Podcast

Episode 391: How Power Planning Took My Business From $100k Per Year To $100k Months

Before Power Planning, I often got in my own way in my business.

I worked in stops and starts, I waited until the last minute to get the most important things done, I kept burning myself out from all the pressure I put on myself and I had countless planners that I abandoned after three weeks of filling them out perfectly.

Then I came to realise (1) I’m a perfectionist and (2) being a perfectionist meant I couldn’t follow the same planning advice as everyone else.

And that’s when everything started clicking into place…

I was already good at planning – I just needed to figure out how to plan in a way that got my perfectionist mindset on my side so I could do all the things I needed to do…

When I created what I now call Power Planning, 90% of the problems I was having with procrastination, overthinking and burnout just dissolved.

Once I learned how to plan in a way that got my perfectionist mindset working FOR me (instead of against me), I woke up each morning feeling clear on exactly what I needed to do and went to bed feeling productive and accomplished.

Instead of losing time every day to overthinking and busywork, I was getting shit done consistently and sustainably.

I was finally acting like the CEO I’d always wanted to be.

And my revenue couldn’t help but reflect that…

The fact that Power Planning meant I was having a productive week, every week, took my business from $100k per year to $100k MONTHS.

All while working less hours than I ever had before.

And I know for sure that if I had Power Planning from the beginning of my business it wouldn’t have taken me so long (6 years!) to make my first $100,000.

I share about this evolution in more detail – and how this led to creating The Power Planning Course – in today’s episode.

We especially wanted to share this episode because at the time of releasing this, this will be your last chance to join The Power Planning Course before it closes!

The Power Planning Course is closing on 16 April at 11:59 New York Time.

The Power Planning Course will be closing and will only be available inside of Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) my Group Coaching Program (doors re-open 12 June 2023).

By the way… If you join The Power Planning Course now and decide to join PGSD one day in the future, you’ll also receive $500 USD off PGSD.

So if you’ve thinking about joining The Power Planning Course, don’t miss out on this LAST opportunity to join while you still can!

Find the full episode transcript and show notes at samlaurabrown.com/episode391.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

  • Sam’s evolution as she grew her business with Power Planning
  • How Power Planning made all the difference in Sam’s business
  • How Power Planning helps you get out of inaction and worrying what other people think of you
  • What’s included in The Power Planning Course
  • The Power Planning Course will only be available in PGSD after 16 April 2023

Featured In The Episode:

Listen To The Episode

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FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Introduction

Hi, and welcome to another episode of The Perfectionism Project, a podcast full of perfectionism advice for entrepreneurs. My name is Sam Laura Brown, I help entrepreneurs release that perfectionism handbrake so they can get out of that way, and build a fulfilling and profitable business. I’m the founder of the Power Planning Course and Perfectionist Getting Shit Done, which is otherwise known as PGSD. And for even more perfectionism advice to help you with your business, you can follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject.

Renae
Hey, it’s Renae, Sam’s marketing manager, I wanted to give you a quick update. So over the past few weeks, I’ve gone to Sam’s a few times, by the way, the twins are adorable. So yeah, we could decide on the plans for the rest of the year. And after some big decisions, Sam and I have decided that the power planning course is going to be closing on the 16th of April at 11:59, New York time. Alright, so this was a really big decision, because we launched the power planning course in January because so many people were asking Sam, how they can get access to the power planning tool that she’s created inside of PGSD.

And she is always talking about on the podcast. And so that’s why the power planning course was created. And what you’re about to hear is a conversation Sam and I had before she gave birth to the twins. In this conversation, you’ll hear Sam first talk about the evolution of power planning and how it’s helped her grow her business. And you’ll really get to hear how she was in so much in action and worrying what others thought and how power planning supported her in the journey to get to where she is today.

And so you’re going to hear that, at the first bit of the conversation and the second half of the conversation towards the end, you’ll hear Sam’s reasoning behind each and every inclusion that is inside of the power planning course. And I thought right now is the perfect time for you to hear this. And either way, you’re gonna walk away feeling very inspired from hearing Sam’s story and her evolution, thanks to the power planning.

But I wanted to let you know that it is going to be the last time that you can join the power planning course before it closes. So if you wanted to get the power planning course, as its own self study course now’s the time to do it, you need it at click the link in the show notes also you can go to our Instagram if you have any questions at all send us an email or DM us on Instagram and myself or Daisy, we’ll get back to you because it is yeah the power planning course closing and I we don’t want you to miss out at all because the power planning course is going to be going back into PGSD, which is the group coaching program called perfectionist getting shit done and PGSD launches every quarter.

So the next time PGSD will launch is on the 12th of June. Now, for example, if you did decide to join up to the power planning course, before it closes on the 16th of April, and you decide to join PGSD at some point in the future. That is okay, because what we’ll do is we’ll give you $500 US off the PGSD program when you sign because you’ve joined the power planning course. So right now is just your opportunity to get the power planning course in order to get started power planning and you’re about to hear how it has helped Sam and also just yesterday I spoke to 10 PGSDers.

And I had so many amazing conversations about how much power planning is helping them and then they explained to me those weeks when they do Power Plan and the weeks that they don’t and just the difference it’s made in their life. So yeah, I just did not want you to miss out on this opportunity. So if you’re hearing this conversation Sam and I had earlier this year, I think it will help you make the decision if you want to jump in and get the power planning course now while you can. And yeah, enjoy the conversation.

Sam Laura Brown
I’m so excited because today I have Renae with me, who is my marketing manager. We have been working together for just over a month now. And I’m just going to hand it over to Renae to introduce herself and why we are recording this episode and what we’re going to be covering. But it’s going to be a really, really good one. So Renae, over to you.

Renae
Hello, thanks for having me here. Well, in a way, I kind of got you here. Yeah, I have been working with business owners for a very long time now. And all around the world, actually. And I’ve been listening to Sam Laura Brown podcast that whole entire time. Absolutely loving it. And now that I get to deep dive into her business, and really help her in this area, I’ve got an behind the scenes for a month now. And I couldn’t help myself. But I want to share some of the insights with all your listeners by asking you questions because I was a podcast listener listening to a personal growth updates.

I remember when I first found your podcast, I went through and I binged all your personal growth updates. With that, I learned so much about you. And then fast forward to being with you, for the last month, sometimes in person as well, I see just how clearly what you teach. And what you do is a whole other level that I obviously didn’t get to experience when I was just a podcast listener.

And now seeing inside what power planning is actually and how much it is growing your business and how you are really, you’ve really had your handbrake on your perfectionism handbrake on and I would love for you to start off by telling us about when you first realized your perfectionist handbrake was on and why you develop that term to introduce it.

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah. So before we do that, I just want to stop for a second and mention because you said like a bit on why we’re recording, which he did mention why we are recording. But we had a different plan. Initially, I think it’s just really powerful to share what the original plan was, and what we changed it to. And just because I know as perfectionist that we can really be in this mindset of thinking that things have to be or look a certain way.

And especially if other people are doing it that way. And we don’t give ourselves permission to change our plans, and explore things or experiment with things. And so if you could just share a bit Renae about what our original plan was, and then why we’re doing it in podcast format.

Renae
Well, for those who don’t know, Sam has two little babies growing inside of her right now. So she called me yesterday, I needed to record the webinar, the outline, we’ve read it up help. And because I love solving problems, and knowing how much Sam is so good at the podcast, I wanted to bring this element of me being able to interview her like I have been behind the scenes anyways. But because Sam openly is happy to share the ins and outs of her life anyways, I thought, let’s do it in front of everyone else at the same time.

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, yeah. And basically I, I called Renae and I was like, Okay, we need to chat about the webinar. And we only have today that we’re recording this. It’s my last full working day. And we realized, basically, because we really want to talk about the power planning, course and power planning and all of that. And that we wanted to have a way to do that. But we didn’t have enough time to put that together.

