It was twilight in New York City. Bryant Park. That time of the year when its not quite dark, but the sun is also not ready to pack it in. The many lights of Manhattan ensure the light too. It’s that magical hour. 5pm. Work has let out, and everyone is in a focused hustle to get to a train, bus or subway. The promise of Spring was in the air, so a light suede jacket from Zara sufficed for me.
All of a sudden my phone lit up with a text from a friend. “Hey I’m waiting on the steps of _______. See you soon.”
Shit. How had I spaced on this? New York City continued to swell around me. But, time stopped on that block of pavement in Bryant Park. My breath stopped. This was a friend with very high standards. She wouldn’t take too kindly to my brain fart and the waste of her time. I panic dialed her number. I could be down there in 30–40 minutes if I rushed.
She didn’t pick up.
I didn’t blame her. We both prided ourselves on living and dying by our Google calendars and always being early. I even planned my travel times to things so I knew when to tidy up my last phone call. I had spaced on all of it.
It’s been five years since this incident in the twilight hours, when I forgot my meeting with my friend. The message was clear. I was not aligned with my job. My brain and body were telling me so. It was time to stop avoiding the inevitable and start my business adventure.
Below, I share the three important habits I established since I started on the entrepreneurial adventure and a key way to never wonder where clients will come from again.
🗺 SUNDAY PLANNING.
🗺 ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN.
🗺 MINDING MY BODY.
🗺 SUNDAY PLANNING. Sundays are sacred for me. No brunches. No social stuff. This is when I sit with my ‘future’ self, someone I designed long ago, and review my upcoming week. What do I keep? What do I cancel? When can I get into a flow state and create content to help make that future self a reality? Where are the time blocks for commenting on colleague’s social accounts, adding value? Now that I have a team, I think critically about tasks that are in my zone of genius. Only I can create value content and comment. EVERYTHING ELSE GETS DELEGATED.
🗺 ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN. I am very intentional about how I show up to my in-person commitments. This week, I am hosting an all day private client intensive, a Mastermind dinner, and being interviewed for a potential board seat at the NY Chamber Orchestra. What I wear is important to me showing up powerfully. Clothes, jewelry, bag. I think through these elements for each commitment and lay them out on a digital vision board. It’s ‘environmental design’ because I’m taking the decision fatigue out of the equation. Everything is already thought through and available in my immediate environment. Now I just need to show up confidently and focus on the task at hand.
🗺 MINDING MY BODY. I’ve learned that my confidence in business has to come from something OTHER than my business. This is where my morning workouts come in. I plan all my 6am workouts for the week on Sundays. HIIT training. Group weight lifting. Yoga. As an entrepreneur, not everyday is going to be a win. But if I can win the morning by getting through a tough workout, I set the tone for a winning mindset and day. I also mind what I put in my body. I order groceries on Sundays for the week, write out a menu, stick it on the fridge, with reminders to bring snacks if I will be in transit and not have time to eat mindfully.
Women often ask, how can I find clients? Executives who will hire me. Partnerships who will move the needle for my idea. I say, its starting to talk about who you are and the ONE THING you will be known for. If you’re invisible, you’re not discoverable. If you’re unsure on what you should be talking about, I’m hosting a half day workshop and brunch Saturday March 12th on honing in on that ONE THING.
\Dm me joya@joyadass.com to get on the waitlist.
