Wanna know what the biggest business regrets are? You’d think it’s about making more money or having a super successful business. Nope! 

When business owners come to us feeling frazzled, stuck, and uninspired, they secretly reveal how they’re really feeling: frustration about working too hard and not being there for loved ones; not having more fun and enjoying the ride; holding back ideas out of fear of rejection, failure, etc.  

So imagine our surprise when we listened to Bronnie Ware, a former hospice nurse, share the top 5 regrets of the dying, and realize that they are basically the same things we hear from entrepreneurs all the time. 

This week, we use Bronnie Ware’s “Top 5 Regrets of the Dying” as a springboard into a necessary conversation for any entrepreneur feeling burnt out, tired, and stuck. 

Don’t worry: we don’t make this too morbid. We offer some very specific steps entrepreneurs can take to avoid these regrets entirely. 

For more information on Bronnie Ware and her bestselling memoir, head over to https://bronnieware.com/regrets-of-the-dying/

Head over to iwannacollaborate.com and let us know what you took away from this conversation.

Music credit: The Funkster by Sweet Spot

A Subito Media production

Hello and welcome back to the eavesdrop on us podcast.

2

I'm Jessica.

3

I'm

4

Susan: Susan.

5

Jessica T: And this week, I am bringing

a, I just sprung this topic on Susan

6

maybe 10 minutes ago before we hit

recording because I saw a reel on

7

Instagram yesterday featuring an author

named, and I'm hoping I get her name

8

pronunciation correct, Bronnie Ware.

9

And she is a woman who has, I guess, she's

written this book that has been translated

10

into multiple languages, has sold over

a million copies, and it's basically

11

unpacking the five most common regrets

that people have on their deathbed.

12

So, a little bit of a

morbid topic, but I think...

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Susan: It's morbid at all.

14

I love the planning aspect of

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Jessica T: it.

16

Yeah, it got me thinking last night

and I'll tell you all what the, what

17

the, I'll tell you what the five common

regrets are, but it got me thinking

18

my, my mind went in two directions.

19

One, I think I'm just into this topic

right now because we recently lost Sasha.

20

So my mind is going into like,

uh, What am I spending my time?

21

It's, it's getting me thinking about

like bigger life questions, which

22

I think sometimes those tragedies,

that's, that's what happens.

23

And two, I think it brings in a bigger

conversation of being an entrepreneur and

24

how we spend our time as entrepreneurs.

25

And so.

26

I, I'm really excited to, to bring

this topic to the table, Susan,

27

specifically to hear what you think.

28

So for the benefit of our listeners

and you, can I just share what

29

the five common regards are?

30

And then I think we'll just

31

Susan: jump over to them.

32

I'm actually looking forward to it.

33

Jessica T: Okay.

34

So she says the most common things

that she has heard from people, and

35

I guess she worked as a palliative,

nurse in, in hospice care.

36

And Was, you know, worked with lots and

lots and lots of different families and

37

helping their loved ones transition.

38

And so these were the five

most common ones, not the only

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ones, but the most common ones.

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Number one is that people wish they

lived a life truer to themselves.

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Number two, they wish they

hadn't worked so hard.

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Number three, they wish that they

had expressed their feelings more.

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Number four is They wish that they had

stayed in touch with their friends.

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And number five was they wish

that they let themselves be

45

happier and live a happier life.

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So those were the five

most common regrets.

47

And interestingly, you know, in.

48

Entrepreneurial space that we're, you

know, we're always about like goals and,

49

and, you know, getting to the next level

and growing and all the sort of numbers

50

and vanity metrics associated with it.

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No numbers are associated

with any of those regrets.

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So Susan, I'm wondering, like,

which one stands out to you and why?

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Susan: Almost every

entrepreneur, for God's sakes.

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If you started a business.

55

You've been alone.

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So you can kind of feel and you

know, even though you're lonely

57

and things aren't going great, you

may not be able to express that

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because it would be too vulnerable.

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you know, you work too much.

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Well, that's because it's an all or

nothing paradigm for some, right?

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This is my last chance.

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I got to make this happen.

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So there's that.

64

Desperate nature to it.

65

So it can be out of proportion for

what, you know, a healthy work life

66

balance probably should, or I should

say, ideally look like, um, happier.

