Welcome to the First Episode of Soul Fueled Success!

Soul Fueled Success

[00:05] Shannon Spencer: Hello fellow trailblazers, believers and achievers. Welcome to the very first episode of the Soul Fueled Success podcast. I'm Shannon Spencer, your guide, fellow entrepreneur, and advocate for weaving purpose and passion into the very fabrics of our professional lives. Today marks not just the beginning of this podcast, but an invitation to you to explore a concept that's been a beacon and throughout my own journey. Soul fuel.

I can hear you now. That sounds fantastic Shannon. But tell me, what is soul fuel?

I'm so glad you asked.

It's that divine spark within each of us, blending our gifts, passions and purposes. For us entrepreneurs, it's about transforming our ventures into missions that resonate deeply with our values and aspirations. In this podcast, we will explore how to discover your own soul fuel, how to ignite it, and how to keep it burning brightly, even in the face of challenge. We'll share stories of those who've harnessed their soul fuel to create not only successful businesses, but legacies of love and impact.

So what does it mean to run a business fueled by the soul?

It means every decision, every innovation, every act of leadership is infused with our core beliefs and a desire to serve not just our customers, but our community, our world, in ways that matter. We really want to make a difference. It's about recognizing our work as an extension of our calling. Whether it's through products, services, or the cultures we build within our teams and communities.

We're given an opportunity to reflect God's love, to make a difference, to shine our light. That's what soul fuel is all about.

But embracing this didn't come without its challenges. Each obstacle on my path tested my resilience, deepened my empathy and most importantly, solidified my faith. This journey taught me a valuable lesson. We flourish most when we walk in collaboration with God, integrating our soul fuel into every aspect of our work and our life.

My goal for us is to walk together as we embark on a journey to redefine success, making it not just about leading a profitable business, but about impact, purpose and living a life rich with the joy and fulfillment that we all want.

On soulfueled success., you'll hear not just from me, but from fellow entrepreneurs who've woven their soul fuel into the fabric of their businesses. We'll, shine insights on pursuing work with soul fueling actions and elements, stories of impact over mere profit and strategies for personal fulfillment.

My own path began in 2006 when I left the over demanding, never satisfying corporate world to create a better, more fulfilling life for myself and my family.

It's so hard to realize that that was nearly two decades ago. Someone recently just called me a pioneer as I started my adventures in the field called coaching 20 years ago. I have to say I was a bit shocked at first. But looking back over the trails I've blazed over the past 20 years, I'm proud to acknowledge that. And I've added it to my I am affirmation list.

I remember my soul was eager for growth and my heart was ready to serve. I was so burned out and so tired of being in charge, but yet not really being in charge and never having enough me at the end of the day to be able to nurture my family, let alone myself.

But when I started my entrepreneurial journey, navigating the complex landscape of entrepreneurship to facing life's unexpected twists and challenges, I discovered a profound truth. Our work and leadership are truly platforms for love, serving our neighbors and expressing our God given talents.

I can hear you now, but Shannon, how do I find my soul fuel?

I'm so glad you asked.

Often when we hear about soul fuel, our minds turn to what we do in our leisure. Do you know leisure? Those moments and activities that are supposed to refill our tank? Right?

Leisure time, you say? Between running the business and trying to get through the day to day tasks of work, running kids around and fitting in time to pick up groceries, I don't even have time for anything else.

I hear ya, been there, done that, have all those t shirts.

But what if I told you that the key to that truly fulfilling life we all long for is in fact integrating that soul fuel into our daily work and business operations, not just in that elusive concept of free time.

Let's look at it like this. Everyone who knows me knows I love leopard print. It's on my purse, my shoes, and today it's even on my nails. It isn't just a fun fashion statement for me, it symbolizes my unique blend of soul fuel.

I love to put fun in things that are functional. So let this be a fun reminder that soul fuel isn't just a concept, but a lifestyle that impacts how we lead, innovate and serve, bringing a bit of our unique flair, our own leopard print, into every aspect of what we do.

Now, you might not relate to leopard print like I do. It's probably something else. In order to identify yours, it takes time to do some internal reflecting.

You want to be able to identify your strengths, your passions and the values that drive you. It's the fuel in that positive energy that comes from knowing who you are and who you're serving through the natural gifts and talents you are specifically wired with.

From there, it's about alignment, ensuring every aspect of your business, from its operations to its messages, resonate with these core elements.

It isn't quick, it isn't easy, but let me tell you, it is worth it.

Let this be a fun reminder that soul fuel isn't just a concept, but a lifestyle that impacts how we lead, innovate and serve, bringing a bit of our unique flair, our own leopard print, into every aspect of what we do.

