Do Your Own Damn Thing with Mackenzie Heflin | Ep.16

I believe in divine timing. I believe that the right people information, wisdom, guidance, heck things arrive when we're ready for them. I believe that owning our own truth unconditionally is the path to not only creative fulfillment, but mobile success and abundance. This is not only a podcast to help you get strategic and mastered a position of success. It's a declaration to share the truth. It's a commitment to keep going to make it happen no matter what. It's an activation and invitation for me for you and for us to play a bigger game. So my question for you is this. Do you really want it? Do you really want to make your dreams come true? Do you really want to become a six figure coach? Welcome to the diaries of a six figure coach podcast. I am your host Theresa Lambert. And I dare you to get ready to show up, boss up and make it happen.

Hello, hello, and welcome back to another amazing episode of The diaries of a six figure coach podcast. I am so excited to be here with Mackenzie today. We have sort of just met over the internet because Mackenzie reached out to me after listening to this podcast, she particularly had one of the episodes in mind when I spoke about the pet of stolen how a pet of stolen people and it kind of inspired her to reach out which I thought it was awesome. MacKenzie is an awesome business coach, she helps MLM women in MLM actually leave their networking companies to start their own coaching businesses, which is incredible. And so we started chatting, connecting. And here you are welcome to the diaries of a six figure coach podcast, I'm so excited to have a chat with you.

I'm so excited to be here. And yeah, since the last time we talked, you know, the pedestal episode really stood out to me. I listened to the breakthroughs episode as well. And you're talking, you know, with Alicia, I think her name was and getting triggered in the online space. And just something that stood out to me it was, you know, when she was saying so many successful entrepreneurs are struggling in silence. Because it's like, not something you talk about in the online space. And that really just like, hit home. For me, truthfully, and kinda you know, everything, obviously, with your podcast and the pedestal and me coming from network marketing and supposed to be placing people on a pedestal, that's what you do, like you have people you look up to, and that's, you know, who you aspire to be. And you are kind of told to be that, you know, and they give you their content to share and like so you're you're trying to become versions of them and you lose yourself in the process. And I think that's really what your your podcast has been giving to me giving, you know, showing me that it's not just like something that little people struggle with, you know, it's sharing your authenticity in this online space. And it's something a lot of people are struggling with right now.

Wow. First of all, thank you so much like I'm just in like appreciation and gratitude and receiving everything that you just shared with me. You know, one of the things with this podcast that I really wanted to do, which is why it's called diaries of a six figure coach podcasts and not just the six figure coach podcast was to bring a more authentic voice to the coaching industry, particularly bring more authentic conversations and talk about the things that we don't often hear about talk about the struggle talk about the breakthroughs talk about what what happens behind the veil of social media and marketing and the popularity contests that seemingly seems seem to be in because it to some extent, the more popular you are online, the more popular you are as a coach, the more demand you will have and the more clients you have, and the more you can charge. So there is like a popularity contest that's going on. And the question is always how authentic can we be within our brands? Or how authentic Can we show up and share and still be perceived as like, popular? You know, it's such an interesting, it is such an interesting thing. So for me to hear that the level of authenticity and the conversations I've been bringing in has inspired you not only to reach out to me to come and have this conversation but just inspired you in general Um, to look at things maybe a little bit differently and rethink the way you thought about hierarchies and leadership. And you know, that, to me is huge, because I truly believe that. I mean, you're a business coach, I am a business coach, right? Like all different coaches out there. And I very much believe that I lead leaders, like I'm here to lead lead, I'm not better than them. Like, we are literally like, I really believe that we're equal. And it just happens to be that I have learned some things that I get to share, like I have a certain medical experience that I get to pass on them, they have a certain set of experience that they got to pass on. But it's in that equality and in the collaboration and co creation, that I believe the magic really happened. So rather than seeing them as like, you know, like, people get this idea that we have to fix them, they have to fix themselves. So fix. And it's like, you're not something that needs to be fixed. I know there's nothing broken with you. And you get to have your own authentic voice. And so you help people bring authentic marketing to their businesses. So why don't we dive into that a little bit, I would love to know how you, you know, break that mold around authenticity and business and help your clients and also yourself right to show up vulnerably and authentically, and bring that into your marketing message.

