Melyssa
Hey, Caley, welcome to the show.

Caley
Hey, thanks so much for having me.

Melyssa
I’m excited to talk to you. You’re such an inspiration, just the way that you lead and how you’ve been able to grow your business. And with such resilience to I just think that the way that you show up is is really inspiring. One thing that I actually this is so random, but one thing that I love about you is when COVID started, it was like at its highest peak or in March or April or something. I remember you created this idea of having dance parties, I think it was on your rooftop or on your balcony as a way to create community with the people who are around you. Mm hmm. No, I would love to hear more about that.

Caley
Yeah, so the dancing thing for me has always been a tool and I had to use that. Firstly, a couple of years ago, I was in a rut with my mood. And I was using a tool called opposite action and I was feeling really, really sad. And the opposite of what you’re inclined to do when you’re really sad is to dance. And so it’s almost like biohacking in a way where if you do the opposite, that you’re inclined to do, then your body gets into a different state. And so I’ve used that in a mental health campaign a couple of years in a row called movement for mental health. And when COVID hit and everybody’s feeling so disconnected and isolated, and there’s a lot of other things that come with that. I thought, let’s bring back the dancing. And yeah, people were dancing on their balconies every morning at 10am in my city, and a lot of news outlets picked it up. And I think it was just something that was positive and something that connected people and gave people something to look forward to each morning.

Melyssa
Hmm, that is so cool. Could you see other people dancing with you?

Caley
No, not from not from my patio, but we had a Facebook event and people would post their videos in the event every day. And so sometimes there were like four 50 videos that would go in Oh, yeah, yeah. Yeah. And then some people would message me saying, I think I see my neighbor doing your dancing thing.

Melyssa
Really cool. Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. Yeah, you I feel like people listening would love this idea. And then they’d also think like, I don’t know if I can start a dancing dating activity where I’m like, in public by myself dancing on my balcony. Does that ever cross your mind of like, what if my neighbors see me and think I’m nuts?

Caley
Yeah, it definitely crossed my mind. I would say, I also I think, somehow I have gotten to a place in my life where I don’t care if I look like an idiot. My whole kind of view on that as if I’m not harming anybody else. And if I’m just doing what I want to do, and I’m not harming anyone else, then if somebody else cares or judges name, yeah, so what and sometimes that’s hard and it took me a long time to kind of get to that place. My life but it also allows me to be very outspoken and stand up for things that I think need to be stood up for at the same time. So I think it goes both ways.

Melyssa
Mm hmm. Yeah. That’s something that I really appreciate about you is I feel like you do speak up about things that matter to you. You’re willing to be unapologetic.

Caley
Yeah, I try. And sometimes that bites me in the butt. But, you know, I don’t think that you can ever be 100% authentic and have everyone like you. I think you have to make a choice between those two.

Melyssa
Yeah, completely agree and almost like, is the goal even to have everyone like you, or is the goal then to just be view and be unapologetic about it? Mm hmm. Exactly. I agree. Yeah. I love that. Have you always been that way?

Caley
No, no, no, no. When I was in elementary school and junior high, I was, well, especially elementary school. I was very, very shy. I was very shy. And yeah, I cared what people thought about me. Absolutely. And I got bullied a bit in elementary school and at the beginning of junior high, and that was really hurtful. And so because of those experiences, I think I then wanted to adapt and try to fit in or try to be cool. And I wasn’t always true to myself in doing that. And it did always feel strange. And yeah, it’s I mean, I think it’s a constant development. But I think honestly, only within the last three, four years, can I really say I don’t really care if people judge me, because life’s just too short. But it wasn’t always that way. For sure. And there are still times when people will say things or make a comment. And I do have a moment where I’m like, oh, like, you know, you feel that heat in your body. And I used to just kind of react to that. And it took me a long time to retrain to just observe that heat, and be like, wow, like what’s happening here and then To talk myself through it and be like, right, that’s not because of me. That’s because of them and their story and whatever they’re going through. And to take it, you know, away from me, and so I didn’t take it personally. But in my early 20s, I think that that journey started, there’s a book called The Four Agreements. Have you read it? Mm hmm. Yeah. So it’s one of my favorite books. And I think when I read that in my early 20s, it was one of my first experiences with being like, oh, write the actions of other people, or about them, and not me. You know,

Melyssa
that’s still hard sometimes. But

you have to remind yourself of that, I think. Yeah,

yeah. I love that. And I love the like, because so often we’ll have the physical sensation of he or will feel it in our chest, hands, different parts of your body and then and then just let it kind of derail us. But what you’re saying is really like feel it and then remember, it’s not about you, and then just feel it as a sensation instead of a minute. mental process, which is so powerful,

Caley
huh? Yeah. Like not attaching anything to it. Yeah. And then and then it fades a lot quicker, I think. Yeah.

Melyssa
But that’s really hard. That’s hard. It takes practice for sure. Yeah, it does. Yeah. It took me probably a few years to really like, feel confident when I would feel a sensation like that and feel like I can work through it quickly. Yeah. Was it the same for you?

Caley
Yes. Yes. It was the same for me. Absolutely. It took me a lot of hard work, a lot of hard work on the mindfulness side of that. Yeah. And to, I think another big realization, too, is the more energy you give to those situations back to the source, the more will just continue to come towards you, which isn’t always productive or efficient, and it can keep you stuck in that and there’s very few times is there going to be a solution or an outcome of those situations, you know, especially if it was coming towards you in the first place from something that wasn’t actually about you, you’re not gonna win that battle because it was never about you to begin with. So,

Melyssa
right, yeah, we’re just like causing ourselves to be stuck in this loop that you can’t look can’t get out of because it wasn’t about you in the first place. Mm hmm, exactly. Yeah. Okay, how do you feel like so? How long have you had your business for? or How long have you been an entrepreneur for?

Caley
Yeah, I mean, I’ve been working for myself full time since April 2017. But I’ve had some sort of business ever since I was a kid, like, pretty much been my whole life. Very, very small. Obviously, when I was younger, like when I was 12, I made jewelry and sold it at the flea market. And when I was 13, I would make pillows for people in my class and in high school, I was making tote bags and clothes and selling them out of my house as well. And then 10 years ago, I started offering like logo design. Photography on the side. But it took me a really long time to get to a place where I could actually make a run of it full time because I didn’t have the confidence. I really didn’t. I was like, who is going to pay me even $50 for a logo, you know? So it was really only just over three years ago where I was like, nope, okay, I’m doing it. And there were a whole bunch of steps that led up to that, where I was able to build that confidence, but it still felt like a huge risk.

Melyssa
Mm hmm. Which is so interesting knowing you now like I just see you as such a confident self starter who is seriously a who just like you take an idea and run with it, and it’s explosive and so good. You know.

Caley
I appreciate that. I feel like people do say that to me quite a bit these days. And a lot of people kind of see me as fearless. But it’s very interesting to the power of perception because I think if somebody was actually, you know, inside, inside his brain and body Do it like whoa, and realize that it’s really not easy. You know, I still have to find that I have to throw myself at things, you know, something feels uncomfortable and scary. And sometimes that can be a warning, you know that maybe you shouldn’t be doing it. But a lot of times if it’s something that you actually really want, and you feel that fear come up, and again, sensations in your body, perhaps too, sometimes you just have to feel it and do it anyway.

Melyssa
Yes.

Caley
And that’s the only way towards growth. And as we were talking about earlier, being unapologetic about the whole thing.

Melyssa
Mm hmm. Right. And I actually think that that contributes to the fact that you’re a confident, unapologetic, brilliant leader is that I think we all feel fear, like it doesn’t just go away one day, and you’ve just found ways to work through it, because it’s not really about at least in my experience, it’s not really about like getting to a place where you’re like, I don’t care about anything. could do anything and feel totally fine. That almost sounds sociopathic.

Caley
Because you’d have to lack you would have to lack empathy, and a lot of your own emotions would have to be cut off. So yes.