And my favorite question, as people probably know is, what would this look like if it was easy? And that was us just having a genuine chat about it together? And talking about power planning you asking me different questions that you have about it, and us just kind of sharing all of that on the podcast. So I just wanted to mention that because we need to give ourselves permission to change our plans to do it the easy way and to not be so attached to things having to be in a certain format, or yeah, just be done in this way that everyone else is doing it.

So when Renae said let’s actually just do a podcast interview, I was like, well, that would be amazing. Because I’m not fully energetic right now by any stretch of the imagination and just ask questions. It’s so easy for me. And I love talking about all this stuff. And I’m really excited to talk about power planning and all of that as always, so that’s why we’re here. So anyway, what was your question about my perfectionism handbrake?

Renae
Yes. When you first yes when it was on at 100% Let’s start there.

Sam Laura Brown
So back in the day, do you mean like back in when I first got it? Yeah. So people who might already be familiar with my story will know this. But when I started my business in 2013, so I started it as a blog. And I was 22. And I just thought, like, I’d been listening to podcasts. This is why I love podcasts. Like, they introduced me to the whole world of online business.

And so I started my blog, I got the courage to do that, over like, a six month period of hearing about it. And then I started, like, I bought my domain, and then I just completely ghosted it for three months, I stopped listening to podcasts, because I just felt. So basically, like such an imposter that like, who did, I think I was, what was I even doing? I definitely hadn’t told anyone about it. And eventually, I did then manage to post I was just posted things like, Oh, here’s this blog post from someone else that I think could be helpful for you or whatever, like, I had no opinion about anything.

And I was just, I just sort of had this motivation problem, basically, because I couldn’t get myself to actually post. And then when I would post, I would edit the publish post and, like, tweak it and perfect it. And I was just for me, the biggest thing was, I was so scared to tell anyone in my real life about it, that I just, it was like this dirty little secret I had that I had this blog, and I thought I was capable of potentially having it be successful.

And just the thought of anyone finding out about it, like, I just felt like, I didn’t have enough belief in it at all, like, my self confidence was so low that it felt like if anyone in my personal life in my real life knows about this, even if they just are interested in like, oh, what’s a blog? Like, I’m just gonna have to shut the whole thing down because I couldn’t even withstand one question about it. So I just spend like, blogged in secret, like when I was meant to be studying, I was blogging instead during that time.

And, yeah, it just I was then eventually, like, just working in spurts of motivation, a whole lot of burnout, just really in my own way. And I didn’t really know what the problem was, I just thought like, I just need to figure out how to stay motivated. So that’s kind of like how I initially experienced perfectionism. Even though, as a student and a university students, I have a law degree and a finance degree, like, I had perfectionist stuff going on, but I was still doing pretty well. And so it wasn’t causing these big problems, the same way that it was, when it came to actually starting my business.

Renae
And thank goodness, you kept going, you know, in your personal life so we are here today. So that whole time that this was going on, you said you didn’t have belief in yourself, but therefore your desire for what could be must have been really high to push through. What was what was the desire pulling you forward?

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, I think and I think a lot of people were able to relate to this. But it’s like this intense, self doubt, like so intense and crippling. And at the same time, I really believed that I could be successful. And then I had so much potential and that I was smart enough and intelligent enough. And like, you know, I didn’t really know what I was doing that. It’s like I had those. It’s always like the devil and the angel kind of thing. Like I just had such crippling self doubt, and so much belief in my potential.

But I just had this, I adopted a motto of like, if I just persist, I will succeed, like, I just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other, even if it means I haven’t posted anything for months at a time. I’m never like mentally telling myself that I’ve given up or abandoned it. Like I’m always just keeping on going. And just also for me, it was helpful just knowing how many people do quit along the way that I was like, even if I’m doing a shit job as we this might sound like even if I’m doing a shit job that so many other people are giving up and quitting.

There are so many blogs, like because I was blogging at that time, there are so many blogs that have three posts on them. And then they’re completely abandoned. That if I just keep going, then I’ll automatically like, become successful to some extent, because there are so few that keep going past that initial point. So yeah, I just had this belief and my potential at the same time. Is that the self doubt.

Renae
Yes. And when you did finally hit that $10,000 month and prove to yourself that you could do it. Did you what was your experience of that? Did you keep going or was it a perfect straight journey?

Sam Laura Brown
For basically so yeah, that’s kind of like we’re cutting a long story short, and like I’ve documented this on the podcast at different stages of this. But yeah, basically it took me so five years from when I started to get to having my first hike a month, which will happen in 2018, towards the end of 2018. And that, basically, of what was the question what happened when I got there? Like, how did I feel when I got there?

Renae
Yeah, it was like you went through this journey, you’ve now got the $10,000 month after that. So it was not a straight journey at all, by all means to get to the $10,000 month was it a straight a journey once you get to the $10,000 month?

Sam Laura Brown
Right. So it was so interesting to think about it because in like the initial stages, and a lot of people will be familiar with the graphic that you’ve seen so many times on social media that’s like, what success looks like what we think successful look like. And it says kind of linear like, line, it’s just a very straight journey. And then there’s this, like, what success actually looks like. And it’s this squiggly line that’s like going eventually in an upward direction. But there’s like all these ups and downs and twists and turns along the way.

And that was definitely my experience. And I think it’s so important to normalize. That that is the experience that everyone has, regardless of how much money you’re making that experience, it doesn’t suddenly like the line doesn’t suddenly just straighten out. And then you’re like, cool love this made 10k in a month, or 100k in a year or had 100k month, and now everything’s smooth sailing. Because when we think of it that way, it really, it just makes us like have shame about something that is so normal, and everyone else is experiencing, and we think we’re the only one and then that stops us from actually doing the things we need to do effectively.

So yeah, once I had that first 10k month I had on such a pedestal, that I really did feel like if I could just have a 10k month, literally everything else will just be smooth sailing from there. And then I had that 10k month. And then I had a course that I offered and I close it for enrollment and offered basically like, this is your last chance to sign up. And so I had that 10k month. And then the next month, I can’t remember exactly how much I made. But it definitely wasn’t 10k was like back to kind of maybe one to 2k, like kind of the normal level that had been maybe even less than that.

And that I kind of realized, like, okay, there’s like having a 10k month and doing that once. And then there’s doing something in a consistent way and really having a result that I can rely on and depend upon. And like I hadn’t really separated out the two I really did. I mean, once I am having that 10k month, I just have one 10 K month, I’ll be able to leave my part time job.

So I had a full time accounting job. I left that in 2017 at the beginning of 2017. And then I went back to a job I had as a university students so that I’d have more time to work on my business. And I just thought I just have one 10K month and I can quit and then I had that I was like, okay, so actually, there’s expenses in a business, there are also taxes. So that doesn’t leave me with like 10k in my pocket. And also I need to like, have money in an ongoing way.

And this isn’t repeatable. Like this isn’t something that’s like, I’m not going to be able to do that launch again the next month. And so that was a big, I want to say lightbulb moment. But it was kind of like this illusion shattering before my eyes that if I just had this 10k month, everything would be perfect. And so then it was then getting to the point where I was having like the consistent 10k months, and then I left my part time job in July 2019. And so it was it like almost a year between when I had that first 10k month and when I was able to create that consistently.

And then still from there to now like it’s still a squiggly line up and down journey. But I do definitely experience it much more differently now like the ups and downs in the beginning. It was I want to say like, it would just stop me in my tracks if something didn’t go to plan, especially if I I really felt like I put in a full effort to it. And then it didn’t work that I would just kind of spiral out for often weeks at a time. And I have documented that on the podcast like I think it was maybe early 2018 or like 2017.

