It’s that time of year to reflect on the past 12 months and gain perspective on everything we went through and are still going through.   This week I went through my storage boxes, flipping through old letters and notes, and it was such a beautiful time to get reacquainted with all the different versions of myself that sometimes I’ve forgotten about.   We have all lived multiple lives in our current life, and this is the power of perspective. Often, we feel trapped because we can’t do something or we only see the reasons why we can’t have something or achieve something. It makes us feel defined and rigid, forgetting that we’ve been many different versions of ourselves and have evolved our mindsets and opinions and fears. Things we’ve been afraid of in the past which we can now do without a second thought.   Whatever we are struggling with today, we have overcome a variation of that struggle in the past. So quickly we forget how truly powerful we are.   Perspective can show us that we are becoming who we always wanted to be.   We can often get frustrated with ourselves for not hitting all of the goals and dreams we have for ourselves. We can get stuck in the cycle of more, more, more. Perspective allows us to hold space for our current goals, but to look back and recognize that we are already living some of our goals from a decade ago, or even a year ago.   On the episode, I cover: How to hold space for your personal growth How to step into your future ideal self The process of transformation   Remember, you’re doing better than you think. I believe in you. . 

Changing The Story with Lana Dingwall

#140: The Power of Perspective

One of the things we have to realize when talking about freedom is that it isn’t linear, it doesn’t look or feel the same for everyone, and is very multifaceted.    Freedom, by the very nature of the word, is free to mean different things to different people.    One of the topics we discussed on The Lighthouse Collective last week was the idea of intuition and how to strengthen our connection to it by uncovering our true authentic values.   Often what gets in the way of us making empowered choices for ourselves, is that we’re using someone else's definition of freedom and success as our measure of success.    Freedom is often the sales pitch that’s used to sell entrepreneurship. It’s also the script used to shame others for not wanting it.   The pairing of entrepreneurship and freedom can be misleading because freedom can be found anywhere: it can be found by breaking down the delusions we have about ourselves and everyone around us.   On the episode, I cover: Why popular entrepreneurship content can be lacking in integrity How to hold space for the contradictions of both the positives and negatives in life Why suffering is part of the human condition How power and privilege plays into our need for freedom   Remember, you’re doing better than you think.   I believe in you. 

#139: What Is Freedom Anyway? And Other Thoughts With Alex Ure

Whenever we find ourselves working towards something we should stop and ask ourselves…   What are we looking for? Why are we looking for it? Where are we looking for it?   Sometimes we get so caught up in the pursuit of something that we fail to realize we might be striving for something that we don’t actually want, or that we might already have it and we just haven’t realized it.    Let’s be taking the time to pause and check in with ourselves.    Entrepreneurship and what comes up while building our businesses is often a mirror for who we are. We can without question guarantee that our insecurities will show up.    So while business needs to be calculated and strategic, it also has to be intuitive.    There are certain things that you will do or talk about that make you feel alive. And then there will be things that exhaust and overwhelm us.   What creates calm for you might create chaos for me. We are all being guided by different forces. Even those with the best intentions in our life can’t know what’s best for us. It’s better to make mistakes yourself and learn from them, than making someone else’s mistake and miss the opportunity to have built a deeper connection with our intuition.   That deeper connection to our intuition, will be what will help us answer,  What are we looking for? Why are we looking for it? Where are we looking for it? And, it’ll help get you there.    On the episode, I cover: Connecting to the source of your ambitions Why it’s important to ask yourself why you are seeking what you are seeking How to approach a new project or pivot in your business   Remember, you’re doing better than you think. I believe in you. 

#138: What if You Already Have What You Want?

Most businesses are created out of needing contrast. We have a desire or need for something new, and so we create it. We fill an empty space that exists in the world with our business. Contradictions and paradoxes are what make the world so abundant. When it comes to marketing and sales, we are afraid to contradict the standards in our industry. We censor ourselves because our unique approach might feel wrong or out of place. Even when something doesn’t feel right, we go along with it because we don’t stop to appreciate that maybe there is space for that contradiction. That maybe doing something your way will fill an empty space that needs to be filled and give someone else permission, too. Nothing is only just two things. Most things exist in a space in between. There is freedom here, to exist as you are without any should’s or would’s. Our business and life doesn’t have to be one or the other. We can live in the inbetween. We can run a business in the inbetween. Nothing in this world is static.   On the episode, I cover: How we can hold paradoxical opinions and beliefs My contradictory thoughts about money The concept of non-binary   Remember, you’re doing better than you think. I believe in you.   . ? Connect with Lana: https://lanadingwall.com ? Facebook: @lanadingwallcoaching  ? Instagram: @lanadingwall   .

#137: Contradictions Are Good For Business

What does using your intuition as a business strategy even mean?  Intuition means paying attention to the things that feel good in our hearts and belly. It’s being able to distinguish this from the thoughts in your mind (your ego). It’s about trusting that we are capable of what we desire, that we can let go of the expectations and shoulds.  Cultivating a deeper connection with your intuition can seem abstract, so here are some ways to make it more tangible.  One way is building self-trust starts with pausing your search for answers from others. Sitting in silence and learning to trust your inner feelings. Ask yourself what feels right or makes sense for you before you ask others. Starting small builds this muscle to help us later on when we need our intuition for bigger decisions and pivots in our business. We can have this false assumption that we are broken and so we are constantly searching for the answers outside of us.  It’s important to look for support and community where we feel supported in empowering ourselves, as opposed to searching for answers on the direction of our life from others. This episode is an invitation to resist the urge to keep up with the hustle culture and dopamine hits of accomplishing tasks, and take the counterintuitive approach to creating space and silence for our intuition to come out. Because following your intuition truly is your best business strategy.  Today, I am joined by KC Rossi, a beautiful human, business coach and former client of mine.    On the episode, we cover: Practical steps to start connecting with out intuition How to tune into nature to support your needs How to manage our response to fear   Remember, you’re doing better than you think. I believe in you. . ? Connect with Lana: https://lanadingwall.com ? Facebook: @lanadingwallcoaching  ? Instagram: @lanadingwall   .

#136: Using Your Intuition as a Business Strategy With KC Rossi

The world as it is today can feel intense. There are so many expectations, responsibilities, and work to be done. It can feel very overwhelming. You might be thinking….   I want to grow and expand my business, make more money, and create more stability in my life.  But I also want to address the needs of my community and the injustices in the world, while also finding time for the healing and space that I need. How do I support and show up for others when I also feel ungrounded in these turbulent times and deeply in need of support too? Where do I start? How do I start? How do I find time to do everything, to be everything?   The simple answer is that you don’t have to do it alone. Part of our overwhelm comes from this idea that we have to do, and be, everything. But what if it was actually about coming together and being those things as a collective?  We are being called to step up.  Step up for ourselves, for those we care for, for our communities, and for people we will never meet.  I want to create a space where we can discuss tangible and actionable steps for all of us, regardless of where we are at. This is exactly why, last week, I hosted a virtual fireside chat where we came together to feel a little more connected, supported, and inspired.   I get real and honest in this and share 5 main tools I’ve learnt over the last few years after genuinely feeling that whole parts of me didn’t exist in my life and business.    On the episode, I cover: How we can redefine commerce and entrepreneurship to be in support of our values and ideals - and most importantly ourselves.. How our business can be so much more than “what we do”, but as a tool that we intentionally use to build the lives we want for ourselves and to help cultivate a kinder, more equal world.  A way to connect the harmful aspects of capitalism, spiritual bypassing, and empty activism, and how they can contribute to a world that doesn’t serve us or anyone. How radically owning who we are and creating space for that person can be our most powerful marketing tool. You can download the slides from the workshop here.   Click here to learn more about The Lighthouse Collective and join us on this new adventure.   The first 10 people who sign up get a free coaching session with me — valued at more than 2x months of the TLC membership!   The future is yet to be written, and we are holding the pen my friends.   I believe in you. 

#135: How to Use Your Business as a Vessel for Growth, Impact, and Change

The only way to become the person you’re excited and confident about is to embrace the person that you are today, at whatever stage of the journey you’re in.  We all go through our own journey and oftentimes, what helps us push through, is the community we surround ourselves with. Instead of looking at others as perfect or having everything together, it’s important to realize that we are all exactly where we need to be today on our journey towards our potential. It’s why I’m so passionate about building a community for those of us with service-based businesses who are giving, giving, giving… doing, doing, doing… but also need to stop and fill up our own cups. I’m hosting a free fireside chat this upcoming Wednesday where we will be diving into YOU, so that you can be supported personally and in your business with whatever it is you’re creating. Come as you are and where you are today. It’s exactly where you need to be. How this relates to this week’s episode is that often, we feel flawed because while we are able to see the qualities within ourselves that aren’t our favourite, we only see the perfect qualities that others choose to show us of themselves. It leads us into thinking that other people have perfect businesses and are self-made, which makes us put immense pressure on ourselves to “get our shit together”. Owning who you are today, and letting others fill your cup while you fill theirs is what shows us that none of us are self-made. We are all a byproduct of the communities around us. But when we choose to project that we are self made, we are projecting from a house built of cards. We are desperate and anxious to try and keep it standing. It’s wildly egotistical, but it also just puts so much pressure on you to hold everything together without getting support. I am not self made and the entire notion of being self made is a fallacy.   On the episode, I cover: How to ground ourselves when we spiral into negative thoughts What to do when you start questioning your worth How our personal self and business self might carry different insecurities How to step into your power and out of your insecurities   Together we’ve got this and I hope to see you on Wednesday.   I believe in you. 