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I do think, regrettably, this is

an unspoken truth that, and I'm

68

talking strictly for startups.

69

There are a number of folks

that start a business.

70

And they had a grand time and an

amazing time starting that business

71

and they take it as a life sentence

that they cannot do anything else.

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So they're happy is maybe for five or ten

years and then like, Jesus, I just put

73

a, you know, noose around my neck because

I, I want to do other things yet I can't.

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Jessica T: I almost think that that, that,

just listening to you, we could take each

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one of these lessons and go so deep on it.

76

So yes, you can go very meta.

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Susan: You always can go meta,

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Jessica T: you can, and I think

there's, there's one that definitely

79

stands out to me and one that I

hear so often from the clients and

80

business owners that I interact with

frequently, and one that I think is just.

81

I latched on because it speaks to

something I'm thinking about as well.

82

So I wonder if, is there one that

is especially sticking out to you?

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Susan: Yes.

84

And half.

85

No.

86

Um, I know.

87

Is there such a thing?

88

Well, it really goes to the thing

of, you know, the happier I wish I

89

was, I gave myself permission to be.

90

Happier.

91

And for the past two years, I've been

stressing, bring the fun back, have

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fun, and you know, because it helps you

put in, at least it does for me, right?

93

It does for me.

94

I don't want to speak euphemistically

on everyone's behalf, but for me, that's

95

also a placeholder for me to say, um,

good old Ralph Waldo Emerson, you know,

96

finish each day and be done with it.

97

Thanks.

98

And that means leave it

all out in the field, man.

99

Just, if you're going

to do it, do it hard.

100

And it may be wrong, but

dang it, you made your mark.

101

Right?

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I've never seen somebody fail miserably

and spectacularly and fail a little bit.

103

Meaning, you know, if they gave

it a little more juice, they

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probably would have made it.

105

Right?

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But I know if you've given it your

all, what are you going to do?

107

You can't regret it.

108

Yeah.

109

Because you gave

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Jessica T: it your all, so some of

our most, you know, when I think

111

about some of our most successful

entrepreneurial clients, there's just

112

that like go getter can do attitude.

113

And I love being around them and

talking with them because they're

114

like, Oh, you know what, we're, we're

just going to create this product.

115

And we're just going to go

for it and see what happens.

116

Right.

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Or, Oh,

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Susan: that's a person

who can work with risk.

119

Jessica T: Right.

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But, but there's this.

121

I want to see what happens

and I want to have fun.

122

It's this exploratory

investigative approach to things.

123

And of course I know it's driven by

like, I think this can make us money.

124

And I think this is going to make a

successful, but I think underneath

125

that is more of the, no, it's the

exploratory, like, let's see what happens.

126

And I want to, you know, I

want to just give this a shot.

127

So it's like creating and

launching a new product.

128

It could be.

129

hiring a team member.

130

It could be, you know, uh, we've had some

clients have multiple locations, right?

131

So they're, they're expanding

and stretching and they're like,

132

let's just see what happens.

133

And there's that, there's that fun,

like, I want to try this attitude.

134

So when I think of that lesson,

like let myself be help happier.

135

As an entrepreneur, I think there's

that, there's that not wanting to live

136

also with the regret of like, I was

too scared to try this or I wonder what

137

would have happened if I tried this.

138

So I kind of branched off, but

I, but I think to bring it back

139

to the Emerson quote, finish

each day and be done with it.

140

Susan: see for me, I'm going to

jump in here because I go ahead.

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Jessica T: You could tell this

is so fresh from last night.

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I'm absolutely working it out.

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Well, for

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Susan: me, it's like, it's no different.

145

Why I love Mondays.

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Most people go running in the

opposite direction from Mondays.

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Dang.

148

I love me some Mondays.

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It's a new week.

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It's a new day.

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And I always embrace the potential

of what can be, might be, could be.

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And I am an optimistic person.

153

I'm not Pollyanna about it.

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I may be dating me, but it's true.

155

I don't see, you know, rainbows

and unicorns all the time.

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I do see, you know, potential.

157

And I do embrace the joy of it.

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The, the optimism of it.

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I am an American after all.

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That is quintessential American.

161

And I do believe, you know, really.

162

Let's, we have everything to gain for it.

163

Why play one second less?

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Jessica T: you know, going back to

what you said earlier, it's this

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idea of this I think aligns with

what you're saying, which is People

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will often start a business and

it will look a certain way, right?

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And they're happy with it for like those

first couple of years or however long.

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And then all of a sudden it doesn't

become fun or enjoyable anymore.

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And I think one of the things that I know

we've started working on with some of

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our clients is like, well, wait a second.

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The boredom, the frustration, the

resentment, the feeling stuck.

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There's a, there's a, a lot of

flexibility and freedom for entrepreneurs.

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Maybe people, not so much for

people who have, you know, more of a

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corporate professional job, but for

entrepreneurs, like you can change it.

175

You don't have to throw

the whole thing out.

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Like how many people have come to

you and been like, I hate this thing.

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And I just want to light

my business on fire.

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And you're like, wait a second.

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It doesn't have to be that extreme.

180

We don't have to go all

the way to that degree.

181

It's

182

Susan: the classic I've

fallen out out of love.

183

Mm-hmm.

184

with it and it presents that way.

185

But really, you know, the under the

understory is I created this business.

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I had a lot of opportunity and creativity

and risk and adrenaline rushes left and

187

right, and it's become rote, it's become

monotonous, it's become predictable.

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And I actually shine fast when there's.

189

Unpredictability.

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Hello.

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Entrepreneurs unite.

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I, you know, they love it.

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Non entrepreneurs look at it as risk.

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But we entrepreneurs who start businesses

from the ground up, that's not risk.

195

That's creative opportunity.

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And we're okay with it.

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We really do see it as skewed a different

way than most average individuals.

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In fact, only 3% On the United States

citizens, well, according to the S B

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A, by the way, I didn't take this test.

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It was a survey done by the S B A

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Jessica T: that we don't know

who actually took this survey.

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So

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Susan: was in fact the S B A because

everybody, you know, we always hear

204

this moniker, oh, you can be a business

owner and you could be a business

205

owner, and you too, and you three.

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Well, the fact is there's a reason

why 50% businesses fail in five years.

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Because they weren't supposed to

be in business anyways because

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honestly, they're not wired.

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They're probably amazing.

210

Number two people.

211

So really, when we boiled down the

numbers in that study, they came up with

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actually 3 percent of the population at

that given time is about 5 years old.

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3 percent of the population is

actually wired and prepared for

214

the rigors of owning a business.

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And what's that mean?

216

Stress out over risk.

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I can balance it.

218

I can work it through and a person that

isn't able to do that, well, my God,

219

would you find anything more stressful

and unpleasant and unfulfilling?

220

Jessica T: Well, this actually, this

is the question I was going to ask you.

221

And I think you're, you're starting

to answer it now, which is what would

222

you say to an entrepreneur that has

come to you and sort of revealed.

223

I'm just unhappy in my business.

224

Like what would you, what, what advice

or what would you recommend they do?

225

Susan: Well, it's threefold.

226

So one, what is it that doesn't

make you happy any longer?

227

So in other words, what made

you happy at the beginning?

228

Number one, we need to

determine what that is too.

229

Are you sure you're not just bored?

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You know, sometimes we confuse

our emotions, you know,

231

fear or anticipation, right?

232

and often in this instance,

that does get confused.

233

I'm just bored out of my wits, and then

the boredom becomes hate and frustration.

234

Right.

235

So I want to see if they're bored, you

know, the monotony of what they've done.

236

And finally, I want to see how able are

they to imagine a different outcome.

237

So, you know, would you like

to use this present business as

238

an ATM to fund the new venture?

239

Are you interested in

selling this outright?

240

there are a number of options.

241

So we're ideation and option creation

is in that particular effort.

242

So there's three.

243

it's never a straight answer because

individually we are different.

244

And that uniqueness of that individual

is what created that business.

245

So we have to capture

that with the leadership.

246

and you've witnessed all of

this on various occasions.

247

So none of this should be new to you, of

course, but you know, it's interesting

248

when you finally button up and say,

well, what if we just hired somebody

249

to run the business and you go do

the creative part of this business?

250

I can't begin to tell you

how many jaws hit the floor.

251

What?

252

We can do that?

