​In the last post, I told you that in an attempt to figure out where and how I might trim back my workload, I did an exercise that I saw Phoebe due to Rachel in Friends. I started imagining…really imagining…life without various pieces and parts to see how I felt about it.

The idea was to identify where my true attachments/desires are, since it can be hard to find them when you’re pummeled with logic, outside opinion, and societal pressure, etc.

• ​I did the exercise with my Digital Insiders Mastermind.
• I did the exercise with Create Your Laptop Life.
• I did the exercise imagining myself no longer as a 2CCX coach.
• I did the exercise eliminating my role with Russell as a content creator.
• I did it eliminating my role as the ad-hoc leader over the ClickFunnels agency.
• I did it eliminating Funnel Gorgeous.
• I did it eliminating all the other things like The Digital Gangsta, Proposal Secrets, ClickFunnels Affiliate Contests, Group Leadership, etc.

And that’s when I realized that it wasn’t the programs or work itself that was so draining, it was the mental mindshare and pressure of toggling back and forth between all the different roles – CEO, acting VP of Marketing, Project Manager, Coach, Creator, Writer, Designer, Affiliate Marketer, Influencer. And this is was the biggest realization of all – the mental pressure to continually build and grow my own business while simultaneously investing more and more time into ClickFunnels…was exhausting.

It was like ClickFunnels was this big giant ship in the ocean, plowing ahead, and I was captain of a much smaller ship, following behind in its wake. Which is cool – because I know ClickFunnels has always wanted to be the kind of business that encourages other smaller businesses to pop up in and around it.

The only problem was, everyday I would swing a rope from my ship to CF’s ship, and shimmy across to get on and do some work there, and then go back to my ship when I was done. And as the months went on, my role over on the S.S. ClickFunnels got bigger and more complex in scope.

Both ships were serving the same customer base, headed for the same promised land…but rather than me streamlining systems and resources and programs, I was forever and constantly split between the two ships. And I would think to myself multiple times a day, “I wish _____ was on this ship right now…”. It’s probably a lot like a kid living at two different houses and constantly forgetting their favorite pair of sneakers at the other house.

I started to see how much more powerful programs like Proposal Secrets, The Digital Gangsta, Funnel Gorgeous, Create Your Laptop Life (and future stuff) would be if they lived on the bigger ship with a TON more resources, platform, and leverage. What more could be accomplished? How could my message go out further?

I saw how programs like One Funnel Away exploded when I put my curriculum design hat on and gave it my everything. I found myself sending people to One Funnel Away as the first program I wanted them to do before anything else anyhow.

I even saw this play out as I intro-ed Proposal Secrets in 2CCX and watched the testimonials come FLOODING in at a faster rate than I’d ever been able to do myself.

I can’t even tell you how often my team was fielding CF support questions because so many people didn’t realize my programs weren’t official ClickFunnels courses.

What would my mindshare look like if I didn’t have to waste time constantly managing two operational entities? I was hiring on both sides, project managing on both sides, group managing on both sides – everything was duplicated. ​

Meanwhile, over on the S.S. ClickFunnels (ha! This analogy is growing on me)….

Russell had a massive revelation about his role in the company. You may have heard him speak about it on a podcast episode – he recognized it was time for him to stop being the star player, and become the coach.

This triggered a huge organizational shift – with Russell committing to only be one C-suite title – CEO. That left a big hole where he’d been operating everywhere else (pretty sure the hole included enough headspace for ‘julie sized hair’ ????)

He also developed a new team building structure (called the Waffle) to scale the in-house agency, and it required a VP of Marketing to head up the whole thing….The position he’d just promised to step out of so he could focus on being CEO.

ClickFunnels was also in the midst of some large acquisitions – scooping up businesses that would help expand their reach and message.

Finally, there were new initiatives at CF planned for growing verticals that I was already serving – women entrepreneurs, bloggers, freelancers, and agencies – and it seemed awkward for me to create programs that would literally become my own competition… since they already existed.

It was so weird writing sometimes. I couldn’t really tell where Russell’s thoughts ended and mine began. For example, Freelancer Secrets (a book that hasn’t been published) – it was my process combined with his, but was I supposed to be writing it in Russell’s voice or my own? He was the big inspiration for most of what I’d learned anyway…but I still had my experience I was bringing into it.

It was so frustrating to even worry about it because the only reason any of this even mattered was because there were technically two ships…mine and the SS ClickFunnels…and which one did my intellectual property belong on anyway?

You can probably tell by now where this is all heading…but hold your conclusions and questions (I promise I’ll tell you!) because the solution that seemed so foggy for so long, finally crystallized when Russell did what Russell does best…

He came to me with an offer.

To be continued…

So cruel to leave you here, I know. But we’re closing in on 1k words, so give me a few hours to get the next one written. 

xx Julie