Welcome to the Breakthrough Mastermind podcast. I'm your host Jen Argue, and I facilitate masterminds for women entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses to help others and create financial independence. I'm so excited to have Ann-Marie and Andy on the show today, I met them at upper level coaching group that we were both in for a while.
And they are from Sweden. [laugh] And what was so exciting is I got to meet them at home in LA at a conference that we went to and I fell in love with them and we hit it off and then we would make it a point to meet up with each other every time that they were back in LA, of course this was pre pandemic. [laugh] So, they have been in Sweden the whole time, which has been a wonderful place to be.
I'm so excited to have them here because they have really figured out how to build businesses together and to do it successfully, which I think is not always an easy thing for a married couple, [laughs] but they are... I don't know if you guys would agree with this, but I think you guys serial entrepreneurs in the fact that you guys have owned many successful, but started and owned many successful businesses.
And you are in the stage right now, where you have pivoted again and are launching another new business and have already experienced success with it, which is awesome. [laughs] And one of the things we're going to be talking about. So, welcome to the show, you guys I'm so happy to have you here. Thank you for having us.
Yeah, thank you, [laughs] we agree with you. I mean, when we met you. We just like you started finding that. I mean, you've been having so much fun together when we've been coaching each other when we've been seeing each other as well. So it's, it's a pleasure to be here. Yeah, Thank you. So let's talk about, there's so many things I want to talk about with you guys, but let's start with, what is it like to run a business together?
Um, [laughs] We just laugh that silence. [laughs] Funny, uh, we, the first thing we said to each other, when we met was that we would never, ever going to work together and we were going [laughs] to separate. Like... the... like we're going to work is one thing and, but then ahh Ann-Marie business, you need it. So I was running a hair salon and I was running e-commerce business on the side.
And, um, then I had my two dogs in this long and, you know, you're supposed to eat and you know, [laughs] you're supposed to do all of this stuff during the day. And I was just the, the e-commerce business was growing. My, I had more and more clients and all of a sudden I was, you know, running out, taking the dogs for a walk food in my [laugh] one hand, and then the packages for the post office in the other hand, and trying to juggle everything.
And Andy is a musician and part of his life he's on tour. And then he said home, uh, for some parts of, of his time. And he was just like, can I help you with something? Because I was never at home because I was doing the packaging. I was taking care of clients and so on. So he just started to help me. And then he helped me out a little bit more. Part from being a musician.
I've also used to work as a web designer and I was actually also an online teacher in web design. And I also had like lecturing classes. So I, when we, we started talking about the whole web, the e-commerce store, how we should like build it and make it more efficient than add new items to sell and all kinds of stuff about it.
So that, and all of a sudden we realized that we are actually working together. [laughs] Oh! Yeah. He's just like what [laughs] you call, like walk into my business. Yeah! And like [laughs] took over. [laughs] And you were like, here you go and thank you. Yeah! [laughs]
No, It just happened that we noticed that we can actually sort of see the same visions when we talk about the business. Yeah. So when we say things and we talk about it and we notice that the vision we have inside our minds sort of is actually, Yeah, usually the same. Yeah, its identical, yeah, And that's really rare that you have that same vision, uhm, because we had one, one time we had.
An a accountant with us, uhm, when we were talking about the vision of the business and blah, blah, blah, and what we're going to do and so on. And, and he just sat there going, like, I don't understand, like, and we have the same image and we usually have the same vision because we're so connected with each other.
And, and I think that that is the strong part with working together. And I'm a maybe a bit more wild and crazy with the vision. And he pulls me back to like, let's finish things and not to like, put the ends there. So we kind of balance each other out when it comes to finishing things and really making sure that it's understandable and that the person that is receiving whatever it is.
Uh, really gets what it, what they're supposed to learn or depending on what it is, Yeah, that we're doing. Uhm. That's quite remarkable. And I think that is one of your biggest strengths is that you two hold a shared vision "Hashem" behind it is equal. Yeah. Coz you seen things through. Yeah. Yeah. We have different views of things, of course, as well, which, which is a good thing, because then when we talk about it, we can sort of say, well, well, have you thought about this?
