Knowing your Worth with Christine Hansen

Come on warm lead. This is George G. And the time is right. welcome today’s guest strong and powerful. Christine Hansen. Christine, are you ready to do this?

Christine Hansen 0:20
Hello, George, I am so excited to be here. And

thank you for giving me the opportunity to share any wisdom in line with your audience.

george grombacher 0:28
I’m excited to have you on Christine is the founder and CEO of Christine means business that you are she is a boutique consulting coaching service for creatives, coaches, small businesses who are growing online. Christine, tell us a little about your personal life some more about your work and why you do what you do?

Christine Hansen 0:48
Yeah, that’s a broad question. So I do different things. It’s never straightforward. I think I’m a fully fledged serial entrepreneur, or serial printer. And my passion is really about building businesses online. So that’s really what I adore doing. So I help people with that in a very harsh, I say, in my own way, meaning that I do love strategy. But I also really want to make sure that everyone is always doing what feels really right to them. And I call myself boutique because I’m not someone who works with everyone in terms of that I don’t even cater for everyone. So I’m quite selective, which is what I’ve always been what I like myself. And then the other thing that I do is that I curate travel experiences for entrepreneurs. So that’s for entrepreneurs who has been in a game for a little bit longer, after a few years. And you know, when you very often then you hit that point where you’re not quite sure anymore, if your business is as fulfilling as it was when you started out because you’ve grown, you might have outgrown your audience. And it’s, you know, you have great revenue, but it’s not quite, you know, you kind of fell out of love with it a little bit. So the travel experiences are really to create a blank slate, and to really pause and make sure you get perspective without, you know, your CEO or your CFO, you know, whispering in your ear, but really making sure that you know, actually what you want. So I do I always do different layers. Let’s put it that way. And then my personal life, I live in Luxembourg. I was born in Colombia, but was adopted when I was four months old. So I always say born in Latin America and bred in a very traditional academic, European kind of family. And, yeah, I have a little daughter, she lives mainly with her father, because that works out much better for us. I’m not a typical mother remand, though, that works well. And yeah, I love my entrepreneurship journey and love sharing whatever lessons I’ve learned.

george grombacher 2:50
Nice. Love it. So the idea practice of traveling and pausing getting perspective getting clarity on what I’m doing what I want to be doing. That seems like it’s probably a good exercise for anybody to do.

Christine Hansen 3:09
I agree. Yes, I think sometimes, I think it could be for everyone the reason what what should be for everyone dependent really independently as to what you do in your life. However, I do feel that very often as an entrepreneur, you have a little bit more of self awareness sometimes. And I’m not speaking just like in a kind of haughty way, but just saying that when I before I was an entrepreneur, and I had my steady job, I refer to it as a time where I was kind of half awake, you know, and half asleep, I followed the rules, you know, everything was fine. But ever since I’ve had to, you know, run my own business, making sure I can cater for everyone through my business, I had to do a lot more personal development and became a lot more self aware. So I think there is a different, there’s just a different vibe to it. And the other kind of main not an issue, I don’t want to call it an issue, but maybe characteristic is that entrepreneurs very often have a very certain way of thinking, that is sometimes difficult to explain to people who don’t have their own business and who or who don’t depend on it. And it’s a specific set of issues sometimes that it’s difficult to discuss otherwise. So the idea was really to, you know, to take the idea of entrepreneurial masterminds and conferences and retreats but take it to another level in terms of really creating a cultural experience instead of for example, just staying at one hotel or in one villa. Because travel itself has so many scientifically researched benefits to it, you know, in terms of your mind starts to work differently. Your brain starts to work differently. It’s great for creativity and just for your whole your whole essence starts to change you just you really stop and you pause, and you start to be very grateful, very aware of things. So it’s a perfect, perfect setting for this for my tribe, basically, you know, so that is aware. And because I love traveling, and I always go from the idea that I first create things for myself that I love. And then for my community, this was a perfect fit. Obviously, the pandemic has made it really difficult, and we had to postpone it a few times. But we’re ready for 2022.

george grombacher 5:33
I love it that that makes perfect sense. So what, what problem are you helping your clients solve?

Christine Hansen 5:43
It depends on what layer we’re talking about. If we’re talking about my daily business of business consulting, and coaching, most people come to me because they have a huge idea, a blob of an idea, they have a passion, they kind of have an idea where they want to go, but the whole piece in between is missing. So what I feel that I do is I create those stepping stones with them that they actually know how to get from their starting point to their goal. And that can be a mixture of very hands on strategy in terms of who are you what is your brand? Who do you want to work with, to technical support in terms of, it’s not unheard of that I you know, choose an email software provider with my clients and help them to set it all up and write email sequences up to how do I create content in a clever way, you know, how do I do social media in a way that it doesn’t completely drain me, but in a way that I love it, and that clients will find me all of these things. That’s really what I excel ads, and I love to look at people’s ideas or existing business structures, and look at how we can optimize the whole thing and make it work for them. Because everyone has a different way of working and how much they want to work. I myself am a very lazy person. So I try to really streamline as much as I can, and work a lot of high ticket, which means that I have to work more intensely, but less and that is really what I what most people like me for and who I then work with, because I’m really convinced that you attract the people who who are like you most of the time. So that is really what I do most of the time. So from very strategic tactical to also doing mindset work, making sure that everything works for you. Instead of thinking, this is something that I should be doing, because everyone tells me to

george grombacher 7:44
write, you should do that. I heard you’re not supposed to say that to people. And so I just I just I just went along with it. Is it possible to I saw this on your website. So tell me about working half as much and working half as hard and making twice as much.

Christine Hansen 8:03
Yeah, yeah, I love that. Because when I started my second business, so that’s sleep like a boss, which I’m actually selling right now. So it will be under a new CEO in January, when I started out my service, typical, you know, the typical one on one coaching Skype coaching package that I had was 800 US dollars for six sessions. And then we would add lab testing, and things like that, and it was okay. But I needed quite a few clients after I did the math on how much money I needed to actually need to make. And that depends on each one of us. Luxembourg is not the cheapest place to live. So me doing my math, being able to, you know, support myself without any help from anyone. Even though I was still married at the time, I really wanted to make sure that I could have an income that’s you know, was able to sustain myself plus my daughter if I needed to. And my business expenses plus, I like luxuries. So I had a budget for that I needed to rake in around eight to 10,000 US dollars a month. So with 800 US dollars per package that would mean loads of new clients each month. So it didn’t make sense to me. At the same time though, I knew that what I was delivering was really amazing and awesome. And it was also scientific. So we had you know, numbers and data to prove everything. And it took me a little bit of you know, mindset work in terms of finances to raise that quite a bit and one day I was I was ready so I raised on a change the main package to one VIP day for 10,000. And I sold it I literally just went out there and I sold it and that was my new normal, which meant that instead of needing 10 clients a month, I only needed one. And I’ve never gone back ever since I’ve always tried to how can I collapse time, which is basically what you will be charging, obviously, also for your skill and what you are delivering, you need to be good at what you’re doing. But the more you can collapse that time and effort for your client, the more you can ramp up that pricing, and can have a comfortable life, you know, not killing yourself and being able to, you know, cater for your clients really well, making sure that you’re constantly still present. Because otherwise what will happen is the very typical feast and famine cycle where you give everything into marketing being visible, then you get your clients, but then you don’t have time to be visible anymore. And so that’s where the whole feast and famine cycle hits. And if you always have time to show up without any stress, you just a constant, which is just very relaxing. And at the same time, you do work intensely. But I do find working with those clients is a lot easier because everyone has skin in the game. So the motivation is just differently. And that is what I teach my clients, as soon as I know that they can actually tentative about what they are promising to deliver. Obviously, if you’re really, if you can’t serve, if there’s nothing interesting about you, then we have to have a discussion. But most people I know are actually overqualified, they’re really good at what they doing. Sometimes they don’t know how good they are. But in general, they’re very, very, very skilled and gifted and have a lot to offer.

george grombacher 11:37
Is that oftentimes is is, is that one of the big keys that unlocks it is just the recognition that what you’re doing is immensely valuable. And you’re simply not charging nearly enough.

Christine Hansen 11:50
Yeah. And sometimes I think it’s twofold. One issue that I see is self worth. And the whole kind of wrapped stare that’s tied to that in terms of that we are not used or not encouraged to even list all the things that we’re good at, because it’s bragging, bragging equals negative and going straight to hell. So you know, being proud of yourself is very different and acknowledging what you can do. So that’s one where it’s about how to reframe how you actually talk to yourself. Most of us were much harsher with ourselves than we would ever be with friends or family or loved ones. And then the second half is to really analyze how much you can save others in time and in pain. Meaning everyone can literally find everything on Google. Absolutely. Like everything is available, you can find every cause every certification, every article on Google, what people pay us for is that if they have a question, instead of having to read 10 articles, knowing what to type into a search engine and watching a 20 minute YouTube video, or maybe more than that, they ask us the question and we can answer immediately because we have everything in our brain and we can distill it within seconds. So the more you’re aware of how you are collapsing time for your clients, the easier it gets to put a monetary value on that. Because if there’s one thing and especially right now that we’re very much aware of is that we don’t live forever, and saving time to do things that really brighten us up is the commodity that I think is the most valuable out there.

george grombacher 13:39
Yeah, I think that that’s right information is in fact free to your point. But to curate it to, to be able to provide your expertise and and clarity quickly and succinctly and to use your term collapse time is in fact immensely valuable. So I appreciate that. And so the ability to do that, and then your knowledge of all the different ways that I can market a business online. That to me just thinking about it is is absolutely overwhelming.

