Perfection Not Required: Growing an Online Business from the Inside Out
Perfection Not Required: Growing an Online Business from the Inside Out
Ep.17 Gail Keyes Allen: They Do Not Get to Dictate How Much Money You Make
You are highly compensated enough and we are not willing to pay you any more money.
That's what my guest, Gail Keyes Allen was told by her boss after dedicating 16 years to her employer's success. She's less than a year into her coaching business and brought in $50K in January alone.
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Okay, I have got Gail Allen out. Let me do this real quick. Is it Gail keys Allen or Gail Allen? I mean, I know you go. That's how you
Gail Keyes Allen:use Allen.
Jamie Stephens:Okay. All right. Hello and welcome back to another episode of Breaking up with corporate I have got Gail keys Allen here who is the fairy godmother of coaching. She is a life and business coach and Gail, why don't you introduce yourself and tell us how you got that title?
Gail Keyes Allen:Hi, everybody. Um, as you know, already, I'm Gail Keyes, Allen and yeah, life, business coach fairy godmother, I really got that. I gave myself that title. Because when I work with my clients, the transformations would feel like magic. And first, my transformation felt like magic. And I'm one that I follow. I follow divine instruction, divine inspiration, I call it and that's pretty much this, the voice inside that tells you to do something. And we usually try to talk ourselves out of it, because we think it doesn't make sense. But I didn't talk myself out of it. So the thought was that we're creating magic up in here. And so I just thought about, let me just get a wand. And then I started sending my clients wants and so even when I teach, I use my one, like one of my clients, I just love when you tap on that whiteboard.
Jamie Stephens:I love that. And then like,
Gail Keyes Allen:I was gonna say, like, glitter, like I'm all about everything glitter. And I wasn't before this, I was so corporate, but I have my my bleach water bottle. i Oh, also, I bought some like platform sparkly shoes, for a photoshoot. So I'm all about it.
Jamie Stephens:I love it. Tell me about some of the magic that you're creating and that your clients are creating.
Gail Keyes Allen:Like one, the first thing that comes to my mind is my clients. She's so serious about her business and work. And one day I just said to her, you know, it can be fun. And she like her eyes got really big. And she's like, really? And I said, Yes, it can be fun, because we're not told that on our jobs, but it's our business and we get to run it however we want. And I've seen people like some of my clients didn't believe they could ever leave corporate, like I didn't believe I could, you know, we have these limiting beliefs. And one of my clients, I said she made a boss move, she went into her boss and said that the job no longer suited her. And she even recommended who they should replace her with. She was resigning. And they tried to give her a raise and promote her and get her to stay. And she's like, No, I'm ready to go. And all she knew was she wants to do voiceovers and had started studying and practicing doing voiceover. But she left and they paid her they paid her severance. And she quit. Oh, wow. That's a boss move. Because we don't think that's possible, right? Like that you quit your job. And they give you severance.
Jamie Stephens:Yeah.
Gail Keyes Allen:We wouldn't think that. So that's why not. That happens with my clients.
Jamie Stephens:That's awesome. So tell me what was your corporate background?
Gail Keyes Allen:Oh, what happened degree in economics. And so for a long time, I did different things. I worked in the medical like administrative medical field in a hospital and work from BlueCross BlueShield, that kind of thing. And then I switched over to just general corporate job, but I ended up in a law firm. Actually, I had worked in two different law firms. One of my only work there a year but the last one I worked there 16 years. And it was just so it was a blessing to me when I got the job because I had just I was in the process of going through a divorce. And it paid it paid well. And I was becoming a single mom, I have a daughter. So I took it because I could pay the bills with it. And while I was there, I literally doubled my salary over the 16 years, which is such a blessing. But it was never me. Like even though I haven't, I only got a degree in economics because I haven't really always wanted to be an entrepreneur. But when I went to college, that wasn't a thing that you could study. So it was kind of like well, economics and business was different. As I could get to it, so all 16 years I've worked with the same law firm. And it's kind of funny, because when I first went there that the Office suite was shaped kind of like a u. So when I first went there, I started out on the right side of the offices, and I had a window in a smaller office, then they moved me around kind of little near the attorneys to a bigger office with a bigger with two windows. Well, then we gave up some of our space because some they were they were downsizing. So then they moved me all the way to the opposite end by the exit door. And I joked with a couple of the attorneys and said, looks like my next move is out the door. And he's like, No, okay. Oh, why would you say that? And I really, at that time had no thoughts of leaving. But I was right, because my neck was out the door.
