IAM550- Founders Inspire Self-Care from the Inside to the Outside

David and Linda Mitchell are CEO and founders of Sweet Heart Mitchell Collection. A collection of self-love and self-care products and services that inspire you to take care of yourself from the inside to the outside. Their services range from Christian counseling to couples coaching to individual self-love and self-care coaching. Their homemade products range from all-natural whipped body butter to massage candles to herbal supplements.

• CEO Hack: Prayer every morning
• CEO Nugget: 1) Don't try to figure out everything 2) You are okay as you are
• CEO Defined: Being happy and inspired to create/provide

Website: http://www.sweetheartmitchellcollection.com/

Instagram: Sweetheart Mitchell collection

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Transcription

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Intro 0:02

Do you want to learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and grow your business from successful entrepreneurs, startups, and CEOs without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place, Gresham Harkless values your time and is ready to share with you precisely the information you're in search of. This is the I AM CEO podcast.

Gresham Harkless 0:29

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresh from the I AM CEO podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I've Linda Mitchell from David and Linda Mitchell. And we're just interviewing Linda today but they're both from this sweetheart Mitchell collection. Linda, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Linda Mitchell 0:46

Glad to be here. Gresham, I appreciate you.

Gresham Harkless 0:49

Yeah, no problem. I definitely appreciate you as well too. And what I want to do is just read a little bit more about their business so you can hear about all the awesome things that they're doing.

David and Linda are CEOs and founders of the Sweetheart Mitchell Collection, a collection of self-love and self-care products and services that inspire you to take care of yourself from the inside to the outside.

Their services range from Christian counseling to couples coaching to individual self-love and self-care coaching. Their homemade products ranged from all-natural whipped body butter to massage candles to herbal supplements. Linda, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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Linda Mitchell 1:22

I am so ready. Hello, everyone.

Gresham Harkless 1:26

Awesome, It's great to have you on. And I haven't talked to Linda in forever. But it's great to reconnect with you. And I wanted to just give you the floor and hear a little bit more about what I call your CEO story. When did you guys get started with your business?

Linda Mitchell 1:38

We got started Well, first I had my own coaching practice before I met my husband, I was a certified life coach. And then I got my master's degree in Christian counseling, and also my doctrine and theology. And so that was one of the best decisions I made in my life.

Because what I did was incorporate my Christianity and my faith into my practice, which changed me and changed my business as well. Through the Gift of the Holy Spirit and scripture, and prayer and praise every day, I allow myself to receive what I need to receive, and then share it with my clients and my customers.

When my husband came in when we got married about 30 months ago, we started using, like a lot of the products we'll use ourselves in our lives for health and wellness. People started asking us if we would make them and share the products with them.

And so I was like, Do I have time for that? Umm, that's what I believe. Okay, okay. All right. So I started making the shea butter and the candles. And these are things that for me, personally, take me to a space that I call my happy place.

Right? I think everybody should have not only that mental process that goes on in their head thought that logical thought. But you should also have that balance that creative side, artistic side, the side that just takes you there with joy, right doing the things that if you could just do it all day, you will just be in your happy place, all day.

And that's where our candles came from, and our shea butter, our essential oils. Everything that we use in our life, we just started sharing it mainly with family. That's how we initially started.

And then we took it from there into our workplace. I was working full time, and my husband was working full time and we started sharing our products with our co-workers at work.

Gresham Harkless 3:41

Nice. Well, I definitely appreciate that appreciate the natural progression of everything. I think so many times that I always say that the best things that are created are sometimes what we create for ourselves.

And then you have people knocking on the door saying let me get some of that. Let me can you start this can you make this into a business and all of a sudden start growing from there?

Linda Mitchell 3:59

Absolutely, very organically. That's how it happened and our name I'll share the story real quick about what came from our sister-in-law. Every time she saw she's like Oh, you guys are always so in love you guys with a sweetheart Mitchell's. Hello, Hello, sweetheart Mitchell's. And this stuff. We're like we like that name.

Gresham Harkless 3:59

It's gotta ring to it.

Linda Mitchell 4:09

So we started using it for our business. It just worked for us. It was natural. It's organic and it's stuff.

Gresham Harkless 4:31

Nice. No, I definitely appreciate that. And so I know you touched on it a little bit but I want to hear what are you guys doing with sweetheart Mitchell, so you can get the body butter you can get the different products. Are there any other things that you guys are doing along with the collection as well?

Linda Mitchell 4:44

Yes, we are doing coaching. We offer Christian counseling. We offer life coaching and we offer couples coaching all the things in our lives that we use every day prayer, praise, just taking care of ourselves exercising you know sharing, scripture reading, the word we share with our clients to encourage them, you know, to have a good life to be healthy and to be happy.

And that's where our coaching comes in, we're going to start doing 2020 Live videos on actual Facebook and Instagram. And what we're going to do is we're going to have couples on as guests, we're going to do our own version of Black love, we're going to call it black love Hampton.

And so we live in Hampton, Virginia, we just feel like there's really a market for couples to, you know, take that time to take care of each other, make sure they connect with each other check in with each other, but also, to make sure that, you know, people aren't just checking in with themselves individually, right?

Because you've got to be full yourself before you can help anybody else. And you know, that's another thing when we work with individuals, we coach them to take care of themselves, put your oxygen mask on first before you try to give to someone else.

And that's, that's one of the things that as women, a lot of times, not only do we give, give give, we're given from a place where we haven't filled up our tanks, right? So it might cause us to be cranky, we might be a little snappy, you know, I go back to my childhood, my mom was so grouchy and cranky, most of the time, I wish I could just pour to her when I was a baby.

All the things I know now, it's because she wasn't taking care of herself, she had eight children. And those eight children, we were pulling at her, pulling at her, pulling at her, and there was not that much me time. And then on top of that, she's a nurse.

Gresham Harkless 6:38

She was definitely giving herself.

Linda Mitchell 6:40

So one of the things that I share with my clients, I work a lot with women, fill up your tank, first, make sure that you are taking the time that first check in check in mentally, what your mind, what are your thoughts saying, write check in emotionally? How are you feeling in your body? Are you feeling present? Are you feeling complete? Are you feeling whole?

You know, if you're not do something about it, you know, I can't tell you the number of years where I went where I was just not in a good place because I was so used to pleasing others and making sure everyone was else. Okay.

When I got to the point where I realized through journaling, through my long baths taking care of myself through exercising, eating the right foods, watching my thoughts, and making sure I'm not thinking negative things that are not going to serve me in the future.

Just checking in with myself and making sure I'm okay. And if I can say yes, I'm okay, I feel good. I'm in a good place, then I can give to others from that place. And I can show up. Right 100%?

Gresham Harkless 7:42

Yeah, that makes so much sense. And it's funny, because I guess well, this past year, I was saying that my whole focus for the past year was to put on my oxygen mask and make sure that I do that.

Because as you said, it's very hard to pour from an empty cup, and you keep trying, and trying and trying but it's going to start scraping that the cup at some point, you got to make sure that you have something you know to give.

And the best way to give is really to give to yourself, first make sure you're in a good spot. And then you're able to give, you know, 10 times 20 times, or 30 times compared to what you could.

Linda Mitchell 8:11

You got it.

Gresham Harkless 8:11

Definitely, I appreciate that. So let me ask you this. And you might have already touched on this, but I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce. And it can be for you personally or for your organization. But what do you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique?

Linda Mitchell 8:25

What sets us apart is how we show up. Our greatest gift of all is love to show up and love to love ourselves. And everywhere we go take love with us. And we experienced that individually. And we experience it together as a couple when we're out in the grocery stores.

You know, we talked to people, we have conversations, we greet them, we greet them by name, you know, people want to be seen, they want to know that they matter, you know, and we show up at absolute love that is at the base and the foundation of our business.

And it's the greatest gift of all because that's how our business got started. We fell in love. I love coaching, I was coaching my clients, and we fell in love. And our goal was just to turn that love around and give it to the world.

Gresham Harkless 9:10

Awesome. Well, I appreciate that. And so I wanted to switch gears a little bit and I want to ask you for what I call a CEO hack. So this could be like an app or book or habit that you have, but it's something that makes you more effective and efficient.

