Ep. 86 The Stern Truth: The Power of Co-Leadership With Adera Angelucci

The “ships” and the “shifts” are what we’re getting into in this episode with my guest Adera Angelucci -  leadership, entrepreneurship, and the shifts that come with them. And Adera promised to be as unfiltered as possible. 

Adera is a speaker, a coach, an author, and media strategist. From cruise ships to carrying the Olympic torch across Canada, you would have thought she’s seen and done it all. But she also started a video production company with her partner, which eventually put her on a path to where she is today. 

The second book that Adera wrote explores how leaders can be seen and heard when they co-lead. One of the biggest opportunities in entrepreneurship and small business is leadership. But it starts with simply putting yourself out there, with self-leadership and self-discovery.

I can’t count on one hand how many golden nuggets Adera gives us in this episode. Go within when you need to figure out which opportunities will serve you best. Keep a healthy cash flow (always an important business aspect, no matter what.)

We also get into how business owners often put themselves in a box to keep themselves safe. To break out of that box, she says to listen to the voice inside of you. It’s your intuition, and it will always lead back to your “why.”

Check out Adera’s businesses and books here:

Coaching Business: www.aderaangelucci.com
Video Production Company: www.spirocreative.ca
“Co-Leadership” Book: https://a.co/d/00GkrhvD
“Free Spirit” Book: https://a.co/d/0dIV06Ep
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aderaangelucci
Instagram: @aderaangelucci
Facebook: facebook.com/LightUpwithAdera

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Transcript

[00:00:00] Marshall Stern: Hi, I'm Marshall Stern and I've spent over 35 years leading and growing multiple small businesses. I know firsthand the struggles of entrepreneurship, feeling isolated, lonely, overwhelmed, and feeling like you have to do it all by yourself. I've been through multiple recessions, and I have felt the highs and the lows.

[00:00:24] I've been there, and I get it. This podcast is here to change that. Every week I will bring you straight talking advice, real world strategies, and honest conversations about what it takes to succeed in business without the fluff, the gimmicks, or the sugar-coated. If you're ready to stop spinning your wheels and start making real progress, then you are in the right place.

[00:00:47] This is he Stern Truth. 

[00:00:52] Welcome back everyone to another episode of The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered, and today we are doing... I mean, every time we do, but it is really going to be unfiltered today, Adara, right? 

[00:01:02] Adera Angelucci: Oh, you want me to bring the un-filter? You got it. 

[00:01:05] Marshall Stern: Unfiltered, because we're going to talk everything.

[00:01:07] Adera Angelucci: You're, you're going to, going to have to be cleaned up after this, yeah. 

[00:01:11] Marshall Stern: There's very little editing. This is unfiltered. We're talking leadership, we're talking entrepreneurship, all kinds of ships. 

[00:01:19] Adera Angelucci: All the ships. 

[00:01:20] Marshall Stern: All the ships, and shifts. 

[00:01:21] Adera Angelucci: The ships and the shifts, yeah. Okay. Well, let's get right into it. 

[00:01:25] Marshall Stern: Why don't we?

[00:01:26] Adera Angelucci: I –

[00:01:28] Marshall Stern: Okay. Thank you for having me on your show. 

[00:01:29] Adera Angelucci: Yeah. 

[00:01:30] Marshall Stern: So – 

[00:01:30] Adera Angelucci: That's partly a problem when you interview an interviewer. They, they just want to take over. 

[00:01:35] Marshall Stern: You can take over, but not until I hear about your journey. About who you are, what you do, and how you got into doing what you do. 

[00:01:42] Adera Angelucci: Thanks so much for having me.

[00:01:43] It's such a pleasure to be here and talk about the real truth, the unfiltered truth about entrepreneurship. You know, what I find really funny is, I – as I've, my career's progressed over the 20 years, and all of the humans I've gotten to meet and service, every single... And I, and I do work with entrepreneurs and, and business owners and CEOs and founders.

[00:02:04] It doesn't matter how much money or how much success all of these people have, we all have the same human mess. I, I call it this humanness, but it's like the human mess. The... Nobody's perfect. Everyone's working through the same problems, just at different levels, but it's not that different in, at the end of the day.

[00:02:23] And I just have to keep reminding myself that, because when you get into entrepreneurship, you think you're alone, you think you're the only one with these struggles, and then once you start to open up and talk about it, you're realizing that everybody is also experiencing the same things. So, it's, it's a nice place to be, surrounded by people who understand you, and the journey.

[00:02:46] Which you know too, because you support those people as well. So how did I become an entrepreneur? It's so funny, because in elementary and high school, I mean, no one told you to go and own your own business. And no one, you know, as a, as a woman, primarily, I mean, I knew I, I had to go work for someone.

[00:03:03] It, that was sort of what I was dealt. And was I going to go to college, university? Was I just going to be a service clerk at the Safeway where my parents met and where my brothers worked? And I did work there, but I got fired because I am an entrepreneur. Who knew? I want to do things my way. I think my way is a great way.

[00:03:23] I always question the way that people are doing things. I was always this curious cat, growing up, and loved to question authority and ask the why question, because,  I didn't really love always the way that things were rolling out, and I thought that a, there could be better ways to support more people, to,  be a little bit more uplifting or encouraging for others.

[00:03:51] And obviously I was – you know, told to sit down and be quiet and go to the principal's office quite a bit. And I guess in those moments over time, yeah, it's like where was the turning point where I was like didn't shut down and shut up and just take my place, where I was feeling the call to rise and to say, "Hey, wait a minute.

[00:04:18] I'm going to own my voice, and I'm going to go out in the world and do my thing." I don't, I don't know how... It wasn't like there was this one moment. You know, you hear this sometimes that there was this aha for people. Mine was sort of this progression, I suppose, about not giving up and doing different things that would nurture that inner voice and encourage it.

[00:04:40] So, I got into improv, and I did stand-up comedy, and I did a lot of sort of what do we call it? Sort of holistic-y, non-traditional, cool, you know, movement classes and, and meditations. And I just went into circles where I was supported and encouraged versus shut down and, and unheard. And so, that's sort of how I got to where I am today, I suppose, is surrounding myself with the right people.

[00:05:11] Marshall Stern: Wow. That is an introduction. 

[00:05:14] Adera Angelucci: Oh, sorry. Was that all that was? 

[00:05:15] Marshall Stern: Okay. No 

[00:05:16] Adera Angelucci: And the podcast is complete.

[00:05:17] Marshall Stern: And podcast. Thank you everyone for joining. 

[00:05:20] Adera Angelucci: Yeah. 

[00:05:20] Marshall Stern: So, but okay, so you're an entrepreneur. What do you do? Are you –

[00:05:23] Adera Angelucci: Hmm. Right. Okay. So, okay, so I kind of missed a little bit in there. So, my, my chunk of my 20s was really...

[00:05:30] I don't know if you have the same story or someone listening does, but it was a really great time. You know, I got hired to work on cruise ships for a few years, and I got to run across Canada with the Olympic flame when it was here in 2010.  I got my own TV show. I produced another TV show. Like, I just kind of fell into things that were really fun and where I could really...

[00:05:53] I like to show it my light. Like, I get to show my light, but it's like my aliveness, my talents, my gifts, what it is that I can do that makes me feel like I'm not working, and that I'm literally just being this gift,  for people in, in the world and feel really good about who I'm being, and it's being received, right?

[00:06:11] Like, that's always what we're trying to find. So that was, like, a long journey of,  exploration until I sort of landed into the role of,  having my own TV show that aired on CHEK TV, and I, I did it with a couple other guys, and we had such a great time, but the direction of where I was going and where they wanted to go was a little different.

[00:06:33] And one of the actors we had on the show, I thought was really cute, and I was single at the time, and so I took him out for a date night, to thank him for being on our show, which is very appropriate. And, anyway, it turned out he kind of liked me, too, and so the two of us got together, and he had a whole background in editing and video production, and I had all this background in marketing and producing and promotion, and so we got together and very young in our relationship, like month three, and opened a video production company, as you would, and you would do.

[00:07:08] On $300 and, I don't even know what the camera was. It was like a, just an old-school sort of camera that could shoot in... I think we weren't even in HD even at the time. And off we went. And so, you know, we just sort of made our way, doing little commercials and different things for companies.

[00:07:30] And then year two, you know, we got some bigger contracts. In year three, same, and now we're on year 15 together, which is just, it's bizarre. So, the two of us have been at this video production, marketing, promotion, events.  I've kind of gone everywhere. I'm speaking now. The, the, the business has grown and shifted and evolved as we do as humans, but the primary focus and aim is, has always been,  telling people's stories and really showcasing who someone is and explaining how important that is to really show who the person is behind the brand, because we really do want to buy from people we obviously know, like, and trust, and value.

[00:08:14] But also, you know, the heartstring pull comes from when we really get on board with their mission or their why. And so, I've had to do a lot of education around that for people. And then we love to bring that to life in a way that's really authentic and real. Authentic and real is the same thing, but you know what I mean.

[00:08:32] Marshall Stern: I do know what you mean. And a book. 

[00:08:35] Adera Angelucci: And a book. Yeah, I wrote a book. I wrote two books, actually. 

[00:08:38] Marshall Stern: Oh, two books. 

[00:08:38] Adera Angelucci: Yeah. My, my first book Free Spirit was about the journey of becoming an entrepreneur and what it's like to lead when you're kind of figuring it out. And you know what? PS, little side note, not every leader is just figuring it out.

[00:08:52] So it wasn't like anyone actually knows what they're doing. We just are figuring it out as we go. So, give yourself some grace for wherever you're at. And the second book is around co-leadership and how actually co-leading with others cooperatively, collaboratively, communicatively is, is really where the money is.

[00:09:12] It was... not the money, but the juice, the, the aliveness, the, the real  magic. 

[00:09:19] Marshall Stern: Tell me more about this co-leadership. I'm curious. 

[00:09:22] Adera Angelucci: Sure. So, we... So, I originally set out to just write a collaborative book with some women, and when we all got together, we're like, "What are we writing?" And so, the idea that I had originally when we started and when they signed up was not the book that we produced together, and the book was a co-led experience.

