Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Pamela Zimmer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Pamela, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you take vacations? Why or why not?
One of the reasons most of us become our own business owner is because we want the freedom to do what we want, when we want. Most of us also know that being an entrepreneur comes with a LOT of hours “off the clock.” The joke of quitting the 9-5 40 hr work week to become an entrepreneur working 7-11 7 days a week… it’s not always so funny, at least in the beginning.
Being in the business of self-care, it is my mission to make sure you are taking care of yourselves, on every level (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual), so you can do what you were put on the planet to do. I know that when we work, work, work, and then work some more, we are not at our best. We get burnt out, exhausted, overwhelmed, tired, and numb. Our efficiency and productivity goes way down when we “push through.” It costs us time and money when we don’t take breaks – short or long.
My advice for the hard-working, passion-driven entrepreneur who feels guilty when stepping away for a quick getaway: Go on the trip! Your soul deserves the refresh. Your creativity will be refueled. Your productivity will increase. Your cup will be filled.
Okay, that sounds great, but logistically how do we make that happen? Ask for and receive help. Let people know you’re going to be taking a few days, or a week, or longer, away. If you have a team, enroll them to take on some extra tasks for a short while. If you are truly a solo-preneur (like I was for a long time), set up as much as you can to run automatically while you are away. Schedule the emails and social media. Send out the orders. If it means a couple of long nights before in order to get things done and ready, take the time to do it so that when you’re on vacation you can actually BE on vacation.
I would also add that if you truly can’t be 100% unplugged, give yourself permission to have one or two hours every day where you can check in and do business if needed. And then stick to your schedule! Give yourself permission to unwind and fill yourself back up. Trust me, the vacation will be what you remember more so than the stress that not taking the trip will cost you.
Self-care isn’t selfish, it’s essential!
Pamela, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
This is my “formal” bio…. (and then I will expand on it):
With a leap of faith, after 13 years as an Architect, Pamela quit her career for motherhood. Postpartum depression and bankruptcy turned her life upside down, but also showed her a new possibility. Out of her pain came her purpose, leading her to the work she does now.
Known as Your Self-Care Concierge, she is an international speaker, retreat host, coach, network marketing leader and 7x bestselling author. Her passion is empowering others to take care of themselves on every level (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) so they can do what they were put on the planet to do.
She is a Top-10 Saleswoman of The Year for Nevada, two years in a row, recipient of the Tapestry Tapped-In Award, and a nominee for the 20 Most Powerful Women of the Sierra-Nevada, as well as a multiple incentive trip award earner with her current health and wellness company. Pamela lives in Reno with her husband and their 2 boys, Zackery and Brayden. She has a strong family-first mindset, a strong faith, and will be the first to tell you self care isn’t selfish, it’s essential!
I am most proud of the family I have created, my faith and relationship with Jesus (which has been a journey), and the team I have attracted and am leading now. I always wanted to have a career like my Dad (he was an Engineer) and be an amazing stay at home mom, like my mom (she was a nurse and worked nights when we were really little, and then she stopped working to be home with us). My mom is a lot of my inspiration, even now that she has passed – I know she is looking down on me from Heaven. She always said I was determined, and I have carried that with me throughout my life.
While I went through 6 years of postpartum depression I know now that I had to go through that to learn what I did about self-care. That was the pivot that changed everything for me and put me on the path I’m on now. Self-care is the foundation of everything I do, and I have a lot of tools under that umbrella.
4-1/2 years ago I found myself part of a network marketing company – and I quickly fell in love with the industry. I joke that I was your poster skeptic child turned passionate believer and leader. It’s true! Once I gave myself permission to open my mind to the industry I saw that it is the one place that allows me to have true time freedom (to actually be the mom I always dreamed of being), it pushes me through massive amounts of personal development, and it allows me to help countless people with their health… all while I get to speak and coach in a different container. Instead of marketing myself as such, I get to speak and coach within my team and company. I love knowing that my experience and expertise in self-care is having an impact, it just looks a little different than I thought it would. ;)
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
4-1/2 years ago a friend introduced me to a product. I wasn’t looking for anything, in fact I had just made the decision to focus 100% on my coaching, speaking and self-care retreats after trying another side hustle for a year. I had come to the conclusion that it just wasn’t for me, plus the company I had tried out had some integrity issues that I just wasn’t in alignment with, so after a good college try for a year I was done with it. Except, here I was with a trusted friend at the time sharing this brand new innovative health and wellness product… okay, I’ll take a look.
I immediately fell in love because it was something my kids could take, and I had been struggling for years trying to find a vitamin/supplement I felt good about giving my kids, that they actually would take every day. This was it!
The first year-ish I was half in half out, still wanting to focus on my “own” business and not truly giving this side hustle the business priority. I was more sold on the product than the business, and still a bit skeptical about the industry in general.
Another year-ish goes by and I found myself struggling to find the balance between work and family. It’s hard being a solo-preneur, when everything relies on you being there and available. If I wasn’t coaching, I wasn’t making money. If I wasn’t speaking, I wasn’t making money. If I wasn’t leading a retreat, I wasn’t making money. My whole life I wanted to be an amazing stay at home mom (like my mom was for us), but here I was not being available or present because I was too focused and stressed over work, my own business, and helping to contribute financially to our household. Our boys were getting older and I hated that I was in the position of having to choose – be there for and with them, or be gone at retreats or conferences, missing out on milestones.
It wasn’t until year 3 in my side hustle that I truly gave myself permission to open my mind and go fully 100% all in on the business. I paused my retreats, stopped pushing and marketing my speaking and coaching, and focused on building a team instead of just a casual part-time gig. Once I let go of everything else, I actually found myself with more time freedom, actually more income too (because I was working it more!), more community and joy, more personal growth, and most importantly it has allowed me to be the mom I always dreamed of being. I get to be at the orchestra performances and the mountain bike races. I get to be here for the big moments and all the little ones in between. My side hustle was the answer for me wanting to contribute financially AND having time freedom.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have turned my side hustle into my full time much sooner. Yes, I still speak and I still coach, it just looks a little different as now it is internal within my team and within the company on a corporate level. I am happier than ever, and making a much bigger impact.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I’ve read a fair share of business books over the years and have a stack of them on my nightstand and by my desk that I still want to read (or re-read). Honestly though, the book that I keep turning back to for guidance and wisdom, specifically on becoming the type of leader I want to be… is the Bible.
I know some people might roll their eyes at that, especially if they are not of the same shared faith as me. However, I have found that when I need motivation, inspiration, wisdom, encouragement, boldness, confidence, belief or hope, this is where I find it the most.
I start every morning with my coffee and the Bible. I have several devotionals that I read through during any given time (some personal some business or goal focused). Many of the great entrepreneurial strategies that I have read about in other books, I have found somewhere in scripture. Likewise, there are many great Christian authors who share their guidance through these devotionals.
The Bible is where I have found my leadership style (servant leadership), my boldness (perhaps as Esther, I have been preparing for such a time as this), my confidence (God has already worked out the plan), my humility (leave my ego at the door because it’s not about me), my faith (David only had a stone to defeat Goliath), and the little nuggets that I get inspired to share with my team every week.
I have gained a lot of knowledge from other books, however the one that has most significantly impacted my entrepreneurial journey is without a doubt, the Bible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://yourselfcareconcierge.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pamelakzimmer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamela.zimmer1
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelazimmer1/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIojqABEKxPLFXADKiYpSgg/
- Other: Alignable: https://www.alignable.com/reno-nv/your-self-care-concierge
Image Credits
Alita Rey