[On Air Coaching] How to Decide When to Make a Big Leap with Alli Williams

Jaclyn Mellone

Welcome to Go-To Gal episode number 187. As always, I’m your host, Jaclyn Mellone. And I hear this weird scratchy thing, I think it’s my hair. I don’t know if you guys hear that, but hopefully, I fixed it. So today’s episode is an on-air coaching call, and this is something I plan to do more of on the show here. So definitely let me know one if you want to be the guest. If you want to be the person getting coached on an on-air coaching call, go to jaclynmellone.com/ on-air coaching. We’ll also put a link to that in the show notes. But I love for you to DM me on Instagram too and just let us know what types of on-air coaching you’d like to see, or any feedback in general.

I love when you talk to me, so it’s a two-way thing. But I’m really excited to be doing these on-air coaching calls because what I’ve realized is that there are things that come up in a coaching call. While these are on-air coaching calls, they’re not exactly like a coaching call. Coaching calls is going to be a little bit different just because of the dynamics of it, but it’s as close as you’re going to get. 

So today’s episode, our guest is Alli Williams. Her question is, when should I leave my job? This is what I do. I talk finance all day but I may have this block, this mindset block on when is the right time for me to leave my job. So while this coaching call is specific to that, it’s really about goal setting and decision-making, and maybe for you, it’s when should you make that pivot or do that next big thing in your business? But we also get into other mindset stuff and self-talk. Even just goal setting and visualizing what you actually want and balancing the strategic brain with mindset and all of that stuff.

So if you’re like, okay I don’t have a job. This episode isn’t for me, this episode is definitely for you. Still, listen, and I know you’re going to have so much to take from it. Just doing these on our coaching calls one, I thoroughly enjoy it. I really do. But also, there’s no way I could bring this richness than a solo episode. If I was to say that these are going to be the things I’m going to touch on, the specificity of having a real-life human to talk it through.

I think it just gives us such a great example and the questions and the scenarios that I may not have thought of if I was just sitting down and writing out solo episodes. So I think there’s a place for all different episode types, but I’m really excited about doing more of these on-air coaching calls and I hope that you are too.

Okay, so that is that. I want to formally introduce you to Alli. But before we dive into this coaching call, Alli and I did not know each other, we have not coached together before this call so I’m just getting to know her as you’re getting to know her on this call, which makes for a unique situation. But it’s fun to put it like a reality show if you will. So I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I hope you get something out of it, as I know Alli did. Okay, let me formally introduce you to Alli and then we’ll dive in. 

Alli is the founder and CEO of FinanciALLI Focused, a financial literacy company helping people create effects of a flexible financial plan that they can actually stick to, no deprivation here. She has hundreds of people who she’s helped to pay off debt, build savings, spend on what they value., invest and feel confident with their finances. She paid off over six figures of debt while still saving and investing and buying season football tickets. Alli’s work has been featured on Business Insider, Authority Magazine, Thrive Global, GVL Today, Cola Today, WSPA 7 News, and more.

Alli has her MBA in Finance and lives in South Carolina with her husband and nine-month-old son. She spends her time at football games with a Starbucks latte in her hand. Alright, I was going to say, let’s jump into it but I forgot to mention to you that our quiz is out. So real quick, I’ll have to do more of an explanation, and other times, we have a new quiz out and it’s called which movie villain is sabotaging your success? If you feel like you keep getting in your own way, there’s that voice in your head that’s holding you back, or maybe you’re just like, I can’t seem to break this cycle or get to that next level.

There is a movie villain, and then we’re going to take a fun spin on this. There is a movie villain in your head living rent-free that is holding you back. And this quiz is designed to help you figure out one, who that movie villain is. And two, to give you the steps to conquer that inner villain voice. You go to jaclynmellone.com/quiz, you can take it for free. It’s going to give you your results, but also we’re going to walk you through how to actually conquer it. Some really gold, some amazing mindset advice that I’m really excited to launch. I’ll have to do an episode, will be many episodes probably, going into more detail about it but it’s finally out there in the world. So go take it for free at jaclynmellone.com/quiz. 

Okay, let’s get to it. Here is my coaching call with Alli.

Jaclyn Mellone

Alli, I’m so excited to have you here today. 

Alli Williams

I am so excited to dive in, excited to connect with you and learn from you and talk about all the things. 

Jaclyn Mellone 

So before we dive in, take us back to when you were growing up. What were you the go-to gal for back then? 

Alli Williams 

I am, as I told you earlier, the oldest child. So for me, I was the go-to for problem-solving, that was just my thing with my sisters. I have two younger sisters, even my mom, and everyone was like, okay I have a situation. What do I do? I am very type A so I always have a plan. I’ll figure things out like how to get out of a situation, how to deal with a situation, so definitely the person to go with to vent, to figure out problems, to get organized, to get a plan together.

Jaclyn Mellone 

I love this. So I am definitely, I’m more of a type B+ maybe, but I’m also a big sister and I am a big problem solver in my family too and I’ll share with you because it’s funny. I don’t think I’ve shared this on the podcast before. You know Sarah Blakely’s dad? Have you heard that her dad, every day he was like, what did you fail at today? And I instilled that. So I’m like, what do I want to instill in our kids? And I like problem-solving. I want them to be resourceful.

So of course when I say that they’re like, oh mom try it. So you try to make it silly and I don’t know, the first time it came up, Marshall and I were both wearing sweatpants. I was like, do you have your problem-solving sweat pants on? We’re not always wearing sweatpants, so that’s turned into your problem-solving underpants on. We pretty much always, I’m hoping, have underpants on. But it’s just something that makes it a little funny for them, but yes, it’s such a life skill. So I love that you were that for your family and that I can definitely see how that would carry into what you’re doing now, too.

Alli Williams

Yes, definitely. 

Jaclyn Mellone 

All right, so fast forward to today. Tell us what do you do and who do you help? 

Alli Williams

So my company is FinanciALLI Focused, financially like A-L-L-I at the end like my name, and I help mostly women but also couples to create a flexible financial plan that they can actually stick to my approach that isn’t deprivation based. My husband and I started with $154,000 of debt. We paid for our wedding, still invested. I’m a big college football fan so I still had my season tickets. For me, I want everyone to feel confident with their money. Make it easy, conversational, not as taboo. There’s so much fear around money. My goal is that everyone just feels like they have a plan that they can stick to. They know how to adjust it, they know how to pay off debt, save and spend all at the same time, and just make money more accessible and fun, and conversational for everyone.

Jaclyn Mellone

I love that approach. So what does that look like? How would they hire you? Are you a financial planner? Where does this fit in? Because I feel like there are financial planners, accountants, but this sounds like something totally different than that. 

Alli Williams

Yes, so I’m not a certified financial planner. I’m not a CPA. I do have my MBA in finance, but it’s just there. It’s just like a formal education background. But what I really focus on is I have a signature 12-week, it’s actually a group program called Flares Financially. And within that time, they have 12 weeks with me. We have calls, there are modules, there are expert sessions and we cover everything from the starting of money audit, budgeting, debt payoff, savings, spending, emergency planning because everyone loves their plan when things go great. But we all know that that is rarely the case, so I don’t want anyone to go back into old habits or be like, now what do I do? So we really focus on those 12 weeks that you have a sustainable plan that you can stick to after those 12 weeks. I don’t want you to need me forever. I don’t want this to be a thing where you’re reliant.

I want you to feel confident and secure and excited about your next financial goal. So clients, some of them have debt, some don’t, it’s not like a requirement. We’re not covering what is a budget? I know everyone knows what a budget is, it’s just that usually you’re not sticking to it or maybe you make good money and you have no idea where it’s going, or you have these savings goals and you want to save for a house, save for your kids, save for the repairs for your house. And you were like, how do I do all of these at the same time? 

So we really dive into individual situations, figure out how to balance, prioritize based on the season of life. And then if you want to go to a financial advisor or something, you could. But for me, it’s education and making plans. So if you want a financial advisor later, that’s fine but I want you to walk into that meeting confident that you know what the terms mean, you know what you’re looking for, you know what fees you’d be paying if you know all of that. So it’s just making sure everyone is empowered and informed and really, no one cares about your money as much as you do, like what I always say. So you need to know what’s going on, you can’t just leave it for someone else.

Jaclyn Mellone

Yes. I’m like, why did they not teach us this in school? Or like, maybe I was sick that day, but I don’t know why this is not essential to our education. It’s so important. 

Alli Williams

As I said, I married into six figures of that. So I became debt-free, met my husband during that time. He had $154,000 of debt, so I came in with zero then he came in with six figures. A lot of people, they talk to either me in the situation or my husband’s situation or some combination. And so for us, it was like, this is going to take us years. We don’t make millions. We’re not making multiple six figures. Together combined, we hit six figures but we weren’t making crazy amounts. So this is going to take years, but for us, it was like, I don’t want to give up everything for five years. We’re never going on a date night. My husband works in the evenings, I worked during the day. The only times we see each other are on weekends so date nights are essential for us, for our marriage. 

It’s all about, there’s no cookie-cutter way, there’s a ton of, obviously, information out there, but it’s really trial and error, figuring out what works best for your family, for you as a person even if you’re single. I did start all this whole journey as a single woman, so it can be done. I started pretty young, I’ll be 30 this year. So I started at 21 when I graduated college. But I wish I started high school or the beginning of college, or even if it was a required college class or something. I don’t know. That it was like, hey things to think about at 18 or 19, I don’t know. 

Jaclyn Mellone

Totally, totally. Okay, so this is a side hustle for you. You’re still in a full-time job, right? 

Alli Williams

Yes. So I started this as a blog in 2017, sharing my journey on what I was doing on my financial journey, then I got my MBA. And through that, I had so many questions like, how are you doing this? I’m struggling with this, and then it evolved from need. And then I worked with just private clients and perfected what I was doing, my templates, my method, and then transformed. But I still have 9 to 5, and I handle international trade. I deal with customs compliance and other stuff. I have both. I pretty much tell everyone I have two full-time jobs because my business at this point is practically full-time, at least hours and what I make and whatever. And then I have my nine to five, which is my formal full-time job. 

Jaclyn Mellone 

And you’re a mom too.

Alli Williams

Yes, and I have a nine-month-old who now moves around. He’s crazy. He’s amazing. But now he’s into everything. So when he was a newborn, it was easier, I put him in the bouncer and hit it with my foot, and then type on my computer. Now, he’s knocking everything over, pulls up, throws everything and it’s just like, okay.

Jaclyn Mellone

Once they can move, everything changes, yes. So today you’re here for on-air coaching. What is your question or what are you looking for some guidance with today? 

Alli Williams

As you know, I’m a money coach and money expert. My brain is very strategic. I work in numbers, I work in the plan. I’m not very good at just go with the flow. I’ve never gone with the flow. I’m not a very spontaneous person in any or most aspects of my life. So eventually at this point with my business and my 9 to 5, something has to give. I’m literally running a full-time business at this point.

You know, I have employees, I have contractors, my business model works, I run my signature program. I run four times a year. I have all this stuff going on, but then I also have nine to five. So it’s like, my question or things I want to talk about is when do you go all in? What are the things to consider besides, of course, the financial aspect of it? Because I’ve been riding the fence for a while, and I know that I can’t keep it up forever. I know some people can and that’s wonderful, but for me, with a child potentially, and more in the future, not the near future, but your future.

I can’t have multiple kids, two full-time jobs, and still be a person. Going to the gym, I don’t really have time for any more cooking. I have to do it on one day and cook for the week, and there are just things that I can’t prioritize. And even my business, I know there are things I probably can do to even scale it even more, but I just don’t have the time to do it. So just looking for your feedback and thoughts and coaching on what do I do? What are the things I need to talk and think about or do at this point?

Jaclyn Mellone

Okay, I am excited to dive into this with you. I think this is whether someone’s listening and they also have a side hustle or trying to figure out when’s the right time to leave. I’m just going to say right now that there’s no one size fits all answer to this, so you’re going to hear me walk through and come up with something, like for Alli and come up with what’s best for her. But there’s no like, everyone should do this. I do not subscribe to that at all. But also I want to know, for somebody’s listening, even if you’re not in a job, sometimes we’re doing one business and we want to pivot to another. I feel like this scenario is something that comes up at different stages of our business too, is we’re growing.

I’ve been thinking about that myself, I’m looking to make a pivot in my own business, and so I’m excited to dive into this with you. My question for you, which I ask at the beginning of all of my coaching calls is, what are you hoping to get out of our time together today? I think I know, but I like for you to say it so we can make sure we’re going to that same destination. 

Alli Williams

So for me, I want just clarity around one, that my fears or thoughts are valid and I think a lot of times in the coaching industry, at least what I see is that once you make $2,000 or $5,000, just quit your job and go for it. You have to go all in, and there are so many other factors that go into it like I have a son, so he’s reliant on me. I’m the breadwinner of our family. So my 9 to 5, I make good money. I’m not making millions or multiple, but I make enough to cover pretty much everything. So I need this to pay all of our bills and save and invest and do all the things that we financially want to do. So there’s definitely fear, there’s definitely blocks around it. As you said, there’s never going to be a right time, but it’s that fear around, is this going to work?

It’s been a few years of my business, working, but I haven’t had to rely on the income. It’s doing fine, I have my nine to five, but I’m also getting to the point where I’m getting very drained like I’m very tired. So just feedback on what steps I should take to prepare for that final leap into full-time or anything I should be concerned about or worried about, or things you’ve seen. Just getting all of your thoughts on this situation. 

Jaclyn Mellone

Okay, alright, so let’s dive in. So one, you’re very strategic. I’m guessing you have but maybe not, have you done the math on, this is what the business is making, this is what I’m making in my job, this is what our bills are. Do you know the number of, this is what I would need to be making in the business in order to on paper, make up for the salary, or even just cover what you have and feel comfortable? 

Alli Williams

Yes, so the numbers I obviously, as you know, have run many, many times in different scenarios. There are so many things that go into it like I have a 41k at my 9 to 5, and I have health insurance obviously. For me, it’s not as black and white of like, you just make 10K a month or 20K a month.

It’s simple, but my retirement is there. My health insurance and I have good health insurance and it is through my company. My son right now is on my health insurance. We could go to my husband’s or figure something out, but like, I’m the hub of our finances so it’s just that it’s stable. I’ve been with this company since I graduated college. So they know me, I know them, it’s definitely a comfort level. But I’m also at the point in my corporate career where I don’t really care to get promoted. I don’t know but that sounds awful. Because I’m trying…

Jaclyn Mellone

No. Don’t judge. Keep going.

Alli Williams

Because I don’t really care to move up. I don’t, that’s not where I see myself for the next 10-20 years, so I’m not pushing to get to that next level in that company, and keep moving and moving and moving because I don’t want to do that. 

So yes, I ran the numbers. I know, like on paper, but there’s such a difference to know it on paper, but mentally accept. I don’t know. It’s different to see the number and then being like, oh yeah sounds good. Let’s do it. It’s still just that fear around, okay I see the number. I know it’s doable, but what if it goes around. I’ve always had that. Even growing up, I always wanted to prepare for the worst so that if something good happened, great. But if a bad thing happened, I was already mentally ready for it, so I wasn’t disappointed ever. 

And that’s just how I’ve always been my whole life. I’m just prepared for the worst case, so I don’t know. There’s still a lot of fear and uncertainty, which I know comes with the business. I know all of this, but it’s still part of it as yourself.

