ADHD Entrepreneurs: Thrive Without Feeling Broken | Cindy Baker

Welcome to Spark & Ignite Your Marketing, the podcast where real conversations meet real strategies. I'm your host, Beverly Cornell, founder and fairy godmother of brand clarity at Wickedly Branded. With over 25 years of experience, I’ve helped hundreds of entrepreneurs awaken their brand magic, attract the right people, and build businesses that light them up.

In this episode, I’m joined by ADHD coach and speaker Cindy Baker, who shares her journey from educator to entrepreneur and how her ADHD diagnosis became the catalyst for building a purpose-driven business. We talk about overcoming procrastination, ditching perfectionism, and the importance of structure, support, and strategy for busy-brained business owners. If you’re an overwhelmed entrepreneur who’s ready to work with your brain instead of against it, this episode will inspire and empower you to step into your zone of genius and find real momentum. 

Three Key  Marketing Topics Discussed:

1. How Authenticity is Your Best Marketing Strategy: Cindy emphasizes that being authentic, consistent, and transparent helps her stand out in a crowded market. Through weekly Facebook Live sessions and sharing her honest experiences, she shows that heartfelt marketing is still effective.
2. The Power of Personal Stories and Live Content: Cindy explains how her live challenges and masterclasses build genuine connections and drive conversions. She highlights the need to establish trust with potential clients before making a pitch. Learn more about the power of Storytelling here!
3. Marketing Strategies That Align with Your Brain: We discuss the importance of aligning marketing systems with how your brain works. Cindy shares techniques for ADHD entrepreneurs, such as the 90-Minute Sprint, to create momentum without burnout.

Follow Cindy:
Cindy Baker Coaching | Website
Cindy Baker | LinkedIn
Cindy Baker | Facebook
Cindy Baker | Instagram

Transcript

Beverly: 0:09

Did you know that adults with ADHD are 60% more likely to become entrepreneurs, yet 80% say they constantly battle procrastination and overwhelm. It's not about laziness. It's about learning how to work with your brain, not against it. And today's guest is here to show you how to do that. I'm your host, Beverly Cornell, founder and fairy godmother of brand clarity here at Wickedly Branded. And with over 25 years of experience, I've helped hundreds of purpose driven entrepreneurs awaken their brand magic and boldly bring it to life so that they can magnify their impact on the world. And today's guest is proof that productivity isn't about perfection. It's about learning to work with your brain instead of against it. Cindy Baker is a speaker, a coach, and the founder of CBC, Cindy Baker Coaching with not one but two master's degrees, 19 years as a teacher and her own adult, ADHD diagnosis. She turned her experience. Into a movement. And now she helps entrepreneurs overcome overwhelm, beat that really pesky procrastination and become what she calls profitable and productive. Cindy, welcome to the show.

Cindy: 1:15

Thank you for having me. Good to be here.

Beverly: 1:17

I am so excited for this conversation for a couple of reasons. Very selfish. I was recently diagnosed at 49 with ADHD during menopause. Everything that I had together all of a sudden wasn't together. But what I found over the past year or so through therapy and reading and learning. Is that I really was able to find a business and a model and creativity in my work that is perfect for ADHD. But I do know that so many other people are struggling with that. I think it is a superpower if you understand it. So I'm so excited to hear about your journey, how you got to your diagnosis, talk about how you went from a middle school teacher, and actually we talked before that you were actually in Germany teaching military brats, which is near and dear to my heart. But then you went to a full-time entrepreneur. What was the spark that made that shift for you?

Cindy: 2:05

I've always been entrepreneurial. When I was a kid I had a little business where I painted barrettes, and I would put them all displayed on a little ribbon with numbers next to each design, and my dad would drive me around to beauty shops and hairdresser places and I would put them there and they would try to take orders for me and collect the money, and then I would paint the barrettes. So it's always been something where I've always had these ideas where I could have a little side hustle or whatever. The catalyst for me was when my principal moved me into a position that I didn't really wanna be in. It was a subject and a position that I wasn't trained for and I thought I was ill suited for. And I thought, you know what? I don't like just being at the whim of a boss and whatever they need that I have to do, and I don't have a problem with authority. It was just more of a, this is not a good fit for me. And I thought, I just wanna be my own boss. And so part of it was just I've always been in helping professions. I love helping people. I wanted to do something where I could have a little bit more freedom. And call the shots more, but also still help people. And about that same time I was figuring out that I had ADHD and I was working with. A lot of adolescents that had it. And I thought, I think I really recognize these symptoms. And at that time I didn't, that was pretty common knowledge that you can get diagnosed as an adult. But at that time, for me, it was a new concept. I only was familiar with people who'd been diagnosed in childhood. Once I learned, that you could be diagnosed as an adult, I was like, oh, I wanna go see if I have this. It all just kinda came together. But I did start it on the side while I was still teaching and have only been a full-time entrepreneur for one year.

Beverly: 3:47

Congratulations on the first year. So how did the ADHD diagnosis, impact your identity and how you show up in the world?

Cindy: 3:54

I don't remember exactly how old I was. But it was after 40 and just having the label, I think as I looked back on my life through that lens, I was like, wow. Things started to make sense. I was like, oh, that's why I did this. Or that's why I bounced around and changed jobs a million times or had no stability in my life. Things like that. In some ways that was good, but then I really just wanted to learn everything I could about adult ADHD, because it does manifest differently. It manifests differently in women. And I'm in the age bracket that when I was growing up, nobody talked about ADHD, and when they did, it was only in reference to boys

Beverly: 4:33

for sure.

Cindy: 4:34

So a quiet, smart girl was just not on anybody's radar. so it did change my identity, in a way because I thought, this is something that I could help other people with. I looked back and I thought, when was I really organized and productive? And I tried to take what I was learning about ADHD and what I saw about myself and the times that I was successful. I started really practicing and perfecting and finally put together a framework of routines and habits and strategies and became really successful. And then other people started asking me for advice, and it just kinda evolved from there.

Beverly: 5:05

That is where, you found your niche right? When people have started Cindy what is your secret? What's the secret recipe that you're using? Give me an example of how you've helped another entrepreneur beat the overwhelm of ADHD and the transformation that really stuck with you. That is like affirmation. You're doing the right thing, Cindy.

Cindy: 5:24

Getting started is hard for a lot of people and so you mentioned procrastination early on and, I had one lady in particular, she wanted to launch an online course. She was an entrepreneur and a digital marketer. And she'd just been putting it off because she was intimidated by, it just seemed like a big project. And she procrastinated. And a little bit of perfectionism was coming in there. And when we worked together to break it down into tiny bite sized pieces, what is the next step where I'm assured of a win, and we just broke it down like that. And then I helped her to work with her energy levels. So she wasn't trying to do the things that required deep concentration. At the time of day that she wasn't at her peak energy wise. And when that all came together I also teach something called the 90 minute Sprint method. So we implemented timed sprints with little breaks in between where she just gave a hundred percent of her attention on one high impact task. And when those all just came together and she had my accountability and support she didn't just start, she got it finished in a month, something that she'd been putting off for many months. Things like that happen all the time. It just takes a few tweaks here and there.

Beverly: 6:38

I'm a high performer and understanding your peak performance. Tips, tricks, tactics to really maximize my focus. My thing is I can get very hyper-focused and forget. All sense of time and please don't interrupt me when I'm in my flow, because I will get very cranky and all the things, and I'm in this space of just, I call it magic. What I've learned over the years, and I'm sure other entrepreneurs as well, is I really focus into the things that drive me versus drain me. The things that I procrastinate historically, probably I need to hire someone to help me so that I can be accountable for that. So the first thing I did was book a bookkeeper. I gotta make sure my books are good. I gotta make sure I pay my taxes. I can't procrastinate that. Or there'll be huge penalties on that. Another thing that's really helped me and maybe this is part of your system, is AI to break those tasks down. So we have quarterly goals or rocks within my company, and we will take that rock. We have 12 weeks and whatever the task is, let's say it's to do a Pinterest audit on all of our Pinterest boards, and we'll ask AI to break it down into 10 week tasks so that it is more bite-sized. Yeah, it is more doable. And with tools like AI now, that wasn't a thing when I was a kid to break a task down into 10 steps. There wasn't the ability to do that. But that is a really great way to use AI to help you as an assistant to break those tasks down When I focus, I can get so much stuff done, Cindy, like I am. A machine and my team all joke about it. But it's because I'm sitting more in my zone of genius and understanding when I sit there, like in the mornings is my time. In the afternoon. I need to do like more just repetitive kind of tasks, not so much brain power tasks. So I know that about myself and it's like such a self-awareness of your strengths and really leaning into your strengths. There's days when I just don't feel it, Cindy. And actually giving myself some permission to not force myself to do something if I don't have to on those days. I have learned that I can create the exact business I need. ADHD to me has been like a journey of understanding just how my brain works and when and where I am the most productive and where I have my most challenges. And if I have challenges or drainers. Who can I have as accountability? The bookkeeper, my assistant, a coach. I have a coach and I have a therapist too. So all the people to help me be as high performing as possible so that I can reach the goals that I want for my life. So I think that's awesome because people need you. Because there's so many of us that are even undiagnosed, that are high performers and struggle with perfectionism and time management and all the things we talked about.

Cindy: 9:13

If your listeners can relate to you you're like my perfect client because I do work with high performing people who've been recently diagnosed with ADHD. And you're doing a lot of the right things, but I think the mistake a lot of people make is they think I just need to learn more. I need more information. I need to learn what ADHD is.'cause this is new to me and I need to, figure out how to work with my brain and all that's great. But strategies alone are not enough. You have to have somebody help you take those strategies and create a structure that fits your particular situation. Yes. And that's why I have a group coaching program. I do help individuals too, but I never let my group get very big because I like to individualize things for people. And so I always say they need three S's. You need the strategy, you need the structure, but you also need the support. And it's more than just accountability, but it's also somebody coming alongside and giving you feedback as you go. So for instance, if I were to teach somebody how to swim, let's say, I could explain it. I could give you all the information. I could even show you a video of somebody else doing it. But what you really need to learn how to swim is to swim while there's an instructor there telling you. Okay. You need to turn your head more, reach your arm out further. Because you need that feedback as you go. And I think that's the mistake a lot of people make is they think I don't wanna invest in coaching. Or they think I just need a business coach.'cause that's the most important. I wanna make money. But the thing is, if you don't know how to manage your ADHD symptoms, you're gonna waste your money on a business coaching program because you're not gonna keep up. You'll miss the calls, you won't do the work, and so I do a little bit of both. I do a little bit of business coaching, but it's more about helping the person manage their focus, which I think is more important than managing your time. Because people say I just wish I had more hours in the day. You don't need more hours in the day.'cause if you had more hours in the day, you'd spend them exactly like you spending the hours you have now. You just need to do what really matters with the hours that you do have. Yes. And I think that's the key is helping people identify priorities, and how to move past perfectionism and procrastination. And, you mentioned sometimes I'm just not feeling it and that's fine. And I'm the same way. But some people think they have to feel it all the time in order to take any action I always say waiting for motivation is never a good strategy because if you're relying on an emotion, you're never gonna get anything done. You have to be able to take an action before you feel motivated. And then the interesting thing is the motivation comes later. The momentum kicks in and the dopamine hits. And you start to get in your flow. But that's what I help people with because you can read all about ADHD for free online, there's tons of information, but if you want to really get things done faster and easier you need a coach.

Beverly: 12:18

You said I'm the perfect client. Some of my listeners probably are, most of my clients are very similar to me, and that's on purpose. I've been on a journey. I find people who have been on a similar journey and I'm a guide for them just like you are. I help them see themselves in ways they didn't see themselves before. And I give them systems and structure and simplify what they're doing And really lean into who they are and their magic to be able to focus, on marketing. It's very similar and I think comes from my personal journey. I was an accidental entrepreneur. I was a VP of marketing. I married my active duty husband, and now I had to have my career be as mobile as my husband's job. So I had to take my show on the road. And when I did that, I learned like the structure of not going to work every day, not having an actual time start, not having a commute. Like all these things I had to re-figure out as an entrepreneur and I didn't have a plan. And what happened was, is my customer started building my business, great money's coming in, referrals, all the things. But before you know it, my business was not even like what I anticipated it would be. And it was like draining the life force out of me. But I had to take a step back. Then I was able to grow. Now I have a team. There's just so much more that's happened since I made those decisions. But it really was all about focus. And that's what we really help our entrepreneurs do, is get really focused into the zone of genius, into their most passionate place, into the place that has joy. The work that we're doing is actually helping so many more entrepreneurs magnify their impact in a way that they didn't even know is possible. If you're listening right now and this is all feeling like you, like you're just stressed out, burnt out, overwhelmed. I call'em the monkeys of distraction, the flying monkeys of fear and doubt and perfectionism and overwhelm. And the burnout. back in the day when I was feeling this way, I was talking about the exact same things to my other entrepreneur friends. Share this episode with them because we're all in it to get better and evolve and all the things. Your sharing this episode is a gift to them and may give them the golden nugget or the right contact. Maybe Cindy's the perfect person to help them, or she has a perfect person to help them. This is an opportunity to give that gift of focus and motivation and living more in the zone of genius and what I call is joy. Just joy in the work that you're doing. And I think we have such a short life on this planet that the more you can sit in your joy, the better we're gonna be, the better your business will be. So I love that you wanna help people in that respect because it's so frustrating when you're working against your gifts as opposed to in your gifts and you have the structures and system and the coach to help you.

Cindy: 14:53

And you know, what's fulfilling to me is when I see the hope in somebody's eyes, when they realize there's another way to live. And I believe we were created on purpose. And I believe that we were not meant to live all stressed out all the time.

Beverly: 15:10

No.

Cindy: 15:10

And some people have just accepted that as their fate.

Beverly: 15:14

Hustle culture is like a thing.

Cindy: 15:15

I have ADHD I've always struggled and just because you've always struggled doesn't mean you're broken. You're not broken. Your listeners, they're not broken. They just have been using a broken system, one that does not work for their brain

Beverly: 15:31

say it Louder for the kids in the back

Cindy: 15:33

You're not broken. You are just using a system that is not working for your brain. And, there's another way, there's another way to live. There's a way where you can actually not just survive with ADHD, but Thrive and like Beverly said, actually channel some of those positive traits as your superpower, like hyper focus and creativity and problem solving. And there are tons of super successful entrepreneurs that actually attribute their success to having ADHD, I think of like Sir Richard Branson. He's been interviewed a lot where he says my ADHD brain is what has caused the success. In my coaching I help people manage the challenges because they can be managed, their learned skills, but I also help them find their strengths. And we have a saying called three P power, positive, prepared, productive. And the positive is huge. I'm in some of these. ADHD support groups, Facebook groups or whatever, and they're just big wine fests. People complaining, oh my gosh, my life is a train wreck because I have ADHD. And I'm like, no, your life is a train wreck because you made stupid choices.

Beverly: 16:44

They have a choice of the next step of what they're gonna do. Yeah. If you want more control, if you want to harness the superpower that you have to make it do the most good in the world for yourself and for the world, then you have to make an intentional choice. And it doesn't have to be this revolutionary change, like you said, small steps. Yeah. Little steps, little tweaks that can get you to a whole different place that you don't even know it's possible right now because I call it the tornado of overwhelm. But you have to create clarity for yourself, which means you have to step out of the tornado intentionally. And create that for yourself. It doesn't just come to you. It is created and that is something that you have the power to do if you're willing to do that and invest in that in time, a little bit of money probably with Cindy. But those are the things that can really help you get your life to a place where you're proud of the work you're doing. I felt an incredible amount of shame. Because I knew I was smart. I was always told this, she's so smart, but she doesn't focus. She's so smart. But she rushes through her work.

Cindy: 18:56

And that shame is huge because there's this sense that we're always letting somebody down and that person a lot of times is yourself

Beverly: 19:04

and the expectations of the world around us of how we should be. You end up shooting all over yourself, Cindy.

Cindy: 19:09

Yeah. And if we break promises, it's not because we meant to, it's because we forgot something, and so there's a lot of that I work on with my clients because that expectation that the world puts on you and that you put on yourself is huge.

Beverly: 19:23

And it goes hand in hand with perfectionism, the expectation, the perfectionism. So what do you think is the biggest aspect of your approach to business as a business owner has evolved the most and what has inspired the change as you've evolved?

Cindy: 19:37

The pandemic has affected online businesses. There's different things like that I had to learn to pivot and adapt to. When I started, nobody really heard of ADHD coaches. Now, ADHD is trendy. You got all these people on TikTok trying to act like they know what they're talking about and they really don't. So that's made it a little more difficult. What I've learned, and one of the things that I'm continuing to grow into is focusing on those high impact tasks. Not everything. You can't work off a giant to-do list. Not everything is equally important. If you're an entrepreneur, 80% or more of your activities need to be revenue producing in some way, whether directly or leading to that. And if you're spending two hours on Canva trying to get the perfect font and color for a social media post, that is not a good use of your time And the other thing is just learning to manage distractions. I have a keynote speech where I kind of joke, I say, I'm just gonna check my phone and before you know it, 30 minutes have passed and I've, all I've done is watch puppy yoga videos, and it's so easy to put off what we need to do. And that's why I help people match their energy levels to their high impact tasks and their focus. If you're trying to do your most important work when you're tired or hungry it's not gonna be effective. And the opposite's true too. If you're the most alert, most motivated, and then you're using that time to check email, that's like using a bulldozer to pull up weeds from your garden. It's a total mismatch of the tool, to the task. That's one of the things that I've learned to help people with. At first it was more just time management. Now it's more focus management.

Beverly: 21:19

It just resonates so highly with me. And how I can structure my day and how I focus.

Cindy: 21:24

And there may be other ADHD coaches that disagree with me, but I do not feel like the world owes it to us to understand us. A lot of people feel like everybody needs to understand ADHD and accommodate completely. And I'm more of a, I would rather help people adjust to the world as it is and realize that unless somebody else has ADHD, they're probably never gonna completely 100% get it. And to learn to be okay with that. Because everybody's different. Everybody has things and people who don't have ADHD, you probably don't understand what they're dealing with either,

Beverly: 22:00

yeah. I'll actually joke with my husband, oh, you neurotypicals, you don't get it. He takes it pretty well, but it's a gentle joking, but they do, they have different superpowers, right?

Cindy: 22:09

Yeah. And I think that's like saying every husband should understand 100% what it's like to be a woman. It's just not gonna happen, instead of getting all bent outta shape, I think learning skills and social skills, ways to handle being misunderstood. And learning how to be okay. And that's why we really focus on strengths in my coaching because when you're really good at something, then that boosts that self-esteem.

Beverly: 22:36

One of the things that I have found, Cindy, is that I used to be like, my work should speak for itself and not have to I say anything or ask for a testimonial or anything like that. One thing we've done recently is ask for testimonials and feedback from clients and they're glowing and they're on video. And it's one of the most affirming things, like I did it for social proof for marketing, I didn't do it for myself. But when we have access to that on a regular basis the magic that we actually are creating in the world, it is so incredibly affirming to your strengths and what you're supposed to be doing.

Cindy: 23:09

And I think that's another thing I hear my clients say. That they like about my coaching is that I have ADHD, so I get it. Yeah. So I'm not gonna beat them up for things that I know are because of their ADHD.

Beverly: 23:22

Yes.

Cindy: 23:22

And that's refreshing, to them.

Beverly: 23:24

What has been the thing that's been the most successful for you with marketing?

Cindy: 23:28

I haven't done this recently, but when I first started I used to do live challenges. And I think the reason that's helpful is that people need to get to know me before they want to, hire me as their coach. And I think that's good. I think they should do that. I think that's more and more important now than ever. I think with AI and deep fakes and all this stuff Yeah. And all the scam artists out there I'm always trying my hardest to be authentic. And people have commented that they really appreciate that. I let them know a little bit about my personal life. I explain where I'm struggling. I don't share strategies that I just read in a book somewhere. These are, proven strategies that have worked for me. Worked for my clients. And if I ever share something that i'm not doing, I'll say I have not tried this, but I've read that this is really helpful for ADHD. And so you might wanna try it. I'm just so honest in some ways it probably holds me back financially, but I just feel like my integrity, that's all I have, I think that doing things like a live challenge where, they see me live every day for three to five days is helpful. But I do a live free masterclass almost every week. And I have a Facebook group, I have a newsletter. So I I give a lot of information. And I think that helps because then peoples think, she's already provided value, so how much more if I paid her, which is true. I do hold back the very best for the people who are investing financially. And the other thing too is that I have testimonials as well, and I think that helps My coaching is affordable and I think that surprises some people. I could probably charge more, maybe I'll up my prices eventually. But I have different levels and I have courses and workshops. Like I have a workshop next week that's just a hundred bucks so there are things a hundred dollars or less that and then there are things a thousand or more. Everybody can find their place. I don't love being on video. I'm not like a movie star, but it helps. People get to know me, and they appreciate that. So I think that helps with marketing for sure.

Beverly: 25:29

What do you think is the biggest mistake you've made in marketing?

Cindy: 25:32

I wasted a bunch of money on Facebook ads that didn't work.

Beverly: 25:35

You are not alone.

Cindy: 25:36

I'm not saying all of'em didn't work, and I'm not saying that you shouldn't buy Facebook ads, but if you don't have them set up correctly you don't have the right audience to target, then it's like flushing money down the toilet.

Beverly: 25:48

Indeed. So this is such incredible insight and I love the honesty and vulnerability of talking about the mistakes and also the things that are so important. That's just, from an entrepreneurial aspect is so powerful. I'm sure many people out there who've spent money on ads that just didn't work because it didn't have the right system or process in place. And I think authenticity is huge. I think everybody needs to be themselves and have high integrity, but also consistency, like showing up time and again, being visible in front of your brand and being authentic, consistently. Having a brand promise and really showing up in that brand promise again and again is key in the space. It's noisy. It's so noisy out there. All the stuff that's going on. How have you stuck out from the noise?

Cindy: 26:29

You never really know exactly what other people are thinking. But what I think is that one of the things that you said, consistency. I have gone live in my Facebook group every week for about four years, and most people don't do that. I've, done things that have provided free value consistently. And I think that helps. And I'm not gimmicky. You would think that would make me not stand out, but in some ways it's different than other people. And so it does make me stand out, maybe people who are older and they're not really into, dancing on TikTok and stuff like that. They relate to me just being straightforward and real.

Beverly: 27:08

Be yourself. Always We have this season's big question. What does confidence look like for you as a business owner? And can you share a moment when you realized you were truly showing up with confidence?

Cindy: 27:19

Yeah, I think just knowing that you're making a difference. That's kind of part of my big why. I want to, at the end of my life, look back and know that I made a positive difference, that I didn't just waste my time. And when you get those testimonials, when you see the aha moments people are having then you feel good. You feel like, okay I'm doing something. You only have to be a few steps ahead of the person you're helping. You don't have to be an expert. Although I do have some expertise in a lot of things, but I like to know that I'm a person who's walked the path and found a way out.

Beverly: 27:51

Have you read Donald Miller's StoryBrand?

Cindy: 27:53

Yes.

Beverly: 27:53

That is exactly the way that we work off of when we do marketing for other people is this idea of the client is the hero and you are the guide and you've been down the path and you know what to expect. You can anticipate some of the challenges. You have some systems and solutions for some of those challenges because you've literally done it. And I love that you said earlier that. Hey, I've tried this, it worked, and hey, I've read this and it's worked for others. There's two kind of sides of it, right? So was there a moment that you realized that you had the confidence?

Cindy: 28:26

Last year I won a speaking contest. I won first place and that was a boost for my confidence because I'm trying to get more and more speaking opportunities. And I figure if I can stand in front of my room full of 12 year olds every day, all day I could talk to adults, and I have a sense of humor and I'll let that come out. And, that boosted my confidence. I also wrote my first book, and that was something I'd always wanted to do, so that boosted my confidence.

Beverly: 28:52

When you were about ready to do your speech, were you scared?

Cindy: 28:54

Yeah, a little bit.

Beverly: 28:55

So, I say confidence is built little steps at a time and overcoming some of those fears, a step at a time. It's okay, I'm gonna sign up for this thing and then I have to do this thing. Whatever the thing is for you is the speech. It might be doing the live for somebody else And doing it again and doing it again. And then it's not so scary because you've done it. Even to get to that speech winning contest, I'm assuming that you did other things before that, like you did little speeches, it wasn't like this one speech and you just killed it, which would be great if you did, but I'm sure there was other things you did to prepare smaller things to get you to there. What were some of those smaller things that got you there?

Cindy: 29:29

It wasn't my first speaking contest, I just won that one. And each time I would get feedback and make improvements. And when I look back on old courses that I recorded or things like that, I was terrible on video and I'm still not as good as I need to be. But definitely you do improve as you learn,

Beverly: 29:49

yes. Just keep doing it. If you do it a hundred times, gosh the transformation will be amazing. Nobody started off perfect, I talk about Mr. Beast, he's one of the most popular YouTubers. He did a thousand videos before he hit. And by the end of the a thousand videos, who was an expert on YouTube videos, he was because he did a thousand videos and now his million dollar challenges and all kinds of things he has because of sponsors. That is because he was consistent, persistent, and willing to take the steps. I use the example, Cindy, of the Lion and Wizard of Oz. So I have a lot of Wizard of Oz. So the tornado overwhelm, the flying Monkeys of Distractions. But the lion, he said he needed courage. Confidence and courage. He was scared, but yet all along the journey, who was the one that was being brave and saying we should do this thing And he was the one that was protecting his friends. And. It was all those little moments that showed that he had the courage. It wasn't some big moment. It's all the little steps along the way that get you there. That's the building of the confidence. And I think it's so powerful and important when you have some of those milestones, like you wanna contest that you sit in your win a little bit. So congratulations on your win. And I hope that you sat in it because it's important to sit in those wins and to understand how far you've come. So if you're enjoying this conversation with Cindy and myself, about confidence and busy brains, I would love for you to hit that follow button so that you never miss another episode. And if you're loving this conversation, please leave us a review because it really helps more people discover the magic. We know your time here on Earth is very important, and when you spend it with us, we really appreciate it and we are so glad that you are here and you're listening with us today. So the next segment that we have, Cindy, is my magic hat segment. And in the hat there are tons of questions. It's more of a rapid fire style. So, do you have an unconventional tool or app that has become your secret weapon?

Cindy: 31:42

My CRM that I use is built on go high level. And it's amazing and it just does so many different things, and if your listeners are interested, I can give them more information about it. They can get in touch with me. I don't know if I have a link, but, I could connect them with the person who does.

Beverly: 31:58

How do you keep your entrepreneurial spirit alive?

Cindy: 32:00

I'm in a coaching program myself, and so I think that accountability and meeting with people on Zoom and seeing what they're doing and being encouraged, that keeps me going.

Beverly: 32:11

Tell me about a time when you had to pivot. What did you learn?

Cindy: 32:15

As I mentioned I think things are different now when it comes to online marketing. I think it takes longer to build trust with people. So I'm really just trying to build relationships more than I did in the past. More Personal touch. Even a phone call.

Beverly: 32:32

What's something in your business that brings you pure joy?

Cindy: 32:35

Just helping people. I love to be creative, but it doesn't really bring me the joy if it's not helping anybody. So if I create something and then somebody really finds benefit from it that's encouraging.

Beverly: 32:47

So tell me what exactly your coaching is and how it helps others

Cindy: 32:52

It's based on my book Focus to Fortune. The whole idea is that you manage your focus, you're going to make more money in your business, you're gonna reach your personal goals. So the coaching is a hybrid program. It's a combination of self-paced, recorded videos, live teaching, and. Zoom calls. On the Zoom calls we do three things. We share wins, challenges that they want me to troubleshoot with them. And goals things that they wanna be held accountable for. And there's a lot more people who are in the higher level of coaching, they get anything extra that I do. They get that for free. There's a VIP Facebook group, there's a lot more. But those are the main things.

Beverly: 33:30

Wonderful. have a wand For those listening. It's pink and purpley and it has sparkles in it. The magic wand has magical powers and it's gonna help us time travel today. And I'm going to wave the wand and it's gonna take us back to the day that you graduated from high school. A very young Cindy who's probably trying to figure out the world. So what advice would you give your newly graduated self?