Melyssa
Right. So it’s kind of like, I mean, we almost think that we’re working towards that archetype of being fearless quote, unquote, really, it’s like we’re working towards having fear and finding ways to do it. Anyways, I think that’s what makes you so inspiring.

Caley
Thank you. I really appreciate that.

Melyssa
Yeah, yeah. So in your business now, so you’ve been running for about three years at this point. Tell us more about what you do in your company.

Caley
Mm hmm. Yeah, so we have a few different focuses one part of my company runs like a small marketing and creative agencies so we help clients grow their exposure and revenue primarily through digital advertising and photography, video, social media, sometimes we run influencer marketing campaign. And then the other side of my business is the education side. So I have an online course which I launched three years ago about how to build a personal brand on Instagram. And then I also teach in person workshops as well, which I love. And the most popular one I run is a photography workshop. I’ve also done seminars on how to become a freelancer and yeah, so it’s kind of twofold. There’s the agency side, and then there’s my more personal brand side where I’m running educational offerings online and in person.

Melyssa
Hmm. So you’re like a Jacqueline of all trades? Got it? Yeah, I suppose. So. Yes, yes.

Caley
Which is interesting, because I don’t usually recommend that other people do that. I was like, you need to be very specific and narrow down your focus. And I think for me, I just really enjoy so many different things that I acknowledge the trade off of not being hyper focused, and for me, it’s still worth it. At this time.

Melyssa
Mm hmm. Yeah. Right. Yeah. And it’s a nice case study to have what’s possible when you embrace that multi passionate side of yourself? Mm hmm. You can do that.

Caley
Absolutely. I do think it’s probably more difficult. You know, I usually, it’s, I have a concept Actually, I talk to people about this, especially if I’m, you know, coaching them, but it’s like, I do Facebook ads, I do photography, I do this, I do that I do that, you know, 10 different things. And if somebody is looking to hire somebody for Facebook ads, and they’re introduced to me, and you know, they see that I do 10 different things. And they’re introduced to, you know, Sally, down the street, and she only specializes in Facebook ads. I could be better at Facebook ads than her by far, but the perception because that’s the only thing she does, it’s more likely that there’s gonna be a bias towards choosing her because we have biases towards if somebody asks They’re better. And we can all use that to our advantage right when we’re branding. And so I acknowledge that I definitely have a bit of a disadvantage in that. But again, the trade off is still worth it for me. Mm hmm.

Melyssa
I appreciate that perspective of the trade off is still worth it for me because I think in business, there are a lot of trade offs and sort of forks in the road that we can choose between. And sometimes it makes sense to choose the thing that might actually inhibit growth or make it slow down if it fuels your soul.

Caley
Exactly, exactly. Like I love Facebook ads, but I also get so lit up by photography and the fact that I can do the photography for the ads that I’m then going to be running. I love it. I’m equally analytical and creative. And when I think about cutting off our limiting either one of those sides, it doesn’t feel good. It actually makes me feel physically strange, huh?

Melyssa
I feel like that’s what it feels like to run a business from a place of alignment instead of just more money is better. Or and not to say that I mean your business is crushing it, but to say that it’s better if you grow fast, which I think is sort of the precedent that a lot of people hear. And the path that a lot of people are given is like, you got to grow fast. You have to hit this much money and this many followers, and that’s how you know that you’re successful. And then I talked to so many people who hit those markers, and they just feel drained and they feel disconnected from themselves and like, how can you grow in a way that’s sustainable, which is what you’re doing by choosing the things that matter to you, and doing it in an aligned way.

Caley
I agree with that. I really appreciate that perspective, too. I see a lot of people too, who want to grow super fast, or they have these expectations of wanting to become super successful in three months. And so for I think people who are unwilling to budge from that perspective, it’s like well, if you’re not ready to specialize I say niche because I’m Canadian. But I think it’s niche to actually say nice. Okay.

Melyssa
You don’t always like make fun of me for it. But it’s just sounds more right to me.

Caley
Yeah, same. I think, for those people who are expecting really quick results, to me, she’s just going to make that more likely, just at the end of the day, just based on perception and psychology alone, and competition. But I think for people who, like you were just saying, who want to have a more aligned business long term, and are multi passionate and don’t want to give things up? I think it’s important to then look at, okay, how can these things work together, and then also have an understanding that this is going to make things more difficult, and they have to accept that and not expect that overnight success?

Melyssa
Right, right, and almost like rationalize it with the fact that they’re living in a more fulfilling way that matters to them. And so maybe the journey takes a little longer, but at least it’s fun and you enjoy it. So that’s an unsaid part or unspoken part of business. Sometimes it’s like, are you actually enjoying what you’re doing? Let you up does it fulfill you? Yeah, yeah. So I know that earlier this year. So when COVID really struck, let’s say in March, and the economy was changing really rapidly, and people were in a very constant state of fear, I know that you went through, I want to call it a rough patch, but kind of just like an experience with your business. So I’d love to hear more about that. And then what ended up happening from that?

Caley
Yeah, so I let go of it hit and it was, you know, starting to become very real. I still felt pretty secure. I was like, oh, nothing’s gonna happen. You know, I started to see other people losing business and this and that, and I just, I don’t know if it was ignorance on my part, but I just had this attitude of, Oh, well, I’ll be fine. And then in one single day, it was a Monday, I lost 80% of my clients within a matter of days. Five hours. Yeah. And I lost my mind. I was facetiming with friends all night crying, because it felt like everything I had just worked so hard for had slipped away super easily. And the next day as well, again, I was super bummed out. I couldn’t believe it. And then I think we had a call with, I believe it was with you. There was a call in the mastermind. And we were looking at possibilities and doing a possible Yeah, possibility brainstorm. And it was interesting, because that exercise, it definitely helped me to just realize, Oh, yeah, like, there’s actually all these possibilities, you know, and I’m not even sure I ended up implementing any of them, but just that shift that I was able to have in terms of mindset. Next day I kid you not I woke up and I just felt, I felt lighter. I felt like you know what, I just lost my whole business and I don’t care. Because now I have space. And I have space to really sit with this and think about what it is I really want and who I want to serve. And I actually started to enjoy it and then as soon as I released it, and I took the pressure off of myself and I took the judgment and I, I took the fear out. All of a sudden I landed a ton of new clients, and some of them were actually people who I’ve met because of your mastermind as well. And I couldn’t believe it. You know, within the course of of less than a week I pretty much lost my entire business and then gained it back and then some and I think I’d mentioned this to you I actually did almost triple It was almost triple my regular monthly income is what ended up happening in March. And for mean to look at that and be like, march of 2020 when COVID hit, and panic was everywhere. That was my highest grossing month I’ve ever had in my business. I was like, wow, like, that doesn’t make sense. But I think it was all mindset to be honest, it was all mindset and just being shown the possibilities. And also, I remember that call that we were on with you and you had this very calm approach to the whole situation. And that was really nice, because everybody was panicking. Everybody’s panicking around me and everybody’s panicking online and, you know, you’re scrolling through your feed and it’s just panic and so your initial reaction because everybody else is panicking is to panic. And I think that that call with you was the first and maybe the only call that week where there was just a calmness there was just a it just seemed like everything was gonna be okay. Yeah. Hmm, yeah,

Melyssa
I love that. I’m so glad to hear that, first of all. And secondly, just really like the power of community too. And I’ve felt this to have when I’m around certain groups or people, if they’re thinking one way and talking about it a lot, then it’s like, I kind of feel like I should be doing that, too. It seems like the right thing to do. And then if there’s somebody or a group that comes along, that shifts that then it’s like, oh, whoa, almost permission to allow yourself to come back to yourself. And I love the way that you put it to have you woke up the next day, you did the possibility brainstorming and what I love about that, too, is that none of the possibilities you came up with are necessarily the things that you ended up doing because it’s almost not even the point. It’s like, just opening your mind to the thought that possibilities can exist, which is great. And then the next day, what you said was, you just felt a little different and you took the pressure and fear out, which I think is such a powerful way of stating that like he just sounds like you pulled them out of yourself. And you’re like, Okay, what’s here when I take the pressure off, I pull it off I pull the fear off and then what’s left? And it’s really just possibility and and what you’re able to create from that it’s been inspiring because you created that in just a few days tripled your income for the month. That’s so just incredible number one and two, what a testament to when we see things through the lens of possibility instead of fear.