#134: Where You Are Right Now, is Exactly Where You Need to Be

When we put our sense of accomplishment in milestones, we create a carrot and stick trap for ourselves. We’ve all been there - telling ourselves that when we reach 10k months we’ll feel successful. And then, when we reach it, our new carrot becomes a 20k month. We put so much weight into these milestones when in reality, we are the source of our own power. It’s the act of showing up, not the outcome, that gives us our power. It’s important for us to acknowledge that the thing we are actually seeking is never in the accomplishment, but in who we become in the process of acquiring it. No one can ever take that away from us - the hard work we put in, the inner battles we’ve overcome, or the relationships we made. Remember, who you become is more valuable than the thing itself. When we’re able to ground ourselves in gratitude and appreciation for the work we did to get to our goals, that’s when we can ride all the waves of running a business.   On the episode, I cover: A practice that will ground you in your power How to shift focus to the process over your accomplishments   I also wanted to note that if you enjoy the podcast, and these weekly newsletters you’ll be interested in the new community membership program I just opened. The Lighthouse Collective is everything you love about these emails, the podcast, my videos and content all wrapped into one place. You also get to grow and learn with an amazing community of like minded people.  Feel free to reach out if you’d like to learn more and see if this is the right fit for you! You can also check it out here.  Together we’ve got this.  I believe in you. . ? Connect with Lana: https://lanadingwall.com ? Facebook: @lanadingwallcoaching  ? Instagram: @lanadingwall   .

#133: Why Your Power Can Never Be Taken Away

The world didn’t give you your power or strength, and therefore the world can’t take it away. So many of us forget that all the amazing things about ourselves come from inside of us. Our power and beauty and strength inherently exists within us, regardless of what is going on around us. Forgetting this leads us to believe that the world can take it all away. The biggest trap many entrepreneurs fall into is assigning our worth to our success.  This is where the topic of rejection comes in. We all have our own version of rejection… people not signing up to our programs, not buying our product, a collaboration not happening. It creates a feeling of powerlessness within us, like we are not in control of our own lives. Even worse, it can make us question our value, worth and power.  Remember, no one can take your power away unless you let them. Failure can’t take away your power unless you let it.   On the episode, I cover: How to handle rejection and use concern handling to turn it around Cutting the cord that connect our worth with getting a “Yes” Why our work is an extension of us, not directly us   I also wanted to note that if you enjoy the podcast, and these weekly newsletters you’ll be interested in the new community membership program I just opened. The Lighthouse Collective is everything you love about these emails, the podcast, my videos and content all wrapped into one place. You also get to grow and learn with an amazing community of like minded people.  Feel free to reach out if you’d like to learn more and see if this is the right fit for you! You can also check it out here.    Together we’ve got this.  I believe in you.   Link to “This Joy” song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TbDPwA09Bc   ? Connect with Lana: https://lanadingwall.com ? Facebook: @lanadingwallcoaching  ? Instagram: @lanadingwall     ?? If you really enjoy this podcast, you will find a lot of value in The Lighthouse Collective. It's a community built on the foundation, concepts, and tools shared in this show. Check it out here - https://lanadingwall.com/the-lighthouse-collective/  

#132: Rejection - Why Does it Hurt So Much?

To find our ideal client, we need to look beyond demographics. These are just descriptors of a persona, checkboxes that give us a very limited view and understanding of who we’re looking to attract. Because we all know, we are more than the boxes we get placed into by society. We are more complex than that - with hopes and dreams, fears, ideas and desires that extend beyond our ‘demographic’.  For those of us who offer more in-depth services, like coaching or healing based work, we need to also go in-depth on who our ideal client is. The best way I’ve found to do this is answering three specific questions:   What is your ideal client moving away from? What is your ideal client moving towards? What is your ideal client trying to avoid?   In this week’s episode, I take you through my process of answering these questions and why they are so important. Remember, marketing at its core is about human connection. We all want to be seen, not sold to.   On this week’s episode, I cover: The three types of people: optimists, realists, and pessimists Why old styles of marketing are no longer relevant The common mistake of assuming that our ideal clients are who we are currently working with How to become the type of leader that can lead the type of people you want to work with   Together we’ve got this.  I believe in you. ? Connect with Lana: https://lanadingwall.com ? Facebook: @lanadingwallcoaching  ? Instagram: @lanadingwall     ?? If you really enjoy this podcast, you will find a lot of value in The Lighthouse Collective. It's a community built on the foundation, concepts, and tools shared in this show. Check it out here - https://lanadingwall.com/the-lighthouse-collective/  