Yeah, I love that. I literally just had, like, probably 40 minutes ago had like, a mental breakdown, just like crying my eyes out. Because I have found social media to be so overwhelming lately. And as a new mom, and as you know, I stay at home with her full time. You know, it's it's hard being a full time mom, a full time business owner, a full time cook a full time chef, a full time maid, if you know what I mean. And a lot of, you know, people in this industry that I look up to, I just can't relate. And it's so hard to be, you know, you want to be someone in this industry, right, we all have the coaches that we look up to, you know, that we have bought from there's some big top dogs in this industry in the coaching industry, and we want to be able to build a brand like they have. And it's not necessarily that we want to be them. But we want to have the level of impact and voice that they have to bring their message. And it's such a powerful thing. And so, you know, you're looking up to these people in this industry that are so powerful that you want to be like, and it's like, you can't relate whatsoever. So like they're in you try, right, the way they run their business, you try to replicate it, and it just, it's just not happening. And so I learned from a very early on stage, I got into Network Marketing when I was 18. I actually got into the makeup industry, I hate makeup, I don't wear makeup, I've had cystic acne since the age I was 13. So any makeup actually made my acne worse. And so I got into a makeup industry, which was so unlike me, but I felt like I needed to be someone that I wasn't to like, show up as this like persona online. And so maybe like doing makeup was a way that I like entered the online space is like a different person, right? And so failed miserably in that business, obviously, because there was some passion behind it. I was literally just selling makeup products. And I really started to find my voice when I joined my second network marketing company. And I saw the possibilities of what marketing online could do. And I saw you know so many people, being leaders and being in speaking on stages and being on calls with the CEOs of the companies and I wanted that like I didn't care about the products in in in in the marketing you company I didn't care about that I cared about being a leader and sharing my voice. That's what I cared about. And so when I joined that network marketing company, I started to find my voice and one thing that always stood out to me in network marketing was the fact that like you had to be someone that you weren't again like this, like an authentic like way to live your life like you go on vacation. And you are on the whole time right like You don't get breaks. And I remember. So clearly, I'm so open about this, like I, we had a pool in our apartment complex and I go to the pool. I like lay out, I take a picture and then go back inside because I wanted to be like, Oh my god, I'm laying out by the pool today like working, right. And it's like, I look back and I'm like, so like, sad that that had to be my like I had to fake my reality to think that that's what it took to be successful. And

I would say probably you know, a year in is when I finally started to make a brand for myself around being this young girl. This redhead girl, my first brand name was redheaded dreamer. No one knew me by my name, no one called me Mackenzie, they literally called me like red redhead, Redhead, like no one. Because I was like, so like, into that brand. And sharing who I was, and the no makeup selfies and my life just being a complete mess 100% of this. And I think that's where like, the authenticity started to show. It's like, I made it possible as well, in network marketing, I had very well success in that business using the marketing efforts that I did, which was just being myself. I'd say it took a lot of work, to condition myself out of the trying to be perfect, and trying to appease an audience, and especially network marketing, when everything is like, don't you want to be me because I'm on vacation, and I have all the money and look at my new fancy car and look at my house and what it's done for me and I was living in a studio apartment 400 square feet. I worked 50 hours a week in a nursing home changing diapers, right? I like didn't have a fancy life. And I think embracing that made me appreciate the fact that I was able to have this success that I did. And it's so funny because my story obviously begins in my little studio apartment and I would film Facebook stories on a sitting on my toilet, my shower curtain was my backdrop. And I was like, so open about that. And I was like, this is literally my life like you, you have to be able to be yourself in this industry. Because if you're not, you're not going to make it far. Right. And so I think that's definitely where it all started. And how I continue to market that message and bring that life into my clients is allowing them to just be themselves openly and honestly with me too. And, you know, letting them know, because I have to be the example, right? If I'm teaching, authentic marketing, and my message and who I am. And I'm not allowing my clients to do that, or teaching them a different way to you know, be fake girl, you know what I mean? Like, it's not gonna work, the vibe isn't going to be. So showing up authentically as myself as well will help my clients be able to do the same. And whatever that looks like, I have an 11 month old, I'm a new mom, like, again, you still live in a tiny ass apartment. Like, for so long, I would have been ashamed of these things. Right? My you know, I film stories on my couch, like my little blanket is like my bathrobe. But I don't give a che you know what I mean? I'm gonna throw up because I just don't care. Right? And you just can't care. You just have to be able to share your your message so loudly, that you're making an impact. And you're doing it in a way that feels so good to you. Like, and that's the message I want to share as well. Like, it's always been about building a business that feels so good to you. And if you can't build a business that way, it's not going to last. And so that's like, you know, the the main thing with being authentic in this industry, I feel like

