The Importance of Investing in Yourself as a Leader -06

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Marli Williams [: 00:00:00

Hey, everybody. What is happening? I am super stoked to welcome you back to the Marli Williams podcast, where today I am going to be interviewing the amazing Carla Titus. She is the CEO and founder of Wealth & Worth Within. And today we're going to be talking about the power and importance of investing in yourself as a leader and seeing investing in yourself as something that's essential in your growth and your journey rather than extra. She's going to share her super-hot tips with you as a financial adviser and planner for amazing companies and organizations. So, I cannot wait to dive in to this episode with you. Let's go.

Marli Williams [: 00:00:46

Hey, everyone. What's happening? I am super stoked to welcome you to the Marli Williams podcast, where we will explore authentic leadership, transformational facilitation and how to create epic experiences for your audiences every single time. I am your host, Marli Williams, bringing you thought provoking insights, expert interviews, and actionable strategies to unlock your potential as a leader, facilitator, and speaker. Thank you for joining me on this journey of growth, transformation, and impact. Let's Lead Together. The Marli Williams podcast begins now. Let's dive in.

Marli Williams [: 00:01:29

Alright, everybody. I would love to welcome you back to the Marli Williams podcast. I am here today with my good friend, Carla, and we are going to dive into how to invest in yourself as a leader. That is our topic that we're going to explore today. But before we do, I would love for you to just introduce yourself to this crew, to this amazing community. Tell us about you.

Carla Titus [: 00:01:55

So excited to be here. So, I'm Carla Titus. I'm the founder and owner of Wealth & Worth Within. We're a fractional CFO firm providing financial and consulting services to grow in businesses across the United States. And we started this about 5 years ago, and we've been growing ever since. And I think a lot of it is due to that investing in yourself and really taking the time to think about what's important and how do you, as a leader, continue to grow and learn and have that mindset to be able to do those things and also make the time and have the money to do so because, you know, we love to talk about money around here. So, like, I might as well weave that in. But it really is a reality of being able to do it. Right? As you have to have the money and save for it and, like, be prepared and make sure that you're investing in the right things at the right time. And I always believe that there's always a right time, and you'll be kind of called to those things. So, just kind of listening to your intuition and knowing when to go for it.

Marli Williams [: 00:02:51

It's so good already. I love this idea that, you know, you as a financial adviser, financial planner for people, kind of working as a fractional CFO for a lot of small businesses. You know, I think that the journey of leadership, it's so easy to think about, like, oh, investing in your business, but, like, are you investing in you and how to prioritize that when it comes to your bottom line or when it comes to, you know, planning or budgeting for the year, you know, how many of you out there are putting professional development as a line item and seeing that as not like, oh, when I have the money, when I have the time. It's like really prioritizing that, seeing that as an essential part of being a leader. Because I think that the greatest, the things that have made me the leader that I am today is every time that I chose to invest in myself, whether that was going to a retreat, going to a training, going to a conference, and seeing it as an investment. And I would love to even just explore that word investment since you're a money person. Like, and we talk about ROI and, like, when you make an investment, like, what's your return on your investment. You know, we think about it in terms of money, but as it relates to investing yourself personally and professionally.

Carla Titus [: 00:04:24

Yeah. And you said a few things that are really real. Like, when we plan for our clients or our styles, we do add a line item that says professional development, and that's very intentional. Because if you're not intentional with your money, it's never going to happen. There's always going to be something else you could spend your money on, do something else because someone will always be selling you something that's the next, you know, magic bill that will solve all your problems. But if you're not prioritizing to give your dollars a job on where to go and where you want to be intentional with it, then a lot of those shiny objects are going to come your way, and you're going to end up money on things that don't matter, don't move the needle, don't make you better. And this is a good lesson on being a good leader, right, is to intentionally start to plan proactively for the things you want to happen in your business, the things you want to change, and where you want to grow, where you want to invest. And you mentioned ROI, return earn on investment, which is the benefit you get from investing in some of these things.

Carla Titus [: 00:05:14

And sometimes we'll try things, and they won't work. Right? Sometimes just investments will flat, but you need to know when is the time to, one, reassess. Is your investment “paying off”, what you expected as the benefit? If it's not, then maybe it's time to pivot. Maybe it's time to double down on it. I don't know. Maybe it works if you double down. Right? But you need to assess it. In order to assess it, you can just step back and work on your business so that you critically can strategize on what's working, what's not working, what we need to do more of, what we need to do less of. And sometimes it's about getting rid of things as much as it is to add more things to your list of things to do.

Carla Titus [: 00:05:47

But really investing in yourself, start with, like, paying yourself from your business, to be honest, which I think is a lot of things that people overlooked. Because if you left a job that pay you a paycheck, why will your business not do the same for you and then some. Right? Not only pay your paycheck, but also give you money towards developing yourself, growing yourself as a leader, and really making sure that you are growing into that position where you feel comfortable leading your team, leading your clients, delivering on the work that you're trying to do for the world. And that doesn't happen by accident. Again, you have be intentional about investing in yourself in different ways.

Marli Williams [: 00:06:21

Yeah. I can't agree more with you of this idea of being intentional. In so many people, whether you're an entrepreneur or a leader in other ways, leadership isn't, like, a trait you have or you don't. It's a skill that you develop by investing in yourself and knowing I mean, I think it really takes a lot of self-awareness to know what support do I need as a leader in order to show up for my team, in order to show up for my clients, in order to show up for, like, my bigger mission in the world. And what I know to be true is if we are walking around stressed out, burned out, overwhelmed, we are not going to be effective in our leadership. And so, part of this idea and I think it could be overwhelming at times because there might be so many things that you could invest in. You could invest your time and money into, again, trainings or conferences or retreats.

Marli Williams [: 00:07:23

And I think that it's like, well, maybe a question that we can explore together is how do you choose when it comes to investing in yourself personally and professionally, how you make that choice? And maybe we can even speak specifically. I know you've come to Camp Yes, but you've been to a lot of different versions of Camp Yes. You've been to the summer camp. We did the Oregon Coast, Baja. And so, as a leader, as an entrepreneur, what about that experience called to you as we explore this idea of what we choose to say yes to as it comes to all of the different opportunities that might be out there.

Carla Titus [: 00:08:03

Yeah. When I'm evaluating opportunities for things I could do, first, it starts with, do I have the time to show up and invest and be fully present in the things that I'm going to be doing and committing to a 100%. Because if you're not, if you're distracted or things are falling apart, it’s really hard for you to show up and get what you need out of the experience. So, I always start with, like, do I have the bandwidth to attend fully and commit to this. If the answer is no, then maybe I'll reconsider for another time or a later event or a different location or, you know, whatever it is. And for me, time is the hardest one. Like, it's not about the money anymore, but at first, it was all about the money. Right? Because I had to be sure I could afford it first.

Carla Titus [: 00:08:43

That then goes to a point where my time was harder to find to make this a priority because I have a couple children, I have to take care of, and, you know, I had to leave them behind, and I had to make sure that my team had what they needed to continue to run the business while I was away for 4 days, a week, you know, however long I was going for. And then also set everyone up for success, make sure they all have what they need before I go off so that I can fully disconnect and really be present and get what I need out of the experience. And then once I'm there, I need to make sure that I'm taking notes and I'm learning. I'm, like, digesting everything, taking the time to absorb the content and the people I'm connecting with, and also have time to reflect on my own. And so, to me, it was important to know, okay. Can I have the bandwidth to do it? What do I expect experience to provide to me or give me in return for me making this investment of time, right, and money to go. And then, also, what are some things that I maybe didn't even expect, but I totally got out of the experience that I didn't know I was going there for? What was, like, the right perfect time to be there with the right people, for the right experience and being open to receiving whatever the experience was given to me as well. So, you can't just go in thinking this is what I'm going to get out of it.

