When You're Drowning in Your Business: 5 Simple Fixes That Actually Work
"It's really difficult to move the needle when you're in meetings all day long... I can't, no one can... Even when you're at the beginning and you're really doing that hustle and grind of networking, which I respect and understand, there's something about doing the work. Just doing the work, showing up." - Jess
When You're Drowning in Your Business: 5 Simple Fixes That Actually Work
Ever feel like you're working harder but not necessarily smarter? In this candid conversation, Jess and Cindy pull back the curtain on the simple but game-changing strategies they use to stay productive, focused, and sane while building six-figure consulting businesses.
From Cindy's "CEO weeks" that give her massive chunks of uninterrupted deep work time to Jess's 90-minute screen detox that flattened her afternoon energy crashes, this episode is packed with practical hacks you can implement immediately.
Whether you're struggling with boundaries around your time, looking for ways to generate content ideas effortlessly, or just need permission to throw money at problems (hello, summer childcare!), this episode will give you the permission slip to experiment with what actually works for your life and business.
Highlights:
Stop living in meetings if you want to grow your business. Cindy's CEO weeks—alternating between meeting-heavy weeks and deep work weeks—has been a game-changer for actually getting needle-moving work done
The first 90 minutes of your day set the tone for everything. Jess's screen detox (no screens, no caffeine before food) eliminated her afternoon energy crashes and helped with adrenal fatigue
Change your environment to change your energy. Sometimes the simple act of getting out of your house and walking to a different workspace can make you feel human again
Your best business ideas won't come at your desk. Jess generates weeks of content ideas during weighted vest walks—combining exercise, inspiration, and productivity in one efficient package
Throw money at the problems you can solve with money. From hiring summer babysitters to getting salads delivered, sometimes the best productivity hack is just paying someone else to handle it
Timestamp summary:
[00:00:00] Podcast Intro Welcome to Confessions with Jess and Cindy
[00:01:31] Just the Two of Us Jess and Cindy catch up solo, teasing their upcoming Toronto collaboration with Camilla Martin
[00:02:00] Planning Personalities Discussion about being the default planner in relationships and knowing your strengths
[00:03:00] Cooking Division of Labor How they've divided household tasks with their spouses based on what they actually enjoy
[00:05:00] Birthday Coincidences Discovering their husbands' birthdays are one day apart (just like theirs!)
[00:05:42] Today's Theme: Productivity Hacks Jess introduces the topic - what they do daily that makes them successful in business
[00:06:16] The 40-Year-Old Perspective Jess reflects on turning 40 and mapping out the next 10 years of wealth building
[00:07:00] State of the World Challenges Discussion about increased distractions and unpredictability affecting business
[00:09:22] Cindy's CEO Week Strategy Main hack: Only taking meetings every other week, protecting alternate weeks for deep work
[00:11:00] Summer Work Philosophy Cindy's shift from taking summers off to strategic time management and business goals
[00:12:00] The Emma Grede Inspiration Reference to Diary of a CEO podcast and the reality that extraordinary results require extraordinary work
[00:14:00] The Meeting Problem "You literally cannot move the needle when you're in back-to-back calls all day long"
[00:16:00] Jess's Screen Detox Main hack: 90-minute morning routine with no screens, no caffeine before breakfast
[00:17:30] Adrenal Fatigue Discovery Jess shares her functional medicine results - cortisol at 6 instead of 114
[00:19:00] The Power of Boundaries "Opening your phone is like opening a door to the whole world"
[00:20:00] Cindy's Office Solution Getting an office 10-12 minutes from home to break the work-soccer-repeat cycle
[00:22:00] The Importance of Leaving Home Why getting out of the house is crucial for mental health and creativity
[00:24:00] Weighted Vest Walking Jess's strategy: Combining exercise, podcasts, and business idea generation
[00:27:00] Walking Pad and Strength Training Cindy's approach to movement and weight lifting for bone density
[00:31:00] Aging and Health Connection Discussion about grip strength as a health predictor and exercising to age well
[00:33:00] The Brick Phone Blocker Jess's tool for controlling phone addiction - apps only work when brick is nearby
[00:36:00] Parenting and Phone Management How the Brick can help with kids' phone usage
[00:37:00] Summer Childcare Solution Jess's hack: Hiring a college student as babysitter/assistant to solve summer care
[00:39:30] Hiring Solutions Cindy's approach to outsourcing (salad delivery, etc.)
[00:40:16] Final Wisdom: Start with One Thing Cindy's closing advice: Don't try to implement everything at once - pick one meaningful change
[00:41:51] Wrap-up and CTAs Encouraging listeners to share what they want discussed in future episodes
Resources Mentioned:
Brick: https://getbrick.app/?srsltid=AfmBOoo4tU7sTn04-E9A8rU8cxTkCwCBZoPF5OLMltu9ysX44DM3F_Jc
Diary of a CEO: https://www.youtube.com/TheDiaryOfACEO
IFC Conference: https://www.resource-alliance.org/event/ifc-2025/
Find Us Online: https://www.confessionswithjessandcindy.com
Connect with Cindy:
Cindy Wagman Coaching: cindywagman.com
Fractional Fundraising Network: fractionalfundraising.co/
LinkedIn: ca.linkedin.com/in/cindywagman
Connect with Jess:
Out In the Boons: https://www.outintheboons.me
TRANSCRIPT:
[00:00:00] Cindy: Welcome to the Confessions podcast. I'm Cindy Wagman.
[00:00:03] Jess: And I'm Jess Campbell. We're two former in-house nonprofit pros turned coaches and consultants to purpose-driven organizations.
[00:00:11] Cindy (2): After years of building up our separate six figure businesses from scratch, we've thrown a lot of spaghetti at the wall and have lived to see
[00:00:19] Cindy: what sticks.
[00:00:20] Jess: We're on a mission to help other nonprofit coaches and consultants looking to start or scale their own businesses past the six figure mark by pulling back the curtain.
[00:00:30] Cindy (2): Whether you're still working inside a nonprofit and thinking of one day going out on your own, or you've been running your consulting business.
[00:00:37] Cindy (2): Four years. You understand that working with nonprofits is just different. We're giving you access to the business leaders who serve nonprofits as their clients, you know the people who
[00:00:49] Cindy: truly get it.
[00:00:52] Jess: No more gatekeeping, no more secrets. This podcast is going to give you an inside look at what running a [00:01:00] successful nonprofit coaching and consulting business looks like.
[00:01:03] Jess: Basically, we're asking people how much money they make. How they get paid and what has and hasn't worked in their businesses.
[00:01:11] Cindy (2): Listen in as these leaders share their insights, their numbers, and the good, the bad, and the ugly. When it comes to building a nonprofit coaching or consulting business, we're gonna empower you to make the power moves that give you the income and freedom you set out to create from day one.
[00:01:28] Cindy (2): You ready? Let's go.
[00:01:31] Cindy (2): Hey, Jess. Hi, Cindy.
[00:01:36] Cindy (2): How's it going? It's just you and I
[00:01:39] Cindy (2): today,
[00:01:39] Cindy (2): just us and,
[00:01:41] Cindy (2): soon to be in person. This is like a teaser because I was actually gonna bring this up as part of our topic of conversation, but we are gonna be together in a couple weeks in Toronto for our. Collaboration with Camilla Martin.
[00:01:54] Cindy (2): We're doing a one day field trip and one day mastermind. I'm so excited. I've [00:02:00] just been putting the finishing details on the agenda, so it's
[00:02:03] Jess: gonna be good. I know you've been an epic planning rockstar. Well, you know me. I know. I do know you and it's so funny. I'm going on a 40th birthday trip for my husband this weekend with, there's six of us, so two other couples in us, and.
[00:02:20] Jess: I am the default planner and there's a couple of friends in the group, my husband included, who like didn't know what day we were leaving, didn't know what city we were going to. The tables have turned totally and But you like sitting in this seat. Well, that's the difference. Yeah. Here's what, and I can and I will show up, but I actually have no joy doing this.
[00:02:44] Jess: Yeah. Yeah. And so we were just joking with the text. 'cause like I was saying something and my friend's husband, who's also more like me, and she's like, wait, what are we going to, what's the weather gonna be like? They were commenting on the side so I guess we're under the bus. I'm like, there's no bus.
[00:02:59] Jess: [00:03:00] Like we know who we married. Like I didn't expect you to plan a thing. It's just so nice when
[00:03:06] Jess: I hang out with you because you like it, because I'm happy to do it. it's funny, I joke with my husband, but like we're the same with cooking. So my husband does all the cooking and grocery shopping and basically anything to do with the kitchen.
[00:03:20] Jess: and. it's like a joke, like I can cook. We kind of joke that I can't cook, but I actually can. I just really don't want to, like I yeah would, I would throw so much money at that problem before I had to cook a meal for the family. It's just not, it's not fun for me. Yeah. It's not something I enjoy doing.
[00:03:42] Jess: So Yeah, I hear that. Like we can, we are capable adults who can figure out. Where we're going, how to plan a trip, how to cook a meal, but it doesn't mean we have to do all the things and be, enjoy all of it. So I feel absolutely not,
[00:03:57] Jess: and because I'm like coming up on this trip [00:04:00] that I've 100% planned for, like the whole group.
[00:04:03] Jess: I'm like. I'm done and I'm done. Like I'm tapped out, I'm done. His birthday, this is just like a little side rant. I've had to share Mother's Day with my husband since becoming a mother. 'cause his birthday is always falls either on it or right around it. Wait, what's his
[00:04:18] Cindy: birthday?
[00:04:20] Jess: May 12th.
[00:04:21] Cindy: Chris is May 13th.
[00:04:23] Jess: Okay. And you, do you have a different mother stay in Canada or is it the same as ours?
[00:04:27] Cindy: No, it's the same. I don't care about holidays, so it's not a big deal. And he doesn't care about. Oh, I don't wanna be like,
[00:04:34] Jess: but I'm also like not laboring on Mother's Day. Oh, yeah. or his mother. I'm like, she's your mom.
[00:04:40] Jess: Yeah. You know what I mean? But his mom is like. An actual angel and she'll be like, oh, happy to give that one up. So we end up celebrating. So I am like laboring on Mother's Day for my husband's birthday anyway, so I'm done. I'm like,
[00:04:55] Cindy: you're done, we're done. But wait, can we just take a moment? I know [00:05:00] how strange, and you and I have the same birthday and our husband's birthdays are tam apart.
[00:05:04] Cindy: That's a one day apart.
[00:05:06] Jess: I know. What crazy. When's your dog's birthday?
[00:05:10] Cindy: I don't know.
[00:05:12] Jess: Oh, Billy's is October 7th, I think, or eighth, something like that.
[00:05:15] Cindy: I think ours is in March. I don't pay attention.
[00:05:18] Jess: Okay. That would've been,
[00:05:19] Cindy: yeah.
[00:05:20] Jess: Really crazy. I know. we really are the same mirrors of each other, I would say.
[00:05:25] Jess: Yeah. It's so
[00:05:26] Cindy: funny. It's so funny. Oh my goodness. Anyways, this is what you get when it's just the two of us on the podcast is to just talking about random things. But people have told me they love it, so we'll. We'll keep rambling. Yeah.
[00:05:42] Jess: that kind of fits the theme for today's episode because I've been thinking just a lot, about what I do in my day to day.
[00:05:53] Jess: That makes me successful in my business. I've actually been trying to like, analyze it a [00:06:00] bit better so I can turn the dial up because I, maybe this is for a different episode, but I've just been, I think maybe I turned 40 this year and I'm really trying to map out like the next 10 years, like where do I wanna be when I'm 50?
[00:06:16] Jess: And to reach some of the goals. I have to produce more wealth. Yeah. And so I've just been thinking of that a lot, that those things have been swirling in my head and given the state of the world and how distracted we all are, it's become more challenging than I feel like than ever before. I don't know if you feel that way.
[00:06:40] Cindy: yes. I definitely, the world is really fucked up right now. And I think there's just a lot of unpredictability. Yeah. I do, I haven't figured out for me personally, if it's taking more work to get the same results, so to speak.
[00:06:57] Cindy: But I definitely [00:07:00] feel like a little bit of a caution or feel like I'm just.
[00:07:08] Cindy: if it hasn't been more work, I'm just like riding a tale of past things and that's at some point the other, okay, this, the other shoe will drop again. Yeah, I know. You got it. You got it.
[00:07:21] Speaker 2: Another thing we're both bad at, I just can't
[00:07:23] Cindy: say these phrases. so I feel like I'm just waiting, but also just.
[00:07:28] Cindy: Going to continue doing the things and showing up as best I can to make sure that things don't fall apart or get harder and all of that. But yeah, I definitely have, see again, it's weird, like with a lot of my clients, they're actually doing really well in their business still. But I, again, I don't know if that's just 'cause the nature of the work that we're doing or if it's just that there's a longer, period be before [00:08:00] it reaches us.
[00:08:01] Jess: yeah, and listen, I think you and I are both doing well in our business too, but at least for me, I also feel like I, I. I work really hard and I want a life really hard, if that makes sense. and there's certain things I notice when I don't do them, the life part suffers more than the professional thing.
[00:08:25] Jess: And so I, I think if anyone knows me,Consistency is on my low five. It's not one of my strengths, nor is staying focused, or any of these things that would probably make me a 10 x entrepreneur. But here we are. And so I just have a couple things, I think three things that I've been doing.
[00:08:44] Jess: I know you have a couple things and they, when I do them, they're really helpful and these are things I've just Came up with and experimented with. And so we just wanted to share our little tips and tricks because if you're someone like us who maybe your [00:09:00] business is rocking and a rolling, and you're feeling and moving and grooving, good.
[00:09:04] Jess: Awesome. This can maybe turn up the a little bit. Yeah. and if you're maybe not, because of distractions or fear or scarcity or whatever, maybe these can turn the dial way up. So yeah. Do you wanna go first or you want me to go first?
[00:09:22] Cindy: I'll go. sure. I'm happy to go first. Okay.n a roll.
[00:10:06] Cindy: I get into flow and things just happen so fast. And or some of that time I'll be like, peace said I'm taking a nap. but having the space so I go like hard for a week with meetings and then I do, a CEO week and that has been really helpful. It's taken me a few months to be able to have it consistent in my schedule because people are booking my time.
[00:10:36] Cindy: Sometimes months in advance, but, I'm trying to be really rigid with it. And it's making a big difference and I'm very excited about it.
[00:10:47] yeah. Yeah. everyone on this podcast knows what, how I feel about just space and time. I, am pre My biggest thing that I've seen make a difference in like leveling up in my business is doing CEO weeks every other week.
[00:09:36] Cindy: So now I only take meetings except for I have three standing client meetings every week, two or three. Aside from that, I only take meetings every other week and all the same week. So now I have huge chunks of time to plow through deep work, and that [00:10:00] has been insane. Like I just feel like I'm otty ruthless about it. so I think that's such a smart idea.
[00:10:58] Jess: And I know you do something, [00:11:00] even more rigorous during the summer months. I
[00:11:02] Cindy: used to take like months off this summer I'm launching. So I'm launching in July. and it's interesting Yeah, I'm not taking as much time off this summer. I have a couple day, like weeks here and there.
[00:11:16] Cindy: also have a lot of like fun work things. Like we have our retreat I just booked, I'm going to the IFC conference in the Netherlands. Oh, you are in October. Yeah. I know you've
[00:11:26] Jess: been going back and forth about that. Yeah. Yeah.
[00:11:28] Cindy: I have. I decided that it's worthwhile investing in like a European audience.
[00:11:34] Cindy: Yeah. Given what's going on in the world. so And we just got back, not just anymore, we had a big trip to Japan, so I feel like I have a little bit more flexibility, but I have blocked off big chunks of time in the summer to not have meetings. And this is the interesting thing. I have big business goals and I was just listening to Diary of A CEO, which I really enjoy his podcast.
[00:11:58] Cindy: And the woman, whose [00:12:00] name, I think her name is Nikki, It's like the most recent episode. She's like huge. She's one of the people at Skims. and she's saying if you want exceptional, it takes a lot of work. Wait, is it Nikki or are you talking about Emma? Emma, Nikki. I don't know
[00:12:18] Jess: either way.
[00:12:18] Jess: Are you, because I'm obsessed with her. If it's Emma, are
[00:12:21] Cindy: you listening to it or not yet? I haven't listened to that one.
[00:12:24] Jess: Okay. But she's one of my favorite, what do you call it, CEOs.
[00:12:28] Cindy: what's her name? Emma Gr. Yeah. I'm obsessed with her. I love it. And she's just like it, and this is okay. This is a totally different conversation, but I was really thinking about this.
[00:12:41] Cindy: She's like, if you want a decent, like a nice comfortable life with a lot of like. Balance and other things like that is doable. But if you want extraordinary results, it also takes an extraordinary amount of work.
[00:12:56] Cindy: And that really hit home because I think,[00:13:00] I don't know which I think I want extraordinary.
[00:13:02] Cindy: And so I think that it's. As I look at what I'm building in my business and trying to figure that out, it's not that I'm not gonna take time off and all of that kind of stuff, but just to take the summer off. To take the summer off is not. Necessarily, like I would actually rather do a big trip with my family than take summers off.
[00:13:25] Cindy: to me that's a more, so I want money and I wanna take the, seats with the leg room and the service and all that. That is what I want now more than I want the summers off. Yeah. So it's been a shift since I started doing this, or started. Since I've been working, and that's also my kids are older and things like that.
[00:13:48] Cindy: but yeah, so I'm not, I don't have a big chunk of time booked off,
[00:13:53] Jess: but I think what you're like, what you're really saying, and I, this is the part I hope people like take away and listen, is [00:14:00] it's really difficult to move the needle when you're in motherfucking meetings all day long.
[00:14:05] Jess: Exactly.
[00:14:06] Cindy: Exactly. Like
[00:14:07] Jess: I can't, no one can and Even when you're at the beginning and you're really doing that hustle and grind of networking, which I respect and understand, there's something about doing the work. Just doing the work, showing up. I'm a marketer and so I pay attention at a.
[00:14:28] Jess: Extra high level to just the power of repetition of people, and that's work that's showing up on LinkedIn, that's writing the emails, that's pitching yourself on podcasts, that's writing the blog, it's doing the whatevers. And that's really difficult things to do when you're on calls all day long.
[00:14:46] Jess: Yeah,
[00:14:47] Cindy: it's impossible unless you wanna be working mornings and evenings
[00:14:52] Cindy: All the time. I would much rather spend my time doing the work that is going to move the needles.
[00:14:59] Cindy: [00:15:00] Yeah. and my business right now is in a position where I don't need to be doing business development calls all the time. Yeah. Like I don't sell that way. it's not serving me or the people I'm talking to, and I have so many resources available for people who are like, curious about what I do.
[00:15:18] Cindy: I'm like, no, I don't. I don't. There will be a time where I'll make some more time for networking calls and stuff, but right now I'm really not doing a lot of that. That being said, I am investing in-person connections. So that is, if I'm gonna spend time connecting with people, I am going to show up at events.
[00:15:42] Cindy: That's why I booked the conference. that's why we're hosting an in-person thing. to me, that actually is way more productive. In terms of connections than like sitting on Zoom calls all day.
[00:15:55] Jess: Totally, a hundred percent.
[00:15:56] Jess: Okay. So one thing that I'm back on the [00:16:00] wagon about is what I call a screen detox.
[00:16:05] Jess: I can't remember who I learned this from, but. Basically how a screen detox works is, for the first 90 minutes of opening my eyes, I do not look at any screens, no screens whatsoever, and just to compare my past life when I'm off the wagon, I would hear my alarm, which goes off a little bit before I have to.
[00:16:30] Jess: Get the family ready and out the door for school. I would check my email, check my slack, open social, just to see if there was any over the night alarms, which like, I'm not curing cancer over here. I don't know what, like things I am responding to. I am a west coaster, so I do find that the world is very much hustling and bustling by the time I wake up, which is.
[00:16:53] Jess: Really annoying, but it is what it is. And I get to live in California. like for example on [00:17:00] LinkedIn, you need to be interacting with your post within a certain timeframe. I. And so that's usually about the time that I would open my eyes. but I've just stopped. And what it, the reason, the kind of crux of why all this happened?
[00:17:16] Jess: I, went to my functional medicine doctor a few weeks ago, ran blood and, sh surprise, just is adrenal fatigued. I literally have no cortisol. it's supposed to be at like 114 or something. Mine's at a six. And she's what girl?
[00:17:33] Cindy: Yeah. okay. Just got my blood work done. Now I'm super curious.
[00:17:36] Cindy: Yeah. You have to tell me, but I don't know if we did for that,
[00:17:38] Jess: I hope she did. 'cause it's really important.
[00:17:41] Speaker 2: Yeah.
[00:17:41] Jess: and so I'm trying to make these kind of lifestyle sh. Tweaks so that I can slowly but surely, like not be adrenal fatigued. so that's one of the things. I do a screen detox and I just find that it maintains my energy throughout the day.
[00:17:55] Jess: I don't know if anyone listening gets that two o'clock, three o'clock slump or maybe [00:18:00] crave a cookie or like afternoon coffee. I don't drink coffee, just that where you're like hitting the bottom of your chin, like eyes open. Yeah. That has really flattened out, since doing it.
[00:18:11] Jess: And it's not impossible to do. So that's one thing. Combined with that, I also don't drink any caffeine. For 90 minutes before waking up. And I drink it after I eat breakfast, which is difficult for me because I don't want to eat breakfast in the morning, like I'm not hungry. probably all tied together with my adrenals because I should be hungry.
[00:18:36] Jess: It's been over 12 hours since I've eaten. so yes, so it's the 90 minute cleanse. It is no screens, no caffeine food before caffeine. And I think it just. Flatlines me a bit in a good way, and so that's awesome. Something for folks to maybe consider if you have been like on your [00:19:00] phone, like an IV drip from the moment your eyes open and then you follow that up with a cup of calf coffee, maybe give it a try.
[00:19:07] Jess: Yeah,
[00:19:08] Cindy: give it a try. I love that. I've, I have not been, doing that, but I have been like ignoring emails more and messages like I will. I just am not rushing to respond.
[00:19:20] Jess: yeah. someone said this on a podcast and it really hit home for me. They were like, it's like when you open your phone, you're in opening a door to the whole world.
[00:19:31] Jess: The moment you open your eyes and as someone that's become really protective of my time, like you literally just heard me say you have to be like the Queen of England to get it on a call with me. The fact that I'm not doing that on my phone is. Bonkers. Yeah, it's bonkers. Yeah. And so when I heard it that way, I was like, Nope.
[00:19:51] Jess: Shut the door. Done. Done. No one gets my attention for 90 minutes, period. I love that. I love [00:20:00] that.
[00:20:01] Cindy: cool.
[00:20:02]
[00:20:06] Cindy: I was telling you this before we hit record. I got an office outside of my house,I am very guilty of getting deep into the flow of work and not doing much else.
[00:20:20] Cindy: Space, most of the work week, I feel like my life is at my desk and then driving the kids to soccer and then coming home. sometimes I don't leave the house or if I leave the house, the only reason I leave the house is to take the kids to soccer. I do not think that is healthy.
[00:20:39] Cindy: I don't think it makes for. Good work either and it's just not healthy, period. So I have, an office now that I rent, it's like a 10, 12 minute walk from my house, which is Oh, amazing. Perfect. 'cause it means I'm walking, it's not like a drive or anything like that. And my commitment is to [00:21:00] go once or twice a week and just.
[00:21:03] Cindy: Work there and then come home. It's hard. My son likes when he, he prefers if I'm home when he gets home from school, which is at three o'clock. So sometimes I just come home early, but it doesn't matter. Getting out, walking, all of that has been really, really good for me and I just feel like an actual human being.
[00:21:23] Cindy: and not a robot. that's like work soccer. Work soccer, yeah. Groundhogs Day. Yeah, exactly. So I think that's been really helpful. and it's fun. We, my sister shares it with me, so she uses it on some days and we decorated it and it's really cute and nice. Yeah, it's nice. I enjoy being able to get outta the house and having somewhere to go.
[00:21:46] Cindy: and I do think it helps me, like I said, just Human helps me. Yeah. Helps me human. So that's not really, yeah, that's important.
[00:21:56] Jess: Yeah. I could stay in my house forever and never leave and be [00:22:00] happier than a clam. so I respect that. 'cause Brad's just like that too. the
[00:22:05] Cindy: thing is, I'm happy not to leave.
[00:22:07] Cindy: And like some weekends I'm just like,do. Why do we have to go anywhere? I just don't think it's healthy. I think all weekend, all week, like just not leaving the house is not good for people. yeah, I, it's so easy for me to stay put.
[00:22:22] Jess: yeah. yeah, I do my long walks, so I am leaving and I have Billy boy who requires a lot of that, so yeah.
[00:22:29] Jess: I, but I get it. I get it. and I just think sometimes it is like fun or nice to change it up. Even over the weekend, I, my. Friends told us about a coffee shop. It's, and we went, it's tucked away. So you wouldn't not just find it and it's so cute and so good. And I was like, oh my gosh, I should come work here someday.
[00:22:49] Jess: is it in your community? You the cutest community? It's, and it's, it's right by where you were walking that one day and it's. So freaking cute. it's new and they've got [00:23:00] good iced tea. Also, I feel like sometimes when you get outside, and or walk to somewhere, you just discover new stuff.
[00:23:09] Jess: Like last week I. Was in a yes mood. And so like a friend was like, Hey, I'm around the corner from you. You wanna grab like a quick whatever. And I did. And I literally tried like the best chicken caar wrap of my life. And now I know about this chicken caar wrap. I would be deprived of it if I didn't.
[00:23:26] Jess: So you never know what's in your future
[00:23:29] Cindy: Exactly. And. One of the things I realize I miss a lot is, my neighborhood,
[00:23:36] Jess: And yours are so cute.
[00:23:38] Cindy: Yeah. I live in the, a walkable community where and because I literally live a block from my kids' school and stuff like that, like we know people, we walk down the street and run into people.
[00:23:49] Cindy: It's like a small town in a big city. Yeah. And so I. Don't get that if I just stay at home all the time. Yeah. And like today, my, [00:24:00] so this is like my sister's kids go to the same school as my kids. She lives pretty close to me, so she dropped her kids off at school, stopped by my place, we walked along Queens.
[00:24:09] Cindy: Street, which is, this is like the main street near us on the way to my office where she dropped me off when she went home. But like on the way we ran into another person and passed by the cute little shops and I was like, this is a neighborhood. And if I don't Yeah. Leave the house. I don't get this.
[00:24:27] Cindy: this is totally why we live where we live.
[00:24:29] Jess: Yeah. So to be a part of your community. Yeah. I love that. I love that for you. yeah. I wonder if I'll get to see it when I come to Toronto.
[00:24:35] Cindy: Yeah, we should do, oh my, we have to plan like extra outside of the agenda, activities as well. Activities.
[00:24:45] Jess: okay.
[00:24:45] Jess: I've got two more things on my list.
[00:24:47] Jess: so I just mentioned this, but I'm a big walker. Big on the walking. we have a dog, his name is Billy. He's an old man now, but before he turned old over the last [00:25:00] two years, this dog required like 90 minutes of walking at a minimum each day. When honestly I looked back at the pandemic 'cause there was nothing else to do.
[00:25:09] Jess: So I was like, I guess we'll go for a walk again. I was in like such good shape because I would just take. Live in the stroller, Billy on a walk and we would just walk town. But anyways, as I get older, I'm 40 now and you have to pay attention to some stuff. I've incorporated a weighted vest and I was just gonna ask about that.
[00:25:31] Jess: Yeah, it was a little bit of an adjustment just because I don't know, whatever this is called, your traps or something, I don't know, whatever that muscle's called, like took some getting used to, but I am nothing if not efficient, and so I do my long walks. While I was playing beach volleyball or like I do 'em around my neighborhood, I put on my weighted vest.
[00:25:50] Jess: I listen to a podcast and the only reason why I'm sharing this, it's not like any of this is groundbreaking, but like I, I'm literally clicking off so [00:26:00] many boxes at one time and I find especially, when I walk. Along the coast, along the water where I live, I just get more inspiration around my business than like any other time, more than driving, more than time in the shower, whatever.
[00:26:18] Jess: and so what I'll do is I'll like. Pause on the sidewalk, open a note, write down my thought, and then go back to walking. And then I'll literally have a week or two weeks worth of content ideas just from doing that walk. And so when I think about productivity in my business, and like for example, if I was to be like, what are 12 content I do is like with me sitting at my desk just trying to come up with them, it would never work.
[00:26:46] Jess: But every single time I do it on a walk. They flow outta me. So yeah, this is like awesome because I am moving my body. I'm getting some vitamin D, also something I'm [00:27:00] deficient in. I'm like, have a little, weight on me and I get business ideas like check. All the things. All the things.
[00:27:10] Jess: All the things. Yeah. Yeah. So good. So just, if anyone out there has been curious about a weighted vest.
[00:27:16] Cindy: I would, I would get one. I've been curious about a weighted vest. 'cause my family has a history of like bone density problems and so I am, like, I've been lifting weights and all that, but I also just got a walking pad from my desk.
[00:27:31] Cindy: Yeah. And so I'm trying to walk at least slow walk. It's like barely moving, but it's still better than sitting, on like at least an hour every day that I'm at my home office. And. I've been thinking about a weighted vest for it as well. So when you lift
[00:27:47] Jess: weights,
[00:27:47] Cindy: how much do you lift?
[00:27:48] Jess: Depends, and I depends.
[00:27:49] Jess: Apologize. Anyone can hear really. Whiny depends.
[00:27:51] Cindy: No. it depends on the exercise and it depends on the day. I definitely find, like some days, oh, I just, I, it's like a win if I'm just at the gym [00:28:00] and then other days I will really push myself to. Like where I cannot get in any more reps in the time that I have lot, I go to a gym that has a program.
[00:28:12] Cindy: Okay. but are you doing 30 pounds? 20 pounds, like in a, it depends on the exercise. So like the, I'm doing the highest, I don't know. color, is it like Pilates with three pounds of weight? no. It's so if I'm doing like a. So I think it's in kilograms that I'm doing so
[00:28:28] Jess: oh, okay.
[00:28:28] Jess: I
[00:28:29] Cindy: actually don't even know what that amounts to, but I would say like a bicep curls, maybe five kilograms each side. Okay. I don't know what that is. Yeah, me neither. Someone listening can Google that. But like the upper body is much weaker than my lower body. Yeah. So if I'm doing like a deadlift, like it might, I don't even know because honestly I see the colors of the weights on the. Yeah. I dunno what the equipment's called. The bar with the barbell barbells. Is that the big one? [00:29:00] Dumbbells is small. I know what you're talking ones barbells are the big ones, I think. so I just, I don't pay attention to am I increasing a little bit all the time?
[00:29:08] Cindy: I really just look at like, how do I feel and am I pushing myself? Yeah. and so that's what I pay attention to, but it's heavy. I my, like most of the reps that we do are like. 30 to 40 seconds and by the time the 40 seconds hits, I should feel tired. Like I can't do that many more. Whereas lightweights, you could just keep going forever.
[00:29:33] Cindy: We also, this is such a random conversation, we also, the reason why I was asking is because
[00:29:37] Jess: I just said to Brad the other day. I am never going to go to the gym and do whatever you just talked about. I'm not, no, you know what? I would do it at home. I would like if I had 20 pound, like I, that's why I'm asking what's the weight?
[00:29:48] Jess: Yeah. I would do a circuit at my house.
[00:29:52] Speaker 2: Yeah.
[00:29:52] Jess: And but I have, before I had my weighted vest, I have those like ball,yeah.
[00:29:57] Cindy: I have those two. The wrist weights. Yeah. Or
[00:29:59] Jess: ankle [00:30:00] one. Yeah. but I
[00:30:00] Cindy: think
[00:30:01] Jess: they're like. Three pounds or five. Yeah, those are like, there's totally, which is like appropriate for when you're walking again because you don't wanna be like lugging 30 pound ankle weights on you and would destroy your knees.
[00:30:13] Jess: But I was just asking him that question, which is why I was asking you that question.
[00:30:18] Cindy: So this, if you are starting, I would start with. You still need some lightweights, like even three to five pounds because like for me, my should any, this is the most random conversation. My shoulders are very, weak. And so like some of the exercises for the shoulders, I'm like three, no, three to five kilograms, not pounds.
[00:30:41] Cindy: but other weights, like I would go up to 2025. So it depends. Again, like I, if you're doing it at home, you'd need a pretty good range. I think my, I like the gym A 'cause we don't, I don't need equipment. [00:31:00] and B they tell me what to do every time. I don't have to think about that. Yeah. But we also, I was gonna say, we got a.
[00:31:09] Cindy: pull up bar that we put in the house. and my goal is to train myself to do a pull up. Yeah. So again, we were listening to diary of CEO and they were talking about aging and your, like last decade. and some of the predictors or some of the predictors of health. And apparently grip strength is one of them.
[00:31:31] Cindy: Yeah. Grip strength
[00:31:31] Jess: is one of them. Yeah. And
[00:31:33] Cindy: yeah. And I cannot hold myself up. I can't hang from the bar for more than five seconds, right? My, my grip strength is really weak,I'm working on that. but
[00:31:44] Jess: again, to tie this together, if you don't have your physical body strength, no, seriously.
[00:31:48] Jess: If you don't have it. Or hormonal strength or any of these things like you're not gonna be able to be good at your business.
[00:31:56] Cindy: Yeah. And also like how the longevity of [00:32:00] our working lives. Totally. I also think about sitting at my desk again, not leaving the house is so bad for my health. It's so bad for my like strength and my posture and all of that is going to catch up with me and I don't know what to wait.
[00:32:15] Cindy: When I wanna retire, but I want the option to keep going. or when
[00:32:19] Jess: you retire, to be able to move still
[00:32:21] Cindy: Yeah. And still do the fun things. Yeah, exactly. So that's been really present in our lives recently. just thinking about that and how we prepare, I heard, there's one woman I follow online and she talks about like, when you're young, you like exercise to look a certain way.
[00:32:38] Cindy: And now. I'm 45 this year. So now we exercise to age well and to be strong. Totally. Yeah. And when my kid complains about me going to the gym in the morning, 'cause he never wants me to leave him at all, even though he's 10 years old, that's a whole other story. Hess like, do you have to go to the gym? I'm like, do you want me to be strong?
[00:32:59] Cindy: And he's [00:33:00] yes. Because he sees with my in-laws both have Parkinson's and he sees that when, that they just. Can't do things. Totally. now I can't prevent necessarily something like that, but at least I'm gonna hedge my bets.
[00:33:15] Jess: totally. It's the most random
[00:33:16] Cindy: conversation.
[00:33:17] Jess: It's all connected.
[00:33:18] Jess: Okay. I have, let me see, I wrote them down so I didn't forget. Okay. I have one more thing. Yeah. just because I know we're all tethered to our phone, we're all addicted to our phone. We are. And I. Already have undiagnosed A-D-D-A-D-H-D, I'm sure of it. and I am like a squirrel. It's really bad.
[00:33:41] Jess: And it's tough, right? Because both my work and some of my clients work happens on apps, like On phones. and I bought a little tool to help. now it's new, but it's called Brick. You can Google it. I got, an Instagram ad for it. The [00:34:00] irony. I know. and it's basically this little brick, it's this gray little brick and it looks like I'm showing just it's like a gray.
[00:34:09] Jess: Yeah,
[00:34:10] Cindy: it looks like almost,those. square tap payment thing. Yeah. It looks like that size for anyone. Yes. No one can see this video 'cause we don't publish the videos anymore. No, but it's like a little card reader. Tap card reader from the brand square.
[00:34:26] Jess: Yes. Yeah. And to summarize how it works is you essentially put all of your apps.
[00:34:32] Jess: In the brick, I'm using air quotes in the brick, and so it only allows your phone to access the apps if the brick is near your phone. So for example, what I'll do some days is I will go put this magnetized to my downstairs refrigerator, which is too far of a distance. So even if I go and. try and do squirrel.
[00:34:51] Jess: I'm gonna check the thing. It won't let me yeahinteresting. And it's justing. That kind of reminder to be like, do you really need to be on that app right now? Yeah. no, you probably [00:35:00] are just looking for a dopamine hit. And the it is just how we're like. Creatures of habit, the less you do it, the easier it becomes.
[00:35:11] Jess: And a hundred
[00:35:12] Cindy: percent
[00:35:12] Jess: I just needed like a bit of a babysitter, a bit of a prison guard, like a bit of a blocker for me because I wasn't self controlling myself. another thing that I'll do sometimes is just quite literally turn my phone off and it's scary how many times I'll go to tap my phone.
[00:35:32] Jess: And be like, oh my gosh, it's off because again, you're not supposed to be on your phone. And yeah, so those are just two little hacks. Brick. This is not an ad at all, but it's getting, I like that job done. I've also, heard for any parents out there who have kids with phones, so really like this idea.
[00:35:53] Jess: Yeah, I was talking to a client, her, eldest son is like 12 or 13, and he's type one diabetic, so he has to [00:36:00] have, a phone, which is an iPhone like with him at all times. But she's I would've never given him a phone with iPhone level capabilities at 13 with apps or whatever he does. It's just really difficult to monitor, especially because as they get more in the teenagers, like they're not just home all the time, they're out and social and doing sports and stuff.
[00:36:23] Jess: And so the brick thing is something she's trying, because again, it's, she's I'm not trying to make him have no access to apps, but he definitely could do less of them. Yeah. and so they, they've been trying it for that too.
[00:36:36] Cindy: Cool.
[00:36:37] Jess: Yeah,
[00:36:37] Cindy: I love it. I don't think I have any other hacks. Okay. this will, a good full episode.
[00:36:43] Cindy: This,
[00:36:45] Jess: if you have any hacks, something we'd love to hear. Yeah, I let us know. I know I'm all about the hacks right now. All of them, although, oh, I'll give one more that okay. Maybe isn't even that like again, groundbreaking, but I know your kids [00:37:00] are a bit older. and you, I feel like you've maybe like just graduated from this phase.
[00:37:04] Jess: I can't wait. so I hate summer. I hate the childcare of summer.
[00:37:09] Cindy: Oh God. Yeah.
[00:37:10] Jess: It is. your
[00:37:11] Cindy: situation's strange there with I don't know, it's just also where I grew up.
[00:37:16] Jess: We don't like Oh, sleep away Camps like aren't the culture. Yeah. And it's just, it's also the season before my really busy season, making it just as busy, if not busier.
[00:37:29] Jess: Plus you throw in the travel, plus you throw in the lack of childcare. We don't have a situation where we have like family support or anything like that. Yeah. Not that I would even ask my. In-laws are, my own parents, yes, but my in-laws, no, only because they're not my own parents and I feel bad.
[00:37:47] Jess: Anyways, this summer I was just trying to do the dance of the camps and the this, and of course all the camps my daughter wants to do are these bullshit, like two and a half hours, like unhelpful, whatever. What?
[00:37:58] Cindy: What? [00:38:00] No, just
[00:38:00] Jess: a
[00:38:01] Cindy: camp.
[00:38:01] Jess: It's not a camp. And so I just said. I can put money towards this problem and I've hired a babysitter.
[00:38:10] Jess: I have hired a college student. She just got done with finals. She just got home. She's a recommendation and she's gonna be my daughter's best friend. And we're already building like a goal sheet. Everything from learning how to french braid hair, to learn how to like make certain types of bracelets.
[00:38:29] Jess: She's gonna be on her gym membership so they can go to the pool every day. We also live by the beach. Liv has some camps, but like especially for those stupid two, three hour camps, she will drive, I don't care what she does for a couple hours and then she'll pick Liv up and do whatever.
[00:38:45] Cindy: Yeah.
[00:38:46] Jess: And on the weeks that Liv has full days, she's gonna be like my assistant.
[00:38:50] Jess: So whether it's like I've have had these. Boxes that need to be returned to Amazon or go to the post office. Oh yeah, girlfriend's gonna own up this is, or [00:39:00] the grocery store. Great hack.
[00:39:02] Cindy: Hire the shit out. oh yes, yeah.
[00:39:04] Jess: Yes, for sure. I'm just like, I can pay to solve this problem. Yeah. And I'm going to, yeah.
[00:39:11] Jess: I love that. I love, love, love that. It makes my shoulders just go like this. And she literally just text me today and she's I'm home. And I'm like, thank you. Come on over,
[00:39:20] Cindy: Sarah. I love that. Yeah. No, we're beyond that with the kids now. But it like, hi. Yeah. hire someone or find shortcuts.
[00:39:32] Cindy: I get like salads delivered to my house. Every week. So I have like at least three salad lunches and I feel as I said earlier, the kitchen is not my fun place. So I'm like, great, I have it, it's easy. I don't have to think about it. So I'm all for hiring things out.
[00:39:51] Jess: Yeah.
[00:39:51] Cindy: Yeah.
[00:39:52] Jess: I think.
[00:39:53] Jess: When I was like doing the math of my time, more time versus hers, I was like, this is [00:40:00] an actual no-brainer. Yeah. and it just really took the pressure off. yeah. I love that. All. I wanna wrap. I think we're done. We really are done. I
[00:40:08] Cindy: just wanna wrap by saying one thing, 'cause I've been thinking about this a lot as relates to a lot of the stuff we've been talking about, which is like.
[00:40:16] Cindy: There are a lot of things. There are a lot of things we can and should be doing, and like I think about this as I'm like, okay, I should be lifting weights. I should be taking this supplement, I should be doing that. I should be blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. We can't do all of it. And I think it's just very human to be like, start with one.
[00:40:39] Cindy: Start with one thing that you can do. Sometimes you'll like. You'll, I do this all the time. I'll listen to a podcast. I'm okay. This podcast is telling me again, diarrhea of a CEO. One guy's telling me grip strength. The other is telling me weighted vest. The other is telling me, da, da, da. I'm like, if I try to do all of those things, I'm not gonna [00:41:00] do any of those things.
[00:41:01] Cindy: And so pick something that feels. Meaningful to the challenges you are having right now or meaningful to the priorities you have right now. And do that well before you try and do all the other things. So that is just my final like thought on this topic is, there's a lot of advice, there's a lot of information, there's a lot of things we can do, but Take your time, don't you Like, you won't do any of it if you try to do all of it,
[00:41:34] Jess: so amen. Amen. All right.
[00:41:36] Cindy: With that, we'll see you all on the next episode and feel free, like I feel like we should do let us know what you want us to talk ramble about 'cause we are clearly we can. All right, we'll see y'all next time.
[00:41:51] Cindy: Bye.
[00:41:53] Thank you again for listening to the Confessions podcast for nonprofit coaches and [00:42:00] consultants. If you enjoyed today's episode, which I sure hope you did, you can show your support in one of three ways. Number one, post a screenshot of this episode to your Instagram stories or LinkedIn profile. And text Cindy, India and I so we can repost you.
[00:42:14] Number two, share this podcast with a fellow nonprofit coach or consultant. And number three, leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts so we can continue to grow and reach new listeners. And of course, make sure you subscribe so you can get the latest and greatest interviews as they drop. Every Thursday and to our fellow nonprofit coaching and consulting friends, remember we're an open book and here to answer your burning biz questions.
[00:42:39] See you next time.