CNLP Bonus 018: Shannon Miles on Starting a Rapidly Growing Company, Moving from A Scarcity Mindset to an Abundance Mindset, and What She Learned from Richard Branson
Shannon Miles is the CEO and Co-Founder of BELAY Solutions. But life didn’t start that way for her. Raised in a very low-income home, she struggled in her early years to believe anything was possible. Seven years ago, she founded BELAY Solutions with her husband, Bryan.
In this special bonus episode, Shannon talks about her journey as a leader, how she overcame a scarcity mentality, and what she learned about high performing leaders when she spent a week on Necker Island with Richard Branson.
Welcome to Bonus Episode 018 of the podcast. Listen and access the show notes below or search for the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts and listen for free.
Guest Links
Shannon on Facebook |Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter
BelaySolutions.com | MyThirdOption.com/stories
Shannon’s book The Third Option is available now!
Links Mentioned
3 Insights from This Episode
1. Shannon’s Advice for How to Get Started
1. Dream big! Be all-in and don’t be afraid to take risks.
2. Don’t try to do everything on your own. Remind yourself that you’re probably not the best person to perform every single task. Surround yourself with a capable team so that you don’t end up burning out.
3. Be realistic about what’s profitable. Don’t keep throwing money and resources into something that isn’t working. Stay results-based by focusing your energy on what’s giving you the momentum to keep going.
2. Overcome Pride So that You Can Own Your Organization, Not Run It
The goal is to own your organization, not run it. Getting to that places requires more than just putting an amazing dream team together. It takes leaving pride at the door and allow others to take on most of the weight. Once a successful structure is in place that removes you from the day-to-day operations, you’ve made it and can finally focus your energy on being the face of the mission. Until then, YOU run your business.
Here’s the list Shannon and Bryan gradually let go of in order to finally own BELAY: Finance/Bookkeeping, Hire Assistants, Client Relations/Onboarding/Client Care, Marketing/Sales, HR/Talent & Aquisitions, Legal
3. Leave the Scarcity Mindset Behind and Become an Abundance Thinker
Scarcity mentality plagues churches and starves businesses. It’s a big deal in our culture. Becoming an abundance thinker gives God the opportunity to validate your risks. He entrusts so much to us that often it’s actually irresponsible NOT to take those chances. Put yourself out there so that God can show up.
There is an abundance of opportunity and people to serve and partner with. Knowing that takes away some of the fear and provides the necessary confidence to dream big.
Quotes from This Episode
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Next Episode: Jessica Bealer & Gina McClain
Jessica Bealer and Gina McClain have both led in major ministries for over a decade. They’ve also seen a lot of leaders not make it. What’s the difference? In a super-candid discussion, Jessica and Gina talk about how to develop more resilience and build better self-esteem. They also talk about why, as working moms, they think balance is a joke and what to do about it.
Subscribe for free now and you won’t miss Episode 188.