Unlock Business Growth Secrets with Crystal Paine Episode 327

Unlock Business Growth Secrets

This week, I’m bringing you the wonderful Crystal Paine, otherwise known as Money-Saving Mom. Crystal and I are similar in that we started our online careers at similar times. We both pioneered what it looked like to be a mom and an entrepreneur and do it all surrounded by kids. 

Crystal has grown a brilliant company and is the epitome of a smart girl. Full disclosure, she is one of my business coaching clients – and I say that makes her even smarter. I’m looking forward to you hearing all the behind-the-scenes information of Crystal’s business.

Crystal Paine is the founder of MoneySavingMom.com, host of The Crystal Paine Show podcast, and New York Times bestselling author of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, and author of Money-Making Mom.

In her latest book, The Time-Saving Mom: How to Juggle a Lot, Enjoy Your Life, and Accomplish What Matters Most, Crystal provides practical steps, simplified systems, and time-saving hacks. These tools empower you to prioritize what’s most important in your life, even when you’re going in countless directions.

How Crystal Got Her Business Started 

I asked Crystal about the early days of her business—what it looked like and why she started. Lastly, did she have any idea what she was doing? Crystal says that she and her husband knew they wanted to avoid debt while he attended law school, but they had to figure out how that was going to happen. They knew they wanted to have kids right away, and her plan was to be a stay-at-home mom. 

She was figuring out how to make money online, and back then, there were only Yahoo groups, not social media like today. Crystal tried different things like eBay and being a virtual assistant, and eventually, she fell into blogging because she eventually sold books online. She kept seeing that if you want your website to have traffic, you need to blog and have good SEO. She blogged for two years and realized people were interested in her money-saving tips and budgeting. 

Making Mistakes Helps With Business Growth 

Crystal shares openly that she had no idea what she was doing in the beginning and made many mistakes, but from those mistakes, she learned and got her business to grow. For example, she self-published an eBook and didn’t know how to get the word out, so she started emailing people. And then she would receive responses like, “Hey, I’m not on your email list.” Then she realized she had to get permission before sending random emails. 

Every morning, she would wake up and think about what she could do that day that wouldn’t cost any money but might bring in a little bit of income. She then discovered that writing articles for websites with established audiences would bring people to her website, and thought brought in sales from books and eBooks. So, she started to write articles for other websites. Eventually, about two years into this online world, Crystal discovered that she had something, and it started to bring in a full-time income for her family. 

Knowing To Say No For Business Growth 

Crystal shares that if she could go back and start over, she wouldn’t say yes to many things she said yes to while she was building. She shares that when you start a business, have worked so hard, invested so much, and feel like it’s finally succeeding, these opportunities are rolling in, and it’s hard to say no. You think if you say yes, it can lead to something big, but this can also lead to a scarcity mindset where you feel you have to say yes to everything. 

Crystal says that this led her to be overworked, burning the candle on both ends and having three young children at home, she was exhausted. It’s important to know when to say yes and when to say no. 

She has some great insight for business growth! Now, let’s get into coaching. 

Coaching This Week: Overcoming Procrastination 

I love helping people overcome procrastination because I have procrastinated for so long. Procrastination is something that gets us all. This strategy will actually work. A lot of people talk about just visualizing all the amazing things that you will have once you do X, Y, and Z. That is not what motivates me. I came across some research recently that I found really interesting because it resonated with me because what works for me is negative visualization. And this research shows that negative visualization works. Before you worry about the term negative, let me explain. 

So here’s what negative visualization is. It’s imagining what can happen if we don’t do something. It helps us see the cost of inaction and makes us more likely to take that first step. Let me give you an example. So first, imagine you have a big project at work. It’s easy to put it off because it feels overwhelming, and we don’t want to do it. However, if we use negative visualization, it can help us take action. 

So imagine yourself at the deadline. You still need to start. Now you’re stressed, rushing to get it done. Your boss isn’t happy, and you feel like you didn’t do your best, and you get fired, and all of a sudden you live under a bridge. Okay, that’s extreme. That’s the way my mind works when I’m in that Enneagram six wing. But think about how much better it feels to start early, break the work into smaller parts, and finish on time with less stress. Which future do you want? The choice is clear, right?

So, to wrap it all up, I want you to start using negative visualization today. Pick one thing that you’ve been putting off and imagine what will happen if you don’t do it. Then, I want you to think about how good it will feel when you actually get it done.

Listen or Watch now:

iTunes.

Spotify.

YouTube.

Favorite Quotes: 

“There were a lot of failures, trials, errors, mistakes, and missteps along the way, but I look back and really feel like that was what set me up for success because I learned so much through making a lot of mistakes and doing things wrong.”

6:50

“If I could go back and do it again, I would’ve gotten help way earlier, and I also wouldn’t have said yes to so many things.”

18:47

“In my own home, stepping away from the internet multiple times a day and having Sunday where I am offline has been so good for my soul.”

25:17

“So doing a few things very strategically to just increase your engagement really makes a difference overall in what posts are being seen.”

31:42

”Go into building a business recognizing that there is going to be a lot of work on the front end and be willing to put in the work. I think a lot of people don’t succeed because they quit too soon.” 

36:35

Links to Great Things We Discussed:

• Crystal Paine Website
• Crystal Paine Instagram
• The Crystal Paine Show
• Promise Dreamy Mango Serum
• The West Wing
• Lost
• Portable Keychain Charger for Apple Watch
• Secret Superpower Quiz
• Create a Course
• Alli on YouTube
• Remaining You While Raising Them
• Little Things Studio

Little Things Studio is a woman-owned small business bringing daily reminders of beauty and truth to your home and life. These thoughtfully-designed products are made in the USA and focus on the rich words of hymns and the beauty of nature. 

Hope you loved this episode!  Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! 🙂

xo,

Alli