But if I had for example, like I prepped for a launch of a course or something, and I had done that perfectly in my mind and then I didn’t get the result I wanted that I would then like for six weeks not be able to do absolutely anything at all. And then still after that period, I do a launch but it would just be this dramatic roller coaster. And now even though there’s still the ups and downs that come with having a business and those are completely unavoidable, like it’s part of it, to have those ups and downs in terms of not getting the results you thought you would or things are going to plan obstacles coming up and that kind of thing, that now I’m just able to be, I still have all my feelings and things like that.

But I’m able to just keep on going and show up fully and problem solve and be resourceful. And I really don’t have it be. It’s, I’m not so attached to the results, personally, like I do have so much more of a separation between myself and the business than I used to have. So if we aren’t getting the results we want, it’s not like this personal crisis that it used to be.

Renae
And this is what I found so fascinating about your story, because it’s essentially you went from this place of erratic, inconsistent, and like drama filled results, you were getting a 10k month or eventually, you got consistent, but there was so much drama involved. And and I’m sure there was moments where you felt like, is this going to keep happening? I hear that all the time.

And now, the experience, and what I’m witnessing in your whole business is that you have a system that’s very grounding in predictable, repeatable and drama free results. And what I have witnessed is that how a planning is that piece that has kept you grounded in not experiencing such low lows and dips, and your handbrake isn’t fully on when it comes to perfectionism.

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, I think it’s, it really has become my rock, so to speak, that it’s like it does keep me grounded. And it does help me also, but, the reason it does that is it helps me have the self awareness I need to have. So that if I am noticing that I might be getting my own way, or like stuffs coming up for me that I’m able to actually do something about it. Whereas if I wasn’t Power Planning, and I didn’t have that way of organizing my time and organizing my mind, that I would be so stuck and overwhelmed so much of the time, but also I wouldn’t be able to really identify why things weren’t working and why they were I think that’s been a big part of it, that I can be so much more grounded.

Because when I’m doing my power planning, which I have been now, for quite a while, a long time that I’m instead of being like, Oh, if I just was more productive than I’d be more successful, or if I just had this and not that it’s, it’s really like, I’m actually able to see what’s going into the results that I’m creating. And I’m able to therefore change the results I have and make them even better. Because I’m able to really have a clearer picture of what the inputs are and where my mind’s at and noticing if I’m overthinking things or whatever that it just yeah, it’s just like if I for some reason, haven’t done my power planning that week. I just feel like, I want to say loose cannon is probably not the right word.

But I just feel like very scattered and like I’m not. Yeah, I don’t have that groundedness and that I’m just not able to like calmly and confidently execute on things. I’m just constantly having to ask myself like, Oh, what do I need to do. And it sometimes happens that like, if I don’t power plan until later in the week or whatever, because I’m too busy to do it, then I just waste so much time trying to figure out what I need to do.

And I feel and I sure everyone can relate. Like, when you feel like you have so much to do that you don’t have time to plan. Even I have that thought. And then my experience. And I know that our PGSDers things like have this experience as well that you might think you don’t have time to plan. But when you don’t plan you really notice how much of a dramatic difference there is between when you are planning properly. And when you aren’t planning properly. And it just changes like it changes the tone of the day in the week.

Renae
And everything you’ve shared the underlining message is you’re always putting work into your business. You were never not I remember listening to podcasts episodes where you went to Tony Robbins. You’re always investing in your business because you knew you needed that. But it was the implementation of power planning through everything that you are learning made that hard work you’re putting in pay off. So what would you say was a moment when you realize that your hard work was paying off? Thanks to how you are power planning.

Sam Laura Brown
Let me think what was the moment. I don’t know if there was a particular moment, like an aha moment, maybe if I’ve shared one with you, and you can jog my memory about it, from listening to the podcast, but I’m just trying to think off the top of my head when I really started to be like, Oh, this is it, I feel like it was such a gradual thing, because of how I was having to piece it together from like, initially, with power planning, it began really with clean rest as the foundation, so guilt free rest, and I’ve documented this on the podcast.

But that really started for me, in 2014, when I was a uni student still, as well as having the blog. And I was just like, I just hate this feeling of like, always feeling guilty, no matter if I’m studying, I’m not studying. And I started experimenting with that. And then I kind of forgot about it for a few years. And then I picked it back up again, and just was like, Okay, this piece is super important, and I don’t want to do it. But it’s actually like really making me get in my own way and overthink things and procrastinate and if I actually get this clean rest that that really reduces so much of it.

And then through learning other planning methods, like time blocking, and having like all these different to do lists, things which I love it to do lists. I know a lot of us do. And Pomodoro method like all these different time management things like piecing together, okay, how can I actually structure my week in a way that it’s really supporting me to do my best work. And also, it’s helping me have awareness around when I am actually working well, and when I’m not, and I’m able to have an objective enough view of it that I’m not then just making it mean, I’m a bad person, or I’m not cut out for business or whatever, that I’m actually just able to, to look at it clearly.

So really, it was kind of, because it wasn’t like one day, I was like, oh, like, here’s the thing, and whatever it was, it was over time that I pieced it together, and really figured out how to plan in a way that worked for my perfectionist mindset. And then I obviously started introducing that to my clients that I was working with and having them work through it. That it’s really been I know, I can just see, looking back I think is more clear rather than like in the moment realizing but looking back, just saying, for example, like how I used to feel about my business as a whole and myself as an entrepreneur, versus how I feel about myself now.

I think that is due to the power planning and the work it’s allowed me to do on my perfectionism that is so obvious in hindsight how different I used to be, when it came to my business and just being like, I really just felt like I didn’t have a proper business. Like it was kind of this like playing pretend sort of thing that, like I was making money. And this was even when I was still like making a decent amount of money, that I still had this feeling of like, okay, but this isn’t a real business isn’t legitimate.

And if someone would ask me, like, you know, what do I do, I kind of dance around it or just say like, I’m a business in this vague way, but I hated ever, like had never talked about the business to anyone in person, because I didn’t want to have to answer any questions about it, because it just felt like is this even a real thing or like whatever. And now I’m in such a different place with that, that I really, I do have a legitimate business, I do have a successful business. And it’s not just because my results have changed or they have.

But power planning has allowed me to really think about myself and the business in such a different way, which like, we know self image is so important how you see yourself. So it’s kind of like a chicken and egg thing that when you are believing in yourself in a different way and you have a different identity, you automatically create a result to match that and an uplevel result. But that to me, I think when I just look back on like a few years ago, even when I was doing what was initially like the power planning, before I really had a name for it, or like the steps for it, that even then I still initially felt like this isn’t a real thing.

And now just from my the consistency of how I’ve been able to show up and as you said, like, the drama isn’t there anymore, the burnout isn’t there anymore. I’m still a human being. I still have all the feelings. But I just have a different a fundamentally different experience when it comes to the business. And when it comes to the day to day of my business, like being able to switch off is something I can do now. That previously that was unavailable to me.

Like it just felt like oh, that kind of means you don’t really care about your business if you can switch off like I had that idea around it and really just being able to now have a fulfilling personal life and really be able to show up fully in the business and also be kind to myself as needed in a way that really supports the business and myself. Yeah, it’s just I think looking back, I can see it much more clearly than like, in the moment having this light bulb go off.

Renae
And what you’ve just described there, and the evolution of yourself, I know listening to your podcast this whole time, that is exactly what every business owner, at least listening right now would really, really want, really wants, at every level that they grow their business and seeing that you have been able to ground that in and achieve that out of even though looking back, it’s like, you can now piece it together. But in the moment in your real life living of it, it didn’t feel that as seamless.

But what I have noticed what you do do with your current clients and members, is that by helping them set a growth goal. It sets like that foundation for power planning, the real power planning to really take place, because power planning is not just planning for the sake of planning sake, it is you genuinely want to see your members actually achieve what they say they want to achieve, just like you have now. So you’ve gone from the shy, introverted perfectionist girl that didn’t want no one to know you even had a business to you are very loud and proud.

