#73 Why My December Birthday Became My Best Business Teacher (And What It Means for Your Success)
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Friend, pour yourself something cozy (I’m sipping my favorite chai latte as I write this), because we’re about to dive into a story that might just change how you think about timing, success, and celebrating your journey as a business owner.
Here’s something most people don’t know about me: I’m a December baby. Yep, right in the thick of holiday madness, when everyone’s decking their halls and checking their lists twice, my birthday shows up like a surprise guest at a party that’s already in full swing.
And you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Birthday Revelation That Changed Everything
For the longest time, people would give me that sympathetic look when they learned my birthday was so close to Christmas. You know the one – that “oh, you poor thing” expression that makes you want to explain that you’re actually doing just fine, thank you very much.
But here’s where it gets good (and where this becomes about so much more than just birthdays).
I realized something profound: The timing wasn’t the problem – my perspective was. Sound familiar to any part of your business journey?
The Perfect Timing Myth
Let’s be real for a second. How many times have you told yourself:
- “I’ll launch when things slow down”
- “I’ll raise my prices after the holidays”
- “I’ll start that new project when the timing is better”
Girlfriend, I’m going to tell you what I wish someone had told me years ago: There is no perfect timing. There’s just YOUR timing.
The Magic of Owning Your Season
Just like I learned to embrace and celebrate my December birthday in my own special way, I discovered that the same principle applies to business success. It’s not about waiting for the perfect conditions – it’s about creating them.
Here’s what I mean…
When I stopped waiting for the “right time” to celebrate and started creating celebrations on my own terms, something magical happened. Not only did my birthday become more meaningful, but this mindset shifted everything in my business too.
Your Permission Slip to Stop Waiting
Consider this your official permission slip (because sometimes we need one) to:
- Launch during the holidays if that feels right to YOU
- Raise your prices when YOU know your value has grown
- Start that dream project when YOUR heart says “now”
Because here’s the truth: The most successful business moves I’ve made weren’t when the timing was perfect – they were when I decided to make the timing perfect.
The Strategic Sweet Spot
But (and this is a big but), this isn’t just about throwing caution to the wind. It’s about strategic intention. Here’s my exact formula for turning any timing into the right timing:
- The Power Hour Practice Start your week with 60 minutes of pure strategy time. No email, no phone, just you and your vision.
- The Intention Alignment Before any big move, ask yourself: “Does this align with where I’m going, not just where I am?”
- The Celebration Strategy Build celebration checkpoints into your plans. Yes, actually schedule them. (Trust me on this one!)
Your Next Chapter Starts Now
Friend, if you’re waiting for the perfect moment to make your next big move, consider this your sign. Just like my December birthday taught me to create joy on my own terms, your business is waiting for you to define its seasons of success.
Remember: You don’t need permission to shine. You don’t need perfect conditions to grow. And you definitely don’t need to wait for the “right time” to start creating the business of your dreams.
What’s Your Next Move?
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below: What’s one move you’ve been waiting to make in your business? How could owning your timing change everything?
And if you’re ready to dive deeper into creating your own perfect timing, join me inside the SHE is Collective for our exclusive Vision Board Workshop on December 18th. We’re turning these insights into action, and I’d love to have you there.
Because maybe, just like my holiday birthday, your “not quite perfect” timing might turn out to be the best timing of all.
With so much love and belief in you, [Your Name]
P.S. Did this post resonate? Share it with a friend who needs to hear it! And don’t forget to save it for later – I have a feeling you’ll want to come back to this one. 💫
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Transcript
[00:00:00.050]
Now, before I dive in, I want to share something personal with you. Tomorrow is my birthday and it got me thinking about celebrations, timing, and more importantly, owning your own story. Now you know that child who always felt like their birthday got lost in the holiday shuffle? That was me. December birthday club. Raise your hands.
[00:00:29.540]
Welcome to She is Unstoppable, the podcast for ambitious women ready to break free from the 9 to 5 and build a life and business they love. I’m your host, Deanna Hinsz, digital marketing strategist, entrepreneur, mentor, and a woman who took the leap from corporate life to full time entrepreneurship and never looked back. I’ve been where you are, and now I’m passionate about showing you how to build and scale a business that works for you. In each episode, we dive into actionable tips, inspiring stories, and real strategies to help you grow your business, boost your confidence, and create unstoppable momentum. Whether you’re just starting out or ready to elevate to the next level, you’re in the right place. Let’s get started.
