3 Degrees of Freedom

Ep 150 - How Stopping To Slow Down Aligns Success with Sara Powell

• Derek Clifford • Season 3 • Episode 150

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In this episode of 3 Degrees of Freedom, we’re joined by Sara Powell, the founder of Impactury, a company that offers eco-luxury wellness retreats to women executives seeking more purpose and less stress in their lives. With an impressive background as a consultant for Accenture and COO for mission-based organizations globally, Sara has become a global citizen and expert in location freedom. Sara shares her story of how she created freedom in her life, in alignment with her values, and how this has led her to where she is today.

In the episode, Sara speaks about how she prioritizes purpose and wellness in her own life while running a business, and how she makes meaningful connections with people. She offers advice to those struggling to create freedom in their lives while pursuing their career goals and shares actionable steps listeners can take to create more purpose and less stress. She also tells us about her company Impactury and the future goals for it. Tune in to hear how stopping to slow down can align success with purpose.

Connect with Sara using the social links below and learn more about her business:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarapowell/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impactury_/
Website: https://www.impactury.com/

Unlock 3+1 degrees of freedom (time, location, financial + health) with our 5-Point Blueprint! https://elevateequity.org/podcastgift

If you really enjoyed this content and are looking for more, you can continue to learn more about us in several different places for free!

If you'd like to have a FREE copy of our 7 Ways Commercial Real Estate Syndications Protect and Build Wealth, simply click the link below. We are here and vested in your long-term success! elevateequity.org/7waysEbook

Unlock 3+1 degrees of freedom (time, location, financial + health) with our 5-Point Blueprint! https://elevateequity.org/podcastgift

If you really enjoyed this content and are looking for more, you can continue to learn more about us in several different places for free!

If you'd like to have a FREE copy of our 7 Ways Commercial Real Estate Syndications Protect and Build Wealth, simply click the link below. We are here and vested in your long-term success! elevateequity.org/7waysEbook

Derek Clifford:

All right, everyone, and welcome back to the show. Today, we've got Miss Sara Powell on the Zoom call for the podcast. How are you, Sara?

Sara Powell:

I'm great. I'm excited to be here.

Derek Clifford:

Absolutely. Yeah, we're excited to have you on this podcast today because you've got something very different that a lot of our listeners probably need and don't know that they need and also have a really inspirational story that we want to explore. But for those who don't know you, Sara is the founder of Impactury, a company that offers eco luxury wellness retreats to women executives seeking more purpose and less stress in their lives. And Sara has an impressive background as a consultant for Accenture and. Has been a COO for a mission based organization globally. She has also co founded a clean water social enterprise in Ethiopia and is a guest lecturer on social entrepreneurship for executive MBAs and undergraduates. Awesome. Sara is now a global citizen and an expert in location freedom and Sara's high level of self awareness and self acceptance gave her the clarity and courage to create freedom in her life. in alignment with her values and leading her to where she is today, changing lives and hosting incredible events for the people who need it most among other things. So Sara, so great to have you on. And let's just go ahead and just jump right in. So can you tell us a little bit more about the journey that you've been on to attain location freedom? I know that of the three degrees of freedom, the one that stands out to me the most for you is location freedom, and there's also time and financial so I want to talk a little bit about your location freedom. Then we can talk about what you do as a business person. How did you get there and what does it look like for you today?

Sara Powell:

