How to Pursue Your Dreams and Make Money Doing What You Love with Giorgia Guazzarotti

(This audio has been transcribed from our Resilience Livestream)

Hi and welcome to Kim Talks Resilience. This is live. And I'm telling you, I am so grateful to our guests today.

Let me introduce our amazing guest today Georgia G. is the host of Treasures Within podcast and a successful coach for multi-passionates and creative female entrepreneurs who want to create a successful business without niching down. After years of feeling like a failure for starting niche businesses and shutting them down once the passion has disappeared, she decided to throw the traditional business playbook out the window and start doing business in a way that aligns with her multi-passionate nature. It was only then that she was able to create a business that ticks all the boxes: freedom, variety, money and fulfillment. Now, she helps multi-passionate creatives do the same so that they can experience the ultimate freedom, creative location, and financial in their lives. So, I would attempt to say Georgia's last name but many of you do know that I'm from Kansas. Not going to happen. So, I will be just calling her Georgia G but I will post her full name. Georgia, can you tell us your last name, please?

Hi, Kim, how are you? Happy to be here. My surname is Guazzarotti. I know it's complicated.

No, beautiful is what it is. So, Georgia, tell us a little bit about who you are and you've had kind of a unique journey yourself. You come from where most Americans dream of going to and are now in another country. So, give us a little bit of a background as to who you are, what you do, and that transition you've been through over the last little while.

Absolutely. So, I am a success coach for passionate and creative entrepreneurs and I originally come from Italy. I was born in a small village there and all my life I was told I had to find one career, pick one path and stick with it for the rest of my life. I always tried, but I had so many different things that I wanted to do that every time I tried to pick one passion, pick one career, it never worked for me.

I tried being a teacher. I tried working as a translator. I tried being a personal assistant and it was always reinventing myself and feeling like a failure and feeling flaky for not being able to stick to anything. Six years ago, I decided to be brave and start my business as a freelance writer and to wander. Freelancing is still very much up and coming. So, I moved to London and I wanted to get my big passion and go because I was sure that writing was it. It was the only constant in my life. Without a passion, I've been in flow and this one was my constant. I moved and I had 2 amazing years in London working for a writer for PC businesses and on paper, it was an amazing career because I was going to all these fancy events where journalists got to go and given all these free products and I was making money for my passion. I was living in this beautiful city and everyone saw that I had it made. But inside I was feeling so miserable because even though I was doing something that I loved...I love writing and I love beauty, just writing about that all day long, felt really stuffing and really restrictive.

So, looking back on my journey and trying to find my way in finding this one true passion and trying to monetize every passion that I had and even the one that was supposed to be the biggest passion, it didn't work. That's when I realized, okay, wait a minute, maybe it's not me that is wrong. Maybe I am not picking the wrong passion every time. Maybe it's just that picking your one true passion, picking your niche is not working. Maybe we don't all have one true passion. Some of us are just more of a generalist so we like different things. So if I like multiple things, wouldn't it make more sense for me to create a business that has to do with all the things that I love. When I had that realization, it felt so right, but of course, then there is the entire journey of how to get there because when you drop your niche... We all know the niche model. It works very well for lots of businesses. It's not this and that. It's not working for me but it was a journey, a progression to find what actually works for me. Now, I can combine all my interests into one business. Another, I had done it myself through lots of trial and error, I help other women to do the same. They can shortcut their journey and stuff and still feel like a failure and flaky for not wanting to niche down.

