She's Got This: A Journey to Success

In this episode, Shelby addresses the issue of mental health for entrepreneurs. Shelby is joined by Jenn Betts, Registered Psychologist, Founder, and CEO of the Calgary Institute of Counselling. Shelby and Jenn discuss the importance of addressing mental health in both our personal and professional lives; Jenn promotes the idea that we are not on this journey alone and that we thrive when we have the right team to support us on both a personal and professional level.

Jenn discusses her profession as a psychologist and the belief that to serve their clients properly, psychologists need to find support and counselling to deal with their own mental health. She also discusses the difficulty female entrepreneurs experience, wearing multiple hats as mothers, wives, and business people. Through her own journey of entrepreneurship, which she started just before the pandemic, she learned that business owners need the support of a team to help them on their journey. While a business coach can help with professional growth, nurturing and caring for your own physical and mental health is key to success.

Shelby and Jenn discuss mental health in the workplace and helpful steps to support employees at work. Betts suggests that while we are now openly talking about mental health, we are still a long way from implementing proper measures to promote it. She recommends providing employees with access to psychological support and offering long-term help when needed. Team-building exercises, company events, and even small gestures to acknowledge and show appreciation for employees can improve their mental health and boost morale, allowing them to live happier, more fulfilled lives.

About Jenn Betts

Jenn Betts is the Founder and CEO of the Calgary Institute of Counselling. With over a decade of experience in counselling, she leads a team of psychologists who strive to bring impactful change to the lives of their clients.

Jenn takes an empathetic and collaborative approach in her practice and creates a place of emotional safety for her clients. Her training includes Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, and Gottman Couples Counselling and she provides therapy for individuals as well as couples.

Jenn is passionate about moving mental health from simply a conversation to more concrete action to generate significant change in the wider community. She advocates for more mental support for society as a whole and consults with businesses, educational establishments, and faith organizations to incorporate mental health into their culture.

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Contact Shelby Joines | Joines Administration:

• Website: JoinesAdministration.ca
• LinkedIn: Joines Administration
• Instagram: @JoinesAdministration
• Facebook: @JoinesAdministration

Contact Jenn Betts | Calgary Institute of Counselling:

• Website: counsellinginstitute.ca
• Instagram: @counsellinginstitute
• Facebook: @counsellinginstitute
• LinkedIn: Calgary Institute of Counselling

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Transcript

Shelby 00:07

Hello, and welcome back everybody to another amazing episode on she's got this a journey to success. Now this is a great and exciting episode today because we have a guest joining us. Jenn Betts with the Calgary Institute of Counseling will be coming on with us and sharing a whole bunch of insight about how having a solid support team behind you as an entrepreneur is crucial to keeping your mental health wellness in check. So don't go anywhere. We're going to start diving into all of this right now.

Shelby 00:46

Okay, we have our special guest Jenn Betts here today, I am so thrilled to have you as a guest on my podcast, “She's Got This: A Journey to Success” today. I have been a huge follower of you on Instagram and with the beauty of social media, we were able to connect and get an amazing episode together for our listeners and share some insanely beautiful and important knowledge when it comes to mental health and all things seeking that little bit of extra support outside of your business and bringing that in. So Jen, what can you tell me about yourself? Let's do a little bit of an introduction... how you started getting into this sphere of work... who you are, all the goodies.

Jenn 01:38

Oh, thanks so much for h...

In this episode, Shelby highlights the importance of adopting an environmentally friendly approach to day-to-day business operations. She shares insights on how businesses of all sizes can work more proactively and efficiently to reduce their carbon footprint.

From reducing energy consumption in buildings and reducing carbon emissions through transportation, Shelby also discusses the benefit of working with suppliers who follow eco-friendly practices. She emphasizes the need to embrace a business culture that prioritizes green practices at its core and suggests ways that businesses can align with organizations that work to nurture and protect the environment.

Shelby outlines the benefits of remote working for employees to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are the result of their daily commute. As a virtual assistant providing support to businesses, she outlines how her business also operates with a low carbon footprint by working remotely and using digital tools such as online document management systems, online file sharing, email, and digital invoicing. She encourages businesses to transition from paper-based processes to fully digital solutions and offers virtual assistance support in these and many other areas.