Jaclyn Mellone

Totally, totally. Absolutely. All of us are going to have a different threshold of risk that we’re comfortable with. And so it’s figuring out, not necessarily what does the number look like on paper, but also what does that number look like for you to feel comfortable? So I guess staying with the strategy for a second, and then we’ll get into the mindset side of this, but have you done the, okay if I was to move my 41k, this is what it would look like. And if we went on my husband’s health insurance, or if we got health insurance through this other way, this is what it would cost. Have you gone to all those steps? Because that feels overwhelming to me. It’s okay if you haven’t, but that’s important to know as you’re figuring out what that real number is.

Alli Williams

I haven’t done that level. I’ve done the planning, based on what I take home after taxes from my nine to five, this is what I’d have to make for setting aside for taxes in my business and business expenses and whatever. So I ran the business budget numbers pretty much since that’s how I operate.

So I have a business budget planning, but I like the idea of really dive in, for me, because that’s something I need, other people might not need the nitty-gritty details. But for me, it’s knowing that these are the options we have for health insurance, or these are the options in how much it would cost to act like myself, and my son on to my husband’s or get something else. I haven’t done that yet, but I like that idea. 

Jaclyn Mellone

So knowing that I’m not a sports fan, but one time we went to a Cleveland basketball game and, their scoreboard, they have home and away, and then in the middle, they have the diff that tells you the difference. It does the math for you. I love this. It’s like, you need to know the diff. This is exactly what you need. Here’s where you are with your business, so what is that difference? And that may still not be the exact number for you because you may want an extra cushion above that, which is totally fine. You need to know that about yourself, but I think as a good starting point knowing that. So with the numbers, you have run, how far off do you think you are? 

Alli Williams

I’m really not far. I’m pretty much fine, I know that. My business, as I said, is pretty much a full-time business at this point, based on what it’s doing and the hours I put in. I pretty much work two full-time jobs and my business has been, I told my husband that I want the income to be consistent for at least nine months. I need to see the trends. I can’t just be one, one month I hit this, and that just brings up a lot of anxiety, especially with an online business. You can have a month that did really well, and then it obviously fluctuates more than my standard flat 9 to 5. So for me, I need to see this for an extended period of time to know that it is consistent now. It’s not just up and down, up and down. I think to your point, having a buffer is something I definitely need and building that savings cushion, and we cut things but my approach is not.

So as I said, I still have season football tickets, we still go on date nights all the time, and those are things I still want to be able to do even when I go full time. I don’t want to have a bare-bones budget for a business when I leave because the lifestyle we live, we sacrifice in certain areas.

Our house is so tiny, it’s two beds and one bath. It is a very small house, the functions for now. But the other things you enjoy, I want to still be able to do. I think there’s also guilt around leaving because I am the breadwinner of our family which has never been an issue. My husband does amazing things for our family. I would literally die without him but just based on my career path like I just make more. It is what it is, so it’s like, I don’t know. The pressure of I’m carrying the weight of our family, which I know I’m not, my husband is an equal partner and he supports my business a hundred percent. I know it’s a “me” issue but I just put that on myself. 

Jaclyn Mellone

And that’s why I think it’s important that this conversation isn’t just strategic and it also isn’t just mindset. For us to have this conversation and just be out here with like, what are your thoughts around this? Let’s think positive or whatever. Especially for you, but for anybody, you need to have that strategic element. But also if we’re just looking at the numbers and we’re discounting the real emotions at play, and how mindset, it does have a part of this. We’re not looking at the full picture either.

So it’s important to look at all sides of this and you come in with it with a really strong, stronger than most, especially with the finance side of things, strategic. You know what you got to do and you’ve built up your business, and it’s good. I think for all of us to understand too that you’re really at a point where you could leave. So what’s stopping you? So let’s go in that direction. I want to go a little bit further out though and switch gears into, what are your goals? What do you want? I heard you mentioned wanting another child eventually and trying to picture your life with that, in saying that this wouldn’t be sustainable.

So what is that life that you’re picturing, what is it that you’re working towards that you want? Why even have this other business? You have a successful career, so what is that that you’re working towards not just with the money but with your lifestyle too? 

Alli Williams

The reason my business started was for the impact. I could very easily, not to sound cocky, but I could very easily make this business about profit more, increase my prices to exponential rates and help five people and make this a very profit-driven business. And of course, I need to make money but I’m so passionate about this. I know that this business is what I’m supposed to do. I love connecting with my clients. I know my client’s dogs’ names, kids’ names, I know their dreams. This isn’t like I know your name and it’s a group of 80 people and you never hear from me, and you’re just a number. I still talk to most of my clients even way after, like for years I still talk to them.

And so for me, it’s the impact and I literally love it. If I could wake up and do it every day, I love my business. I love my clients. I love what I do. And lifestyle-wise, I want to be home with my kids. I want to raise them, I want to be there. Do I want to break sometimes? 110%, even with a nine-month-old, just one. Do I want to just sit in the quiet for certain hours? Yes, but I want to be there to be supportive in his games. I want to be there for everything, and I always tell my husband that my big goal in my business is to make a lot of money so that I can just give more. I’d love to walk into a restaurant and just give a server $500 and just be like, here you go bye. No fame around it, but just help random people, that’s why I want more money. 