Absolutely. Well, you mentioned a couple of things in there that I actually like to comment on. So, first off, I want everybody to know that statistically, for a person under 50, they will have 12 career trajectories within their lifetime - 12. So, if you're not even halfway... And by the way, I want to put this out there. If you can guess Georgia's age... Basically, I thought Georgia was one of my kids. Just amazing. So she's doing something right when she talks about taking care of herself and really looking at how she's showing up. But, yes, I wanted to talk about everybody. They anticipate 12 career shifts or because we have such a side hustle. Many people are doing 2 and 3 different things because we are all multi-passionate. We are. There is nobody I know that's single faceted. We have these loves. You love music or you love this, you love that. And the reality is we should work in what we love because it's going to create a better result. And then when you talked about personal assistant... It's funny how you talked about teacher and personal assistant and translator. So I found that was an interesting journey of careers because teacher obviously, that's what you're still doing now, but in your own terms. Translator, you're actually listening to the language of what people are providing you and helping them find the meaning behind it. So, it's still there and that personal assistant helping to guide people to their next level. I think that's pretty cool. When we talk about that whole all day long thing... and this is what I'd like to dive into because a lot of entrepreneurs and small businesses are really guilty for working 12 and 14 hours a day. So they pay themselves $6 an hour, but when we look at top thought leaders out there, like when you look at Elon Musk and you look at Bill Gates, they'll be very clear and say that they have 4 hours of high productivity thinking 4 to 6hours tops, right? What are some of the advice or suggestions that you have for small businesses and entrepreneurs who are under that crunch? They feel like they have to perform and they're putting in a little too much time, but not working effectively. Can you share with us some of your strategies or thoughts around better time management or better time productivity for entrepreneurs?

Absolutely. This is something that I struggle with myself, especially in my previous businesses where I was working 15, 16 hours a day, trying to do all the things and my business was not growing. There was always a ceiling to how much I could do. I realized this when I started working with a coach because I was doing all the things. I'm in one of the platforms where I'm supposed to be and doing all the strategies. I'm doing all the things the gurus are telling me and I'm telling you I'm not growing, but I'm actually running myself through the grounds and getting burned out. So, I started working with a coach and the breakthrough that I had, because they were encouraging me to work less, to work less hours. I was thinking how was it possible to work less hours.

What I realized is that all this business, all this trying to be everywhere and do all the things, is really a distraction from the one thing that you want to be doing. For me, the thing that I was avoiding was visibility. So, really stepping up like I'm doing now and do my podcast, doing videos, just hitting at myself because I was doing all the behind-the-scene tasks but I was not actually putting myself out there as that split at the travel. You have a business, you are the face. You are the leader. People want to see you and talk to you and I find this for many business owners, especially women, have this such big fear of visibility and we tend to do everything else so that we do not have time for the one thing that actually works. So if you are finding yourself struggling to do all the things, I would actually encourage you to ask yourself: What is the one thing that you are wanting? Because you are doing all the things and it is not working. The one thing that is going to work is the one thing that you are avoiding doing.

Absolutely. There's a saying in North America: "Eat the frog first.", meaning that the thing that you don't want to do is the frog and eat the frog first, right? Maybe that's not even North America. Maybe that's Kansas. I can't tell you. But that's the saying though, I grew up with. Do what you don't want to do first so you can enjoy the things that you do enjoy. And if it's something that's truly not within your skill set or aptitude, you need to hire it out. Don't pound your head against the desk and do it.

Visibility. I would love to dive into this for just a few minutes. So, visibility is a real challenge for a lot of women, even myself and I have done countless hours of broadcast television. And like I said, today was one of the first days I've actually gone truly live and unedited. I still have all my makeup on, still have my hair done, still have my earrings on. So, I see some of my heroes. I don't know if you follow Mel Robbins. She is one of my all-time favorite author speakers out there and the thing that I find is she, over the last little while, has evolved. You'll see her in her rollers going to the kids' school. She'll have hair rollers in. Chill, you know. No makeup. So, What are some strategies that you could share that you personally have put in place to get comfortable with invisibility?

Yes, this has definitely been a journey for me and when I first started being visible, I did it in my Facebook group. My Facebook group, at that time, was merely composed of my friends and a few strangers at the very beginning of the group. So, I do encourage you to just do a practice with people in a small setting. Start with something small where you feel comfortable. You'll realize... When I first did it, I was actually a bit, I don't know what my friends are going to think? The support that I got from my friends -they were all cheering me on and encouraging me. That really gave me a lot of confidence because this fear is already in our heads, but when we try it and we do it, we realize that actually, people are much kinder and nicer than our friends. You can actually inspire someone because people told me, "You were so brave. I would not be able to do that," or something that I said inspired them. So, start small because you never know who you might be impacting.

Another thing I want to mention. don't overthink it because at the beginning, again, I had to put on this makeup, do my hair, put on a nice dress on. I had this calendar, in this block I talk about this topic and it was so complicated that by the time that I was actually meant to go live, I was so exhausted and just not feeling it at all.

