If quitting is the new self-care, Lisa Buyer’s burnout is the perfect example.
Yoga. Therapy. Wine. Nothing seemed to help Lisa Buyer regain power over her business and personal life. She knew that hitting the digital detox reset button was long overdue. But how and where to even begin? Well, here’s step #1: Admit that you are part of the problem and be open to change.
In this special solo episode of the Social PR Secrets podcast, Lisa Buyer opens up about her struggles with entrepreneurial burnout, where she sought relief, and how she shifted The Buyer Group Public Relations Agency into a non-client-based business model.
#TheDumbestDecisionEver: Reinventing Your Business Based on Feelings and not Facts
July marks the first time in two decades that Lisa has no clients. And while this new shift from consultancy to scaling an agency allowed her to cut ties with the negative and create space for the positive, the idea was originally pursued for all the wrong reasons.
Life Lesson #1:
Free yourself from making decisions for the benefit of others. In Lisa’s case, she wanted to create a legacy business for her children to eventually take over one day. This selfless mindset, while admirable, did not go according to plan. Her kids have their own interests and passions, ones that do not necessarily align with Lisa’s entrepreneurial and digital PR world.
Life Lesson #2:
Digital boundaries are nonexistent. Similar to traditional news media, PR is neverending. There is always a hot story to write, a client to consult and a deadline to meet. Lisa learned that caring about a project/campaign more than your own client does is a blaring red flag.
Life Lesson #3:
Client contracts and commitments mean zilch. Every entrepreneur has lost a client or two… even dozens along the way. Not every individual or company is going to mesh well with your PR approach, and unfortunately, that may be discovered much later than expected. There is no room for naivety when it comes to agencies serving clients. To be frank, Lisa says that this system is broken. Clients can take a pause or leave at any moment and without penalty, so it’s important to account for such setbacks when establishing your client base and business model.
Entrepreneur Burnout Camp: 10 Days at Canyon Ranch
Fed up with intrusive clients, manning the front line of her agency, and after experiencing a glimpse of suicidal thoughts, Lisa Buyer’s burnout was real and she knew it was time for a digital detox.
Canyon Ranch is a wellness resort and spa where people go to unplug, recharge and escape. Its mission is to inspire healthy living while turning hopes and intentions into the highest enjoyment of life.
Thirty days after returning, Lisa made a bold and triumphant detox decision: to inform her clients that in about two months, she was hitting the reset button and ending all client and consulting services… sort of.
Today, Lisa’s new and improved TBG focuses on:
- Teaching specialized online and in-person courses to thousands of individuals and teams.
- Connecting credible experts with brands, collaborators and joint ventures.
- Writing more books in addition to the ones that she has already published (Social PR Secrets: How to Optimize, Socialize, and Publicize Your Brand; Digital Detox Secrets: How to Create Space in Your Life for Health, Happiness, Opportunity, and Productivity).
- Continuing to develop her online magazine and movement – Female Disruptors and monetize her two podcasts: Social PR Secrets and Digital Detox Secrets.
The Four Skills of Successful People
“Authentic self-expression is the key to happiness.” –Lisa Buyer
A valuable takeaway from Canyon Reach that has greatly contributed to Lisa’s newfound outlook on tapping into your creative superpower was listening to guest speaker Dr. Robert Mauer. As the founder of the Science of Excellence consulting firm, he instills the powerful mantra that small steps lead to big changes.
For those who are following a similar transitional journey to Lisa’s, feel free to jot down these essential skills, researched by Mauer:
- An awareness and acceptance of fear in yourself and others. When afraid, there is an inclination to reach out for support, both emotional and technical.
- This fear welcomes a built-in nurturing voice that gently reassures you that it is okay to make mistakes, be afraid and ask for help.
- An awareness of the need for attention as well as generosity in giving and receiving appreciation.
- A sense of mission and vision emphasizes the emotional state that one strives for when pursuing goals.
What’s Next on Lisa Buyer’s Self-Care and Entrepreneur Agenda:
- Free Webinar: The Biggest PR Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make with Lisa Buyer
- 22 Day Tara Painting and Meditation Challenge with Whitney Freya
- Modern PR Secrets Course: Take the mystery out of the ever-shifting, real-time landscape of Digital Public Relations
- New Podcast Episodes for Social PR Secrets Every Tuesday
- Innovative Female Disruptors Sharing Defining Stories
Some Topics Discussed In This Episode Include:
- Replace Survival Mode with a Digital Detox
- Entrepreneurial Burnout Relief
- #DumbestDecisionEver
- Life Lessons
- Highlights and Lowlights of Business and Personal Life
- Mental Health Awareness
- Red Flags for Business Owners to Consider
- Cutting Ties with the Negative
- The Key To Happiness: Authentic Self-Expression
Connect with Lisa Buyer:
Links Mentioned:
- TBG Website
- Female Disruptors Magazine Website
- Social PR Secrets: How to Optimize, Socialize, and Publicize Your Brand on Amazon
- Digital Detox Secrets: How to Create Space in Your Life for Health, Happiness, Opportunity, and Productivity on Amazon
- Canyon Ranch Website
- Dr. Robert Mauer Website
- Elliot Roe
