IAM179- Self-Made Millionaire, Podcast Host and Lifestyle Entrepreneur Helps Women Pursue Their Passion

Cayla Craft, Host of the Mommy Millionaire Podcast, is a mom of three, a self-made Millionaire, and a lifestyle entrepreneur. As a California native, she went from saving lives as a nurse in the ER working from 9-5 to helping women pursue a passion for owning their own businesses. Her first taste of success began when she created an organization of 60k+ people for Isagenix, a company that sells health and wellness supplements.

Using that business-building knowledge as a foundation, she branched out as a Business Strategist and found incomparable satisfaction in helping others achieve success. Cayla has inspired thousands of women to believe in themselves as entrepreneurs and businesswomen. Her main goal is to help women shamelessly pursue their ambitions and grow their businesses to 7 figures.

• CEO Hack: (1) Having the right people in place to allow creativity (2) Referrals to find the right people (3) Indeed website to hire my team
• CEO Nugget:  Take the time to think massively big
• CEO Defined: Making sure all running parts are working

Website: https://www.mommymillionaire.co/

Instagram: cayla.craft
Fb: cayla.craft.7

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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 0:27

Hello, hello, hello, this is Gresh from the I AM CEO Podcast and I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Cayla Craft of Mommy Millionaire Podcast. Cayla, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Cayla Craft 0:37

Hi, I'm so excited to be here. Thanks for having me.

Gresham Harkless 0:40

No problem I'm super excited to have you on and what I want to do is just read a little bit more about Cayla, so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. And Cayla is the Host of the Mommy Millionaire Podcast and best-selling author of The Habit of Leading Yourself. She is a mom of three, a self-made millionaire, and a lifestyle entrepreneur. As a California native, she went from saving lives as a nurse in the ER working from 9-5 to helping women pursue a passion for owning their own businesses.

Her first taste of success began when she created an organization of 60,000 people for Isagenix, a company that sells health and wellness supplements. Using that business-building knowledge as a foundation, she branched out as a Business Strategist and found incomparable satisfaction in helping others achieve success. Cayla has inspired thousands of women to believe in themselves as entrepreneurs and businesswomen. Her main goal is to help women shamelessly pursue their ambitions and grow their businesses to 7 figures. Cayla, are you ready to speak to the I AM CEO community?

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Cayla Craft 1:37

I am so excited to talk to everybody. Thanks for having me again.

Gresham Harkless 1:41

No problem. I appreciate having you on and appreciate all the awesome things that you're doing. And the way I wanted to start out was to hear a little bit more about your CEO story. What led you to start your business?

Cayla Craft 1:50

Awesome, okay. So when I found myself at 23 years old, I was working as an ER nurse, and I had one kid at the time, and I was working shift work and I just felt kind of unappreciated and overworked. And I found network marketing, just a perfect time in my life, I fell in love with these health and wellness supplements and decided to build a business from it.

And in three years, I made my first million dollars. And that kind of just like gave me the entrepreneur button. And so now, I'm 31 years old. And now I have four different companies. And we're just like loving life. I no longer work as a nurse, obviously. And I have three kids now. But it all kind of started because I just wasn't happy with my current circumstances. And I know that in life, you get what you tolerate.

Gresham Harkless 2:37

That's absolutely awesome. You know, to hear that, obviously, you did some awesome things. And as you said, you get what you tolerate. And I love that kind of nugget. Because a lot of times you don't realize that there is an alternative. But you've been able to build that alternative. But you're doing something even greater than that because you're also helping out other people as far as doing it.

Cayla Craft 2:54

Exactly.

Gresham Harkless 2:55

Awesome. And I know we touched a little bit upon it in the bottle. But I wanted to hear a little bit more about like what you're doing to kind of help support the clients that you work with. How are you helping build these women that are building businesses as well?

Cayla Craft 3:05

Yeah, so I do a lot of business consulting for people. And so I go in and I look at their processes and help them come up with better strategies and processes to scale their business to seven figures. And I also do live events to help people get in a room full of ambitious women and network together, see how everybody could help each other plus also bring in some of the best trainers in different types of industries so people can learn. So we do live events. And then in 2019, we'll also have a mastermind for the Mommy Millionaire.

And it's actually full of a lot of people that aren't moms. But then it's I'm naming it the number one mastermind for ambitious women to be a part of. And so it's really just all about getting together collaborating and committing to growing each other's business. Because what I found is you cannot do it alone. You might be an entrepreneur and you feel alone. And when you're trying to do it alone, it's a much harder process and it takes you longer so when you team up with people and get people's help, it happens to get you to your goal a lot quicker.

Gresham Harkless 4:04

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And a lot of times you don't realize that your environment kind of determines how far you go or how or how high you fly, so to speak. So sometimes when you're able to get yourself in those mastermind groups that you're creating and things like that it helps to kind of increase your likelihood of being successful and probably even your speed as far as they want it to.

Cayla Craft 4:21

Yes, exactly. I always say if you want to soar with the Eagles, you got to find the eagle's nest and that's what the mastermind is.