Caley
Yeah, one of the even more interesting things that ended up happening is I had so I’ve been making new clients kind of prepay for services. So I just assumed I was like, okay, so march was a really great month, but I have to be prepared for the next couple of months that my income is going to be maybe close to nothing, because I just made all these people prepay. And that didn’t happen. Like my income for the next few months was on par with, you know, pre COVID and it’s actually still been growing and things have just been on an upward momentum ever since. So I was really surprised by that.

Melyssa
So interesting. Do you feel like a lot of the reason why that happened is because your mindset shifted?

Caley
Yeah, I believe so. I think it just showed me what was possible. And that also, worrying and fear, it’s never going to change the outcome. And, you know, I am naturally someone who worries quite a bit. And I overthink and I will think something through way more than is ever productive. But I think in that moment, just Yeah, I just I was just able to release it. Yeah. And a mindset shift. I think it just allowed me to continue to grow and in a time where I mean, at first, I actually felt a little bit of guilt over trying to grow during that time because we saw so many people losing so much And so that was another hurdle to get over, especially even knowing that most of my best friends were struggling. So it’s kind of that mindset of having to get over that aspect of as well of Who am I to be, you know, making money. Right now, when a lot of my friends are suffering or you know, just lost all their their work or their jobs or you know, so there was a lot of different stages of it. But it was, yeah, it’s all mindset and community, I think when it came to that, yeah.

Melyssa
Was there anything that helped you in terms of moving through those feelings of that life? Exactly what you just said, feeling guilty that you’re thriving when other people aren’t?

Caley
Yeah, I think I do anchor a lot to what you say about that situation about how if you feel guilty, then it’s obviously because you want to help people and you wish that other people weren’t in that situation. And you can’t help other people. Unless you’re already doing You know, a certain level or you have to take care of yourself first before you can take care of other people. And you have to take care of yourself before you can impact other people too. And that’s, that’s another thing. And so it’s kind of one thing that I think of it. Or one way I think of it sometimes is, you know, if I want to put out pre resources or freebies or blog articles from my community, even, I need to make sure that first of all, I’m making my income, at least to a certain amount. So then I can focus and give back and do all of that. And so I just kind of adopted that mindset of the more that you have the more than you can help others. Yeah. And I think just knowing that and really anchoring to that, and you have to release a lot of again, like what people might think of you have to work on releasing that as well. But I think just anchoring to what, what you, you say, quite often is, you know, the more that you have, the more that you can help other people. I think that’s really helpful.

Melyssa
Right, right. It’s like the overflow. When you have the overflow, then you can spill it on other people and organizations and friends and clients and all the things and care about but yeah, it’s, I think of it as like martyr syndrome where we feel like if we are creating less than in some way that’s better, that’s more noble. But actually, if you’re creating less and, and feeling less abundance and like don’t have time to take care of yourself because you’re hustling all the time, then there’s no overflow. overflow, then you’re not getting your needs met, and you’re not able to help other people get there’s meant to so. Yeah, I’d love that you’ve adopted that.

Caley
Mm hmm. Yeah, I think you have to and that’s something I was living in Vancouver, British Columbia for 10 years. And when I was living in that city, I actually didn’t struggle as much with that. With that guilt, you know, if I was doing well, because I felt like I was in a place where I mean, it was a, it’s a relatively big city and I felt like there was a lot of people who were doing very well and, you know, chasing their dreams and, and doing things that were just you know, outside of the box and it was really great. And so not only because of COVID, but also I moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia last year, and Halifax is a very small city. And, and whether or not this is, you know, this is probably a story that I’ve been telling myself of, you know, oh, I stick out and who am I to be doing this? And, you know, it’s challenging, you know, but again, I think being in the mastermind really helped that because even if I didn’t feel like I had that fully fleshed out community, in the city I live in, I knew that I could just log in online and access it. And when I think like we spoke about earlier, when there’s a collective attitude or mentality towards something, it becomes so much easier, you know, and logging in there, we all wanted to see each other thrive, and so you’re not going to login to the mastermind group and have people go, you know, who are you like, stop trying to sell right now or you know, whatever. So I think that really helped. But yeah, it can definitely be tough when the people who are close to you are struggling. Mm hmm.