Of course, we want to retire and give to our children, but I want to make an impact or just organizations where I just can give thousand-dollar donations whenever I want. That’s what I want. That’s the life I want, to be comfortable. We don’t have fancy tastes. I don’t care about brands. To have our house and land and hang out with our kids, but just be able to give and spend more time with family. And if I want to take a trip with my parents, we could do that, or things like that. 

I’m very family-focused and just help other people do the same thing. That’s what a lot of my clients want, and just keep passing this down and hopefully, the snowball effect can change literally generations and help people get in better financial situations. So I want a routine that I could take care of my children and not do what I want, but plan my day around. My kids or my family and not be stuck in the structure or not be stuck with a certain amount of vacation days. Things like that, where I can plan around what’s best for myself and the family. 

Jaclyn Mellone

Yes. Oh gosh. I remember such a big motivator for me was like, I don’t want to have to count my sick days. If my kids are sick, I just want to be able to take care of them and not worry about how many sick days I had or something like that. So with this, and first of all, I heard you say, not do what I want. You can do what you want too, there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s so much power in being able to do what you want and embracing that. So I don’t want you putting limits on yourself or what you’re able to do or what you’re even allowed to dream about. But taking that into more of like, all these ideas out there, what does that look like though with your day today? Is there still childcare? Do you just want to be home with your kids and you’re making passive income? What does that look like in terms of a little bit more of the structure of your life? We don’t have to go hour by hour, but just what does that look like in terms of what your days during the week would look like? 

Alli Williams

And so my husband works in the evenings, and so he’s home in the morning. He’s actually home watching our child right now, and then we have someone coming in the afternoon to help me. So I definitely still would want some childcare, probably in our house, which is what we have now, and just have someone come for four hours a day and help because it’s a lot. As I said, I love my son but if he is actually trying to work two jobs and do stuff while he’s running or whatever, it’s just a lot.

So definitely still childcare. I would want my days, mornings to be very calm. He’s young right now, but eventually going to school so it’s like, I can do the morning routine and get him ready for school. Breakfast, have a morning talk like have a good day, talk about his day. While he’s in school, it would be my core, get stuff done. 

I love client calls. I cut back a lot on private clients, I only take two at a time. I used to have 10 and I pretty much almost burned myself into the ground. I loved it, but I just had calls all of the time. I was always checking on with clients. I do numbers, I’m reviewing their spreadsheets. It was just excessive, so I cut it back to two. I only take two private clients at a time, and I don’t even really promote it. It’s like a backend if you find it great. They’re listening. Find it on my website somewhere, but it’s like backend stuff. What I really focused on was my group, and I run it four times a year. And it’s still a small group. I would like to grow it a little bit, but still, keep it where I know everyone. But that’s my thing. I still get calls, I still do zoom calls with everyone but now in just a small group so I can serve more people and not be as overwhelmed myself. So definitely cutting back on the calls is my goal. Taking more just the group calls, maybe adding a few things. Potentially, I don’t have anything major passive right now. It’s definitely something I want to add, but I love the calls and coaching and knowing people. So I don’t think I’d ever fully go only passive because I know it works obviously for some people, but I love the interaction. I love learning about people and their lives.

So routine-wise, I’d say still having some calls and then check-ins with the team. I’d love to help other people build careers through my company and just keep spreading it and making this a thing that people have accessible knowledge. Especially women and just the comfortable talking about it, so that’s what I’m picturing. Still in time for dinner with the kid, still have time for a family dinner. 

Jaclyn Mellone

Well, and it’s good to have that clarity too because as we’re talking about this, it’s a big leap to leave your job. You’ve been there for a while, there’s a sense of security there. Your career, you’re the breadwinner, all of these things. So understanding also not just the finances, but this is what we’re working towards as a family. This is the goal of how we want our day-to-day life to look. That’s a big piece of your understanding, and you, I think also getting excited about this move, that it’s not just about the money, but it’s also about the quality of life, and how you want to be enjoying the money that you make too in the time that you have with your young family.

Alli Williams

Yes, so the point is I need to, which I don’t do, I’m the worst when it comes to journaling and stuff. As I said, my brain is so strategic that the thought of that, I’m just like, I’ll be writing things but my brain is thinking that you have to make dinner. I’m not good at that, but to your point, I think I need to take time and just write it out because I do better when I write things. Just connection-wise, I do better when I write things so I just write down what we talked through. But what I want my day or even the next 10 years to look like and write it out, because I’ve never actually written it down. 

Jaclyn Mellone

Yes. So quick exercise for you, and then I have a lot more that we can dive in with. I like to do a dream week exercise, and I do two versions of this. So one is more of the ultimate dream week, five years from now, 10 years from now. And I say week because our days are so different but it’s helpful to look at the course of a week of, okay what would that look like and go in the totally ideal scenario. But then once you look at that totally ideal scenario, you can usually find some ways that you can start bringing some of that into maybe a more shorter-term goal dream week. It was the ultimate dream week, but then there’s like, one of the things on my mind was when I was a teenager, I babysat for a family that had three kids and they were very wealthy. They had a lot of, I don’t know. You might think you’re younger than me, so do you remember hard candy nail polish with the rings or whatever?