#131: How to Understand Your Ideal Client on a Deeper Level, So You Can Attract Them Easier

The concept of “unbecoming” is a powerful one and something I speak about often. Unbecoming who we think we’re supposed to be and becoming who we truly are.  Obviously easier said than done, but something I think we all should consider as a serious business (and life) tactic.  Today, I want to take this philosophical discussion and ground it into the real world. To look at how unbecoming allows us to show up better in our marketing and selling. If you are routinely struggling with marketing and selling yourself, the reason is most likely variations of your own insecurities. Fear of being seen, fear of feeling judged, fear of failing, to name a few.  If we were able to get rid of this (or learn to move past it), we would not have any real resistance to selling or marketing.  Realistically we say we ‘don’t get marketing’ but really it isn’t that hard. What’s hard, is actually putting ourselves out there.  Think of how easy it is to suggest your favourite tv show to a friend? You are passionately marketing and selling that tv show. It's the same formula to market and sell yourself, but you resist because.. well it’s you.  When we unbecome who we think we’re supposed to be, we can drop so much of the insecurity. Why? Because we are able to detach our notion of how ‘success’ is inherently what makes us valuable.  The process of unbecoming shows us that our sense of self is fabricated. Our desire to uphold a certain image, our fear of being judged, or what others will think is oftentimes actually the very thing holding us back from getting where we want to be.  Giving yourself space to explore the idea that maybe you’re more than who you have been taught that you need to be   On this week’s episode, I cover: Giving up the notion of conforming (it truly is holding you back) Looking at our relationship with risk How sales and marketing become easier when we “unbecome”   Together we’ve got this.  I believe in you. ? Connect with Lana: https://lanadingwall.com ? Facebook: @lanadingwallcoaching  ? Instagram: @lanadingwall     Lana's FREE Marketing & Strategy Facebook group exclusively for female entrepreneurs. Join now by clicking the facebook icon 

#130: How Marketing, Sales, and Letting Go of Who You Think You are Connected in Growing Your Business

Sometimes we can get stuck in the cycle of constantly “doing” without leaving any space for reflection. Making space between the moment that you have a new idea and taking action on is what will allow you to build a business that is authentic. Think about how often you ask yourself… If what you’re doing makes sense? If you’re building towards your dream life and business? If what you’re doing is authentic to you and not influenced by your peers? In entrepreneurship, it’s easy to get into a reactive mode. We see what others are doing and we jump onto the bandwagon. Or we hear a new marketing tip and we implement it right away. I often talk about the “shiny object” syndrome with my clients who feel pulled towards someone else’s version of success. When you find yourself reacting instead of responding, take some time to add more reflection instead of constant doing into your life. Remind yourself that you’re on your own journey and try to appreciate someone else’s work without shaming yourself if that’s not where you are in your own business.   On this week’s episode, I cover: The mistakes I’ve made in my own business from a lack of reflection Why a to-do list is not a good substitute for reflection The importance of self-leadership   Remember to honour your genuine and authentic self. Together we’ve got this.  I believe in you.   ? Connect with Lana: https://lanadingwall.com ? Facebook: @lanadingwallcoaching  ? Instagram: @lanadingwall     Lana's FREE Marketing & Strategy Facebook group exclusively for female entrepreneurs. Join now by clicking the facebook icon 

#129: Are You Stuck in a Cycle of Doing and Reacting?

When I first launched my own coaching business, I left very little space for my authentic self. Why?  Because I didn’t think that who I was, was good enough.  I wore my glasses more often because I thought I had to look older and smarter. I wore dresses and presented more feminine because I thought business coaches who were women had to look a certain way in order to be accepted. I would be more serious and less playful, all business and less spiritual.  This all stemmed from me feeling that who I was wasn’t good enough, and therefore I needed to be someone else. Some projected idea of what I thought success looked like.  This might resonate with you because this is how you feel too. I sometimes still catch myself feeling this way. Being a calculated version of who you think you need to be will never allow you to feel whole. Feeling unworthy is a black hole that no amount of accomplishments or success will ever fill. Learning to show up as the magnificent human you are, though, will help.  Ask yourself: How can you be less of who you think you have to be and more of who you actually are? Remember to stop comparing yourself with your peers and start nurturing your authentic self. If your black hole of “not enough-ness” is in the driver’s seat, you will continuously build a business that gets further and further away from who you are.   On this week’s episode, I cover: Redefining what authenticity really is Why authenticity is your best marketing strategy The important of showing up as your genuine self for service-based businesses   Remember to honour your genuine and authentic self. Together we’ve got this.  I believe in you.   ? Connect with Lana: https://lanadingwall.com ? Facebook: @lanadingwallcoaching  ? Instagram: @lanadingwall     Lana's FREE Marketing & Strategy Facebook group exclusively for female entrepreneurs. Join now by clicking the facebook icon 