Christine Hansen 14:18
Yeah, it is. And sometimes I’m still surprised, you know, because I’ve been I do. I’ve been starting this in 2015 which is six years in general. That’s not long time in internet land. It’s an eternity. A lot of things have happened in six years. Marketing has changed the tone has changed things that worked you can forget about right now and other things are suddenly working that wouldn’t have been think about half a decade ago. So and plus you’re just in the game you you get to know different tools and access ways and access points. That when I work with my clients, and I share tips That, to me are just no brainers. It is great to see those lights, those eyes brighten up and like I had no idea that even existed. So for every coach, I feel we have those moments, it’s always great to be reminded of that. And just resources that you you learn through experience through successes or through failures. So it’s also great to tell your client, you know, you can try just from personal experience, my experience of working with other people might not be what it’s being sold to be, I think you can really help in so many different ways, or just by asking the right questions. Is this a valid argument? Or is it an excuse from your subconscious to keep you safe, but it’s not actually true. So there’s so many different elements that come to consulting and coaching, which is why I always say both coaching is really where we ask the questions. Whereas consulting is where here are some tools that you can choose from, or that I would advise to have a look at, you know, that it’s, it’s incredibly valuable, and everyone has that skill set, it’s just that we very rarely actually do an objective intake, because we take it for granted. And because it’s fun, and we grow up with fun not being valid, it has to be painful, it has to be really long, especially in academic standards, you know, the longer you study, and the more grueling it is, the more you will be paid. And if you then suddenly jump into something that is effortless for you, not for others, but for you, you feel like you don’t have the right to charge anything, which is not true.

george grombacher 16:45
That’s a really, really important thing, right? That growing up with the idea that that fun is not valid, how in the world could I actually earn a living doing something I enjoy, the only way to do that is going to be pain and suffering. When in fact, it’s incredibly possible to do the work that you enjoy. And that really fills you up. And, and you can get paid to do it.

Christine Hansen 17:08
Yeah, and I think it’s a trend that the newer generations are picking up. And especially now, after a pandemic, where a lot of people were home, I can see it specifically with friends who work in huge law firms, where the culture was really you start to be on partner track, you have to work huge hours work tons not get paid in the beginning. And you know, the new people who are now joining, they’re just not having it. First of all, they don’t care whether they do partner, they don’t even want to because they want to live a life, they want to actually enjoy time with their family instead of just having one and seeing them on Christmas. And they’re also not in the same mindset anymore, that you do one thing all of your life, I think that’s what we grew up with, you know, you have one job, and you will finish that, you know, you progress in that. And that’s that’s it. So what they are seeing now is that they are having incredible issues to get people back first of all into the office, nobody wants to, you know, scare back from the Home Office thing and wants to be stuck in traffic every day. And it’s the same incentives that used to work, just not doing the same job anymore. So I’m enjoying this, because from the sidelines, I don’t think I would if I was probably in a position in no job position there. But it’s a global change that I think is very interesting to observe. And I think it’s going to create much happier people in the end.

george grombacher 18:42
Yeah, totally agree. Well, Christine, people are ready for your difference making tip, what do you have for them?

Christine Hansen 18:49
So my tip is for everyone who well, it can be for everything, every choice that you do. And that’s the phrase, the sentence or the I don’t even know what it is. But basically, whenever I think about a choice, or a message that I want to send out into the world, I always go from the premise, it’s for me, for you, for us, but it starts with me. And I’m the most important person in my life because I’m the one living it and really getting away from UHealth selfish equals you know, horrible, callous, you know, person. But that’s just not true. You know, because nobody can walk in your shoes, you have to do whatever you have to do. So starting to shift into sort of prioritization mode. That would be my biggest food for thought kind of seed for your audience today.

george grombacher 19:43
Why think that is great stuff that definitely gets come up. Come on. We all know when getting on the airplane, Christine, that we need to put the oxygen mask on ourselves first. And so why not think about it that way for every aspect of life. I think that that’s great. Chris Thank you so much for coming out. Where can people learn more about you? How can they engage with you?

Christine Hansen 20:04
The easiest way is to go to my website, Christine means business.com Feel free to reach out through the contact form or stalk me on social media. And just reach out and let me know that you heard me on George’s podcast. I’d be happy to connect.

george grombacher 20:19
Love it. Well if you enjoyed this as much as I did, so Christine, your appreciation and share today share with a friend who also appreciates good ideas go to Christine means business comm and check out all the great resources and get in touch. Thanks, Christine. Thanks. And until next time, keep fighting the good fight. We’re all in this together.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai