Shelley Davidescu: I’m pumped!

John Lee Dumas: Yes! Shelley is a business mentor for women and wellness, and she’s ready to help spread health and healing worldwide. She’s professionally trained in mental health and combines her knowledge in psychology, business and health to help women share their powerful transformation and unique message to heal and create a bigger impact in the world today. Shelley, take a minute, fill in some gaps from that intro, and give us just a little glimpse of your personal life.

Shelley Davidescu: Yeah, sure. Thanks, John. I’m actually originally from Mexico. I’m an immigrant from Mexico City and now live in San Diego. And I’m pretty much obsessed with anything health related. I know that we just talked about me eating chocolate right before we got on, but I’m a huge fan of raw chocolate, and that’s pretty much all I – actually, I’m a huge chocolate snob. So, that’s pretty much all I eat.

John Lee Dumas: Well, if you’re a health nut and all you eat is chocolate, I think you just made everybody’s favorite diet list. So, whenever the book comes out, let us know.

Shelley Davidescu: Yes!

John Lee Dumas: So, what I want to do now, Shelley, is kind of move into what you consider your area of expertise. So, kind of break that down for us. What do you consider your specialty?

Shelley Davidescu: So, what I help women do is really elicit their story of transformation. There are so many women who have radically transformed their health and they have the power and the capacity to inspire other people to do so. There are so many health gurus out in the online space today that really just tell people what to do, or sell people on products or whatnot. But, the real transformation happens when we share what we’ve been able to do ourselves, and other people get inspired. So, I really help elicit that story, that human element that is irreplaceable, and share that in a really powerful way, and in a confident way so that other people are inspired to take action.

John Lee Dumas: Okay. So, within this specialty that you have, what are two things that you think that we really need to know, just as human beings, maybe even as entrepreneurs. But, what are two things that you think we need to know that we probably don’t?

Shelley Davidescu: The number one thing that I tell my women is to really make their one thing their one thing. Their tribe in the market will really appreciate them tenfold when they deliver what they are truly specialized in, and plus, they get compensated really nicely for it because nobody else does that one thing. So, that’s something that I really love to start with. And then, the second one is that it’s never really super comfortable to be vulnerable or to put yourself out there. And I think that there’s a huge misconception that people have that when they see others just being very public or sharing very openly, they have this misconception that it’s easy for them, or that they don’t have self-doubt or fear about not being liked or being questioned, or just regular human fears.

John Lee Dumas: So, let’s kind of move on to something that you’ve recently changed your mind about. I mean, you know, we’ve talked a few times now about chocolate and how you eat chocolate every single day, which is a little unique for a health nut. But at the same time, if it’s pretty high in the cacao area, then maybe you’re doing some good things. But, talk to us about something that you used to believe just as recently as six months ago that you just don’t anymore.

Shelley Davidescu: That I have to work all the time, which is just not true. And I know that entrepreneurs are really grinding day in and day out, which I think is a necessary part of growth, but I think it’s really important for us to redefine what “grind” means, and sometimes, eating chocolate and contemplating the universe is actually work. You know, that’s where I get a lot of really creative ideas, and I’m redefining what work means to me and spending more time with open space to have creativity flow into my day. So, it’s following more of, like, the 80/20 rule where 20 percent of my effort grants me 80 percent of my results.

John Lee Dumas: Well, I think it’s such a problem when people don’t give themselves time, when they don’t give themselves space to think and to come up with that next big idea. I mean, I look back on my journey. Like, all of my big ideas came while I was on runs, or meditating or journaling. And Fire Nation, so many people, they just freak out. They think they have to be doing something busywork-like every single minute of every single day, and they’re never giving themselves the time to breathe, the space to think. And that’s critical. That’s where the ideas come from. So, Shelley, let’s talk now about your journey as an entrepreneur, and specifically, your worst entrepreneurial moment to date. So, take us down to that moment and tell us that story.

Shelley Davidescu: Oh, my gosh! You’re going to make me relieve this one, huh?

John Lee Dumas: Yeah, girl!

Shelley Davidescu: All right. So, I was actually sitting on the floor with my laptop. It was a Saturday night, it was 11 p.m. and there was no party at my house. And my eyes were probably bloodshot from staring at computer, probably all afternoon, working on Facebook ads, and all of a sudden, I had this, like, huge wave of frustration and, like, tension wash over me. It’s kind of like I don’t know if you surf, but kind of like when you get dumped on by a huge wave. It just did not feel good at all, and I was so frustrated. I got up, went to the bathroom and just started to cry. And this the first time I broke down and cried over my business. It was not a pretty sight. I usually have the ability to just, like, be cool and collected and take breaks and all that kind of stuff, but I was so frustrated trying to figure out my Facebook ad campaign. It might seem kind of small to some people, but I’m not techie at all. So, none of the buttons looked like they had a week before, there were names on the screen that I just couldn’t figure out.

So, things were very confusing, and then, I just kind of got tunnel vision and I felt like my whole business was going to tank and crash for me not figuring out my Facebook ad campaign, which is obviously not true, right? There’s, like, so many other pieces going on, but I basically came back to the room and I asked my husband, Jordan, if could literally just take Facebook ads off my plate, and just please never make me do that again. And from that point on, I just outsourced it. It was just, like I said, it kind of might seem like small to some people, but it seemed like it was a puzzle that was unsolvable for me.

John Lee Dumas: Fire Nation, we only have so much bandwidth. We only have so much energy. We only have so much knowledge that we can really put forth into this world, and when you are going down these rabbit holes that just aren’t your thing, what are you doing? You’re wasting time, energy, effort, bandwidth, potentially even money when you could be spending that time in other areas. I mean, Shelley has so many great qualities that she could have been working on, polishing, getting out there to the public, like, all of her knowledge on chocolate and on health and on all these different things. But instead, she’s going down these rabbit holes o Facebook and just getting discouraged and disgusted with the whole process that was she even going to give in? Some people have given in quick because of something like that when that’s just a part of your business. You have to outsource the stuff that’s just not for you. If it’s not making you stronger and it’s making you weaker, go back to your core and make sure that you’re finding other people to just fill in your team in the areas that you’re not strong in. I mean, Shelley, that’s my big takeaway. But, what do you want to make sure that Fire Nation gets from your story?

Shelley Davidescu: Yeah, I mean, you definitely nailed it. But, you know, I personally – that was the moment that I needed to have to confirm and have it etched in my memory that I don’t have to do it all myself. I don’t have to be good at everything. I know that as a business owner, I’m responsible that everything runs optimally, which I have no problem doing. But at the end of the day, you know, my bets are on my strengths, not on my weaknesses; and if I could have somebody else do it in five minutes rather than two hours that it takes me, then of course that’s the most intelligent thing to do. So, outsourcing is the name of the game, and I always ask myself, “Who else can do this?”

John Lee Dumas: And Shelley, you said “two hours,” but it’s not just two hours. It’s the stress building up to those two hours when you know you have to be doing that, it’s the absolute, like, just mental kind of fog that descends after those two hours of you trying to kill yourself doing it. So, you take back those two hours pre that you would have been stressing out, then those two hours of work and then, the two-three hours of mental fog that would have set in afterwards. And now, you’re talking, like six, seven hours, Fire Nation, of core creativity time that you’re taking away from yourself instead of outsourcing to somebody who maybe not in five minutes, but maybe in 20, 30 minutes can set up an incredible campaign for you while you’re doing what you do best. So, Shelley, that’s an “ah” moment that you had, obviously, but you’ve had a lot. So, take us to one of your greatest “aha” moments to date, and tell us that story.

Shelley Davidescu: When I actually was able to hire a team, like a full team, and just being able to delegate and being incredibly productive. And like you’re saying, being able to really focus on where I shine, which is really relationships, making connections with people, having conversations, doing Skype calls with my clients and coaching. That’s really where I shine. I’m not into building websites. Have I built the skill over time? Yeah. But, it’s taken me probably five times longer than somebody else who’s actually really, really good, and that’s their strength. But yeah. I mean, I think my greatest moment was having the whole team and just being able to onboard client, after client, after client and fully being present with them. Because that’s really what we’re here to do is to show up with our strengths, and to deliver what our gift is. And so, since my gift is not Facebook ads and it’s really being in that coaching relationship, I was able to do it with such a joy. And that was a moment in my business that was so happy and so joyous that I just knew that I had been working so hard for that moment. I was so grateful for it, too.

John Lee Dumas: Fire Nation, you can see the theme that’s developing throughout this interview. I mean, my strengths are actually conducting these interviews. I’m not outsourcing these interviews; I’m not bringing in other people to do these actual hosting of these interviews. Like, this is what I do. But, am I going to do the show notes for this episode? Absolutely not. I’ve hired somebody who will do amazing, timestamped, linked, beautiful show notes, and I will already be halfway through another interview by the time he’s even halfway done those show notes. I mean, think about that. I am doing what I do best, and I’m hiring out the rest, and that’s what Shelley has done as well. And she’s opened herself up to just continue to focus on what she does right. So, let’s kind of maybe take one more big takeaway from this Shelley. Like, what do you really want to makes sure that our listeners get? I mean, we’ve really nailed this theme right now, but let’s kind of go outside of that box a little bit, and really give Fire Nation a takeaway that they can run with.

Shelley Davidescu: Fear is definitely going to be one of the biggest obstacles in moving forward with anything, whether it’s putting yourself out there, whether it’s outsourcing, right? Because us entrepreneurs want to be in control of everything. And so, just recognizing that fear is going to be there and the only way to get through it is to just move forward and to do it anyway. There’s no entrepreneur on the face of this planet that is operating without fear. It gets easier to operate with it instead of trying to get rid of it.

John Lee Dumas: Shelley what are you excited about right now? I mean, we know chocolate, but what’s the other thing?

Shelley Davidescu: Yes. I am actually super fired up about my group program that’s launching in just a couple of weeks. It’s called Health to Millions. So, Health to Millions actually exists because I am actually giving women in wellness the mission to step up and share their story of transformation and inspire others to feel good on the inside while looking good on the outside. So, we cover story, magnetic messaging, gap positioning and soulful sales.

John Lee Dumas: Wow. Where can we find out more about this?

Shelley Davidescu: It will be live on CleanForks.com.

John Lee Dumas: CleanForks.com, Fire Nation. Check that out. And Fire Nation, what you’re going to be checking out as well is the lightning round, which is coming right up, so don’t you go anywhere. I’m going to take a quick minute, first, to thank our sponsors.

Shelley, are you prepared for the lightning round?

Shelley Davidescu: I’m ready.

John Lee Dumas: What was holding you back from becoming an entrepreneur?

Shelley Davidescu: I would have to say the fear of having to do it all, and just knowing that I wasn’t strong in certain areas required. I had no idea how to outsource or that I even could.

John Lee Dumas: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Shelley Davidescu: Not to follow anybody else’s roles to really do what feels good, and the energy really transfers to other people.

John Lee Dumas: What’s a personal habit that contributes to your success?

Shelley Davidescu: Planning tomorrow today. I map out my month, my weeks and my days in advance so there’s structure and flexibility built in to eat a lot of chocolate.

John Lee Dumas: I love that. And actually, within my upcoming launch of The Mastery Journal, the last section says, “Win tomorrow today.” And, it’s all about structuring the next day today so tomorrow… Let me say that again. Structuring tomorrow today so that you can win tomorrow today. So, I love that. What’s an internet resource, like Evernote you can share with Fire Nation?

Shelley Davidescu: I would have to say the simplest but three most important resources that I use all the time is Upwork to hire support, Asana to map out and plan basically anything, and Acuity to schedule my client.

John Lee Dumas: Upwork, Asana, Acuity. Love it. If you could recommend just one book, Shelley, what would it be and why?

Shelley Davidescu: Oh, my gosh. So many, but the number one book that I’m completely obsessed with is Psycho-Cybernetics. If you want the mindset of success and specific action steps to go along with it, you have to read this book.

John Lee Dumas: This is the last question of the lightning round, Shelley, but it is a doozy. Imagine you woke up tomorrow morning in a brand new world identical to Earth, but you knew no one. You still have all of the experience and knowledge you currently have, your food and shelter taken care of, but all you have is a laptop and $500. What would you do in the next seven days?

Shelley Davidescu: I’d be connecting, relating, getting to know people, helping people share their story and spread their message to change the world for the better.

John Lee Dumas: Let’s end today on fire, Shelley, with a parting piece of guidance, the best way that we can connect with you, and then we’ll say goodbye.

Shelley Davidescu: Sure, yeah. I can be found on CleanForks.com. I’ve also prepared something special for Fire Nation. So, you can discover your own message over at CleanForks.com/firenation, and you can download your message blueprint to help you connect and bond with your tribe so you can start making a bigger impact.

John Lee Dumas: Nice. And what’s that parting piece of guidance?

Shelley Davidescu: Parting piece of guidance is to just get out there and feel the fear, and just do it anyway.

John Lee Dumas: Feel the fear; do it anyway, Fire Nation. And you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with, by the way, guys. And you’ve been hanging out with SD and JLD today, so keep up the heat and head over to EOFire.com. Just type Shelley in the search bar. That’s Shelley with and E; so, that’s E-Y in the search bar. Her show notes page will pop right up, and these are the best show notes in the biz, Fire Nation. Why? Because I don’t do them. Because I outsource them. There’s timestamps, there’s links galore. You name it, it’s there. And of course, get your free gift from Shelley over at CleanForks.com/firenation. Shelley thank you for sharing your journey with us today. For that, we salute you, and we’ll catch you on the flip side.