Episode 366: Overcoming Isolation, Real Stories of Hope and Resilience with Kathy and Tracy

Have you ever found yourself surrounded by the hustle and bustle of your business, yet felt an undeniable sense of isolation? As business owners, we often paint a picture of success, but behind the scenes, many of us wrestle with a profound and sometimes lonely journey. In this episode of "Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast,"  we have a really important topic to discuss - the feeling of isolation among business owners. It's something that many of us have experienced at some point, and it can be really tough. Our guests today, Tracy  and Kathy , are here to share their personal experiences with feeling stuck and alone in their businesses. They know firsthand how challenging it can be to navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship without a support system. Tracy and Kathy found solace in joining a mastermind group and community. They talk about how connecting with like-minded individuals who understood their struggles made a huge difference in their lives. It gave them a sense of belonging and support that they had been missing. One of the key takeaways from this episode is the importance of reaching out to others. It's so easy to get caught up in our own negative thoughts and feelings of isolation, but by opening up and connecting with others, we can challenge those thoughts and find a renewed sense of purpose. Practicing gratitude is another powerful tool that Tracy and Kathy discuss. By focusing on the positive aspects of their businesses and lives, they were able to shift their mindset and find joy in their work again. So, if you've been feeling isolated in your business, know that you're not alone. There are people out there who understand what you're going through and are ready to support you. Take that first step and reach out - you never know how it might change your life. Topics & Key Points: The feeling of isolation experienced by business owners Positive impact of joining a mastermind group and engaging with a community Personal experiences of isolation shared by Tracy and Kathy Challenging negative thoughts and the importance of community and friendships Changes experienced after reconnecting with a mastermind group and better marketing program Benefits of being part of a mastermind group and attending events Importance of gratitude, accountability partners, and like-minded individuals for support Rediscovering passion and purpose in business after getting out of isolation Encouragement to reach out to communities and seek support The importance of not isolating oneself, especially during the holiday season Timestamps: [00:01] Feeling of Isolation and Its Impact [03:03] Voices in Your Head and Negative Self-Talk [05:33] Reaching Out and Connecting with Others [08:51] The feeling of isolation and the impact of joining a mastermind group [09:32] The positive impact of getting out of isolation [13:53] The importance of gratitude and community in combating isolation [17:30] The feeling of isolation and reaching out [18:21] Overcoming isolation and inspiring others Notable Quotes: [00:32] “Because once we isolate, we start thinking about all of the things and we get stuck in our head, and it just is like a vicious cycle that just goes down, down, down, down, dow” [04:34] “I felt like everybody else knew what they were doing, which made me feel worse. It made me feel like I was completely out of it, and everybody else knew the answers, and I just didn't.".” [14:46] "It always gets better. I mean, it's just...I'm kind of maybe hardheaded, but sometimes I just forget that. And I kind of was going through a period like this recently, actually, and I just always, always feel better when I talk to you.” Resources: Podcast: Bella in Your Business: Pet Industry Business Podcast Join Mastermind Email Bella: bella@jumpconsulting.net Sign up for a 20 mins call  Better Marketing with Bella Connect with Bella Website Facebook YouTube Did you love this episode? If you liked this episode, please head on over to iTunes and leave a five-star rating and review. Every single review helps get this community bigger, stronger, and better. It gets other jumpers just like you into the community. Always remember when life gets down, always keep jumping. Transcript: Welcome, everybody to another episode of Bella in your business. My name is Bella Vasta. And today I'm joined by two special guests, two guests that I have known for quite some time who courageously accepted to come onto the podcast today. And I'm so excited because I know that every single one of you listeners is going to be able to relate with them. And it is my goal that you don't feel so alone in this world. It is not only something that every business owner struggles with, it's honestly something that I've struggled with. And that's called isolation. Once we isolate ourselves, we start thinking about all of the things and we get stuck in our heads. And it just is like a vicious cycle that just goes down, down, down, down, down. And whatever you believe whether it's universe or God or the devil or whatever, it's bad energy. And it's not good to do. And it's something that has been coming up in many of my conversations lately, reoccurring, isolating, isolating, isolating, when someone finally gets the courage to step out and do a 20-minute call with me or join the mastermind or just post on a board. And then they realize I'm not that alone. And my problems aren't actually that unique. And so today I have Cathy Perez of Golden Tales Dog Walking Up in Colorado, and Tracy Murray from Capitol Hill DC saving Fido Dog Walking to join me on this podcast to talk all about isolation. Welcome ladies. Tracy, how are you today? I'm good. I'm glad to be here. Thanks, Bella, thank you so much for being here. Kathy. How are you? I'm very excited to be here. Yeah, you guys are both in the mastermind and better marketing, which is why we've gotten to know each other so very well, we have access to each other daily, which is pretty cool. But I noticed something about each one of you guys at some point during our relationship where you were Go, go go and involved evolved, evolved. And then all of a sudden, there wasn't. And without relenting. I kind of kept bugging you both and asking what was going on. Where are you? What are you doing, like Miss you what's going on? Because I think of all y'all like, you know, my friends, like, I want to know what's going on. So I want to kind of go through this podcast, we have got a couple of questions here for you. And as you guys are listening, I want you to think about do you feel this way too. And can you relate? So the first thing that I want to go to? And Kathy, I'm gonna go to you first, what are some things that you were telling yourself or feeling? Versus when you started participating? More like when you were in that isolation? What are the voices in your head? Can you share those with us? Yes, so I was feeling stuck. I wasn't sure in which way to move my business forward. And kind of hopeless, not having that source of direction, not knowing exactly what to do next. So many of the listeners feel stuck, and hopeless, not knowing which direction to go in. Usually, that comes with being overwhelmed Tracy, how were you feeling? When you were, you know, isolating every single word that Kathy said, was probably squared. I just felt like I didn't know what I was doing. I felt like everybody else knew what they were doing, which made me feel worse. It made me feel like I was completely out of now. And everybody else knew the answers. And I just didn't. And that was a horrible feeling. I felt that way due to impostor syndrome. Muito. Like, you know, everyone else has got this together and you don't right, I think everyone has felt that way. And I think the difference between that and being a jumper is you're gonna feel that way. I always say it's okay to feel the emotions. It's what you do with them that matters. And so what happened when you started reaching out? Or when you started connecting with people? How did that change what was going on in your head? And, and I guess there's a question before that. Why didn't you reach out? Why were you just keeping to yourself when you feel like those isolating moments? Tracy, we'll start with you. I guess the biggest one was shame and embarrassed because I just felt like I was the only one going through that. I felt like people would look poorly on me. And then I would just basically look like an idiot. And impostor syndrome. Everybody always talks about that. But it's so true because you just get the feeling that everybody knows what they're doing and that you just don't and you don't have a link and you're just lost. It's a pretty bad feeling. Yeah, it is. It is. And the voices in your head often kind of tell you like, Be quiet. Don't get in the way right They get back all that kind of stuff. Don't let people know, don't let people know what you're going through, like everybody else is being quiet about it or not admitting it. So like, if you just try harder, that's the other thing. Just try harder on your own. Don't bother other people just keep trying to figure it out, you're not doing enough, you know, all of those negative voices, just say them out loud. They sound silly, but when they're in your head, you just succumb to them. And it just makes you just think things. So the group has been so helpful in getting me out of that, hustle culture, right? Yes to doing everything at once. Kathy, what about you? Why was it telling you that you should isolate those voices in your head? So I can relate a lot with Tracy, I was feeling lost. I felt shame. Like, I knew what I had to do. I just wasn't doing it. And I didn't want to bring anyone down. I didn't want anyone to feel bad for me, or you know what I was going through. And that kept me down.