The Chris Harder Show - 100: This Powerhouse Paid Off $50K and Donated $120K in Just Two Years with Adrienne Dorison

100: This Powerhouse Paid Off $50K and Donated $120K in Just Two Years with Adrienne Dorison

02/19/18 • 46 min

I think a lot of you are going to relate today with my guest and entrepreneur, Adrienne Dorison. Like many, she found herself in a corporate job that was “OK" and paid the bills, but she ended up starting a business/side hustle because she needed to create space in her life for something that she loved. Initially her goal wasn’t to replace her corporate income, but when the corporation had a problem with her side hustle, she was nudged into it.

At the time, Adrienne was trying to pay off $50K in student loan debt, however without a full-time job, she worried that it would take her forever to pay if off. So, rather than allow her boyfriend (now husband) to pay off her debt for her, she made an aggressive plan to pay it off herself – and give back at the same time.

Adrienne wanted to balance out the negative feelings of shame that came with debt or bad credit and instead made it a feel-good experience. Today, giving is built into her business’s structure – both monetarily and by sharing her experiences. Tune in to hear more about Adrienne’s driven and giving spirit.

Question Highlights:

Who is Adrienne Dorison?
What was your transition like from corporate America to entrepreneurship?
Why did your corporate job have a problem with your blog?
Why do we stay in bad jobs for so long?
What was one of your big “crash and burns?”
What is it like to be the bread-winner of your family?
What’s your advice to couples who wake up in this position? How do you make it work?
How did you work giving into your business’s DNA?
Where does your generosity come from?

In This Episode We Talk about:

Adrienne’s transition from corporate America to entrepreneurship
How shame around debt/bad credit led her to donate
How she paid of $50K in debt in 6 months (while still giving)
How Adrienne made paying off her debt a feel-food experience
Spousal communication and balancing feminine and masculine dynamics
How Adrienne likes to take action from the place of how she wants to feel
Why it’s so important to share what your business gives
And so much more...

Adrienne’s Thoughts...

“I needed to create space in my life for something that I loved.”

“Giving grounds you in what you have.”

“I want to make a lot of money so I can give a lot away.”

“When you earn more, you can give more.”

Adrienne is the CEO of Lean Growth Group, a business operations consultancy that helps companies double their results, with half the effort. Adrienne is a certified LEAN Six Sigma consultant + SCRUM expert trainer from the world of corporate manufacturing, who has created her own proprietary systems + tools specific to small business owners.

Adrienne has helped hundreds of businesses (from Fortune 500 companies to fast-growth start-ups) meaningfully expand profit margins and cut costs in 90 days or less. She understands how to simplify complex business problems and help teams restructure so they can scale to the next level.

Adrienne has been featured in a number of publications including Entrepreneur, Business Insider, and TIME, and she's personally passionate about helping entrepreneurs earn more to give more. She started her business by getting serious about her debt and paid off over $45,000 of student loan debt in just 6 months, all while giving away money at the same time. Her company has now given away over $120,000 to meaningful causes in less than 2 years, and has empowered and equipped her clients to do the same. Adrienne lives in St. Petersburg, Florida with her husband, Tyler, her Bernese Mountain Dog, Church, and their rescue Terrier, Airy.

Resources:

http://Adriennedorison.com

IG: @adriennedorison

http://TheAdventureProject.org

For more stories and tips on becoming unapologetically wealthy, follow me @Chriswharder on Instagram and check out fortheloveofmoney.com.

Question Highlights:

Who is Adrienne Dorison?
What was your transition like from corporate America to entrepreneurship?
Why did your corporate job have a problem with your blog?
Why do we stay in bad jobs for so long?
What was one of your big “crash and burns?”
What is it like to be the bread-winner of your family?
What’s your advice to couples who wake up in this position? How do you make it work?
How did you work giving into your business’s DNA?
Where does your generosity come from?

In This Episode We Talk about:

Adrienne’s transition from corporate America to entrepreneurship
How shame around debt/bad credit led her to donate
How she paid of $50K in debt in 6 months (while still giving)
How Adrienne made paying off her debt a feel-food experience
Spousal communication and balancing feminine and masculine dynamics
How Adrienne likes to take action from the place of how she wants to feel
Why it’s so important to share what your business gives
And so much more...

Adrienne’s Thoughts...