253

And I was like, hell yeah, that's

the fun Let's go create more.

254

Jessica T: what I love about this answer.

255

And again, I think in the, in the

bigger scheme of so many people went

256

into business to do something that

they love, but also for flexibility

257

and freedom and the ability to do

a lot of things on their terms.

258

Let's tap into that.

259

It doesn't have, if you're unhappy and

you're frustrated, there are options.

260

There is a light at the end of

the tunnel and it's too bad.

261

I think when you, I know you hear

this a lot more just with the clients

262

that you tend to work with, they

will come to you and they've been

263

feeling that feeling for a while.

264

It's, it's hard.

265

Yeah.

266

It's, it's been like, it's been marinating

that frustration, resentment unhappiness

267

has been marinating for a while.

268

And so I think that's always why

you're like, Oh man, like, could

269

you have come to me like a year

ago, however long ago, right?

270

You've been sitting in this.

271

It's like, there was, there

are so many options for you.

272

That's a heartbreak.

273

Susan: I have to tell you one thing.

274

One of the reasons why I did start this

business for my whole career, a good 20

275

years, always in the senior leadership.

276

I was very blessed in my career

while raising you girls, um,

277

to work in senior leadership.

278

But here's the thing.

279

I never had my voice because

it wasn't my business.

280

So I had to represent.

281

Dad as a colonel or the officer in charge,

I had to represent the mother of, I had

282

to represent the, employee or director

of, uh, when I, uh, forget it, when

283

I worked in the United States Senate.

284

Honey, I was holding a purse and write.

285

I had my voice in on written word,

but I couldn't say an darn thing.

286

I had no voice because anything I said,

Would have been used against the senator

287

that I so appreciated and, you know,

I really rallied on her behalf, but it

288

would have been made and used against

her and that wouldn't help anybody.

289

So I want voice, and that was

one of the reasons why we named

290

it, Terzakis and Associates.

291

I wanted my name, my voice,

my thought, my, my say on it.

292

If I had to go another day without

having to speak my personal truth.

293

Oh, we're going to have a, we're

going to have a cleanup on aisle one.

294

It was just, it was going to be pretty

but for people, you know, making that

295

transition into a small business.

296

And they don't know how to,

how do I actually do that?

297

And that's the fun that we

get to have with them, right?

298

You are huge in helping

299

Jessica T: people find I was just

thinking, my mind went in a bunch

300

of different directions with

all the conversations I've had.

301

I know, I've talked with so many, it's

everything from just, when I think

302

of content creation, it's been from a

place of like, I am a spiritual person.

303

But I'm afraid to talk about that.

304

Or I want to have conversations

about this hobby that I'm into, or I

305

want to show my feelings about this.

306

It's all those kinds of conversations.

307

In fact, I recently had one the other,

the other day and It was one of our

308

clients and they were just saying, you

know, we, I've been taught in the past

309

or, previous jobs when they were in more

professional corporate positions, it

310

was, be careful not to offend anyone.

311

And I just said to them,

I said, you know, I won.

312

Just in the line of work that you do, I

don't think you're going to say anything

313

that is going to, like, have everybody

unfollow you, everybody, like, hate

314

you, and then your business shut down.

315

I was like, I don't think

the nature of what you do is

316

going to lend itself to that.

317

And I said, but more importantly, the

censoring of what you want to say,

318

the holding back of what's really

inspiring you, is Holding you back.

319

I think from having fun in the business,

telling stories, connecting with people.

320

And so what you're kind of left

with is this very bland, vanilla

321

content that you're wondering why

nobody really wants to engage with.

322

And I said, I promise you, if you

start adding in and dipping your toe

323

into sharing these, feelings that

you're having your thoughts on your

324

industry, even the, the elements

of what you are, are like in your

325

personal life and what your values are.

326

I said, yeah.

327

you're gonna find that you're

connecting with way more people.

328

And then more importantly,

it's a lot more enjoyable too.

329

Like the more you censor yourself,

the more of a drag it is.

330

Susan: Yeah.

331

The worst thing I wanna

hear is, Hey, you know what?

332

I don't know how I feel about No, stop.

333

You're talking about the wrong topics.

334

If you don't know how you feel, help

yourself create an informed opinion.

335

Mm-hmm.

336

, everybody, everybody.

337

We'll judge.

338

It doesn't matter.

339

You know,

340

Jessica T: you know, this actually reminds

me of, you know, something that you and

341

I philosophically agreed upon, I want to

say at least a year ago, I don't know.

342

We were, we were helping a

lot of entrepreneurs with

343

some content creation stuff.

344

And you and I agreed that one of the

things that we were going to do when we.

345

We're working with clients on this is

that we were not going to write the

346

content for them, because what we wanted

to teach them was the ability to find

347

their voice and say what they want to

say, because there's nothing more freeing

348

than that to be able to articulate and

communicate and say what you want to say.

349

And no one can take that away from you.

350

And there's such power in

that it's so much bigger than.

351

A business thing.

352

It's like, this is you.

353

This is you as a person.

354

And I know like, I've been on zoom

calls with clients and when we've

355

gotten to like, what do you want to say?

356

What do you really want

to express to people?

357

What do you want to say?

358

Make it even bigger than that.

359

It's like, you're holding like, no,

I want to hear what you have to say.

360

And then they finally reveal it.

361

And it's like, we just got goosebumps.

362

Right.

363

There's just something

so beautiful in that.

364

Susan: that's the whole reason

for doing what we do, isn't it?

365

Finding the under the under.

366

You know, but that really goes back

to Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous

367

quote of, Finish each day and just

be done with it for goodness sakes.

368

Be done with it.

369

Leave it on the field.

370

Can you actually pass away with

regret living by that That credo

371

is just so empowering, isn't it?

372

And you know I'm not

the big one on regret.

373

I don't believe in regret.

374

I think

375

Jessica T: so.

376

I think that's why you're saying, you

know, in the, in the spirit of like

377

expressing yourself and saying what you

want to say, then it's like, you're,

378

you know, you're not going to have

that regret of like, well, I wish I

379

expressed my opinion on this or said that.

380

And, and look, I was using the example

of social media as a very specific.

381

illustration, just because that's what

we often use as entrepreneurs, but

382

that's even in like conversations and,

and who you're connecting with and who

383

you're building, you know, friendships

and, and networking relationships with,

384

I think it's just being able to say,

say those things and express yourself.

385

Susan: I think it also has to do

with the fact that as really, you

386

do not have a problem with that.

387

I can tell you there are times though,

you know, having a mom like I did

388

growing up, we were encouraged to have

an informed opinion, but an opinion,

389

whether it's on social policy, current

events, so they required that we read

390

newspapers at the time coming up.

391

And, you know, we even had it growing

up, you know, give me a high and low

392

of today, it required you to own.

393

The experiences, whether they were good or

not so good on that particular day, right?

394

It allowed conversation and

allowed connection and allowed

395

exploring, you know, why was it

not good or why was it amazing?

396

it's the art of.

397

Learning and being childlike in your

curiosity, when we shut that down, we

398

become less than and we're less happier.

399

We play a smaller game.

400

We don't want to be heard so much

because we're just not too sure.

401

And I can't think of a sadder existence.

402

And if there's a way that I could

empower and I tell you what, one

403

of the reasons why we do what we

do is because we do empower people.

404

Not because of our work, but

because they gain confidence

405

and how to do it for their own.

406

So

407

Jessica T: I think that's why

entrepreneurs are uniquely positioned

408

in this instance to really, if

we think of these five lessons, I

409

think there's an opportunity to.

410

Live them or is that, I don't know if

that's the right word, but I think that

411

your business can be a vehicle to fulfill

these lessons or live these lessons.

412

You know, it's funny, the ones

that you latched onto, right?

413

And this is why I love content because

you never quite know when you create

414

something and you release it to the

world, what people are going to grab

415

onto, what they're going to latch onto.

416

And I should play that real for you.

417

before we got on to recording

this and like a half a minute,

418

well, I know they're short.

419

It's like a minute and 30 seconds, but we

listened to the same thing, same content.

420

You take it in one direction and I

take it in a, in another one just

421

based on our life experience and where

our heads at and what matters to us.

422

And I think the one that

stands out to me the most is I

423

wish I hadn't worked so hard.

424

Yes.

425

Yeah, I wish I had to work so hard.

426

Why?

427

I think because I In the busy body.

428

And I do like working and I think

maybe it's my age, but I am feeling

429

time going by so much quicker.

430

Susan: Yeah, it does.

431

As we get older, it does.

432

It's like

433

Jessica T: I blink and it's like,

my gosh, like, you know, some of

434

the things we were talking about,

I'm like, that was a year ago.

435

That was a year and a half ago.

436

Like, we were just expressing this, the

very cliched, like, oh my gosh, the time.

437

Flies by.

438

And I think when I was listening to

the, to the real, which was talking

439

about one of the regrets is people

wish they hadn't worked so hard.

440

I think as an entrepreneur, my mind

goes right into, it's very easy for

441

me when I'm working on something

to get very focused and make.

442

It's so important.

443

And it's the end all be all.

444

And I get very consumed

by it because it's fun.

445

And I like problem solving.

446

And I like, you know, the, the

satisfaction that comes with completing

447

something, you know, whether it's working

on something for a client or, or creating

448

something for us, like as simple as like

a lead magnet or a downloadable item.

449

I'm like, Oh, this is so fun.

450

And then part of my challenge is.

451

That before I know it, you know,

I'm on the phone all the time.

452

my mind is elsewhere.

453

My mind is so wrapped up in work.

454

And so, so thinking of other things

and, I think that's the caveat.

455

Susan: And you know, you're an

apple off the old tree here, right?

456

I love to work.

457

And for me, work is fine.

458

I, this is indeed fun.

459

So, but I also have to remember

as entrepreneurs, we have to be

460

sensitive and supportive and loving

to our support system, you know, our

461

friends, family, and, you know, as I

like to have fun with the in laws and

462

the outlaws, they need time with us.

463

And.

464

You know, we may be okay with less

time, not because we don't love them

465

or appreciate them or want to be there.

466

It almost has nothing to do with that.

467

It has to do with the singular focus

of, I'm really passionate about what

468

I'm committed to in this business.

469

But they need so and then here's

the fun thing when we go on vacation

470

when we do take breaks We we do it.

471

Oh, yeah, the family

really wants to go away.

472

I have all this stuff I have to

make up so I can get away and and

473

inevitably we come back refreshed

energized Ready to do new things.

474

So you would think We get it in our thick

heads that yeah, man, friends and family

475

are incredibly soul quenchingly important.

476

I

477

Jessica T: think intellectually people get

that and I know intellectually it's like,

478

well, yeah, I, I, I am aware of that.

479

I've been told that we have quotes and

abundance surrounding that idea, right?

480

Doing it is another different doing

it is another is another thing and I

481

think one of the lenses I've started

to use in seeing things through is.

482

You know, five years from now, it's

not going to matter how many people

483

liked this post that I put on social

media, you know, five, five years

484

from now, it's not going to matter.

485

And I don't say this dismissively about

the things that we're creating because

486

I think they matter, but in the grand,

I'm talking in the grand scheme of

487

things, the singular post or video that

I've recorded is not going to matter.

488

So stop obsessing and stop

fixating on it and stop wanting

489

it to be, you know, perfect.

490

Susan: Can I interrupt you there?

491

because I think what you said

there, can you really bring

492

in a lot to the listener here?

493

we only have so many

resources of the self, right?

494

Can we stop pretending that it's

infinite, that it is indeed finite?

495

I think that's what I'm hearing you

share, and I'm taking something from that.

496

and I think you are, you would

readily agree with this, We can't

497

give all, and then when we give

all, expect there to be more to be.

498

Act into well, and

499

Jessica T: yeah, I teach as an adjunct

at the university, just a freshman,

500

you know, intro to writing class, you

know, it's one of the gen eds that

501

you have to take to, to graduate.

502

And I, you know, had a

student and literally this

503

morning email me frantically.

504

That they were going to be late

and they were so apologetic and

505

they were like, I was at the

hospital last night with my father.

506

I'm not making this up.

507

Right.

508

And I was like, honestly, in the

grand scheme of things, that is

509

where your time should be spent.

510

we will make up the lesson of whatever

we covered today in freshman composition

511

class, you know, And I think it's just

seeing things through the lens of,

512

you know, five years from now and the

grander scheme of things, you know,

513

where do I want to be spending my time?

