306. How to Build Sustainable Revenue That Doesn't Cost You Your Life with Natalie Ellis

Save your seat in this 2-part workshop series that turns your “I wish I could quit my job” into a specific, actionable plan to get you out of your job in 90 days or less. Get access here: ⁠⁠https://herfirst100k.com/ffpod⁠⁠. Today I'm sitting down with Natalie Ellis, mom, CEO, and founder of Boss Babe, and author of the New York Times bestseller The Freedom-Based Business Method. Natalie built a multimillion-dollar company and then realized she'd been running it on an aggressive growth playbook for a business she never planned to sell. We get into why burnout isn't a badge of honor, why the median follower count in Natalie's survey of six-figure-plus business owners will shock you, and the three boring things that actually make a business work. If you run a business, want to start one, or just keep buying courses hoping the next one fixes it, this is your episode. Natalie’s Links: Websites: https://www.bossbabe.com/ ; https://www.natalie-ellis.com/ Book: https://bookshop.org/a/90037/9781401997373 Mentioned during the show: How to Reinvent Yourself (Without Losing Yourself) with Sophia Amoruso: https://herfirst100k.com/financial-feminist-show-notes/reinventing-yourself-sophia-amoruso/ The Rise and Fall of the Girlboss: https://www.diabolicalliespod.com/p/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-girlboss 00:00 Intro 04:30 Is burnout the price of hustle? Energy-giving vs. energy-draining work 08:00 Why "more organization" isn't the fix: the three questions your business runs on 10:30 Big decisions vs. small ones, in business and personal finance 12:00 Natalie's Trojan horse course strategy 15:00 Tori's viral video and the 100,000 email subscribers 18:00 Building on land you own: why email beats followers 20:00 Shiny objects: new products, new platforms 26:00 One platform, one offer, and why you can't over-market a product 29:00 What to cut first: start with your data 31:00 Offer, funnel, traffic (build, borrow, or buy an audience) 34:00 Getting off the treadmill: executive retreats and "what do you want?" 37:00 Leaving easy money on the table 40:00 Seasons of sprint and giving yourself grace 44:00 Building for freedom when you're just getting started 47:00 The responsibility nobody posts about 52:00 The Boss Babe name, ten-plus years later 54:00 Hustle culture, soft life, and tradwife content 62:00 What successful women entrepreneurs know Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices