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EP 21: Bethany Haley Williams

 

 

Bethany Haley Williams is a quiet storm on the missions field. She recently wrote a book titled The Color of Grace. Bethany founded Exile International in 2008. She has used her own personal brokenness to serve children orphaned by war and survivors of war.

Listen here: https://media.zencast.fm/christinafaith/21.mp3

Please subscribe and review the podcast on iTunes. 😉

Show highlights:

  • Founding Exile International in 2008
  • While going through her own journey of healing she found her purpose
  • Her heart for children and the lack of programs
  • Purpose in her pain
  • Suicide and failing in leadership
  • God’s ability to use our pain in surrendering
  • The children’s response to those who hurt them
  • Using the small things to help one person at a time
  • Helping over 3000 children
  • The redemptive story of pain

Quotes and takeaways

  • Forgiving yourself in order to heal.
  • Forgiveness starts with a choice of being merciful.
  • God says to forgive.
  • How can you help one child at a time?
  • Be available to be mentored. You will make mistakes
  • The Bread of life which we all need sustains our lives is eternal it is hope

Resources

The Color of Grace

Exile International

Sponsor a Child

Support through Products

Text 44222 for the free e-book Get Productive: Avoiding the Social Media Rabbit Trail

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Download the free ebook- Get Productive: Avoid the Social Media Rabbit Trail

Previous Epsiodes:

The Art of Work with Jeff Goins

Balancing the Hustle with Carlos Whitaker

The Persistent Entrepreneur

8 Insane Truths About Working From Home

I have been working from home on and off for 7 years now. It has been an amazing journey of having the opportunity to do what I love. However; there are great myths and assumptions that go along with working from home. Many people assume that you will be able to take more vacation days, work less hours and make more money immediately. The amazing truth about working from home is that all of those assumptions are very possible but seldom actually happen. 8

Often you spend the majority of your day repeating, “I can do this”.

 

There is a huge level of doubt and inspiration that plays into working from home. You have no idea how you are going to do what you set out to do but you daily have to believe it is possible. When you work for a company you often have a supervisor that provides you with a list of things to do, a job descriptions and quotas that need to be fulfilled everyday. When you working from home you are the first and the last. The big truth about working from home is that distractions are more prevalent and doing what is necessary is a daily discipline.

Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.- Francis of Assisi

It’s More Work Thank You Think

In our imaginary world of working from home we think you will work less. That is the biggest lie! You work more when you are home. You spend hours on hours in front of your computer, phone, or tablet working your business. The biggest thing to remember is that you must work your own business. You are the manager, salesforce, marketing team, writer, copyeditor, and janitor. There is no one else to blame when things don’t work out, when a client backs out or when the finances are short the next month.

You Get To Work In Your Pajamas

On a lighter note you get to work in your pajamas. I am extremely guilty of this one. I will get up have my morning quiet time with coffee in hand, eat breakfast and get dressed right back into clean house wear. I personally prefer to be comfortable while working. There are people who suggest getting fully dressed as-if you were heading to an office makes you more productive. I personally only get fully dressed when I have a meeting or head-out to a local coffeeshop to change my scenery. It truly does depend on what helps you stay focused.

If You Don’t Work, You Don’t Eat

We addressed a bit of this in the intro. When you work from home the pressure is on. There is no two week paycheck coming regardless of how you performed. If you don’t work, you don’t eat. As an entrepreneur you have to consistently discover new ways to monetize your business. Much of it is trial and error. What worked last season may not work this season.

Your Schedule is Insanely Flexible

This is a fluke! My schedule is not insanely flexible however; I can manage my schedule. The downside to managing your schedule is that flexibility often causes you to work while everyone else is sleep. Others often feel you are available when you are not. The flexibility of an entrepreneurs schedule is totally based on the work load, client meetings, project deadlines and life. You can manage your schedule but; it will not be a “free fall”. You will still be accountable for how you spend your hours and minutes.

