#72: Key Methods for Business and Personal Organization with Mimi Taylor, Business Coach
As entrepreneurs, we always have a million moving parts in our business.
And with a new world where many business owners are also playing the role of parent and teacher, our to-do list just keeps getting longer.
So how do we stay organized?
My guest this week, Mimi Taylor (also known as Mimi the planner), gave me some great tips on staying organized and prioritizing what really matters.
Three organization/planning hacks Mimi shared are:
The method that Mimi uses to stay hyper organized
A secret tool to make for ongoing success
What the A, B, C’s have to do with amazing prioritized wins
So, if you have to-do lists for your to-do list, and want to learn more about these techniques, this episode is for you!
Learn more about Mimi here: https://mypicpoc.com or checkout her Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mimitheplanner/.
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!
(00:50):
Hi everybody. I want to introduce you to Mimi Taylor. She just did a shoulder shimmy if you're watching this on YouTube, but so good to see you Mimi in person. Mimi and I met on clubhouse and that's been kind of, kind of a little bit of a theme of some of our most recent podcast guests. And she is known as Mimi, the planner, which I loved. And then I was like, that girl knows her stuff. I need her on my podcast. So welcome Mimi. So good that you're here.
Mimi (01:15):
Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited. You have no idea. Yes, I am Mimi the planner and I help black female entrepreneurs plan their success. I love planning like frequently love, love, love planning. I can talk about it all day long.
Laura (01:33):
That's so cool. So you, then you specialize in black entrepreneurs. I don't think I realized that. Is there a particular like approach that you think is more conducive to women of color when they're on their entrepreneurial journey? Is that why you decided to niche in?
Mimi (01:48):
Yeah, I think when I looked at I'm a real big back in the day for a brief 60 days, I thought I was going to be a statiction. Right. And then, so I've always been a fan of stats and numbers. And when I looked at like the rate of how I think we grow at about 180% year after year, entrepreneurs, black female entrepreneurs that are like literally the largest category, but at the same time, we go out of business quicker than any other category. And mainly it's because of a lack of planning or lack of resources, or just know how so it kind of made me say, you know, I want to do something about this. So I've always been, I've been helping entrepreneurs. It started off with like just Christian entrepreneurs and Christian owned businesses. And then I was like, okay, this is a sector that really, really, really needs my help. I'm trying to like dive in face first and I absolutely love it. So I don't really approach it any differently, other than staying in my comfort as far as like my speech and my playing. And it's just like a comfort zone. So I absolutely love it. Yeah.
Laura (02:57):
And you understand what it's like, obviously as a black woman to grow a business and the unique challenges that sometimes come, I'm sure come with that path. And so you're really see yourself as somebody who, you know, helps black women in particular black entrepreneurs plan for their future. And how do they, you know, no matter what your background is, right? How do you stay organized with all of those moving parts? Like what is, what are some of the tips and tricks that you have found to be really, really helpful?
Mimi (03:27):
Oh my gosh. When, when you're thinking about scaling, once you start thinking about, okay, I've done six figures, but I'm looking at seven or I've done seven, I'm thinking about eight. It comes down honestly, to two things. It comes down to the people and it comes down to your SOP. So it's no more about like your infrastructure or your processes. It all boils down to do I have the right systems and workflows in place. Do I have the right automations in place? All of it goes down to what's your standard operating procedures so that it can be replicated without your presence and still run flawlessly. But that second part of it, having the right people in place is really, really important because you can have a perfect system and the wrong person come and fudge it up. Like you want to make sure that you have both parts of that puzzle. You want to have the right person and the right process and you can absolutely make it not knock it out of the park.
Laura (04:22):
I liked that you went with the Bible friendly version of that. That was very nice.
Mimi (04:27):
I'm like, I don't want to offend the audience, but yes, absolutely.
Laura (04:31):
Yes. Yeah. We have believers and nonbelievers on this podcast, but as a believer myself, it tends to like, like tends to attract like, right. That's so funny. So when you say like the wrong seat, is there any early indicators that you have found where you're like, Oh, this, how long is this gonna go?
