Like, hold that checkup and be like, yes, I'm rich, like, it was just like, but some of them aren't that much. And I'm like, it doesn't matter, right? Like celebrate every dollar that comes in. Think about all the things that are possible. And I know people love to say like, well, you know, money can't buy you love. Money can't buy you experiences. But actually, if you really think about it, money kind of does, like, yes, you could go on a hike, and that's free. But money fuels the car that you drive to go get to that hike spot, even if you walk to it, money is fueling the shoes that are on your feet, and the appropriate clothing that you're wearing, and the sunscreen and the water. All the things that make it more enjoyable, right? Like, you're not going to go for a hike naked. Money, really, when you really start writing this list, you're going to be like, whoa, like, money's great, like celebrate money. Let's stop shaming us for wanting money. So I love this exercise, because two reasons, you're going to feel that gratitude and appreciation that does move you forward, and you're going to start getting more comfortable with money and welcoming it into your life. And you are going to see, like, wow, look at all the things that I get to do because of money, the car that I drive even if it's a crappy car, right? It may not be your ideal car, but it gets you where you want to go. And money is what's fueling the purchase of that car and the gas that's in it, the mechanic that takes care of it. So go through this exercise as a money appreciation list and start getting more happy and content with money and changing your money attitude. All right, the last exercise and this one so powerful, is gratitude ahead of time. And this could be on small things, or this could be about your overarching desire. But this exercise will really help you, fuel you forward, get you into action, move you in the courage and help you make better decisions. So let's take a small thing first. So one of my clients decided to do a flash sale. And this is a way that you could use gratitude ahead of time. So as you're thinking about should I do this flash sale? Is this going to be good? What price should it be? How many days? So you fast forward and you say okay, when this is done, when I've done the flash sale, where do I want to be? How do I want to feel about it? What has happened, and you start giving gratitude for the people who read the email, for the people who get out their credit card and purchase, for the money that came in from that, for the gratitude of like, I get to make this product and it's serving people and I'm providing tons of value. It'll also help you make decisions about okay, if I do this flash sale for three days, how do I feel about that when it's done? Do I feel grateful for that or does that feel like no not enough time or too much time? Or when you think about the offer, that you're that you're giving, right? Do I offer $10 off? Do I offer a percentage off? What is that number that I feel really grateful for that feels good in my body and generates gratitude? And if it doesn't, then you might need to go back and say, okay, what about this do I need to adjust to feel that gratitude? And then it's just really going to set you up for when it's all done like you are aligning your energy with, here's where I am now. And here's where when the flash sale is over what I'm going to feel. So you start feeling it ahead of time, you feel the gratitude ahead of time. And you can see, I hope from this example, how that would feel you into action, right? Like, you could just think about doing a flash sale. But if you spend the time really visualizing, and feeling ahead of time, that gratitude, you're going to be like, okay, let's get to work. Now I know exactly what to do. And you can do that with your big dream, right? If you're sitting here and saying, I have this idea. I mean, I have people who tell me, I've been thinking about this for 10 years, I have to share my delicious product with the world. So you start thinking about in six months, in one year, in five years, what do you want to feel? What is the gratitude that you want to feel about your past self to like yourself now that is going to fuel you into action? Like how do you see your business shaping? And who are you going to become and then thinking about fast forwarding, let's say, a year from now, the gratitude that you will feel for yourself for taking the action, for moving through the fear, for building up courage, right? So let's say you think, oh, gosh, so a year from now, I want to be how my product in manufacturing, and I am going to be spending my time doing sales to grocery stores, or I'm going to be spending my time at a farmers market or multiple markets that I love. Or I'm going to be spending my time making my product, maybe you'd prefer to make it and have somebody else do the social media or some of the other pieces of your business. So you fast forward, you say wow, like, I'm really grateful for that. And you get into gratitude. And then you think about, okay, what were all the things, all the decisions that I had to make along the way, like signing up for Food Business Success, that's one great decision that you can make for yourself, that helps you immediately. And you'll feel so much gratitude for yourself for actually doing it. So those are the ways, making a want list, doing a money appreciation list, or spending time getting into gratitude ahead of time, and being grateful to yourself now for taking that action. I am so grateful to myself, to my past self now, for taking the action to do this podcast. It was really scary for me, I had a lot of fear around it. And I pulled up the courage and said, I'm going to do it anyway. Fear does not mean stop. People need this podcast. People need your product, you have to believe in it. And find the gratitude that actually moves you forward. Don't use gratitude to keep you content. You will be fighting against your desire, and it'll keep coming up and keep getting stronger. And you just why not do it now, right? Get ahead of yourself and say yes, I'm taking back my power. And I'm using gratitude to fuel me forward and take action. All right, I hope you guys have a fantastic Thanksgiving. I know this year does not probably look like previous years. But taking some time to do one of these exercises I think is a great way to set yourself up no matter what your situation looks like this year for Thanksgiving, setting yourself up to come to this amazing place of gratitude and get going on your business. I would love to help you inside Food Business Success. Until next time, have an amazing gratitude filled.

The smartest thing you can do as an entrepreneur is to invest in a who to help you with the how to speed up your journey and help you skip the line. When you are ready for more support and accountability to finally get this thing done, you can work with me in two ways. Get me all to yourself with one on one business coaching, or join Food Business Success, which includes membership inside Fuel, our community of food business founders, that includes monthly live group coaching calls, and so much more. It's one of my favorite places to hang out and I would love to see you there. Go to foodbizsuccess.com to start your journey towards your own Food Business Success. Just a reminder that you can come work with me inside Fuel for just $57 a month. You get to ask me questions on our group calls and we have our community feed that you can get support from me and the community. Stop sitting around in confusion and doubt and slowing yourself down. Fuel is the fastest way to light things up and get some momentum in your business. It's the best way if you aren't sure if this is for you to come and ask me your questions to get the answers and stop spinning out in overwhelm and anxiety to get those questions answered by me and then once you are launching or have your product, then you have community, then you have additional support. The learning never ends. It's not like you launch your business and then you have no other questions. You just have new questions. You have new problems to go solve. So come join me in Fuel, 57 bucks a month. What are you waiting for? Foodbizsuccess.comfuel