[00:01:16.810]
Hello my unstoppable friends. If you are joining me for the first time, you have picked a special episode. Today I’m diving deep into creating your 2025 Business Blueprint, but I’m doing it with a little extra dash of personal reflection, some celebration, and yes, some birthday wisdom. Now, before I dive in, I want to share something personal with you. Tomorrow is my birthday and it got me thinking about celebrations, timing, and more importantly, owning your own story. Now you know that child who always felt like their birthday got lost in the holiday shuffle. That was me December birthday club. Raise your hands. For those listening who don’t have a December birthday, let me just paint a picture for you. It’s the week before Christmas. Everybody is rushing around with holiday preparations and holiday celebrations, Christmas parties and my birthday celebration. Well, it usually gets merged into birthday slash Christmas, and as a kid I wanted to have a summer birthday so badly. My brother was born in May and I was so jealous of those summer birthdays where there was really nothing going on and everybody would come together and it was sunny and beautiful outside.
[00:02:45.520]
So weather was never an issue, especially if you lived in Ohio or grew up in a northern state where weather could impact what that day looked like. And I remember one day I actually went to my parents and I told them that I wanted to have my birthday in July this year. They completely entertained me and said, fine, you can have your birthday party in July. And I did, and my friends came over and they brought little gifts. I think some of them, like their parents, were like, I don’t even know what she’s doing. It’s not really a birthday, but it’s a birthday. But you know what? They all showed up and it was fun. But here’s the thing even with the warm weather and no competing holidays, something still felt off. It wasn’t really mine. It wasn’t authentic. And not that I thought that at the time, but I’m like, it just didn’t feel like mine. It still wasn’t my birthday. And for years. I know some of you can relate to this.
[00:03:46.710]
I harbored a little resentment about my birthday because it felt more like an inconvenience than something to be celebrated. Does that sound familiar to everyone or anyone? And maybe it’s not about birthdays, but maybe it’s about those moments in your life or in your business when you’re waiting for others to validate your worth. Now, this is where it gets interesting because this birthday story, its not about cakes and calendars, its about something I see happening in our businesses all the time. Waiting for perfect conditions, looking for external validation, putting our celebrations and successes on hold because, well, the timing isn’t quite right. Now everything changed when I had this realization. I realized that I was placing my happiness in other people’s hands. Just like many of us do with our business, right? We wait for the perfect time to raise our prices. We wait until all of our ducks are in a row before we launch that new program, or that new course, or that new service. And then we wait to make sure that everybody’s.
[00:04:58.670]
Schedule aligns before we make bold moves. But here’s what really shifted my perspective. And this is where it gets a bit deep. So but I know you can handle it right. I’ve lost friends. Too many friends too young. I’ve lost way too many people that should still be here today. And every passing year became not just something to celebrate, but I realized that it was a gift. Every birthday celebration was more about a responsibility, and that every candle on that cake represented another year of opportunities to make an impact, to serve our clients, to build something meaningful, to spend time with friends and family. And my birthday was more than an Convenience because I’m here to celebrate it, right? We’re many people that I know are not anymore. So here’s where everything ties together, right? Just as I learned to take control of my birthday celebration and to create joy on my own terms, and we’re talking about taking control of your business destiny in 2025. So let’s start with some honest reflection.
[00:06:18.020]
I want you to think about your business like I thought about my birthday. Where are you waiting for perfect conditions and what celebrations are you putting on hold? What decisions are you outsourcing to other people’s opinions? Right. And that was a big one for me, because I was so worried about what other people would think. To be really honest with you, my boys taught me how to change that. I don’t know where they got it from because I was a complete opposite, but they have always held confidence in their own opinions and where they stood, and they didn’t care if you agreed with them or didn’t agree with them. So. So thank you PD and Alex, for for sharing that with me because it is a game changer. So I want you to take a moment and I want you to grab your journal if you’re at home or if you’ve got something that you can write on. And I’ll wait. Right. Because this is important, I want to talk about your 2025 blueprint. We’re going to break down all of this into four key areas.
[00:07:22.920]
The first key area is write this down. Write vision without permission. I want you for 2025 to set bold goals, and I want you to do it without waiting for any external validation. Create those metrics that mean success and that matter to you. Don’t create. So many times I see people creating the what success is based on what other people think. Like you have to make X number of dollars every month or every year, and then that means you’re successful. It might to that person, but it doesn’t have to be that for you. So what defines success for you and create that metrics. Write that down. And then I want you to build confidence in your business decisions right when you make a business decision. Life decision I want you to own it. Be confident in that. This is your life, your business, and you have the right to your own decision. Don’t let other people influence what you are going to do. So the next key area is strategic timing. So listen I hear all the time it’s not the right time.
[00:08:41.370]
And here’s what I really hear when somebody says, well it’s not the right time. I hear it as an excuse. Why isn’t it the right time? Right. I hear that sometime, you know. I get it, I get it. Sometimes people are like, well, I’ve got all this done, but now I’m going to go work over here, and then I’m going to do that later because I need to get this done. I love what Amy Porterfield says. Um, she says all the time, just do it, scrappy. Here’s the reality. Right? It’s not going to be perfect. And if it is perfect, personally, I think then you started too late. You launched it too late. If it’s perfect, you’re going to do it. Do it. Scrappy. Find out what worked, find out what didn’t work, and then do it again. But saying it’s not the right time, I think is oftentimes our favorite excuse. And I’m calling anybody out who is saying that right now.
[00:09:33.740]
Understand that you can leverage your less than perfect timing, right? Why isn’t it the right time right now? Now, there may be a legitimate reason, right? And you know that your gut knows if it’s really legitimate or if it’s just an excuse. So look yourself in the mirror and decide, you know, is this the right time to do this, or is it not the right time to do it? And then create your own business seasons, right? This is your business. This is what you want. Time it the way that you want to. But don’t make excuses. Do it scrappy. Don’t be afraid to launch. Don’t be afraid to put something out there. Don’t care about what other people are saying this. Do it on your terms. The third key is celebration, right? So here’s the thing. You’ve got to celebrate being an entrepreneur. Being a solopreneur. It’s a lot of work, and a lot of times our head is down. We’re so focused and we don’t take the time to look up and celebrate those checkpoints, those moments that deserve to be celebrated because we just go right to the next task, right?
[00:10:40.810]
It’s like we are constantly on that hamster wheel and we don’t celebrate it. So what I want you to do when you’re creating your 2025 business plan, I want you to write down different checkpoints that you want to celebrate when you hit this goal, that you have this moment. Take some time and celebrate it right. Plan a day for you. Go to the spa. Go. You know, go on that day trip that you’ve been wanting to do. Or you know what? Just unplug. Unplug from your business for the day. I know sometimes that’s a really scary to think about, because we are all connected to our business and our mobile devices. Our laptops, like everything we bring with us, make it super easy to connect and super hard to disconnect. But maybe that’s the way you celebrate. Do it speaks to you and listen. I don’t want you to celebrate just those big moments, right? We’re talking about putting those celebration checkpoints in. I want you to celebrate the small wins also, because those small wins are setting your foundation.
[00:11:48.750]
You’re building that foundation and they’re actually momentum builders. So take a moment. You know, if you got that one client that you were hoping to get, that might be a big one, right? But maybe if you just got that interview with them, maybe that opportunity to talk to them or pitch them your product or pitch them your service, that might be a small win even before you actually won the client. Celebrate that, right, whatever that looks like to you. And then here’s something unique. I just heard of this recently, and I thought it was such a great idea, and I wish I could think of where I heard it, because I would absolutely credit the person who said it. But they talked about creating this success evidence bank. And here’s what this is. Right? A lot of times when you are a business owner, let’s face it right, we we have our head down, we are working, we are focused. And sometimes when things don’t go perfectly, We’re really hard on ourselves and our.
[00:12:48.260]
We start telling ourselves, like all this, all this head trash happens, right? We start speaking to ourselves in a way that we would never talk to anybody else or talk to a friend about, and that head trash can feel really real. And the last thing that I want you to do is actually buy into what you’re telling yourself, that head trash part of it. Right? So this I’m going to say podcaster, because it may have been a podcaster, but I’m not sure when she talked about the Success evidence Bank, what she said was, when people are complimenting on your social media or an email and they’re like, thank you so much for sharing that it really impacted me, or it was so helpful, or it changed my business or whatever it is, whatever compliment they shared with you. Take that compliment and put it into the Success Evidence bank, whether it’s a document or a spreadsheet, whatever it is. But when that head trash starts to happen and you start talking to yourself and not kind way and starting to doubt or starting to let other people’s opinions infiltrate in.
[00:13:54.830]
Take a look at that success evidence bank and what what your audience with your ideal client is saying about you and the impact that you’ve had on other people. And it’s during that time when you don’t feel like you’re impacting anybody at all. Remind yourself, right? Pull up that bank and remind yourself, I thought it was such a cool idea. I’m like, I have to share that. I think that’s really neat because it can be real. When you’re a solopreneur, uh, you feel alone a lot of times. And this is the reason why I actually created Shia’s collective was because I felt alone in my business journey early on, and I knew I needed a community. I knew I needed a group that I can bounce ideas off of and get feedback, real feedback, or just celebrate wins with and you know, and that’s what she is collective is about. And so a lot of times without that, you know, it’s so easy to beat ourselves up, to feel alone, to feel isolated, like we don’t know what we’re doing.
[00:14:54.520]
So I love the idea of the success bank. The fourth key is legacy planning, right? And I don’t know if legacy is really the right word, but it’s the word that just came to mind right now. But I want you when you’re planning out your 2025, I’m going to explain a little bit about how I do it. So then maybe this will make a little bit more sense, especially if you’re listening to this right now. Uh, basically what I do like right now, I have done my 2025 plan and I put in those big pieces. So what I mean by the big pieces, those non-negotiable things. Right. So my workshops that I’m doing, my courses that I’m doing, the events that happen inside of Shias collective, those are all scheduled in there, so I know what my calendar looks like when I know that I have a launch coming up. I know when I start need to start promoting that launch. So I have that filled in, right? Those are things to just go hand in hand.
[00:15:54.330]
I know what that calendar looks like. I know what my goals are, and it’s the big goal for the year and what I want it to look like, but then I will break it down, right? So right now I might look at just this quarter. And for this quarter I know what my goal is. I know what I want to achieve, I know what I want to accomplish, and you should too, in your business. But then I look at every week and what three things can I do every week that will move the needle closer to me, achieving what I want for that quarter. Now, right now, you might be thinking, okay, you know, I I’m going to look at first quarter right now too. So I’m looking at this quarter which is fourth quarter 2024. And I’m going to look at first quarter 2025 and have ideas. But I want you to think beyond the next quarter. So go out to that mid year of 2025 and kind of and work backwards right now.
[00:16:52.710]
Right now inside of Shias Collective, our mastermind group is working on reading and then implementing from the workbook. Ten X is easier than two X and I love it. I think it’s perfect timing. I’ve not gotten through the book. I’ll be really transparent with you, but I love the concept and already thinking about it has changed the way that I’m setting up my 2025 because it’s it tells you to think of an impossible goal ten times more of what you would typically put right. And I understand the reasoning behind that of building something bigger than yourself, right? Shooting for something large. And so that’s what I encourage you to do shoot bigger than Then what you’re doing. Because here’s the reality. If you plant, this is what the book says, and I believe it, it makes so much sense. The book is saying if you set a goal of two x, you want A2X what you did right, you might hit the goal, you might miss the goal. But when you ten x, you put things in place that are different than when you two x and you may hit the ten x, you may not hit the ten x, but chances are better of you hitting that two x, right?
[00:18:08.690]
I’m like, oh my gosh, this makes so much sense. And we’re working through it right now and I’m working through it right now. But I love the idea of building something really big, bigger than myself. And that goes into my legacy planning, right? I want to create something that makes an impact, and I’m encouraging you to also, it’s not about just whatever is trending in the moment in your business, right? Or on social. Create something in your business that outlasts all those trends, that something that really is impactful, something that really benefits your ICA. So. Oh, that was a lot. Okay, I hope you guys got that. So anyhow, here’s where we’re going. To get practical. I’m going to share something that I do. And I’ve been sharing all this stuff of what I personally do, but these are some things that I do on an ongoing basis. And the first thing that I do is I call it like the CEO Power Hour, right? Every week I strategically plan what I’m going to do the following week.
[00:19:13.480]
So I know if you are inside Shia’s collective, you’ve seen my calendar, I’ve shared what I do, but if you’re listening to this, I actually break out into my calendar some what I want to focus on, right? And it’s all strategic. I know where I want to spend my time, and I know how much time every week I want to spend doing that, because that will get me to my next level. So I’ve set myself up for success every single week so that my time is used efficiently and that I’m actually getting things done. And what else did I do is I look at building like when I’m setting those goals up. It’s all future focused decision making. So I’m figuring out what is going to make an impact. Not so much today, but what my future goal is. And when I do that, honestly, it builds so much confidence. So I love that once a week set yourself up for success. It’s that CEO Power Hour, whatever you want to call it.