What does it mean, then, to run a soul fueled business? It means fueling every business decision and innovation with the creativity sparked by our unique gifts and serving our clients and communities with the passion that burns brightly within us.

It means that the products we create, the services we offer, the cultures we cultivate, are reflections of love for the communities that we serve. This is how we make our work, not just a job, but as an answer to our calling to love our neighborhood. Each day woven with the threads of joy, purpose and fulfillment.

Can you imagine the power of leading with this kind of intentionality? But here's a revelation. Our professional achievements and our personal well being are not on the opposite ends of the spectrum. They are intertwined. Our ventures can only reach as high as our spirits are deep. Incorporating self care, seeking out fun, and honoring our need for rest are not merely supplements to our success, they are its foundation.

Let's not forget the spaces between the leopard spots. While we infuse our work with soul fuel, prioritizing self care, personal time and our roles as spouses, parents and friends are equally vital.

Over a lifetime spent raising my family, developing a career, and now living a life that is filled with diverse responsibilities, I have realized that it's in these roles that the depth of our life's joy is truly found. Here, on each episode of soulfueled success, we're going to dive deep into how to harness your soul fuel to not only drive your business forward, but to also enrich your life outside of work. From setting boundaries that honor your time with family, to indulging in hobbies that light up your spirit, we'll explore the balance that lets us thrive in all areas of life. I'm not talking about work live balance, but the balance of the ebb and flow of our own unique energy.

Crafting this energetic balance begins with intentional choices. It's about saying yes to projects that ignite our passions and no to those that drain us.

One example for me is switching from my dream of hosting a vlog to starting with a podcast. I kept finding reasons to procrastinate because I didn't want to be on camera. Despite training and mentoring with some of the best people, I kept making excuses. I seriously have spent like the last couple years training on how to show up on video, but I just couldn't seem to keep the commitments that I made to myself.

And let's just say that my self talk was not very fueling to my soul.

When I sat down and addressed my mindset about video, I decided to release those excuses by turning to audio as a more energizing way to get started. It felt doable, not easy for sure, but it felt like I could do it.

I actually had no idea how hard this is, but I've enjoyed the process and the challenge of the learning curve, so I'm keeping with it.

And another example is one of my favorite personal painting. For years I've dabbled in watercolor, acrylic, and most recently oils. And, well, I'm no Picasso. I really enjoy expressing myself through paints and a brush. One thing to note, my love language is quality time. This really stood out to me recently when I realized that painting by myself isn't actually fun for me.

I'd been taking a class with friends and really loving the paintings I created, actually gave them as gifts. But life got busy. My parents were having health issues and needed more of my time and support. So in order to continue with my hobby, I bought some online classes and figured I would just pursue it on my own. That's what I'd done during the, you know, during the pandemic.

Except I didn't actually do them. So when friends reached out to me recently and said they missed me in class, I decided to sign back up. And I can't wait till next week to get started again.

And of course, it isn't just about failing to keep the commitments to ourselves, it's also about scheduling time for fun with our loved ones. I don't know how many times I can get busy doing some project like this podcast and forget that I've made commitments with my husband or my parents to spend time with them. So it's also about scheduling time for fun with our loved ones with the same commitment we give to our client meetings and our business obligations. It was a hard lesson for me to learn, but being able to be there for my family and not break promises to them was the key to our soul fuel as a family.

I hope you really hear this.

Our professional achievements and our personal well being are not on opposite ends of the spectrum.

They are, in fact, intertwined. Our ventures can only reach as high as our spirits are deep. Incorporating self care, seeking out fun, and honoring our need for rest are not merely supplements to our success. They are its foundation, as is working in our gifts, our strengths and natural capabilities.

As we close today's episode, I challenge you to reflect on what fuels your soul.

Think about your energy as a bank account. Every task, every interaction is either a deposit or a withdrawal. If all you do is suck fuel out of your tank, it's like withdrawing all your funds from your account.

Doing things in the way you're naturally designed to do them is adding energy or adding funds to that account.

Too many of us are writing checks we can't cash, and the NSF fees have put us in the negative. If we want to make sure that the ledger's balance and we're profitable, we want to make sure we deeply integrate our soul fuel into every workday and equally make sure our lives outside of work reflect our truest passion and joys.

Thank you for tuning in to Soulfield success.

[13:23] Shannon Spencer: If today's conversation sparks something in you, I would love to hear about it. Drop a comment, share your insights, and let's keep the conversation going. And if you found value in our time together, please like and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts. Your support helps spread the word and keeps our community growing. Until next time, keep fueling your journey with purpose and passion. Thanks for listening.