#128: Don't let your insecurities make your business decisions for you

To build a successful business, there is sometimes this pressure to show up as one dimensional and to portray only a single side of us. There is so much emphasis on succeeding, that it’s also very easy for us to forget that we aren't one dimensional and perhaps have dreams outside of just ‘this’ business.  As a type 7 visionary, the biggest resistance I have in my business is to create complex structures that would take away from my freedom to explore other parts of myself, by requiring me to be ‘in’ my coaching business all the time. If I had a super rigid business structure, I wouldn’t be able to follow my real estate passion, or goal to be a serial entrepreneur. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen that over the past few weeks I’ve been renovating my newest investment property, and soon you’ll see something else popping up.  At our roots, we are all multi-faceted, contradictory, and ever-evolving humans. We don’t have to commit to only one thing for the rest of our life. In my case, I don’t only run a coaching business. While it fulfills me to my core and I know I want to be doing it forever, it also gives me the financial security and space to pursue the other ever-evolving parts of myself. Coaching brings out the philosophical side of me. I love that my coaching business allows me to explore those parts of who I am. But that’s not all of who I am. I am multifaceted and complex. I have other parts of myself that I also want to explore. How can you create space to integrate all of those pieces of who you are in your business and in life? Are there other things you want to create space for in your life outside of just the current business you run?  Remember, there is not right or wrong in how to run your business. There is only what’s right for you.   On this week’s episode, I cover: How different content mediums pull out different parts of ourselves How to fuse more of who you are into your work Why it’s okay to be multifaceted and have various interests and goals   Remember that you’re doing better than you think. Together we’ve got this.  I believe in you. ? Connect with Lana: https://lanadingwall.com ? Facebook: @lanadingwallcoaching  ? Instagram: @lanadingwall     Lana's FREE Marketing & Strategy Facebook group exclusively for female entrepreneurs. Join now by clicking the facebook icon 

#127: Embracing your complexities and creating space for diversity in your business

We have been told largely that our sense of safety and security comes down to what we earn and how stable that income is. We think that the more money we make, the more control we will have over the quality of our lives. This though in a lot of ways, is a fallacy. Security is not tied to how much money we make, if anything it’s tied to how we handle our money. Even then though that can only give us so much. This is an important distinction to make because often, in our pursuit of more money, we actually give up important parts of ourselves with the notion that once our pile of money grows bigger so will our sense of safety.  We convince ourselves that this trade-off will be worth it, even though it isn’t. Covid has shown us that even the most seemingly “secure” jobs and industries have been rocked. It has allowed us to see that safety and security are never guaranteed, regardless of what work we choose to do. There is power in knowing this.  Ultimately the only thing you truly need to feel safe and secure is YOU. Nothing external - not your perfect morning routine, how fit you are, what your relationship status is, how many books you read or degrees you have, how much money you make - none of this will eliminate the chaos that is part of the human experience. Safety and security come from our ability to trust ourselves that we will be able to handle whatever comes our way.   On this week’s episode, I cover: How to separate money from the sense of security How to shift power back to ourselves and build trust in ourselves How this leads to the belief that wealthy and success people don’t suffer   Remember that you’re doing better than you think. Together we’ve got this.  I believe in you. ? Connect with Lana: https://lanadingwall.com ? Facebook: @lanadingwallcoaching  ? Instagram: @lanadingwall     Lana's FREE Marketing & Strategy Facebook group exclusively for female entrepreneurs. Join now by clicking the facebook icon 

#126: How to obtain safety and security even in the chaos

What story do you want to be told about you and the business you created? If you want it to be one of success, one of creating a better world, one of inspiration and influence, one of making lots of money, one of having time for friends and family, one of serving others, and one that you are genuinely proud of, then this podcast is for you. This show is a platform designed to help change the story about women in business and entrepreneurship. Change the story told about us, to us and most importantly change the story we tell ourselves. This show will inspire, motivate and empower women, myself included, it will also share strategies and tools, so that we all rise together and change the story of women in business and entrepreneurship. Thank you for joining me on this journey.

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Changing The Story with Lana Dingwall

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