[00:20:14.740]
But take a look at your calendar and take a look at what you’re doing and how you’re spending your time, and create that strategy that actually builds builds your future, right? Something else that I do is that I’ve said this a lot lately. I’m right now I’m in my season of no. And you don’t have to enter your season of no with me. But this is where I am, and I’m basically taking a look at all the opportunities. I’m somebody who says yes very easily, like, sure, I’ll help you. Yes, I’ll sign up for that. Yeah, I’ll volunteer for that. Or yes, I’ll do this workshop because one person asked for it. So I’m guilty of doing that, and I recognize that I’m guilty of doing that. But lately in my season of no, right now I’m measuring what really makes real impact versus that perceived obligations. Right? So if something really is going to impact my my life, my business, if it makes sense, if it aligns with my goals, my mission, then I am going to say yes to it.
[00:21:24.090]
If it doesn’t, then I’m not right. And this doesn’t make me a bad person. If I’m saying no or I’m not participating in that, because sometimes I know for me there is a guilt if I’m not participating, if I don’t say yes. But it’s really just creating these sustainable growth patterns for myself. And you know, if you say yes to something that you really felt like you wanted to say no to, don’t we start to feel resentful towards that, whatever that is for you, and it’s not worth it. It’s not a good feeling. So I enjoy my season of no. You might be in a season of no. Also, you may not be, and that whatever it is, it’s okay. Sometimes you know it’s okay to have a season of yes as well, where you say yes to everything and opportunities because there are a lot of great things to say yes to. And I’ve had that season. But right now I’m in my season of no. So you can pick your season and and move forward with that.
[00:22:26.210]
But just make sure the things that you’re doing that you are creating, that sustainable growth patterns, that it’s leading towards your ultimate goal for 2025. Now, there is one other thing that I want you to do right? And I want you to take a look at that action plan, whatever it is that you set up for that 30, 60, 90 days. I’m going to say a 90 day because I talk about moving ahead of the next quarter and put in those celebration points, right. We talked about doing that, celebrating certain successes. Here’s the thing. I want you to be strategic. I want you to grow. And I truly believe that when you come up with a strategy, when at least for me, when I come up with a strategy, when I have my calendar already aligned and I know that it fits with my goals, then I’m less likely to burn out, right? Because I’m also putting in there that personal time. I’m also putting in there, um, things that I can do, right?
[00:23:29.690]
Things for me, because that’s just as important to have self-care time in your business. So. All right, guys, now here’s where personal growth means business strategy. And just like I learned to own my December birthday, I want you to learn how to own your business journey. And speaking of owning your own journey this week, actually, in two days on December 18th, we have our Vision Board workshop. It’s happening inside of Shias Collective and we’re going to take a look at 2025 create a vision board. It’s beyond vision boards because there’s a lot of talk about mindset. This is going to be great. So I encourage you to join Shia’s collective. Um, doors are closing for membership January 1st, so I will not take any new members until sometime in the spring or summer. So it’s going to be closed. But but you can join right now through January 1st. Our vision workshop is going to be on the 18th. But before we wrap up, I want to share what I consider my birthday gift to you.
[00:24:37.950]
So these are three transformational truths that I’ve learned. The first is that the timing will never be perfect, right? But your intention can be so, like Amy Porterfield said, do it, scrappy. It’s okay. Just it’s not ever going to be perfect. Ever. Just do it. And another one is that your worth isn’t determined by others ability to celebrate it, right? I would feel so bad when everybody was so busy and I sat in my own pity party because it protected me from getting hurt. Well, you know what? I put too much emphasis. Emphasis on what others thought. And I was putting my own worth on their ability to celebrate it. So it’s not celebrate your own successes. Your worth is not determined by anybody’s ability to see what you’re doing to celebrate it. Just you do it. And third one is that every year in business is a gift, and it’s an opportunity to serve others, because that’s really the goal of what we’re all doing. We’re serving others.
[00:25:41.610]
So if this episode resonated with you, and if you’re ready to stop waiting and start creating, join us for the Vision Board Workshop. As a ship’s collective member, you’re going to get access not just to this workshop, but to a whole community of women who understand exactly where you are and where you want to go. Now remember beautiful souls, like whether it’s a December birthday or it’s a bold business move. The magic isn’t in the timing. It’s in what you choose to make of it. You do not need permission to celebrate your wins, or to scale your impact or to dream bigger. So until next week, everybody keep shining, keep growing, and remember you are truly unstoppable.