Carla Titus [: 00:10:02

You might get a different version of it. You might get something completely different and more amazing than you thought. And I think that's when I've noticed I got the most benefit out of attending those things and making the time for it because I got, you know, connections with people. I got some new friendships. I got, like, lessons. Like, people shared openly about what they're good at, and you get to benefit from that in a way. You also give back so much more by sharing with people, you know, your treasures, like, what you're good at in the aura. And people are just, like, so giving, and they're also, you know, willing to receive as well.

Carla Titus [: 00:10:38

So, I find that when I put myself in those situations and I really make the time to invest, it really comes back like a tenfold. And I honestly don't go in with that expectation, but that always ends up happening for some reason because I am putting myself in a position to also receive as much as I'm giving.

Marli Williams [: 00:10:56

I love that so much. And, you know, one of my lines you've heard me say about the said events is, I hope that you get something that you know that you needed and something that you didn't even know that you needed. And, you know, when I've chosen to invest in things similarly to you, it's like maybe I have an idea of, like, you know, this is going to help me grow or learn, but I'm coming in of, like, I don't even know what's on the other side. And I think that there is a level of, you know, when we talk about, like, assessing the risk of investing in yourself, I think I'm open to taking risks, and I'm open to, like, the unknown. I think one of the hardest things for me even talking about, like, Camp Yes or retreats. You know, like, people always, what am I going to get from this experience? And that can be one of the hardest things because just like you said, it's like, I don't even know what you're going to get, but I know that you are going to get something that you know that you needed and something that you didn't even know that you needed because that's the magic of retreats. That’s the magic of being in a community of other women leaders who are choosing to show up for themselves, invest in themselves, to learn and grow together and really take it to the next level. And what would you say is one of the biggest things that you've gotten out of coming to Camp Yes, investing in yourself in those ways of stepping away from your business, giving yourself permission to do that. You know, because a lot of people, I think, they don't give themselves permission to say, I am going to do this for me so that I can be a better mom, so that I can be a better business leader, entrepreneur. So, what have you gotten?

Carla Titus [: 00:12:45

I would say, one of them is connections, obviously. I have some great people in my life because that I probably would have never met if it wasn't for the event, right, for both attending and going through that experience together and being able to share that. But one that I think is underrated that maybe people don't even think about is, like, literally giving myself permission to take the time away to step out of my business, step out of being a mom for a minute, which I love, but, you know, we all need to be able to think and reflect, and you can't do that when you're in the middle of it all. And so, that one to me, I think, is one of the more valuable ones that might really feel like, oh, well, you know, I can just do that by getting away to somewhere on the weekend. But it's very different because you're really prompting us to think about, you know, what are you thankful for, like, what are you, you know, blessed with? What are some things that you wish you could change? And you don't just get to do that, especially on your own often, you know, you might just go nap, you know, at a hotel or something, but when you're really thinking about, wow, I've gone this far or I've achieved this much or these things did not work, and that's okay too to reflect on the things that maybe weren't great and how you're going to change them going forward. But taking the time to pause, to me, has been something super valuable because unless I'm in this change of scenery and scenarios, I wouldn't take the time to do it, to be honest, because I just know myself. I'm busy, busy, busy, working, working, working, and just days go by and you don't even think about, you know, what is working, what's not working, and those are the times that I get to reflect.

Carla Titus [: 00:14:19

And I try to do it quarterly and at least twice a year at the minimum so that I can really think about what is happening, how are we changing things, being really, again, intentional and strategic about what we're going to do and how we're going to grow, and make sure that it is what I want. Right? Because I think it's a lot of times, at least in my life, I'll say, I never gave myself permission to want what I wanted. And it wasn't until now becoming a business owner where I was like, I don't have to fit any expectations of anyone, you know, that has on me or, you know, expected of me. I can just do what I want and feel is good for me and still provide for my family, still be here for my team and my clients, still do great work, still have a career, and be able to be present for my children. Like, I didn't have to compromise anymore. And I feel that was, like, the biggest thing that I could have done for myself and give myself permission to do what I wanted and needed to do in my life rather than just going by default, which a lot of people are.