Cindy: 33:51

Don't waste your time trying to please people you don't even like.

Beverly: 33:55

It's exhausting trying to do that. If your younger self could see you now where you are today, what would she say to you?

Cindy: 34:02

You go, girl! Nobody's life ever completely turns out like they expected good or bad. But I think I would be proud of where I am today.

Beverly: 34:11

What would she be most proud about?

Cindy: 34:12

I guess just making a difference.

Beverly: 34:14

I love that. Okay, I'm gonna wave the wand, I'm gonna take us way into the future. What is it that you want people to remember the most about working with you?

Cindy: 34:23

There's a lot of choices, but my program is not like anything else out there. And I intentionally made it different because I didn't wanna try to compete with other people. And if you're looking for high touch VIP mentorship with somebody who gets it, I have a master's in counseling. I have years of counseling and teaching experience. I know how to break things down into understandable concepts. And I know how to create a community that's super supportive. And that's what you'll find. Love to help you love to empower you to help yourself. I think that's the key.

Beverly: 34:57

So at your eulogy, what do you think will be your most significant legacy or impact?

Cindy: 35:02

This is kinda strained away from business a little bit, but I would hope that people would be pointed to Jesus Christ, and not because I'm perfect, but because I am not perfect and have a personal relationship with him. And that people would see that that made a difference in my life and that they would be encouraged and inspired by that.

Beverly: 35:20

Everyone needs a little bit of light and love, and there's no question in that for sure. So I'm gonna wave my wand, and we're gonna come back to today, and I would love for you to give our listeners, as small business owners, those aspiring entrepreneurs who are trying to build their confidence in how they show up and run their business. What is a tip that you could give to them today that they could maybe even go do right after they listen to this podcast?

Cindy: 35:42

One of the things that I tell people to do is a, write down your top three high impact tasks that you need to do. One to three. No more than three. You can have more than that on your to-do list. So if the rest of your day goes awry, you've already won because you did your three most important things. And so you give those your 100% of your best focus time. And that really helps because if you're just trying to do everything, then you're gonna grab for the low hanging fruit, you're gonna do the easy stuff that doesn't require a lot of concentration, if there's something big and complicated and overwhelming, break it down into tiny little steps and take one of those steps, write it down. And that's what you do that day. And what a little by little, you're chipping away at it so you get it done

Beverly: 36:28

and before you know it, they'll have made so much progress. Which is amazing. There's such great advice and such Great tip. I really love that. So please share with our listeners where they can learn more about you and your business and what's going on with your coaching.

Cindy: 36:41

I would encourage your listeners to buy my book. And I have a book bundle of resources that go with the book. So if they opt in for that they will be on my email list and I do not spam. I give a once. Every week, usually on Sunday. Just a bunch of valuable tips and hacks and encouragement. And then I just let them know about things coming up. There's a Facebook group they could join for free, and I'll give you all the links for that. And my instagram is CBC Cindy Baker coaching.

Beverly: 37:13

Perfect. Thank you so much for being here. This has been a really fun conversation. Something very near and dear to my heart. I'm so glad that were able to share your information, share your journey, share the wisdom, share your magic with us. I know that our listeners are gonna walk away with feeling inspired and ready to take some important action they need to take. I'm so grateful, Cindy, for your time and for the impact that you're making on the world.

Cindy: 37:34

Thank you for having me. I enjoyed it.

Beverly: 37:36

Such an incredible conversation. I hope today's episode lit a little bit of a fire under you and gave you some new ideas, and most of all, inspired you to take the most important actions and steps so you can have real progress in your business. But here is the thing. Your message matters. Your work matters, and the world needs to hear what you have to say. Marketing isn't just about visibility. It's also about all those small, consistent steps to make the impact. It's about connecting with the right people in a way that feels so true to you, authentic to you, like Cindy said. So keep showing up. Keep sharing your brilliance and keep making magic in the world. And hey, if you ever feel stuck, know that you don't have to do this alone. We're here to help you turn that spark into a wildfire. But until next time, I want you to keep sparking and igniting.