First, thank you for that introduction. That was really nice. Yeah. So I think location freedom for me, I think just from being born, I was a very independent kid, always wanting my freedom. I think that was just something that's always been important to me. And my parents really supported me through that. And when I was So I built my career, like you mentioned, as a consultant at Accenture. I was living in Washington, D. C. and I was starting to feel stuck there. And so I decided I really tried a lot of things to switch careers. And even then I was I was able to work from home a lot, which back then was. totally novel. No one really did that. But in consulting it was more, common. So I think from the beginning of my career, remote work was always a part of, my routine, which I think I got spoiled early on. And so that was something I always really liked was having that flexibility. And then when I was thinking about building my own business, it's okay. I don't just want to be able to work from home. I want to be able to work from anywhere. And my first kind of step into doing that was when I decided to leave consulting and move to Spain. So I moved to Madrid, Spain to do my MBA. And that is where I realized, wow, okay, this just opened my eyes to a completely new way of living. And Because I had that little seed of remote work before, I was thinking after the MBA, okay, my number one priority is staying in Madrid, Spain. I just loved the culture, the lifestyle. It was a lot slower pace than I was used to in the quality of life was a lot better. And so I was like, okay, I'm going to do everything I can to stay here because I didn't have a European passport or anything, work authorization, nothing. So I was actually able to find a remote job, which again, this is pre pandemic. Nobody there were some, a few niche job job searching sites on, remote jobs, but I got really lucky and was able to find a job where I could do work that I really enjoyed. It was pretty similar to what I was doing at Accenture. And I was. Fully remote living in Spain and then receiving a U. S. salary, which for me gave me a lot of freedom because I was getting, not that I'm fully financially free, but it really did afford me the The ability to capitalize on living somewhere that has a low cost of living and while having a high US salary, which for me was great. And actually because I was able to save so much, then I ended up being able to support myself while I build my current business while living here and also being able to travel. And for me, because my family's in the United States, it's really important that I do have, that's. something important to me. And so I like having the flexibility to go back and visit them for three weeks, four weeks at a time. Or when I go on vacation things can still run and I can just operate from anywhere. So for me, it's been just, it's been quite a journey. But, I love it.

Derek Clifford:

Yeah, that's awesome. So Yeah, no, totally. And I think a lot of people can relate with your story as well. And maybe they're in the stage where they're stuck themselves. One thing I wanted to ask you was you you went you, said, Oh I found this job that was allowing me to work remote. I think that there's maybe something inside you that told you that you wanted to work remote. And so can you talk a little bit about like where that came from? Like where that itch to travel? Because I know you're trying to find the right match with the right employer trying to find the right work. But where did it appeal to you? Or where did the thought come to your mind that no, I actually want to be like a global citizen. I want to be someone who is. Out and about and I can live wherever I want to and maybe even Spain, like where, did that come from? Cause a lot of people are even fearful to do like a study abroad program. And now here you are looking to go into Spain and now you're living there.

Sara Powell:

Yeah. Yeah. I think it probably came from my mom. She is very adventurous and I remember I went on my first. international trip when I was sitting around 10 years old. And that was where I really thought we went to Jamaica. And that was the first time that I saw people living in a way completely different from from what I was used to and just different food and speaking different languages. And it just really fascinated me from a very early age. And I think having The courage, like that adventurous streak, a hundred percent comes from my mom. She is, I remember when I was a kid, she went skydiving and he was for her 30th birthday. So when I turned 18, I was like, I'm going to go skydiving. And just, there were so many things that I think made me just want to be more adventurous like that. But I think having specifically would travel. I remember my parents, their honeymoon was in Hawaii. And so that was one of the first big trips that I took. It was just a place that kind of fascinated me. But another thing just specifically with living abroad that I think had a pretty big impact on me was my dad's family. He's one of four kids, and my grandparents actually moved from the U. S. with all four kids to Lebanon, and they lived in Beirut for four years, and so when, yeah, so when I was growing up, we would have a Fourth of July barbecue. We have baba ganoush and tabbouleh. And I literally did not know until I was a full grown adult that is not typical American food for the July barbecue because we always so much influence from Lebanon and in our my grandma's house and my grandma's house, we would have. Cedar wood carvings and things like that. And all of the stories that my dad would share with me, because he was in the eight to 12 years old when, they were living there. And so he would tell me these stories from when he was a little boy and it was just so interesting them telling me about just a completely different way of living and he had a coin collection. Cause they actually took a, boat. Like a transatlantic ship took them across as they weren't flying and so they flew back but and when they came across they stopped at all these different countries and so he still had coins from when he was a little boy from that trip and I remember there was like lira and like coins that aren't even in use anymore from Europe and anyway it was just That was always so interesting to me and fascinating of, wow, there's just this big world out there. So I think I had it from, seeing these influences from my parents, having that adventurous spirit and curiosity. And once I started traveling myself. It was, I was hooked.

