Ep. 163: Shannon Miles – Why You Should Dare to Dream

Maybe you envision being a stay-at-home mom and have no desire to continue in a career after children come to your family—or maybe you want to keep working a full-time job outside the home and the thought of spending all day at home with kids scares you to death. The real problem here is that most of us don’t think there is another option other than one end of the spectrum or the other. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to do both and be successful in both roles? There is good news and a third option, and my guest today is here to talk about it.

Shannnon Miles is a master delegator. She and her husband, Bryan, grew a two-person operation into a staff of 60 corporate team members by seeing where they were the strongest, and delegating the rest. They lead with trust and have built a thriving business on the premise that adults are adults and can handle their business. The pair are also visionaries of the virtual workplace. Shannon’s passion, in addition to helping others realize the freedom they receive from delegating, is to bring to light the challenges women face in the workplace. From finding the courage to ask your boss for a flexible schedule to deciding if there’s an option for you outside 100% full-time, on-site office work, and 100% full-time, stay-at-home mom. Shannon has walked the walk and is here to lead other women on their journey to finding their own third option, which happens to be the title of her book, The Third Option.

TWEET: Chasing your dreams is not a binary choice – there is a third option that you can feel better about! #chasingdreams @shannonkmiles

The hybrid model

Don’t we all want a way to “have it all”? Shannon found a hybrid way to have it all, but it didn’t look like she thought it would. She had to readjust her thinking and mindset about what she wanted long-term and figure out how to get there in the short-term. It meant taking a humbling career change and setting aside her ego and pride. She found that there was so much space available as a third option between full-time on-site work and full-time stay-at-home mom.

TWEET: Having it all doesn’t look the same for everyone. You can find the “all” that works for you without feeling guilty! #chasingdreams @shannonkmiles

Going ALL IN

How are you at taking risks? Shannon and her husband both had an overwhelming urge to “do something big,” but they knew it would require a big risk and a big move. They cashed in their 401(k)’s, left their jobs, and started their own business. With two young kids, it was scary and terrifying, but they were so compelled that the drive overtook the fear. Their individual corporate experiences and skillsets helped in launching the new company. Shannon says that you can leverage all your background for the next season and the next journey. They both knew this was something they couldn’t dip their toes in gradually, but would have to go ALL IN.

TWEET: Big moves require big risks so it’s important to move past your fear into action! #chasingdreams @shannonkmiles

Let’s talk delegation

Have you ever thought about delegation in regards to how it helps OTHER people pursue their dreams? It’s hard to let go and have others step in to help, and there is a certain amount of guilt associated with delegation. There are so many myths that we tell ourselves about why delegation is a weakness. It’s simply one of the limiting beliefs that keeps us from pursuing our dreams.

TWEET: Our limiting beliefs are the main thing that keeps us from pursuing our dreams. #chasingdreams @shannonkmiles

Guest Recommendation: ONE action for a dream chaser–”Get very comfortable with not having it all figured out. You will not have all the answers to all of your questions before you make the leap to pursue your dreams.”

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