“I needed to create space in my life for something that I loved.”

“Giving grounds you in what you have.”

“I want to make a lot of money so I can give a lot away.”

“When you earn more, you can give more.”

Resources:

http://Adriennedorison.com

IG: @adriennedorison

http://TheAdventureProject.org

For more stories and tips on becoming unapologetically wealthy, follow me @Chriswharder on Instagram and check out fortheloveofmoney.com.

Previous Episode

99: The MISSING LINK to YOUR SUCCESS

This isn’t the first time I’ve discussed the one thing that can truly unlock what you’re seeking – and that’s giving.

“Giving is the absolute secret to unlock every single thing you want. ”

Wherever you are or where you want to be, giving more will ultimately get you there. But what if you’re already giving? My advice? Give more. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not just giving money. Below I’ve listed six areas in which you could possibly give more to.

EFFORT: Perhaps you think you already work hard – and I have no doubt that you do. However, what if some of your current efforts are misguided? What if you focused more on income-producing activities and put more work in your business?

TIME: This encompasses all areas. Could you spend more time with your business partner? Perhaps you could spend more time looking outside of your business or studying/bettering your craft?

MONEY: I often hear that people are stuck on a plateau. If you’re pinching pennies (which isn’t a bad thing), it may be time to give more money to your business. Add that new team member, do more research or take out more ads. Being cheap is smart, but not if it’s stopping your business in its tracks. So get creative and ask for a loan, an investor etc.

RESOURCEFULNESS: No money? No problem. As I just mentioned, get creative. Find an intern who will work for free or next to nothing. Trade favors. Resourcefulness fixes everything.

RESEARCH/PLANNING: The technology and business worlds change rapidly. It’s in your business’s best interest to keep up on your research and give more time to planning ahead as much as possible.

LOVE: Give more love to yourself, your business, your co-workers or business partners. Give love outside of your business – without expectations. Love always comes full circle, and you never know who will be able to help you down the road.

Which area(s) could you give more to?

No matter the answer, giving is the missing piece when it comes to achieving the level of success you want to have. Now, who’s ready to commit to that next level of giving?

In This Episode We Talk about:

The missing link to your success – giving
How to give more to get more
The six areas where you could possibly give more

Resources:

For the Love of Money, ep. 7 – 30 Books In 30 Days

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/7-30-books-in-30-days-my-lessons-learned/id1215523596?i=1000383319132&mt=2

For the Love of Money, ep. 16 with Bob Burg

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/16-the-go-giver-profit-by-giving-with-bob-burg/id1215523596?i=1000384952645&mt=2

For more stories and tips on becoming unapologetically wealthy, follow me @Chriswharder on Instagram and check out fortheloveofmoney.com.

Next Episode

101: PROOF - If You Have MORE, Someone Else Does NOT Have Less

There are many things that can hold you back from accumulating wealth, but today, I want to cross one of those off the list. I’m going to prove that if you have more, it doesn’t mean that someone else has less.

You know that saying, “your slice of the pie?” It makes it sound like there’s only so much pie and if someone gets a bigger piece, another gets less. Ok, if we’re talking literal pie, yes, this is true. But from a wealth perspective, wealth is NOT a pie. It’s a living, growing, shrinking and expanding organism. So comparing wealth to a pie doesn’t work. And if you think it does, it’s only going to hold you back from accumulating wealth because you’ll think someone else is getting hurt if you do.

“Wealth accumulation is not a zero-sum game. ”

Hundreds of years ago, land was the biggest measurement of wealth. The more land you had meant that someone else had less or you bought it from them. But today, we’re so fortunate because there are so many different ways to accumulate wealth.

“Wealth is always being created. ”

Here are a few examples of what I mean:

There is always something to sell. Products, ideas, services etc. – you name it. Even your salary job. You’re selling your time/skillset for money and in return, you create something for your boss to then sell and make money.
Events and eCourses. Let’s say Susy goes to an event or buys an eCourse for $500. Susy isn’t poorer, she’s actually gained value and could maybe further turn that value into $100K because of what she learned.

“Value is nothing more than an amount that we all agree it to be. ”

At the end of the day, just know that there is an endless amount wealth available and your ability to create wealth determines how wealthy you’ll be. You are entitled to as much as you learn to create – without taking anything away from anyone else.

In This Episode We Talk about: