Keywords: titration, nervous system alignment, softpreneurialism, business sustainability, structured work environments, 9 to 5 job, Instagram, community event, heart-centered business, business stages, All Connected Agency, online teaching, pandemic challenges, Zoom, Keynote, community support, delegation, burnout, hustle culture, softpreneur, goal alignment, limiting beliefs, authentic success, soul-driven, self-belief, marketing, expanders, creativity, consumer culture, business doula, personal alignment.

Elyssa Jakim [00:00:00]:

Foreign.

Eyla Cuenca [00:00:07]:

Thank you so much for being here with me today. I'm so excited to hang out and chitty chat. Every time I connect with both of you, it feels so, like, nourishing, inspiring, and. And I know, Don, we got to meet in person. I have not met Elisa in person, but it feels like I know you both on this other level. And so it's very special for me to have you here today. Hi.

Dawn Petrin [00:00:29]:

Hi. Thank you for having. And yes, Elisa and I haven't even met in person yet. Ayla. So that's pretty crazy.

Elyssa Jakim [00:00:37]:

Ayla, I feel like I know you because, too, because. Was it 10 years ago when. When we started collaborating, I had seen. I searched your email in my inbox, and you had sent me an email about potentially doing a unicorn reading with me, like, when I was doing that 10 years ago. So I'm like, we're connected across timelines and realms.

Eyla Cuenca [00:00:59]:

Yeah, exactly. Like, when you told me that, I was like, there's no way. But of course there's always a way. And, yeah, and then I confirmed it in the email, and I was trying to remember what was happening in my life at that point or, like, what juncture I was at. And it's really interesting because then when I looked back, I was like, oh, yeah, it makes complete sense that I was, like, searching for some, like, female support in that realm, you know? And. Yeah, and it's just proof that we are all connected. I would love for you both to share what's also funny, that we're both in. Or the three of us are in all different places.

Eyla Cuenca [00:01:33]:

Like Canada, the Northeast. Well, kind of. Right. So technically, the Northeast. Yeah, technically, yeah. Yeah. And I'm in the Southeast. And so we're in very different parts of the world, but we're connected in this way.

Eyla Cuenca [00:01:44]:

And so I would love to hear about what inspired you to create All Connected Agency. Like, what's the story? The arc.

Elyssa Jakim [00:01:53]:

Okay, so, wow. All Connected was birthed in a really, really, like, magical, kismet way, of course. And dawn and I had been collaborating. We have a lot of shared skills, one of them being conversion copywriting. And Don and I were collaborating on Shanti Zak's amazing team. And we had both kind of gone to do. I had just had my first baby, and dawn was. She could tell you a bit about her story and where she's at at that moment.

Elyssa Jakim [00:02:27]:

And in a. In a funny way, we were. And we have. We have a podcast. We have an episode about this. We were kind of born out of a rock bottom, out of A sort of tower card moment where AI was taking copywriters jobs. I had lost a main client, I had a baby who is two months old and we kind of, it was a. And we had a brand designer, amazing brand designer Franzine with us at the time too.

Elyssa Jakim [00:02:53]:

And she's still our lead consult design projects. And it was sort of this like sisterhood moment of like let's team up as a collective. We have so many shared gifts in the marketing realms and Don and I have like amazing synchronistic connections too that we had had no idea until we were like kind of put together by Spirit, I would say. And we're convinced we worked together many times before this and made magic together in many, many ways. And so yes, born out of a rock bottom. We just started collaborating on marketing projects for we currently and at that time to support visionaries, thought leaders in the holistic space in their marketing. So that could look like seven figure business who's doing a launch or a new website or a rebrand as well as business owners who are. Have an established practice or maybe they're amazing doulas or midwives, healing practitioners, et cetera who are looking to be more visible online and establish themselves in that way as well.

Elyssa Jakim [00:04:05]:

Business growth across many multitudes. And I will leave that there. I'll. I'll hand it to dawn to fill in the blanks.

Dawn Petrin [00:04:13]:

Yeah, sure. Thank you, Elisa. Yeah, Elisa and I came together 100% because Spirit led us. A mentor that we had both worked with, with was getting to know Elisa and she was like, you need to reach out to Dawn. You guys have so much in common. And most importantly it's that we really feel like Spirit first and taking care of the self and the community. The most important part even about marketing. And yeah, the rock bottom that Elisa is, is speaking about is.

Dawn Petrin [00:04:46]:

Yeah, I was, I was doing marketing consulting for a software company that really focused on like personal connection. It was a quiz software company and they let me go during the AI revolution. February 2023 or January 2023. Yeah, they let us go or let me go and let Franzine go. And we have been collaborating a lot. And so the name of our company is all connected for a couple of reasons. One is because like yes, we're Spirit first and we believe we are all connected and like that the earth is alive, you know, and that Spirit should be in the front of everything. And then also as a copywriter I had been handing off like big Google Docs to clients for years and not seeing projects get completed and it kind of broke my heart.

Dawn Petrin [00:05:36]:

So there's like two meanings to all Connected. One is like the, yes, everything is all connected. And the other is that we wanted to hold space as a marketing agency so that when people came to us with something they needed done, they didn't just get parts of it, so they got everything that they needed. And Ayla, I know, you know, as a business owner, like, there are so many little different parts to every single project. And I think it can, like, take entrepreneurs, visionaries, it can take us out of our magic when we're trying to figure out all of the details and hold space for all of them. So that's. That's sort of how all Connected was born. And then, yeah, just kismet across the board.

Dawn Petrin [00:06:19]:

We just have this magical ability to attract, like, freedom, focus, spirit, loving, caring individuals. And so it's been like an absolute pleasure. Everyone that we worked with, we, like, would want to, you know, go camping with. I don't know why camping came up, but, you know, or. Or to a luxury like yoga retreat or. Or what have you.

Eyla Cuenca [00:06:41]:

I know. I. It's funny because in my adult life, I realized that, like, I'm one of the few adults I know who love camping. Like, I grew up camping, you know, Like, I get excited at the prospect of, like, living in a tent in the middle of the desert for four days, like, cooking on a camping stove, but I know that that's like, not everyone's cup of tea. And I couldn't understand why, like, even my own mother is like, no way. Like, she went to Burning man with like a tricked out R. And I was like, I would like, you know, live in a tent, you know, and do a sun shower. But anyway, whatever.

Eyla Cuenca [00:07:16]:

So, yeah, I would have liked the camping. I would camp with you too.

Dawn Petrin [00:07:19]:

All right, let's make it happen.

Eyla Cuenca [00:07:21]:

So what you said about, like, that need that we might feel as business owners, entrepreneurs, whoever is trying to create something that need, or like, the almost pressure to cover all the bases ourselves is really debilitating. Like, I can speak from experience because my business, you know, I grew from serving the community. Like, I was really, like, I was teaching birth classes out of my living room. I was doing free talks at chiropractors offices. I was like, doing free Q&As at pediatrician's offices, at obstetricians offices. And from there I was like, oh, they're filling up. And like, what happens when things fill up? Like, I need to create more opportunities, but I just like. And so I hit a ceiling of growth simply because I didn't, you know, I'm not like Saraswati.

Eyla Cuenca [00:08:10]:

I don't have like 10 hands. You know, it's like I had to like, figure out a way. And I said, well, this is just my limit. And I'm. And I'm also a stay at home mom, so I would bring her with me to all of my teachings, my classes. And I was like, this is it. I'll just be content at this, in this space. Because the thought of having to creatively multiply myself just doesn't.

Eyla Cuenca [00:08:31]:

I don't even. I can't even conceptualize that. And then 2020 hit and like, all the classes, seminars, everything that like, people had paid deposits for that, you know, people were planning to go to, like, it all stopped. I was ready to keep teaching. Like, I was, I was like, what's the problem? But nobody else was thinking like that. And so I had to like, learn zoom and like, learn, you know, like my father, my daughter's father, like, he helped me learn, like Keynote, you know, and like. Cause I didn't have, you know, I knew PowerPoint from back in the day, but it's like, I didn't know how to use Keynote. I didn't know how to do any of that stuff.

Eyla Cuenca [00:09:07]:

So, like, within, I don't know, six days, I like, did a crash course on all of this and realized that there is like, you know, of course, like, the Internet, for better or worse, is like an incredibly powerful tool. And like, I was like, how can I teach this thing that I feel is so important to do in person online? Like, how does that translate? And then it started to grow from there and I started actually reaching more people. And I started to see that the value of what I was offering could become available to people that were not in my community. And I know that like, you know, people listening to this are like, yeah, duh. You know, especially like the younger generation, right? Like, yeah, that's like, what do you mean? You're going like, door to door? Like, how does that make any sense? But I just, at the time, birth felt so intimate and pregnancy is so intimate and motherhood and man woman relating so intimate. I was like, you can't do this online. So my whole perspective changed. And then I connected with you all at a point where it was like I was ready to go to the next level, But I was so overwhelmed by the prospect of like, writing emails that were persuasive that like, creating content for the Internet, like, all the things that go into it with, you know, From a heart centered place.

Eyla Cuenca [00:10:19]:

Right? Because like, yes, it would be great to make a living from this. Like, that's the goal to, you know, support my daughter and myself. But also like, I didn't want to lose any of the quality of what I was offering. And so when I connected with you all, you really showed me how to maintain the level of quality and connection that I valued while also taking care of like, realizing that like I didn't have all the answers. Like, I don't know how to write copy. I don't know how to do the back end of this. I don't know how design and copy and messaging work together. Like, you know what I mean? And that's when I was like, oh, there.

Eyla Cuenca [00:10:56]:

It's like takes a community, it takes a tribe, it like, it takes all these people who have these different talents to come together and make this happen. And like in the same way that I tell people it takes a community to raise a child, you know, it's like the same thing. So I, I really, you know, I see that a lot women are trying to do and men, you know, trying to do all of it, all the elements themselves, they crash, they burn, they feel resentful, they don't want to do it anymore. Or like the thing they're trying to sell or create just doesn't come to fruition because they become paralyzed. The logistics of it. And so would you mind sharing like some stories or like, you know, I mean, obviously I just told mine, but like what you, what you've seen where it's like someone's growth happened, you know, exponentially because they decided to recruit the, that holistic support.

Dawn Petrin [00:11:44]:

I love it. Yeah, thank you for that. I think like what you pointed out to when you said debilitating is a reason a lot of people don't move forward in like their careers and their passions. And I don't think we should all have to do everything. Like, that's, that's another reason that we're together as like a collective or an agency is because like Elisa and I work really well together. We have team members who support, who are amazing, who we've got to help like grow over the last, A lot of them have been with, with me who, some of our team members have been with me since I owned a yoga studio over a decade ago actually. But one thing that has been really, really special and felt different about working with us is that a lot of people come to their, come to us and they're almost ready to like blow up the business and do something else just because they're, because it's so stressful. And we've actually seen a lot of our clients, whether they're like done for you, marketing clients or like coaching clients, like fall back in love with their business again.

Dawn Petrin [00:12:46]:

And that has been like, that's more exciting than big launches, if that makes sense to you. And also, so we've seen people change what they're asking for from their business based on I think a little bit of our attitude towards it all. And of course we're all about big numbers and we want everyone to get big numbers. And like we last year helped like two or three clients hit their first six figure launch and that was like so cool. It happened all at the same time too, right? So you're like, whoa, that's so amazing. And I know the word sustainable business is buzzy and, and maybe overused but like it feels like can help people fall in love with their business and turn it into something that is an energetic match for what they want to put out there in the world. That feels really, really good. We're doing, we, we created this funny like prosperity portal.

Dawn Petrin [00:13:40]:

It's a business block eradicator, prosperity portal activation, which is just like a week long container with us. And we did our first one two days ago and we're in Telegram in a chat with the gal that we did it with. And I'm just like so happy and blown away by the shifts that have happened already from that first call and the chat and like what she's creating and she's like, this feels so much lighter and I can see how it could work. And like so that, that's my favorite part. And yes, we have worked and created like big numbers for people in multiple launches. One of the first launches I ever wrote years ago under Shanti's team, we did like 300,000 in three days is like kind of insane. And I feel so much better to just have someone be like, oh my gosh, I feel like I love what I do and I can like continue to hold and support people in this space in a way that I couldn't when I was like feeling this like girl boss, rah, rah, rah. I need to make 6 figures every launch, 10k a month sort of thing.

Eyla Cuenca [00:14:45]:

Right? Because at a certain point, I mean that girl boss energy I know we've talked about this is, I feel like been really popular, I don't know for how many years now, but it's like that term I'm hustling, I'm a girl boss and I actually know personally women who, like, identify as that, and, like, I know them personally and, like, within their lives, like, things don't feel super groovy, you know, And I think the goal is to feel groovy and also be doing the thing that we love and also generating income. And so that's, you know, for me, what that the softpreneur term really reflects, which is the name of your podcast and, like, your movement, you know. But what is. What would you say is, like, that ingredient? Because I know when we get into this energy of meeting a number, we're also coming up against limiting beliefs around why we can't meet that number or why we can't have X amount of people in our container or why, why, why? So it's like, you know, there's a lot there that I just said, but, like, what is. What is the alignment that one has to come into to really be able to receive those numbers? The amount of, you know, participants in their container to be in that alignment? And then I'll ask my question about robust energy after.

Dawn Petrin [00:16:00]:

Well, I'm going to start and then I pass it on to Elisa. But I think the first thing is really, like, recognizing where those goals or these needs to hit these places come from, and if they come from outside of what you actually need in your life and come from, you know. Yeah, like. Like whatever the culture is saying. Because on Instagram, you're following a bunch of people bragging about their 10k months, that sort of thing. I think that that can be problematic. And actually, Ayla, you sent a little podcast to us in our little group chat on Telegram recently about conflicting desires. And I've been really, like, sitting with that in.

Dawn Petrin [00:16:37]:

In two ways. One is that, like, are your desires actually conflicting or do you think they are? I think that's, like, one thing. And then, yeah, like, what do you really, really want? Like, do you actually want, like, a really spacious day but enough money to make it move forward, or are you looking for, like, a million dollars in the bank right now? And so for me, I think there's a shift that happens when the goal comes from, like, your heart and from spirit and from service, rather than from, like, a need to. Yeah, like, as our. Our client Jenny was talking about, like, get dopamine hits and feel like a good girl. Like, you've done it, like you're a student because. Because you've. And Elisa, I know you have more to add to this.

Elyssa Jakim [00:17:19]:

Yes. I love this conversation. And in some ways, it feels like the softpreneur yeah, I'll say it. It might be like the maturation, the feminine maturation of the girl boss. And I think there are eras in. I know it was an era in my life. So in women's lives, where maybe taking on the role of the girl boss is highly empowering. Right.

Elyssa Jakim [00:17:40]:

And we do look a lot like. Like we're in the. We're in the realm of sovereignty and where are we in victim consciousness and we hold our clients. I think what becomes really amazing is that we apply this lens to your marketing stories and metrics and. And so those old hungry ghost stories sometimes become that, like. Like you mentioned, Ayla, the limiting belief. Where is a story that maybe used to serve you, no longer serving you. So I know at one point in my evolution, because I'm very flowy and soft by nature, I needed to kind of take on the girl boss cloak to be like, I'm gonna be the primary breadwinner.

Elyssa Jakim [00:18:20]:

I'm gonna hustle, like, I can do this. And I needed to prove, like a sort that I had this sort of strong, masculine ability to grow income. And that was really empowering and magical. And then, like, I think a lot of us. And what's been really beautiful about holding space for community of business owners who want to do this in a softpreneur or an aligned or an energetic or a sovereign way is to see how we all like our paths mirror each other in the most beautiful ways or echo or reflect. And so it really feels like our community, what we're seeing is like we're over. We're kind of over that. That archetype and the softpreneur or the woman who doesn't have to compromise one desire over another, or that the work that you do can really be an extension of the way that you want to live your life.

Elyssa Jakim [00:19:15]:

We can find a new harmony and flow. And like dawn mentioned, we have so many clients. It does feel like part of our medicine because a lot of us have rules and rigidity around how we have to market ourselves. And a lot of marketers like to give three step plans. I've been. I'm on a thing about this lately. Or a lot of rules. And we get a lot of information and a lot of it while meeting, and a lot of it useful sort of like in this trap or like matrix of how we need to market ourselves.

Elyssa Jakim [00:19:43]:

And what happens when people come into our field is they think they want to launch something based on what they should do, what they've seen work for other people, what the best practices are. And we come in and we have that hard marketing knowledge and kind of masculine containment piece. And we're gonna look at you and, like, your case kind of as an individual and the energetics. And ultimately, most of the time, it's like, what is really lighting you up right now? Where are you most authentically showing up as yourself? Okay, yes, there's a lot of shoulds, but, like, what's really working well in your business? And can we simplify this to not have it feel like you have going through all these hoops, when actually we could just go right to the heart of the thing and focus your efforts in a more regenerative, I would say, direction.

Eyla Cuenca [00:20:34]:

Okay, so what came to mind just now was this phrase that I started, like, kind of repeating to myself probably at the beginning of my time in college, which was that comparison causes suffering. And so I like, you know, I was at Fine arts, anthropology and Fine Arts major, and I was like, I'm not reading any. I'm not looking at any other artists. I'm not looking at anyone's work. Like, I am not involving myself in any of that. Like, I am just going to sit with, like, the things that I want to create. I really tried to hold that pretty much through my whole life, which is also interesting, because then I was like, well, then how do I glean inspiration? And I was like, I want to glean inspiration from things that already exist in the natural world, not what other people are creating. So, you know, I went through my own process of really defining what that was.

Eyla Cuenca [00:21:21]:

And even now, I literally. I don't follow, like, any birth worker, like, anyone who's in the birth world. I just, like, don't know what's going on with anyone because I hold that. And I. And I wonder what you think about that, because it seems like when we start to compare ourselves to other people in our field, we're like, oh, like, let me mimic that, because it's really working for them. And, you know, I know that there's, like, formulas like you mentioned, like, these three step processes or things like that. But, like, at the end of the day, when there's a certain energy behind the intention or if it's coming from the heart or the desire to create, that feels like way bigger of a force than just, like, copying a formula. And I.

Eyla Cuenca [00:22:02]:

I had an assistant that was working with me a while back, and her whole thing was like, I've looked at the numbers and I've done the comparisons in your area. And I was like, I don't care. Like, I don't care. And like, I don't want to know. Like, I don't want to know that they're charging that. That's not going to change anything about what I'm charging. It's like, well, the economy is like this and other people who are, you know, doing the exact same thing you're doing, like, this is their number. And I was like, you know, I don't think this is a good match, you know, because that information is not valuable to me.

Eyla Cuenca [00:22:29]:

So what do you think about that? Like, do people in a certain field need to know what's going on in the market with other people who are doing the same thing? Do they need to be charging the same amount? Should they be doing their same social media tactics in order to, you know, because like, for me, it's not supernatural, believe it or not, to like, speak in front of a camera, you know, on social media. And so I'm like, okay, when I feel inspired to do it, I will do it and then it will feel legitimate to whoever's watching it. But if I force myself to do it when I'm not feeling it, like, everyone's gonna know. And I'm so not about doing things that don't my body's saying a no to.

Dawn Petrin [00:23:09]:

Yeah, I think that's the answer, really. I mean, I do think if you don't know anything about anything, it's probably worth it to take a little around and see what people are doing and see if, like, someone out there, you're like, oh, yeah, that's really cool. I like that, you know, but I think I would look and then I would look within and I, and I would start within, check things out, and then look within again. And yeah, I don't, I don't follow. Like, the only business coaches I follow or marketers I follow are like, people I study with or who are my buddies, if that makes sense. So this is where I'm going to come back from shoulds. And I actually think it's like, it's how it works with the individual. Right.

Dawn Petrin [00:23:45]:

And so I agree. That thing that you are inspired to do that you feel called to do that, like, if you don't do it, you'll be like, you know, that's the thing that you should do. And there are also ways where you might not be in touch with that call. And so that's like, what. What you need to look at. So I do think, you know, it's probably worth it to learn a little bit about writing copy. You know, it's probably worth it to learn a little bit about, whatever, how Instagram works, or maybe something about, like, thumbnails for YouTube. I think it's worth it to know enough to be able to discern, especially if you're hiring outside of yourself for support, to discern, like, if people are doing a good job or not.

Dawn Petrin [00:24:30]:

But then I think each of us, and we really believe we're coming into this new paradigm where it's all energetic. And I think Elisa will probably speak more to this. But I think that if we can, like, get clear on ourselves, really be centered in our own center, in our soul, and also in service, like, why are we doing these things? It's to serve other people. Then I think what's going to flow through is going to be exactly what you need to bring the right people to you in order to grow in the ways that you need to grow to bring the next right people to you. But the problem is when all of your patterning gets in the way, right? So looking outside of yourself might help the patterning get out of the way. And if you're the sort of person who, when you look out outside of yourself, you get ideas that could be good, but then put them away, I think, afterwards, you know. But I do think that the only way to have a success that's going to feel really, like, sustainable over the long term is for it to come from the call of your soul.

Eyla Cuenca [00:25:30]:

Right?

Dawn Petrin [00:25:31]:

And we know with you, Ayla, like, when you feel like posting because you're like, oh, my God, I can't believe this thing. Like, that's when it blows up for you, right? I also, before I pass it on, want to say that when you were on our podcast, Softpreneur, you spoke about really feeling the value of what you are creating and imagining it serving the exact people it needs to serve. And that has been pretty much my favorite way to. I'm like, you guys need to listen to this podcast with Ayla. When people ask me about, like, how do I know what to price it? How can I make sure I'm calling people in? If you can't stand behind the value of what you're creating, it will be very hard for someone else to, you know. So I, yeah, I want to say thank you for that because it was such a, you know, such a beautiful moment for me in realization that, like, of course it's all from us. And it's also, we need to believe in ourselves. And probably, you know, this is why we say marketing can be a healing modality because, like, so Many ways you can get in your way.

Dawn Petrin [00:26:31]:

And I think that comparison is a big way that we can get in our, each other's way. It's definitely, I think, part of what keeps me from like posting regularly or something. So, yeah, I think, I think that's what I have to say and answer. Do you have more, Elisa?

Elyssa Jakim [00:26:46]:

I do have thoughts, yes. I have thoughts on this idea of when comparison can be kind of crippling in business versus when it can be expanding, perhaps. And we like to talk about or think about like your muse, because we also have creative and creative writing backgrounds. And so if you are taking steps forward out of sort of comparison and fear and looking at somebody else's final product and thinking, feeling whelmed or getting sort of victimy about, I could never, like, create something like that. Which I think is a story a lot of us tell ourselves when we are first going to write our own copy. And we're looking at the world's best conversion copywriters sales page next to ours. You know, and there's a journey, there's. And sometimes it can be really fun and creative and empowering to take steps to fill knowledge gaps.

Elyssa Jakim [00:27:43]:

And I think it's almost a story of letting the muse move you. And then when you need to add a new technical skill, like Elisa today, learning to use a tripod and the light and the microphone effectively, I can show up better if I'm using these devices and if I refine my message through conversation, like Ayla, you refine your teaching through, in person and through being with women and through knowing, like this gift that you have to offer to the world, to me, that's always primary. And then we look at the muse space, so we talk about expanders, which is a term borrowed from Lacy Phillips's to be magnetic or coined from Lacy Phillips. So if you have a few, like, I feel like I have a few marketing muses, people whose marketing I just love. And Ayla, you're one of my social media muses. Like, I love how you show up on Instagram in a really authentic, fun, polarizing way and the beauty that you bring to your visuals and your branding. So I would suggest anyone who's listening kind of create a list of muses or things that fire you up and then you can look to things that don't inspire you just as like an artist would, if that's your vibe, to be like, no, that's not me. That's not what I'm going to create.

Elyssa Jakim [00:28:58]:

I'm going to lean into this, this. But as as much as we can kind of tend our spark or our fire or our muse space as creative entrepreneurs, that's where I think it gets to be fun. And we kind of get out of this, like, I'm just a bus babe hustling and I'm doing, like doing, doing, doing, as opposed to like resting in yourself and feeling what you're authentically called to do, which is I think ultimately a lot of times what dawn and I give permission to business owners when they kind of consult with us or field to like come back to what they really want to create, where they're at, what feels appropriate given their energy, and kind of tease those different features out.

Dawn Petrin [00:29:44]:

Yeah.

Eyla Cuenca [00:29:44]:

I read somewhere recently that in this culture of consumerism, like depression levels are at an all time high because we're not creating enough. Right. We're not using our hands enough. So when we don't create, we start to fall into this kind of sedentary, depressive state. And so in a sense, like, that's where the alchemy happens and working with you. Right. Because I remember during our launch almost two years ago, the first launch we did together, I started creating a lot more and I was feeling inspired to create a lot more for the launch. And I was like expressing certain things in videos and creating posts and I was feeling this upward spiral of energy and I was like, oh, this is really interesting.

Eyla Cuenca [00:30:30]:

And in any way. So I see, you know, even children, like my nieces and nephews, right, where they're, they're very heavily lodged in consumer culture because of the generation that they're in. And even adults, you know, it's like scrolling and it's like, oh, I'm consuming information. They don't realize that they're having to also digest and assimilate that information as well. And then sometimes people feel like down after scrolling or down after consuming content. So yes, there's learning, but then there's just consuming content and then that kind of like empty feeling afterwards. And so I really feel that you do inspire people. Like, what would you say someone like, what's, what are steps that people could take, right? If they're like, well, I have this hobby or I have this skill, I don't even know how to create something from this.

Eyla Cuenca [00:31:14]:

Is this a viable business? Like, how do we get people out of that consumerism rut into creating something and offering it out if should they want to offer it out.

Elyssa Jakim [00:31:24]:

I have several ideas for this, this, and I think one of them is finding your community. And to go back to that word, Expanders. It's the idea of like, who are the people that kind of are already expressing, not in a comparison way, but who inspire you, who are your muses or who help light that spark and tend the fire for you and then put yourself in their field. Whether that's, you know, and it doesn't even have to be in a paid container kind of way. It could be, you know, if you see someone who's putting themselves out there in a way that is like, oh, that is speaking to me. And I just went through this experience. I did Madeline Moon's Body of Art container, which is all about your online expression. And so beautifully like it helped me bring back acting, which was something that I did until I was 25 and.

Elyssa Jakim [00:32:12]:

But in a very hyper serious way. And now like the play is allowed to be there. And so I would say one thing and I think, and Don and I, we do have community for business owners. So if that's you and you're listening and you're like, I just need, need a group or I need people to sort of like sisters to or kind of business doulas is sort of like a space that we hold to like be held to walk this path and take my next steps. And having those like business besties or allies who are really in alignment with you, I think as often relational beings, women especially like, it helps so much. Which is like what Don was speaking to about why we went in together because, because individually we have less, it feels like less motivation to do all the steps and the things. We can have a chat and. Or we can have a chat with you, Ayla.

Elyssa Jakim [00:33:04]:

And we can be like, well, what's really lighting you up right now in the space of your launch? And we'll go there and we'll hold you through it and we'll help kind of, we help kind of cheerlead along the way, which I think is really essential for the long game of business, which it truly is.

Eyla Cuenca [00:33:21]:

And accountability, Accountability is so important. You know, for me anyway. I know that it keeps me motivated and organized.

Dawn Petrin [00:33:28]:

Yeah. And I want to go further into this creation place and taking it out of consumerism. And I actually think the people whose businesses explode the most aren't those who are trying to explode their businesses at the beginning, at least in terms of. And I have a friend, Freya Kellett. Ayla, you should totally have her on the pod sometime. But she, she's not even like doing anything on Instagra right now. But I don't know, like four or five years ago. She just started sharing her truth in a really big way on the socials and it didn't feel like it was to create a business.

Dawn Petrin [00:34:04]:

It was really just around Covid and what was going on and speaking, you saw speaking her truth around it. And she created this like beautiful community of people who just want to work with her no matter what she's doing. So she was in like the free birth movement and some stuff happened and that's not mine, so I'll just, just leave it. And now she's doing GNM stuff and that feels like more appropriate to her heart. And you know, she, she studied with Melissa cells and all that. But people love Freya because she creates from her heart and she does not give an F about what anyone else thinks. And Ayla, I think it's really similar for you. And like for a while she was just sharing poetry.

Dawn Petrin [00:34:42]:

Poetry came through her. It never came through her before. She just started sharing poetry and people loved it. And I feel like so many of us are like, I need a presence so I can monetize my creativity. And I feel like if you were just like, I want to use all of these amazing tools out here because it's crazy the tools that we have now compared to even 10 years ago and definitely a hundred years ago to create rather than consume. I feel like if you feel that pull from your soul to create something and you follow it and you move through it, it's going to turn into something that you can't even imagine. And that if you trying to like, oh, I need a business. I want to have a business like, say for like you train doulas, right? I want to have a doula business.

Dawn Petrin [00:35:28]:

So that means I should be posting about these things. I should get this kind of photo shoot, etc. I don't think that's going to work as well as like you're just like, oh my God, I feel called to share this thing I learned in my training or this, this situation just that just happened with a client in a way that is, you know, fair to the client with permission, consent, etc, that's gonna have so much more energy behind it than like, what are the marketing, like what, yeah, what are the steps in marketing and the metrics I should be looking into? And, and then you don't care how many people like the post. You know, you're just like, I did art or I, I had a vision and I shared it with the world. And that I think, I mean that's more important than making money anyway. And I think when we show up authentically in this way that, that's where people get magnetized towards us and then they want to work with us. And that's the other thing I wanted to say. You want to kind of like steps.

Dawn Petrin [00:36:23]:

I think you, you, you be yourself online and you grow an audience and then you create for them what they want. That also lights you up a lot of the time. If you're like, oh, I think they need this, talk to them maybe first and ask them if that's what they, if they, if that is what they want. Like, it's in, in my opinion, everything we're doing is a co creation with each other in spirit. And when we do it from that angle, we can't lose. You know, we can only learn and grow and expand and expand others.

Eyla Cuenca [00:36:52]:

Yeah, I mean, it's, it's so true what you say, because there are certain people where it's my perception that they're just creating things from their heart. Like they're channeling, they're downloading something and they're just putting it out. And there is more focus on that than how to curate it in such a way that it looks, I don't know how to really describe this besides saying it, you know, it looks controlled and it looks really highly curated in that sense. I mean, I, I believe in having some self awareness, you know, but like when it feels so forced and controlled, it really, it puts me off. And so I wonder, but that might work for someone else who's vibrating at that frequency, right. To receive that kind of content. But there's so much constriction around what's being put out that there's not a lot of flow happening, if that makes sense. And so I, you know, one of the exercises we do in the doula training is I ask them to focus on, on two influence influencers that really light them up and to talk about why.

Eyla Cuenca [00:37:48]:

And then one online presence that really repels and repulses them. And I use those two words and then I ask them this, my students, to explain why they're, you know, repulsed and repelled. And then I asked them, like, what part of you do you see in them? You know, what part of you is being reflected back that's really like repulsive? And sometimes they're like, well, no. And I'm like, well, ask yourself, like, is there a part of you that wishes you could like swear online? Are you repulsed by that? Is there like a part of, you know, the good girl that's holding in that expression? And so that's kind of, like, the work we do, and not that they ever have to do that, but it's just food for thought, you know? And then sometimes I get students who are like, why follow this person? And I don't know, because they're so. They're nothing like me. I don't even know, like, the content that they're putting out. I don't even care about that product. But there's just something about the way that they're creating that like.