514

What do I want to spend my time doing?

515

And that doesn't mean that I.

516

will all of a sudden just be like,

well, I'm not going to do anything.

517

Like I'm not going to do an all or

nothing here, but I am suggesting,

518

and you can sense that I am working

this out and I don't have the answer

519

to this personally for myself, but it

does, in light of, of losing Sasha.

520

In light of listening to this, you

know, it gets, it just gets you

521

thinking like, what do I really

want to spend my time doing?

522

Is it, do I want to spend my time

worrying and stressing out about, you

523

know, this or that in the business?

524

Or do I want to be constantly attached

to, my social media thinking about, are

525

enough people engaging with my stuff or

people liking my stuff or this or that?

526

And like in the grand scheme of

things, it's just, it doesn't.

527

It won't matter.

528

Well,

529

Susan: I think to your point,

it does, but it doesn't.

530

Yeah.

531

And there's a onic nature of it.

532

It does in the moment, but in

the long term, it really doesn't.

533

It, it, and I, I usually come back to, you

know, the four points I wrote down, truth,

534

feelings, working and being happier.

535

And, you know, it, the obvious exercise

there could be, what's the opposite?

536

You know, I could've been happier.

537

Instead, I had allowed myself to

stay in a, a sad, unhappy state.

538

I could've.

539

Worked less and achieved probably

the same or slightly more, but yet,

540

nope, I worked harder feelings.

541

I felt less when, in all honesty, I had

every reason to do a happy victory dance,

542

but I didn't give myself permission.

543

And then, you know, the truth.

544

Well, you know, of course, that

resonated big time with me.

545

You know, usually it's having a say having

an informed opinion, having a perspective,

546

having, you know, agency and autonomy.

547

And I think those are all

incredibly important, regardless

548

who you are as a human being.

549

I think that I would really want

to emphasize is at the end of the

550

hour, when we're done talking about

branding, business, All of that.

551

How did you show up to this gig?

552

Because it's, you know, it goes

back to that old saying, it's not

553

going to say on my epitaph that

I held a really kick ass meeting.

554

No, no.

555

It's going to have a few

titles that I'm proud of.

556

Daughter, sister, mother, wife.

557

That's it folks.

558

noticed I didn't have entrepreneur there,

559

even though I've impacted

a number of lives.

560

That's perhaps under friend.

561

You know, it was a friendly moment,

but I think encouraging everybody

562

to really take stock of how do

you want to show up in this life?

563

You have one make account and,

you know, make peace with that.

564

And that's really why that fabulous

little quote from that man about 100

565

years ago in Lexington, Massachusetts.

566

You know, Ralph, you came up

with yet another winner, finish

567

each day and be done with it.

568

How phenomenal is that?

569

I find so much empowerment.

570

Jessica T: Well, I think that it does,

it does let us go in a very empowering,

571

you know, there is a sobering note

to some of this, but I think in the

572

sense that by calling attention to it

and having awareness of this, then.

573

We can do something about it.

574

And I think we've, that's what we've

unpacked today is that, you know,

575

these five lessons as entrepreneurs,

if you're listening to this and you're

576

thinking, Oh my gosh, the months have

just rolled by or I'm really not that

577

happy or I'm kind of frustrated in my

business or I haven't remembered the

578

last time I actually hung out with

my friends outside of my business.

579

You're in a very unique position

to do something about it.

580

And so to wrap up.

581

That's what we would suggest.

582

To someone listening to this is these

five regrets don't necessarily have to be

583

true for not for you as a business owner.

584

So Susan, this has been, this has

been a fun topic to bring to the table

585

because it wasn't a business topic.

586

It was just this interesting reel that

I stumbled upon that I was like, this

587

is going to be such a good conversation.

588

So thank you.

589

Oh,

590

Susan: it's my joy.

591

In all honesty, it was one of those

instances where I found that empowering.

592

It was really encouraging, empowering.

593

I hope those listening get it too.

594

So I love that you brought it up

as usual, always insightful and fun

595

to flesh it out a little bit more.

596

So yay.

597

Well

598

Jessica T: done.

599

All right.

600

Well, that's it for today.

601

Susan, I will see you next time.

602

See you soon.