Marli Williams [: 00:15:23

Yeah. And I think that that's one of the greatest gifts that something like a retreat can offer is to step away from the day-to-day distractions, noise and dings and rings and emails and we're just constantly inundated. And to step back, hit the pause button, and reflect on your life, on your business. What's working, what's not working, what do I want to do differently. And I think that there's something really magical about doing that with other women, with other women leaders, with other entrepreneurs. Because I think I see a lot of people have these like, oh, I'm not alone, first of all and I'm not the only one who's managing all of this. How do I be a mom? How do I be a business owner, a wife, a partner? And how do I do it intentionally? And this is the invitation that I think is present when we give ourselves the gift of that time and that space.

Marli Williams [: 00:16:25

And, you know, I think about, well, what's the difference between a vacation and investing in a retreat? And what I love about, you know, especially Camp Yes Baja, it's like a little bit of both. Like, you're in this beautiful, gorgeous place. You're having a great time. We go on adventures. We laugh. We play. But we also, you know, ask those bigger questions that we don't oftentimes allow ourselves to have to sit with. And January, I mean, it's such a great time of like, okay.

Marli Williams [: 00:16:51

am I at, where want to go in: 2024

Marli Williams [: 00:17:38

It's just I think that it's seeing that as a choice. I'm choosing to give myself this gift of time and space knowing that it's going to serve me in these ways. And, ultimately, like, oh, I think I'm taking something away from my kids versus, like, I'm giving them the best version of me when I do this, when I step away. And from the money perspective, you know, and maybe you can speak to this piece of, you know, seeing it as an investment. I think I hear from a lot of women, especially it's like, I think that there's a story, am I worth it? Do I deserve it? Like, can I really let myself spend this money on this thing? What are some of your thoughts about seeing these types of opportunities as an investment and helping people see that they deserve it, that they're worth it. Like, your company is like, Wealth & Worth Within, right?

Carla Titus [: 00:18:39

Yeah. I think a lot of money mindset goes into that. But, you know, let's start with, like, we’re not sitting here telling you, like, figure it out. It's fine. Everybody can do this. Like, some people will legitimately have circumstances that doesn't allow them to be able to take this trip and you know, we understand that. Listen, I'm a working mom. I get it.

Carla Titus [: 00:18:57

Sometimes we have to hire a bunch of babysitters and things and stuff. You know, we can afford to, and that's great, and we can get extra help, and that's fantastic. If that's an option, definitely use your money to try to solve the problem if you can or invite other family members to help support you and allow it to be supported that way so you can take the trips and take the time away so that things don't fall apart so you're not stressing about it throughout the whole trip and not enjoying yourself. Like, we understand that there are situations where you just can't, but if you can invite some help that's accessible or pay for some help, like, those are some ways that we found that women have been able to do this. And they all shared, you know, their experience of leaving their families behind and how they made it work, and some were, like, about to cancel the day before. Right? And so, it happens. Life happens. We understand.

Carla Titus [: 00:19:45

We're not saying sitting here on our high horses, like, just figure it out. No. It's that what would need to happen in order for this to be viable for you, starting with that. You know, making that time again being very intentional to really try to figure it out and make sure that that is appropriate for you. And then as far as, like, the money mindset, like, that's very real. I think as women, we're told not to worry about money or not to manage money or not be in control of the money situation maybe in our homes. But as you know, our old very much managing a lot of the household finances even by default, even if you don't think about it because you're making purchasing decisions for your family. You're, you know, doing the school budget. You're doing, like, their grocery budget maybe, or, like, you're in charge of, like, some of those decisions that goes back to money management. And if you don't feel comfortable investing in yourself because you're like, oh, that'll take away from the kids doing this or whatever. Like, think about how much of a better mom you will be if you came back relaxed and could share some lessons with your kids about, here's what I learned and how I grew, and, like, I'm a better mom because I had that experience. Right? And I always go back to that because I'm able to share with other, you know, participants or attendees, like, what I'm going through. And then they might have some ideas or they might have gone through that situation and say, oh, here's what I did. And kind of opens your mind to other possibilities that you didn't even think were an option. And they're sharing, you know, openly about how they handle a situation, and then you start to think, how can that apply to me? How can I bring that back to my family? How would that benefit my family or my team or my business in some way? And I think sometimes we take those experiences for granted, but it really is what has helped well, at least I'll speak for me. Right?

Carla Titus [: 00:21:26

It helped me develop as a leader is being able to hear other people's perspectives and really see how I can use that to apply it to my life, my business, my own personal growth, that you do definitely have to be hungry to grow. You need to have a growth mindset and be open minded about what you might learn in order for this to work out. Otherwise, if you're going to come to just expect to show up and then fly home the next day or, like, you know, week later, that might not be the right experience. It might not be the right investment. You might feel like you got nothing out of it, and you might go disappointed. So, you need to have the right mindset going into it and then overcome the whole worthiness around money and investing in yourself. It's really part of self-care. Right? It's investing in you to be a better person, to show up differently, to be relaxed or recharged. I always see it as I'm going to recharge my own battery so I can burn from a full cup and not an empty one to all the people in my life and beyond the people that I know I impact positively, but I can't do that until I recharge myself first.

Marli Williams [: 00:22:31

Yeah. Yeah. And I think that starting to really value that time and that the reset, the recharge, filling yourself up so that you can show up and serve, which is what leadership is all about, whether you're leading a family, you're leading a business, you're leading team. You're leading yourself. And, you know, I think that seeing I love this connecting the dots between seeing investing in yourself as an act of self-love, an act of self-care. It's modeling that and growth mindset as it relates to leadership of, like leadership isn't about, I have it all figured out. I'm perfect. I don't need to grow or learn or change anything.

Marli Williams [: 00:23:19

And I think that idea of, as a leader, I seek these opportunities to learn, to grow, to expand, to strengthen my ability, when it comes to my own leadership. And, you know, I've invested probably more in my own personal professional development than even in my, like, 2 college degrees. Because it's just something that I value. Right? And so, I think part of it is, like, this is an important thing for me. And, again, what's the story that we tell ourselves? Is it extra, or is it essential? And knowing, like, where do you want to grow and who do you want to grow with and who do you want to learn alongside of? And I think that one of the side benefits of investing in yourself and going to events or conferences or retreats is, like, who else is in the room? And as adults, it's like, where do I make friends? Where do I meet people that are, you know, have a growth mindset, that are open to learning and growing, that want to live an intentional life, that have big goals and big dreams, that will support me in my big goals and dreams. And some people feel very isolated and very alone. And so, I've also gone to these types of experiences to meet other likeminded people where I can build my network of support. And that's just such a huge benefit that I see so many people get from camp and from the retreats. It's like the people that you meet, that shared experience creates such this deep, intimate connection that I think so many people are craving that goes beyond seeing someone at a networking event once a month for an hour. And you don't really get to know people and getting to, like, really drop in and be in that community, I think, is just one of the greatest gifts that those experiences can give us.

Carla Titus [: 00:25:18

Yeah. And entrepreneurship is lonely. We all know that. So, you're going to have to create your own little community and, like, have the people that you can call and text something like, hey. I'm having a really hard day or, hey. This is going really well, and I want to celebrate, but I got no one around here that understands what I'm going through except those people in your life. And I think that you're going to be, again, intentional to go find them and build community with them and proactively continue to develop those relationships. And I think the other piece of, you know, going to retreats that I think it's valuable to me or my family just in general is, like, show my kids that mom can get away, and it's okay because that gets discovered, right, or someone else that's helping me take care of them, that they can be independent, that they can be able to invest in their own growth as well.

Carla Titus [: 00:26:02

And, like, I always want to be an example to not just my kids, but also my team and my clients to say, hey. I take time away. Therefore, I expect you to also do the same for yourself. I can't tell them to do that if I'm not the one doing it and making sure that I'm, you know, sharing with them, hey. I'm doing this to benefit all of us, right, and bring this back to the company in some way. And then another thing that I think comes up often is, like, how are we showing up when it's a difficult time and when we're in leadership, not going through, like, a great time. And I always go back to I go recharge my own batteries because if I'm not recharged, I'm going to continue to be a crappy leader. I'm going to have a really bad mood, and then the team is going to feed into that, and then the clients are going to, you know, notice. And so, it just all goes downhill from there. So, I think especially when you're having a hard time, I even find it more valuable to find that community, find that conference. And I know that not everybody is going to invest at the same level either. Right? When I first started, I wasn't investing in thousands of dollars to go to retreats. Like, that wasn't happening. I was investing at the right level that I feel comfortable and that I also had the time, you know, to invest in it. And I slowly kind of built up to go to those bigger events, you know, more expensive ones where I found a different type of entrepreneur that I want to be friends with or community that I needed to build to support me on this next level or stage of growth.

Carla Titus [: 00:27:25

And I think that's something I'm always assessing for too. It's like, what's the next thing? What's the next community? What's the next phase of entrepreneurs I need to surround myself with to be successful, not because I need something from them, but I just need someone that gets it. That gets what I'm going through and that's also going through it at the same time or is a little bit ahead or a little bit behind that I can give back to or receive to make sure that we're all supporting each other.

Marli Williams [: 00:27:48

I love so many things that you said of just the idea specifically around, like, entrepreneurship is that it can be leadership can be lonely, but it doesn't have to be. And so, you know, who am I surrounding myself with? How am I building that network of support when life likes you, when things are hard, when you’re feeling discouraged, down, lonely, you know, frustrated, tired, stressed out, burned out. It's taking the time to pause and reflect of, like, what do I need to do to fill up my own cup so that I can keep on showing up and serving. And I think, a lot of people, they just, like, kind of run on empty. They keep going and going and going until they get really, really sick. And so, seeing this, like, this idea of investing in yourself, you know, at the right level, at the right time for wherever you're at on your journey, and listening to this podcast is an investment in yourself. Right? There are free things that you can do.

Marli Williams [: 00:28:52

You know, you're investing your time. You're investing your time to listen, to learn, to grow, to fill you up. Maybe you're out on a walk right now, you know, that you're doing something for you. There are ways to invest in ourself at every stage in the game, every level that we're at and I think that we put money into ourselves, like, it can feel edgy and stretchy and scary. Like, is this going to be worth it? Am I worth it? I always say that the retreat starts the moment you sign up or the moment you show. You know? Because it's like, who did you have to decide like, you had to decide, like, I'm worth this. I am worth spending this time, this money on me, on my growth, on my personal development, on my professional development. Like, and so, part of that, I think, is really helping something that you do. The work that you do is that you are worth it.

Carla Titus [: 00:29:52

Yeah. And I think a lot of people are scared to take that risk like you were saying before. Right? And I'm an extrovert, so, like, I'll say, like, I don't have problem talking to strangers and, like, making new friends. So, I get it if that's not, like, your thing. Find, you know, the type of communities that maybe are a little bit different, like, you know, more chill if that's, like, your vibe. Like, find what works for you. But I've flown across the country to go to a conference where I knew absolutely no one. And I was like, no big deal. I'll make new friends, I'm sure. And I did it, and it was fine. But I think I always ask, like, okay. Well, so where's all happen? Show up. I don't talk to anyone. I don't meet anyone. I learn a few things from the conference, and then I go home. Okay. Well, there goes 4, 5 days of my time. Okay. That not everything has to always work out. Sometimes it's, oh, I just got away and it wasn't great, but that's okay. I just won't go back to that one. You know? Like, It's fine. Like, it happens. And unless you try it out and are open to that experience, it's really hard to know what you would have gotten from it.

Carla Titus [: 00:30:51

So, I always think about, okay. What's the worst? Okay. Like, I'm learning, like, a few new things, but not too much. Okay. That's fine. That sounds great to me. Like, it's a new CD. Okay. How great. Right?

Marli Williams [: 00:31:00

Yeah. I mean, I think going back to that piece of how do you know what to invest and when, you know? And I would really encourage people. I always say, like, follow your curiosity. I remember one of the first big conferences I invested in. It was called, Pioneer Nation, and I saw it pop up. I was working full time at the university, and it was specifically a conference for entrepreneurs. And at the time, I was not an entrepreneur. And I remember emailing them being like, I'm not an entrepreneur, but I really want to come, and this sounds really cool. And, you know, there's that quote, you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. I was like, well, I want to be an entrepreneur, so I want to be in the same room as these people. And so, this idea of, like, following that breadcrumb of that curiosity, there's so many excuses or there's so many reasons that I could have come up with that would have gotten in my way. I'm not an entrepreneur. I'm going to not fit in or not belong or maybe I'm not going to get anything out of it or whatever. But to actually lean in and say, there's a reason I feel called to this and trusting that. We don't even know what's on the other side.

Marli Williams [: 00:32:08

There's just like, I know there's something here for me. And can I follow that breadcrumb of curiosity, and can I trust myself enough? I mean, the courage it takes to hit that add to cart button, fill out that credit card information, and say, like, I choose me in this moment, I am choosing myself. I'm choosing my future. I'm choosing a new path. I'm choosing connection. You know, it's like when you think about investing in yourself, think about all the things that you are choosing to say yes to. Saying yes to your future, saying yes to being a better leader, a better parent, a better mom, a better person. And, ultimately, you're choosing you.

Marli Williams [: 00:32:47

And I think that's, like, the biggest permission that I want to give you today is at whatever level you are at right now of, like, permission to choose you and invest in you and lean into that curiosity of, like, what what's calling you right now. And what's going to help you? Like you said, Carla, like, take me to the next level of my growth, of my journey as a leader, as an entrepreneur.

Carla Titus [: 00:33:12

I love your curiosity because I literally signed up for Camp Yes not because anyone said anything, but because I was like, 5 days without my phone in the middle of the woods sounds just like the right thing for me if all I do is nap all day, sounds fantastic. And I literally say that because of that, which wasn't really the reason, but, you know, go so much more out of the experience, obviously, than just napping all day and no phone. But that is just what I felt I needed at that moment, and then I went ahead and, like, took a risk and signed up. You know? And I was like, well, if I don't like it, I could always sleep early. All the things. I was like, it's fine. Like, whatever. It's not, you know, that bad. And it was so great. Like, I didn't want to leave if it was, you know, an amazing experience. But I think that curiosity is a really great wager to know what, you know, you might be into because you have this gut instinct. Like, your body kind of knows what you need before you know you need it, and you're going to try to logic your way through why not or why yes or maybe and try to, you know, test for it. But I think sometimes getting tuned with yourself, that intuition is half of the time is not wrong. Like, more than half the time is not wrong. Right? And I found that it served me well to listen to that when I felt something was off in my business or something could be better or I need to go do something.

Carla Titus [: 00:34:32

A right opportunity just kind of presented itself, honestly. And it's been magical, the timing of how the universe works or whatever it is that is making it all happen, but it just happens in a way that you don't expect it, and then you kind of have to just go with the flow, you know, when it comes to that.

Marli Williams [: 00:34:48

Yeah. And I think that is practicing that muscle of really trusting yourself and trusting that you know what you need. And often, you know, we make decisions from an emotional place, typically. Our brains have to back it up with logic. How is this going to help me, like, grow my business or 10x this or whatever. You know? And it's just like, how much can I trust that there is something here for me, you know? If you've looked at, like, the website over and over and over, you're like, oh, should I, do it? Should I, do it? Should I, do it? I think, like you said, what is the worst that could happen. Nothing. But, like, what on the other side of that is,

Carla Titus [: 00:35:27

what's the best that could happen?

Marli Williams [: 00:35:29

What's the best thing that could happen? You choose to go on an experience like this. You choose yourself. You meet amazing people. You get ideas. You get refreshed. You come back on fire. Like, it's like, what is the best-case scenario? And, really, like, I just think every time I've chosen myself, I've chosen to invest in myself, even if it wasn't the greatest thing, I've learned so much. You know, when people ask me about how I've become who I have become, I would say, this is the number one thing that has changed my leadership game is continuing to invest in myself.

Marli Williams [: 00:36:13

I haven't become the leader I am in isolation, on my own. I've learned through mentors and teachers and alongside other leaders and entrepreneurs, that are learning and growing. And I think that that's been, like, the biggest game changer for me on my journey, and I will continue to do it. And the thing about leadership too is, like, there's no, like, there. Like, oh, I've achieved greatness. I am never going to learn anything again. It's like, I'm constantly learning and growing, and that's the fun part about it.

Carla Titus [: 00:36:48

Yeah. I think that hunger for growth, for learning, it's what's always driven me to find, like, the resources or things that it could be simple as listening to a podcast, investing time on a free resource to reading a book, which, you know, we have shelves full of them. And it could be talking to another entrepreneur. It doesn't always have to mean, like, thousands of dollars out the door. Sometimes it's those small things that you make time for that are going to really transform you. And I've done all of them, and I find that I have a preference for certain ones and that I do more of that intentionally and add that to my budget to make sure I have, you know, the resources to fund that and also the time that it takes, you know, to make those investments.

Marli Williams [: 00:37:30

So good. Alright, Carla. I would love for you to share any final thoughts that you have for our audience when it comes to investing in yourself as a leader. And where can people find you and learn about your amazing work in the world if they want to make sure that they add this to a budget line item.

Carla Titus [: 00:37:50

We can help with that. Yeah. So, my final thought is, like, we got to be intentional, I think, and listen to your intuition. Right? The curiosity is really calling for a reason. If you want to make a change, you have to be intentional and you have to follow through, will be my thought. And then, obviously, make sure your money aligns with all that because, you know, we're going to talk about that here. You can follow us at Wealth Worth Within on social media.

Carla Titus [: 00:38:15

Our website is wealthworthwithin .com. And if, you know, you're looking to hire a fractional CFO or you need some help planning financially for your business in the next year, like, we love to help you and support you in that way. If not, then you can follow us for all the free content because we love to educate on all things, money for business owners so they can be better at managing it and better about paying themselves and keeping more of it so they can build personal wealth and impact more. Because when you have money, you can impact more, so you can have it both ways.

Marli Williams [: 00:38:45

want to invest your money in: 2024

Marli Williams [: 00:39:32

So, that's your fun work assignment and even, you know, you can go big and just sign up for Camp Yes Baja. If you're ready to be like, okay. I've been thinking about it. Got a couple spots left for you to come hang out. Have a magical experience. So, check out the links in the show notes. Check out Carla's amazing work in the world, and we just want to thank you all for joining us on another episode of the Marli Williams podcast. Leadership can be lonely, but it doesn't have to be. So, let's lead together. Everybody signing off for now, see you next week.

Marli Williams [: 00:40:08

Thank you for joining us on another inspiring episode of the Marli Williams podcast. We hope you're leaving here with renewed energy and valuable insights to fuel your leadership, coaching, and speaking endeavors. I'd love to invite you to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast to help us reach more aspiring leaders and speakers like you. We have more exciting episodes and remarkable guests lined up, so make sure to tune in next time. Until then, keep leading with purpose, coaching with heart, and speaking with conviction. This is Marli Williams, signing off. See you next week.