Jamie Stephens:That's, I mean, it comes full circle, right? I mean, it's just like, okay, like, my time here is done.
Gail Keyes Allen:There's nowhere else to move me but out. So when
Jamie Stephens:you left, whenever you made that move, what did you go to?
Gail Keyes Allen:Well, I want to talk about the way I left a little bit first, sure, sure. very eye opening. About a year and a half before I left, almost almost two years before I left, I lost hearing in one ear is called sudden hearing loss, I had an allergic reaction, my blood pressure Shut up, and I lost hearing in one ear. Fortunately, I have gotten a lot of my hearing back, but it was pretty crazy. So when I was out, my manager kept trying to talk me into going on disability. And I was like, No, I'm not disabled, I'm not going on disability. But once I came back to where I was off for four months, I came back to work. And then when it was raised time, they handed me because I did the payroll. So they handed me a spreadsheet to update everybody's raises for the next year, which was normal. I look at it and it said for me zero raise, which I always every single year gotten a raise, it says zero raise, and $1,000 Bonus, and my bonus the year before was 4000. So, but nobody spoke to me, nobody said anything. They just gave me the spreadsheet to update. Anyway, I was very shocked. But I What could I do but be professional and you know, do my job. Well, the next day, the head partner asked me to come to his office and apologize for not speaking to me in advance and told me that the attorneys, the partners decided they have a management committee that runs the firm, that they said, You are highly compensated enough, and we are not willing to pay you any more money. Oh, damn. And exactly.
Jamie Stephens:I thought that's like a gauntlet.
Gail Keyes Allen:And I said to him, I said, Are you unhappy with my work? Is it because I was out sick? And he said, Oh, no, no, no, we're very happy with your work. It has nothing to do with you being sick. We just don't want to pay you any more money. I said, I understand that. But I don't think I'm going to stay somewhere. That's I'm never going to get an raise again. And I mean, it was respectful conversation. It wasn't like heated or anything. I just, at effect, went back to my office and sat down. And I swear it was like God said to me, they do not get to dictate how much money you make. Like, I wouldn't have thought that thought on my own. It had to be fine. Because before that I didn't think in that way I thought I had to get another job. I had to stay within the pay scale and all things that we believe. And after that I just started looking for ways to leave. I just started looking for opportunities, what was I going to do, and ended up getting certified as a life coach and started building my business while I was still on the job. And so how I ended up leaving, I wanted to leave, I actually had hired a coach to help me manage my mind around leaving because I had a lot of limiting beliefs about it was impossible even though I wanted it I really couldn't see it financially. And so the pandemic is happening. And one day my boss says to me, I'm changing your hours. And I'm like, You're changing my hours and she said yeah, I want you to come start coming back to the office because I was working from home. And so I would finish work at four and log off the software for my and log on to zoom and start meeting my clients at four. And she said, I want you to start coming back in the office, and I want you to work nine to 530. Your hours aren't working for me anymore. So there was no conversation. I've been there for 16 years. We had worked together for 15 years and got along great. But she just like, dropped that bomb on me. And she was getting ready to go on vacation. Like that was a Friday afternoon, and she was getting ready to go on vacation. So I said to her, I need I was so shocked. I was just like, I need to see how I can rearrange things. I'll talk to you when you get back. But when, like I had the weekend, and it was just like, I felt like the choice was me or the job. Like, I literally looked at my hands and I'm like, it's them or you, them or you. And I just decided I was going to quit. I didn't know how I was going to make it happen. But I just decided I was going to quit. And when she came back, I told her, she cried. She was shocked. They were all shocked. The attorneys were pissed off, they didn't even speak to me my last two weeks. So that's how I ended up leaving isn't that
Jamie Stephens:just like the icing on the cake to where it's just like, I've been very clear about what I need and what the you know, I mean, it's just like, I don't know why there's any shock here shock that I stood up for myself shock that I chose myself over. I mean, oh, I get that.
Gail Keyes Allen:But some people would have been too afraid to leave, you know, some people would have thought that they had to quit their business and they had to change their hours. But I just knew I couldn't let them control my life like that, no matter what. So and this is for all the people that are still in their job and can't see the way I refinance my mortgage and took some money out. People do it all the time to send their kids to college to to fix up their house, redo their kitchen and their bathrooms and all the things. Well, I did it to invest in my future. And I don't regret it at all, at all, I still have plenty of equity in my house. And that's really what I did, because I didn't have a lot in savings. And I didn't know, you know how I was going to make it happen. And it's just been an interesting, fun ride.
Jamie Stephens:Talk about a boss move. It's like throwing it down. I love it. I love the just the I will figure it out like I when investing in me. So tell me kind of what that looked like once you had left your job. And you still had I'm assuming your client roster wasn't full since you were still balancing a full time job. But how did you go about building that up and replacing that income?
Gail Keyes Allen:Yeah, I had, I think at that time about five clients, maybe I'm so I'm very creative. And I just have a sharp mind. So I decided I was going to create a group course, like six months course to take people through and charge$1,500, which is such a little bit of money, but I was like, that's what I'm gonna charge. I really want to help people and I ended up making 18,000 around that that month anyway, I can't remember the whole math, I might have gotten a client or something a payment from a client or something. But I made around 18,000 that month. And so I was like, okay, I can do this. And then like the next month, I got another client and at the time, my six month one on one fee was 5000 which is pretty on the lower side for one on one coaching. And one of my mentor said to me, Gail, you're excellent coach, you need to double your rates. And I mean, I I've paid people more than what I charged, but I was like, scared and I was saying to myself a No way. Who's gonna pay me 10k Well, now, plenty of people pay me 10k. So it's so interesting, like, our beliefs, how we think we can't do something and once and I'm not I know I've like glossed over it like it was this easy thing, right? I call I call it mind drama. I had a whole lot of mind traveling a lot. Yeah, but the next console that I did, I didn't even pick a date. I just was like sitting with the idea of charging 10k And the next console I did, and she asked me how much it costs. And I just said 10,000? And she said, Okay,
Jamie Stephens:do you want to just like, throw up as soon as it came around?
Gail Keyes Allen:Yes. But she didn't even like flinch. And I'm like, Oh, my God, here I was, you were
Jamie Stephens:ready. And you had done the work to sit with that. I mean, that's what people I want people to understand as you don't go from five to like, you don't just double your prices and expect people to pay you unless you've done the internal work to reach that level of receiving. Because there I mean, talk about some of the mind drama that you had, like that came up?
Gail Keyes Allen:Well, I do thought work. So for those of you that might not know what thought work is, it's like, I without going into a lot of details, recognize my limiting beliefs, or work with my coach to identify my limiting beliefs, question them, and then turn them around, which it's painful, it's like mentally painful, because your whole life you believe certain things. And then all of a sudden, you look at it from a different perspective, and you realize that the way you were looking at it wasn't necessarily the way it is. So I do that work with myself all the time. And I like mentally, it's hard to just jump, like take a big leap to something totally different than what you believe or what you are ready to receive when it comes to money. So I have a sticky note still on my computer that one of my mentors said, every call with to remind myself every call with me is worth 10k. So my clients are getting a steal. So I constantly remind myself, that my clients are getting a steal, every call with me is worth 10k. So why wouldn't they pay 10k for six months, because their lives are totally transformed. But when I was in that corporate job, I started out charging 3k When I first finished Life Coach School, I was scared to charge that. So we grow incrementally. It's not. You know, it's not like one day you believe one thing and the next day you believe something else? It's like, No, you come to this realization or a desire, because I believe in following your desires. And you're gonna feel like throwing up I see doesn't make you want to put in your pants, then it's not big enough dream or goal. Like, you know, like that nervous, like super nervous, like, Oh, my God, I'm gonna throw up or I need to find the next bath. Yeah, it has to it to me anyway. I believe in pushing myself in my thoughts. Because you got to think it before you ever see it. So if I want to charge 10k, I started to say 15 That's gonna be my next claim it right? If I want to charge 10k I have to for me, I have conversation with myself, I journal, I think new thoughts, I look at other people that are charging that and see how they what beliefs they have and model, like my mentors. And, and I say borrow beliefs. So like if I hear my mentor like the woman, I went to the Life Coach School for my surf vacation and the woman that runs the school, I think last year she made like 47 million or something like that. Crazy, right? Yeah. But I would look at that and say, well, she's no different than me. She doesn't like she started out just like I did with zero followers. With zero clients. She just did the work. So if I learned from her, and she's telling me how to do it, I, I don't really aspire to 47 million like that, that really excite me. I really want to make a difference in the world that excites me more than 4750 100 for her goals 100 million a year. That just really blows my mind. But it's not only about the money, it's about who you become in the process. And so I just keep claiming who my future self is, and thinking the thoughts that she would think and practicing them. And this is how I teach my clients. What time does she get up in the morning? How does she spend her day? What time does she go to bed? How many clients does she have? Where does she go? On vacation, like we literally have to start doing those things before we get there, plan the trip, even if you don't know how you're going to pay for it, start the process, because it just, that's why I say it feels like magic. Because when you start the process, the universe starts moving. Like just reorganizing things in your favor, because you showed faith that it's possible. And that might sound a little woowoo to people, but I have experienced it so many times now. It still blows my mind.
Jamie Stephens:Yeah. So how, when did you adopt this way of life, this way of being this attitude? Like, was there like a catalyst that kind of set that off? Or how did you get into personal development and coaching and all of those things?
Gail Keyes Allen:Well, I've been like a personal development junkie, as long as I can remember, like, I, I probably was in my 20s. I don't, I don't even know because there's a woman named Louise Hay. She's deceased. Yeah.
Jamie Stephens:I'm familiar with all your
Gail Keyes Allen:life. And so, and I've had a lot of illnesses. So I had to find, like, a way to spiritually and mentally cope with my illnesses. And that's really how it started, like trying to manage my mind around what I was going through. And it just, it just snowballed. You know, and you discover one person, and then you discover another person and you read one book, and then it leads to another book, then you go to, like, I went to spiritual retreats, and meditation retreats, and I just, I'm a seeker, I just very curious. I say, I'm an information person, too. So, and a lot of your listeners, I'm sure they're this way, they get all the information, they know all the things. They read all the books, but then they don't take action. And so I knew all the things I could I know a whole lot about a lot of things. But I wasn't taking the action. And then when I maybe, maybe, I don't know, I can try to remember what it was maybe four years ago, something like that. Donald Trump was in office and I my office, where I worked was two blocks from the White House. And the DC had changed, the energy in the city had changed so much. And one day, I was walking towards my office. And I just started thinking about how brainwashed I felt like I was to like, just like I would watch people walking down the street and it was like everybody was like a robot. You know, the guys are wearing their khaki pants and blue shirts and women, you know, were in their sneakers and commuting and everybody was like, I don't know, I don't know if you know the movie The Stepford Wives, but it was like everybody was robotic. And the thought came to my mind, how can I, um, brainwash myself? Because I knew intellectually I was getting in my own way. But I didn't know what to do about it. I knew I had, like, done all the things I was told I should do, you know, be this nice person and be respectful. And, you know, I went to church, and don't curse and don't get high and don't get drunk and don't fornicating don't do you know, all the things. But I was doing like, I was like, this lady and trying to be perfect. But my life wasn't looking perfect. And I'm like, something not. So I looked, literally I Googled how to and brainwash yourself. Oh, wow, it, I did, because I knew I was I knew I was brainwashed because I couldn't. I was finding it. So no matter how much evidence I had, I still found it hard to believe that I could do more than what I was doing. Even though I knew intellectually I could, but to take the steps and like, step out and do those things. It was too much fear. So anyway, I Googled how to unbraid wash yourself. And the woman Brooke is still with the lake cook school. One of her podcast episodes came up about thought work, which I had never even heard of thought work. And I started listening to her podcast. And then she started talking about Coach certification. But even at that time, I kept telling myself, I couldn't justify spending that much money because she's not cheap. No, not at all. And at that time, she was probably maybe she was probably maybe around 10k at that time. I ended up paying Um, 18,000. But now she's like at 23, I think something like that. But her demand is
Jamie Stephens:whatever she wants,
Gail Keyes Allen:because the sales that she teaches are life changing. And so I kept listening to the podcast, and then she has a membership, I joined the membership. And then I decided I was getting coached a lot. So I know I'm making it sound simple, but it was really hard. And I got coached a lot about, I used to say, I can't justify spending that amount of money, I could, like, put more in my 401k or pay some bills or whatever. But the really transformative thing that I heard her say was that debt is neutral. And here, I'm an accountant. Debt is not neutral. Right? I hear her say debt is neutral. And believe me, it took me months to wrap my mind around that. And basically what what it means is, it's not right or wrong. It's not like, people go into debt, all the like big corporations are in the red all the time, like they have been massive debt of the country, we have trillions of dollars of debt. And nobody thinks anything of it, but our own personal debt, even if it's, you know, a couple 1000 They tell you, Oh, debt is terrible.