Or maybe you should do like that. And so, so that we still it's not. Because being an entrepreneur, we all know that it can be very lonely. [laugh] You know, and they you're sitting there and you're doing everything sort of in your head. And you're the one that has the vision. But to us, it's actually a blessing that we do have each other to bounce ideas off. Yeah.
Yeah. And not only that you have each other and you, you share this vision and you can bounce ideas off of each other, but also there is this immense amount of respect for each other and your differences. Yeah. Uhm, and this other beautiful feature that I see of you too, is that you have this flexibility as well. Yeah.
So you can have this passion and drive towards one thing, but you also are able to, as a union pivot to a new vision [laughs] I think that looking for businesses. [laughs] Yeah. It's kind of crazy. Yeah. I mean, I think both of us, we are like super creative people. Uhm. Yeah. And as we grow as person, I think we, we expand how we actually want to impact people. Yeah. And I think when.
The vision starts to become greater. And we understand that the business that we used to have maybe is holding us back towards what we're really here to do and how we're really here to impact people. Then it's really, really hard to pivot. And it's really, really hard to actually. Move away from something that works.
And I can say that from, uh, I actually never had a job. [laughs] As an entrepreneur your whole life. Well, I did do waitressing when I was in like high school, but from the age of 20, I've had my own companies and, uh, it's been in the hair industry and. So I think it's like three types of businesses that I managed to take to six figures, like over six figures.
And it's like just standing behind a chair, doing hair e-commerce business together with Andy. And then the online teaching in hairstyling and so on. And what was the e-commerce business? It was hair products and accessories for like, uh, supporting the type of hair that I was doing. Also, have a jewelry business.
That was part of it. It was part of it. Yeah. Because for one, we had a store as well, but physical [laugh] store, but we realized that we were more of the sort of entrepreneurial types than, than the wanting to be standing by and, you know, and selling stuff in the store. So we get rid of that, but that was the... the starting point for us to start to make things.
So we, we started traveling to Bali, Indonesia and found anything factory. So we made the design then made specifically for the hats and, uh, what else with some hair bands and stuff. And then, yeah, and we also have like jewelry mate. Yeah. And different. So it was time we sold that in the e-commerce, but that was successful.
But then we realized that that wasn't really, we want to step away from having to have a lack of a stock of stuff, you know, because you, you have a lot of money tied up in keeping that all the time. And we were also, we found that. We want them to be, as you said flexible and be able to chat with them. And the more we started getting into, maybe we could have like courses and teach the unique style that Ann-Marie has been doing with hair.
Then that became like the name focus. We found that this, this is where we want to go in this direction. And then we could add into stuff into the courses. We could add stuff about marketing, branding and stuff that we've been learning as well. [laughs] So recently started to do another thing as well, [laughs] but it just kind of things [laughs] natural. Yeah.
Yeah. So that, that leads me to my next question, because you just said it begins to feel natural. Once. Yeah. You have run a successful and multiple successful businesses. When you get an idea to start a new business, what are you bringing with you into that new venture that you've learned? What kind of lessons, what kind of things are you saying to yourself is your starting another new venture?
This is a hard one because I sometimes actually get tired of myself by can I just be like still [laugh] in one thing and be happy with [laughs] that. But, but I think I realized that this is just part of my personality type and how, like I expand myself. I grow and I grow in grow and like what I'm always bringing into whatever I'm stepping into is.
The lessons that we have learned along the way in every single thing that we've done throughout, like from, it's not that we're starting from scratch because we already know how to do almost all of it. [laughs] And it's just, how can I. Do this in a better way. How can we even bring everything at one step, even higher than we've done before?
And how can we be, be more expensive and in everything that we're doing? Yeah. I guess it's fast. It has a lot to do, but we're being creative as well because you never really satisfied. It's not like, okay, now I learned this now I'm good. [laughs] It's always like, well, maybe we can do it like this, so maybe we can push it in this direction.
And then maybe we can do this better. And then, like you said, about bringing stuff from the previous businesses, our guess, everything like the failures specifically, we know what didn't work, so you can try to avoid that [laughs] and then more. The more like lessons you learn. I mean, this is all about growing as a person as well.