And every one of your family members, I assume, definitely know you have. And so in being like the expert that you honestly are, what’s happened here is your long journey. You’re now condensing that up for everyone who is in your world. And I think that is just like that is like such a gift that you give us. So thank you for that. And you really do do that with the growth goal and forcing us to think about our growth goal, because the power planning then then can really start take place. So what is your take on how the Growth Goal has helped members of the community so far, to then do power planning?

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, the growth goal is really important. And I think I’m glad you mentioned it, because it’s an important part of any conversation about power planning. Because without having the Growth Goal, which is a 12 month revenue goal set just above what you believe is possible, like what your perfectionist brain is saying, as possible for you that without having that goal, we often just end up put, like we’re planning like, we love being productive.

We love being busy, and like having that feeling. But we can just end up doing so much busy work without even realizing it. Because like we’re doing things like maybe it’s posting social media or whatever, like we’re doing the right things. But because we don’t actually know what result we’re trying to get to, that it ends up being so frustrating, because you end up doing a lot of things like a particularly if people are feeling like they are busy all week, and they get to the end of the week, and they don’t know where their time went.

And then they get to the end of the year, and they don’t act like they’re confused about why they haven’t achieved their goals or like why they haven’t made more money or even if they are making more money, like why they have but they’re so burnt out, they are like resenting the clients and customers and their business and all of that, that the growth goal is such an important piece of it. And just seeing like with our PGSDers, for example that have had, like comments, PGSD, they set their growth goal and begin power planning.

And like now in the power planning course that growth goal process is taught as well as power planning, and all of that, that they have been able to… It just so satisfying as a coach to witness but they have been able to really do things that they didn’t think was possible, because that’s literally the idea, right? That your growth goal is set above what you believe as possible, not so crazy high that you can then go into this delusional not and I don’t want to say delusional, in a sense of like, sometimes you really have to delude yourself because your brains just like not on board yet.

And so you just have to be willing to feel delusional. But they’re able to do things that they didn’t think was possible for them. And they’re able to do it with a different day to day experience of their business. So we’ve had PGSDers who come in and they just, they basically like hit it out of the park with their growth goal because they have power planning there to get them to that goal. So it’s like, you need to have both aspects and the clean rest as well as the super important part of power planning. But you need to have the growth goal that is essentially your North Star.

It’s like a decision filter so to speak. It helps you really decide what’s a needle mover, what’s busy work and all of that and just having… Yeah, PGSDers be able to come in and achieve their growth goal for the 12 months like achieve that within a six month period. And to do that, while working less hours and like spending more time with their family and no longer resenting their business or like, not being able to switch off, and even those who are still working towards their growth goal.

And like, for me with my own growth goals, I haven’t gotten all the way to any of my growth goals, but I have grown so much because of it. And I know for sure the business is way making way more money than if I didn’t have that kind of goal, that it’s still it really just as I said, like changes the day to day experience that you’re having, it changes how you feel about yourself, how you feel about your business, your ability to get shit done.

And it’s just so fun to witness and to just see people blow their own minds. I just like them thinking that they were always going to be a certain way that they were always going to be someone who had to work super long hours to be able to make any money or to be able to keep making the amount of money they’re making, or all of that kind of thing to just say like, Oh, actually I can, I can make even more money and actually enjoy my business more and like, both those things can be true is the ultimate satisfaction for me as a coach to have, like, I’ve had my personal experience with going through that journey.

But to be able to help guide others through that and see them like do it so much more quickly than I could do it because I had to like piece it together myself and figure it out. And for them to be able to just take it and implement it and get through it. Like it just it’s so satisfying. So that’s a little bit about the growth goal. And like it yeah, it’s just so important to have that growth goals and for anyone. Yeah, who is doing Power planning to make sure you do set that growth goal because it really sets the tone and is that North Star and is that like you need to plan properly as a perfectionist that includes your weekly planning with Power planning. And that includes how you go set as well.

Renae
And if I was listening to this podcast right now, I would be considering what is my growth goal, and really setting it in place right now. And I know for a fact that because of everything you teach, when it comes to perfectionism, a growth goal is like very specific for a perfectionist mindset, because it allows you anytime you want to question that growth goal, it’s like no, the whole point is that you grow into it.

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, correct. Yeah, yeah, it is, it’s really important it’s for, it’s a way to like there’s people who talk about with, if you’re a perfectionist type a kind of person, we tend to put a lot of pressure on ourselves to do all of that, that maybe you just shouldn’t set a goal because you need to learn how to take the pressure off. And the best way to do that people say, is to not have any goal at all. And while I can see the logic, in that, to some degree, it actually doesn’t work.

And we only just end up like kind of just being directionless, because we still want to be busy and productive. And then we’re just kind of doing it without an aim and just not actually being able to turn the perfectionism handbrake off, so to speak, like were then in this mindset when we have like a normal, realistic goal, or even no goals at all, because we’re trying to be kind to ourselves, that we end up not being kind to ourselves, because we’re not inviting ourselves to grow. And we’re not able to have a practical way to do the work we need to do with our perfectionism so that we can actually, instead of having to not have goals to release the pressure, you can have a goal and just learn directly how to not feel pressured about it.

And the growth goal is the kind of goal that allows you to do that because it is set up in a certain way. And so, yeah, if, if anyone listening is used to feeling like so much pressure on themselves, and initially with the growth goal, like we tend to because if you’ve had the perfectionist mindset, you’ve been thinking that way for a while, that you might come to the Growth Goal and initially have that mindset about the growth goal. And then the growth goal, the way it’s set up, it forces you to unlearn the way that you were thinking about it, it allows you to turn your perfectionism handbrake off, so that you can do the work you need to do to get into a growth mindset and achieve the goal.

Renae
Yes, and essentially because now you’ve got that goal set. The next thing you have to do is make the plan so that you can achieve that goal. But in making that plan this is where perfectionist cannot follow the same planning advice as everyone else. And we hear sensei that all the time and now I get it because that perfection is handbrake, when that perfectionist handbrake is on, it is so hard to be in the growth mindset to have a growth goal and to even believe that you can achieve your growth goal.

And when that perfectionist handbrake comes off, thanks to power planning, all of a sudden, that’s obviously Sam is the person that shows us all that it is 100% possible to achieve some very big business goals. When that perfectionist HandBrake is off, and your power planning in the growth mindset. And I wanted to ask them, when it comes to power planning this very complicated process that you have created across years and years and years, you have now been able to simplify it down into just three steps. What are the three steps of the power planning method?

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, so the three steps, I’ll go through them briefly. But first of all, as I said, that growth goal like that’s really, it has to come before doing the power planning. Because that’s really what’s gonna help you figure out what’s needle mover, what’s busy work, all of that kind of thing, like it sets the stage so to speak. So then we have power planning, which is what you are doing on a weekly basis, and is going to replace your to do list your paper planner, whatever other planning method you have been using.

And just to talk very quickly, I’ll go through the steps in a second. But to talk very quickly about why we can’t follow the same planning advice as everyone else, particularly if someone listening is like, but I love my to do list and like I love checking it off and all of that, that if you’re being like if you’re smashing all your goals, you’re never burning out you’re like loving your business and your clients and your customers and like everything’s amazing, then sure keep the to do list.

But when we are planning in that way, it actually makes us overthink, it makes us procrastinate. It makes us burn out. It puts us in the all or nothing mindset. It just has us it turns our perfectionism handbrake on so if you go talk about perfectionism a lot, obviously and like if that’s something you can relate to, to just know that it’s not your fault, you haven’t done anything wrong, it’s not toxic. It’s not the thing you have to like overcome.