And so today I am much more flexible because before doing anything I really have this ritual when I just focus on one person. For me, it's the Georgia that I used to be a few years ago when I was feeling lost and flaky, and just reconnecting with the feeling and what does she need to hear? Because your audience, they don't care if you have your hair done, what dress you are wearing. Of course, it's nice. We all like to look our best but they really are looking for those nuggets of wisdom. They are looking for something that you can share that can change their lives. So, just reconnecting your purpose with that person - I'm trying to make a difference for the one person. For me, it really helped to calm the nerves and just allows me to go for it.

Yes, and I think that's the big one. It's getting comfortable with it. I think that it's interesting to talk about that because as coaches or practitioners, speakers, leaders, we have to lead by example. You're correct. A lot of women. I don't know globally, but I know that in North America the average female income is forty-six thousand dollars a year. So, when we look at that, that's not a lot of money and especially with inflation, chain supply, and everything that's going on. So, when we look at this, I think that women who get to that 46 or 50,000 and then they start getting comfortable getting out there and getting visible, you have to be also ready in case somebody decides to have a comment or take a shot at you. I get them now and I make my husband read them all. I'll be honest. If you're gonna say something mean about my pink hair, I'm not going to read it. My husband will read it, delete it, and I'll keep on moving forward because I still have fairly thin skin. I'm still fairly fragile. Right?

So, that being said, we've talked about visibility, we've talked about being accountable to oneself and following your passion, so, I think the last thing? I'd really kind of like to delve into is - How do you get started? How do you even identify what the passion is that you should chase? Where do you invest? How do you know that it's the right path?

That is a great question. Really it's the way that you feel because I have chased so many passions in the past and it never felt aligned. I wish that I could have like a magic formula that I could give you, but it really is tuning in with yourself and it's a process. You will never magically stumble upon your passion. It will never fall from the sky. It really is about you start by following an interest. When I started at the beginning with my freelance work in Korea, that started with a beauty club. I just saw other beauty clubs online. I decided that I want to have my own. I didn't know. I didn't any plans to monetize or anything to come out of it. But it led to a career in writing which took me to London and in London I found coaching which is what I do now. So it really is following the breadcrumbs. If you are curious about something, if you are set for a mission to explore it and they will take the next thing that you are meant to do. We usually tend to stop them and experience, because we feel like, if we are directed, if you [inaudible] it because those backgrounds, they constantly take you somewhere else because we are always evolving. We are always growing. We are not meant to stay stuck in that and only do one thing. And that's what really, in my opinion, is stopping women because it feels like we have to get there but there really is no destination as long as you're feeling that you're pursuing your curiosity and you're doing something that you love and it feels right to you, that gives you a mission to follow that. And they will build a light on the thing that you're meant to do in this period of your life. Then when something else calls you, give yourself permission to feel that as well, because we are meant to do so many things with this one life.

Absolutely. We're going to be around for a long, long time. I mean, I'm only at the halfway mark. There's still lots of room. Betty White. Got to love Betty White. I think Betty really taught us a ton. They say re-fire, don't retire. Everything has an opportunity and I think that we all have opportunities to give back. So an interesting stat that I read the other day. Only 29% of society does volunteering and yet some of my best clients and best opportunities have come from volunteering in different communities, or different needs that I'm passionate about. One of my big passions is food. I love food. I love feeding people. Come to my house, plan to leave 5 pounds heavier. I promise you I'm not going to be in this alone. I think that when we look at the triple bottom line of our business - we've got our people, our purpose, and our planet. A lot of times. we miss that opportunity in planning to give back through volunteerism. Are there any suggestions that you have had around volunteerism or community work that has resonated with your business and been a monetization opportunity?

I'm just moving to this myself and fancy more and more opportunities to give back and mentor other entrepreneurs. So, right now it has not led to a particular monetary opportunity, but just that giving back. I feel now that I am in this place where I am... I have a business that ticks all the boxes and I really want to help other entrepreneurs get involved. I'm getting involved now with organizations, especially with teenagers and younger adults to help them when they are in that transition that they're still finding their way and they are being pushed to pick a career. Here in Europe, there is still this mentality of picking one career for the rest of your life. Even though that's not the reality anymore, that's still what schools and parents, and teachers are pushing on you. It really is fine to actually work with them and open their eyes to what is possible and really sow the seeds for the next generation of entrepreneurs that have so much to offer.