Now, would you say that your businesses, that you've been starting over and over and let me just say, I agree with you, you are growing as a person [laugh] as well. Yeah. Um, would you say that each of your businesses, that you start a new, that you have a very similar audience because starting over, if you're starting over with a new audience. Feels like a bigger project than if you have a somewhat overlapping audience.
They've been overlapping a bit, but it is hard. So the new venture that we are working on, um, I can tell that some of the old audience is automatically coming into this new world that we're creating, but some of them are triggered. But how we are speaking what I'm saying, because I'm the face of the brand and is helping in the background and so on.
But I can tell they are not the right fit to actually hear me say what I'm saying. And they are being triggered by this. And this is really interesting to actually see the... Because they want to hear you speak and say the things that they are used to, yeah, hearing. So they are sort of expecting you, yah, to behave and say, like thing, be in a certain way, which that's, I guess that's why it's trigging. Yeah.
Yeah. And it may seem interesting because in the old business, Uh, I was for the past, maybe three years, I was really holding myself back. I was playing a role that people were expecting me online to be, I was being in a certain way that they wanted me to be. And now I'm actually showing my true self. And that is kind of scary to actually, okay.
This is really who I am. I haven't been really honest with you guys. Quite some time. And I think that can be the same. That is triggering them because I'm showing myself in a new way that they're not used to. And the it almost triggers them and all the trigger points [laughs] that maybe we don't want to see in themselves.
I don't know. But yet you must feel different. Yeah. Yeah. As you said, each time you personally grow, then your, your vision expands, yeah, and you step into your business roles and into yourself in a more, I would imagine authentic way as, yeah, yeah, you're saying. And so for you, you must feel more free. Yeah of course. Yeah, so that's so interesting how your audience is, you know, on this journey with you and they have to make a decision if they're going to continue on with you or not.
Yeah. Uhm, So as you have, and super curious about the, the granular aspect of what you were talking about with you were bringing up principals and I was thinking, oh, I want to hear about that more granularly, like more how it actually plays out in real life. As you have built these different businesses. And you said that you bring this business experience with you and to every new business, what are some of those things specifically bring in with new passion and new awareness?
So I can say, as I am the face of the brand, really. Becoming, uh, the brand and, and holding the space for the students that I have and, and the people that we, we inspire. And I realized that the more I expand my energy, the more I can actually hold more people. And that is something I don't think a lot of people are aware of that.
You have to, or I don't want to say you have to, but it helps, yeah, it helps to actually not to limit yourself with the kind of energy you have, the more expensive energy you have, the more you can actually hold bigger groups of people. You can teach more people. And so on. I think that is something you have to work within yourself because if you don't expand.
There will be a limit to how many people you will be able to take into your classes and so on. So it is interesting. In that look like exactly to expand your energy for somebody who is listening and thinking. I want that. I want to [laughs] expand. So for me, it's more of have a vision of how many people I actually want to have in a launch and actually visualize all of them and see that.
I can hold the space for all of them. So I do this in, in mental training and I do this in, in a way so that I'm not limiting myself to just one person I'm limited. Like I want to have a hundred or a thousand and so on. And I do this would kind of be visualization and meditations so that I can hold a space for more people. Uhm.
That's a beautiful practice that you have, because the more that you are expanding your energy in that way and visualizing, serving more people, the more people who can be served [laugh] Yeah. And that just brings beauty into their lives as well. Yeah. And also not feeling limited in any way, which is something we've been working along with also, how much do you really believe sort of that, you can.
You're the revenue or the people you reach or how much success or whatever, whatever that means. But if you, you realize a lot of times that maybe you have sort of these limits within yourself from things you've been taught or things you believe about yourself, people might have been saying to you, or you just have these different beliefs about yourself and what you're capable of. Uhm.
And if you, the more you work on it and you realize. That there, these are just beliefs, you know? So, uhm, then the sky is the limit. Basically, you know, the sky is the limit. Yeah.
Everything that you work with, I use this both with us, and also since I'm a musician and I don't have any sort of limits on what I can achieve, [laughs] nobody has, that's the whole beauty of it. You know, it's all about, it's all about sort of believing in that you can. And then, and then do the work. That's necessary to achieve those, whatever it is that you want to achieve. Yeah.
