In this empowering episode, Stacey Berger, Owner of Ever Expanding Coaching Ltd., shares how to escape the hamster-wheel of constant busywork and start taking the actions that actually move the needle. If you’re working every waking hour yet still feel behind and exhausted, you won’t want to miss it.
You will discover:
– Why celebrating what you already accomplished creates better energy and real momentum
– How to shift from outside-in busywork to inside-out actions guided by your vision
– What an entrepreneur mindset requires versus clinging to employee-style security
Episode Transcript
Scott Ritzheimer
Hello, hello, and welcome, welcome once again to the Start, Scale, and Succeed podcast that grows with you through all seven levels of your journey as a founder. I’m your host Scott Ritzheimer, and today we are tackling a problem that just about every founder faces: that you’re working as hard as you can, as much as you can every waking hour, but how many of those waking hours actually move you toward your goals? This is especially true for those who are in that startup entrepreneur stage, where if it’s to be, it’s up to ye. You have to do it, and so much of the time, I think hustle gets a bad rep because there are so many stages where hustle is a bad thing, and there’s so many ways that we can hustle the wrong way. But I think we can actually hustle to some extent the right way. I think we can do the right things on purpose, even when they’re hard, and achieve what we want, achieve the goals that we want.
But to help us steer clear of doing the wrong things and being exhausted, and moving toward doing the right things and being exhilarated, is our guest today, Stacey Berger, who is an award-winning transformational coach, speaker, and entrepreneur with over a decade of coaching experience and 16 years in corporate business. She combines neuroscience-backed strategies with practical action to help entrepreneurs and leaders overcome self-sabotage, strengthen resilience, and achieve sustainable success. Having coached more than 1000 clients across North America, Stacey is passionate about helping people unlock their potential through mindset mastery and intentional leadership. And she is here with us today. Well, Stacey, welcome to the show. I’m excited about this conversation. I was telling you before we started, you have this thing called a habit tracker, and maybe at the end we can show folks where they can get get a copy of it. But it just struck me the simplicity of it, and and so I’d love to just start with when when we’ve got a founder and they’re just going all in, but they don’t really feel like they’re making any progress. How how can they start to figure out what’s going wrong, and how can they actually start making that progress that they want?
Stacey Berger
Yeah, so so many of us get on this hamster wheel, right? And and it’s just too much to do, not enough time, and that overwhelmed feeling, right? So we’re going to bed feeling like I didn’t accomplish anything today. And one of the things that I like to remind people of, especially at that founder stage, is that you are probably accomplishing more in a day than 99% of the population on the planet. You’re just holding yourself to an impossible standard, and we get so focused on what we haven’t done and where we’re feeling behind that we forget to celebrate all of the actions that we have taken and everything that we have done, and and just that mindset shift alone, instead of feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, there’s not enough time in the day. We move into more of a celebratory energy, and wow, look at what I’ve done today, which makes our nervous system feel better, makes us feel more accomplished, and really creates a different kind of momentum. So that little mental shift alone, learning to celebrate what we are doing can be a game changer for people.
Scott Ritzheimer
It’s so good and so true because there’s this vicious cycle that happens if you don’t, where it’s like the more you do, the more you realize you haven’t done all these other things. Like there’s just an infinite number of things to do, and somehow we become more aware of that the more we accomplish. Right? It’s just a really big challenge. So let’s let’s say we’re we’re dialing in on again, just kind of being grateful and celebratory for what we’ve done. How sometimes what I think can get in the way of that is is wondering if it was the right thing. Like, did I did I do the right thing? I know I was busy. Maybe even I know I got a couple of things done, but did I do the right thing? How do you help folks figure out what the right thing is to do to achieve their goals?
Stacey Berger
Yeah, great question. I really teach people to move from what we call an outside-in paradigm to an inside-out paradigm. When you’re starting a business, there is all kinds of noise around. You got to get your branding and your marketing, and you have to do this, and you have to do that, and there’s just this incredible amount of information from experts telling us what we need to be doing when we need to be doing it, which is this outside-in paradigm. What I really help people do is lock in their vision. So usually we start a business because we have a vision, we have a desire to help people to have more freedom, but then we get so wrapped up in the doing, we forget about the vision.
And so, when you have that clear vision of where you want to go, and now we start asking from that the mindset of the vision, what’s my needle mover today? What’s my action step today? We become more internally guided rather than externally guided, and we start to move that forward. I see so many people in busy work, right? I got to get my branding and my logo and my website and my business cards and all of this, and it’s and it feels productive, and yes, at some level it’s necessary, but it’s usually not what’s making the cash register ring. And so that discernment between what what am I doing that I think I should be doing, rather than what’s actually going to move me fastest and get that momentum going, and when we get that cash register ringing, when we’re doing the right activities, it builds the momentum and it helps us to get into a position quicker when we can start to hire some of those other things out.
So there’s a few things in there that can help determine what’s the right move. I also think it’s so important to notice the patterns of second guessing yourself, right? And so, if I’m constantly second guessing myself, that puts me in a pattern. It creates self doubt. It decreases our confidence, and and and when we’re in that feeling, right? That’s what creates imposter syndrome, all of those different emotions, and that can spiral us out as well. And so, really being able to say, you know what, I did I do the right thing or not today? I don’t know, but I’m celebrating that I moved the needle, and I trust myself enough to know that that things are are going forward. And this is the power of having external support because at the end of the day, we can spiral in that thinking all day long if we don’t have somebody to say, “Hey, calm down, we got this.”
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, it’s so true. It’s so true. So interestingly, that there are habits play such a big role in this because there will be habits that we start to build that are self protective, right? I don’t want to be rejected. I’ve been rejected five times. I’m not going to pick up the phone, or you know, I’m just kind of tired. So rather than doing this work that I know is actually going to work, but it’s going to be really really hard, I’m going to do this work that I hope would work, you know, and I’m going to send this email that’s going to go to 1000s of people and make me rich. But then there are habits that, when when that when we start to build on them, we start to direct our habits. They can create huge results over time. So so tell us a little bit. How do you move from like the the constant flurry of activity to defining what habits are actually going to bring you success, and then sticking with those habits.
Stacey Berger
Yeah, and and yes, right. It’s ultimately our habits and our action steps that are going to create results. The thing that precedes our habits, and this is the fascinating piece, is actually our mindset or our operating system. So our subconscious mind is actually driving about 95% of our thoughts, our feelings, and our actions, and so sometimes we’re we’re in the action and we’re like, why isn’t it creating results? Maybe I just got to do more. It needs more effort, right? To your opening that hustle, push, drive, energy. But here’s the fascinating thing: is what’s behind those habits is actually our internal operating system, our paradigm, our subconscious belief system, and in order to really create new results, we we have to upgrade that operating system to be able to take consistent action. So it’s fascinating, right? It really comes back to our self image and how we see ourselves.
So many of us, you know, identify. I’m a procrastinator, or I work well under pressure, or I’m not good at sales, or I’m not good with money. Right? We have these self images, and especially to a to a founder, to somebody who’s starting a new business, chances are you came from an employment world, so you’re bringing an employee mindset to an entrepreneurial journey, and those are very different mindsets that produce very different results. And so, as an employee, there’s this external accountability, right? You have to do these things. There’s some accountability now. As a founder, you’re more internally driven, and so it’s really shifting that identity, and as we shift that identity, that helps to drive our behaviors and to make them more sustainable.
Scott Ritzheimer
When when you see folks holding on to an employee mindset, which would be level one in in our model here that we use, Scale architects. When you see them hanging on to that too long into level two, being an entrepreneur, what’s an example of that? Like, what’s an employee mindset that doesn’t serve us very well as an entrepreneur, and and what’s a more suitable replacement for that that ideology, if you will?
Stacey Berger
Yeah, great question. Employee mindset. That often is really that security, right? So the fear of what if I what if I can’t pay my bills? What if I don’t have that pension? What if I don’t have my benefits? Right? So it’s kind of it’s attaching to that security and really looking for the evidence to feel secure And the entrepreneur needs to have. I’m going to call it more faith in the unseen, more faith in the vision and the possibility and the potential. So I can’t see the evidence yet. Right as an employee, I know where my paycheck’s coming from. I know it’s going to be here every two weeks. As an employee, I’m relying more on I have a vision of where it is that I want to go. I don’t know exactly how it’s going to work out, but I’m willing to have somewhat of blind faith in possibility and in myself, and that’s a that can be a very scary move for people to make. But if we’re not willing to make it, we’re kind of like clawing onto that old life, and it’s preventing us from really making welcome the abundance that we’re looking for.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, yeah. What are then some of the habits that stem from that belief of moving away from this kind of protective, security-based mindset to really believing in yourself? How do you see that show up in in in habitual ways for founders, you know, going about their entrepreneurial work?
Stacey Berger
Yeah, you spoke to a big part of it is is doing what feels safe, doing what feels comfortable, right? This is why we get, you know, being behind our computers and doing some of the the busy work, the computer work, the admin work, it can feel way safer and and way more comfortable. But it’s not what I call the needle moving activities. And so, causing ourselves to be uncomfortable, right? You may never like cold calls, right? You never, you may not like standing in front of a camera and talking to to a camera. But it’s I’m willing to do that for the purpose of the impact it’s going to make, and that impact is going to create the income. And so that ability to do the things that are uncomfortable and to really value growth over comfort, that’s the mental shift that needs to be made.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s that is easier said than done, but it’s so powerful when you do it. It it really is. I I love that valuing growth over comfort. That’s great, great line. Stacey, there’s a question that I ask all my guests. I’m interested to see what you have to say, and and the question is this: What would you say is the biggest secret you wish wasn’t a secret at all? What’s that one thing you wish every founder watching or listening today knew?
Stacey Berger
It’s such a great question. I would say that one secret is that you don’t have to do it on your own. I I see this so often that we feel like I’ve I’ve got to hold it all right. I’ve got to keep it all together. I’ve got to do this on my own. And as human beings, we are not meant to do life on our own. And so I would say that asking for help, getting support, is a sign of strength, not a sign of weakness.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, yeah. Are there better places to look for support? The reason I ask that is I think sometimes what adds to that isolation is that maybe some of the folks around us aren’t on that entrepreneurial journey. They they don’t have that same call. They they they don’t have that same wiring. They don’t have that same experience. And and I mean I would go so far as to say if someone loves you, they should tell you not to do it. There’s like, depending on who you ask, 6070, 80% chance of it not working. So sometimes it can feel even more risky to go to the normal sources of that affection and affirmation because they may not get it. How do you help folks navigate where to get that support in their entrepreneurial journey,
Stacey Berger
yeah. I and friends and family are not the support system, right? They they play an important role. They’re a different kind of support. Usually, entrepreneurs are the black sheep of the family, right? People in your circle probably don’t understand why the heck would you do that? That feels so scary. That feels so risky. And so, putting yourself in rooms with other entrepreneurs, and this is the power of having coaching. This is the power of having mentorship. And when you’re looking for that support, I think there’s a few things to consider.
Is does this person understand how to create results? Have they been able to do that in their own lives? Have they been able to help other people accomplish that. So, is there a track record and fit? I call it vibrational fit. Right, this person cares about me. They cares about my vision. That I can connect with them and relate with them. But I would say look outside of your inner circle. They play a certain level of result. Support, but they’re your friends and your family because you think the same, and you want somebody who has a different level of awareness and mindset to really help you take help take you to that next level.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, yeah. Stacey, there’s probably folks listening to this, especially after this conversation, and and especially with where we’ve we’ve gone here for the last few minutes, saying yes, I need that support. I’ve been asking family and friends to do things that that relationship’s not designed to do. I don’t know who the other founders or entrepreneurs or folks that I could look up to. Where can folks find more out about the work that you do in the community that you have around it?
Stacey Berger
Yeah, so find us. You know, we’re all the social platforms, but StaceyBurger.ca. I am in Canada. We work with clients all around North America, but in Canada, so yeah, StaceyBurger.ca will take you to our website or or find us on all of the social media platforms. And at the end of the day, we really help people with the mindset and the strategy to create a successful business while living a life that you love, so your life doesn’t doesn’t have to be sacrificed as you’re growing this business. And I see so many entrepreneurs that are burnt out; they’re bankrupt in relationships and their health. And to me, that’s not success. You really want that full spectrum success.
Scott Ritzheimer
Yeah, yeah, it’s so good, so good. We’ll get the URL and the handles in the show notes for you, so you can just click a tap right there. You don’t have to go find them. Stacey, thanks so much for being on. Really was a privilege and honor having you here today. And for those of you watching and listening, you know your time and attention mean the world to us. I hope you got as much out of this conversation as I know I did, and I cannot wait to see you next time. Take care.
Scott Ritzheimer
Hey everyone, Scott Ritzheimer here. Thank you so much for listening to the Start, Scale, and Succeed podcast. I hope this episode gave you exactly what you need for the level you’re in right now. If you want to discover what level you’re in, take our 10 question Founders Evolution Quiz for free at foundersquiz.com. That’s foundersquiz.com. It’ll pinpoint exactly where you are and give you tailored tips to move forward and reach that next level in your journey as a founder. If you got something out of today’s episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, or review. It helps us reach more founders like you, and let’s be honest, it means a ton to me, my team, and all our incredible guests. So keep starting, scaling, and succeeding, and I’ll see you in the next episode.
Contact Stacey Berger
Stacey Berger is an award-winning transformational coach, speaker, and entrepreneur with over a decade of coaching experience and 16 years in corporate business. She combines neuroscience-backed strategies with practical action to help entrepreneurs and leaders overcome self-sabotage, strengthen resilience, and achieve sustainable success. Having coached more than 1,000 clients across North America, Stacey is passionate about helping people unlock their potential through mindset mastery and intentional leadership.
Want to learn more about Stacey Berger’s work at Ever Expanding Coaching Ltd.? Check out her website at https://www.staceyberger.ca/
Connect with Stacey Berger through her LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-berger/
Check out Stacey Berger’s Socials:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everexpanding
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staceyaberger/