I love that thank you for sharing all that. And there's so many things that like I want to touch on you like like as like so many gold golden nuggets that you just shared. But I think one thing, particularly that I sort of want to highlight through everything that you just share is the moment we start to show up authentically as ourselves and really share in a way that we would share and share our life the way we actually live it like, truly live it is the moment you start leading yourself and being successful in this industry requires you to lead yourself and to own yourself to own your lane to own what you stand for, to own your message, to own your perspective, to own your work and to own your shit. And you can podcast and I think that that is so important to understand. Because for as long as you are trying to be like somebody else who speak like somebody else, or, or do all these things that for the longest time we were taught to do in this industry to be successful, you're literally blending in. So the way to stand out the way to actually gain momentum is to dare to do it differently. And to stop censoring yourself and censoring who you actually are right and that is so vulnerable. And that is where we feel so much resistance, right. But it is the like, you know, some of the questions that I always like to ask and ask my clients and is really around like, What are you hiding? What are you hiding from the world? What are you hiding from? Like, what is it that you don't want friends or family or your clients to know about you? Like, where are you censoring yourself? were you holding back? Were you doing things because you think you should do them instead of just showing up? Right and, and I think that that is so vital because for me and my story and I am like literally getting to the point where I'm going to be sharing more vulnerably it like I went through a big healing the last four months and now I'm on the road and I'm traveling and I'm getting used to like, you know, tuning in from different places, my podcasts like my microphone broke, like the cable broke, traveling to Toronto, and I'm like, Okay, here we go. Nomadic entrepreneur life like, things are gonna happen. So here I am recording with my headphones, out of my room, out of a room out of a kid's room at my friend's house, right? Like, this is where it's at, right. But I think it really is like, for me, all the hiding that I did and all the censoring that I did not just like how I was expressing myself outward in my business was my authentic truth. And what I've always been showing my business like I like having things a vibe, that wasn't it. But I was censoring my my self. And in other ways, I wasn't bringing as much spirituality into the strategy than I actually do. But as recently I've really seen for me, that's what's carried me through that's what's given me the sense of safety and security these past four months as I dismantled a part of my life and then dismantled my business model and put it back together, which was also scary, right? So but I think the thing for me was I got physically ill Mulder censoring, all the holding back all the hiding all the pretending, you know, and for me was pretending behind the veil of a seemingly perfect life of perfect marriage and, and feeling the pressure of seeing some of my coaches living, you know, that with their families, and everything's so good. And here I was, you know, suffering in silence, feeling like, if my relationship doesn't sustain my business will go down, like I was facing a lot of fear around that. And so I think that, that really gave me a new level of realizing that our message needs to be shared. And sometimes we're not ready right away to talk about some of those things, especially when they involve other people. But I really saw how censoring parts of who we are, or hiding parts of that aren't working with the world or with our clients or with, you know, even our coaches sometimes, right where though we provide a safe space, we actually do more damage, and we hold ourselves back. It's almost like we're putting up all these blocks in the way of our success. So I'm curious to know how you showing up authentically doing these Facebook Lives, like from your bathroom with your shower curtain as the backdrop like, How did that start to change the trajectory of your business? Because I know for me,

I know that where I'm heading now is like incredible. And it's because I've taken down the blocks the resistance and I'm like, You know what, I'm going to show up with a different voice and sharing my story more powerfully from wherever I am. But how was that like for you?