I want to go back to the, like how to expand your energy. And that is actually something that I think I learned from Andy and the guys that he's playing with because I've asked him like, because when they do big festivals with, is it 10,000? 20,000 people? Yeah. And I'm like, how can you go on stage and not be afraid?
And I started to notice a pattern with him when we started to live together, that when they were doing these huge festivals with big, a lot amount of people, he started to go into that role that he plays on stage already several days before. Yeah. And he has this mental. Maybe you can tell what you do, but... It's hard to explain, but it's sort of that you're bigger than yourself, yeah, in a way. So that you're not, this is really hard to explain.
I don't really know how I do it, but I just do it, [laughs] but it takes a lot of it. I don't know. I, and I also like. I haven't really huge expectations about myself with everything that I do. So that's also one thing that pushes me all the time, because I guess I'm on my self and I'm my hardest critics or so that makes me sort of what wanna exceed what I've done before and everything that I do.
And I guess that's also part of my building up this whole energy about how I sound, I guess when I'm finally go on, on stage in that case. I'm not really myself. No... [laughs] the guy was sitting here and talking right now. [laughs] It is a hard thing to explain, but it's similar to, yeah, what you're talking about because you want to reach all those people. Yeah.
And that's all it's about. It's about connecting with other people. Uhm. The beauty of it, when you, when you go on stage and you manage to do that. Or in whatever capacity, yeah, when you can actually reach a lot of people and you can see your connection and you can see if people are not being happy or moved by whatever it is you're doing.
That's something that you want to do more often than, you know, when you see it. I think it's all about if we want to go into details, every single person has an aura and energy around yourself. And it's all about expanding that energy. So you could either have it like, uh, so I don't know how long this is in American, like two decimeters, like 20 centimeters.
Okay. [laughs] Like, those approximity of yourself, like half an arm length [laughs] is like normally where your aura is. And I think what I'm talking about is expanding that, that is like, it can be going outside of your house. Uhm. Or outside of your City. So what I've seen and witness, uh, Andy and the guys that he's playing with is that when they're preparing, I can actually feel they are expanding their energy, but I don't think they're aware of that they're doing, [laughs] but you can see it.
Yeah. [laughs] So what I love about this is that these, these are the soft skills, and I always like, yeah, to talk about the soft skills and the hard skills of business. And thank you for going into this, because this is so important for people to understand of this success that you've had in the past and how you've brought those experiences with you into each new business to accelerate the growth, you know that, of each new business that you're starting.
I'm sure that this new one that you just started is coming along more quickly than other ones that you've started possibly in the past. Is that right? We hope so. [laughs]
So... We hope so. I mean, it's, it's a feeling we have because like you, like we talked about earlier, we do have like different ideas that come up all the time and you know, maybe we should do this and maybe we should do that. But then we sort of, now let's keep these things. Okay. Let's stay focused on. And like we started where we are actually really adamant that we have to sort of finish things.
Take them the whole stretch. So not just like start things and then leave them. Yeah. But, uh, you can just leave things? [laughs]. Yeah, exactly, starting is so fun. Yeah, exactly.
This like...No, like, let's forget about that. No... And then these things come up that we feel that, oh, this is something different and you can feel it... Yeah. And as soon as we started working on these things, a lot of both positive and negative things started happening. And that sounds very like it's a, it's an indicator of that.
We're onto something, yeah, because that's usually what's been happening. Is that when you're onto something, that's a really good thing for you. That's also starts, usually it starts to happen bad things as well. Well negative things. Yeah. Cool. You know, there's always a yin and yang and if you feel it within yourself, okay.
Now we're onto something I think. And this is what we feel about this new thing, yeah, is that this has the potential of becoming something really that can help a lot of people make an impact, but then. Also, other things start to be like and not really working because it's interesting. Yeah. It feels [laugh] like I can say that the more I expand my energy and he does this as well, the more I can feel that our families are trying to pull us in our seats and like, no, [laugh] you have to, everything has to be, as it usually is, nothing should change.
Like, and, um, I can. Sense that they are feeling that we are maybe not come to be as much in Sweden. If the pandemic, the world situation is letting us maybe leave more, [laughs] but they don't understand what is going on, but I can feel the, the full of like that they are trying to hold us in a space where, Nope, you should not do this.
