Conscious Success Co (00:01.144)
Hi, Lacey. I cannot tell you how excited I am to have you here today. For everyone listening, Lacey is one of the best business coaches, if not the best business coach in the business, in the industry, and has been one of my personal expanders and mentors. And not even because we've worked together for an extended period of time in a one-to-one capacity, but I've listened to your podcast literally every season. It's amazing. I've learned so much. I feel like I get free business coaching from you every week.
Lacey Sites (00:13.025)
Conscious Success Co (00:30.668)
And also we've done a few intensives and it's just been such a accelerator and such a treat to be in your world. And so I wanted to share you with all of my listeners today and really hear about your own career redesign journey and what lessons you personally learned on your path to building a seven figure business, as well as what you're really seeing as what's working and not working and trends in our space, especially for new aspiring.
Lacey Sites (00:58.39)
Yeah.
Conscious Success Co (00:59.04)
entrepreneurs so that they can get all of that wisdom. So thank you for making the time to be with us.
Lacey Sites (01:04.841)
my gosh, that was like the nicest intro ever. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to talk to you.
Conscious Success Co (01:09.494)
Okay, so I always love to start at the beginning and I would love to hear, can you tell us a little bit about little Lacey? Like, what was your personality like? What were your interests? What did you dream of being when you grew up?
Lacey Sites (01:21.347)
yeah, I was like...
you know, if you could like dump me in a category or like what people in my life would have categorized me as like sensitive is the word, like, little Lacey was very sensitive. She always had like big feelings. She felt other people's feelings. Like the joke in my family is I used to like talk to like all of my like items, like my stuffed animals, my socks, like all of that. So I feel like I've kind of always been this way and I've always asked a million questions. That's like the other thing, like sensitive, curious.
And it's so funny because like now I see the threat. I'm like, those are like the literal two things that have built my business. But they're also like two of the things I've like maybe struggled with in a lot of ways too. In terms of what I wanted to be, I changed my mind a lot. Like there was a period of time where I really wanted to be a plastic surgeon and I would be like, I want to make people pretty and happy. And now I'm like, well, kinda, you know.
I'm ready. I feel pretty alive to that now. And you know, I went through like different iterations of like, you know, versions of that. I never really stuck with one though, which I think is interesting. There was never I changed my major like a ton of times. And I think that's so interesting because
I find that so many of us end up in entrepreneurship that way, where it's like, you know, like it never was like, I'm just going to like grow up and start my own business and whatever. I feel like, you know, so many of the twists and turns so obviously led here, but I could just never have seen that in hindsight. Or I mean, you know, at the time I can see it in hindsight now.
Conscious Success Co (02:53.166)
Totally. You can connect the dots looking backwards, but while you're in it, you're like, I don't have a exact calling. Like I'm good at a lot of things or, you know, I always love to ask that question because the people that I see as consciously successful who've built aligned careers or businesses almost always they can point back to like the core characteristics that they figured out in some way now to create their career around and leverage.
Lacey Sites (03:02.57)
Yep.
Conscious Success Co (03:20.78)
But again, yeah, you don't know it. Looking forwards, only backwards.
Lacey Sites (03:25.44)
Totally. And I think there are also so many of the things that like we maybe even got negative feedback around or shame from like, was often told I was too sensitive and like a more negative tone and like, she's so like in tune or whatever. And so it's like, really, I think it takes a lot to overcome some of those pieces and actually see those as like the thing that will build the business you want.
Conscious Success Co (03:46.658)
Totally. There's very often blocks around it and stories we tell ourselves around why that's not valuable or why that's a flaw. mean, I know and some listeners will know this, but like growing up in my family, my parents were very like high IQ, but not very high EQ. And I was like this super high EQ kid, but that wasn't like reflected back or validated to me as a real gift or something to build a career around.
Lacey Sites (04:04.253)
Yep.
Conscious Success Co (04:12.822)
And so I just like didn't think of that as a gift, right? And now looking back, it's like, yeah, of course, like I'm gonna be doing one-on-one coaching work. Like that makes all the sense in the world, but it really like, if you don't get it reflected back or it's seen as a negative, that can really block that career alignment. And it's so interesting to hear you say that you're super sensitive because yes, you're empathetic and sensitive and you are attuned and you ask all these questions, but I also...
Lacey Sites (04:23.018)
Yup.
Lacey Sites (04:29.631)
Totally.
Conscious Success Co (04:39.074)
think of you like I think you're an Enneagram 8, right? Like you're also comfortable being like direct in this challenge or and oftentimes people who identify as being sensitive aren't as comfortable in that part and in being more of like, you know, not aggressive, but like being willing to say the thing or challenge others. Has that also been a part of your personality? Or is that something you've had to work on?
Lacey Sites (04:41.331)
Mm-hmm.
Lacey Sites (05:01.845)
Yes, I think that it's interesting because I totally agree with you. Sometimes I feel in conflict with these pieces, right? But I feel like to me, what I have always been very sensitive to, and I mean that in a not such a good way, but is lack of truth or transparency. I feel like I can...
Conscious Success Co (05:24.162)
I just got full body chills when you said that. I'm like, me too. Yeah.
Lacey Sites (05:28.157)
Right? Like I'm so attuned to it. feel it like a mile away, all of these things. And so I think a lot of this directness in my personality that I've sort of built has almost come as a result of that. Like I'm like, I just want to say the thing. Like it makes me so fucking uncomfortable to be in a room where like nobody will just say the thing. And so sometimes I find myself doing it and it's not necessarily just because I want to, but it's because like that, sensitivity to that lack of that is like very heightened.
Conscious Success Co (05:54.628)
my gosh, I love that. And it's such a superpower of yours. And just thinking about the first intensive that we did together, I was kind of trying to really clarify my niche. And I'd been doing a lot of burnout work with clients for years. But I had so moved on from my state of being burnt out that showing up online or in social media or even just creating podcasts about burnout all the time, I was like,
it feels hard. I don't feel inspired. And you like immediately picked up on the dissonance and you were like, okay, so it seems like you're here, but you're talking about this. And then people aren't going to feel you're like truth or authenticity. So, so many other coaches would just totally miss that. And that was like the thing and the reflection that I needed to see it. And so you have that ability that you can tune into like the dissonance. You can tune into what's not true and say that. I think that that
creates so much value and so much clarity for your clients. And that's the example of someone's zone of genius that you're like, okay, how is that necessarily gonna be lucrative or how is that gonna be aligned? But it is.
Lacey Sites (06:57.333)
It's so funny because it's like one of those things of like, what can you tolerate more or less? Right? So it's like, I'm like so not tolerant of like seeing something and not being able to say it where some people are more like, well, I'm like not tolerant of like saying the thing, but
And it's funny because sometimes they pay off in different ways. Like it's like not my best party trick. Like sometimes I wish I could like tone that down a little, but it is like incredibly helpful from like a coaching perspective.
Conscious Success Co (07:28.334)
100%. And so growing up, what did your parents do for a living? What was the model of success that you internalized? What did you need to do or be in order to be considered worthy in the world?