Linda Mitchell 9:23

Prayer. Prayer. Every morning my day starts with three P's. Prayer, protein, my protein shake, and physical activity. Oh, my treadmill is behind me. I get up brush my teeth, wash my face, go downstairs, make my protein shake, and sit down and pray.

Gresham Harkless 9:44

Yeah, that makes so much sense. So now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. So this could be like a word of wisdom or piece of advice or if you can happen to a time machine. What would you tell your younger business self?

Linda Mitchell 9:57

I would tell her to not try to figure out everything and to be okay with the journey. So not always, I'm a go-getter and I'm always doing self-help and self-improvement and workshops and I would tell her that she's fine just that she is nothing else that she has the dude is no other certifications that she has to get the way that God provided her with.

He's given her everything that she's she needs. And there's nothing she has to prove to anybody. Well, nothing she has to do to be better. She's fine, exactly as she is.

Gresham Harkless 10:35

Awesome. I absolutely love that. So now I want to ask you my absolute favorite question, which is the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different, quote-unquote, CEOs on the show. So Linda, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Linda Mitchell 10:46

Being a CEO means being happy, it means getting up every morning and can't wait to get out of that bed. Because I know that I'm going to be able to serve.

And I'm going to be able to provide services and products to my customers, and I'm going to be happy in the process of providing them, but also, they're going to be happy receiving them.

That's a win-win. It's a win-win, it's got to be mutually beneficial, you know, just being in my element, you know, sharing my gifts, and serving in the community. That's what a true CEO is.

Gresham Harkless 11:22

Absolutely, yeah. And to be able to have that impact and that influence, and to be able to create things that not only make you happy, but we'll also be able to make the people that get them happy and create that energy. And that domino effect is definitely you know, a great perspective.

Because I think sometimes in the day-to-day life, in running a business, we will forget a lot of those things of why we're doing what we're doing. And reminding us of that happiness, and having that as a North Star definitely helps out so much.

Linda Mitchell 11:48

It's amazing. When you become a small business owner, with many hats that you have to wear, you take one hat off, and you know where now we're in the process of making labels for products, who knew I'd be making labels one day, products that I love making, but I've got to make them look professional, we've got to brand ourselves.

We've got to make a presentation, you know, people see it, it's got to look good and look appealing on the outside in the inside. So, you know, being a small business owner and CEO, you got so many hats.

Gresham Harkless 12:20

Exactly, exactly. You got to make sure that you're paying attention to that happiness because you can easily lose sight of that with so many hats and, and shoes and everything else you have to put on to walk the walk.

Linda Mitchell 12:31

Absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 12:32

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Well, Linda, I appreciate you so much for your time. And that definition in that perspective, what I want to do is pass you the mic so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional, you can let our readers and listeners know.

And then of course, how best they can get a hold of you and find out about all the awesome things you guys are working on.

Linda Mitchell 12:48

Well, my husband is not here today, because he's holding it down for us. He's still working in corporate America. And he bought me home first, from corporate America. Now, my goal is to get our revenue up with the business so he can come home.

And so it's a team effort right now. And I just want to say that if he was here, he would just express his appreciation to you Gresham, for giving us this opportunity to be here to share our products and services with everyone and he would just say that love is the greatest gift of all.

I know my husband and he's great at connecting with the audience. You guys could check us out on our website if you want to see some pictures of our latest products and descriptions as well as what we look like it's nice, nice to put a voice with a face. So you can go to our website, sweetheartmitchellcollection.com, And check us out.

Gresham Harkless 13:43

Awesome, awesome, awesome. Well, thank you so much, Linda. And I appreciate David as well too. We will have the links and information in the show notes so that everybody can follow up with you guys and see all the awesome things you're working on. But appreciate you both again and I hope you have a phenomenal rest today.

Outro 13:57

Thank you for listening to the I AM CEO podcast powered by Blue 16 Media tune in next time and visit us at iamceo.co I AM CEO is not just a phrase, it's a community. Be sure to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Play, and everywhere you listen to podcasts, SUBSCRIBE And leave us a five-star rating grab CEO gear at www.ceogear.co This has been the I AM CEO podcast with Gresham Harkless. Thank you for listening.

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