Nope. You should like, and so on, some of the things that are going on that. Yeah. And like you said, you're with the previous business we had and what people are expecting from us. They also, like we said, some of them understand the new thing, but other itself, like being triggered by it. That's what I mean also by maybe having like.
Some negative reactions. And I guess gut feeling is something that we always go with. Yeah. It it's never fail us, No, every time where we sense that, okay, we should do this or we fit something that we want, or maybe we should. And then we try to sort of convince ourselves that we should do something, whatever how big or small thing it is.
But as soon as we feel that, Nah... it always, you know, then it never works, Yeah, because it's the gut feeling thing. And I think that's really important too, to trust your own intuition on your own. Like when it, when it hits you like this. Yeah. Absolutely. Right. You have to trust your intuition about something. And especially if you've had a lot of experience in life doing different things, your intuition probably is relying on those past experiences to draw from today's wisdom.
So we've talked about the soft skills. What are some of the hard skills that you've brought with you from all of your past experience that has helped you in that you're relying on to help grow this new business? One of them, the key things that I'm bringing with is my, like nowadays my capable of actually speaking.
What, my truth is, and speaking on camera because I used to be deadly scared of it. Like before I even made my first YouTube video 10 years ago, I actually cried for half an hour [laugh] and you can actually see yet the end that before I say goodbye, I go like, uhhh... [laughs] And now I can sit here, speak like, and have. I can just keep record and do something and then save.
And it's not a big deal for me. So that is like such a huge thing for me. And that is something that you taught as well, Yeah. Yeah. It has not coming in natural way. No, And I think also speaking in English is... has been really hard. So English is our second language and that is not easy at all times to actually know. Do you guys understand what I'm saying? And other hard skills I'm bringing in?
I have a huge passion for photography, and I think that is also a big part of your brand and put that into the business. Yeah. because all of pictures we have on like social media and on the website and everywhere of ourselves as well, it's actually us taking the pictures. Yeah. Either with taking it with each other or you have this like remote [laughs] so we can take it when we're standing together and stuff. Remote are awesome. Yeah. Yeah. [laughs]
Like that. Yeah. That is something that. Yeah. And your brand is so visual. So being able to have good photography for your business is so important in that you feel competent in that is a really great feeling because it's going to help you present your brand better sooner. Yeah. Yeah. If we have an idea, we can really fast do something rather than books a photographer.
Wait, and then have them understand the vision that perhaps so we can do it like that. [laughs] Yes. Yes. And, and I love your skill too, that you mentioned about being able to be comfortable speaking in front of people. That is a hard skill. Like not a hard, it is a hard skill and a hard feel. Yeah, it is. [laughs]
That is so beneficial. And I think for a lot of businesses, for a lot of people who are starting out and don't have that experience to bring in with them, if they're not comfortable speaking in front of people, their, their truth, that that will delay the success of their business. Yeah, that is unfortunately true.
And if you are, people talked a lot about these days being introverted and extroverted, and it doesn't help if we are both actually extremely introvert. [laughs] So if we work hard on becoming more sort of comfortable in finding stories, actually without. You mentioned that we met that this, the business coaching event... Yeah coaching event.
Then I remember the time being like from Sweden and we came to America. [laughs] This convention [laughs] and we were like, what's going on? [laughs] Because it's like super like extroverted and everybody's talking and we're like, not only are we Swedish, which is like, they're supposed to be more reserved, but we're also introverted. So I remember we were like trying really hard to being extroverted.
And then one of the coaches came up to us and said like, you're really introverted. Maybe you should go and talk to people. [laughs] Just being at this party. Its like a huge step for us. So like. [laughs]
But it's a, it's a good thing. And I think that connects to, to being more confident, like speaking, because it is about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and, you know, yeah, out of your box, sort of, yeah. The more you do it, the more you get used to it. So all of a sudden people think. You were like, oh, you must be really extroverted.
And you're actually not. We're just playing [laughs]. Yeah. We're just done about... to push ourselves out of the box basically. And I think one of the things that I really, really help, help me is that when I started to understand how much I actually impact people, how much I actually give them by going over my own comfort zone, that really makes the biggest difference. Because when I see.
The impact and how much their lives have changed, but just because I'm showing up and daring to not cry anymore, [laughs] whatever it is that has made me go like, okay, if I push myself a little bit more, And the little bit more than I can actually help more people. And I think that is something. If you are really, really scared of speaking your truth, think of the people that you want to help.
And don't like, people will judge you, whatever you do. If you don't show up, people will judge you and people will judge you for what you're saying. Uhm, And, and remember that you will impact someone with your business. And the more you dare to actually show who you are, the more you will actually help people. And I think that is the key thing we have to remember and hold on to, and just jump over the things that you're scared of and do it anyway. [laughs] Yeah.
Just do it. I mean, if the feeling you get when you're actually are helping other people and you see the reactions, when somebody comes up to you, when they say that you changed their lives, doesn't, that's like the biggest Everett. To be able to be like, not ego and help other people. Uhm. Uhmm. Yeah. And I see that with you too, that you both have this deep desire to really help and to really make an impact for people through your skill, through your knowledge and your talents and your skill that you have to offer, which is a beautiful thing because if everybody is thinking that way, then there's going to be so much more beauty in the world. Uhm. Yeah. All the areas. Yeah. And I'd love you two are being faithful with your areas and bringing all of your knowledge and wisdom that you've acquired over the years to every new thing that you're doing, it just is beautiful.
Yeah. Oh, so, okay. So I have a question that I love to ask everyone because what I find with entrepreneurs. Uh, specially like the most, most successful ones as they are working their way into more and more impact with what they're doing. They have this a desire to work a lot because work is play. They love what they do.
You're getting joy out of creating impact, and it's almost like an addicting. [laugh] And so it's oftentimes hard for entrepreneurs to pull away. And I don't know if this is a cultural thing, when you were describing Ann-Marie before, about how you were so busy and you were holding your food while walking your dog. I thought, that's just a normal day here for everybody. [laugh]. Yeah. Is that not the way it is in Sweden? [laughs] I need to move there. [laughs] But, now it is. [laughs]
Yeah, but do you experience that at all? And if you do, what do you do to pull away and feed your soul? We try to actually schedule [laughs] so, yeah, that we have to have some time off, yeah, and to remember to actually let ourselves. Not feel guilty about like, just not working one day, because since we are married as well, you know, it's kind of hard not to talk about work.
And when we go on vacation... vacation, we can sort feel like...
So you know, we are of course doing some work as well, but we make sure that we do have time off as well. I mean, we have to sort of tell us that studied, so, and remind ourselves, yeah, to know it's okay to actually to just relax and not work from time to time because. And we all know that if we do take some time off, gonna get so much more done, because if you're working all the time is you're going to get more and more tired, and you're not going to get so much done because your brain is going to be fried. Yeah.
So you need to have those days when you're not doing stuff, but it's, it's hard. I mean, if, since if you are creative, And an entrepreneur and you, you want to, you want to do stuff all the time and you need to know that the long list of things you have to do as well as they can because of the business, but it's still, you know, you have to remind yourself that now from time to time, you have, you have to make sure that you have some time off and then you're going to get more done because of having the time off actually. Yeah.
And I think our brains actually, when we sometimes when I try to, okay, how can I explain this in a good way? And I'm obsessing over like a system or something in, in what I'm teaching and I'm trying and trying, and it is when you actually go out and do something like it can be taking a walk, yeah, or doing the laundry or whatever it is. Uh.
That's when the idea comes when you actually like turn off your brain. And one thing that I, I love to do, but we haven't been able to do because of the pandemic is to actually scuba dive, yeah and, and that is something that we've done together. And one of the most amazing experience that we've had is was it 10 days.
That we went to... almost two weeks for our base or something. Know we went to Kamala National Park and going to scuba dive and the resort where we were staying. Didn't have any internet. Didn't have any wifi, no phone connection. No phone connection either you could pass. The thing was that you could buy a local sim card and there was one spot.
When the... every day you went up with a huge, like a boat to scuba dive in this. In the Marine Reserve, but there was one spot where you could get like connection with... with a phone, if you have the local sim card, but we didn't get that. So we actually had like twelve, the way it used to be when you travel, [yeah] you know, we went away for 12 days, so almost two weeks, yeah, and we didn't have any wifi or phones so that we just left like.