Melyssa
Yeah. I love what you said about the mastermind too just being part of a community when there’s a collective attitude about something, you tend to adopt it? Yeah, that’s a powerful way to put it. I’d love that. So you joined the mastermind in February. Yeah, back in February. And were there any hesitancies that you had for joining? I know, it’s an investment in time investment and resources. Do you have any hesitancies?

Caley
Mm hmm. Yeah, I definitely did. I was very much on the fence very, very much on the fence. My father was very ill he has since passed, and I just felt completely not only emotionally depleted, but rained, just lack of focus. And I felt like, you know, is this really the best time for me to be investing in myself and investing at this level, it was actually the largest investment I’d ever made in my business. And I thought maybe I shouldn’t do this because I’m not going to be able to focus and implement. And I actually had a meeting with a team member of mine. So Andrea, who is so lovely, she works for me. We were sitting at a cafe and I told her about the program. And she just looked up at me and she was like, Kaylee, I know you and I know you are going to regret this if you don’t do it. And for me, that was pretty much it because I was like, I you know, Andrea is very close to me. And you know, she’s not as experienced professionally or you know, it’s usually me kind of mentoring and guiding her but for her to Say that I knew it was pretty important. And I knew that she believed in me. And so having that sense of support, even if it was just one person saying one thing, and hearing the words regret, I try to live my life without regret. So when I heard that word, it made me really think. And yeah, I’m so glad that I ended up joining because it was a time. And it is still a time where I need community more than ever. And, you know, I do have friends in my personal life, who I can rely on. But I think there’s a different sense of community that comes from when you can really relate to a group, you know, it’s like, these are 25 amazing women from across the world who are not only doing the kinds of things that I’m doing, but are also at the same level in what they’re doing as I am. And that’s hard to find. That’s hard to find, especially in a small city. And not only in a business sense is a great community but the amount of support I ended up getting and I still get it from the, from the people that I’ve met in the mastermind, it’s just blows my mind. And I feel so supported. And inspired as well, you know, so it was a great decision.

Melyssa
I’m so glad to hear that. And I love how you’re speaking about like community is more important now than ever to, because I think it can be easy to sort of talk yourself out of doing something like this thinking I’ll do it when this passes. And it’s like, this is actually the time to do it. Because things are so crazy. Because there’s such a, like, lack of stability in certain ways around the world. Mm hmm. And in terms of community to like the isolation factor. All signs point to the fact that community can really help you expand. So I love that you said that. I’m just so glad that it’s been helpful for you. I know that like when you joined that was a big thing too is the personal stuff. have things like would I be able to keep up with it? Would I have the time and energy with everything that I’m dealing with in my personal life? Well, these people, I’m guessing here, but maybe will these people be able to hold the fact that I’m going through something so significant in my life? Mm hmm.

Caley
Yeah. That was a big part of it, for sure. A huge concern. But I learned very quickly that that wasn’t going to be the case. And I can’t even fully put it into words to be honest. It’s so interesting, because I thought that I was just signing up for a business mastermind I was like, oh, yeah, this is just gonna be business practical. And if anybody knows better, it should have been me. Like I talked about mindset all the time. And I know how important that is. But I remember the moment actually when I realized, oh, my goodness, this is so much more than business, but it’s all crucial to business at the same time, but it’s not exactly what I thought but this is great. You know, I mean, yeah, just oh my goodness, like the emotional vulnerability alone that so many of the mastermind members have shown and the connection that happens through that. And as well the healing that happens through that. I think that’s all very crucial to, you know, get yourself to the next stage, not only in your business, but in life. And so I was really blown away by that. And, and yeah, community is more important than ever right now. And even on a business standpoint, I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did in March, if it wasn’t for the mastermind, because those were connections, where people had heard me through like, people in the mastermind, it just it wouldn’t have happened like that. So that was very cool as well.

