#68: Rewire Your Brain for Success with Karen Smith, Founder of the Signature Business Revolution
Have you ever thought about what’s going on in your brain while you’re growing your business?
My guest this week is Karen Smith, Founder of the Signature Business Revolution.
And her insights are all about the neuroscience and brain mapping behind her signature framework.
Karen specifically shares:
What you need to and what to stop doing right away
Why the unknown equals fear to your brain
The secret to new and successful ways of doing things
Learn more about Karen here: www.signatureprogram.com/laura.
If you’re interested in the science behind rewiring your brain- this episode is for you!
Check out my new free new training on www.yournextmillion.me, where several of my seven figure clients and colleagues share what they're doing in the next year to scale their businesses to the multi-million dollar mark and beyond.
Listen to the Show:
Laura (00:03):
So here's the challenge: so many entrepreneurs dream of leading a life of impact by creating a multi-million dollar brand, but only a tiny percentage of businesses actually scale to that point. On this podcast, we speak openly and authentically about what it takes to scale your business, following the journeys of innovators, disruptors, experts, and leaders, looking at the behind the scenes of their most challenging moments and greatest lessons learned. My name is Laura Meyer and I'm your host. I'm a serial entrepreneur, wife and mom to three. I love talking all things business, especially digging into the mindset and strategies of scaling joyfully to the multi-million dollar mark and beyond. Let's go!
(00:49):
Hi everybody and welcome back to the Scale with Joy show. I met Karen Smith on Clubhouse and we hit it off right away today. We're going to be talking about her genius as she is the founder of the Signature Business Revolution. Let me tell you a little something about Karen. She has been there, done that when it comes to all things business, she has owned software companies, SaaS, she's been around the block. When it comes to building all sorts of different businesses. As we were chatting in the green room before we got started, I found out that she is an ice cream shop, connoisseur going way back, way back, but she, uh, she's been in brick and mortar. She's been in software and today we're going to be talking about developing a signature program and method for your business. Welcome Karen. So glad you're here.
Karen (01:37):
Hey, It's good to be here and finally, like talk with each other rather than how we wonderfully met on Clubhouse a few months ago.
Laura (01:45):
And see each other, right? Like actually be able to connect. So if you're watching the YouTube right now, you're seeing us smiling at each other. If you're listening to the podcast, you just found out what's happening behind the scenes. So Karen, you have this incredible knack for helping people come up with their signature framework. And how do you go about that? People have all sorts of amazing things happening in their brain and you have this way of like breaking it down and packaging it up to make other people want it more like, how does, how does that happen?
Karen (02:17):
All right. So we actually of course have a framework for this and a methodology. We were chatting about all the things I've done, but I started really young. In my diapers. I'm kidding. I started at 16 and I ran a six week workshop and I had to figure out how to deliver this workshop that people would drive to my house every week. It wasn't just like we have now where people could just click a button and show up on zoom. They actually had to get them motivated enough to get there every week. And I lived in the Caribbean, so it was pretty hot and they would do the work and they would come back and come back . So I could get a hundred percent completion rate because that way they told all their friends and my always stayed full.
(03:01):
So I had this unique little system that I would do day by day. And I would just like be repeating it on clockwork. And I was known for that. I called it at a frivolous time, my nickname from high school, because why not? I was going to high school. And it became the name I was known for. And we stood out as the number one place to go get certified. Yes. At 16, I certified these adults dressed in mom's clothes, how to become textile designers. So I had my little methodology on how to earn this certification. So that is how my world began. So the signature method really is, and why that started is actually kind of ties into what I'm saying is we all have like a calling those, those who listened to podcasts like this one, I want to get the seven or eight figure business.
(03:49):
It's a calling to do something. It's a calling because you see a problem in the world that you want solved. At the time, the problem I wanted to solve was to get to med school. And I took one step towards that by tainting t-shirts. Then I figured out the people who were teaching how to make t-shirts were making way more money than I was in a lot less time. So I did that and I started to do what scale. I didn't know, then I didn't know what copywriting was, but I started scaling. So I saw a problem that I needed to solve, which was people wanted to learn better ways to be textile designers. We actually had a recession. We had a dip in the economy, sound familiar. And so people were trying to start home businesses just like the online world is blowing up now after COVID.
(04:34):
So I saw a problem. I was like, people could start doing this from home. Like I do. So I taught my gift. I packaged it into a methodology and I taught it over six weeks. So it starts with the vision. The vision is the visionary, right? That's why some of us call ourselves visionary. I see a vision. I see a need. I see a problem and a pain people have a problem. They need more income. And I found a what the, what was the workshop I delivered? Okay. After that we have a why, my why then was, I actually just wanted to get to med school. Your why can be whatever it takes you to the next door, you need to open people. Chose me out of all the other classified ads of the other newspapers, because my why was more powerful to them.
(05:18):
And then after we use our strength, which is what I knew how to do, I knew how to design textiles. I had a skill, I had a strength. I now had a mission. If I taught this amount of classes with this amount of people, I can hit my 100k goal and get into med school. So your mission, your purpose, which is your why and values, and that vision all come together with filling that first thing that needs, where you use your strength to fill something. I know we package it into your unique methodology, so somebody can raise their hand and say, wow, I want to learn how to do what you do. So that's a very loaded answer to a question.
Laura (05:56):
Interesting. So let's say that somebody is listening and they have a pretty successful business. They're an expert. There's somebody, who's a course creator, community builder, any type of online service provider. And why would I, at this point, I mean, I'm doing pretty well, right? Like I'm cooking along and I might even have a seven figure business or multi seven figure business at this point. Why would I think about having my own signature framework? Why would I want to put that into place then? How could it benefit my business?
Karen (06:31):
I love this question so much. Here's the thing we solve the problem, right? So we set up visionary, Christopher Columbus, oh, the world is round, but it's not flat. Oh, I have this new idea. However, it catches on. Now everybody's discovering new land. Everybody's doing it right. When the iPhone first came out, it was, I would just want an iPhone, but now I want a smartphone that does this. That does that. Right. So what happens is when we have this great idea and this thing that's functioning it, the market starts to get crowded. It starts to get noisy. And the new question for the person who is, and we call this the levels of awareness. There's people who are unaware that I need you, or I need the keto diet. I just need to lose weight. Oh, there's the keto diet. Oh, but everybody's teaching the keto.
(07:19):
I need Quito plus Bulletproof coffee plus butter. But that is where the unique mechanisms come in a unique methodology. Right now we have our phones, right? And you need something. That's going to make your perfect person stop the scroll right away. The best way to do that is with a visual methodology that solves their problem in the three seconds. That you've got their attention for you. Also, you also have more, we have more noise online now, and you want to let your people know that they can know they can trust that you can get them to results. A signature methodology tells people that you have a path that they can follow Right now, people more than ever want to trust, not just you, because your methodology is going to say, hey, I'm putting my stake in the rump. I've got a path. I can make it into a visual framework that you can see it in connection with in an instant, but what else do they need?
(08:14):
They need a step by step. Why the number one reason and the biggest hurdle you've got to overcome is the belief in themselves that they can do it. That's the beautiful thing about setting up that path. And you're also setting up yourself as an instant authority in that moment and you're saying that this method is unique to me, just like your fingerprint is just like, your perspective is just like, your story is no one else has that packaging. And you're saying, this is my stake in the ground. This is who I am. This is what I stand for. And this is how more importantly I can take you there to the result that you need.
Laura (08:52):
So cool. And I know you've studied an amount of business and brain science, which is one of my most favorite things about you. And so when we are thinking about the signature process, is there any component of the brain science that comes into play that makes it a more compelling offer when you have a signature system?
Karen (09:12):
Well, that's interesting. So the brain science in the signature method is really just getting out of your own way and stop looking at what other people are doing. Like I mentioned before, and really come within, because the fact is you do have something different about you. That's one of the reasons we've got 10 of these guys on our finger tips is we have unique fingerprints. And the more we look within rather than trying to come, we get into getting stuck in comparightness. I call it where we start comparing ourselves to others. That's where we actually won't stand out. We ended up being a copy or try to be another voice that matches somebody else. The world doesn't need more of anybody else. The world needs you. And, and really what we need to do is focus on what that unique genius is, where we did have those pitfalls and that resiliency to rise again.
(10:02):
What were the steps that we took? We have to focus that we do have what it takes inside. What we want to create also is seeking us. And it's up to us to get ourselves out of the way and move in towards that goal of unpacking that find a mentor, if you need it. It's what we do, Laura. You've had amazing mentors and circles of friends like Laura and I are like what people that will help you see yourself, even in those dark times, when you don't to keep moving forward, increased competency will increase your mindset. So it's really a matter of continuing to move forward on the external, but also the internal. We've got to rewire ourselves to believe that we are going in the right way, even in spite of external circumstances, because your current environment, isn't the environment that is going to get you to the next level, right?
(10:56):
Let that sink in. And we've got a wire that from within it's the one reason why 95% of lottery winners will lose all their money, even go into debt within three to five years because they didn't rewire the internal to match the external and practice makes permanent in the brain. Not perfect. Forget about being perfect practice makes permanent. What that means is we're building new neural networks so that what do we build when we do that, we build a new system of belief in ourselves that we can do it. And then when we show that increased competency, people get that from when you speak, people buy from purposeful brands, purposeful people more than anybody else. Like I don't know the statistic, but that is what's selling right now. Your confidence, your purpose, your belief in yourself, instills that belief in them to buy from you and to let you lead them.
Laura (11:48):
I love that. Yeah. It's so interesting. The little tricks that our brains do, right? I explain this to my team often. I'll say like, when you sit down to do the big thing that you were set out to do that day, like your brain is not going to want to do it. Your brain is going to want to sit on the couch. If you're like my brain and watch HGTV and eat chocolate ice cream, like that's what your brain wants to do. It doesn't actually want to write the SOP. Right? And so like, what is that about? Like, why do our brains do this to ourselves? Why do we, why do we want, we know that our future is best served by something today that our brain seems to be fighting us against. What is that about, Karen? Tell me.
Karen (12:33):
So honestly, your brain is not built to align you with your vision. Your brain is built to protect you from anything. It does not know. And when we're stepping into this new world, we're building this dream. Guess what the brain's going to say? No, you can't survive this. I don't have a record of this and it goes bonkers
Laura (13:00):
Might as well have some chocolate ice cream.
Karen (13:04):
You hear all the negative talk. We hear all the negative things. I got this. My mom told me this and my friend, like I can't do it, but will remind you of all the reasons why that it will try to validate all the things that will keep you safe. Your brain is a survival mechanism. Its purpose is to look around and say, safe, stand back, hold back. I'm going to protect you. A healthy brain is actually going to fight you from moving towards as I call it, which is why I actually studied biofeedback too. I don't know if you know that when I'm trained in biofeedback and I've actually worked with the leading scientists at Heart Math Institute to understand when it looks, what it looks like to reconnect the brain with the heart. When the heart is open and re in that purposeful energy, it actually bypasses the subconscious mind.
(13:53):
And what was back to the prefrontal cortex and lights up those ideas and tells your subconscious mind, shut up, really getting aligned with your vision. Like really. That's why I think I'm not a vision board person, but I think it's why they work. It's why those reminders of the thing we work. Why comes from the heart? It's reminding ourselves why we tell our clients every day when they get stuck, we give them an exercise where they write a letter to themselves from the person whose life they've changed. If they don't have one already, that's a cool hack. And they read it every day, have to read it every day before they come to our hot seats or anything so that they're ready because I give some serious coaching and they have to be ready and open to take action on it. So I'm not fighting me on it.
(14:40):
So when we remind ourselves of the why, and that we do have a purpose and we do have a gift and we are capable of doing the thing that we want to do, that can actually fight the nine to one of the brain, the nine, unfortunately being negative because your brain needs to tell you when it's dangerous. So it's actually wired to see negative more than positive nine to one. It is up to us to actually take charge of it and remind our lovely brain or healthy brain that we are going to be okay, we're going to be fine. And this is what I want to do. So we actually have to retrain ourselves and our brains to work with us and our alignment with our desires and really feed it and strengthen that new muscle. We just really have to literally rewire it. And you know what?
(15:27):
I'm a geek and I've studied neuroscience and I do map brains, right? So I've actually seen other under microscopes, certain types. I'm going to use that word for now where the brain does grow new cells when it's learning and new memory, we actually have to retrain our brain into new memory. And that memory, the brain doesn't know if it's a future or a past. So when you read that letter to the brain, it is true. It is happening right now. So it starts to form that connection to the lives. You're going to change when you create the signature program, when you put yourself out there, when you let go of all of that fear and resistance, the brain is going to throw at you and that's all it is. It's just, it's, nothing's wrong with you. You're not, it's not a failure, which is a word we have to you know, re repurpose as well into feedback, not failure because entrepreneurs, as you know, Laura, we fall flat on her tail sometimes.
Laura (16:24):
It's so funny. All of those little thoughts made me think of what I say to my kids in these potty language, which is zip it, lock it, put it in your pocket. So I guess we just need to say that to our brain when it's trying to keep it right. Zip it, lock it, put it in your pocket. That's body language. So are there other things that you recommend that people who want to prioritize the one positive thought or the, or the one visionary thought versus the nine thoughts that are just designed to keep us safe? Like, are there other ways in which we can structure our morning or our day that will keep us moving in the forward direction of our dreams instead of backwards.
Karen (17:07):
So I don't know how you know, to ask me this. Cause it's the favorite thing I love to talk about is that little window of between worlds I talk about when you're waking up your brain is back to that sponge-like state. When we are like between two and seven, that's when all of these negative thoughts get cold quote unquote, wired into our brain because that's when the brain is still a sponge, but guess what? It gets a little spongy when you're just waking up just for a hypothetical term to make it easy. And that's when we get to seed our brain and rewire it to that nine to one bias in our favor, in our future is favor. So like I, one of my dear friends is Dr. Jeffery Fannin, who I just did a podcast with. And he is the neuroscientist. He does brain scanning for Dr. Joe Dispenza on his podcast. I said, you know, I have this hat that I have a sign up on my, my right when I wake up on the wall across from my bed that says, good morning, Karen, your thoughts create your day. Use them now. So before my brain has a chance to take me where it wants to go, like all the things I couldn't get done, that person that annoyed me yesterday, or this new employee is driving me nuts.
Laura (18:25):
Plans that you've been putting off for two weeks, because you've been meaning to hire the EA. I mean, not that anybody's looking over my shoulder right now, but that's my reality. Yeah. So go ahead.
Karen (18:34):
Right? My brain wires that into my future, I can direct it into the thoughts I want to have. I want to create my day. I don't want yesterday grading my day. I want to create it. So I have that sign. Literally, it's on my wall as a reminder to, if I catch myself and I started seeding it with what I want to believe. Another secret is that getting into the heart is your values. So have your values, your three top or your five top values, integrity, purpose, caring, love, whatever it is, right. Have that, have that right where you brush your teeth at night or in the morning or on the door, your refrigerator, wherever you see that. If you want to have that also near your bed, remind yourself of who you truly are. We ran, I don't know if you know this.
(19:30):
We had a broad project called your best of yet helping single successful women over 40 rewire themselves to find true love, because we tend to not do that as single success. There's a lot of, a lot of single successful women that don't have that much luck in relationships. Because the thing that we, that power that's to be successful actually is a downfall in intimacy. And so we taught them in an eight week program. Your best love have don't do it anymore. So don't look for it. And we had a 97% completion rate than lives. We changed because they had to literally rewire themselves and remind themselves how worthy they were, how valuable they were. And this little exercise of reminding themselves. First thing in the morning of their values really made them explode. Of course, a lot of them started businesses and all kinds of cool things after, but that is one of the reasons that it rewires us because our values are what we forget when the mind takes over and scares us into believing that we have to hide who truly are from the world, or be like someone else, or we're going to fail if we really step out or that sort of thing.
(20:38):
But the values start reminding us and rewiring into us the way we were born. Like when you were a kid, we didn't say, Oh, look at all those tall people walking. I'm never going to like that. Right. We walked, right. But then we layer ourselves with all these fairs and other people's limiting beliefs. That's all it is, is an upper limit. And we use that limit to limit ourselves from moving forward. So reminding ourselves first thing in the morning of our values and reembody that honestly it works wonders because you're getting into the heart of the matter early in the morning, and you're nothing powers the brain or that new neural network, more than a positive emotions. And so you want to get into the values because that immediately triggers that positive emotion, your brain sitting down and all of these chemicals get the positive ones flowing early in the morning and get your state.
(21:29):
Because without that, you can't create all the things and tactics, you need to run a business. Honestly, I'm so glad we're talking about, and I did not plan to talk so much about neuroscience and math and mindset, but it is the number one thing. If we're really going to take ourselves too, from a 100K to seven, two to seven figures. And then again, it's a whole other story from seven figures to eight figures. So, which is our systems and the signature impact method is really all the systems and tactics and the systematology that works to get people there. But the mindset is the number one block that will hold anybody back. Each time you can hire the social media, you can hire somebody to write your webinar. You can get all your things on, on canva, but if your mindset's not there, you won't take action in the direction that you need to go.
Laura (22:19):
It's so true. This is a great conversation. I have a couple more questions and I want to let people know how to get in touch with you because so much amazing nets to offer. But when you were talking about that seven to eight figure, that's where a lot of our listeners are. This is about very much a podcast about scaling and scaling joyfully. And I think part of scaling joyfully is, is understanding that you are very normal if you are experiencing certain things at certain, a certain level. And as we, we tend to go up in income. A lot of times we can feel like maybe we shouldn't be experiencing some of these challenges or maybe those thoughts aren't normal and it's just us. So what do you think are some of the bigger things that come up once you get to that seven figure and beyond range in terms of upper limits?
Karen (23:06):
So most seven figures when people hit it, it is a lot going on. There are so many things going on. It's my favorite client, because they really have accomplished so much. But what got, what gets you to seven figures is, is going to kill you beyond it's going to kill your business beyond because we learned to step out on our own to do things, to implement, to own our strengths, to do all these things. But from seven to eight, it's actually about less doing and more of the visionary stuff and more leadership. And that is like, oh, why me am I going to really be, what if I look like a fool in today's meeting, it's different, it's different things. And so it's really knowing that you're here. You made it. Now let's continue taking that one step on in front of the other. The really the biggest thing is really how to navigate the, it's not understanding that it's the little things that move, that are move the big needles.
Karen (24:10):
And that's, counter-intuitive from everything that you've done, the hustle is done. The grind is done. You mean, if I just do this, I work more and it's hard for most business owners to accept giving up control is the number one, I would say sinker at not being able to give up control is the number one killer at the seven to eight figure ,ark, because it is about scaling. It is about delegation. It is about hiring people. Sometimes, most times, if you're smart, smarter than you and, and, and, and more risk and be more open and more vulnerable at that stage. So I would think that is it, and get among people who get that about you and get the different pain is seven figure. When you're just crossing six figures to seven figures, it's a different level of, of pain and questions you're going to have then closer to that eight figure mark by far.
Laura (25:06):
So what would you say is the secret, do you think to managing your mind as you're scaling to the multi-million dollar mark and beyond?
Karen (25:13):
No one else can think your thoughts for you.
Laura (25:15):
Isn't that true? Don't we all just think everybody's a big old mind reader.
Karen (25:26):
Just remember that every day. And it's, it's just, so thing is you've got to you've, you've got to take control of your thoughts, because if you let those thoughts hook you in a direction that you don't want, or, you know, have the responsibility of your team's paychecks on come up with that next visionary. And you've gotta be okay with the vulnerability that comes with. Sometimes you're going to fail and sometimes you're going to be screwing it up and that's okay. And you have to become okay with that, because here's the thing about successful people at eight figures, when they bounce back, they really bounce back because they're learners, you know, it's really about having that growth mindset and really expanding and just knowing nobody else can think your thoughts for you, your business is going to outgrow you every step of the way. And it's really a matter of you now, retraining yourself. You're training your mind to keep up with it, then that's it. If you're doing it right, it will outgrow you. It's going to feel uncomfortable and just keep up with it because you're going to grow. I always say, be the change. Your business really makes you become the change you want to make in the world. And it's a true thing.
Laura (26:37):
Oh, that's so true. That's a great thought to end on. I love that. If people are wanting to learn about how to create their signature system, if they would like to be mentored by you, somebody who has this incredible experience in the areas of biofeedback and brain science, what's the best way for them to get in touch with you,
Karen (26:57):
Holistic marketing. You can find me signatureprogram.com/laura. We actually have lots of really great information there. Signatureprogram.com/Laura. We'll also get you a little extra bonus perk from me. So you want to use that, but definitely you will find me there. We have the best, the best free training online. Most people say that is much better than the last $10,000 they've spent because we've been doing this between my husband and I for many, many decades. Right? So you're going to get all of those free goodies there and hopefully come out with the most amazing stand out in your marketplace signature program. So I'll see you there.
Laura (27:44):
Awesome. Thank you so much for being here.
Karen (27:46):
Thank you for having me.
Laura (27:52):
Hey there: before you head out, I want to let you know about a free new training I have right on a brand new website called yournextmillion.me. It's yournextmillion.me, where several of my seven figure clients and colleagues share what they're doing in the next year to scale their businesses, to the multi-million dollar mark and beyond. And I have to tell you, it is not what you think. So check it out at yournextmillion.me. And if you loved this show, will you subscribe to it and share it with a friend or just say something nice about it to someone, you know? I'd really appreciate it so much. Thanks so much for being here and I'll see you next time.
The Scale with Joy podcast dives into the mindset and strategies of scaling your company to the million dollar mark and beyond. Each week, we follow the journeys of innovators, disruptors, experts and leaders - sharing behind the scenes stories of their most challenging moments and greatest lessons learned-all while building their multi-million dollar empires.