The information for people that they could contact and call us on the email to that person who could then... [laughs] If there was like a panic or something really important, but it was... it was amazing to, to be sort of completely offline. Otherwise, you just like, oh, I just have to check this, or I just have to answer this, or, but you're actually forced to look in books.
To know what kind of sea she saw like that. You never do that anymore. [laughs]. You never do that. So how I'm dying to know how long did it take you to finally have those impulses melt away? You just, your body knew that you couldn't check. Please do that. I think possibly, yeah, more, actually it's kind, yeah, of scared because... Like a digital tea pot. Yeah. And you have to like really be in the now and every it's just everybody else.
It wasn't that many people that may be like 20 other at the most. But since nobody could go surf and go and check stuff on the phone or in computers, everybody had to sort of sit and talk, yeah, and be, you know, play board games and somebody was playing guitar. And every night when we came back after scuba diving all day, we had dinner and then people actually stop and talk to each other.
Yeah. You know, nobody could, that was it, you know, the way it used to be before. [laugh] I'm not saying that... that wifi and internet and phones and all that is bad, but it's, that was an interesting wake up call to actually be reminded that this is the way it used to be more people that actually just being forced to sort, sort of speak to each other and interact interacting person and not being distracted all the time.
So, how did you feel at the end of that experience? I didn't want to turn, like, go back to the internet world because it freeze your mind. It opens up too. It feels like, okay. Finally, my brain starts to work again. And finally I get into this space of clearness. And it is interesting that we are, so... I can only speak for myself, but I am so like indoctrinated into the world of the internet, you know, oh, I have to Google this or I have to check that.
Or I have to like having that space of actually getting the brain to maybe it's almost like get the brain to. Yeah, reset them and like fix everything that you have been feeding yourself with over and over again. So I think that is a really good lesson that I have to remind myself. Yeah. I mean, of course there's mainly good things about being online.
I mean, we are working through the, yeah, house, I love it and that's what... [laughs]
We sort of learned was also that you don't have to be all the time. You can actually, if it's same with, as you we talk about. To have some free time and, you know, to do other stuff and then your brain starts to work and you can actually work more and get more work, get more stuff done when you are working.
And it's the same way that if you start to sort of force yourself to not be online all the time, which means that when you are doing the stuff that's fun and that's creative and that that's positive. And then you. The others, if you, I feel that it sort of what we learned from being like totally off the grid for like two weeks, yeah, is that to sort of start to have downtime from being connected to the verbal all the time. Yeah.
That also, if you are building something. You and if you are, I think we always come into this also comparison note, like you're comparing yourself to others and seeing that these other brands or persons they're doing this or doing that. And then you try to copy that. And I think it's also important to remind yourself of that you have something unique to give.
And don't forget to share that because that is your unique selling point. And I think sometimes we have to turn all the distractions off to actually remind ourselves of what can I bring to the table and not just. Yeah, scroll down every single feed that you see and see, oh, they're doing this now. Oh, then I have to do that.
Or they're doing that. And then I have to do that. Like we have to remind ourselves, so what can you do for yourself or for your business, yeah, that is unique from your personality, and... And whatever it is that you're bringing to the table. Yeah. That makes so much sense to really get in touch with yourself, yeah, and getting in touch with other people's name. Yeah.
Yeah, check yourself. So you know it you're giving. Yeah. Yeah, of course. It's one thing being inspired, but then these days, when, when it's so easy to just be connected, like check your phone and scroll through things and get bombarded by information all the time, you have to sort of learn yourself I think.
Relearn or whatever it's not learn yourself, how to sort of shift through and choose what you want to be inspired by. So you're not constantly bombarded because if you are being bombarded all the time, which you are most the time. By information and media and stuff all the time. It's... it's... harder to sort of concentrate and harder to get stuff done and harder to find, like you said, finding your own voice in all of this.
Um, so I what I hear you saying is being intentional and being deliberate, uhm, is so important. I love what you said that in order to feed your soul. You schedule, [laugh] you actually schedule your time off. Yeah. You make it a point to not talk about business all the time, because you run a business together as a couple that you have finding other things to talk about and that you physically remove yourself to and go on vacations.