Melyssa
Mm hmm. Right. Right. Yeah. And it’s interesting what you say about mindset and like, I didn’t know I was going to get so much mindset support or that that was going to Be a thing in the mastermind. Like if you could distill, because I think it can be confusing for people. They’re like, yeah, mindset cool. It’s like, I’ll read a book about it one day. What do you feel like is the difference? Or Yeah, what is the difference that mindset makes for you and your business? Or how has it helped you grow beyond just having like a strategy, business tactic or something?

Caley
Mm hmm. Well, I firmly believe that anyone can be shown any of the practical steps to do anything. And just because somebody has shown or they learned those practical steps in a day doesn’t mean that they’re going to actually do them and be it doesn’t mean that they’re going to believe in themselves in order to attract you know, results and opportunities. You have to believe that you are capable of that and that you are worthy of that. I’m a big believer in like manifestation and how having a certain mindset can just attract opportunities. If you’re open to them. And if you have your mindset at a certain a certain level, so I honestly I think it’s equally both parts I don’t even think it’s like 90%, practical, 10% mindset. I think it’s 50/50. I mean, in my life, I’ve seen the things where it’s, you know, when I’m aligned, and I’m working on my limiting beliefs, and I’ve made breakthroughs and then sometimes you just put something out to the universe, and the next day it happens, and you’re like, Wait, what? But it’s all these subconscious actions that you’ve been taking that have kind of, you know, led up to that happening, but that’s not going to happen. If you’re sitting there beating yourself up constantly, like, why is this happening? Why isn’t this happening? Why isn’t this happening? I’m doing all you know, XYZ, all the practical stuff, because there’s this whole other side of it, that I think a lot of people don’t fully dive into and it and I understand why people don’t dive into it. It’s very uncomfortable. It can be very uncomfortable and it can unearth a lot of as well. And so it takes a lot of strength to be willing to go there and do that work.

Melyssa
Right. It does. Yeah. And I think that’s even part of why it helps to do it in community is like doing it on your own, because then it’s where do you turn when you get to the itchy parts of the growth? Yeah. And with you on the manifestation and how we, when you believe that something is possible, then the likelihood you’ll be able to create it is much more than if you don’t believe even from like what you were talking about the subconscious actions that you’ll take. It’s like, thinking about if you go into something thinking, this is going to be hard, I’m not going to create the results. I’m not good enough. I can’t do it, then just thinking like, well, from that energy from that place of thinking, then what kinds of subconscious actions will you or Won’t you take like, if an opportunity drops in your inbox? Would you take it or would you be afraid to say yes to it because you don’t believe you’re good enough subconsciously like, the path is there if we’re open to seeing In looking for it, but so many times our mindset gets in the way that we don’t even see the opportunities or we just don’t. We’re not looking through that lens. So, yeah, what do you feel like is next for you? I know you, it’s like you’ve been through this, this cocoon of transformation this year, it feels like you’ve been through some really sticky things that have really allowed you to grow into, I think, an even brighter and more aligned version of you, even though I know it’s been challenging at times, too. So from that place of alignment and truth that you’re you’ve been living in, or do you feel like is next for you and your business?

Caley
Yeah, well, I will say I’m really excited for the future, which feels very nice. I was not expecting to be feeling this way, having only lost my father about a month ago. And with that, you know, I do take things day by day in a sense and it’s summer right now. So I allow myself to just enjoy and to fully work on all parts of me right now. And as I work on all parts of me and allow myself to feel the feelings as they come up whatever they are, I feel like it’s also been allowing me to feel more focused on my business at the same time when I have that focus, and I’ve, you know, even recently, you know, I’ve been doing new new lead magnets and free guides, and I specialize in Facebook ads. And so I was like, Oh, I should, you know, do my own Facebook ads again for this as I have in the past and I just grew my email list by about 1000 people in a week, which feels great. And you know, I’m starting to build out new email funnels. I’ve been chipping away at putting together a new course I’ve been writing blog articles again, and it doesn’t feel super overwhelming. And so I’m really excited just to continue to share my knowledge I really want to finish up this course and building it specifically actually about pricing strategy for freelancers. And there’s going to be a big mindset component around that as well. And I also do have plans to hopefully build out another course as well. So I really want to I will continue to take on clients on the other side of my business, but very selectively, and only who I really, really, really want to work with. And on that side as well, I did just open up a mentorship program myself, which I’ve been getting clients to pretty steadily which feels great. And other than that, just really focusing on the courses and offerings and, you know, sharing more knowledge with my community now that I feel able to do that again.Yeah.