Derek Clifford:

Yeah, no, that's amazing. And I love that perspective about being curious about other cultures because in the United States we're both raised in the United States, mostly I assume, and being raised in the U S like all you, all is the U S. But that is changing already and I think it's people like us that are pioneering this and just for the record. I have to say to I kid you not the best meal I've had in my entire life and I've been traveling a lot right has been Lebanese food. In Berlin, in Germany totally random, combination. I don't know how that happened, but I kid you not. It was the most fantastic thing I've ever had. And I'm always craving that. And unfortunately it was one of those restaurants that didn't survive the pandemic because I went back in grad school and stuff, and I was looking for it when I went back to Germany and it wasn't around. But I'll just be honest with you. Like it's, fantastic to be treated to that every single 4th of July. I'm totally jealous, but anyway, so let's, shift gears a little bit. I want to talk a little bit about the mindset shift that it takes for you to go from being a individual contributor or basically a contractor in the corporate world to now, like starting to, maybe there was a point in time where you had both your business and your job. And now you're just doing the, business, I believe. And so can you talk a little bit about like how your mindset shifted and just keep in mind that our audiences may be somewhere in that spectrum whether they're in the corporate job, looking to start something up or just want to escape to do what you're doing. Can you talk a little bit about like how that, how you made that shift?

Sara Powell:

Oh, I feel like it's a never ending journey.

Derek Clifford:

That's true.

Sara Powell:

I think a lot of what keeps people stuck is their identity getting so intertwined with What they do, or even the name of their company, having that on their resume. So that is something that honestly took years. It had been five years since I left Accenture that I was still qualifying with Oh, so what do you do? I would say I used to work at Accenture and because it was just, I truly didn't know who I was without that. And so that's something, and it's, it was something subconscious. I didn't. Think that really I think that's something just talking to so many people. That's something that definitely is under the surface that, that holds people back. And I think the other thing is a financial security or even just feeling ready enough to, go and do that. And I think a lot of people think one day they're just going to feel, this is the day feel that just sense of calm, but. I think what it really is, having courage in the face of fear. Like you can feel both afraid and excited about doing that thing. And I think in those cases, it's just about choosing courage over comfort. And, for me it became really clear because. I was very clear on my values and what I wanted in my life and the type of life that I want for myself, the type of work I want to be doing. And so I knew that making this jump would well, actually I didn't even know that this would happen, but I think one thing that gave me the confidence was. Two things actually one knowing that I'm very employable. I think a lot of people forget that they think, oh my gosh, if I leave my corporate job, my entire resume is erased that is not true at all. And you are still the person and you have all the skills and all the experience, even after you leave it's not even though I haven't been in Accenture for six or seven years, however long it's been. I still have that. I still have all the learnings and everything that I got from that. And it's that name is still on your resume. So I think that's something that, that people forget.

Derek Clifford:

I love it because I when I made the, leap also that the, discovery of me saying, Oh the worst case scenario is I just go back to work. That's I can try to do my thing. This is when my, I had one leg on the pier or one foot on the pier and one foot in the boat. And I was like trying to figure out like what do I do here? And I discovered that it's not just a one directional thing. And so I love that attitude that you knew who you were. You spent some time working on yourself and exploring different industries and finding what your values were. And then knowing intellectually that you're like. Look, I can always go back to that if I absolutely need it. So I owe this to myself to travel, be locationally independent and try something. And so I think that's really, beautiful actually.

Sara Powell:

Yeah. If you don't know what you want, it's hard to get there. Once you get clear on that, what's important to you, then I think the other things will just work themselves out. Like I have. I think what allows me to be courageous and do these things while I'm still feeling afraid is just the confidence I have in myself to figure it out once, I'm there, and the more you do that, the easier it becomes. It's not that it's ever easy or you don't when people say don't have fear or they're fearless, that's not, I don't think that's a reality. It's that I'm choosing to be courageous in these moments and you keep your eye on the prize. What is it that I really want? And I think that the growth that you're going to experience is permanent and that discomfort is temporary. So keeping that mindset as well.

Derek Clifford:

Yeah, Warren Buffett said it and I apologize to the audience because I said this in a couple of shows back already, but Warren Buffett said that the only investment that you will ever make that has no, that has a guarantee of never going down in value is in yourself and learning, education, knowing yourself and growing. And so I, think that's a really great takeaway there. Okay, so let's, go ahead and talk about your business which is currently the impactuary. And I want to talk about what it is that you help empower people to do and how you help them because what you talk about and what you're looking to help reverse with people is all too common in this. day and age. And so maybe you can talk a little bit about your, company what you're trying to do and what your mission is. And then we'll go from there.

Sara Powell:

Yeah, sure. So my business Impactory basically offers eco luxury wellness retreats to women executives who are seeking more purpose and less stress at work. And so what we do is we offer a safe space for women to first just relax and really feel taken care of. Because if you're trying to make change in your life, you want a lot of people are feeling unfulfilled. I want more purpose. And these are smart, very capable individuals, but they're still not able to get. Just make that change. And what we do is first, before you can even figure out what's holding you back, you need to get out of a stress state. So we really try to help them get into a deep state of relaxation, pampering, and all of that. And then we help to raise your level of self awareness. To me, there is no self development without self awareness. And if you don't know that something, what needs to change, you're never going to be able to change it. And We really hope them to tune into who is it that I am and what is it that I truly want because a lot of us are living lives according to other people's definitions of success and this is giving them an opportunity to really reflect and get in touch with themselves and what is it that I truly want and. Once you have that perspective, it's okay, I want that. I'm here. How, what's holding me back? What are the things that are keeping me from achieving that? And a lot of times it's limiting beliefs or just things that are, you don't even realize are driving your behavior and I really believe you can do yoga and meditation and things like that, which are amazing. And I am a huge advocate of all of that to, strengthen your awareness. However, if you don't heal, whatever that is, then I really believe you're just going to continue repeating those same behaviors. And we help you to actually heal those so that you can then go let go of that and really step into your greatest potential. And all of this was inspired by my own experience in corporate and feeling there's something more for me. I know I can make a greater impact and while I was working really hard I, didn't realize at the time, but I was really hustling for my worthiness. I was working so hard to prove myself worth. And, while I was doing that, I burnt myself out. Like I pushed myself to the point of complete exhaustion and ended up. Having basically a medical crisis where I couldn't work anymore. And that's where I personally discovered meditation. That was something I was curious about. And through that, I just had a pause in my life where I could reflect on how I got here. And, once I did that's where I realized, okay, I'm hustling for my worthiness. My identity was very wrapped up in my corporate job, my title, and even The things that I had it was all of these things were external to me. And so my journey was pretty like isolating and I didn't I did this, all this work mainly in silence, and it was a scary, frustrating. Very like dark time for me personally. And what I want to do is basically my gift to, I know so many people are going through this. So my gift to women who are going through the same thing is, Hey, why don't you do this in support of of a group of other women who are also on that journey, have coaches who support you and, again, just really help you to heal. That's. That's something that I think is just not talked about enough and we're definitely seeing more of a conversation around it, especially as people are waking up to a different way of living, especially with the pandemic. It just really pushed, put people in a pressure cooker. We were, there were no boundaries between work and personal life at that point. So, yeah, this is just really helping people reconnect with themselves. And, now I'm able to live a life of truly I am at ease and I am just so much happier, so much more fulfilled and yeah, so I just want to be able to give that gift to other people.

Derek Clifford:

Yeah this is what everyone does need. And it's really a shame because. I know that plenty of women need this, but also men, need this. And so maybe you have some plans later on in the future because I definitely want to be a part of that as well.

Sara Powell:

Men's retreat is coming.

Derek Clifford:

That's awesome. Yeah. No, that's great. Because all these women, like a lot of them are married, or maybe some aren't, depends on who you're targeting. And I'm sure that it goes both directions, or these, other women know men who have the same issues, right? And I think that what you're doing is a great service that needs to be talked about more. The other thing I have to say, too, is that I know you're, my wife and I, my wife, and It has been talking about burnout on the medical side as a practicing doctor, and I've been meaning to get you guys connected but I get because of travel and everything like we haven't been able to, get that going, but we definitely need to talk with you about that. So we can talk maybe after the show or something, just because I think there's a lot of synergies there and you guys would really appreciate You guys really enjoy each other's company. So anyway I'm, making a personal plug here on my podcast, which I guess I'm allowed to do because my podcast, but so let's let's, talk about this. I want to try to take away some, maybe some meaningful nuggets from a lot of these retreats that you've gone through, what's one, what's a couple of things maybe some meditation or some yoga or some things like some actual tools that people can use in their lives to help. Increase that awareness right to help find the purpose and reduce stress and get that clarity right. Do you have anything that you recommend people first do maybe as a prep before going to these retreats or any advice that you have for people to get started to think about this.