And I think it was like $15 for nail polish, they have every color. I was like, oh my gosh. I think they actually were very wealthy, but there were very impressionable to me in my teen years, all of the hard candy nail polish. But the mom was a stay-at-home mom and there were three kids, and I would come over to babysit two of the kids and she would take one of them out and do something just the two of them. I’m like, that’s so nice. And so when I was putting together this dream, I’m like, I would love to have a nanny come and just be with one of the kids. And I could go on a date with the other kid. But then when I start looking at it it’s like one, how much is it to have a nanny for a couple of hours? 

Two, there’s a drop-off service at the wire. My mom could watch that one kid for an hour and we could both have one-on-one time with them. And so when you start to look at those things, it’s like, oh wait, that doesn’t have to be this thing. That’s so pie in the sky. So starting to look at that, okay what’s the ultimate dream? And then, how can you start to put some of that into a more shorter-term goal too? So I think that’s good, especially if you’re not a big journaler, it’s very practical. Whatever you use for a week-to-week calendar, you can even fill that out and just get a sense of it.

And it starts to feel a little bit more tangible too. This is what it would actually look like, and I think with your strategic brain too wrapping your head around what it would actually look like is going to help you feel more comfortable with stepping into it too because it’s a big change.

Alli Williams

Yes, I liked that. I liked the thought of a week because I feel like to your point that day to day is obviously, can be very different. Every day is not going to necessarily be identical or anywhere near identical, so I like planning farther out, and then also I think that will work well for me, so I’m going to write that down.

Jaclyn Mellone

Yes, and you may even want to pick with starting to think about another child, you may even want to go like, okay once we have this clear, once your nine-month-old now isn’t in kindergarten, that’s going to look very different. So even going to a scenario where you have another baby and your little guy now is a pre-schooler or something like that, that might be few years ahead but a tangible example of where your life is going to be too. 

Alli Williams

Yes. 

Jaclyn Mellone

To start wrapping your head around it. So with everything that we were talking about though, if you can tap into this now, and if you can’t, this is something I want you to journal on. But when you were describing that this is what the day would look like and what I would do in my business and, being home with the family for dinner and all of that. How does that feel? And how does that feel, maybe that’s different than what you’re doing now?

Alli Williams

That feels a lot less stressful. As I said, right now, obviously, I have two full-time jobs. My husband works evenings, so I’m responsible for bedtime. And then I don’t get to shower or do things until after he goes to bed, which is like eight, which is my day right now. It’s just like a mess, so it definitely feels more relaxed. 

Jaclyn Mellone

Okay, good. I liked that you said relaxed because our brains don’t know. Our subconscious doesn’t understand the negative, so less stress as we interpret it as stress. So as you’re thinking about, okay, this new life that we’re working towards, instead of thinking of it as less stress thinking of it as more relaxed or more enjoyable. Start to think of it like what are those positive words and feelings to describe what you’re working towards? Not just the opposite of the goal isn’t to be less stressed. The goal is to feel relaxed or happier. 

So start to think of it like that, and I think when you’re doing your dream week exercises. Once you’ve done them, start thinking about, okay, how would I feel with that because it’s important to know, not just what you want to be doing but how you want to be feeling? 

Alli Williams

Yes, that makes a lot of sense. I feel like now I’m going to be way more aware of the words I use because I feel like I do use not the positive words a lot. So now I feel like I’ll be more conscious of this. That’s a good point to know, to use just the positive version of what you’re feeling, not just like, oh I want to be less overwhelmed or less stressed, so I liked that too. 

Jaclyn Mellone

Yes. Okay, switching back to strategy for a second. I like to take the hats on and off here. You mentioned private clients and you used to have 10, that was a lot. Now you have two, be you also have a full-time job. Have you thought about as we’re thinking about, okay what is this number? What number gives you comfort? If you were to have a few private clients that seem like something that would be pretty easy for you to do, what’s the number you think you might feel comfortable with and what would that do with your budget here? 

Alli Williams

I think 10, even without a full-time job would be like, just crazy. I think still comfort-wise, it’d still be only four unless I restructured the whole offer completely. Just because it is, I still put in a lot. This isn’t like we check in once a month and you never hear from me again. I talked to my private clients every single week. We zoom right now every other week, and inbox or talk to them all the time. I’m checking their files. So it is a lot on my end, but I think I could take a few more. The goal would be like the group I run, which every round obviously gets better and better. It has this July, this current round has 14 people in it. September round hasn’t started yet and already has five people in.

So it fills, that’s where I’ve left it. But if I could get even to 20 people and then split the calls, maybe 10 and 10. Or make it still like the calls are still smaller, but the group itself is bigger. So that’s something I thought of it too. I don’t know. I’m always all over the place, but the group is so much fun because people think the group is weird. They’re like, oh I don’t want to group., I just need your private coach. But then they get in it and then you have someone who’s like, I’m struggling with this and people are nodding along like, me too. And then you’re like, oh my God, you feel that way too?

Especially when it comes to money and it’s all women. I do applications for it. You can’t just join this group. You can’t go on and sign up. I have calls of every single person before they join, so I feel the vibe of the group is safe and comfortable. So there’s a lot I do on the back end to make this group comfortable for everyone. But I definitely could take on a few more private clients. I just think honestly, the group materializes and what you can get great results and stuff from that. I think the private, I try to do if you have more of a complicated situation, or maybe you have you and your spouse have separate finances, and you’re trying to combine and it’s messy. You can do just as much with that, and it’s obviously lower investments for the person. and For me, it’s easier to do, but I definitely think if I were full-time, I could add more. I have an email list I don’t utilize. I don’t even do Pinterest. There are so many things I don’t do because I just don’t have the time.

I do outsource a lot, but it’s still hard right now to figure out what to do. I have two jobs, so there’s a lot more I know I could do. I just don’t have the time for it. 

Jaclyn Mellone

Exactly. And I want us to go back to the mindset because I think that is the biggest piece of this, but I want you to know, like really know that there’s so much more money that can be made with this business without even crazy things happening. You could grow this business exponentially but literally also, like tomorrow you could bring on. Maybe you wouldn’t want it to take on those 10 private clients, but you could. We could also look at what are your boundaries and what does that offer structure looks like?

Maybe, just as a quick reframe, and then we’ll go back to the other stuff, but maybe you vox stirring with them all the time. Isn’t empowering them to be putting these skills to use, maybe there are some boundaries that you can put in place that make it easier on your schedule, but that also empowers them to not be reliant on you. You’re getting them to a certain point where then they can function on their own too. And so, what’s a way that you can structure it where you’re helping them and it’s more doable for you and you’re able to bring in that extra revenue that gives you the comfort to be able to leave your job and live this life and serve your community with us?

Alli Williams

Yes, definitely. I definitely agree. 

Jaclyn Mellone

Okay, so let’s say we make this work whether with the group or one-on-one. The numbers are there because we know you can get there. So the numbers work, what is stopping you from leaving the job? 

Alli Williams 

I don’t know. I know at some point I’m just going to have to rip the bandaid off and go for it, and you can tell yourself that a thousand times. I know that, but honestly, I think for my next steps I’ll feel a lot better once I can picture doing that week exercise you said, and also life. Because for me, it’s the numbers I have but to really visualize and write down what is this going to literally look like? What is my day going to look like? When I have only one business, one full-time job, what am I going to do? So I think for me, I need to actually write all that out because I have all the numbers, but I haven’t done writing out the other stuff. So I think, just based on our conversation, what I need to do is write down what my day would look like and my week, and do those exercises because I think I’ll feel better seeing what it’s going to look like. And then I can add to my day or do because I haven’t done that part yet. I’ll feel better once I can see that. 

Jaclyn Mellone

I think so too. I think so too. I don’t want to look over some of these other things that you said might be blocks for you. So you mentioned guilt at one point, and maybe that’s tied in with being the breadwinner.

Are there any beliefs that you’re holding right now that it’s like, but this is my responsibility or do I feel guilty leaving? I’m also thinking of that other thing that you mentioned where you’re like, I don’t just want to do what I want to do all day. I’m thinking that maybe that’s tied to this too, what’s wrong with that? So what comes up for you around that? 

Alli Williams

I don’t feel guilty about leaving where I’m at that, but I do feel that it’s safe and I’ve always played it safe. I mean the business isn’t obvious, but especially growing up, I’ve always chosen that I feel that this is the safer option, just because I definitely have issues with risk, I say. But I think I always felt like I had to put everyone else first and just make sure everyone else is good. I think that goes back to the older child thing or just that role in my life or family. Making sure that everyone else is good and their stuff’s figured out. They are all good and then think of me after.

I think there’s just a lot of fear of the unknown. Of course, it could go wrong, but it hasn’t been going wrong so there’s no proof it will. 

Jaclyn Mellone

So here’s the big question for you, and this isn’t a question I would ask everybody, but for you specifically, because the numbers are pretty much already aligned and we know with just a little bit of work. You could probably be making more in your business than you are in your job. So why does the job feel more secure?

Alli Williams

I guess, honestly, what I do is very niche. Even if something happened there, I know I can get another job in one day. There are not many people who do what I do, even at my company, there’s two of us and the whole company so they need me. I have job security like I’m not worried about getting fired or anything happening. It’s comfort, it’s steady so I don’t know. I think it’s just how we’re programmed, like not how we’re programmed, but it’s like how we’re taught growing up like it is secure.

You just do this for whatever. Well, that’s an interesting point. I don’t think I’ve ever really thought through that. 

Jaclyn Mellone

Because I see you. The first thing you said was you’re a problem solver. You’ve had this business build up. It’s been stable. You know that if push comes to shove, you can make more money in your business too. And if pushed, you could always go get another job too. You can go back into that field too. So I think as you’re getting your mind wrapped around that, okay this isn’t maybe the risk that you’re thinking it is. Because of that while you’re programming, quote-unquote, the job is more secure, what if it’s not? You are so resourceful. What if you being in full control of your own destiny with your own business is the most secure?

Alli Williams

Yes, I’ve never thought that way. So I think that’s something I need to obviously reflect on and then just continue to tell myself because I think I’ve just folded over and over for years. That’s just the safe, that’s what you do. That’s the secure option, and you just believe it. I don’t know why.