Melyssa
This is why I just think the world of you because it’s like what’s next? Oh, just about a million things. I’m good at it inspired by and excited about and this is so cool, how creative and just how much of a leader you are how much initiative You take towards the things that matter to you.

Caley
I appreciate that. It’s interesting because the things I’m even just talking about, they felt so heavy over the past year, year and a half just with what was going on, you know, with my dad, you know, having ALS and now when I even say all that stuff it doesn’t feel is heavy anymore. And I’m glad that I, you know, still took steps to the last year and a half. I’m so glad I signed up for the mastermind, because now I just feel like things are so clear. And my motivation still shifts day to day, but at least I feel like the path is very clear. And I’m very clear on what it is I want. And there’s other things I’ve been, you know, walking into my life to I’m very much into property and real estate and so there’s some really exciting stuff coming up from that too. I just feeling very inspired in life these days.

Melyssa
Mm hmm.

Caley
Just so nice.

Melyssa
Yeah, but it feels like is that you’re being very true. It’s like not forcing yourself into anything. Whether it’s It’s a feeling or an activity. It’s like, I’m just going to be true to how I feel today and what I want to do.

Caley
Yeah, yeah, exactly. And one of the one thing I did notice recently, too, is even observing myself and how long it would take me to answer a certain email, like little bringing awareness and things like that. If it was taking me days to answer a certain email, I might then go, okay, wait a minute, what’s going on here? Maybe I don’t actually want that opportunity. What’s this resistance going on here? Like you have to assess is this fear? Like, is it something I actually really want? But I’m scared, or is it? Is this really gonna light me up? Or no? Like, why am I taking two days to answer this email? And for me, I found when I finally realized that there were certain opportunities that I wasn’t responding to and it was because they weren’t lighting me up. I realized, oh my goodness, I should just be saying no The more I’ve said no lately to way more things that I’ve said yes to you, and it feels amazing. And I love it. And I will continue to do that. And it’s necessary to do that in order to Yeah, feel true to yourself and aligned to what it is you really want and how you want to feel day to day.

Melyssa
Yes, so true and how I like that sort of dichotomy between took me two days, and I couldn’t tell initially, is it because I want to do it, but I’m scared or because I just don’t want to do it. Like, how do you tell the difference between those two feelings?

Caley
Mm hmm. I think one thing that helps me is I will do a bit of a visualization exercise in my head where I will picture myself in the process of doing that work, doing that work, working with that client communicating with that client, and then see how that feels. I’m a very visual person. So when I picture these things in my head, like the body sensations will come and just paying attention to how does that feel and it feels super, super, super exciting. Then I know Okay, this was fear. And I’ve got to work through this because I really want this and proceeding. But if I’m picturing it and I’m like, I feel drained, I will literally feel drained if I picture something that’s not aligned with what I really want. And when I feel that dread, I’m just like, okay, no, this is not something we should be saying yes to.

Melyssa
Oh, I love that. I love the visual visualization. And I love the just the feelings that you can experience from that. That’s powerful. That’s a great way to think about just decision making in general. I love that. Thank you so much, Caley I just really appreciate how you show up as a leader and in the mastermind and just in life in general, you, you have something special to you, I just appreciate you.

Caley
I appreciate you too. And everything, everything in the mastermind and there’s just so many, so many wonderful things that have come from that experience. And I’m just I’m so grateful to have done it. And to have connected with you and everybody else.