Sara Powell:

Yeah, absolutely. I think if you're feeling that itch that this, isn't quite it and I don't really know what's next. I highly, recommend meditation and I know that can feel overwhelming to a lot of people or just what is this or it's really difficult to do. So for me, what really helped was using the Calm app. I am a huge advocate. There's Headspace is another is another popular one. I think just finding what works for you. I can give recommendations, but I think You know, it's whatever the best routine is, the routine that works for you. So for me the calm app has been a life changer for me truly. And I like in that specifically, they have series that talk about self love. They have a, like a seven day series that talks about depression, anxiety. stress, all of these things, and they really educate you on what's happening in your body. And, that really helped me to start to cultivate more of a vocabulary and just understand what was happening inside of me. So I would say meditation is great. And my routine, some days I'll meditate for 15 minutes. Some days I meditate for three. The point is just. Get just do it. Also including it in your morning routine is really helpful. Just because it's part of an existing routine. So don't try to set some I'm going to meditate for 30 minutes and become Buddha relax, just go and do what's reasonable and sustainable. I think that's the main thing. A couple of books that really helped me to understand myself more. One was Brene Brown, The Gift of Imperfection. That one. She really talks about anxiety and people pleasing in a way that I had never heard before. And I actually didn't even realize that I was had so much anxiety, but I because my anxiety would manifest in hyper productivity, I would actually get praised for it. And I was. So productive. So what's wrong with that?

Derek Clifford:

Yeah, you were getting value from that. Like you're attaching your ego to the praise. And when you weren't getting it or you weren't feel like you were deserving it, then that's when you started to get stressed out. Yeah. And making that connection there. Love it.

Sara Powell:

Yeah, exactly. So yeah, for me this book just really, because Renee Brown's style is it's very relatable. She's funny. So I'm a huge, fan of hers. But that book in particular just for me was a great stepping stone. And I think someone who's a little bit more advanced on their healing journey and Yeah, absolutely. I think once you have that awareness, it's really about self acceptance and, that helps you accept others. And for me Pema Chodron When Things Fall Apart, that she's a Buddhist nun and the, name is, the title of the book, I don't think really reflects so much what is actually in the book, but it really She's also funny and very direct and quite relatable, but it really helps you to accept just facts of life that can be difficult. So I think those are really just starting small. Have this be sustainable. I think the other thing also is therapy. I talked previously about healing. Once you have that awareness, that's not enough. And I think that's why I, did have a lot of awareness of what was going on, but I didn't know how to fix it. I didn't know how to get myself unstuck or what is this thing holding me back. And so for me, therapy just is. I would not be the person I am today without therapy. So cannot recommend that enough, but also there are lots of different therapies. There are lots of different therapists. Like you, you will likely have to go through a few, but don't let that discourage you. Yeah, I think those are my main main tips for people who are really just looking for, something. Something, some tools to just help them get unstuck.

Derek Clifford:

Yeah, absolutely. So one more shift here before we head into the final segment of the show is you mentioned that meaningful connections is one of your superpowers. I can tell that you're very good at relating with people just because it feels like I've known you for a very long time, even though it's only been a couple of months, I think since we were first introduced. And I, I wanted to, tap into that wisdom there. First of all how have you been leveraging that to help build your three degrees of freedom, your time, location, financial independence? And is there anything that you can, any advice that you can give? Two people to help develop this this meet this the skill of building meaningful connections with people. So two part question. One is how important is it to you and your journey? And then two, if people want to work on it, how can you suggest they do that?

Sara Powell:

Yeah, I think. Starting with, I'll start with the second one. So how can you work in it? I think it's really being authentic, just being yourself, not trying to impress someone or anything. I think real connection comes from being vulnerable and being yourself. So I think as long as you're leading with that, then we can pick up on it. People can naturally pick up on if someone's being authentic or not. And I think for me, Thank you. Ever since I was a child, it's if you want an honest opinion, go ask Sara. It was always just, I was, this is feedback that I would, these are actually two pieces of feedback that I would get. Was one Sara, we can see on your face what you're thinking. So it's if I'm in a client meeting, it's okay, Sara, you need to control your face more because we can tell you don't like this or you think that idea is very good or those kinds of things. Because it's, yeah, whatever I'm feeling is how I'm going to it's pretty obvious. But I think for me, I've been able to use this to my advantage because I actually didn't realize this was something when you're really good at something or something comes really naturally. Oftentimes it's your most overlooked asset because you're just so used to it. And actually this was some early feedback I got in my career. I had just gone on a client, maybe, I don't know, it had been maybe six weeks or something. And my manager said, wow, you have built a more meaningful connection with the client. Then in six weeks, then I've had, it was like years that she had been on the, client and it just always stuck with me, but I never fully realized until more recently actually with building impactory. So when I went to build these retreats, so the 1st one was in Nepal and then in Mallorca and I love those 2 locations, but I did not know a soul. When I went to go build this business there and I basically through my network and LinkedIn, I ended up having more people. I was in Nepal for three weeks. I have more people to meet than I could even make time to see. My schedule is completely packed, even though I went there alone just to do this and ended up having more dinners and all of these things with all of these wonderful people. And. It's really helped me to quickly turn around a, really high quality retreat and, also just connect with different partners because for me I'm trying to find the best executive coaches to come work with me, the best person to coach on mindfulness and yoga. Like in my work, we have a private chef. So having the best chef. So where am I going to find all these? So it's once I just start connecting with people, then it just spreads like wildfire. So I think that's really helped me to grow my business and support me. And I think also just living in a new city is that's one kind of downside to like the digital nomad. Not that I'm a digital nomad, but I am an expat. One downside to that is that you are an outsider being able to meet people and, really build those meaningful connections quickly is so important because. Happiness is really dictated by the quality of your relationships. So when your family and friends that you've known forever aren't around, that's, that skill has come in, quite handy for sure.

Derek Clifford:

Yeah, that's fantastic. Yeah. And you're using this skill of yours to leverage it in ways that other people, they could do it themselves. But man, it would take them a lot of work just to build the skill up and to know what they're doing. And so that's why they want to leverage you and follow you to these events that you've already planned out and you're leveraging your skills. And that's great. That's great stuff. Last question I have for you is what is in the future for Impactuary? How do you want to grow this business and how do you want to help serve people in the next three to five years?

Sara Powell:

First, just focusing on having our retreats, I really want to be able to expand upon those. But honestly, I really want this to be more of a movement that is accessible to everyone because not everyone can afford, like financially or has the time to do something like that. And so what I really try to do is Find as many ways as possible to spread this, just raise awareness and make these, this type of information accessible about wellness and finding your values and really just helping people to find a fulfilled, fulfilled life. So the way I'm doing that is. Growing my LinkedIn audience. So sharing content that way, and also doing more in person events. We also partner with a bunch of different executive coaches and, to do free virtual events. So that's one way that I. You know, I help to give the coaches a platform where they can really share their gifts and shine and they have so much wisdom. And so these events because there's so generous, they are actually doing these for free to help people really. Learn about themselves and everything. So, yeah, I'm just really hoping to expand in that way. And we'll see what happens next. If it's going to I definitely want to include the men's retreat. It's so many men are asking for that, so I'll call you up when we launch it. But yeah, I just really want this to be a truly global movement where people. Feel in tune with what they want and they have the confidence to go out and really live the life that they want according to their definition of success.

Derek Clifford:

Yeah that's, amazing. I think that again, there's so much need of this around the world right now. And I think that you're doing a great service to everyone out there. And there's people out there that don't even know they need it right now and unfortunately, a lot of people get to this point where They figure out that they need it when it's all when the damage has already been done and now they're trying to heal. But what I would love to see is the awareness go up so that this becomes like a prevention thing and You can nip things before they end up growing. And that would be a really, cool thing. So I, am, I really am cheering you on in your vision and I'll be continuing to follow you on LinkedIn and check in with you every once in a while to see how things are going, because it's really great. Thing that you're trying to do a great service for everyone on this planet. So we have gotten to the end of the interview, but now I want to ask you the rapid round questions, which is the same six questions that I ask every one of my guests. And so they're meant to be answered in 30 seconds or less. And so if you're ready, we're going to just rapidly ask them to you if you're up to it.

Sara Powell:

I don't think I'm going to be more ready than I am now, so let's do it.

Derek Clifford:

Good answer. All right. Number one you may have touched on this already, but number one, name any resource that was, or is essential in your journey to pursue your location freedom.

Sara Powell:

I feel like, oh Zoom.

Derek Clifford:

Yeah. Zoom is pretty amazing. That is very true.

Sara Powell:

But I'll say not just for meetings, but it's really because I stay connected to my family through zoom. And that's what I think has been a true lifeline is having technology like this. We actually have a weekend zoom call with my family.

Derek Clifford:

So I love it. That's such a good idea. That's awesome. Very cool. All right. Number two, if you woke up and your business was gone, you had 500, a laptop, place to live. and food, what would you do first?