Mimi (04:52):
So what I always do is I always try to make sure that I'm not hiring because I do have a staff, I have a staff of six people. I always try to make sure that I'm not hiring based on just the credentials on paper. I 100% hire based on the work ethic, as well as the integrity of the individual. So if I'm asking you more about questions that you do put on your resume or questions that have, I have like these little pre-interview questions that you send me virtually, since we're kind of in this virtual space, by the time that we speak, if I do speak with you and it does seem like stuff isn't lining up, those are like clear red flags. To me, I need someone who is full of work ethic. That believes in, you know, even though it's only eight hours that it's like, it's completely grind time while we're during those eight hours. And at the same time, I need somebody who is full of integrity. That doesn't necessarily need me present for you to be motivated, to get the job done. So if you come to me and you have both of those, and you don't have like project management skills or you don't have like scheduling skills, I can teach you that that's easy, but I can teach work ethic that has to come with it from the jump.
Laura (06:01):
So interesting. I found that to be sometimes a surprise. Like, are you sometimes surprised when people come in and you're like, they check all the boxes, but then all of a sudden they're like, no, I don't really want to do that.
Mimi (06:15):
And you're like, but it's your job. Yes. So I always ask my interviews are very, I would say unconventional, right? I am always asking, like, what do, when you first saw this particular job position, what interests you now? What did you not like about it? And if there was something that you really were interested in it, if it was something that's completely farfetched in your interests, how do you feel about learning? Learning curves are like inevitable, right? So I have to be surrounded by people who actually love to learn and love to read. So when we start to ask, like the more engaging questions, like, what's your favorite book, or what's the last book that you read? It's, it's really probing on my end to see, is this person a reader? And what type of material do they like to read? And so when we take all of that back, like I said, it's a different type of assessment. I'm looking for integrity and work ethic. And if you don't really like to read, or if you're not really a learner, then I know that if I approach you with a new learning curve, then there may be pushback and that may not be the right fit for you.
Laura (07:25):
That's a really good tip. I never even thought of asking people what they're reading right now, but that's really good because I guess if they're like captain underpants, you're a little bit like well.
Mimi (07:37):
And you literally write that down and say, okay, that's awesome.
Laura (07:41):
So tell me about captain underpants. Like what types of battles does he encounter and how does he overcome them? You can tell that I have little boys at home.
Mimi (07:52):
Oh yeah. I have three.
Laura (07:56):
God bless you. I've got two and a girl. What are some of the systems that you use? Like when you, I mean, you are so good at really optimizing that operational efficiency and what are some of like your go-to if you want, if your clients comes to you and they're like a hotness, like, what are some of the things that you do right away?
Mimi (08:16):
The first thing that I do, I'd tell everybody, and I've kind of coined the name. I am the click up queen. I love click up. I love Zapier. It just allows me to not only have an idea of how I want this to play out, but to literally put a list in a list, in a list in the list, I think you can nest a list at least 10 layers deep, which if you know who I am and how I am, I will have a, to do list for my, to do list or, and so I love click up. So I always recommend everyone to at least give it a shot. It is completely different from asana or, or monday.com because it allows you to have everything in one space. Like my Google sheets, my Google Excel, my PowerPoints, my forms and surveys that I send out to customers, my emails, everything is done through click ups. So I never have to open another browser tab and it's free up until a certain point. And then when it does charge, it's $5 a month. So I absolutely love that. Yes, I believe they just closed the seed round of like $300 million. Don't quote me on that. But I believe so, but they there. So they're such a pioneer with what they're trying to do, that it's just an impeccable software. So I tell everybody, try it and give it a shot. And I promise you you'll fall in love with the way I did up.
Laura (09:41):
That's awesome. But even before they even get to that place where they need software, like, what else are some of the maybe habits or ways of thinking about the work that keeps them from feeling like they can even get their head around a system or something.
Mimi (09:58):
I will always suggest there's two things that you could do depending on what type of thinker you are. I really, I really do recommend that people take time to try and figure out their thinking style. If you are one of those people who are constantly berated with ideas, you see something you're inspired and you get an idea. So it's kind of like that, Oh, there's a squirrel type of moment where it's like, Oh, there's another idea. Oh, I could do a photo shoot, Oh, I need to buy up a mini fridge or, Oh, I need to do this, this type of trade show. Or you have those ideas. I say that you're a sticky note type of person. So you need to buy the biggest bundle of sticky notes you can find. And every time that idea pops up in your head in order to prevent you from context switching, always write it down on a sticky note and put it to the side.
(10:42):
Now you might have a pile of sticky notes at the end of the day, but you can take those sticky notes and put them in order for the next day. So you can see, is this worth pursuing or is this not worth pursuing? Is this worth my time? Or is this not worth my time? That's one person. Another person is if you, if you feel overwhelmed because you are, you are given all of these ideas at once. So they don't come to you individually to where you would contact switch, but you feel like as soon as you start your to-do list jumps from one to 50 items, I always say to create an outline, your outline has to be, what's the very first thing I need to do. And what's the very last part of this project and then work your way towards the middle.
(11:24):
So if I say, I need to do a photo shoot. And the very first thing that I would need to do is I would need to come up with my photo shoots concept. The very last thing that I would need to do would probably be to take the pictures. So in between then, what needs to happen, the photos have to be edited. I have to find a location. And I work at, until we're right in the middle. And you're given this incredible to do lists where you can just execute, execute, and execute without the overwhelm.
Laura (11:51):
Oh my gosh. So good. Many entrepreneurs really struggle with that. I think with all the different ideas. And it's really interesting because I always say like complexity doesn't scale, right? Like the more ideas you have as another podcast, guests to Corinne Crabtree says, you don't have to fry every fish that comes your way. You know, like you don't have to pursue every idea that comes your way. And so why do you think people like procrastinate? Let's talk about procrastination for a second. Cause I know that's a big issue when in productivity, like why do, why do people put off things or why do they avoid them? Cause like what's, what's going on both operationally, but also what's going on internally when that happens?
Mimi (12:35):
I think when it comes down to procrastination, honestly, it's either perfectionism that people are dealing with where they want it to be perfect before they make that next move, or it is being in an environment that's completely unfamiliar. So people will try and put it off because they've never called this bank before. Or they've never asked someone for a hundred thousand dollars or they've never gone to a location that's a $2 million location and said that I really do want to buy this space because it's so new. It may make them slightly uncomfortable. Or if it comes to perfectionism, if you are struggling with coming up with content, or if you're struggling with pushing out material or doing a launch because you want everything to be perfect, then you're missing a lot of opportunities. The opportunity doesn't necessarily have to be an opportunity to make a sale.
(13:28):
It could be an opportunity to actually make a mistake. So if you are, if you're hesitating to actually make the mistake. So say for example, I'm scared to launch a course and I'm scared because I just don't know if people are going to come and see, and then I just push that off. And I wait until everything's perfect. I have this big audience or something like that. And my audience at this point is, is into the pain in this absolutely perfect project. I don't allow myself to see what email titles do not work. What time of day are they interested in it? I have to allow myself to make those small mistakes or those tiny failures so I can fail forward. A lot of people are either operating on, I need to be perfect or I just, you know, I'm scared to even make a move because it's so unfamiliar.
Laura (14:17):
Yeah. Do you think there is a balance I've been thinking about this lately because you see a lot of people talking about imperfect action and taking action and do it scared. Right. But then also do you think there's a balance to like making sure your stuff is really good? Like what is, what is that line? Right. Because I think sometimes people have pushed stuff out. Maybe you've bought it. Maybe I have to, I'm not saying that we have or haven't and we've been like, oh wow. Maybe you should have spent a little more time on that. So like, what is, what's that, what do you think that balance is?
Mimi (14:47):
Well, I think it's, I definitely recommend doing market research. A lot of people will wait until they've worked on it, worked on it, worked on it to even see if it's something the market wants. It they'll work on it. And they will only work on it a little bit and say, okay, I have this perfect eBook, or I have this perfect item and, and not really allow the market or, or trusted feedback or a group of people that are your peers or mentors to actually look over and say like, Hey, this isn't a good, this isn't a good look or this isn't a good decision. So you have to actually do that market research on at the beginning and in the process of it. And then when it's done do it at the end as well, but don't allow the market research side or the fear of actually releasing it, stopping from even getting it to that point. I 100% believe that.
Laura (15:46):
That's a great answer because I think it is, there's something about like, yeah. Bang it out in a weekend without any feedback or looking at market research or seeing what else is out there, what the standard is or where the bar is. And we've all signed up for those programs. And you're kind of like, oh man, like I thought this was going to be good and it's not, you know, and then there's other times where we know that we're hanging on to something way too long, right? Like we're, we're, we're not releasing it because we're so afraid of it being imperfect and there's that middle ground. Right. And I think that's really important to highlight. So when it comes to like a hack, maybe just a hack that you have, you have three boys, how old are your boys?
