The Robyn Graham Show - Success without Social - Life and Business Growth Strategies for Christian Women, Coaches and Service Providers

What have you been hoping for? Maybe your biggest hopes and dreams have not come to fruition, yet. But it's important to remember that there will always be hope if you believe.

As you may know, I launched the Success Without Social Media Mastermind last week. To say it didn't go as planned is an understatement. I felt a lack of hope for my business and the offer I thought was going to be well received. I wanted to be angry and sad. For a moment or two, I even told God how upset I was that He hadn't made the launch a success. After all, I'd done everything I knew to do to market it and I'd prayed for his blessing upon it.

Instead of staying mad at God, I decided to dive into scripture and see what He had to say about the experience. Every verse I read for the next two days was about strength, hope, and perseverance. I wanted to give up but he was emphatically telling me not to.

Upon journaling about what I'd read and heard from Him, I discovered a few things. I am sharing this experience with you because I think it's super important to be real and share that not everything goes the way we want it to.

I've always been someone who hopes a lot and believes that absolutely anything is possible with God. Philippians 4:13 has been on repeat in my mind for years - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". Likewise, In Mark 10:27 we are reminded by Jesus that “With man, this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

These two verses remind us that there will always be hope if you believe. But here's the reality. Just because we want something, doesn't mean that is what is best for us or what God has planned for us. It doesn't mean there is no longer hope, it means that what I was hoping for wasn't the right thing for me (or you) at this time.

And often, God uses experiences like this to teach us a lesson. I was indeed in need of a lesson last week. By diving into scripture and listening to what God had to say, I realized that I was following the recommendations of humans, not God. I was depending on what my coaches had told me, not on what my intuition and God were telling me.

Doing what my coaches have been doing and teaching me about isn't aligned with me or the purpose God has for me - right now. In addition, I wasn't trusting Him, I was trying to control what happened in my business instead of letting Him guide me. If my launch had been a huge success I would have proven I, like all the big-wig coaches online, could have a six-figure launch. But that isn't me. It isn't my priority. And it also wasn't what God was calling me to do.

If you would like to grow your business and achieve success without social media and are curious about my affordable alternative to business coaching, check out the details or schedule a call with me.

Even God chose to rest on the 7th day. And you need to rest too. You can't do well if your body, mind, and soul aren't given the rest they need to reset and refuel. You can find rest, peace, and joy this Christmas season and beyond.

One might argue that every season of life is hectic and full of chaos and distractions. But the holiday season seems to be especially busy, especially if you are a business owner.

You have year-end reviews, goal-setting, gift-buying, parties, baking, and more that have been added to your already-growing to-do list. Overwhelm can set it quickly. And with overwhelm often comes stress.

To top it off, your email inbox is overflowing with shoulds and last-minute ideas on how to prepare your life and business for the new year. Not to mention the sales and gift promotional emails from every store on the planet - most of which you've probably never heard of but somehow they have your email address.

One overwhelming thing after another, right?

You can see why it is important to turn down the volume, turn off the electronics, and give yourself some rest. We all need to rest. All year long, but especially during the holiday season.

After all, Christmas is about the birth of the Prince of Peace, not about hustle and bustle, to-do lists, baking, gifts, and traditions. Those things are all very nice to incorporate, however, we must not lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas and the rest God has called us to.

If we're talking about rest, we have to start with Genesis. In Genesis 2:2-3 we learn that even God rested. The verses read, "By the seventh day, God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day, he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done."

Likewise, in Hebrews 4:9-10 we read, "There remains, then, a Sabbath rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his."

In Psalm 4:8 David wrote, "In peace, I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety." Not only does this verse emphasize the need to rest, but also to trust that God will provide the rest and safety we need.

Read the full show notes and access all links.

Download the free eBook: 37 Bible Verses Every Enterpreneur Needs To Reflect On And Live By.

What is a business detox? If you feel overwhelmed or like you are spinning in circles with a never-ending to-do list, maybe it's time to step back and listen for God's voice. Maybe you need to hear God more clearly to fully understand your purpose and what He's calling you to. When you more clearly hear God's voice, you will have more direction and confidence in your business endeavors. Having more direction and confidence will allow you to grow and scale with simplicity and at a faster rate.

In Romans 12:2, Paul tells us, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will." When we step into faith, we allow God to transform us. Often, transformation is what is needed for us to clearly hear God's voice and experience the growth He is calling us to.

We need to purge our old thoughts, ways, and even clients to move forward to grow and scale our businesses. God gave Andrea the verse Hebrews 12:1, which reads, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

We are to throw off everything that hinders us from hearing God's will for us. There are things that hinder us that aren't sin. Whatever feels like dead weight that is stopping you from stepping into the business God has for you needs to be thrown off. Building a business is a process. You must go through each phase or step to reach the next level. But eventually, you need to be willing to move from one phase to the next. Andrea used the example of riding a bike and removing the training wheels.

Read the full show notes and access all links.

Website for Andrea Anderson

Learn how to blog and reach your ideal audience

Download the free eBook: 10 Strategies to Grow Your Business Without Social Media

Apply for a Thinking it Through Wins and Wisdom Feature on The Robyn Graham Show.

Holistic leadership strategies incorporate your values, such as faith, and help you embrace your identity in Christ.

The journey through holistic leadership, which encompasses faith and personal growth, is an intricate and fulfilling adventure.

Holistic leadership involves leading ourselves first, then our intimate circles, and finally, our professional and organizational contexts.

Holistic leadership integrates various facets of life—personal, intimate, professional, and organizational. It begins with leading oneself and progresses to influencing and guiding family, relationships, and professional environments. The essence of holistic leadership is the ability to grow and help others grow, maintaining integrity and moral authority throughout.

There are many misconceptions surrounding power, authority, and influence. Younger generations often reject these concepts due to past abuses and negative connotations. However, at their core, these elements are inherently positive.

• Power: Sacred and meant to do good, reminiscent of God's dynamic creative power.
• Authority: Derived from the Latin word "auctoritas" (author), it represents giving birth to something and enriching life.
• Influence: From the Latin "influere" (to pour into), it signifies a life-giving force, reflecting how our interactions can help others grow.

These principles tie back to the creation narrative,

Distinguishing between good and bad uses of power is crucial for a good leader. Authority and influence should serve to uplift and create, not to control or diminish. Many fall into pride, greed, and fear traps, leading to destructive behaviors and decisions that stray from God’s intentions. A focus on humility, grounded in truth and geared toward fostering collective growth, helps avoid these traps.

Faith plays a pivotal role in leadership, offering a moral compass and a source of strength and guidance. The Holy Spirit is available to believers as a source of wisdom and leads our conversations and decisions, underlining the importance of aligning leadership with Christian values. Faith-centered leadership encourages reliance on Christ’s teachings and the embodiment of His love and service in all leadership endeavors.

Women have unique power and dignity, particularly within leadership and motherhood. He highlighted women's invaluable role in nurturing and guiding others, whether physically through motherhood or professionally, as coaches and mentors. The feminist movement brought significant progress but also pressures that sometimes caused women to overcompensate or lose their unique qualities. Embracing the nurturing and creative spirit intrinsic to women aligns with holistic leadership principles and fosters a balanced and supportive environment.

Read the full show notes and access all links.

Website for Matthew Bracket.

Download the free eBook, 5 Crucial Strategies to Start and Grow a Sustainable Business, to simplify your business growth journey.

Have you ever wondered if God is speaking to you? Some believe that that only happened in the Bible. But in reality, God still speaks to us, but we have to listen to hear Him.

The first step in hearing God speak to you is to read Scripture. Reading Scripture will help you recognize how the Holy Spirit speaks to us. And you can ask the Holy Spirit to make you sensitive to His voice and to help you hear Him.

The Holy Spirit speaks to us through our intuition. Or, you may have a strong feeling about something.

Oftentimes, things you've been praying about will come up in conversation. Someone will bring up the topic to you out of the blue. Let your ears be open to hear the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit may speak to you in dreams, song lyrics, or maybe a picture that pops into your head. In addition, you may experience a change in your circumstances, like opportunities dry up. This is what happened to Laureen Alexa with her acting career. The roles she was willing to play quit coming up. In addition, the roles offered to her were not aligned with her morals.

When you feel a shift like this in your life, ask God if he wants you to lean in and keep pressing because He's training you in perseverance, or does He want you to pivot? Or, ask Him if this is a new opportunity and ask him to redirect your steps.

Similarly, if it's a perseverance thing, He's going to strengthen you and you will receive confirmation or release that gives you a new insight or direction.

In addition, ask God to give you sensitivity to hear His voice and to know the counterfeits from His. Also, ask Him to make you in tune to Him because you want to obey Him. This is the prayer Laureen prays.

The most important thing about communicating with God is discernment. It's imperative to discern and differentiate between what we think God is saying versus what the world or Satan may be saying.

Read the full show notes and access all links.

Website for Laureen Alexa

Laureen's book: Festival in the Desert: Learning to Rejoice in the Difficult Seasons of Life

Download the free eBook: 37 Bible verses every Christian entrepreneur should reflect on and live by.