Jaclyn Mellone

There was one time, I was working for an entrepreneur and I was very bad at dramatic stories and I ended up getting a job with a business that had been in business for centuries. It’s a very well-established, big corporate company, and 30 days later, they did layoffs. I’m like, I left what I thought was unstable to go to this really stable job but it wasn’t. And I’m not saying that your job is like that, but you know you have this education, you know you could go back into that career whenever you want. But I see what you’ve done with your business and just knowing your personality too. I want to encourage you to, I phrase it as like, what if the most secure thing was you being in full control? And I want you to play around with that. How is that? How can you feel the most secure by you having full control? You also mentioned that I’m the breadwinner, but it’s like, you could still be the breadwinner with your business.

And so I don’t think it’s you trading in that identity. It’s you seeing that your business empowers you to do that more too. 

Alli Williams

Yes. I really liked that because it’s definitely not something that I feel like I’ve just, I don’t know. I always was like, it’s just this is what you do. It’s the secure option, it’s safe. It’s just growing up, I obviously went to my undergrad, I got my MBA, had a corporate career. You just, you know, climb the corporate ladder or whatever, and then I can still do everything I want, and pretty much I can build a company that I want from what I want it to look like instead of someone else’s company. 

Jaclyn Mellone

Exactly. Exactly. So side note, how do you pay yourself right now? Do you pay yourself with a paycheck or do you pay yourself just sporadically? 

Alli Williams

From my business?

Jaclyn Mellone

For your business. 

Alli Williams

I just pay myself sporadically. Really, it just goes towards saving goals because I don’t need it to live. So it will go towards things that my husband and I are saving for, investing, and stuff like that. I actually reinvest a lot in my business. I am very putting money back in, either contractor like people to help me do stuff or programs and stuff. So I do spend, my expenses are high temporarily because my thought was like, if I’m trying to ramp this up and move, now’s the time because I have two salaries for, two incomes to invest because I have that there. So I’m trying to ramp that up, things like that.  If I need to cut expenses later or be more stable on my expenses, I can. But right now, it’s definitely not. 

Jaclyn Mellone

So I think for you, again, this is very Alli-specific advice, but for you to have that evidence of, I can be getting this stable paycheck from my business. Let’s make that happen as soon as possible. You can end it. This is going to be, what’s it going to trigger for your brain? Is it going to be paying yourself on a regular schedule or is it literally going to be setting up an account in Gusto and setting up payroll for yourself and showing like, I put myself on payroll and now I’ve paid myself these months. I’m getting a paycheck, just like I’m getting a paycheck at my job and really giving yourself that evidence. So you can really see it and feel it. 

Alli Williams

Yes, I like that. That’s something I’m going to literally do this week because I figured that I agree. I think if I see it come through, setting it up as like, okay, this is my salary. I’m paying myself this, obviously, this can work if I’m making this much. So yes, I need to do that. That’s gonna help me a lot. 

Jaclyn Mellone

Okay, good. Alright, and my last piece of advice here is just since guilt has come up a couple of times. Wherever there’s guilt, I like to replace it with gratitude. And so just as you’re going through this, if there’s anything you’re feeling guilty about, even if it’s feeling guilty about that you get to do whatever you want during the day, or if it’s feeling guilty about whatever it is, how can you take that and switch it to I’m so grateful for it?

So instead of feeling guilty, instead of feeling negative emotion about something really positive, because usually when we’re feeling guilty about something, it’s right. It’s like a negative thing attached to something positive. How can you really think into the gratitude of that positive thing and really feel the positive of it.

Alli Williams

Yes. I definitely need to flip things. Even with the words you talked about earlier, instead of saying less stress, I realized all of that. So things that can be more mindful of the words I choose to say, and how I think through things. All good things. 

Jaclyn Mellone

Yes, alright. So as we’re wrapping up and I know we’re a little bit over. I know your goal was to feel like you had the steps and to have more clarity and just validation that it’s okay to be waiting until you feel comfortable. Did we hit all of that? How are you feeling? 

Alli Williams

Yes, I feel a lot better. I know, as I said, I work with action steps so I’ve even written down things I can actually do now. So paying myself, dream week, really writing down, mapping out what my life would look like, not just actually writing it all out, definitely being more aware of how I word things and how I talk about things. And then just the mindset shift or change of why is a corporate, a more secure option? So a lot of good takeaways, action steps, and I appreciate you and this and this whole conversation because it’s helped me a lot and hopefully it’s helped other people who are listening because I feel a lot better.

Jaclyn Mellone

Good. Well, I appreciate you sharing with us and doing this so those people listening can benefit from it too. The last thing I want you to put on your step-by-step list is a goal date. Let’s attach a date to this. You’re a goal getter here, what is that date going to be, and talk it over with your husband so you’ll both feel comfortable with it. But give yourself that date, so you have something you’re working towards and you can give yourself some time to maybe wrap your head around it, but also force yourself to take the action with it. 

Alli Williams

Yes, I need to do that so I definitely will do that. 

Jaclyn Mellone

Alright, good. Thanks so much, Alli. How can we stay in touch with you? 

Alli Williams

My Instagram, I post money tips and resources literally almost every day. So FinanciALLI Focused, if you listen, send me a DM. I like to chat. That’s the best way to chat with me. My website has a ton of blog posts and information about my group and information about me and free resources, so definitely check it out. I’m excited to stay connected. 

Jaclyn Mellone

Awesome. Alright, thanks so much. 

Alli Williams

Thank you.