Eyla Cuenca [00:38:38]:

Like, I really enjoy connecting with them for a few minutes when I go online. Connecting with the energy. So so much about this is like just the energetics, you know, and you could have all the details in place for like a quote unquote successful launch. But if there isn't the energy behind it, if there isn't the alignment, if there isn't the divided will that we take inventory on, then it could flop. Right?

Dawn Petrin [00:39:01]:

Yeah. And then if you make that mean something about who you are or the chances of your businesses succeeding over the long term, you will not, you know, like, you'll just stop. And so I think that's the other, like, message I'd love to give to anyone who is, you know, launching a business or in business right now. And it's something that we work with all the time. But, like, like, you know, life has ups and downs and so does business. And some things are going to work and some aren't, and if you don't test them, you'll. You won't know how you even feel in them. But if you decide that you're not a success because you didn't get enough like, like likes on the post or because, you know, five people joined and you wanted 25, like, chances are it's not going to work for you over the long term.

Dawn Petrin [00:39:43]:

And again, you're coming at it from goals that are outside of yourself, and that is just not gonna feel good one day, you know?

Eyla Cuenca [00:39:53]:

Right. So it's about tie trading in. Right. Because sometimes my students are like, oh, I want to charge, you know, X amount of money for working with a client. And I'm like, well, how does it feel in your body? And they're like, well, I get kind of constricted. And I was like, okay, so that's not the number. Lower it a little bit. And then they're like, I'm like, how does your body feel now? And they're like, oh, that feels a little bit better.

Eyla Cuenca [00:40:14]:

I'm like, lower the number until your body can get behind it. Operate at that number for some time, and Then you, you know, maybe in six months, you raise it by 200 bucks. And then you're like, your body can handle it. Your nervous system can handle it. And so sometimes we. Not that people shouldn't dream big. Obvious. We.

Eyla Cuenca [00:40:32]:

We all should. You know, like, the moment you have a thought, it means it's already in some timeline happening. So it's like, how do we expand and expand through titration in sometimes really small ways? Like, if you've never had an online presence, like maybe, you know, creating a YouTube channel tomorrow wouldn't feel your. Your nervous system might fry. So what are the small ways? Oh, speaking at the dinner table in front of your roommates or your family, right? Making eye contact. Like, your nervous system's like, okay, I'm. I'm working on this. And then you go, you know, a week later you try.

Eyla Cuenca [00:41:04]:

So do you think titration is like one of the. The keys to actually expanding?

Dawn Petrin [00:41:09]:

1. Yeah, I think it definitely can. And I think also, like what you said around, like, yes, titration in that if that's what your nervous system needs. And I think, like, that might be what softpreneurialism is, is like having a business that works with your nervous system and then working with your nervous system in your business rather than bypassing it. And I think that's like, also just more healthy. Like, our BO will be healthier when we have a business that works with our nervous system and we are constantly like weighing, okay, is it too, like, I had six zoom calls yesterday. I'm like, that's probably too many next year. I don't want to do that.

Dawn Petrin [00:41:49]:

You know? So, like, what are the things that. That you can do so your business feels good to your body because your.

Eyla Cuenca [00:41:57]:

Body knows and we can make these adjustments even if we're in a 9 to 5 and work for someone else. It's not just about entrepreneurship. Like, you can make modifications to the way you approach that really structured if 9 to 5, you know, and create that softness you're talking about. So how can people find you?

Elyssa Jakim [00:42:16]:

Well, one of the best ways to find us is on Instagram. So our handle there is all connected agency. And we'll drop Don and my accounts in there too. And if you are a heart centered, soulful business owner, service provider, doing really, really amazing things in the world, and you haven't put it in website form yet, or you need to update your website because it's not really new anymore. We have a really fun offering coming up, so we hope you join us. We'll have a link for that, too. On January 16th, we're going to be hosting a free live community event all about, like, how to get clear on a website you love. So we hope you join us for that and find us on the ground.

Elyssa Jakim [00:43:04]:

DM us us some of the things that are coming up for you and your business. Energetics. And we would love to help you grow.

Dawn Petrin [00:43:11]:

Yeah.

Eyla Cuenca [00:43:11]:

Because you work with individuals who are just starting out. Maybe they have an idea and they don't even know how to take the next step, or they're in the midst or they know something needs to be reorganized or they're already, you know, rising, rising, rising, expanding. But they want additional support and maybe understanding the interconnectedness of everything and how to make it even that much better. So you'll meet everyone where they are. And that's what I love about all connected. Thank you so much, ladies. It's been a pleasure. And I could keep talking to you for way longer, but we'll.

Eyla Cuenca [00:43:45]:

We'll table it here for now. Thank you so much.

Dawn Petrin [00:43:48]:

Thank you, Ayla. Thank you for listening.