It’s just that the way that you have been setting up your year and your week like it’s just been turning your perfectionism handbrake on, because that advice that even though it’s like good advice that works for so many people, it doesn’t take into account the way the perfectionist mindset works. And so it’s been making you get in your own way. When if you just change the way that you set your goals and you change the way that you plan that like 90% of the procrastinating particularly like for perfectionist it’s productive procrastination, busy work, like all of that kind of thing. The overthinking the fear of judgment, or like 90% of that will just automatically dissolve.

And then you can use power planning to work on the 10% that remains. But yeah, it’s just really important to know that power planning is specifically set up so that it really gets your perfectionist mindset on your side, you can turn that handbrake off, and then do the work needed to get into the growth mindset. So the three steps of power planning are your Power Hour, Little Tweaks, and Weekly Review. And it’s really very much focused on workability. And it been because we you know that all or nothing mindset is real that so many of us we make plans and like we love planning, and we feel like we’re good at planning, like, I just can’t follow the plan.

And the reason we can’t follow the plan is because we aren’t planning properly as perfectionist and that we’re not planning with this workability piece in mind, particularly, and really setting ourselves up to work in a way that is going to be consistent and sustainable and really produce as we said, like the drama free results and the ones that are repeatable and reliable and are the results we want basically in the business.

So with the three steps, the power hour, that’s when you like initially think about your growth goal and then kind of reverse engineering like okay, what would need to happen for me to get to that goal and to really have that to do list so to speak, be put into your calendar in a way that actually isn’t overwhelming that is going to get you there in the most effective way. So you’re looking at your needle movers. And it’s really there’s a Abraham Lincoln quote about like, if you give me six hours to chop down a tree, I spend the first four sharpening the axe that like proper planning makes execution 10 times easier.

And so it’s like 60 minutes at the beginning of your week, no matter what day that happens to be. And that sets you up so that instead of being overwhelmed and like looking at your to do list and feeling like holy shit, I don’t even know where to start. So I’m just gonna go and clean the kitchen counter, instead of that happening that you’re able to really go into each day feeling cool, calm and collected, so to speak, that you know exactly what you need to do, you know, you have enough time to do it, you’ve got buffer time in there. So even if unexpected comes up, we were just not feeling motivated that day, you’re able to still stay on track.

The second step is your little tweaks. And this is such an important piece. It’s not that you’re making adjustments to your calendar, that’s part of the step or that is a step you’re making adjustments, you’re keeping track of what actually was accomplished, you’re adding a little checkmark emoji, that in that step, it’s not that you do that, because your plan was faulty, or you didn’t plan properly. Part of planning properly a huge part, I think the biggest part that’s overlooked is that you need to keep your calendar workable, you need to, pardon me.

You need to have plans that if something comes up, you’re able to keep on going. And so with all of this Power planning you are planning in a digital calendar, and part of the reason for that is so you can easily drop and drag things you can change if you know if tasks have to be reshuffled, which, for me at least I’m doing a lot of little tweaks throughout the week as things come up, or as plans change or new information comes in.

And I like to think of this, like the Google Maps. Rerouting feature that if you were driving somewhere, and then there’s some kind of detour and you have to take a different turn or if you just like took a wrong turn, that Google Maps doesn’t just tell you like, Okay, well keep on going on the road you were going on and now turn, it’s like, no, you’ve gone a different way. And that map that plan needs to adjust, so that you can still get to your destination. That’s what we’re doing with the little tweaks.

And then when it comes to the weekly review, this is really, this is where so many of the nuggets are and like we want to skip this step and be like, No, I don’t really want to look at the week. And like if we did well, we’re like, Well, I don’t really like celebrating myself, I’m not gonna look at that. And then if we didn’t do like, well, I don’t want to look at this unproductive way, because I already feel bad enough.

But when you’re doing your weekly review, I like to say it’s like how NASA, the astronauts they do a debrief after a training exercise or a mission that they’re like, let’s actually deconstruct what worked, what didn’t work, what to do differently, and like within that different things, so that next time we do it, we can actually do it even better, rather than just being like, I hope I’m more motivated next time. Or like, I would hope I have more willpower next week or whatever, like you’re actually able to identify and pinpoint what’s going on for you.

So this is where a lot of the insights you’ll have into yourself. And even I know everyone listening is already a self aware person, that you will be able to gain so much more self awareness than you’ve ever had before about yourself. And you will have less shame than before to so it’s not like you’ll have the self awareness and then feel bad that you’re getting in your own way or stuff is coming up for you. But you’ll be able to just see it objectively and do the work needed.

And you’ll also be able to plan the following week, so much more effectively, because you have those insights. So over time, you are really able to plan in a way that works for you. And this is why with power planning, we’re not like here’s how many hours of clean rests you have to get you have to wake up at this time that it’s really about what works for you and building that self trust with yourself so that no matter what changes in your business, or what season of life you’re in, you’re always able to plan for yourself and you don’t need someone to give you this like you know list of times to do certain things.

You’re able to develop that for yourself and adjust it accordingly so that it’s never a problem. If you have a change in your business model or you hire someone or if you have children or anything like that you’re able to just you have the skill set of adjusting that and keeping on going. So that was a long way to say the short version essentially, of the power planning steps.

Renae
And I love that you just absolutely killed that and said so much, because that just shows just this, there is so much to power planning, yet you’ve been able to simplify it so that it is so easily actionable. But it’s because it’s like a whole journey because it’s, it’s a big deal to be able to get the perfectionist mindset that has been working against you. Honestly, probably since you were in school, and you’ve maybe had moments, maybe it hasn’t worked against you to actually working for you is like the biggest deal ever.

And that is why you created the power planning course. And this is the self study course that I know, I’m super excited that you now sell. Because it is like the solution to getting out of your own way and getting a perfectionist mindset working for you. What made you choose to have the power planning course as a standalone self study course?

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, so I mentioned PGSD, perfectionist getting shit done, which is a group coaching program that we offer. And until very recently, we only had taught power planning in full as well as the Growth Goal inside PGSD. And for so long now, we’ve been getting questions about like, Hey, can we just learn the power planning piece and what people just asking to have that be a separate thing that they could learn.

And so basically, from has been asked many times about it. And really just for me, like, I mean, I love selling PGSD anyway, and having PGSD has come in, but just having a somewhere that someone can do it in a self study way. And they’re able to basically like take all the power planning. So like, I just, you know, I just went into a bit of detail about it. But the course is so short and succinct and easy to action that you can just sit down in an afternoon and learn power planning and get started, it’s not gonna take you weeks to learn about it.

You can literally decide like I want to learn power planning, you can buy the course you can start power planning, like it’s as simple as that. And so, as I mentioned, there’s a lot of things that go into, like, there’s a lot of like with the perfectionist mindset and the different ways that manifest and I get into the growth, mindset, all of that kind of thing. There are a lot of different practical things that you can do and power planning, covers it all like it considers all of that. And then each step, regardless of whether you know it or not, takes into account the different things that need to happen for you to turn your perfectionism handbrake off and get into that growth mindset.

So I’m just very, if it’s not obvious, passionate about it, like it’s how I live and breathe with my workday, as you’ve seen Renae, that like I keep saying, like, oh, you know, like, the power planning, like, let’s look at that, and like just having you begin to do power planning as well. And like, it’s so crucial and fundamental. And I just, yeah, like if someone had been able to give this to me earlier in my journey, it would have made all the difference.

And so as cliche as that is to say, like it just as a coach, like having figured it out myself, and then seeing how it’s positively impacted so many of our PGSDers lives and their businesses. And as I said, not just how much money they’re making, but also like their experience of business. That’s, I want that to be in the hands of as many people as possible because, for me, the perfectionism, especially initially when I started my business, but even as it continued on, was crippling.