Absolutely, absolutely. And they have to serve themselves first so that they can serve others. As a coach and as a leader and a mentor, what is the one thing that you hear when you see an amazing woman that you know is primed and ready to go to the next level if she just has that accountability with somebody yet she throws up an excuse because it always has an excuse. So what is the number one objection or excuse you hear and what is your thought and your response to that?

Yes, working with multi-passionate women and creatives, they have some amazing ideas for their businesses. Again, they don't want to niche down. They want to do multiple things and I found when we work together that, inevitably in the first second, maybe third session, they know this is the thing they want to create. They say they don't know. But it always comes out of them and in the next breath they tell themselves - I can't do that. That is not what we've done before and so it will never work. And I think it is crazy because I really believe that you would not have a desire or a calling if it wasn't meant for you and just because no one else has ever done it, it doesn't mean that it's not working. It just means that what we see around us again is this push to niche down in a certain way. Even though there are more than one with the passionates. There are those who are doing multiple things. That's still not the norm and thus we may return to always second-guess ourselves. If we can't see it, there really is a resistance to be in that trailblazer and being the first one to do something. But again, if you have that calling then it is meant for you and it is your duty to step up and fulfill the calling because you're not just doing it for yourself, but it's doing it for your family, for your community, and just inspiring that generation of entrepreneurs that need to see multi-passionate women in all of who they are.

Absolutely. Absolutely. I think I'd like to close this with a quote or something that is kind of like your guiding quote. Something that when times are tough and you're really pushing your resilience, what is a quote or a thought or thought leader. Somebody that you think of and you pull that in and you go - I can do this, right? So what is your quote?

I will say, probably I'm butchering it, but it's like - you are going to be criticized anyway, even if you don't do the thing that you want to do, that it feels so hard and it feels so scary, you are seeking to be criticized for not doing it. So, you might just as well go ahead and live your life to the full and have no regrets because it is your life. Again, we have been given all these gifts, all these passions, all these desires for a reason. So, people are going to say what they want anyway, so just follow your own path.

Follow your path. How do you say follow your path in Italian?

segui la tua strada

Okay, say that one more time loud and bold.

segui la tua strada

Awesome. I think that's going to be one of our quotes. So, Georgia, again, I can't thank you enough for stepping up and working with me to help figure out how to better serve the women by creating these Livestream Tuesdays. Are we Tuesday or Wednesday there? What time are we there?

Right now, here it's eight o'clock in the evening.

Eight o'clock in the evening on what day? Today, we are the same day, right? Okay. So, Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. Great way to round out the day, though. What a great way to close Tuesdays. So, Georgia, can you share with us where we can find you, how we can connect with you?

Absolutely. So, my website is [inaudible].net. On that, you can find all my social networks, my newsletter, and everything that I do. So, if you would like to connect just head up to the website, and I will have someone get in touch with you.

Amazing. Amazing. So again, I'm Kim Hayden. I am the queen of resilience, and I'm looking for queens all over to come and share their stories of resilience, inspiration and help other women scale up. So please, please, please, please help all these amazing women out. It's as simple as like, share, comment, and subscribe. We need your support, and ladies - You are queen! So put that crown on. Let's make it happen.

Again, thank you, Georgia. I'm Kim Hayden, and this is the resilience series and Kim Talks Resilience.

Giorgia G is the host of the Treasures Within podcast and a success coach for multi-passionates and creative female entrepreneurs who want to create a successful business without niching down. After years of feeling like a failure for starting niche businesses and shutting them down once the passion disappeared, she decided to throw the traditional business playbook out of the window and start doing business in a way that aligns with her multi-passionate nature. It was only then that she was able to create a business that ticks all the boxes: freedom, variety, money, and fulfilment. Now she help multi-passionate creatives do the same so they can experience unlimited freedom - creative, location, and financial - in their lives.

You can find Giorgia on Instagram and LinkedIn below.

https://www.instagram.com/giorgia.guazzarotti/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/giorgia-guazzarotti/