You Rarely Take Breaks or Lunch

Here’s the truth! I rarely take breaks or eat lunch on time. I had a season where I would schedule my snacks and meals. Since I have turned off that function I have eaten poorly. As an entrepreneur who works out faithfully this is pretty terrible. If you were a person who ate at your desk and skipped your lunches and breaks you will probably skip them at home.

You Will Work Longer Hours Than When You Had A Normal Job

I work around the clock. It is something I’ve had to truly discipline myself with. After my quiet time in the morning I am in a zone! The biggest myth is that you will work shorter hours. You will check your accounts when you should be relaxing if you don’t set boundaries.

It’s Hard to Disconnect After Work Hours

Working from home requires setting serious boundaries. Recently, I took social media off of my phone. I am attempting to only check it on my iPad to see if it causes me to check my phone less throughout the day. Social Media is a huge rabbit trail that consumes valuable time. You will become its victim if you don’t discipline your life away from it. Download my free ebook, Get Productive to hear more about my journey and daily life hacks I’ve implemented that made me more productive.

Running Errands is Incredibly Flexible

Errands are a trap. Last year around this time I made a huge decision not to run errands after the gym unless it was the designated day that I set aside to run errands. It’s one thing to run errands and clean the house. It’s another thing to count how much time it actually takes. You don’t go to the grocery store without putting your groceries away! You have to include that time. In order to properly work from home you have to plan out everything.

 

Everything that I have had the privilege of learning about working from home has been trial and error. There are few books that will teach about the art of remote working. I love Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson book “Remote: Office Not Required”.

What are some challenges you are facing?

Secrets to Not Quitting On Your Dream

As an entrepreneur there are times especially in the infancy of your business that you will go through extremely dry spells.

My husband and I have owned and operated our media company for the last 4 years together and we’ve never had a dry spell like we had from June-September.

It was a hard time! It was a time of re-evaluation, questions, doubts, reminders, and encouragement.

We felt towards the end of the period that we may need to give up on the business. We thought it, we said it. But it didn’t real right in the midst of saying or thinking it.

  1. We aren’t quitters
  2. We increased our value over the last two years and produced greater original content for our clients.

In the month of October we have received random calls from companies and organizations that wanted our services and their needs helped us redefine our business.

Looking back on that experience I am reminded of a few things.

In tough times we are being prepared to thrive.

God is concerned about our needs as entrepreneurs just He is regarding our daily lives.

Instead of using the tough time to soak in our lack we used them to serve others. We worked with a high school summer program and created a magazine publication that was printed and distributed in full color. We helped our friends with their passion projects and made them look pretty and legit! I mapped out the podcast, re-designed the blog and studied our craft.

If you are in a tough season don’t give up! It’s during the tough times that you see what you are made of.

  1. Imagine if Henry Ford gave up after his first car model flopped.
  2. If Steve Jobs gave up after his attempts with Apple failed and he was ousts from the company.
  3. If Walt Disney gave up after Disney went bankrupt.
  4. If Albert Einstein gave up because he was mentally handicapped.
  5. If Oprah Winfrey never pursued her dreams after getting pregnant as a teen and the child being born stillborn.
  6. If Steve Spielberg gave up after being rejected from film school.

What’s your dream, passion, destiny that is hard right now but worth the fight?

In order to start and finish you have to press through the tough times when you and everyone else is telling you to give up.

Success isn’t birthed overnight. Success grows through consistency and long-suffering.

The secret to consistency is creating an actionable plan. Far too often we create plans out of ambition that aren’t actually possible. You over promise yourself, under deliver to yourself and then become discouraged.

What can you do daily to work on your dream? Is it writing 500 words a day?

Do you have a daily community that you are apart of that you receive and provide value to?

Do you have a mentor?

Do you have someone your are accountable to?

We often look at others and think there success came overnight. However, it doesn’t! It takes hard work, planning, failing, getting back up and CONSISTENCY!

The secret to success is not giving up when you don’t see it happening. If your idea, dream, project, business adds value to people sooner or later it will produce fruit. Malcolm Gladwell in Outliers gives evidence that the average successful person is one who has invested 10,000 hours into their craft.

Don’t give up until you have put 10,000 hours into your dream. Until then keep at it. You may have a Purple Cow on your hand that has a Tribe waiting for it. If you give up now you will never discover the beauty of your dream.

How to Start A Start Up

 

While hanging out at John Saddington’s blog I discovered this amazing free tool!

How to Start a Start Up

These guys are giving loads of lectures on how to start your business. This will prove to be more valuable than we all know if we soak this infomration up!

 

 

Calm Your Entrepreneurial Anxiety

It’s easy to quit. It’s harder to keep going when you don’t see the results. Remember entrepreneurship isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. Slow down your pace and control your breathing. Anxiety sets in when you keep looking around.

2 Reasons You Didn’t Complete That Last Project

As an entrepreneur there are two words that have to be ever before us. What are they you ask?

Focus & Consistency

I am constantly challenged by that.

Today’s post is open ended.

What kills your focus and consistency?

Is it the never ending pool of Netflix death?

Facebook?

Instagram?

Youtube?

Fear?

Data and Research hoarding???!?!!

Mine???!?!!?! Twitter and too much multi-tasking when I should be locked in!

This may be the mind most important question you honestly answer for yourself and then decide to do something about it. I will be switching to the 25 minutes on 5 minutes off work method next week. The website is 95% complete so the real work begins next week.

Be encouraged and face the truth of your productivity killers.

An Entrepreneurs Guide to Colour Branding

While working on the reconstruction of ChristinaFaith.com I had to think about what I want my brand to stand for.

Here are a few facts about me and color:

  • My favorite color is teal and orange.
  • My last brands have had teal and orange.
  • The previous podcast brand was in the purple hue (my husbands choice)
  • I love to find out what colors mean
  • I am interested in projecting a specific thought when people view my brand

Instead of just picking colors I decided to tell a story with the colors that I choose. When major brands select the brand colors that represent them they are not interested in what they like; they are interested in what the colors are project. Colors tell stories. Colors help people make purchases. Colors evoke emotion. If color evokes emotion and provokes purchases it’s incredibly important. Instead of simply picking a color we should consider a few things.

  1. What story is my brand telling?
  2. Am I selecting colors based on my likes and dislikes?
  3. Do my colors line up with the story of my brand?
  4. Am I attempting to persuade people or make them feel comfortable?

Take sometime and write down adjectives that represent your brand. You should feel comfortable with your brand colors and your audience should feel welcomed.

My adjectives:

  • possibility
  • trustworthiness
  • purpose
  • vision
  • consistency
  • creativity
  • security
  • balance

Based on the following adjective that I desire to project the brand colors will be:

Yellow (#fff880) Blue (#3477ff) Gray (#858585) and White (#ffffff)

I then used a color palette generator to come up with the accent colors of my brand.

While editing the current template of my website I discovered that my colors didn’t work well together in some respects. Instead of changing my colors I decided alter the frequency of each color.

Check out this video on colour branding.

 

Resource posts on colour branding:

21 outstanding uses of colour in branding

The Psychology of Color in Marketing and Branding

True Colors: What Your Brand Colors Say About Your Business

 

 

 

 

Teeny Tokyo Photo Resizing @TeenyTokyo

John Saddington continues to inspire and amaze us all. Less than a year ago he released Desk a writing app. He walked us through every portion of the process allowing us to see the up’s, down’s and in betweens. When I woke up this morning I had the privilege of discovering Teeny Tokyo a Photo Resizing App was released. As a blogger I currently use ImageOptim which is free. However; as an entrepreneur it’s always good to support indie developers!

John is a master of consistency. He has been instrumental in my person journey as a blogger. He was on From Start to Finish last season and gave us some great tips and words of wisdom for writers and developers.

Here is a demo of Teeny Tokyo.

P.S. keep your eyes peeled John is waiting for three other versions of Desk to hit the iTunes store shortly.

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