Mimi (16:26):
4,6 and 8
Laura (16:31):
Did you schedule that and click up?
Mimi (16:35):
It's what it feels like right? They're right now they're with my husband. And it's just a balancing act.
Laura (16:44):
But they were perfectly spaced apart. That's what I was wondering if you, if you put that in click up, I was wondering, what is your hack for getting a lot done in a short period of time? Like, what are some hacks that, that you think would be really useful for our audience?
Mimi (16:57):
Oh man. It's, if you are, if you are trying to get something done and you want to actually see progress, it's so important to reward yourself with seeing your progress and the best way to do this is listing out your, your tasks from most important to least important. I always call it the A, B and C. So a is absolutely. It has to be done. B is it has to be done, but it can wait and C is it can definitely wait. So when you are, uh, categorizing it like that in your mind, it allows you to actually see the reward of getting the absolutely important things done and off the list, but also for the things that are, that are not as important for you not to waste as much time on them. And at the end of the day, feel like, well, I did this, but there were so many, there were projects that were much bigger than it that I should have been able to do today. And I didn't tackle it.
Laura (17:55):
I have a quick follow-up question for that too. Cause I see my team struggling with this a lot. What about the fires? Like you have this thing that, you know, is your most important, it's your A, right? So it's tied to maybe a KPI or a metric or something that, you know, you need to carve time on because if you don't then 60 days from now, it could be a fire, but then you've got, you know, 10 things in your inbox that need attending to like, what is, what do you think that balance is between the sand and the rocks as is, you know, Covey likes to say, like, how do you kind of think about that when you think about organizing your day?
Mimi (18:31):
Well, I'm a strong believer in time chunking. So if I ever, if I feel like something is coming up and it's, it potentially could be something that's much, much, much bigger down the lines, then I will absolutely look at my calendar and I'll say, okay, between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM, I'm addressing this problem. And that is going to be my three-hour timeframe for me to correct whatever this issue is. If I cannot address it within that time gap that I have a lot for myself. Then I need to reach out to someone on my team to possibly assist me with it or to possibly take this particular project over. Because during that time I'm going to try and get it as close to finish as I possibly can. And I'm going to leave the simple steps for my staff. So I absolutely believe in time chunking by far because it's, it's such a lifesaver. I even plan out what I want to learn. So if I find a good webinar or a great podcast to listen to like yours, then what I do is I will save the link that's sent to me and I will say, this is what you're going to listen to on Thursday at 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM or from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM or anything like that, because I really, really want to make sure that I stick to my schedule to the best of my ability.
Laura (19:49):
Yeah. I love that. That's so good. And what I love about what you're saying too is it's like your commute, you're making that commitment to yourself and then you're keeping that commitment to yourself. And then you have this incredible ability to develop a relationship with yourself where like you have your own back. Like you do the things that you say you're going to do and you keep that promise to yourself. And I know a lot of times as women and his mother, sometimes that comes last. Right. And I love what you're saying about making sure that comes first.
Mimi (20:15):
Absolutely. 100000%. Yeah.
Laura (20:19):
So many great tips to share. If somebody's listening and they really want to connect with you, they'd love to learn more about your services or just like, you know, what they thought of this podcast. What's the best way for them to get in touch with you?
Mimi (20:30):
Yeah. If you are on Clubhouse, I actually do a Clubhouse room every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 7:00 AM to 9:00 AM central standard time And you can find me at Mimi, the planner, or if you're not on clubhouse, because there's still like Apple phones only, then you can link with me on Instagram as well. It's Mimi the planner or my Facebook business page is also Mimi the planner. Try to keep it the same continuity across the board.
Laura (20:58):
Easy to remember. I remember seeing you on my podcast schedule. I'm like, Oh, it's Mimi the planner. I totally remember her. It's very memorable. So thank you so, so much for coming on. Thank you for sharing your wisdom. It's wonderful to connect with you and many blessings to you and your family.
Mimi (21:14):
Thank you. I really appreciate it.
Laura (21:19):
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.