And have you fun time. And do you think you're going to in the future, make it a regular point, do a type of vacation where you don't have access to the internet? Yes, yes. Yes really, yeah. Yeah, because it's only, I mean, even if it's like only a couple of days or whatever, it's not that they end of the world, it can schedule stuff.
So that the business, yeah [laughs] is up and running. You know, [laugh] it's offline for like a couple of days, but it feels like if now if you just, again, I guess that's also a thing that we learned and we're actually working on right now, which we're trying to be better at is actually planning, like scheduling things and planning things within the business, which is really hard to do, but we're trying to learn how to do it because that also frees up time.
Yeah, you know, oh, it does. And I love hearing you say that because what I, what I've heard this, a thread that has gone through our whole interview is the value that you both put on self-development, yeah, and becoming better versions of yourself all the time. I see you really making a conscious effort towards. Your self-development, which is beautiful [laughs]
Before I close and ask you how people can hang out with you a little bit more, actually tell us what your new business is. Okay. Um, part of my hair business has been that I've been doing hair extensions, uh, for the past 20 years. In March, I was about to fall asleep and all of a sudden I had an image in front of me with a brand new way of doing hair extensions and it just came you know, just before you're about to fall asleep. And when I woke up in the morning, I'm like, that's a really good idea.
So I ran to the salon, tried it out and I showed it to Andy. And he's like, this is the million dollar idea, yeah, because it's a way of creating hair extensions for people in a really fast way. But there is no glue or nothing that actually destroys the hair while it's...... non-toxic. So it's sustainable. It's always been a value of your business, right?
To be conscious of the earth and the chemicals and everything that. Yeah, in all techniques... involves actually, while you're wearing the hair extension, you'd actually destory the clients hair. Yeah. And the industry, industry's not talking about it, yeah, but I have always been against it and I've done another method before, but it takes a really long time to do, but this new method, you can do a hair within two hours, just as fast as.
Blind glue or tape, and it doesn't destroy the client's hair and it just doesn't destroy the hairstylist body either. Because if there's nothing that is some sorbed on your body while you are either applying or taking it off. So we created a whole framework around this method and actually teaching both methods and the teaching people how to scale their business would help with this, with marketing, teaching them how to use photography and video to market themselves and so on, and how to actually run a sustainable hairstyling business with the help of these hair extension.
Amazing! Amazing! So you're teaching people, not only the techniques, which are non-toxic and it, which is so important, not only for the person, yeah [laughs] their hair but for you as the stylist, you think about all the chemicals you use it everyday. Yeah.
That's wonderful. And then also you're teaching people how to have a sustainable hair business. Yeah. And how to amplify or grow their business as well, because you done it. Its all on this online course that we, yeah. So that is your new course. Coz you really have, like if we only teach the technique, then they need to understand the new ways of actually getting people attracted to your business.
So you need to marketing skills and how to do these without feeling salesy or pushing things. It's more about like, how can you show up as your authentic self in order for you to really attract the right type of people that are more interested in the more sustainable way of having their hair done so. Yeah.
Thats great that you're not only teaching them the skills, but you're empowering them, yeah, to be able to demonstrate it and in their marketing so that they can attract people. Yeah.
That's great. So if people want to learn about this or if they want to hang out with you a little bit more and hear about your truth, where can they do that. They can find us @sereneflow_ I think it's called, yeah, in on Instagram and then it's a www.serene-flow.com with a dash for our website.
That is wonderful. And I will have all of those links in the show notes. So if you don't have pen and paper, you could just head on over when you're in a good place [laughs] to find those links. So you can get connected with Ann-Marie and Andy, and all of the amazing things that they are teaching people right now and get into their universe. And learn from them. And I love the name serene flow, because I feel like when I am with you guys, I experienced that with you. [laughs] So it very meta name [laughs] thank you! The same...
Well, thank you so much for coming today. I really appreciated having you guys and learning all about the things that you shared with us. Well, thank you for having us. Yeah. It's been amazing. It's been really great. We love hanging out with you. Yeah. Anytime.
I'm so grateful that we had Andy and Anne-Marie on their show today. All the links for them to hang out with them will be in the show notes. And if you're looking for more support, challenge and inspiration, if, if you're feeling isolated as an entrepreneur running your online business, I would love to have you join my mastermind.
So check it out! @jenargue.com.