And it really impacted my relationship with myself the way I saw myself, it meant that even though I did believe I had so much potential, that I wasn’t able to act upon it and that was so frustrating for me and such as a source of shame as well, that I just felt like, what’s wrong with me that I know I’m capable of so much more, I’m not able to actually do what I’m capable of. And so yeah, basically, this works for perfectionist and I want perfectionist to be able to use it. So that like our mission as a business is really getting perfectionist entrepreneurs out of their own way.

I truly believe businesses change the world and that for each entrepreneur that I can help to make that impact like that’s like the impact we’re making as a business is to have everyone out there who is a perfectionist who has a business they’re able to with the help of power planning. They’re able to do their thing fully and really have their full potential wage and it’s just like we help them unlock that.

That’s what I’m passionate about. That’s what I love doing this. I love talking about. So yeah, that’s, that’s why basically the power planning course, came into existence and why we wanted to have this chat about it. To tell you about it, that it’s yeah, it’s just it makes such a difference. And obviously, I’m gonna say that, but that truly is my experience and what I’ve witnessed.

Renae
100% And I would hear you talking about power planning on the podcast. And now I’m seeing it fully in action, like observing yourself and the rest of the team. It is amazing just to see how much it grounds the whole operation, so that there is no drama, there is no inconsistency. It feels very solid and repeatable and drama free with the specially knowing that, you know, there’s more perfectionist on the team, obviously, because that’s all you do. Yet, you’ve been able to literally help everyone get that perfectionist handbrake off power plan so that you and the team can have a very harmonious way of working.

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, and just this is probably going to put you on the spot. But it’s something that we’ve talked about behind the scenes when we’ve had conversations and chats about things. But would you mind sharing a bit about like, you had been a podcast listener, and you’d been hearing me talk about power planning? Like, did you because you didn’t sign up for PGSD. And so it’s like, I just, like curious to hear you share what I mean, you’ve already shared with me when we haven’t been recording, but I love for you to share it on this episode of like, why you didn’t sign up, so to speak, like, why you like what was going on for you that like you were interested in power planning? You’re wanting to try it. But something like a piece was missing for you like what was that that stopped you from actually like, really committing to try and power planning?

Renae
Yeah, so first and foremost, I related to so many things you said about the perfectionism. But I never related to the depth of inaction. Like I was like, oh, like Sam, I’m still doing things like, can you just help me do them better? And how can and also I like, want to work all the time, literally, that like, helped me. Like, how can I get more juice out of my day? And essentially, also, because I was listening to the podcast, I felt like you gave so much on the podcast. I’m like, I get this. I can just like piece it together. I’m smart enough, right?

It’s very funny to say this, oh, no. All of this, because now being behind the scenes, and obviously, it to be completely honest, if I like I the power planning course and we just come live as I’ve been on the team. But if you’d launched the power planning course, prior, I would have definitely purchased that prior because it is the thing that bring like, honestly, my keyword is it grounds your whole entrepreneurial journey, because it’s not that you just wish that well, once I finally achieve x, y, z, then I will feel XYZ.

And it was like, oh, maybe if I have something that grounds me because it’s never going to be this perfect straight route, I can now proudly say because I’m power planning that began my power planning journey, that power planning through, you still experienced the ups and downs, but then not as low because you’ve got power planning. And you know, it’s kind of like your best friend, your mentor, but sitting there supporting you.

And it teaches you to talk kindly to yourself, it teaches you to how to experience all the things that you inevitable are going to experience in your business. But come out on the other side better for it. Not burnt out stressed, overwhelmed actually hating the business you just built. And it’s such a… Yeah, I’m very excited to report back in a few months of how my power planning journey ends up going.

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, and I think what you said about the like, because it’s a mindset, I used to be in very much and at times, I can definitely still find myself ended up like, I’m smart enough to figure this out for myself and this thing like a podcast or a YouTube channel, whatever. Like it’s so helpful. And I’m smart enough and I can just piece it together. And yeah, what would you say to someone who is thinking that about the power planning course?

Renae
Okay, so when I see what Sam is doing behind the scenes, and I’m seeing her I’ve watched her do her power hours out of the corner of my eyes sometimes. I see that high level thinking, and but it’s the, and obviously, I’ve actually gone through the whole power planning course, it’s the depth that you say things in the power planning course. Oh, that’s how I actually need to do the power hour to actually get my plan. And then when it’s not going to plan, that’s how I need to think.

And that’s because essentially, it’s like you’re giving us the way of thinking and empowering us to see the way of thinking whilst we’re planning, because obviously, we’re all using some form of a calendar or whiteboard or to do lists. But it’s the thinking behind all of it, that then makes it successful, and it makes it work. And then because you’ve developed the power planning method, that is a tool within itself, I see that that is the grounding element that supports all the different projects, things you want to test. Did I answer your question exactly?

Sam Laura Brown
I think so. what did I ask? What would you say to people? And I think so part of that as well. Like, just to piggyback off you a little bit that with that, is that. And this is just me being so passionate about the power planning and wanting to say this, but if it’s like, yeah, you are smart. And yeah, you are intelligent. And how long though like it, if you have to piece it together yourself. And this is also like, at the same time as me saying this advice to me on other things, I might be like, I’m so smart, I can do it myself.

That is like the cost of having to spend all that time piecing it together. And missing out important bits are not doing things in the right order. Not really having the full solution that you’re wanting that. If so with power planning, for example, and you’re getting double the return on the hours you spend in your business that, like every week that you’re not getting double the return you spend on your business, what is that costing you like financially, but also in terms of your self esteem, your relationship with yourself that, as I said, like probably planning makes execution, like so much more effective.

It’s like me saying get double the return on your time is me under estimating. And like being conservative with that, that it’s how much is it costing you to have that be prolonged? And like so for me, for example, I said, like I this is what I’ve figured out myself over, basically nearly a decade. I mean, I a few years ago really started to piece it together. But it took me at least five to seven years to really start to figure this out. And the amount like that time you either pay with money or with time, right. So like I paid with time, and a lot of it.

And I also paid for like having to experience like, as we’re saying, the dips that ups and downs, they’re all inevitable, they’re part of business, nothing’s gone wrong. But if you don’t have that self trust or relationship with yourself, to be able to get through it, and to be able to just feel your feelings, yes, but in a clean way where it’s not then like you’re feeling shame about the feelings and things like that. That that is it takes such a toll on your health, your relationships, like every facet of your life.

And so this is why I’m so passionate about it. And I love talking about it and inviting people to sign up for the power planning course and for PGSDers well beyond that, that it is really about like, yeah maybe you could figure it out yourself. And I do love sharing a lot of stuff on the podcast, like, I’m not shy about that. I love sharing all the things.

But if you really are wanting to build the most successful business you can and have it be in like, the day to day experience be what you actually want it to be like, why wait, why pay with time, and like potentially months and years if you could just pay for the power planning course and start making so much more money and just start like really doing that work on your relationship with yourself so that you can be more decisive so that you have your own back when you’re going through the dips and like they’re not dramatic and chaotic, you’re able to just like really feel like you have this legitimate business because you do and that you’re in control of the results you’re getting.

You’re not having to like hope wish and pray that you’re productive or that you have willpower that you’re motivated that way like you just know that you’ll be able to get shit done regardless. So yeah, that’s my take on that because I know for me, I’m just like, I smart enough to do it myself and figure it out. But then when I do that I’m paying with time, and I’d rather pay with money and then like and you can make the money back, the time you can’t get back.

Renae
And in all honesty, no matter how much I would have tried to piece this together, I still would have gotten the result that I would get at a faster speed because of the way that you have put this together into five easy consumable modules that really just spell it out. And it’s like, in a way it is very black and white where now I can see. I mean, you’ve got two choices. I’m either going to power plan and action make my growth goal happen, or I’m going to keep living with this burnout, procrastination, overthinking, overwhelmed mindset that is this perfectionist handbrake that has been getting in my way for way too long. And quite frankly, I’m over it. I would prefer to experience my life and my business in a lot more predictable, repeatable drama freeway.

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, yeah. So long story short, that’s why we’re doing this episode tell you about it. Do we want to share about what’s in the power planning course a bit more?

Renae
Yes, yes. Okay. So first and foremost is the power planning method. So Sam has put together the power planning method. So and that’s exactly what you have described with the three steps. That is like completely taught inside of the power planning modules. That’s the five modules that Sam has put together and recorded so that you can actually in one afternoon and already be power planning, because you’re going to get the results when you start power planning.

But when you’re learning about what power planning is, so the five modules number one is planning properly as a perfectionist, module two, is everything to do with the growth goal. And Sam shares this in a workshop. So by the end of the workshop, you will have your growth goal and you will feel as confident as you can in that moment about your growth goal and the confidence will just grow as you keep power planning. Module three is the key to sustainable consistency, aka clean rest.

Module Four, how to power plan in three simple steps. This is the practical implementation, this module of learning, you will I know when I got to this module, those videos those moments I was rewinding and being like, I need to hear that 10 times over. Okay. I’m ready for this. And I could just feel the power of like, oh, this is about to change my life. So I honestly can’t wait to get to module four. And please message I will read your messages on how you found module four because it is my favorite module. And then module five is the three month commitment. Now this three month commitment piece. Sam, could you please tell us more about this?

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, the three month commitment. So really the power planning course covers, like the scope of it is your first three months of power planning. As you mentioned, a lot of the meat is in module four on power planning. So before I went through the steps in that module, I really go through, and we have the power planning companion in the course too. So you can have that when you’re doing your Power Hour and like, have all the prompts and questions and things like that contained in one space, you don’t have to keep coming back towards the module to know what to do.

But yeah, everything is in there in such a practical way. But don’t skip to module four, you gotta watch them all in order to remember I say, don’t make it sound too good. But anyway, the three month commitment that’s really about helping you get into a growth mindset. And really just, just because we perfectionist can be a bit old and thinking about things we love. Instant effortless results, we tend to just basically, like we want the perfect experience right from the beginning. And as soon as any bumps in the road comes up. This isn’t just with planning, this was anything that as soon as something doesn’t go to plan that we just think like, fuck it, I’m going to try something else.

And it’s really about having you create a container for yourself mentally, the three month commitment or three month periods are basically 12 weeks, where you are committed to power planning and to continuing with it and doing it imperfectly, and letting yourself have that time with power planning without judging whether you want to do it for the rest of your life, whether it’s the best thing for you should you do this instead? Because I think when we approach different things, whether it’s a marketing strategy, or a business model, or a niche, or whatever, if we approach it with this mindset of like, is it something I want to do for the rest of my life?

Like the all or nothing thinking that’s how we tend to be things like, Do I want to commit to this forever, that we then ask questions of ourselves that aren’t helpful. And really take us out of the data, like the experience of just experimenting with it and seeing what it’s like, and then deciding. And so yeah, that three month commitment is a really important piece that if you just try it, like for a week or two, and then judge it that I mean, for a lot of people like you’re going to have a great two weeks, you’re going to keep going but then there’s also the fact that your perfectionism handbrake has been on, and that it’s going to take a minute to reprogram your brain, the power planning is a quickest way to do that. But it’s not an overnight thing.

And so it’s just giving yourself that grace, and that time and space and that container to do the power planning and to really get into a groove with it, it doesn’t take the full three months to do that, like usually, four weeks, six weeks, around eight weeks, like in that kind of timeframe, you really starting to get the hang of it and really feel the benefits of it. And you’re still working on it and the different aspects of it. Like I still don’t power plan perfectly.

But it’s quicker than the three months to really start feeling great about it. But just giving yourself like a three month period of I’m just going to commit to this, doing this imperfectly for three months, and then at the end of that I’ll judge if I want to keep going, I have found that to be for myself for our PGSDers like that that’s really the best way to get into a growth mindset about it. And to really have the full experience of it instead of trying to judge it super early and then dismissing something potentially that’s completely life changing or just like spending all this time and like indecision. I mean I and we perfectionist don’t like wasting effort.

So we can start asking ourselves like is this the best use of my time I wasted my effort here like we don’t even think about necessarily in that way about what like, is like, should I be doing something else instead is usually how that will come up. And like actually, I’m just going to be committed to this. Doing it imperfectly, there might be a week or two where I don’t do it. If something comes up or whatever, that’s completely fine. I’m just gonna keep things moving and keep going with it. And then at the end of that, oh judge if I want to keep going.

Renae
And Sam has made it so easy for us to commit to three months because it’s as simple as two hours per week. Once you’ve gone through in one afternoon, if you wanted to do it in one afternoon the course then in two hours per week you’re replacing you’re just replacing what you’re already doing. So if you’re writing things up on a whiteboard, your your plan or your phone, nothing your brain you’re now replacing that so and power planning doubles as your new productivity system and the two that releases your perfectionist handbrake, which is the thing that allows you to achieve your growth goal and get there.

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, get out of your own way.

Renae
Get out of your own way, good point. So run through the rest of the inclusions because obviously that is the meat of what you’re getting. But obviously cuz I’m seeing everything behind the scenes with Sam. I’m like there’s some bonuses here that we have to include that If they want to go through this stuff, it just cements it all in. Because as you guys know, Sam loves to support us way deeper than a lot of other people I’ve ever experienced, which I love her for it.

So she has included says color coded calendar. And basically, if you’re nosy, just like we are, you’d love to see how people run their businesses, especially when they have a successful one. So Sam literally shows us behind the scenes of her power planning. So you can see how she’s used power planning to make $1.5 million dollars plus, in her business so far.

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, and with that, I just want to mention just to share a bit more about what it is. I’m super nosy, as you mentioned, like that, we love to be nosy people. And I love seeing like how people do things. So basically, what I’ve done is I have gone through like, essentially the last three or so years, and taking screenshots of different times, like different seasons of life that I’ve been in different whether I’m in like a launch, I’ve taken screenshots of like when I’m in launch mode, and what that looks like when I’m having a week of clean rest what that looks like, when I had a newborn, what that looks like in my power planning, like just kind of all the different things so that you can really get a sense of practically speaking how I implemented.

It’s not to say that that’s the right way or the wrong way or anything, there’s no right or wrong, but just, it’s helpful to see how someone else does it. So I just shared screenshots of my calendar. So you can really see like how I color code things, how much detail I go into when I’m doing my power planning. Obviously, all of it is me taking a screenshot of what happened in the past. So it’s really reflects what actually happened so you get I think that’ll be a bit of relief to to see that I’m a human, not like this robot working away.

So yeah, so that’s about, that’s what you get in that I took you through it and really share with you what it looks like so that when you’re doing your power planning, you’re not feeling like this is the right way. Because I know even though there’s no right or wrong, we perfectionist still ask ourselves that question. So just say my calendar, I think will really help you do your power planning, and then really like maybe adopt some of the things I do personally and then begin to do it in your own way.

Renae
Most definitely. And number four, the Growth Goal check in. This is where because Sam has helped so many clients so far, she just has this magical mind that just kind of No, no, not a word. And we’ll all go through these certain things at certain points, once we begin power planning. So you’ve written out these amazing emails that will probably set be sent to you at the exact right time, a little bit like the perfectionist power ups, if you’re a part of that, but on steroids, because you feel like Sam is in your head and you’re like, hang on, how do you know that? Could you tell us a little bit about the growth goal check in?

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, I mean, I think you covered most of it. But basically, I know with the perfectionist power ups that we send out a work day each, like Monday to Friday, that so many people will apply to that. And like, this is exactly what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it. And the same with the podcast episodes. And so if you experience that, of like, oh, this came at exactly the right time.

For me, it’s kind of like that, but specifically relating to the growth goal and your power planning and what you might be going through, say, for example, in week four of doing it, or in week eight, or whatever, that having coached so many people on it and having my own experiences too, but really just seen so many patterns and trends from when I’ve been coaching PGSDers and what they go through at different periods of time, that it’s just really talking to those different things to help you get through it to help you make the most of power planning.

And when I say get through it, what I mean is like, that’s as much as we like to think like, I’ll just stop power planning, I’ll just start doing whatever and then everything will be amazing. I’ll be endlessly motivated. Like you are still a human being your feelings that like your perfectionism Handbrake is, so you’ve got some work to do on that which the power planning helps with, but there’ll be certain things that come up along the way that are normal and predictable. But if you don’t know about them, then you might think it’s something wrong with you or it’s something wrong with the power planning when really it’s just a part of the process.

And so like how I said, I think it’s so important to normalize a dip and the ups and downs, the same with the growth goal and the power planning. And these are just there to really support you as best as we can through that first three months of power planning so that you’re really able to just get all the benefits we’ve been going on about and you really feel supported and just knowing that you’re the only one who might be experiencing a certain thing that week that is actually like everyone else’s too. I just want I mean, for me, when I hear that kind of thing of like, Hey, you’re not the only one. I just got a wave of relief, even like, just from knowing that alone, like, oh, like other people are going through this too. It’s not like I’ve done something wrong or that this is never gonna work or something like that.

Renae
Because when we just get over that little when we just get over that little hurdle, or maybe it’s a big hurdle, then you know, the benefit of key power planning and what’s on the other side, because you’ve lived it and so many PGSDers already have as well

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, they’re just like certain questions that can come up in different things. And they’re just a simple answers, but like making sure you have them so that you’re able to keep going. So those growth goal check ins, I just said to support you, they’re going to come at exactly the right time that you need them to come. And yeah, that’s part of what you get when you sign up.

Renae
Yeah, and that is why then the last few bonuses, Sam’s included at two workshops, the first one being power planning your way to your first 100k year because of the fact that it took us so long, six years to be exact to her first $100,000 for her business, and it wouldn’t have if she started power planning. So in this workshop, Sam dives so deeply into this concept, so that if you are yet to hit your first 100k year, you get the insights to Sam’s journey so that it can be set up for you.

Sam Laura Brown
Yeah, and really with this, it’s, it’s not even so much about my journey like that I’m sharing in that, but it’s really going through like, here’s what I with the tool of power planning, like, here’s specifically what I’d be focusing on the five things I’d be focusing on with my power planning. So that I could get from there like, you know, making maybe a few 1000 a month to being able to make 100,000 in a year, like these are the things to be paying attention to and looking out for, based on not just my experience and my journey.

And as we kind of mentioned, like, I wasn’t power planning in that initial period for me, and that’s why it took me so damn long. So it’s not like, oh, it only took me six years as well, if I do what Sam did, like, this is like when I was going through that myself, I didn’t have this. And so it’s like, having coached so many PGSDers, like, what are the things that you can, it’s not just like doing the power planning, but specifically with your power planning.

What are the things that you can be focusing on each week and looking at in your power planning specifically, to get you to the 100k faster, and not just faster, though, we do love that. But having it be in a way that actually feels good, not burning out, etc. And then I’m sure Renae was about to mention the other one, which goes along with this, I’ll just talk about it the workshop that’s on Power Planning your way to 100k months. So this is really, I mean, I recommend watching both of them, because they’re going to be both so helpful, regardless of how much you’re making.

But this is really once you’re already making 100,000 a year or multiple, six figures per year. And you are wanting to go beyond that. What are some of the things you can be doing specifically with your power planning to support you in that and have you get there in the best way possible, not just for your business, but for yourself personally, as well. And so I go into… Yeah, not really, my journey around it so much is like, here is the thing to be on the lookout for. And here’s how to notice that here’s what to pay attention to, here’s what to do, and this comes up.

So yeah, they’re really there to support you to use power planning as a tool that can be not just a time management tool, but also a tool for your perfectionism and a tool for growing your business. And really getting double the return, at least on your time. So yeah, those workshops, I think, initially, it was your idea to include them. Because you’re like, hey, you need to talk about this stuff. Because it’s so helpful if you could just share like, what were the things that you would have done with your power planning to help you like or what are the things especially going from 100k per year to having 100k months? What are the things that you did it that allowed you to do that?

And so that’s what I put into those workshops. So yeah, those alone are worth signing up for but obviously, the power planning course like the modules and all of that is the meat of it. But those bonuses, the intention with them as to just really have you been fully supported in that first three months of power planning and really experiencing all the benefits of it. And as I talked about, like how our goal our mission is to get perfectionist entrepreneurs out of out of their own way out of our own way too. And so they’re giving you what you need to be able to do that so that you can go and make the money you want to make have the impact you want to make actually enjoy the experience of it that might be nice to doing that as well. Uh, yeah. So that’s why we’ve included all of those.

Renae
And as you can see, it’s a nice bundle of goodies that you can get started in right away. And you can go to the page, which I’m sure will be below above in the show notes, wherever you’re consuming this right now.

Sam Laura Brown
Samlaurabrown.com/powerplanning, but we will put it in the show notes. But that’s the link as well.

Renae
And you can read it all for yourself, you can have a scroll through and sign up. But because I love marketing, I wanted to get Sam to include something just a little bit more, even though you don’t need it. But I don’t know about you, but I want anything that sounds willing to throw in. And this bonus is at the very, very bottom of the page for only the first 10 days of you watching this. So that is just for fast action takers, so that you can get a little bit more goodness from Sam. So I won’t talk too much about it. Because just in case, it’s already past 10 days, you won’t get to see that anymore. But scroll down at the bottom of the page. And if it’s there for you, then that means it’s still available. And make sure that if you have any questions about power planning, please reach out. And yeah, is there anything else you’d like to add, Sam?

Sam Laura Brown
I just need to drink some water one. Yeah, if you have any questions to just reach out to support@samlaurabrown.com, that’s the best place to go. Or you can send a DM on Instagram, we’re at perfectionism project. I don’t think I really have much more to add, I think we’ve covered so many things in this. And I just really invite anyone who is wanting to really experience their business in a whole new way and themselves and have that self trust and that ability to make decisions, have your own back to be able to do what you said you do to wake up feeling like you know exactly what to work on.

And having the self trust and the ability to execute on that to being able to switch off even if you’re like really myself and you’re the kind of person who’s resistant to resting and taking time away if you still want to be able to not feel guilty when you are actually not working. That’s all available to you when you are power planning. So yeah, I invite you to sign up and begin power planning. Do the three month commitment and take it from there.

Renae
Thank you.

Sam Laura Brown
Awesome. Thanks so much, Renae, thank you for coming on to the podcast and talking about the power planning course. And yeah, thank you and I’ll talk to you soon.

Renae (Outro)
I hope you enjoyed listening to that conversation. And as I said at the beginning of this is that it’s only been in the recent few weeks that Sam and I have made the big decision based off the rest of the year that we need to close the power planning course. So the power planning course is closing on the 16th of April 2023 at 11:59 New York time. If you are listening to this, and it is often the 16th of April 2023, you can still get access to the power planning course it’s just inside of the group coaching program, PGSD, Perfectionist Getting Shit Done.

So when we open the doors, each quarter to perfectionist getting shit done group coaching program, you’ll also get access to the power planning course. But if you’re listening to this before the 16th of April, you want to get into the power planning course straightaway so that you can make use of all the tools and already be power planning before you join PGSD if you choose to join in the future.

So make sure that you don’t procrastinate on this one if you know that the power planning course will help you after listening to Sam’s story and Sam explain it for months now over the podcast. Make sure you sign up and I am so excited to welcome you in and if you have any questions at all, please reach out email or DM us on Instagram. And we’ll get back to you. I’ll talk to you again later. Bye.

Author: Sam Brown