[00:09:43] We all had our thoughts and ideas and ways in which we wanted to see this book come to life, and together we created a book on co-leading. And we talked about the attributes someone needs to be a good co-leader and leader in their life and to mark yourself up to see where you land in all of that and how well you're participating in shared leadership and trust and power.

[00:10:13] And we talk about the light and the dark of all of the attributes it is to be a leader because power, as we all know, can have... it's, like, two sides, right? You've got people who really know how to use it in, in a well way, and others that take advantage. 

[00:10:31] Marshall Stern: Wow. Okay. And, and I know when this comes out, it'll have been passed already, but you do have a conference that you're a co-leadership.

[00:10:38] Adera Angelucci: Yeah, we are, because the discussion is really important. And when leaders can come together, A, they can feel seen and heard, B, they can ask questions to other people that are in the trenches with them and, and hopefully get some advice, and three, it's just awesome to connect.  you know, we as a society really measure success off oftentimes financially, like how financially well you are, and I wish we really thought about it as a relational success.

[00:11:06] Because I feel very rich in my relationships and the connections I've made with people. And I just know how much that fills my heart compared to having, like, $100 – I don't know, dinner out, even though that's great as well. You do want to have all the things. Of course, we want all the things in society.

[00:11:26] But, but yeah, the, these connections are really where it's at, for me anyways. 

[00:11:33] Marshall Stern: No, I, I, I agree. I agree. So, talk about – talk... I want to take leadership because I'm, I'm with you on that. I think leadership itself is one of the... I think it's the big – I think it's the biggest opportunity that entrepreneurs and small business, not just small, business owners have, is to step into, to really truly step into a leadership role Leadership, you know it's, it's not just a title.

[00:11:56] Unfortunately, especially in the corporate world, they think it's a title. 

[00:12:00] Adera Angelucci: Right. 

[00:12:00] Marshall Stern: There's a lot more to leadership. It's really just a way of being. What, what do you think with business owners and entrepreneurs generally, what do you, what do you – what do you see in your circles as the opportunity for them, and maybe some of the biggest mistakes that they're making?

[00:12:15] Adera Angelucci: Hmm. Well, entrepreneurs in my circles often get a little fearful around putting themselves out there in bigger ways, stepping into their ownership or thought leadership in regards to how they'd love to see the world or what it is that they bring to it. They're very hesitant to, kind of, you know, fluff their feathers in front of people and, and tell people how great they are.

[00:12:43] So that's something I love to work with them on. Because they are great, and they do have something amazing to offer, and they can struggle sometimes with that messaging and get caught up in the messaging before just talking about it and just saying it and, and going out there and leading.

[00:13:00] And being that, that one in, in the front is, of course, very daunting because, A, you don't know what you're coming up against. B, there's no one you can kind of like, you know, go to because you are the front leader. You're, you're showing... You're, you're leading the way.  and so that can always feel just – we can just keep, what is the word, like getting smaller and sort of, "Well, we'll stay in our little safety zone and do what we know how to do," which is, like, send out emails and just be quiet and, you know, not, not be bold and big and take up space, right?

[00:13:36] So that's one area that I see entrepreneurs struggle with, and I think you asked me what they're doing well when they're leading. e think that... We, me and my circle of people think that self-leadership is really where it's at. So, being able to ask yourself, "Why am I reacting this way? Who am I being in this moment?

[00:14:00] Why is this affecting me? How can I look at these, you know, blocks that I might be having that aren't allowing me to do X, Y, and Z of the things that I'm saying I'd like for myself?" That, that's self-leadership. That's taking initiative and, and ownership of who you are as a human and trying to figure out who you need to be or become, or what the things are that you need to let go of to be able to step into the person that you know you are.

[00:14:29] And to surround yourself with people who can see that in you and support you as you grow, because we're always growing and we're always learning. And I always say, too, like, the confidence comes after you do the thing, which really sucks because doing the thing is so, so nerve-wracking and, and anxiety-ridden for people.

[00:14:49] And so, but once they get through it and they, their brain realizes that they don't die, then they can find the confidence to be able to kind of keep going. And then once they keep going, then other doors open and other opportunities appear, and it, it's just the evolution of, of you and your business.

[00:15:08] Marshall Stern: Hmm. And I'm just thinking about all of that because... And I, I do agree with it all. I mean, self, and self-leadership itself I think it's, it's – and I always say this to my clients, is there are times when we need to slow down in order to speed up. 

[00:15:24] Adera Angelucci: Right. 

[00:15:25] Marshall Stern: There's times where we need to obviously self-reflection, self-discovery, the knowing.

[00:15:33] Because a lot of people are stuck in this just the doing, and they think the doing is where they're going to make the most traction and, and the results are going to come because they're doing. 

[00:15:43] Adera Angelucci: Right. 

[00:15:43] Marshall Stern: They're just, like, what I call having a busyness, right? 

[00:15:46] Adera Angelucci: Yeah, the busyness is the distraction. 

[00:15:48] Marshall Stern: The busyness is the distraction.

[00:15:50] For yourself, what has, what has been – and I want to hear the ... We talk about gold nuggets on this podcast. So I want ... You're already, you've already delivered a whole bunch. I, I want ... You're going to deliver more. 

[00:16:02] Adera Angelucci: The pressure. 

[00:16:03] Marshall Stern: The pressure. Well, you have time to think about that one, but this might come from that.

[00:16:06] What would you say in your entrepreneurial journey, what have been some of the challenges that you've faced and overcome? And how, and – 

[00:16:16] Adera Angelucci: Are still working through. 

[00:16:17] Marshall Stern: Oh, still working ... Well, it's a work in progress. 

[00:16:20] Adera Angelucci: Yeah. 

[00:16:20] Marshall Stern: And how have ... And what do you do to work through them? 

[00:16:23] Adera Angelucci: Okay. Well, me personally, my, my issues definitely have been the amount of ideas and creativity that I have and the –

[00:16:30] I don't mean this in like a, you know, a wow me way, but that I can just do a lot of things, like I know how to do a lot of things. I'm not an expert in a lot of things, but I know how to do a lot of things. And I can get caught up doing, as you're saying, this busyness piece and saying yes to every single opportunity that comes to me, especially if there's, well, gosh, if there's a financial reward attached or not.

[00:16:55] I do have a yes problem. So, I've had to really tame that and get really clear on where I'm wanting to go so that I'm not saying yes to everything and then creating that busyness and doing all the stuff and feeling like, "Oh my God, where am I going? How, how is this taking me to where I want to go," right?

[00:17:14] But it's really hard to discern which opportunities sometimes are going to get you further along your path and which ones are distractions. It's, it's a very difficult thing to, to navigate. But how we do that is by going within, stopping for a minute, taking that pause, maybe, like, playing out a little bit about what the opportunity is there, what you're going to gain from it, how you're going to give from it, that kind of thing.

[00:17:38] So I definitely have that still on the go. And the other one is financially, like keeping cash flow a go and feeling really healthy. I mean, some months feel aundant, and then my attitude is like, "Let's go spend." And then I don't really think of other months that might not be as, you know, prosperous, and so then I kind of just kind of keep putting my –

[00:18:02] Because at the end of the day, like, I didn't go to business school,  and nor do I really care to, and the, the finance piece and the accounting piece and the bookkeeping piece are all things I give away to others to, to manage for me. So, I just kind of do what I can, being the creative that I am and trying to figure that out.

[00:18:23] I mean, I, I've made some good choices in regards to we bought our, you know, our condo here in White Rock, and we own our car, and, you know, I've got money that I put away every month. I mean, I'm doing what I can. But there's this idea that I was going to be this millionaire and, you know, have all of this and that by age 40, I think.

[00:18:42] That was the one I gave myself hasn't happened yet. And it, and it still might, but it, it's going to take some discipline and some discerning, and I also really love my life, and I'm this, like, A-type personality who wants to do all the things and have all the experience and say yes all the time. So, it's just going to be this fine balancing act around, you know, being disciplined enough to put money aside and also have the experiential piece of my life that I really enjoy and value, still alive and well.

[00:19:15] Because I'm not going to for 10 years stay home and make, you know, food. I'm going to, I'm going to go crazy. Like, make food. Like, I'm not going to be the person that just doesn't go out and saves every penny, and then in those 10 years maybe have the thing that I really want. I, I just don't know if I could do that.

[00:19:32] Maybe I should ... Maybe that's the challenge. No, don't. No, don't. My God, you've been telling me that. I'm like, "Don't put a dare in a box. You kidding me?" 

[00:19:38] Marshall Stern: That's ... I'm trying to figure out where to go with that one.  okay. Actually, speaking of a box- 

[00:19:44] Adera Angelucci: Sure ... 

[00:19:45] Marshall Stern: Because I think a lot of business owners put themselves- 

[00:19:48] Adera Angelucci: Oh, yes

[00:19:49] Marshall Stern: …in a certain box. 

[00:19:50] Adera Angelucci: Sure. Because it's safe there. They know it It's safe it's got parameters 

[00:19:54] Marshall Stern: Has parameters. They tell themselves the story- 

[00:19:57] Adera Angelucci: Right 

[00:19:57] Marshall Stern: ...that keeps them safe in that box. 

[00:19:59] Adera Angelucci: Sure. And if they're happy in that box – 

[00:20:01] Marshall Stern: Hell yeah! 

[00:20:02] Adera Angelucci: …they can hang out there. 

[00:20:03] Marshall Stern: Go for it, yeah. Yeah. No, I always say that. And that's the thing.

[00:20:06] You know what? Look, here's the, here's the Stern Truth. I'm going to say it because of my podcast. So much bull – bullshit out there, right? And we could like, you know, 10X your business. You know, give me $20,000 and join my coaching program, and 10X your business or, you know, I'll help you build a nine-figure business, all this kind of stuff, right?

[00:20:22] Adera Angelucci: I love that stuff. 

[00:20:23] Marshall Stern: There's that kind – don't you just love it?

[00:20:24] Adera Angelucci: I love it. It just, I just love it. It just, it's the – I'm like, "Oh, I should buy it all." How- Just buy it all. 

[00:20:27] Marshall Stern: Yes, just – 

[00:20:28] Adera Angelucci: It's all going to help me. 

[00:20:29] Marshall Stern: It's, it's the secret. It's the answer. Not just the secret, it's the answer. Well, you know, the Secret, I don't know if you ever...

[00:20:34] Did you ever watch the, read or watch the Secret? 

[00:20:37] Adera Angelucci: I did, of course, yeah. 

[00:20:38] Marshall Stern: Yeah, the Secret was it, man. I mean, people just all over the world would just, like, just sit on the –

[00:20:43] Adera Angelucci: You’ve got to get yourself in the frequency. 

[00:20:45] Marshall Stern: Get yourself in the frequency, sit on the curb, just close your eyes and manifest – 

[00:20:49] Adera Angelucci: Oh, right.

[00:20:50] Marshall Stern: …your destiny, and then turn around, because you just visualized the boat in your driveway- 

[00:20:53] Adera Angelucci: It's right there. 

[00:20:54] Marshall Stern: The castle, and you turn around – yeah. Yeah. 

[00:20:58] Adera Angelucci: It's like having a, a beautiful relationship, a marriage. It just, it just happens. You just get married, and all of a sudden, you don't have to do any work.

[00:21:05] There's no work involved. You just, you're just in love day in and day out. 

[00:21:10] Marshall Stern: You're, you're in flow 

[00:21:11] Adera Angelucci: What person is it? Yeah. 

[00:21:13] Marshall Stern: It's the honeymoon. It's marvelous. 

[00:21:14] Adera Angelucci: Totally the way. 

[00:21:15] Marshall Stern: Yeah, exactly right. See, we figured it out. We have... Today on the Stern Truth, Adera and Marshall figured it out. 

[00:21:22] Adera Angelucci: We figured it out.

[00:21:22] Okay, but where were you going with that? What Stern Truth were you trying to give us with the 10X this and 20?

[00:21:27] Marshall Stern: I – I don't even know. Now I don't even remember. 

[00:21:27] Adera Angelucci: Oh, no. You were talking about... Because it is true, and people do buy into these things, and they are upset that they haven't gotten what they wanted from it, because there's a lot of work involved.

[00:21:39] Marshall Stern: But they keep themselves... Okay, so where I was going with this – oh ... it's,it's come back to me now. Full circle, it's come back to me. Just look, you're right. If you're okay in that box and you're comfortable in that box, and you don't want to grow any further, and you don't want to grow or, or you don't have to 10X or 20X.

[00:21:55] You don't have to. Butyou talk about the story. People keep thems – those people who keep themselves in the box are telling themselves a certain story. 

[00:22:06] Adera Angelucci: Mm. 

[00:22:06] Marshall Stern: What do we do... For those people who are listening, what do you... What would you say to them, your golden nugget for maybe if they're in the box keeping themselves safe, really deep down… 

[00:22:17] Adera Angelucci: They're a bird and they want to fly? 

[00:22:19] Marshall Stern: They are a, they're like a butterfly. They're ready to spread…

[00:22:23] Adera Angelucci: Yeah. They want to go. They want to spread their wings. 

[00:22:25] Marshall Stern: Yeah. 

[00:22:25] Adera Angelucci: Oh, I love it. You know what? And I, it's hard for me to think that people don't want to do that, because I think it's our human nature and our desire.

[00:22:33] I mean, just look at capitalism and how you, you know, you're always looking for the next thing, the next thing, the next thing. So, it's just our nature to want something more. So, for someone who's just like, "Nope, I'm good. I don't want anything more," I just can't believe that to be true.  there's got to be something that they're, that they're – I don't like the word striving, but there’s a desire for or an, or something like that.

[00:22:58] And I think it's awesome to listen to what that voice inside is asking of you, and to be able to recognize whether that's something that you're really wanting to experience or if it's just something that's been put upon you by someone else's thoughts.  I've had to do that a lot. Like, I've had, I've bought into some of those 10X and 20 million and blah, and at the end of the day, I look at what it would actually take to run a company like that, and I will be doing work I do not want to do.

[00:23:33] So I, I have to really sit with myself and go, "All right. Is that just an excuse for you not going there because you're going to go do work you don't want to do? You don't even know what the work is." because everyone tells you the more money you make, the easier it is sometimes. That, that also has gone around.

[00:23:46] But I, I just, I do, I keep coming back to what I know how to manage and being very clear that these are the talents and skills that I have, and if I'm not doing those, I don't really want to be doing what I'm doing. So, the person needs to think about what they're desiring, what the need is, get really clear about whether that's something they're wanting to experience truly or if it's something that's sort of been sold to them.

[00:24:15] And then if it's something they really want to do, they do. They just put it out there, literally. I do believe that to be true, you, you can sit on the curb, and you can visualize it, and you can imagine it manifesting, but then you have to walk into the opportunities, and doors, and different things that are happening for you so that you can forward that growth and that experience to occur.

[00:24:40] You, you can't actually sit. That's probably the, the one lie there. There's no sitting. It's, it's actual movement, and, and decisions, and choice that needs to occur after that. 

[00:24:54] Marshall Stern: Yeah, 100%. Mm-hmm. 100%.  Yeah. Yeah, dreams without action are just dreams. 

[00:25:00] Adera Angelucci: Right. 

[00:25:00] Marshall Stern: Right? They'll just remain dreams. You have to take...You have to take action. You have to... You have to do things. You have to do the, obviously, the right things. 

[00:25:08] Adera Angelucci: The right things, that's right. You're not like a doer busy bee. I know those people too. I know the ones that really, really want something, and they do everything to distract themselves from that thing, and the way, what they have to do to get it- 

[00:25:22] Marshall Stern: Yeah. Yeah...

[00:25:22] Adera Angelucci: Because it's too scary because they actually probably can't even imagine it happening. That's the other thing you have to do, is you have to sort of visualize your body being there because if you can't actually, like, hold the frequency or the energy that it takes to have that thing, it's...

[00:25:39] It can't come to you. So, you have to be able to receive, like, and just experience even when you have little micro moments of it. Like, so say you want to be on, like, a really big stage, right? Like, you really want that experience, and so you start saying yes to little speaking opportunities for free and whatever you can kind of do to get your message out there, and then every single time that happens for you, you've got to, like, take it in and imagine yourself again on a big stage and be like, "Yes," like, "I can hold that energy.

[00:26:07] I can hold that frequency. I, I believe that for me," right? And see yourself there. 

[00:26:12] Marshall Stern: Yeah. I love that, 100%. 

[00:26:14] Adera Angelucci: Mm. 

[00:26:14] Marshall Stern: Okay. So, what would be... Before we go, what would be one takeaway, I would say, golden nugget takeaway you would like our listeners to get from this entire conversation. 

[00:26:26] Adera Angelucci: Okay. All right. 

[00:26:26] Marshall Stern: This is the pressure.

[00:26:27] Adera Angelucci: Okay. 

[00:26:27] Marshall Stern: Yeah, here we go. You're on. 

[00:26:27] Adera Angelucci: No, I love this. You're on. If you're an entrepreneur, if you're somebody that has either started your business from scratch from an idea that you had, or you found a passion and you bought into a franchise, or you started a business that already sort of existed but you did it in your own way, anything like this takes such guts and courage, and I want to commend you for your leadership and your ability to say yes to that and, and see it through as it grows and progresses and has its ups and downs and all of the things.

[00:27:04] I always say that owning a business and being an entrepreneur is the biggest spiritual and personal development journey you didn't even know you signed up for. So, congratulations. This is, like, bigger than Jack Canfield. This is way over the top of Deepak Chopra. This is, like, you're in it, right?

[00:27:23] So give yourself some grace and appreciation for just stepping into this role. And then the next thing that I want to say as a golden nugget is to really listen to your intuition and your thoughts around what you're wanting to create and why and not being afraid to share that with the planet. Because the more you can tap into your truth and the reason for what you're doing, even if you're an accountant and you're like, "Well, the reason I do it is because I really want to help small business owners grow."

[00:27:55] Why do you want to help small business growers grow? "Well, because I really want them to feel like they have, you know, autonomy and they can, they can make it in this, you know, little Canadian market and..." But why does that matter to you? Just keep on digging down. Why, why, why? And then when you find the, the real reason for it, you need to share that.

[00:28:13] And the more you share that, the more you're going to attract your people and the more your business is going to evolve into something that feels very fulfilling and very purposeful for you, which I think is the most important thing we can do as, as a human being, is actually do work that feeds us and fills our cup.

[00:28:32] Marshall Stern: Okay. I... Hell yeah. I agree 100%. Everything you're saying, like, rah, rah. No, seriously, like, I'm drinking the Kool-Aid. I do agree. 

[00:28:39] Adera Angelucci: Sign up today. Sign up to – I'll give you, yeah, here's the link. Here's the link. I hope other people find this valuable. Thank you, Marshall. I really appreciate it. I'm 

[00:28:47] Marshall Stern: not, I'm not done yet.

[00:28:48] Adera Angelucci: Oh, okay. 

[00:28:49] Marshall Stern: No. Yes, I agree with everything you're saying. However, there's one part I am going to ask you about So you're trusting your intuition, you're putting it out there. I agree with... Trust me, I do agree with everything you're saying. You're putting it out there. What happens when you put it out there and you have the naysayers?

[00:29:09] Adera Angelucci: Crickets, crickets. 

[00:29:09] Marshall Stern: No. 

[00:29:10] Adera Angelucci: Oh. 

[00:29:10] Marshall Stern: Well, there's two parts. No, there... Yes, crickets is a different thing. 

[00:29:13] Adera Angelucci: Oh, okay. No, that you can, you can manage crickets. You're, you're talking about the naysayers, the ones that are like –

[00:29:18] Marshall Stern: The naysayers. Yeah. They... It could be family members. 

[00:29:21] Adera Angelucci: Yeah. 

[00:29:21] Marshall Stern: It could be your, it could be your spouse, significant other, because they're- 

[00:29:24] Adera Angelucci: Love it.

[00:29:24] Marshall Stern: …they just, they just want you safe probably, right? They care. 

[00:29:27] Adera Angelucci: You, you know what's so funny? It, like I have zero fear around that, and I guess that's because that was my whole upbringing were the naysayers. So, I, I survived. Here I am, I'm doing my thing. Woo, yay me. And you just have to kind of have that attitude.

[00:29:41] Like, that's just not your person. That's just not the person that you're going to attract and do business with. You know, I was really, really scared. In 2018, I, on stage, said that I've come out of the spiritual closet, okay? I believe business is spiritual. I believe everything is spiritual. What does that mean exactly?

[00:30:00] I mean like everything's connected, and we're all this like one energetic force field thing that's going in and out and around, and we got to be really attuned and all of these pieces, right? Well, I thought, like I had this one guy that worked with me, he worked in the cemetery realm, and I had this other guy that worked with me that worked in metals, and I had this other person that worked with me in farming, and I thought, "Oh, God.

[00:30:22] I'm going to lose all of these people. They're not going to understand what I'm talking about." And I might have actually, and I was okay because I attracted more people that I enjoyed working with more, and I got contracts that were more in alignment with my values and the way that I see the world.

[00:30:41] And it makes my, the joy of my work even stronger because I'm working with people that, you know, we all get it. So that's what happens. You just kind of fall into alignment with like your, your folk, which feels so good because at the end of the day, we want to belong, right? 

[00:30:59] Marshall Stern: But you... So, as we're about to wrap it up, we do want to belong, and I know you have a group, I have a group for entrepreneurs.

[00:31:07] Adera Angelucci: Yes. 

[00:31:08] Marshall Stern: And it is, it is the power of having an inner circle, whether it's a group that actually meets, or is it your inner circle of people you can go to. Because you might have people, again, like, a lot of people listening, their significant other or their friends could all be sort of in the, in the working world, right?

[00:31:22] Adera Angelucci: Sure. 

[00:31:22] Marshall Stern: And they don't get this entrepreneurship stuff. And they might not be the best people to go to with your ideas. They might not be the best people to talk about your challenges. 

[00:31:31] No. You need your people to talk to you. You do. Yes, of course. How, how can they talk to you? They haven't done it. They don't know.

[00:31:37] Marshall Stern: Yeah. 

[00:31:38] Adera Angelucci: Yeah. Or maybe they tried and it failed, and so, you know, they're really just disheartened by the whole experience. So that's not the people you want to talk to. You want to talk to the people who are doing it, who are getting it, who are in it, you know? 

[00:31:51] Marshall Stern: Find your people. Find your people.

[00:31:52] Adera Angelucci: They're out there.

[00:31:54] Trust me, there's so many. And I, I just... on the final note is sometimes we feel like we need to attract everyone, we want to open our doors to everyone, and it's just not sustainable or true. Like, if I literally had everyone coming at me to do business with me, there's no way I could, I could say yes to everyone.

[00:32:12] So the fact that I have targeted certain humans that are doing the work that I really value in the world, is working out really nicely for me. And it, it, you know, they, they talk about the niche, but it doesn't need to be that nichey. It just needs to be that you're clear about your values and what you're wanting to bring to other people, and who you serve be- when you serve this person, you're lit up and they're lit up.

[00:32:35] So boom, that's your, that's your human. 

[00:32:38] Marshall Stern: Boom, that's your human. That's a great place. One more thing, your book. 

[00:32:42] Adera Angelucci: Mm. 

[00:32:43] Marshall Stern: Can, can people access your book? 

[00:32:44] Adera Angelucci: Yeah, sure. Do you want me to put links in the show notes? 

[00:32:47] Marshall Stern: Put links in the, well, I'll put the links in the show notes. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, you can put the link in the, there, and I'll put it in the show notes, because you don't have access to my show notes. 

[00:32:54] Adera Angelucci: And I, well, I think I have access to everything.

[00:32:57] Marshall Stern: Oh gosh.

[00:32:57] Adera Angelucci: So, I mean, I am… 

[00:32:58] Marshall Stern: That's spooky. Oh, no.

[00:33:01] Adera Angelucci: I don't, no. I'll do it. Yes, great. Thank you, Marshall. Yes. Yeah. 

[00:33:04] Marshall Stern: Okay. Yes. That's awesome. It's Co-Leadership. Awesome.

[00:33:06] Adera Angelucci: Co-Leadership, Free Spirit. Yeah, all the things. We'll put it all in the... You'll put it all in the… this is me co-leading with you. It, it's... Yeah. 

[00:33:14] Marshall Stern: Who's interviewing who here? 

[00:33:15] Adera Angelucci: I don't know. I didn't even ask you one question. I haven't ever talked this much before. 

[00:33:20] Marshall Stern: Do, do you have a question you want to ask me? 

[00:33:21] Adera Angelucci: Sure. When you... Did, did you sell your sign company, or you still have it?

[00:33:26] Marshall Stern: No, I sold it. 

[00:33:27] Adera Angelucci: You sold it, okay. So now that you've sold and you've run a successful business, and you've sold it, and now you've switched gears. Actually, you were probably doing this work anyway while you were sort of doing the sign where it's just a part of you, right? To be this coach, to be this leader.

[00:33:42] Where are you hoping to take this Marshall Stern into the future? 

[00:33:48] Marshall Stern: Oh, just a beach in Bermuda, just, like, put my feet up and just drink, like, yeah, whatever you drink in Bermuda and, you know, it's- 

[00:33:54] Adera Angelucci: Well, you haven't really done a lot of details. 

[00:33:56] Marshall Stern: Yeah ... any - just not, not work, retire or... No, hell no, no. I, yeah, I actually...

[00:34:01] So it is a great question. So, I did actually start my coaching mentoring business 14 years ago. So, I ran both, for both businesses for a while. And – 

[00:34:08] Adera Angelucci: Wow, 

[00:34:09] Marshall Stern: I sold my sign company almost, well it is three years ago, actually. It's hard to believe. Time flies when you're having so much fun. I decided, I sold it because it was time.

[00:34:18] It was time to focus on what we're doing here. Not the pod, just the podcast, but all of this, the, the coaching, the, the thought leadership full time. Full focus, I should say, because I was kind of doing it full time. I was doing both full time, but full focus. And that's just, I just want to take it even bigger, right?

[00:34:35] This podcast is part of it. I just think there's... Everything you've said, I agree with 100%. 

[00:34:40] Adera Angelucci: Mm-hmm. 

[00:34:41] Marshall Stern: There's such a need for out there in the business world, the entrepreneurial world, the leadership world, for people to look at their role in their business differently, and to shut out all the, the, the noise, all the distraction.

[00:34:54] There's so much BS out there. I just really want to be there as a... And if it's a... I don't have to work. I can't, I can't work with everyone. 

[00:35:03] Adera Angelucci: Mm-hmm. 

[00:35:04] Marshall Stern: Right? But if I can inspire someone today, I think I've done my job, and that's my job, is to inspire and empower thousands of business owners. 

[00:35:12] Adera Angelucci: Okay, so when you said going bigger, it means to have, like, 1,000 business owners that you've touched.

[00:35:17] Marshall Stern: Thousands. 

[00:35:18] Adera Angelucci: Thousands. 

[00:35:20] Marshall Stern: Yes. 

[00:35:20] Adera Angelucci: Okay. And what, what does it – 

[00:35:20] Marshall Stern: So – 

[00:35:21] Adera Angelucci: What does that mean? Does that mean getting on more stages? Does that mean showing up online? See, this is my job, so this is what I'm doing here. 

[00:35:29] Marshall Stern: Yes. Yes. No, 100%. So great question. Now who's interviewing who? That's good because my, my big, my phrase, not word for the year, my phrase, my way of being this year was to become comfortable being uncomfortable. 

[00:35:44] Adera Angelucci: Great. 

[00:35:45] Marshall Stern: Okay? So, one of those... Okay, I did, I launched, relaunched my podcast last year. That, there's no, no uncomfortableness in that. Right. There's some – it was procrastination. That's all it was.

[00:35:55] But getting myself out there more, so it is getting on stages more. 

[00:36:00] Adera Angelucci: Okay. Well, come join Caps. I'll put the link to that too in here. Okay. We got to get you speaking. Okay. I love it. Okay, speaking. What else? 

[00:36:07] Marshall Stern: Yeah. It's just making the, a bigger impact. Yeah. That's really what it is. 

[00:36:11] Adera Angelucci: Okay. Yeah.

[00:36:11] Well, if you want to talk about that or do any sort of a secondary podcast as a work, co-working session for your group on how to get yourself out there, I'm all for it. 

[00:36:22] Marshall Stern: Oh, perfect. And I, and I truly believe there's opportunity for so many people to do that in, in different ways, whatever serves them, right?

[00:36:29] Adera Angelucci: Yeah, of course. 

[00:36:30] Marshall Stern: Not, not everyone, not everyone has to be on the, the big stage –  

[00:36:33] Adera Angelucci: No... 

[00:36:33] Marshall Stern: …necessarily, but the... I think it, we all need to be on some sort of stage for our business. 

[00:36:38] Adera Angelucci: You betcha. 

[00:36:39] Marshall Stern: So. 

[00:36:40] Adera Angelucci: Awesome. 

[00:36:40] Marshall Stern:Adera, thank you. 

[00:36:41] Adera Angelucci: Good answer. You're welcome. 

[00:36:43] Marshall Stern: Thank you. 

[00:36:44] Adera Angelucci: So fun. 

[00:36:44] Marshall Stern: That, that was awesome. Okay, so show notes. I will put everything in the show notes, so as you're watching or listening, it's in the show notes that I put in, not Adera, because that'd be spooky.

[00:36:54] Adera Angelucci: Doesn't have access. Yeah. Okay.

[00:36:55] Marshall Stern: Does not have access. Check out the book. Check her out. Everything's there. You're amazing. You guys are amazing. And comment, like, subscribe. Give this podcast a five-star rating because we want other people to be able to find this amazing episode. Until next week, have a great week, everyone, and we'll see you again on another episode of the Stern Truth Business Unfiltered.

[00:37:17] Bye for now.

[00:37:21] Thank you so much for tuning in to the Stern Truth. If you found today's episode helpful, we would love to hear from you. Please like, share, and leave us a review. Also, if you'd like to be a guest in an upcoming episode or join us in one of our Momentum accountability group sessions, simply email me to marshall@marshallstern.net. 

[00:37:42] That's marshall@marshallstern.net. And don't forget to hit the subscribe button so you never miss an episode. Until next time, keep pushing forward and leading with confidence.