Sara Powell:

Probably some yoga and go outside.

Derek Clifford:

I love that. Reflect on what the next steps are. I think that's really good.

Sara Powell:

Enjoy wherever I am get outside. I feel like that, helps me get grounded and I can think about, and it gives you perspective. Like it's, not as, yes, it's serious, but it's not serious at the same time. I think that's just the beauty of life.

Derek Clifford:

What I really like about your answer here for this is most people would jump right into a solution and be like, Oh, I would start calling my connections or I would I would immediately jump online and start selling my services. Or something like that. They would jump right into the connections, but I love how you're like, you don't know, I'm just gonna. Discover, like figure out what the question is, figure out what the problem truly is at the core and use this as an inflection point in life. So anyway, that's just my insight from your answer. I just love it. All right. Number three, what does your self reflection and goal setting practice look like as in a business owner and entrepreneur?

Sara Powell:

I do daily meditation, so that is a non negotiable for me. I also have a coach that I, an executive coach who just keeps me grounded and journaling as well is absolutely essential. It and my therapist. So it's all of these are just different ways for me to reflect and just think about what's next or what's bothering me or, yeah, get to the root of it.

Derek Clifford:

Yeah. Great. Awesome. Number four, what are the core work habits that you attribute most to your success today?

Sara Powell:

I would say meditation. It's just all going to go back to that. Yeah, I think meditation because it, helps me have clarity on what it is that I want. And like I said before, if you don't know what you want, you're, it's going to be pretty hard to get there. But when I know what I want, nothing will stand in my way. So I think for me, just having that and also keeps me grounded when entrepreneurship is a rollercoaster, complete rollercoaster. That's just something I can always come back to, to keep myself grounded and keep things in perspective.

Derek Clifford:

Yeah that's, good advice. I've actually taken that advice and I can attest to the fact that meditation is that powerful. When you know yourself. All of the important things tend to stay on your priorities and everything else just just goes away, right? When you know who you are and what you're, what you really need to do. So I love that. All right. Last question I have for you today on our podcast is what tool or process has become one of your most important time, money, or energy saving ninja magic tricks that you use every day?

Sara Powell:

Trello. I love Trello. Yeah, I think just, I love having a backlog where if I have a thought, I can dump that in there and not have to worry about where is this, what app is this in and later when I'm going through Ideas for a post or something I can just go in there. And also I like that it's collaborative so I can work with other people digitally as well, but yeah, that keeps me sane.

Derek Clifford:

Yeah, no, that's fantastic. I use Asana myself and Trello. I'm very familiar with, it's very similar. And then also Notion Notion is pretty impressive.

Sara Powell:

Yeah, I just recreated my Trello in notion and I'm so excited about it. I'm excited. So I was actually debating, but I feel like I can't fully say notion yet because it's not

Derek Clifford:

I'm going to go ahead and start sending people your way to be like, ask Sara about Notion she knows. And then that way you'll become an expert in no time, but yeah, I know highly, recommend those, especially cause notion has these AI assist tools in it too. So if you have a bullet point or something and you want to turn it into a post or maybe a thought or something, you can literally like highlight the text and D and have the AI expand or condense or do whatever. It's really, cool stuff all inside the Notion.

Sara Powell:

It's much more powerful. And I love that you can put it into I can have calendar mode or I can have a Kanban board. I can combine two databases to have all the information in one or have them separate. It's I'm way too excited and it's highly customized.

Derek Clifford:

I love it. I love it. So Sara, this is, this has been an amazing conversation and thank you for your time. But for people who want to know more about you and the Impactury, how do you recommend they figure out more or reach out to you?

Sara Powell:

Yeah, so they can follow me on LinkedIn. It's just Sara Powell or they can go to our website and Impactury.Com. Yeah, or you can find us on Instagram also. It's impactury_.

Derek Clifford:

All right. That's amazing. And audience members just want to thank you for listening to this point in the podcast. Thank you so much for your listenership and wherever you're watching or engaging or listening to this podcast, please Like subscribe, comment, just interact with us so that we can figure out how we're doing and we can attract more people like yourselves who are listening to incredible people, just like Sara and our other guests as well on the show. So please do that so we can appease the algorithm gods and make everyone happy that way. Sara, thank you so much for coming on the show. It was a pleasure to have you.

Sara Powell:

Thank you.

Derek Clifford:

All right. We'll see everyone next week.