So firstly, I just want to say I can so relate and something that was coming up for me when you were talking is like why do we do this? Why do we we center ourselves like our real, like, it's something that is like, it confused me for a very long time. And it's like, Why was I doing this? Why am I holding back? Why? You know what I mean? And I think a big thing for me is like when I started to, again, take those walls down and really show who I was, and I was able to say, like, okay, so when I was in network marketing, I had a pretty successful business 300 customers, our team knee, and the people under me had done over, you know, $100,000 in sales, but like, I completely lost myself, in the marketing, industry, network marketing, whatever, because you're not taught to be yourself, right, you're taught to be a version of someone else. And so I knew I had to leave that industry. And I knew I had to make a name for myself. And when I was able to start coaching and launched my own coaching business, and do it in a way that was so authentic to me, I was able to say, Guys, I literally have my shower curtain as my backdrop. And I have done $15,000, you know, salesman like, and I was able to get so comfortable with the fact that I was being myself that sales came easy. And I think a lot of people, again, in this coaching industry, or they come into the industry with sales being gross or sales being like uncomfortable or sales being something is salesy, whatever the, you know, the words you want to use, and for me selling specifically, my product was just another piece of meat. And I had to say, you know, if sales and selling and your business, and something that you've created, like with your blood, sweat, and tears, is making you uncomfortable, then you need to change. And I think becoming a version of myself that I loved again, and finding myself after I left network marketing and being so authentic to my message and being just so real people wanted to replicate that because it was easier to be themselves than to be someone else they weren't. And it just completely changed my business forever. And all the clients that I welcome in are like many versions of myself, and they are so ready to just be themselves again and share their their message not be afraid to sell and not be afraid you're you're going in this coaching industry, like you know, you have to sell, right? And so the fear that's holding you back from selling you, right, you have to take those walls down and ask yourself, like, why are you afraid to sell something that you've created yourself that you are so passionate about? Like, where's that fear? And I think again, that was a big thing for me, and leaving the network marketing industry and becoming a coach. And it was like, Okay, I'm baby coach, I'm new to this, right? And, but I'm gonna go in, right, balls swing in, and I'm just gonna blow it out of the waters, I have no choice. This is something I've created with my heart and soul. Like it just has to be version of myself. And I think that I've continued that message, the past three years of coaching. And it's like everything that you create everything you sell, every piece of content, you put out every piece of marketing, and every story is just like snowballing into a bigger business. And you can ever imagine, because you are being so authentic in your message. And I think that's something that's super important as well.

Totally. And you know, you're talking about, you know, what's the fee and I think below all of that is this question. Am I enough? Yeah, am I enough as I am? And so it's this full acceptance. Right? It's, it's being like really owning our wealth and owning who we are. And when we do that we're able to actually lead others and guide others on that journey to write so I love that you help your clients really own their own stories on who they are and all On the gifts and how they share them. And when we do that you're right, like a Yukon fuckup. Being yourself. Like, I always say that like a conflict of being me. Like, that is literally the one thing I caught. Like, the only time or bucket up is when I'm pretending to be somebody else, because that's hard. It is hard to pretend to be somebody that you're not. So when you show up, and you allow yourself to show up like you, it becomes more effortless, I talk about scaling and feminine flow. And part of that, is that right? Like it is showing up in alignment with who you are your values, your strengths, your way of thinking, your perspective, your gift, like your lane. Because when you do that, everything else just becomes an extension of who you are. And by merely being who you are, you attract more of what you actually want. And so this is a cool thing about being able to build online businesses, because this is an industry where you actually stand out

if you are yourself. I know I don't think enough people, I don't think it's clicked yet. Right?