Gresham Harkless 4:28

I love that. I might be still in that from you. I love it. Now I wanted to ask you for what I call your secret sauce and this is kind of like your differentiator what you feel kind of sets you apart and makes you unique.

Cayla Craft 4:40

Oh, I think that what sets me apart from a lot of the female entrepreneurs out there kind of doing what I do is trying to do what I do. I'm not a coach and so I think coaches have to hold space for people and I strategist, so I come and I'm just like I don't sugarcoat it. I'm like this is what you need to do X, Y, and Z, and go do it pretty much.

And so I'm like all about not sugarcoating things. And telling people like it is even if it kind of hurts, and stings at first, it's really what's best for my clients, and what's going to help them go where they want to go.

Gresham Harkless 5:15

Exactly, exactly that makes perfect sense and understanding, like when you need that, because a lot of times, sometimes people aren't struggling with the ability to work. Sometimes they just don't have the right playbook, so to speak. So they need somebody to kind of help them figure out exactly what steps to take in order to reach those goals. And do you find that you focus on a certain type of business owner, or can any type of business owner come and get your services and work with you?

Cayla Craft 5:37

Anyone I actually was just meeting with a person who owns a boxing gym. And then yesterday, I was talking to somebody who owns a facial bar. So and then I help online entrepreneurs as well. So it's really anybody because that's my superpower is just strategy and sales.

Gresham Harkless 5:56

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And oftentimes, when you peel back, the onion can realize that businesses are not necessarily the same on the outside. But when you look at it, they have the same kind of principles and strategy. So if you can help out one, you can help out most of them.

Cayla Craft 6:08

Absolutely.

Gresham Harkless 6:09

Awesome, awesome, awesome. And now I wanted to switch gears a little bit and ask you for what I call a CEO hack. And this might be an app or book or habit that you have, but it's something that makes you more effective and efficient as a business owner.

Cayla Craft 6:21

Okay. Something that makes me more effective is having a team. Does that make sense? So having just the right people in place, and so we have a marketing director, a manager, an operations manager, an executive assistant, and then a CEO. So what's funny is that a lot of people think I'm the CEO of my companies, and I'm actually not, I am basically, I'm just the owner and founder because I like to have somebody else in place that's making sure that things are happening on a day to day basis because I'm creative and I'm kind of like the talent in the group. And so I need to focus on my zone of genius.

And I think that's where a lot of entrepreneurs go wrong, they want to be the CEO, and they want to like, be in charge of everything and micromanage every little thing that's going on when you need to bring in the right team. So you can focus on what your zone of genius is. And most of the time, that's you creating content, and speaking and all of that engaging and growing the network and all that kind of stuff. And so when you're focused on the day-to-day stuff, sometimes it bogs you down, and you can't be as creative. So I like to call myself the Chief Creative Officer.

Gresham Harkless 7:26

I love that, I love that, um, I borrow that one as well, too, because a lot of times, you know, like he said being in your zone of genius is very huge. And sometimes if you have that creative gene and have been able to build a business or create these marketing strategies, or all these things that you're doing, when you're in that quote-unquote, CEO role, you have to work in focus on other kind of strengths that may not be your best strengths. So being able to kind of identify and bring people in is definitely a phenomenal talent and thing to be able to do.

Cayla Craft 7:51

Yes.

Gresham Harkless 7:52

And do you find that it's very easy to I know, that one of the biggest kinds of struggles and things that entrepreneurs and business owners deal with is finding talent, attracting talent, and keeping talent? So how have you been able to kind of do that yourself?

Cayla Craft 8:03

Okay, this is such an amazing question, because it's funny, I have the most amazing team, and I love them to death. And one of my executive assistants just gave me her two weeks' notice, because she got her dream job. And it was like, these are a lot of things that most people don't see behind the scenes stuff. And I love to talk about stuff that nobody else talks about because I know it's actually going to help people grow their businesses. And so my process is always, first of all, looking for referrals. So any business owners, I know ask them who do you know, that has executive assistant experience. And just by me doing that, in two days, I already have interviews set up this weekend with people that have experience.

So getting referrals, if you're like, I don't know, anybody that would know that, another great thing to do is get very, very specific on what you want your team member to be taken care of. And so knowing their KPIs, which are key performance indicators, so knowing exactly what you want somebody to do, and giving out those details on a job site, and so I like to use indeed.com. I don't know if you've ever used that. But we use indeed.com and put it out there. And I always do like it so let's say I'm looking for an assistant. Well, an assistant needs to be very detail-oriented.

So in the job description. First of all, I make it super long, putting in all the details of what I'm looking for. And I put little hidden questions in there that they need to answer and send over with their resume. And if they don't answer those questions, I know that they're not a detailed person because they just blindly sent their resume and so weeds out people very quickly and it gives me okay, this is exactly what I'm looking for. Or you're looking for more creative talent to come and join your team. Okay. Ask them certain questions inside of the job description that they have to answer creatively.

And if they don't, then again, don't even look at the resume because it's a waste of your time. So it kind of gives you a chance to look inside their mind right away and see how they answer things. And if they really are creative what you're looking for.

Gresham Harkless 10:06

Yeah, absolutely. And I love that. And again, like once you have an idea of exactly what you're looking for, you're able to tailor the KPIs, a job description, and everything that you're doing to find that person, you're able to kind of find that person that fulfills that gap as much as possible.

Cayla Craft 10:18

Yes.

Gresham Harkless 10:19

Awesome, awesome, awesome. And now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO, nugget. And you might have already touched on this, but this is a word of wisdom or piece of advice. Or if you can happen to be a time machine, what would you tell your younger business self?

Cayla Craft 10:31

Oh, my gosh, you have such a good question.

Gresham Harkless 10:33

Thank you

Cayla Craft 10:33

Get me fired up. Okay. So I think for me, what I would have told myself, you know, seven and a half years ago, when I first started in business is think bigger. And what I mean by that is, like, you know, when I first started my business, and I imagined myself making millions of dollars, I thought, Oh, I'm gonna live on a yacht, or we're gonna have a trampoline on this yacht, like, so stupid. But it's also what motivated me at the time, I had no idea that one day, I'd be an owner of companies that were worth millions.

And if I would have thought, way big like that I would be much further along now because it's kind of like playing catch up with my dreams now. And so take the time to think massively big, because seriously, manifestation is a real thing. And you can really create any type of life that you want, as long as you believe it. That's the most important part.

Gresham Harkless 11:24

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And I know you probably have experienced this and have seen it and people that you've worked with as well, too. Sometimes that fear book or that fear word kind of creeps in. So you sometimes are afraid to think big, but you're saying you still have to be able to kind of have that vision because that's going to propel you towards all the actions that take you there.

Cayla Craft 11:40

Yes, exactly.

Gresham Harkless 11:41

Awesome, awesome, awesome. Well, cool. Well, now I wanted to ask you my absolute favorite question. I know we touched on it a little bit. It's basically the definition of what it means to be a CEO. And we're hoping to have different quote-unquote, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business owners on this show, but I wanted to ask you, Cayla, what does being a CEO mean to you?

Cayla Craft 11:57

So I guess because I do look at it. Like as a Chief Executive Officer, what do they do? They're making sure everybody on the team is doing their job, right. And I think that they're making sure that all of the running parts are working. And, like I think of business sometimes as a hose, right, and the waters trying to get through the hose to get out and like water, everything and make everything beautiful. Make your business rain money down, right? And if there's a kink in that hose, there's a problem.

And it's the CEO's job to always be looking for kinks and making sure the hose is straight, and getting the water out smoothly, right. And just as hard and making sure that the water pressure is good, all that kind of stuff. That's what a CEO does.

Gresham Harkless 12:34

Awesome, awesome, awesome. Well, Cayla, I truly appreciate you for taking some time out. What I want to do is pass you the mic just to see if there's anything additional, you want to let our readers and our listeners know about you, your background or your business, or any advice that you have, and also how best they can get a hold of you, subscribe to your podcast and find out about all the awesome things that you're doing.

Cayla Craft 12:51

Oh my gosh. Okay, so I love freeform. So for me, you guys can find me over @cayla.craft on Instagram, that's my favorite place to hang out. I'm always on my Insta Stories showing you guys my life. And my YouTube channel is going to be revamped. So I also have a lot of training on there. And I have a podcast called Mommy Millionaire where I have Mommy Millionaire minutes where I shoot it to you guys straight.

And I also bring on women all over the world there making over a million dollars a year to show you guys that there's not one way to do it, that there are so many ways that you guys can be building your business. And that's I love my podcast so much because it's helping so many people. And I think one thing that I would leave everybody with is consistency in everything in your business. It matters what you do every single day when nobody's looking. And as an entrepreneur, as a CEO, a lot of people don't know exactly what you do. And so sometimes you can get away with putting things off procrastinating and not doing the thing that you need to do every single day to grow your business.

And I would say you have to commit to the small, mundane things in your business. Because it all adds up. And it all matters is the compound effect is at play all day long every day. And one more thing I'll add is, you know, every entrepreneur, I know, it's, you know, if you're gonna be an average entrepreneur that makes average money, you're gonna take average action, right? But if you want to break and shine and you want to have the most impact in this world, you have got to become obsessed with what you're dealing with.

And that's what I know is the difference between people that make it and people that complain about the other people that made it you know, and so it's okay to be obsessed and the world out there is going to tell you Don't be obsessed, find balance. Those are people that are going to struggle for most of their life because obsession is what gets you where you want to go. And that is I'm giving you permission right now to become obsessed and tell you that that is seriously what it takes. And I won't ever lie to you about that. So hopefully that helps everybody.

Gresham Harkless 14:59

That helps out tremendously. And I truly appreciate you for sharing all that information with us and that knowledge and definitely a great reminder to be obsessed and find something you're passionate about and you want to live it, breathe it, drink it, and do all those things. So that's a great reminder. Cayla, I truly appreciate you and I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Cayla Craft 15:17

Thank you so much.

Outro 15:19

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

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