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Contact Shelby Joines | Joines Administration:

• Website: JoinesAdministration.ca
• LinkedIn: Joines Administration
• Instagram: @JoinesAdministration
• Facebook: @JoinesAdministration

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Transcript:

Shelby 00:07

Welcome back, everybody, to another episode of She's Got This: A Journey to Success. Thank you so much for being here. As always, I am so grateful for all my followers and listeners. If you haven't already, subscribe to this podcast on any of your favourite channels such as Apple podcast, Google podcast, Amazon music, or Spotify— whatever tickles your fancy, it would be greatly appreciated. Now, today's episode is going to be something that is really important, especially in today's economy, and the way that the world is moving in regards to greenhouse gas emissions, and businesses and companies that are really stepping up to reduce their carbon footprint. So buckle up, we're gonna be talking about some exciting initiatives and exciting ways where you can decrease your carbon footprint in your business, no matter what industry you are in.

Shelby 01:07

When you think of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint and being green and helping the environment, what usually comes to mind? Personally, big corporations, corporations that deal more so in industries that require deforestation or oil and gas, logging, transportation supply chain, things of that matter. A lot of us automatically go directly to those big corporations, the ones that you hear about in the news. Those are the heavy hitters, personally, for me anyways, when I think of greenhouse gas, carbon emissions, things along those lines, there are multiple other areas that could probably come to your mind too. But as a small business owner, are you thinking about your carbon footprint when it comes to your operations? Probably not. This is one of those things that we may not be thinking about on a regular basis. We think this is something that bigger businesses can do. What can the smaller, littler guy be doing to make a big impact on the environment and help reduce their businesses or their company's carbon footprint? Now, this is going to be an exciting episode, because this is a topic that I've really gotten super interested in in the last couple of months. This is something where I feel like my business Joines Administration is really going to take strides in the administrative world when it comes to supporting businesses in reducing their carbon footprint.

Shelby 02:46

So today, we're going to be talking about all things that relate to that and how an administrator that is virtual such as Joines Administration, can support your business when it comes to helping you reduce your carbon footprint. So, to start off, what is a carbon footprint? This is something and a word and a topic that gets thrown around so much, whether it's media, social media, the news, you name it, it is everywhere. But really, what is it?

Shelby 03:29

So, a carbon footprint is the measurement of the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted directly and indirectly by a person, organization, event or product. It is usually expressed in the equivalent tons of carbon dioxide or CO2. Now, a lot of people think that when it comes to carbon footprints or greenhouse gas emissions, or whatever the word that you may want to use means, they are very interchang...

It’s hard work being a momentrepreneur, and in this episode, Shelby welcomes entrepreneur and strategic business coach Brittney Ashley to the studio. Brittney discusses how she helps clients deal with the all too familiar imposter syndrome that many women suffer from as they begin their journey into entrepreneurship. They also discuss the reasons they started their businesses and the challenges they faced working at a 9 to 5 job while raising a family.

Brittney suggests that companies offer flexible working options, including hybrid or work-from-home models, to allow employees to balance work with family commitments. In her own business, she provides work-at-home opportunities for Canadian women, employing a team that works from coast to coast.

As the owner of Creative Dynamics Virtual Services, Brittney understands the need for entrepreneurs to outsource tasks so they can focus on growing their businesses and also benefit from a better work-life balance. She assigns her clients an online business manager whose skills are matched to their specific needs. To save time and streamline processes, Brittney is also a proponent of automating tasks wherever possible through CRM tools such as Dubsado or Moxie, which are invaluable for her business.

About Brittney Ashley

Brittney Ashley is the founder of Creative Dynamics Virtual Services, a virtual service agency offering specialized services to business owners. Her team consists of virtual assistants, online business managers, CRM specialists, marketing experts, and graphic designers who support business owners in taking their businesses to the next level and improving their lives.

Her journey to become an entrepreneur was sparked by the challenges of raising her children while managing a full-time career. Becoming an entrepreneur allowed her to manage both her career and home life successfully, and so she set up her company to empower fellow moms to work from home. Today, Brittney manages a highly-skilled, all-woman team that provides exceptional service to their clients. Brittney is also certified as a Business Coach (ACC Accredited) and an Imposter Syndrome coach and works across various industries, including tech. ​

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Dubsado
• Moxie

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Contact Shelby Joines | Joines Administration:

• Website: JoinesAdministration.ca
• LinkedIn: Joines Administration
• Instagram: @JoinesAdministration
• Facebook: @JoinesAdministration

Contact Brittney Ashley | Creative Dynamics Virtual Services:

• Website: https://www.creativedynamicsva.com
• LinkedIn: Creative Dynamics Virtual Services
• Instagram: @CreativeDynamicVirtual services
• Facebook: @CreativeDynamicVirtualServices

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Transcript:

Shelby 00:46

All right, and I am so excited for today. I have the wonderful, Brittney Ashley, of Creative Dynamics VA, or is it virtual assistants... sometimes you don't know if people actually just use the abbreviation or the full one.

Brittney 01:07

I know, Creative Dynamics for short, but it's a mouthful— Creative Dynamics Virtual Services.

Shelby 01:16

Awesome. Oh, love it. And she's here to talk about all things VA industry and the struggles that we go through with impostor syndrome on a daily basis, being entrepreneurs, mamapreneurs, female entrepreneurs, whatever you want to call us. But welcome, Brittany, thank you again. I've said this before we started recording so many times, I am so appreciative of you being here today and being our guest and talking on these super important topics with us. I am really looking forward to where this is going to go. It's always such a pleasure to be able to talk to other virtual and administrative personnel and staff, and workers. So, I am truly blessed to have you here.

Thanks. Tell me a little bit about yourself and kind of what got you started on this career journey, where you've been, and a...

In this episode, Shelby discusses the importance of having a strong virtual assistant (VA). Not only can working with a strong VA help support the growth of your business, but a well-trained, competent VA can also ensure your business continues to run smoothly while you’re on vacation. The key to reducing stress and preventing disruptions to your operations requires finding the right virtual assistant with complementary skills to your needs. Shelby shares her top tips for successfully onboarding a strong VA to make your life easier.

Finding the right VA is step one to making your business operate smoothly. The next step is to onboard successfully and delegate effectively. Setting clear task instructions and expectations, scheduling regular check-ins, and using streamlined communication tools make working as a VA easier. If you’ve been dreaming of taking a vacation and not worrying about your business, this short and sweet episode is a must-listen for you!

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Notion
• ClickUp
• Slack
• WhatsApp

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Contact Shelby Joines | Joines Administration:

• Website: JoinesAdministration.ca
• LinkedIn: Joines Administration
• Instagram: @JoinesAdministration
• Facebook: @JoinesAdministration

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Transcript:

Shelby 00:07

Welcome back to another episode on She’s Got This: A Journey to Success. My name is Shelby Joines and I am your host as always, it is so great to have you here. Now, at the time of recording this episode, we are currently on a little bit of a vacation ourselves out in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, doing some camping. So there is a little bit of potential for you to hear some bird noises, some chipmunks, possibly a little bit of road traffic. But bear with me because this is all going to tie into today's episode. So stay tuned because this is going to be a good one.

Shelby 00:54

Welcome back to she's got this a journey to success, where we dive deep into strategies that will help you along and succeed in your business and entrepreneurial journey. I'm your host Shelby Joines, and today we are going to be discussing a topic that is crucial for every entrepreneur. And that is the importance of having a strong virtual assistant or online business manager so that your business can continue to thrive even while you're taking that well-deserved vacation. To kick things off, let's talk about the role of a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant is like an extension of your team. They handle tasks that range from administrative work and customer support to social media management and project coordination. This, in turn, allows you as the business owner to focus on those more high-priority tasks and strategic planning. delegating tasks to a virtual assistant or an online business manager offers numerous benefits. Firstly, it frees up your time so that you can focus on growing your business rather than being bogged down by those day-to-day operations. And secondly, it enhances your efficiency and productivity as you're able to work on tasks that align more so with your strength.

Shelby 02:15

Now let's address the heart of today's topic. How having a strong virtual assistant or an online business manager ensures that your business can continue to thrive even when you're on vacation. With a competent VA, you can confidently step away from your business, knowing that someone who is capable of the tasks and the work is overseeing your operations. This not only reduces stress but also prevents disruptions to your business's momentum. Now, finding the right virtual assistant is key. You want to look for somebody with a skill set that complements your business needs. Clear communication, trust, and a shared vision are essential for a successful working relationship. It is important to onboard them effectively and provide all necessary information and resources that you have to help them succeed in their role. Let's discuss some tips for effective delegation. Start by creating clear and detailed task instructions. Regular check-ins, whether bi-weekly, weekly, or monthly, and feedback sessions are crucial to maintaining a smooth workflow. Additionally, the use of project management tools to streamline communication and task-tracking. This will be a huge benefit to you whether these tools are things such as Notion or Clickup, or communication tools such as Slack, and WhatsApp. The...

Are you afraid to delegate tasks in your business? If so, you're not alone! Yet, overcoming your resistance to delegating will save you both time and money, plus increase productivity in your company. In this episode, Shelby shares tips on how to overcome your resistance to delegation with a clear process and advice for changing your mindset. If you're at a place in your business where you're overloaded with tasks and know you could share the workload with others who have the skills, this episode is for you.

Delegation is fundamental for business growth because you just can't do it all. If the thought plagues you, "No one can do it like me." or you feel paralyzed by the fear of mistakes and failures, Shelby has strategies to help you release that resistance. She shares the importance of giving clear instructions, setting expectations, and implementing consistent communication to help ensure delegation is smooth. By the end of this episode, you'll feel an increased confidence in your delegation skills. From knowing what to delegate to whom and when you'll learn the strategies you need to be an effective delegator and leader in your business.

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Contact Shelby Joines | Joines Administration:

• Website: JoinesAdministration.ca
• LinkedIn: Joines Administration
• Instagram: @JoinesAdministration
• Facebook: @JoinesAdministration

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Transcript

Shelby 00:07

Hello everyone, and welcome to another exciting episode on She's Got This: A Journey to Success. I'm your host Shelby Joines founder and CEO of Joines Administration and today we are going to dive into the art of delegation. This is an indispensable skill that CEOs and business owners like myself, looking to propel their companies to new heights. Effective delegation can be a game changer, which leads to increased productivity, effectiveness, and ultimately, more business growth. So stay tuned, we're gonna get into all the dirty nitty gritty details in this podcast episode today.

Shelby 00:51

Understanding delegation. To start this podcast, we're going to start with the understanding and what the meaning of delegation truly is. Now, delegation is the act of entrusting tasks and responsibilities to others while maintaining accountability for the outcome. Many leaders struggle with their delegation fearing that loss of control or the possibility of tasks not being completed to their standards. However, effective delegation can unlock the true potential of a business by leveraging the strengths of the team and promoting overall growth. This is such a big one. Huge. And being in the virtual world and doing freelance administration and running my own company. Delegation is one of those tasks that in the early stages of business, I was letting slide I was saying, nah, these tasks are things that I can absolutely do myself. I have an administrative background, I'm basically administering my own business. But you don't realize the amount of work that may get put into areas where your expertise may not lie. I had such an exciting time really diving into new areas of business and administration. That being such things as social media management and creating designs and updating websites, things that in the corporate world I was not always exposed to. When you're in the corporate world, it is Microsoft Office Suite, pretty standard, basic day to day things. While it's an entirely new universe of programs and applications that can be used in the virtual sphere. But recently, I came to the conclusion where I knew that in order for me to scale my business and to grow as an entrepreneur and business owner that I needed to find the right people to really pass off these mundane tasks or these things that I was struggling with completing in a reasonable amount of time, because I did not have the expertise. I was still learning along the way watching YouTube videos, things like that. But, delegating these tasks out, which I have done in the last several weeks, and I cannot recommend it to business owners and entrepreneurs enough, because it has been a complete game changer. I feel that as entrepreneurs and business owners, we get caught in the dilemma of balancing our own personal back-end work and handling and managing client work. One pays the bills and one just eats up your time. So being able to delegate those tasks where you may not have the expertise or the true knowledge to effectively and efficiently complete the tasks. Having that sent out to somebody who specializes in that will buy you back your time, which is another big factor in business nowadays, we all need the time. And outside of that, there ...