Jamie Stephens:I mean, there's such a story built up around what it means and what your worth is, if you have that. I mean, all of that, you know, and it's, it's like, no, this can be a conscious choice, like a tool, and nothing to have shame around. Yeah,
Gail Keyes Allen:that's what I learned to use it as a tool. And the amount of money I've made compared to how much I spend has been spent on my certification and coaches. I've made my money back two times or more. So even before I went through certification, I spoke to a woman that I knew went to school there about the cost, because I'm older. And I'm like, this age, you know, the whole age thing holding me back. And she said, again, there's no doubt in my mind, you're gonna make your money back. And I trusted her, and I really liked her. And I just decided to trust her and trust myself, that I could do this, but so that that's really how I started changing my whole mindset. And then I learned what's called the self coaching model, and started coaching myself. And I teach my clients how to coach themselves and manage their mind. And it all all starts with our thoughts, which I heard that, and your listeners are probably hearing me saying that and it doesn't make sense. Because people would say thoughts or things, thoughts or things and I was like, Okay, what the hell
Jamie Stephens:does this woowoo bullshit?
Gail Keyes Allen:When I when I watched the secret, I probably watched the secret like five times, and I'm like, What's the secret? Like, yeah, damn secret was, you know, and I'm like, Okay, how do I get from the thought to the thing? Like, it doesn't just materialize? Yeah, but what I learned was, you think it, like your thought leads to your feeling? And your feeling leads to an action? So if you're thinking, No way, can I spend like, I was thinking at first, no way, can I spend$18,000 On Life Coach certification? Well, if I'm thinking that, of course, I'm not going to spend, right, I'm thinking there's no way. But if I'm thinking, I'm going to make my money back, I'm going to spend this 18,000 And then I'm going to make my money back. So then what do you do? You've already decided you're making your money back. So you look for ways to make your money back. Yeah, that's exactly exactly what I did and exactly how it works. And it works in like so many different circumstances. It's just, that's why I say it's magic. It is, but it is it you know what I mean? It's magic, because people don't believe it's possible. But when you start to believe it's possible, and then you see it happen. It's great. Okay, I can't say it's not possible anymore.
Jamie Stephens:I love that. I mean, that's really kind of the point of this podcast is to bring all of those examples to like, look, no, no, look, no really look, you know, like there's women that are out of the corporate game that have chosen themselves that have stepped up to the plate that are you know, look all around you. These are just normal everyday ones. Then, with struggles with life with all of the things I mean, I know, you have not had an easy path to get here. And so what do you tell people? If they are like, well, you don't know my story?
Gail Keyes Allen:Well, I tell them a little bit about mine. Because like when I was this was about weight loss, but it's similar. So one day, this woman was saying to me, I can't lose weight, because I had my thyroid removed. And now I'm going through menopause. And I said to her, Well, I have my thyroid removed, too. And I had back surgery, and I've been through menopause, and I lost weight. So I just show them, you could give me all the excuses. I'm not going for it. I had a brain tumor. In one year, I had a brain tumor at a herniated disc and had to have back surgery. And I had my thyroid removed in exactly a year from March to the next March. And then in October, I think I found out my ex husband had another woman and affair. And I, I was just awful having a brain tumor. And I got it. I wasn't working because I was having seizures. And a lot of fortunately, it was not cancerous. So it was not malignant, which I'm really grateful. But um, I borrowed money from my father, so I could move and leave my husband and I got a job. And I started all over again at 49. Wow. Yeah, I have a daughter, and that my daughter and my grandson live with me. There's nobody else here paying the bills. But me. I mean, my daughter helps some, but I pay the mortgage, I pay my car note. I'm doing all the things with my business. Um, it blows my mind. literally blows my mind.
Jamie Stephens:So how long now? Have you been at your business? Like how long has it been since you left your job? Yeah,
Gail Keyes Allen:I left my May 21 2021.
Jamie Stephens:That's awesome. So not quite a year. And how is the the financial front? Like how are things going as far as replacing that income?
Gail Keyes Allen:The first year last year, when I was still working part of the year, I made around 80 89,080 80 close to 90,000. I mean, even saying that blows my mind. And, and in November and December, I barely made any money because I was sick. And I wasn't really promoting my business. I had bronchitis really bad like nebulizer machine and inhalers and steroids and all the things then I got a sinus infection. So I barely made any money. And then in January of this year, I made $50,000. And then this month, I've made 10,000. So this year, and we're almost in March, I've made 60,000 already. That's amazing. It's like so crazy. Like I posted a video on my Instagram about that I had made 50,000 in like 10 days, it was pretty cool. I don't know the exact dates, but it was 10 to 12 days, something like that. But I what I did. Well, anyway, I posted that right people were inboxing me asked me, was it legal?
Jamie Stephens:Here like do you think it'd be broadcasting it on social media? If it wasn't?
Gail Keyes Allen:Oh, good. Yes. They're asked me this legal? Yes, it was legal. And it wasn't even that hard. Really kind of I hate to say that, because it was probably harder managing my mind than actually making the money. Yeah, that makes sense. Managing my mind around making offers to people, like what I ended up doing was I did a free one week training. And my my price is 10k. Right. But I said I'm going to offer some scholarships, and give it to people at my own rate at 5k. And then I went to my clients, my current clients and said, If you think you want to re up with me, you should do it. Now. I'll give it to you for the 5k. And so some of my clients react. Some new people signed up and then I had a deadline. There were there was like one or two people that signed up at the 10k rate. So that's how I did it. I was like it wasn't planned. It was like people were messaging me like what's your strategy? Like, I really didn't have a strategy, I just I love doing the free trainings, it's a lot of fun. And people get a lot out of it. So I had never done it for a week before. And I just said, again, uncomfortable, you got to get uncomfortable. I was nervous every day, my stomach was hurting, but I still did it. And I made it look easy. And I gave a lot of value. And people wanted to work with me,
Jamie Stephens:or those live on like Facebook or Instagram, or it was
Gail Keyes Allen:on Zoo. On Tim. Gotcha. Yeah, one hour zoom sessions. And so then I did another training in February, I didn't even I didn't even make offer. And then one, one person so far has hired me, but I didn't even make an offer. I just did it. So now I'm creating an intensive experience for people that builds on what the free training was in February, and I will be selling that off. But I was like, just literally sitting. Like I make myself sit with the discomfort. Because the more you sit with the discomfort, the less it starts to affect you. And so you can start to like raise your vibration higher. Because the discomfort starts to be normal. So I hope that makes sense. Yeah. So it's like, I wasn't feeling like, Oh, I got to make another 50k this month. I just was like, You know what I'm gonna sit with not knowing where the money's coming from. Most people are not willing to do that. And I've been practicing that, because it comes from unknown places, too. And I don't even want to begin to think that I can control where the money comes from all the time. Like, I can have some effect because I have to show up and sell. But I'm also open to money coming from unexpected places.
Jamie Stephens:I love that. I mean, why limit the universe with your limiting thoughts of where it has to come from? Right.
Gail Keyes Allen:Right. which I know sounds probably like crazy to some people because they're used to knowing where their paycheck is coming from, you know, the check is coming into week, right? Let me budget for that. But I don't know, it's kind of like, when you when you take this on, then you feel safe all the time. You don't need a paycheck to feel safe. Yeah, even as I talk about it, my stomach is like a little queasy. But the more I talk about it, and the more I live it, the more comfortable it becomes and the more expansive my beliefs are about how much money I could make. Yeah, that's, that's the only way I can explain it.
Jamie Stephens:So as you get more comfortable, have you noticed in your life, that there are other people that get less comfortable with you being who you are?
Gail Keyes Allen:Oh, my God. Why do you ask that question, but
Jamie Stephens:I can relate?
Gail Keyes Allen:Well, first of all, my best friend doesn't speak to me anymore. And we've been friends since I was 19. And I'm 65. So we have a long friendship. And it started with like her being like critical of my Facebook posts, and telling me I shouldn't be telling my business. Like, don't tell people how much money you made. Don't tell people whatever. And then it just got to, she just stopped talking to me. And when I would call her she'd be really mean to me. One day, I just was like, I'm not gonna call her anymore. But I did send her like a really sweet text. I'm my coach, I'm in a mastermind and my coach, the first day of our mastermind said, I want you to reach out to one person and just tell them, how much you appreciate them and what you appreciate about them. And I I did that she was the first person that came to my mind. And she didn't respond for a day. And then her response was a thumbs up.
Jamie Stephens:Yeah, I mean, that's, it's so not about you. I mean, I know that that's hard. And I know like, it takes a lot to get there. But you're just you're showing her something she doesn't want to see in herself. And that's hard.
Gail Keyes Allen:Another friend who's a coach, who we used to, like, coach each other every week, and she told me that the day okay, I did an interview with Kathy Heller on her Park. And I was added, I didn't even realize it was gonna be on the podcast. So I wake up February 1, and she has me on there for Black History Month. And I'm like, what? I was just so mind blown. And I'm sending like text to my friends. Like, check this out. I'm all excited. And basically, she asked me, could we talk until me she couldn't, like, talk to me right now that she can't hold space for me and listen to what's going on with me because she has too much going on with her and your coach. Not my coach. No.
Jamie Stephens:Oh, somebody you were like, Okay, gotcha.
Gail Keyes Allen:She's a coach, too. But we're peers. Yeah, gotcha.
Jamie Stephens:Gotcha. I was like, Cool.
Gail Keyes Allen:Got my coach, a coach friend.
Jamie Stephens:Yeah. But still, that's so hard, you know, but I literally
Gail Keyes Allen:cry. I do. Because I'm just shown up as my best self, like, I'm not doing anything to harm anybody. If anything, I'm out there helping so many people. And there are people that, that new people that have come into my life, that are just like, I am so proud of you what you've been able to accomplish. And, and I appreciate, I mean, I believe that God moves people out of the way. And you know, the people are in our life for a reason, a season and a lifetime. Like they say, and I just think with some people the season or the reason, you know, it was over. So, again, intellectually, I know all that. But
Jamie Stephens:yeah, yeah.
Gail Keyes Allen:It, but I'm not gonna stop.
Jamie Stephens:Well, yeah, I mean, all you can do is just continue showing up in integrity with yourself and shining your light. And maybe one day, they're not going to get burned by it, but can join you. You know, I mean, that's the best you can hope for. And if not, that's okay, too. Everybody's on their own path.
Gail Keyes Allen:But it is surprising because I'm sitting here thinking, they make more money than I do. Even my one friend, she's retired, she brings in more money than I'm making right now in a year. So I know that I'm going to be doubling tripling quadrupling, the amount of money I bring in, it's just a matter of time. But it's not like I'm flying on private planes and living in a mansion. I'm just still regular me, I just, you know, 50 50,000 a month is a blessing. But that 50,000 Part of it has to go to taxes. Oh shark is in savings, because I don't know when I'm gonna make another 50. So it is impressive. And it's a big thing. But it's not like 50k every month. You know, people hear that, and it is amazing. I'm definitely not trying to downplay it at all. But when it boils down to it, it's still somebody's salary. I mean, you know, I still got to pay taxes, I still have to do all the things everybody else is doing. So I'm just on a mission to show other people, specifically women, but what's possible? Yeah, because if I can do it, having had divorce and illness, and my daughter having the baby and then being here with me, and all the things, they can do it too. I lost my hearing in 2019. This is only 2022. And, and my life has dramatically changed, not because somebody gave it to me, not because it dropped in my lap. Because I worked hard for it. And it's anybody can do it. And I know that probably sounds cliche, too, but any anybody can do it.
Jamie Stephens:Yeah, I mean, it's it's just managing that thing between your ears. Well, you 24/7
Gail Keyes Allen:Right, you say just but that's yeah, that's all job. That's really, which blows my mind because people think it has to be the website and the strategy and the marketing and the branding. And this is the other thing. I teach people how to start a business without any of that. I didn't I still don't even focus on that. I'm like my brand colors. I don't even know what my brain I don't have time for all that. I'm helping people. I make a video. The other day I did a real I had on my pajamas but I had on like a tank and I was on my knees leaning on the side of my bed and I phone and put this little filter did a real? Nobody could really tell that? I didn't. I wasn't like, dressed for success showing up online. But yet, people were like, that was an amazing real. I just loved your message. So I even practice showing up imperfectly. I literally intentionally show up imperfectly sometimes. Yeah. I don't ever want to go back to thinking all the things have to be perfect before I can take action.
Jamie Stephens:It's such a limiting thought, and just keeps you stuck. Because as soon as you perfect one thing, it's like, oh, well, there's that too. And oh, well, this one leads to that. And this leads to that. And that's got to be perfect. And it's just such a rabbit hole that just it you can just spiral out so quickly. I mean, been there done that.
Gail Keyes Allen:led me too. That's why I don't believe in it. Because yeah, I had been a health coach several years ago. In the years, I was a health coach, I didn't even make 10,000 I could I don't even know about managing my mind. I was just trying to do everything perfectly. And the way somebody else did it, and how do I say it? And what should it look like? And like so, like, crazy fanatical about everything being just right. Well, it's never just right. It's, it's just to me, it just needs to be good enough.
Jamie Stephens:Right? Which makes it relatable to you know, it, there's that, oh, she's kind of a mess like me, that's fine. Like, she's successful, she's doing this and like, it's all good. I don't have to have this all figured out. So that will make
Gail Keyes Allen:it for the people that have kids to my grandson is to and my office is in my house. Sometimes he doesn't know. You know, he wants to talk to me. I had to start locking my office door because he would just walk in and I'd be on calls. My clients, they don't you know, they don't care. They think he's cute. he'll, he'll be outside of my office banging on the door GG, GG, GG. And then I'll say to my clients, Do you can you say hi to him? And of course they just love it. But my whole point is, it doesn't have to be perfect. You don't have to be professional. You don't have to worry about your kids being home or, you know, I just don't worry about any of that. And I think all of yesterday I did a real like a short little video with my grandson. He thinks he can drive like I sent him in my lap so I can pack into the garage. He thinks he can drive. So I just thought about all the sudden I'm like, he thinks he can do anything. Right? Yeah. 235 year olds, they think they can do anything. But we're adults, we think we can't do anything. So my message was you can do the impossible. All the things if he had two years old thinks he can drive. Why would an adult think they could like start a business and make as much money as they decide? Yeah. He literally thinks he can drive. He beeps the horn. He puts the windshield wipers on. He loves beeping the horn.
Jamie Stephens:But it's so cute. Yeah, I have a granddaughter too. And she is I guess almost i She's 17 months. And she thinks she can open the or like just she presses the garage door opener or whatever and just thinks that she's just magic, which of course she is. But
Gail Keyes Allen:yeah. You can have your business and make a lot of money with the grandchildren with the children with the whatever. One of my cats died, I had to put her down. I have another kid whining all the time to come in my office or leave my office, all the things you can still make a lot of money.
Jamie Stephens:I love it. So Gail, as we wrap up here, what would be one thing that you would tell yourself back in that law office on your final stretch of the you? What would be the one piece of advice that you would give yourself looking back to that day?
Gail Keyes Allen:The first thing that comes to my mind is stop being afraid of everything. Like I would just really advise her my past self to just have the courage to like Steve Harvey always talks about jumping, like having the courage to just jump off the cliff. And it is scary. But I would just tell her Don't wait. Jump now. Don't wait. There's there's so much better out there for you just just take a chance. bet on yourself. I think that That's my message for everyone. It and you know this is so amazing. Not having a friggin job is just freaking amazing. I would take the fear over money or whatever before I would take going to the office every day. And just other people that's an amazing job I had for some people it just what I outgrew it. So I'm not trying to say, you know, it was a horrible place and but no I outgrew it. It was wonderful. When I went there, it was just what I needed. But we outgrow and we keep forcing ourselves to stay somewhere that we've long outgrown. Yes, just, I would say to her and anybody else stop being afraid. And even if you are afraid, do it afraid. I say chase your fears. Because our fears are exactly what's gonna bring us the amazing way.
Jamie Stephens:I love it. Thank you so much for your time today. I really appreciate your story, all of it. Your courage. I mean, you You're an inspiration and I love it. Tell people where they can find more of you so they can follow you online and all that good stuff.
Gail Keyes Allen:Well, I'm big on Instagram, and it's my name Gayle keys K EY E S. Allen. Everything is under Gail keys Allen my website I don't use really use my website that much. I have a Facebook group called the new printer like entrepreneur but new printer club for women. It's it's for women who are either want to have a business have a new business or want guidance on how to keep going how to get started. And so you can join the new printer club. You can find me on Instagram and even even on Instagram. I have a link tree with all the links to my podcast interviews and stuff.
Jamie Stephens:Awesome. And I will link to all of that in the show notes. So thank you so much. Let me go much we're recording here.
