00:00 The time is now episode 316: If you've been feeling tired of pushing content and strategies that don't feel aligned anymore. And if you've been trying to grow your business while staying authentic, human and conscious in a world that feels constantly in crisis, and this episode is for you because sometimes the most powerful leadership move isn't to push harder.

00:30 Is to pause, realign, and decide how you want to show up. Welcome to the Time is now the podcast for mission-driven solopreneurs ready to take action and go from invisible to in demand. I am your host, Amel Derragui. My mission is to help you cut through the noise, get crystal clear on your strategy, and position yourself as the GoTo expert in your field.

00:59 This podcast isn't just about marketing. It's also about building your resilience and staying ahead of the shifts in our world so you can be the leader and change maker you truly are. This is your time to create more growth, alignment, and impact in your business. If you've been a regular listener to this podcast, you probably notice the silence as I pause the show for the past year.

01:28 If you're new here,

01:30 you are joining at the perfect time. Either way, I just want to say big welcome to this new season of the podcast. I am so, so glad to have you here and I'm really excited to begin this new chapter with you. This podcast is called, the Time Is Now, and that message has never felt more relevant to me than today.

01:54 At this time of this recording, I'm celebrating 10 years since I launched this podcast. The world has dramatically changed since we have changed, and for many entrepreneurs like me, doing business as usual is no longer an option. And that's why I'm not just coming back with a new episode. I'm relaunching a new season of the time is now.

02:20 And this season reflects how I've evolved, but also how our world has drastically evolved in the past couple years. And what that means for solopreneurs and small business owners like us. So what you need to know. Is that this pause was not accidental. It wasn't procrastination, and it wasn't me abandoning the podcast.

02:44 It was actually a real conscious decision that I made. The thing is that I couldn't continue creating content just to stay visible. I couldn't speak on topics I deeply cared about without first doing my own work,

03:00 reflecting, learning and realigning with the changes I have seen and. I cared about in this world, but also in our industry.

03:10 I also needed to create the space to figure out how to show up in integrity with my values in these times, both as a business owner, but also as a global citizens. And that meant doing the civic work and focusing on issues that I believe need urgent care like Gaza Sudan, the race of fascism, and the fall of democracy.

03:34 But it also meant staying deeply engaged on the business side too by learning about ai, understanding how it's transforming online marketing and how it's shaped completely reshaping our industry. Because for me, helping solopreneurs also means staying on top of what's happening in our field and showing up as a leader with clarity for myself, but also for my clients.

03:59 In fact, I deeply believe that holding a mic and sharing content is a responsibility, and I didn't want to add more noise or opinions without doing my own work first. However, pausing the podcast did not mean that I paused my business in the past year. I continued to work with clients and to attract opportunities.

04:24 My business kept moving. What change? Is how and

04:30 where I showed up. In a future episode, I'll share with you more details about the strategies I implemented to create more space for myself and, and while keeping the business running, but just in a nutshell. I became very intentional about identifying the minimum that needed to happen.

04:53 I looked in ways to keep my business healthy and keep attracting clients while creating the space I needed to work on myself, my alignment, and the next direction of my work. This wasn't about doing less because I couldn't do more, but it was more about doing less on purpose to focus on what mattered to me at the moment.

05:39 My body. Almost made the decision for me because it was just impossible to ignore the signals it was sending me. I started experiencing many health issues and chronic pain. The thing is that I've always been mindful of my health, so I really couldn't brush aside what was

06:00 happening, and that is why I made my recovery my top priority.

06:06 Also during that time, another interesting and quite symbolic thing happened. I began physically losing my voice. I was having issues with my vocal chords that would just sometimes like shut down out of the blue. Sometimes it go for a few minutes, sometimes few hours, and sometimes even longer. It was honestly pretty scary.

06:28 For someone like me whose work is directly related to her voice, this is really something I could not ignore, and I really believe that it was not a coincidence. I really believe in the connection between the mind and the body. So I really chose to listen to my body and what it was trying to tell me.

06:47 The thing is I consider myself as a driven fighter when faced with challenges, but this time. My body was sending clear message. I could hear it say, stop fighting and stop listening. That was the moment I truly understood that I really could not help or inspire others if I wasn't listening to myself first.

07:13 This season of pause reminded me of so many powerful truth that are really, really. Believe are essential, and I hope there also benefits you in your own journey. So the first lesson I wanna share with you here is

07:30 this. You are your business. As solopreneurs and leaders, we can't separate who we are from how we show up in our business and separate them from our values, our energy, and our level of alignment.

07:47 All of these elements that really influence our visibility, our content, and even the way we serve our clients. So when something starts to feel off, when showing up, feels heavy, forced, or disconnected, I really think it's really just because of marketing. It's often a sign that something deeper needs your attention.

08:16 That's also why when I work with my clients, I always start there before even we talk about strategy, visibility or business. I focus first on understanding who they are, what truly drives them, and what might be actually holding them back. We. In fact, look at the blind spots that need to be addressed so we can build a personal brand and a marketing strategy that is really generally authentic and aligned with their expertise.

08:45 That's also consistent with their values and how they want to show up in this world, because I really believe that alignment is not optional when we want real

09:00 sustainable growth and impact. Alignment is the foundation of a successful business. Now, the second key lesson I wanna share with you is your content is your brand.

09:15 We live in a time of constant information, constant noise, constant exposure to all sorts of content. Because of that, it's really becoming harder than ever to truly stand out and to be visible and to be trusted. But I really believe that falling into the trap of doing all these trendy things is really a dangerous trap.

09:40 What really matters and what really makes a difference is understanding what your true message is, what you stand for as an individual, as a personal brand, and as a small business owner. That's what allows people to trust you and relate to you. That is what builds real trust. And as I said earlier, I really believe that being a content creator is a true responsibility that should never be taken lightly, especially in today's world.

10:11 But being responsible with your content does not mean being perfect, and that is a mistake that a lot of people do. I often tell my clients this, your content does not need to be perfectly written or perfectly produced every

10:30 time, but what it does need is to be aligned and consistent. There is a big difference between perfection and intention.

10:44 I personally don't try to be perfect with every piece of content I share. I honestly don't think I could even do be perfect, but I do try to be intentional. That means for me that my content stays consistent and aligned with my positioning, my values, my personal brand, and how I want to show up as an individual and a leader.

11:10 And that's exactly what I teach my clients too. Because being consistent and intentional with your content is really what allows you to keep showing up in a meaningful way and to create visibility that really leads to trust and clients, but also it's what allows you to not burn out and not feel disconnected with what, what you're trying to do.

11:39 The third lesson I wanna leave you with is this. Your attention drives your direction. I really believe that the content we choose to consume shapes how we think, how we lead, and how we show up in our business. This is why I believe it is not only important

12:00 to take the role of content creator or thought leader as a humble responsibility.

12:06 But also to pay close attention to what content we're consuming. There is one question that I always ask my clients to help them figure out what they truly care about. And it's also a question that I constantly ask myself, especially during this transition that I've been going through. The question is, what can you talk about and learn about endlessly?

12:34 If the answer to this question does not align with your business or your content, don't worry because that doesn't mean that something is totally wrong. But I really think that you have to pay attention because this means that you are being invited to look much deeper.

12:58 During this time, I intentionally stepped. Out of what I call the producer mode, and I really decided to become more of a conscious content consumer and be proactive in what I consume. So I explored new resources, new activities, new communities, new books, new ways of learning. I explored knowledge and, and also connections outside of my usual business, but also my, my usual personal bubble.

13:26 And when I did that, I noticed something really

13:30 interesting and that became so clear to me. When I listened to what I truly cared about, I realized that I was naturally and consistently drawn to topics related to leadership, community building, world, politics, and the impact of ai, both in business but also for consumers.

13:50 And that clarity really helped me redefine how I want to show up. What is the next chapter, um, really about? For me, I really believe that it is so key to align how we show up and the content we create and what we truly and generally care about. This is how you can create meaningful impact for your clients too, and make a difference also in the world, especially in the topics that you care about.

14:19 And if you struggle to figure out how to answer the question. What can you talk about and learn about endlessly? Then? I highly recommend giving yourself the space and the time to be curious and explore by engaging in activities and communities outside of your business. Just like I did in the past year.

14:42 So as you plan your next steps, I'm gonna just gonna summarize now the three important tips that I shared with you and that have really been guiding lights for me, and I can only highly recommend them. The first is, you are the business. Therefore,

15:00 alignment is key. The second is your content is your brand.

15:05 So you truly need to know what matters to you. What you're saying. Third, your attention drives your direction. So really pay attention to how the content you consume is affecting your growth. And if like me, you've also been questioning how you want to show up, I'm gonna share with you a few more questions that can help you reflect.

15:31 The first one is, are you pushing or are you aligned? The second is. What do you want to stand for the next chapter of your business? And finally, what content are you consuming and how is it influencing you? So no pressure. Just look at this as giving yourself the gift of an honest conversation with yourself so you can show up with more clarity and more alignment in your business.

16:04 Now that I've shared some behind the scenes updates and what has helped me navigate this journey, I'm gonna take now a moment to tell you a bit more about what's coming next for you in the season of the time is now. While I have evolved a lot since my past episode, one thing hasn't changed is my mission to

16:30 support mission-driven solopreneurs and small business owners.

16:35 But I've gone even deeper into what you need to go from invisible to in demand. So this new season of the time is now is built around one clear intention. To help you turn your expertise into a business that creates growth, alignment, and impact in today's world. And that is why this new season is guided by three core pillars.

17:05 First, visibility and marketing to help you position yourself, clarify your message, your strategy, and attract your ideal clients without burning out. And without feeling disconnected. Second, leadership and mindset. In fact, like I said, how you think, decide and show up directly impacts your business success and the result you want to see.

17:35 And the third pillar is society and the future. Because we don't build businesses in vacuums, we need to stay aware of what's happening in the world. From global political shifts to new technologies like ai, it is important to understand how these changes shape, how we communicate, how we lead, and

18:00 what, what legacy will leave in this world through our work.

18:04 So together these three pillars support one. Helping mission-driven solopreneurs be more visible and build businesses that create great revenue freedom and a positive change. So if this is what you want, this podcast is for you. If you know you have real expertise and want your clients to see it and trust you.

18:31 If you want your visibility to really reflect who you are and your values, and if you're ready to lead with more intention, especially in challenging times, then you are in the right place, my friend. In this new season, we are also talking about the responsibility that comes with visibility, especially interval times.

18:53 That's why in the next episode, I'll be joined by Melissa Delton Bradford, for an important conversation about what it means to speak up as solopreneurs and to use our voices in service of democracy, humanity, and justice. So make sure to subscribe to this podcast in the app of your choice. And also stay connected.

19:19 If you want to not miss any future episodes, then I highly recommend you to receive a notification in your inbox. And to do so, just go to the time is

19:30 now three 16 and sign up to the newsletter there to receive the notifications. This season is really going to be deeper, clearer, and more impactful than ever.

19:45 I'm really, really, really excited and I'm so grateful for you to listen to this episode. I really cannot wait to continue this journey with you and to help you go from invisible. In demand with your business while making a real difference in this world. So see you in the next episode and stay tuned to turn your challenges into great opportunities.

20:09 The time is now to create more growth, alignment, and impact with your business.