Lacey Sites (07:40.146)
Yeah, my dad worked a very traditional job. He worked in retail management. My mom was a stay at home mom and I was an only child.
definitely feel like there was no like you have to do anything in a certain way in terms of like career per se, but there was definitely like a you kind of need to like act with a level of perfection. I think is like how I would say it of like, you know, be that great kid that like that, you know, always listens. I always is like doing the right thing. That's like, you know, really on top of her shit. Like my parents don't really put a lot of pressure on me in terms of grades.
anything but I just put a lot of pressure on myself in terms of that because I felt like it was part of the whole like be this version of yourself right yeah yeah yeah
Conscious Success Co (08:27.426)
be a good girl. Yeah, interesting. And so then you put that internal pressure because that's like what the model of good or perfect looks like and then just thought to be that interesting. So can you talk to us about like the major steps in your education and early career journey? Like what did those chapters look like?
Lacey Sites (08:38.292)
Yeah.
Lacey Sites (08:50.613)
Yeah, so when I went to college, I think I said this earlier, changed my major quite a few times. And then I landed.
in psychology and then I ended up working in the anxiety and behavioral research lab at Florida State and just was like, okay, this is my thing. But then as anyone who studies psychology knows, it's getting an undergrad in psychology is basically laughable, right? So you can't do anything with that that actually relates to psychology, all that well. And so I ended up...
Well, I wrote an honors thesis in that lab and was like, OK, I could really see doing this. And I had applied to some different stuff after that, like some master's programs, some PhD programs, and just really felt lost. I actually had said yes to one program and then backed out and said yes to another.
I think I was having a hard time and more in the personal realm of being like, okay, am I moving somewhere else for school? Am I whatever? I just really, I don't know. That was hard for me. And I just say that because I think it's like important to like in hindsight, it's so easy to be like, yeah. And then I went and got my masters and did it. But like, it wasn't like that. I like really was like, what am I doing? Like, I know I'm interested in this, but like, do I want to be a researcher? Do I want to be a therapist? Like so hard to pick these things when you're like not getting a chance to be those things. Right.
I ended up getting my master's in mental health counseling and I did some of it online. So I was working for part of that time too. So I was getting my master's while working and I was like working my way up in the nonprofit space and I ended up getting like six promotions within a year or something like that. And really like, I mean, I really think it was like five or six. I'm trying to remember the exact, but it was like,
Conscious Success Co (10:40.974)
It's gotta be some kind of record, six in a year every two months.
Lacey Sites (10:48.061)
just like very quick momentum because our, like the nonprofit was growing and like I was willing to like keep showing up and doing the stuff, right? And so I was like finishing my master's at that time. I also did an internship and like worked for a period of time as a therapist in a...
rehab facility and all the clients were dual diagnosis. So they had substance abuse and then like a higher level diagnosis. And so then I did that for a period of time. And just got to the point where it was like, okay, you know, next steps are getting in, you know, finishing your hours, finishing your license, all of that. And I just was like,
I don't think I want to like do this long term. There was some stuff that happened, you know, with like clients that relapsed and stuff, which is like very normal in substance abuse treatment, right? Like relapse is part of recovery, but I just was so impacted by it. And I was just like, man, I don't think I can do this forever. And so then I ended up being like, fine, I'm not getting my license. And I went back and got my MBA.
because I was already at a point in the nonprofit where I was like, okay, I could really take this much further. Like I'm at a director level. Like I need to know, like I was managing a budget of like $30 million or something. And I'm like, no, I don't know how to do this. Like who gave me this? So then I was like, okay, I'm going to go back and get my.
NBA, like that just seemed like it made sense for more of the like path that I was going down. But I say all that to say I feel like I made so many decisions about sort of just like, well, I guess this thing. Well, I guess this thing. There was like very few things where I was like, this is the thing. Do you know what I mean?
Conscious Success Co (12:44.334)
But it also wasn't without any inner desire or pull. It seems like you knew directionally, like, OK, I like working in this mental health space, or I want to be helping people, or I have a mind for business. But you're like, I don't know exactly the path or exactly what that role is going to look like, but I have to move in this direction and trial and error.
Lacey Sites (12:53.876)
Yeah.
Lacey Sites (13:05.075)
Yes, I'm a generator in human design. So I think I've just always moved with what kind of like lit me up at the moment. Like, okay, like the mental health thing's really lighting me up. wait, this version of it's not. like I'm like actually getting really interested in like this version of the business side of things. Okay, like I was always like a little bit more based on interest than like true strategy.
Conscious Success Co (13:24.022)
And did you make yourself wrong for that? Like, I'm flighty and I don't have clear direction. Or it's like, no, that's actually the right strategy is to listen to that internote.
Lacey Sites (13:33.373)
I mean, I think like I was still so invested in being the good girl at that point that it seemed like good girl things to do. So I really didn't make myself wrong. was like, well, I'm going back to get an MBA. Clearly I'm like a good girl or like, you know, I, yeah. Right. Like it was all so through that lens. So like, luckily I wasn't making myself wrong, but I can't say that I was like, you know, always doing it for the right reasons either.
Conscious Success Co (13:43.478)
Yeah, I'm gonna get two masters and then I'll be a super good girl.
Conscious Success Co (13:56.751)
Totally. And I've heard you talk about how getting your MBA, and I don't know if these are the words you use, largely maybe not worth the investment. Can you talk to us about what did getting an MBA provide you with and where did it fall short?
Lacey Sites (14:13.097)
think that...
Well, let me say the positive first, because I love that you asked both. Like, I really think that the thing that I carry from that with me to this day that I think is like if every entrepreneur could have that, I think would be so valuable. Like if I think about like what I spent to get an MBA and I think about this lesson, I'm like, I could probably justify that. And it is that every business has challenges. Like, like that's what we're studying, right? It's like this business had this thing happen. Here's what they did about it. Was it a did it work out? Did it not? Like here were the decisions they were faced with.
all of those kind of things. And so I've always really seen that as just like part of the game. And I see so many people without a background in that, that think anything that goes wrong in their business is just like disaster zone. means they suck. It means they failed. I'm like, you guys, like CEOs making $30 million a year make the wrong decisions sometimes. Like, what are we talking about? Like, this is how it goes, right? So that lesson was really worth it. But literally apart from that, I'm like, you know, not so much. Like I think that it, like,
something that I've said about it often is that like most people that are impressed by an MBA simply haven't gotten an MBA because once you get it you're like, that's fine, you know, but like you're not like, that made me so good at business. Like what actually has made me much better at business than the MBA is my master's mental health counseling. Like knowing how people think and how people operate and thinking about what motivates them and stuff like that. That has made me a far, far, far better business owner than any of the other stuff truly.
Conscious Success Co (15:43.415)
It's so interesting. to your point about the lesson that you did take out of it and that might have been as valuable enough to get it, it's something I often talk with clients about, whether they're in corporate or entrepreneurship, business is a series of solving problems. If you don't have problems to solve, you're not in business. You're not getting a paycheck. You're going to be made redundant or irrelevant. So rather than seeing the existence of
Lacey Sites (15:58.186)
Yep.
Lacey Sites (16:07.785)
Totally.
Conscious Success Co (16:11.778)
business problems as evidence of you failing or being unworthy in some way or the business not possibly being able to be successful, being like, yeah, that is business and to be able to ground into that. then I think for you to coach so many different female online business owners, entrepreneurs, you get to stay regulated in that knowing. So they come to you being like, everything's on fire. I see these problems, but your nervous system isn't picking up that charge because you can see that that is
normal and everything is solvable and can actually focus them on the right problem to solve.
Lacey Sites (16:46.969)
Yeah, that's like literally half of my work is being like, okay, I'm pretty sure that's just like a normal part of running a business. Like what if we just did that and they're like, yeah. You know, like that is so much of the work is just being like this. It can be a problem, but it doesn't have to be such a big problem that it's not solvable. It's just like you said, like we're in the business of solving problems. Like we have to see that for what it is.
Conscious Success Co (17:08.194)
And I think that's one of the biggest values of coaching is to be able to like bring those problems or bring what feels overwhelming or dysregulating to your coach, just like I've done to you in the past. But from that different perspective and from that grounded nervous system, be able to shift the perspective and see it as solvable so that you can keep moving forward. Right. It's not that like you can't, you you have some magic strategy that they've never heard of necessarily, but you can help ground them and reorient them so that they can just keep moving.
Lacey Sites (17:38.197)
Totally. I remember one of my clients a few years ago, I got her this mug and the mug says, it's probably fine. Because I feel like that's all I was saying to her every call. She'd be like, but what about this? And I'd be like, it's probably fine. Like it's really probably fine, you know? And I feel like...
Conscious Success Co (17:52.718)
You're like you don't actually need me. You can just look at this mug
Lacey Sites (17:56.338)
Yeah, you can mug me, whatever, but like it's probably is okay. And you know, I think that that that is like the thing that sometimes I think is hard to give ourselves like, I'm getting a coach to just tell me it's probably fine. But equally, like sometimes that does create so much forward momentum because you don't get so caught in the weeds.
Conscious Success Co (18:14.126)
So true. Okay, so you get your MBA. What do you do after getting your MBA? You now have your master's in mental health counseling, master's in business. What happens next?
Lacey Sites (18:25.907)
Well, so I was at a point where I was just like, I'm going to take over the nonprofit world. I mean, I'm kind of kidding, but I was like very engaged. Like I was speaking for other places. was getting some other, I don't know, I shouldn't have been doing this, but I was getting some other certifications. Like I was just such like, I'm learning, I'm doing this, I've got this kind of thing. And then almost right after or right at the end.
trying to think. It might have been, yeah, like right at the end of getting my MBA, I had like a huge ethical disagreement with the nonprofit I worked with. And I like basically one day just walked out and left like very unexpectedly. Like it wasn't like I was like, maybe I'll do this. Like I literally was in my car and was like, I cannot fucking believe I just did that. You know, like had to like drive home and tell my husband at the time. like, I don't work there anymore.
So it was like very jarring. It was definitely not the plan. I was certainly on a different path there. And then what was so crazy about that is I tried to apply for other jobs. Like I was just going to get another nonprofit job. And I mean, at this point I have two master's degrees. I have director level experience, all of these things. And I like could barely get an interview.
And I just remember sitting at my house one day and being like, this is a sign. I know like this has to be a sign because it's so outrageous that it could not be anything other than a sign. Like the fact that I can let, got like one interview that I like didn't get. And by the way, I'm a pretty good interviewer. Like I really was like something as deeply like wrong with this path because they just cannot seem to walk down it.
And like at the time I had a bunch of free time as you can imagine. And my grandmother loves to go to thrift stores and antique. And so I was just like hanging out with her during the day sometimes. And so I got into this whole other side business and I was doing like vintage new and used clothing resale because I couldn't get an interview and because that's like all I was doing during the day. And it ended up like really growing pretty quickly. And so I did that for about a year.
Lacey Sites (20:49.367)
And then I kind of got to a point where I was like, okay, like this isn't, this is cool and I like it, but I either need to like actually figure out that this is like a real business and I like, how am I going to like fully grow and scale this thing? Or I need to like decide what I'm doing with my life here. And of course, like,
as you know the path does it unfolded and that's when I found coaching and I was like my god this is everything I want to do this is like the business part I like this is the like mental health part I like this is like where everything intersected but it was just like such a long path to get there.
Conscious Success Co (21:28.15)
And so this was, you know, over 10 years ago now and like coaching wasn't what it is today in terms of like everyone, not everyone, but most people know and talk about coaching in this like understand, understated or understood way. How did you find out about it? Like how did this enter your world?
Lacey Sites (21:41.493)
Yeah.
Lacey Sites (21:48.454)
I, when I was like, either I'm going to like release, like grow this business. I was just looking at business articles and like reading different things about like, okay, like what would be my next steps if I really wanted to grow? And that's kind of when I like landed in this like female business owner coaching world. So it was honestly just like, I think I probably ended up on a blog post of like Marie Forleo's or something. Yeah.
Conscious Success Co (22:16.417)
Okay, so you had like kind of done this vintage new and used clothing side hustle for like a year and you had an MBA but like you then decided, okay, I'm gonna go into business coaching. there any mindset challenge? Were there any mindset challenges that you needed to move through to be like, who am I to?
Lacey Sites (22:22.271)
We know.
Conscious Success Co (22:39.34)
be a business coach to other people when I haven't necessarily like built or scaled a successful business yet myself or were you just like, I can figure it out. I know I'm a little farther along have things to offer like talk to us about
Lacey Sites (22:51.573)
I really saw at the time that the clothing business was a legitimate test at that. I mean, I was making decent money. mean, obviously it supported me for a year. I really was like, check. And then I also had the NBA. And then I felt like, I have like...
did all of this sort of like high level management stuff in my other career. to be honest, no, like imposter syndrome just really wasn't my like flavor of stuff. think what was more so challenging for me was kind of what you said about like coaching just wasn't that mainstream. So trying to like explain to everyone in my world, like what I was doing and why I was doing this thing instead of just like actually like.
doing the thing that I'd been doing that was kind of working or actually getting a job or using any of my degrees in a real way. Like that was more where I felt like I kind of had to like go to bat for myself a little bit.
Conscious Success Co (23:51.394)
And how did you just have that confidence and that vision of like, I'm gonna bet on myself, I'm gonna go to bat for myself, even if people don't understand, let them not understand, or how did you get over that hump?
Lacey Sites (24:05.353)
think at that point I felt quite...
traumatized, I'll say, like, and I try not to use that word too lightly, from what happened at the nonprofit. And so what was so important to me that like nobody was going to control my integrity again. Nobody was going to be able to like rip something out from under me like that by like putting my integrity on the line and stuff. And so I just felt so compelled by that at the time. I also, my, my mom's family had a lot of entrepreneurs in it. My grandfather,
own several businesses. So I feel like I was kind of able to latch on to that a little bit. And then like y'all have had to do some version of this. Like this is my version of it. And so I really just was like so hooked on this idea of like nobody is going to do that to me ever again. That like it felt worth it to deal with like all that. I have to go to bat for myself because I was just like so sure I did not want to be put in that position again.
Conscious Success Co (25:06.633)
And I think that that is such an example of like sometimes when things don't go our way or one door closes or there's something that feels like traumatic, it's also a redirection and a lesson and learning onto the right path, right? It's like, if that had never happened, you might just be running a nonprofit today. Not to say that that would still be valuable, but like it was this redirection that allowed you to source this motivation and this clarity of like, no, I'm never gonna give away my...
Lacey Sites (25:26.825)
right
Conscious Success Co (25:35.847)
or my integrity to anyone else ever again, which has then allowed you to build this business.
Lacey Sites (25:42.358)
I think about that all the time. The fact that I learned that lesson in my 20s is probably quite literally the gift of a lifetime. To get that lesson and get that so early on obviously was challenging at the time, but it is one of the things I'm truly the most grateful for.