I think it's it's, if we don't do the inner work, if we don't work on ourselves, if we don't work on our own self worth, if we don't, on like if we don't do the uncomfortable inner work because it is to so much resistance. And I always say like the biggest thing that stands between you and the business you really want and everything you really desire is the resistance, it's the resistance that we put up by limiting what's possible out by saying we're not enough by saying we need to find answers outside of ourselves. So buy more, do more, be more, right? Like it's always done in order to be able to grow. And it's just not true. It's just not true. But it's easier to buy into that. Because we love to externally blame, we love, it's easier to say, Oh, I must not know enough. And saying, I'm not really owning who I am because I'm afraid to be rejected, I'm afraid to fail, I'm afraid to look like a fool online, I'm afraid of, you know, maybe being insulted sometimes, right? Like the online space, we are, you are essentially needing to put yourself in a position where you're seen and where you're hurt. Yeah, and that is a position that also comes with tremendous responsibility and accountability. So you got to be able to handle it, and to have the capacity to hold it. And so the only way to get is doing it in a work and getting really honest for yourself, right? Like the strategy is amazing, I do a lot of strategy. But at the end of the day, you can have all the strategy in the world and not get there. Because if you're not, if you're not aligned, like if you're not internally feeling it, if the way you're building your business doesn't feel right to you, it's always going to be a grind, and the grind will only ever get you so far. You know, it doesn't mean you can't be successful being out there hustling and pretending being somebody else. Some people do, and they're very successful. But there's going to be a point in your business where the growth will stall. And the only way to continue to grow is to take down those walls. So you know, I'm commending you for doing the work and doing that with your clients as well because it is the truly the path to not just more success in terms of becoming a six figure coach, you're having, you know, this income level that so many entrepreneurs aspire to. But something that is far more important, at the end of the day. And let's just be clear here. Money is a part of what we require to live our lives the way we desire to so I'm not going to say that earning a living a very good living as a coach isn't important. Because there is a part that's important. And I think sometimes saying oh, the money isn't, you know, the money isn't important. Like I want to just put that out there because it's another thing I will riff on this on an episode because it's like just gets me so fired up. Right? Like and if you've ever been in a position where you're like, I don't know, if I'm gonna be able to pay my bills next week money, Yeah, tomorrow, then you know, that money is important and money is energy so so to be able to feel abundant, and yeah, and and fulfilled, and like you're living out your purpose and like you're safe and secure when you don't have money in your bank account. That is a whole other level. But this is what the inner work can give you. Right? This is what being able to show up in a way and build your business in a way that really aligns with who you are innately, like embodying the work that you do, embodying who you truly are, that is what will give you the level of safety, connectedness, of belonging. Love well heaviness, like all the things, all that fulfillment, it's drawn from you. So if you're unable to give it to yourself, no matter what you create externally, you will never feel the way you want to feel. And so, you know, I think that, that is why when we learn to do that, when we work on all that and do the healing work, and the trauma work and remove all the resistance, and to me, that's a walk of a lifetime, like the work of a lifetime, like, there's always going to be like, I hate to tell you this, like, at any level, and McKenzie, I don't know if you can relate. But Jimmy, you know, it was like you, you build your business. And you get to this six figures. And I remember a time where I was like, if I can just get there. If I can just get there, then how is it going to go different than that, and then you get that and then it goes from Am I able to do it to am I able to do it again, and you have a big month and you're like am I able to do it again, and again, you're working to remove the resistance, you're going back to the inner stuff, right? And then it's aligning that, again, recreating division, you have figuring out new strategies that are compatible, like it's constant work and adjustment, like, it doesn't end. And that's why it's also good to know that no matter who you see online, no matter how popular a coach is, no matter how much money they make, we all have these human experiences and having these experiences, and the questioning and the wandering. It's actually the work is to hold compassion through the times when you're questioning and to hold space for yourself and to allow yourself to feel it rather than shove her down and pretend like everything's fine going back to the beginning of this conversation, right like don't censored or pretended to not be their knowledge and love it as much as you love when everything's great, right. But that is the point I found were joy and fulfillment and contentment and safety, which and safety and security, which I believe a safety and security for me are the number one thing that you've got to be able to feel in your business to be able to build it. And for as long as you don't feel these things. Being able to create something that's that's long term and sustainable, is going to be very

much difficult because it's out of alignment with your

love that. Love it.

Oh my god. So good. Mackenzie, with my amazing listeners want to come and follow you, which I recommend they do. Check out what you're up to follow your amazing authentic journey. See what authentic marketing looks like? Where can they find you?

So I have an Instagram, it's @Mackenziehavefun with little underscore, you can just search MLM drop out. And then my Facebook group, I have little community of MLM drop outs, but it's just called MLM drop out at Facebook group.

I love it. I love it. And we're gonna make sure that both those links are in the show notes as well. So you can find them really, really easily. So before I wrap this up, I have one last question for you. What's a piece of advice that you would give somebody who maybe has listened to this conversation? They're inspired by showing up more authentically in their marketing? What's one thing you would say start here?

Oh, goodness. I think if you're listening and you're like, Man, I just want to show up as myself. I just want to be myself. But I don't know what that looks like. Right? I just urge you to do the work to find it. Just go in, like being so blind about what this industry even is and what it like calls for and just do your own damn thing. Like say what you really want to say Don't look at anyone else. Delete everyone, block everyone. And just find yourself again, in this industry if you truly want to have an authentic and successful business for sure.

Oh my god, I love that so much do your own damn thing. You better make a quote square on Instagram with this. I love it. Do your own damn thing is the best. So with this being said, thank you so much for being on the diaries of 60. Coach podcast. It was amazing to have you I feel inspired and lit up from this conversation giving me also the things to talk about. So I'm gonna have to make like little notes. Bring that in and I appreciate you I appreciate you also being a listener and loving the podcast as much as you do. It means to well to me And I know our listeners will benefit tremendously from this conversation today. So thank you.

Yeah, of course.

Alright Mackenzie, well chat soon and we'll be back next week for another episode of The diaries of a six figure coach podcasts.