Conscious Success Co (26:05.205)
Yeah, and I talked with clients about post-traumatic growth. Like first, you have to actually process the emotions that come up for you around that and actually move that experience through and grieve or whatever else. But if you really do that fully versus just like, I'm not going to look there behind that door because that's scary. And then you get to the place where you're like, everything gets to be.
a gift, even the hardest things. And I often say, like, if you like where you are in life, you have to respect the path that got you there, all the trials and tribulations and twists and turns. And so getting to that place where you can really integrate all of those experiences, even the hard ones, allows you to be in this place of like, OK, I'm sturdy. I'm confident. I'm unshakable in a way that, you know, sometimes we just think, trauma exists in the thing that happened. But it's actually
Lacey Sites (26:34.292)
Yep.
Conscious Success Co (26:56.178)
in our experience of that and how we carry that forward.
Lacey Sites (26:58.877)
Exactly. So true. Yep, yep. I agree.
Conscious Success Co (27:03.083)
Okay, so can you talk to us about your first like year or two as a business coach? What did that look like? What was the foundation that you first had to build in order for the business to start, you know, quote unquote working or really seeing revenue?
Lacey Sites (27:16.015)
so.
I think there's like two versions of this so I can kind of give you the like, what was I doing outwardly? And then like what was happening internally version because they're quite different. think outwardly I was just like a go getter. Like I took on three clients for free for three months just to like prove to myself I could do it, like have the experience, get the testimonials, all the things. I would get on a call with like anyone that would talk to me. I probably did like 30 plus free calls in the first like, you know, two months of my business.
I really went hard with like putting out content everyday relationship building and I will say it was a very different time back then so take it for what it's worth. Like I was in Facebook groups all the time like it was just a different world right? But I just was like who can I talk to? Who can I get in front of? What group do I need to be in? Like I really went all out and I had a lot of success with that. Like I got clients quite quickly. I
had a twenty-three month, my second month in business. Like I really did. But like even then I remember like
So let's say if you're thinking about a month or my second month, it didn't come in until the end of that month. If that makes sense. Like I kind of made all the sales at the end of that. So it was like a 60 day window. So probably at like the 45 day mark. I remember this so vividly. I was in the parking lot of like a Michael's, think, you know, like the craft store. And I remember sitting in that parking lot and just sobbing and being like, this probably isn't working.
Lacey Sites (28:50.869)
I don't think this is working. I'm doing all of this stuff and it's not working. I was 45 days in, I had no fucking business sitting there sobbing. However, I recall that so vividly because I remember kind of having this like out of body experience of like seeing myself and being like, get over yourself. Like girl, stop it. Like this will take however long it takes, but like,
Conscious Success Co (29:01.133)
Totally.
Lacey Sites (29:18.909)
get it together and like in a loving way to myself but I was just like we are not doing this and I swear that was such an unlocked moment for me when I was just like it will take what it takes it will take as long as it takes and I'm here for that it's like that's when it just like skyrocketed now I look back and I'm like I could literally like you know just laugh at that sweet version of myself sobbing after 45 days but it felt so real at the time
Conscious Success Co (29:45.422)
Totally, I mean, I've had that same experience. You're like, okay, I put an offer out and it's not selling off the shelf, like why not? But at the same time, I've done like no marketing or something, right? And it's something I support clients through all the time. It's like, I created my first LinkedIn post. Like, why do I not have like five signed contracts? So when you can be like, okay, so just like not a realistic expectation, like let's look at that. And then you can actually like set yourself up for something that feels achievable and better.
But yeah, I also just love what you were saying about taking free calls and being willing to do that. And something I talk to clients about a lot as well of like, it's okay in the beginning to have free calls, to not charge for it, to get the reps, to get the experience, to get the testimonials. It doesn't mean that you're not valuing yourself or any of that BS that we so often hear. And it's like,
Lacey Sites (30:20.007)
Mm-hmm.
Conscious Success Co (30:38.537)
I did the exact same thing. When I went to a year-long coaching institute, I needed to then get 300 hours in order to get my whatever, master coach certification. I'm I'm not getting 300 hours by people paying me. don't have any experience. yes, I could speak to my tech leadership experience and all that paired with now having gone to school for a year. I took free clients, and I did the same thing. And then
Lacey Sites (30:47.891)
Yep.
Conscious Success Co (31:03.349)
What that led to, it sounds like the same with you, is, okay, now those people are re-signing. Now those people are referring people to me and people are recommending me in different groups. And then pretty quickly, you can see the results of that, but I love that you weren't getting in your own way of doing that outreach or having the ego or the story that you had to charge for it initially.
Lacey Sites (31:09.557)
Yep.
Lacey Sites (31:24.105)
Yeah, I, I've never been able to wrap my head around that version of advice that says like, you shouldn't have to ever like do something for free. Like I definitely didn't feel like I had to like.
prove that I was a valuable human, but I definitely had to prove that I could solve a problem for people. Like that's what business is based on, right? And they're very different things. Like, of course I'm like worthy as a person. Of course I deserve compensation. Like none of that was up for debate. It's just like, can I, can I solve this problem? It's just like, if I had never, if I was like trying to learn how, you know, to do any new skill, it's like, well, I would have to see if I could do that skill.
Conscious Success Co (31:46.317)
And those are two different things.
Conscious Success Co (32:05.453)
100%. And you know, I come from the tech world. So we think about things as like betas or MVPs. And like, when my past company would launch a new product, we would like reach out to customers and be like, Hey, do you want to trial this for free for a period of time, or we're going to give you these credits and in exchange, you're going to let us know what the bugs are, you're going to give us feedback, right. And it was like, this still feels like a good energetic exchange. And then once that product was like, yeah, we're solving a problem, we know how to market this to customers.
We'd move it into GA and then we'd start selling it. And so like taking that same mindset and framework of being like, okay, this is V1. This is an MVP. This is a beta. Let's go figure out what the problem is, figure out our unique solution, start to get some of the testimonials and the marketing clarity, then let's scale it. And it's just like such an important lesson.
Lacey Sites (32:59.217)
Amen. Perfectly said. It's like no one, nothing, no company is really above some version of that.
Conscious Success Co (33:06.669)
Totally, totally. I think for whatever reason, oftentimes we think about like, OK, well, if this is like a venture-backed startup, they get to have multiple years of capital where they just get to like try things and not make any money. But when we go into business for ourselves, if it's not instantly making money, we're making ourselves wrong for it. Right. And it's like you wouldn't expect that of a company that just raised around from injuries and horowitz. But yet you expect that of yourself.
Lacey Sites (33:26.549)
Yep.
Conscious Success Co (33:34.197)
And so it's just like so something. And I mean, it's amazing that you made 20K in your second month of business as well. And you weren't just sitting back waiting for clients to come to you. You were like hitting the pavement. But at the same time, you were also giving yourself, and it sounds like 45 days in, being like, OK, hang on. It might not happen that fast. That doesn't mean it's not going to happen.
Lacey Sites (33:34.335)
Yep.
Lacey Sites (33:57.054)
It's so funny. I've had this Leonardo da Vinci quote on my desk. showing you, for well over 10 years. And it is like the guiding light of that, which is like, has long since come to my attention that people have accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.
Conscious Success Co (34:14.443)
Yes.
Lacey Sites (34:15.283)
Like I was just like, am going out and happening to things. Like I will coach you. I will talk to you. Like I really like took that stance. And I think that that that is the stance we have to take if we want big shit to happen in our business, know.
Conscious Success Co (34:28.685)
100 % and it's the difference between feeling this like disempowered mindset and empowered mindset because the disempowered version is it's not happening immediately. It's never gonna happen. This isn't gonna happen for me. There's nothing I can do Why isn't anyone like wanting to pay versus the empowered one being like I'm gonna happen to life, right? Okay. Well watch me post in this Facebook group. Watch me offer these free calls. Watch me drive, you know these conversations forward and then that
know, begets results. And I think when we can really ground into that and see and have the reps of like, when I go out and I happen to business or to the world, then I do see those results. And then so much of the work is like, if I'm not taking those action steps, why not? What's the mindset block? Where's the lack of strategy? Where do I feel unsafe? And we get to keep pulling those out of our path so that we get to keep taking the actions and then trust. And I've heard you say like,
Lacey Sites (35:13.511)
Yes.
Conscious Success Co (35:24.235)
what you're doing now creates results 90 days from now, right? And so if we can stay in that, be like, okay, am I doing everything I'm empowered to do today? And then am I giving myself at least 90 days of doing that before I make it wrong?
Lacey Sites (35:37.557)
100 % yep.
Conscious Success Co (35:39.052)
Yeah, so good. Okay, so were you, for those listening, you run a one-to-one business coaching practice. So you support clients in a one-to-one coaching capacity. Were you aware from the beginning that that was how you wanted to design your business and that that was your zone of genius or were you just like, okay, this is where coaches start, so I'll start with this and then I'll optimize or figure out what comes next to make more revenue down the line?
Lacey Sites (36:07.199)
Definitely.
would say a little bit of both. certainly was like, is where coaches start. So it just like made sense for me, but I had some like inkling of that in the sense that like when I did work as a therapist, like I did both group and individual sessions and the experiences that was very different for me. Like for me, when I had to host a group, I was like, my God. And I saw so many other therapists in that setting being like, it's like my easy session. I group and I'm like, that's your easy session.
like what? And so I kind of had this like including that I was like wired a little differently there that I really like did better with that but I wasn't like thinking a bit that strategically if that makes sense. Yeah.
Conscious Success Co (36:54.433)
Yeah, totally. so there was this conventional wisdom, at least at the time, and still exists in many spaces, where if you want to be able to make real money in coaching, you can't do one-on-one. At some point, once you sell out your one-on-one spots, you have to do a course, or you have to do group. Otherwise, you're going to hit a ceiling for your revenue. I'm curious, did you
believe that? Did you accept that as a limitation and still decided like, okay, that that's fine for me? Or did you think at some point like, okay, well, I don't believe that I'm always going to find another way to scale revenue. What did that look like?
Lacey Sites (37:35.286)
No, I definitely believed it in the sense that, I did launch a group three times. So I was like on that track, right? Like I was like, this is what you're supposed to do. I, so on the last time I launched a big group program, so many things happened at one time in my little world. Thing number one was
I'm trying to even think about how deeply I should go into this. The thing number one was I'm launching this thing. I really wanted to go well, whatever. And I get so sick, like so sick. Probably one of the sickest I've ever been in terms of just the flu in my life.
And I'm like, how am I going to make this work? This is so stressful. All of these things. I end up like actually pulling it off somehow, getting a really big group. was like a very good launch in terms of like financial. was good in terms of like people in it, but I felt so bad the whole launch. Like I was just like, God, that was so like, it was almost like my body was like reacting to doing this thing. Right. And then even though all of
it looked good and I ran it and like nothing like happened that was negative I just dreaded those calls a little bit and then on top of that I was kind of like coming to this point which that launch like really solidified for me in some ways of being like I think I'm want to end my marriage
So pretty much all of that happened within like a few weeks to a month sort of range. And I just remember being like...
Lacey Sites (39:23.707)
I don't want to do all this shit I hate doing just to like do what I'm supposed to do anymore. It's like I cracked open a little bit more. Like I'm like, I'm not staying married because I'm like supposed to stay married. I'm not doing groups because I'm like supposed to do groups. Like all of this shit is making me like sick and unhappy and like I don't need to be unhappy. and so I remember having a conversation with my dad at the time and him being like, okay, so like how much can you make on one-on-one? I'm like, I think probably like 250.
Conscious Success Co (39:30.58)
Yeah.
Lacey Sites (39:53.438)
And he was like, cool. Yeah. So you wouldn't just run a business for the next 30 years making 250K doing the thing that you like? Like, is that what you're saying out loud to me? And I was like, well, I suppose that is in fact what I'm saying out loud to you. And he's like, that seems crazy, right? And I'm like,
seems fucking crazy. And so like, I just couldn't see it because like, you know, when you're in the online space, it's like, that's what you do. That's what matters. And I don't even think I could have heard him if I was at a different point in my life, but because I was so cracked open of like...
I don't want to keep doing all this stuff that feels bad in my body because it somehow looks good. Then when he said that to me, I'm like, yeah, that's just me doing another thing that feels bad so it would look better to other people. Like, I don't, I wasn't at the point where I was like, I need so much more than 250k. I was just like, this is what I'm supposed to do, right?
So I was like, okay, fuck it. I'm just gonna make 250K. I'm gonna be a one-on-one coach. I don't even care. And I did that for probably like four or five months. And then I had the idea for the partnership model, but they weren't like on top of each other at all.
Conscious Success Co (41:01.099)
just love what you're saying so much because I had almost like the exact same thing happen, right? Like I'd been in tech. I joined my last company early. I had a bunch of equity. Then I did very well there. I kept getting promoted. So I was like earning a lot, making a lot in equity. was like, you know, making a million dollars a year. And then when I thought about transitioning to coaching and looking at that, being like, I would really love to do that. Like I would be so good at that. That would light me up.
but I can only make whatever, 250K. And it was the same thing. And it was like, okay, but like, hold on a minute. If you can control your time and feel fully lit up in your business and you could only work 30 hours a week and be the kind of mom that you actually wanna be and work with clients that you love and make 250K, like, is that really not something you want? And that was really why I named my business Conscious Success because it's like, yeah, money is great, but more just for the sake of more, which at some point,
Lacey Sites (41:29.84)
YAAAAS
Lacey Sites (41:48.146)
Right?
Lacey Sites (41:52.095)
Yep.
Conscious Success Co (41:57.454)
causes you to actually abandon your values and what you actually want isn't successful, right? And be able to actually decide, what is the life? What is the career? What's going to light me up? What will I actually feel fulfilled doing? And how can I make an income that feels good to me? And then anything else is additive. And anything else gets to be on top of that. And that's not to say we're rejecting more money if it's coming to us in aligned ways. But I'm not going to abandon the thing I love most in order to chase that.
Lacey Sites (42:03.55)
at Surgeon.
Lacey Sites (42:22.805)
feeling.
Lacey Sites (42:27.765)
100 % like I literally named my business a lit up life. Like you're saying me a conscious success and I'm like, how can I say with any version of truth or integrity that like I would be living a lit up life doing all this stuff that like I didn't actually want to do. Like you just can't at a certain point.
Conscious Success Co (42:45.357)
Totally. Okay, so talk to us about the partnership model. How did that like land? How did that idea come to you? What did that look like to actually test it or get clients on board with it? Like explain what that actually is to us and how you rolled that out.
Lacey Sites (43:02.719)
So the partnership model is basically I work with clients for a base rate and then 10 % of new revenue made through our work together on top of it. And so I call it the partnership model because we are really in partnership together. Like I win if they win, if they have a tough month, you know, like I'm, you know, going to have that tough month with them. Like we're really in it together. The idea came to me at like, so it came to me in the bathtub one day, like I was just taking a bubble bath and was like, my God, what if I just like charge?
a percentage of the results my clients are getting. I will say I was very into Shark Tank at the time, so I'm sure that that like somehow had seeped into my subconscious, but it really wasn't that, it really was just like this random sort of like zap into my brain where I was like, wait, that would make so much more sense. I think part of it was because I was thinking about raising my prices at the time and I was like, something about that just isn't landing for me. And then when I had that idea, I was like, my gosh, this is so amazing. And I had like
I think I had that idea on a Friday, was up by a Monday, ready to start testing it. And what I did was I had people apply to do it. And so my first idea was actually not to do a base rate. So the first version was just to do 20%. So I had people apply to get the, no, 10%. Did I always do 10 %? I'm trying to remember.
Maybe I did 20 with no base rate. can't remember, but you get me. I had people apply to just do the percentage because I was like, well, if I'm just going to do a percentage, they at least need to apply. I need to be able to like.
pick someone that I think is the right fit for this. And I think all of those first three ended up paying me more than they would have if they had just hired me at my normal rate. So I was like, well, I'm really onto something here. And so basically for the next, I think year, I tested a few different versions of that. and by and large was seeing like, wow, this really like pays off and this really makes a difference. But I recognize like if I was going to change my whole business model to that, I
Lacey Sites (45:09.651)
wanted a lower percentage and I wanted a base rate attached to it just so I like always knew like I had some like predictability I think like that's the hard part of revenue shares it's just like a lot harder to project so probably like a year later is when I like move my full business model to it
Conscious Success Co (45:29.589)
And I love one, don't all our best ideas come to us in the bath or in the shower when we actually like quiet the outside world enough to hear our own thoughts. I love that that like idea dropped in and then you actually tested it and iterated. You weren't just like, okay, well, I'm gonna like go all in on this overnight, but you were able to like give yourself a year to be like, wow, okay, I'm proving that this is actually a more lucrative model, but I still want that, you know,
Lacey Sites (45:34.111)
Sure, I'll.
Conscious Success Co (45:57.59)
repeatable, predictable revenue. And so how do I make this work for me? And I think that whatever challenge or whatever aspiration you're facing in business, taking that approach and being able to like, okay, put something out there. I always call it like co-create with the universe. We're in this like co-creative dance. So like, okay, did that work? What's the feedback I got? How might I pivot? How might I iterate? And then allow that to really build the confidence and the data and the proof points. And then you're like, cool, this is now.
Lacey Sites (46:13.557)
Yeah.
Conscious Success Co (46:26.091)
the only way that I work with clients.
Lacey Sites (46:28.341)
what's really important to say about that is like that I tie so much back to that decision to be like, okay, if I just made 250 K would that make me happy? Because I wasn't in such a rush to make this work. I wasn't like, I have to scale. So I have to change my whole business model to this. was like, listen, I've already decided I'm good. So this is just interesting on top of it. And I think it's what I'm not, I'm not typically a person that possesses a lot of patients, but I think that decision is what sort of allowed some version of patients to live inside me for that year of being like, okay,
I'm like testing it and I'm getting there, but I'm not like sprinting to the line of being able to prove that I can make X with one-on-one. Like I've kind of already decided all as well. And so it really helped to sort of make that process. think something that rolled out in the way that it was like truly meant to. And that was like actually most supportive of my business because I wouldn't have chosen the base rate thing initially. I would have done all of these things that probably didn't serve me long-term for the sake of trying to run at something. And I'm like, so glad I did it that way in hindsight.
Conscious Success Co (47:25.897)
Mm-hmm. And so you have now helped 12 plus female entrepreneurs scale their business to seven or eight figures. And you have a small one-on-one business. You say you have like 22 clients around that at any one time. So that is a huge number to be able to drive. What do you attribute that to?
Lacey Sites (47:42.387)
Yeah.
Lacey Sites (47:51.35)
I really believe it comes back. Everything with coaching comes back to relationship. I think we know this from a lot of studies in the therapy world is that...
therapist client relationship is the number one predictor of outcomes. And I believe the same is true in coaching. Like so many of my clients work with me longterm have been with me for a number of years. And I really believe that like when you have that person that like truly sees you truly knows you knows your business that has the relationship with you where they can say the really hard thing and they can give you the tough reflection and they can like hold you to the person that they like know you to be, or they can go, Hey, we've been here before. Remember you always feel like
this in the launch? What if we just didn't like believe that story that's like whatever that version is? I really think that that's where the results come in. I feel like what's so hard is in our industry, we kind of make it about everything else, right? It's like somebody has a secret strategy or they have this or they have that. And I think people feel like that with me sometimes. They're like, yeah, but you work behind the scenes with all of these seven figure business. Like you did it. I'm like, you guys, I probably don't know anything that you really couldn't just know by watching what all of these seven figure business owners know. Like you can know their strategy by just
watching what they're doing. It's like really who they're being, how they're putting that together, how they're not letting things get them stuff. Like most people don't not know the strategy or at least at the very least would have access to make that knowable. Most people can't get past their own shit enough to do it and so that's why like relationship is the central focus.
Conscious Success Co (49:26.413)
Totally, and that's why your master's in mental health counseling you see as more valuable than your MBA, because the strategy is knowable. But it's like, can you actually understand what is blocking someone, and what's their motivation, and how to coach them through that, and how to lead them back to their own power? And that is a skill that a lot of business coaches out there don't possess. And go ahead.
Lacey Sites (49:50.709)
sorry, go ahead.
Conscious Success Co (49:53.132)
No, I was just going to say, you know, I started in the coaching space when I went back to school. It was very much like a somatic nervous system regulation, trauma informed, deep, like parts work, like learning all of this more in like the therapeutic modalities to start. But I think that getting that first and then building all of the business strategy later served me also so well because I was actually
able to have those deeper tools to actually help my clients get unblocked versus if I just like went to like get a business coaching certification, like I don't think I would be in the same place.
Lacey Sites (50:32.085)
perfectly said. I have like the perfect example that's coming up for me of that. So one of my clients the other day was like, I'm feeling really triggered by this other person that does similar work to me. I feel like she just like seems to be crushing it in a way that I'm not. And I'm like, send it to me. So she sends it to me and I'm like,
Okay. So you and this person have the same or roughly the same like reach and you know, engagement and views on your content. You and this person, you know, have
like similar offer strategies. This person has three X times more Instagram posts than you, because they've been at this for a really long time. And also now I'm getting targeted by ads constantly from this person because I just visited their page. this is knowable, right? Like they've just been in the game probably like three and a half X longer than you and they're spending on ads. Do you want to spend on ads? And
She was like, Oh, no, I don't think so. And I'm like, okay, great. So this is a mindset thing. Like we need to talk about like why, but like, I feel like if you just do the business thing, then you can get all like, you can get so in the weeds with that. was like, Oh, okay. Well, how can you have your messaging be more like her or, she has this one little thing that's different. It's like, obviously we have to look at the business stuff to be like, okay, well it's interesting to see these comparable points, but since they're all pretty comparable and, or you just can't fast forward what 10 years in business looks like, what mindset.
that shit do we have to work on and like, why was that so activating for you? And I think like those two together are just like so crucial to like success and transformation.
Conscious Success Co (52:10.925)
I love that example, and I couldn't agree more. And so when you look at all of these women, you've helped scale to seven, eight figures. What do you see as the biggest challenges that almost everyone you've worked with or coached have to move through in order to drive real success? And what are the commonalities of the people who do? What do they all embody, or how do they show up that allows them to do so?
Lacey Sites (52:40.297)
I think the most important thing that they all really have is they just like genuinely enjoy business. I think, and not all of them are business coaches to be clear, but like they, so even if they're in a totally different niche or whatever, they genuinely see that there is fun and enjoyment in running a business. I think that that is so undervalued. I think that so many people that you talk to will say something like, well, I wish I could just do X work and then somebody else would do all the
and all of the business stuff for me. And I'm like, it's gonna be very hard for you to run a business. I'm just gonna be real with you. Like if you think that you can outsource every ounce of running a business and you can just do the work, you just need to go find another business you can do that work in, right? Like it really does matter if you can kind of find some like love for the game, right? Like, I think that part is really, really crucial. I think another part is like,
to be somewhat enlivened by the fact that things are always changing and evolving rather than really resentful of it. think like sometimes in this online space, is just warp speed. The amount of like pivots and changes and how different, like I even think about how different I was marketing a year ago versus now. And I'm like, wow, like it is fast. And if you can't find some kind of like...
novelty or excitement or creativity in that it will absolutely take you under. Like you will just be sitting on coaching, after coaching, call being like, I hate that I have to change this. You know, like I hate that. Like I can't just find something that, know, whatever, I could just do the same thing. And again, I would say like that then entrepreneurship might just not be the game. So I think they all just like find the enjoyment in business. They want to play the game. They see that like there's some fun in that ability to shift and pivot and figure things out.
problem solvers like that really is so important. In terms of the challenges they all face, I mean, I think every one of us that's ever done this feels like there is a secret that we don't know. And I think as soon as everybody, as soon as it clicks for people, that that's not it. I remember I had a client that just absolutely blew up and everyone and their mom was coming to me being like, but what's so and so doing or how, but how.
Lacey Sites (55:00.565)
So so doing it. And I would answer every one of them in the snarkiest way and be like, she would never ask me that question. That's the answer. She would never come on our call and be like, but what am I doing? Right? Like, and I really feel like that's the unlock for most people. When you start realizing that no one is hiding a secret from you.
besides like thinking there's a secret, like sure, some people benefit from the marketing of making you believe there is a secret or whatever. But again, like most of this is knowable. You can just watch what people are doing. Like as soon as that unlocks, I feel like that's when most people can run because that's when all the other stuff becomes true. It actually does feel fun to play the game of business. You don't feel like you're playing a game that nobody gave you the rules to. It actually does feel fun to pivot because you don't feel like there's a secret. Everybody knows that you don't. but that part's hard. Like I think it takes a lot to get there.
Conscious Success Co (55:48.462)
Totally. Yeah. And I love the idea of playing the game because of your love for the game versus playing the game to win the game. And it's like the people that sustain it, not just have these temporary flashes of success. They like wearing all the hats. They like figuring out business problems. They have fun playing the game of business. And I love what you said about, hey, you could just love to be a coach or whatever the thing is that you love to do. And you can go work for someone else or go be in a
Lacey Sites (55:57.555)
Yep.
Conscious Success Co (56:17.463)
company where you get to do that type of role. But if you want to be an entrepreneur, you have to enjoy the game of business. You have to enjoy figuring problems out and not allow that to get so stressful or activating that it no longer feels fun. Yes, I am curious. know, AI can feel like this almost like existential crisis across
Lacey Sites (56:19.027)
Yep.
Lacey Sites (56:32.085)
100%.
Conscious Success Co (56:40.179)
every industry pretty much, right? And both my clients who are in corporate and my clients who are in entrepreneurship, like these same things come up. It's like, my gosh, like for the clients in corporate, is there going to be another round of layoffs and am I just going to be made redundant? And what am I going to do then? Or for my clients that are entrepreneurs, it's like, well, is AI just going to like all of a sudden replace us entirely or make the whole marketing
Lacey Sites (56:41.705)
really.
Conscious Success Co (57:06.749)
Avenue that I've been using. It's like so crowded. I can't even break through like so in order to still have fun playing the game you have to believe that the game is Winnable or that like if you stick with it, you can figure it out How do you speak to that when there's this like existential AI threat so you can stay in that mindset?
Lacey Sites (57:26.897)
sort of think there's always some existential threat. If that makes sense, whether it's like AI, the economy, the crypto bubble, the internet bubble, like, you know what I mean? Like there's always that at play to a certain extent and some of it's real and some of it's not, know, like, right? Some, some of the economy stuff really does play out and is very, you know, impactful. Some of it like never comes to fruition in the way that all the people say it well, right? And so I don't know like where this version of AI is headed, but what I
Conscious Success Co (57:37.516)
Yeah.
Lacey Sites (57:56.834)
do know and what I know about like the clients that I work with that are gonna be still successful is like we're just really good at adapting like
So if that changes, my, my spin is like, I'll change with it. Like I don't have my feet dug in anywhere. You know, I'm not like, but I am a coach that does it in this way. And like, if I can't do it in this way, forget it. I'm like, I'll do whatever. Like what you got? What do people need? How can I help them? Like that's really how I try to think about it. And I don't try to say that with a lightness that it wouldn't be harder. It wouldn't take a lot or like it wouldn't, but like, I know I'm willing to play that game.
Conscious Success Co (58:35.455)
And that mindset, I I speak a lot about how we can either be in survival mode or creator mode at any one time, right? And when we're in survival mode, we're focused on the fear and protecting ourselves and running away from something versus when we're in creator mode, we're focused on like, okay, what am I curious about? What do I want to solve for? How can I iterate? How can I evolve? And like, it really oftentimes does come down to that. Can you consistently shift from that survival mode back to creator mode? Because if you're in that,
Lacey Sites (58:41.78)
Yeah.
Conscious Success Co (59:04.011)
very few people are able to consistently embody and stay in that space and you will out, evolve or figure it out faster than the masses and you'll be able to be successful no matter what that existential challenge is that you're speaking to.
Lacey Sites (59:18.121)
Totally, and if it is like much bigger than that.
you know, of like whatever all the markets crash and AI takes over all of our jobs. And we have a much better, like I have a much bigger problem than just my coaching business. So like whatever, that's like a whole, you know what I mean? Like you, I think that like, there's this like, it's like funny to play with some of that because I feel like it's like, well, then I wouldn't even be solving the problem of my coaching business. So whatever, like I think that we just have to like kind of keep like a little bit of like lightheartedness to it and be like, I either have a solvable problem in front of me or that's not even my problem, you know?
Conscious Success Co (59:49.09)
Totally, and I can't solve for the problem that's not even my problem yet, so let me just focus on the one that I can solve. 100%. Okay, I want to end with some rapid fire questions. So what does conscious success mean to you?
Lacey Sites (59:55.624)
Yup.
Lacey Sites (59:59.551)
Okay.
Lacey Sites (01:00:03.125)
You know, can I, does it have to be a, can it be a little bit of a longer answer? Okay. So there was like a point at the nonprofit, even though I felt like I kind of had the dream job, like I had a director job at a young age, I had all these promotions, like, you know, I felt like I was really fast forwarded in the sense that I got my degrees while working. right, like I, I in so many ways had like the embodiment of success. And I remember driving to work.
Conscious Success Co (01:00:06.667)
Yeah, yeah, no, these can, they can be longer.
Lacey Sites (01:00:31.237)
so many days and just looking at the people in cars around me and being like, do they feel like this too? Cause I feel like there's no way this is all there is. And like, are they asking themselves that question or is this just me? And so to me, like the version of conscious success for me right now is that like, I never asked myself, this all there is? Like that's it. If I'm not asking that question, I'm done.
Conscious Success Co (01:00:51.873)
Yes, that's it.
100 % cosine. Even the people that we admire most are still growing and evolving. So what's one area of your life where you're currently being stretched or learning something new right now?
Lacey Sites (01:01:07.017)
I think that I am always, always stretched on control versus surrender. I feel like that is my work in this lifetime. I think I've gotten much better at it, but it is always still present. In my reality, I'm always having to be like, do I want to do this because I'm trying to control it or because I should really be the one doing it or.
Do I wanna be the one making this decision? Cause I need to be the one making this decision or is it because like I don't feel safe enough right now or because I'm trying to control every outcome. I mean, yeah, like work with my lifetime always there, always looking at what new layer there is for me there.
Conscious Success Co (01:01:46.284)
And I love that, but because you have the awareness that it's like, okay, it's always going to be this, you know, arm wrestle between control and surrender. You're able to look at it through that lens and ask yourself those questions to assess and figure out what that situation actually calls for.
Lacey Sites (01:02:02.016)
Totally, the way I would describe it is like it used to be like such a broken leg for me. Like it would literally impede my progress. I would like be stuck or frozen. Now it's more like a bug bite. I'm like, God damn it. Is it really that thing again? Yup, it's that thing again. That's annoying. Moving on. Like it's just really different.
Conscious Success Co (01:02:17.773)
And we all have it, like, minus perfectionism. And it's like, damn it, I've done so much work and sometimes it shows up, but now I can almost like find the humor or spot it sooner. And it's like not about never having that come up, but it's like, how quickly can I catch it and come back to center and make a more conscious choice?
Lacey Sites (01:02:33.107)
Yeah, exactly.
Conscious Success Co (01:02:35.127)
Who's someone in your world today who you admire for how they live, lead, or succeed? And what is it about them that inspires you?
Lacey Sites (01:02:40.725)
I feel like my best friend, her name's Sarah Wiles, if you guys don't follow her, shout out, follow Sarah. She is, like, we're in March and she probably started doing what she's doing now in like a year ago. And she basically just started being very vocal about her political stance and like,
what she believes and like what she wants to see in this world. And I've been so, so, so inspired for her by her in the last year, because the amount of growth she has has been exponential, but the amount of backlash that comes with that growth has also been just exponential too. And I, it's just been so cool to watch her navigate that, embody that, be louder, be bigger.
stand for what she believes in, also be in growth mode around it in terms of like you're saying, like creator mode, right? Be willing to learn and figure stuff out and adapt and take a new information and be wrong sometimes. I just feel like she's just had this incredible, incredible year and I'm just so inspired by watching her do it.
Conscious Success Co (01:03:56.014)
Totally, I follow her and it is so inspiring. And she's also this like beautiful blonde woman who's like fighting the patriarchy and doing it in this like feminine way. And it's like, I don't know, I think back to like, you know, they used to try to make any feminists these like bra burner, like lesbians. And it's like, she's like, I'm not falling into that box either. And she just like does it in a way that is so inspiring and so cool to see her just like fight all of that. And yes, she's a must follow for.
Lacey Sites (01:04:13.779)
Yup.
Conscious Success Co (01:04:25.729)
for everyone listening. If you could give your 10-year-old self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Lacey Sites (01:04:26.675)
Yes.
Lacey Sites (01:04:33.333)
Ooh, that's so good.
I think I would just, so back to the sensitive thing, would think I would say like your sensitivity is your superpower.
Conscious Success Co (01:04:45.289)
And if you could give the women listening who may be dreaming about starting something of their own, but are telling themselves that's not realistic or it's too late, what would you want to tell them?
Lacey Sites (01:04:57.321)
What I wish I had realized earlier and what I wish so I feel like I worked so hard with this on clients and what I wish so many people in that position would learn is the thing that comes easiest for you is probably the thing you should build a business around. Right. And we resist that so hard especially if we're like high achievers high performers like like there was this piece to me for so long that I was like well it can't be that easy that I just like support people and like really get in relationships like it actually is that fucking easy like the single
reason I have made the money I have is because I'm good at relationships and I'm like a sensitive, empathetic human, right? If I would have leveraged that sooner, so much would be different. I mean, obviously I love my path and my story, but like, I just think that we get this version that says, you can get paid for that. That's too easy. And it's like the thing that comes easiest too is probably the thing you should be getting paid for.
Conscious Success Co (01:05:49.23)
The thing that comes easiest, the thing that all your best friends reflect to you is your superpower, the thing that gives you energy, the thing that you're like, yeah, but pinch me, that would be too good. Like, that is it, right? And then you just have to work on all the mindset shit that gets in your way when you actually think of doing that.
Lacey Sites (01:05:59.412)
Yep, that is it. If you're saying pinch me...
Lacey Sites (01:06:06.121)
Bingo. That is your ticket. Like, yes, 100 hands down.
Conscious Success Co (01:06:10.711)
So good. Well, for anyone listening who is thinking about starting an online business or wanting to explore entrepreneurship, you need to go listen to your podcast. Literally, it follows one coaching client for six months, every coaching session recorded. And it is just such a wealth of knowledge and insights and personal reflections you could get from listening to that. So go there. Is there anything else you want to direct people to or say before we wrap up?
Lacey Sites (01:06:39.197)
No, just thank you so much. I like love that you're having this conversation. think like it's so valuable because the more I think we see that other people's path wasn't linear and it didn't, you know, like look so planned out and whatever, like the more permission we give ourselves to follow it. Like I can't imagine if I had had this podcast to listen to back when I was like, I think the universe is sending me a sign, but I don't know where to go. Like it would have just been incredible. So thank you for doing this.
Conscious Success Co (01:07:04.173)
Thank you. Yeah. And that's the intention to demystify this success and fulfillment. And I was just having this conversation with a friend this past weekend of like, like, our listeners going to get bored because they're going to see the same themes come up with like every guest. It's like, find what you actually are good at and enjoy doing and do that thing and like iterate and let the path unfold and like all of these things. But I think when our subconscious can get enough of that and we can get expanded enough to be like,
Lacey Sites (01:07:18.005)
HA
Conscious Success Co (01:07:31.709)
Okay, there's not some secret, right? It's not that I'm missing some strategy. I just have to be brave enough to try and to follow my inner knowing and all of that. And so thank you for being an example of that and for making time to be with us today. I've loved this so much.
Lacey Sites (01:07:42.321)
Amen.
Lacey Sites (01:07:47.786)
So happy to be here, thank you.
Conscious Success Co (01:07:50.988)
Okay.
