Saying No to Say Yes: Brittany Blackman’s Path from Burnout to Self-Discovery

Alex Husner  
Welcome to Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals. I'm Alex, 

Annie Holcombe  
and I'm Annie, 

Alex Husner  
and we are joined today with Brittany Blackman, who is the creative leadership director for Discover freedom and is the former owner of breathe easy vacation rentals. Brittany, it's so good to see you. It's

Brittany Blackman  
nice to be with y'all Ladies, thank you.

Annie Holcombe  
So Brittany, you and I live down the road from each other, and so we just had this crazy snowstorm in and so I just wanted to tell you, like, I hope you're warm, I hope you're safe, I hope you have chicken in your freezer, because I didn't. But we're just so grateful to have you here today, and you've been through a lot of changes this last year. You came from property management, so why don't you tell a little bit about your journey, and you know, through vacation rentals, and then what you're doing right now, absolutely.

Brittany Blackman  
So I am staying warm, and thank you. So let's see. Guess going way back, I got into vacation rentals back in 2011 and was with the company for nine, nine and a half years. Decided to leave in 2020 Yes, in the middle of the pandemic, and started another, my own vacation rental company. I just really was so passionate about the industry. I believe that travel would come back, because people cannot stay inside with their families all day long every day. And so it was a dream of mine to have my own business. And so started Breathe Easy. Rentals. Grew that business over the past four years, and then wound up selling that business in August of 2024 and then also at that time, could publicly also come out that I had started another company, which was discover freedom, a coaching company,

Annie Holcombe  
great. So discover freedom is what you're doing now. And we want to dive into that, but I think just kind of going back a little bit. So starting a business, get leaving a business being in vacation rentals, pandemic timeframe like, that's a little crazy for sure. You know you you left, one started another, and then ultimately you decided to sell. So can you talk us through kind of the decision that you had to come to because obviously you said you were passionate about it, so that's why you started your own business. But then what happened that made that passion sort of wane? Or maybe Was it just the day to day of the business got to you?

Brittany Blackman  
Excellent question. So I think it kind of started for me the end of 22 early 23 and I just started listening to some different leadership webinars. Podcast Tony Robbins was pretty much on my earbuds every single day, and it was just this very encouraging think outside the box type of communication that I really loved. And what that wound up evolving into was me questioning where I was going, and I felt very much like I was in a fog. And so it was like I was moving forward. I was doing everything I wanted to do. Everybody around me said, you know, checkbox, Brittany has the definition of success. Nothing was wrong, but I just didn't really know, like, where I was going. And so, funny enough, I had met this life coach years ago at a bar. You never know where you're gonna meet people. And so I reached out to her, I haven't talked to her in probably, like, 10 years, and said, hey, you know this is what I've got going on. I don't even know, like, what kind of help to ask for. I just need, like, somebody to maybe guide me through this. I don't want you to tell me how to live my life and make definitions for me. Just like, can you help me get out of this? And she was like, Sure, absolutely. And so we worked together for a year, and it was a lot of self discovery, um, a lot of connecting things to my parents, to previous experiences that I'd been through. And, you know, I think a big turning point for me was that I could not define what my values were as a person, and I could not tell you what a dream life looked like like when I had to write an exercise was to write my dream life out. And I was like, oh, you know, I work every day and I'm stressed. And she was like, Brittany, what's wrong with you? Like, this is a dream. And I was like, Yeah, but that involves stress. And I cried because it was really hard. It was actually a huge challenge for me, but it was like I realized that I had completely lost myself, that I had given so much of who I was to everybody else. I was a people pleaser. I was a perfectionist. I didn't have boundaries, because if you have boundaries, that means you're not doing things for other people, or so I thought. And that was really hard for me. And that's when it was like, no, like, I want something completely different. And so step one was figuring out what the heck my boundaries were, what that looked like, what was possible in a dream life. And then from. There I needed to make the decision of, do I hire, you know, a GM and step out of my role of being so active in the day to day with the vacation rental industry? Do I step out of it? Like, what do I do with this, knowing my tendencies, and I either put 100% into things or zero I have, like, on off switch and no dimmer switch. And so for me, it was you need to sell the company, because it is actually going against every value that I had, at least with my mindset. And so that was the catalyst for putting it up for sale and then beginning to write a completely different life story for myself. Wow,

Alex Husner  
that's incredible. And, you know, I mean, I can relate so much to what you just said. And I've been in that position a few times in the last, you know, few years, really. And, you know, having been with one company for 13 years, and, you know, I just, I ended up associating myself with, with my work identity. And I don't know that, I don't, completely don't do that now, but you you end up, you hit these phases in life. I feel like, and, you know, everyone knows I'm a big fan of numerology, but I feel that there's a lot of truth to that, that when you look back, it's like, you know, things that made you really happy and fulfilled at one point, they're not always going to be the same things. I mean, like, we're all growing and evolving, and the experiences that we have are dictating, you know, rebuilding our life, I mean, every single day, in different ways. So I think that obviously took a lot of courage in your case to to make that decision. And you know, it's not, it's not an easy one. I mean, you feel like, in one way, I'm sure you felt like you're letting yourself or other people down, because, I mean, this was your baby, but at the end of the day, you know, it's, I think working with a life coach makes a lot of sense, or a therapist, or however, anybody wants to do that. But I mean, now you've been able to take what you've learned and want to help other people, right? I mean, that's kind of like the genesis of now you're going to be able to help people manage and go through those changes like you did, which is phenomenal, absolutely,

Brittany Blackman  
thank you. And it is, it's it is scary, but it's also thrilling at the same time. And one thing that I recently had a conversation with someone about is it's like, if you think back to our parents, they most likely had one job, and they stayed doing that job all of their life, and so that's what we've been taught. And especially as women like you, stay in this and this is what you do. And so then all of a sudden you feel like a failure when you want to change, when you want to be somebody different, because that's not what you were told was normal. And so it's almost like a generational thing of like, no, it's completely fine. Like, start as many careers as you want, do whatever it is, you know, that really makes you happy, and that's okay.

Annie Holcombe  
That's so interesting. And I applaud, applaud you. And what Alex said, I mean, that takes a lot of courage to recognize that you're not in this the place you need to be, and you need to step out of it and try something different. So with this coaching, I mean, obviously it's a whole different world. I mean, it's you're not trying to please guests and owners and all these things. You're not juggling as many things. But obviously, you're a startup now, so you have to go back to those beginnings of the startup mentality and hustling for yourself. But it seems like you have a good passion and drive to keep this train moving in the right direction. So where does it where is it that you're going to be focusing, is it really just about helping people find their whole self, or is it personal development in the business world? Like, where exactly do you fit into that? Like, there's just a whole world out there you could coach, I guess

Brittany Blackman  
there is. And I love the vacation rental industry, so that is where my primary focus will be. You know, I just I love the people, and I think that so many of us had those perfectionistic want to do everything serve it hearted, right? You want to do everything for everybody else, like those characteristics we see throughout the industry, both on the vendor side and as the property managers and hosts as well. And so with that being said, you know, we're in an industry where it's hospitality, where you're you're supposed to be giving everything to everybody else, which means you lose yourself sometimes, and I don't want to see that happen more and more. And so if I can work with these leaders who constantly feel like they're on the rat wheel and they just can't get off, like, you can't even put a foot off because you're just going to keep spinning like, That's hard. That's a that's high stress, high anxiety. It's really toxic for your body. It's not good for your mental state. And then what happens when you go home? You don't want to talk to your husband or your wife, your kids are like, Oh, my God, you know, like, It's so awful, like, really living in that. And so if I can come in through coaching and support these leaders who are giving their everything to everybody else, and be a support system for them. Through personal development, leadership development, then they can take care of themselves, then they can take care of everybody else, and grow their owners, grow their guests. But like, if you you've all heard this right, like if you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of others. When you get on the airplane, put your mask on first before you know, you help your partner, and it like, we joke around and we toss it around so much, but I don't think enough people like really understand it and take it serious, and I hope to be one of the catalysts in that change. Yeah,

Alex Husner  
I think our industry, I mean, it's definitely, it's, it's rampant that people are extremely stressed out, you know? I mean, this is, it's a difficult industry to be in, and I don't think that mental health is talked about enough. I mean, you don't ever really see that as a topic at any of these conferences that we go to. Probably the closest thing to that would be at the Women's Summit, that there is more of a deep dive. But this isn't just for women. I mean, this is for men too, that everybody needs to be able to take, you know, a step back and have a look at, you know, their their life and like what they're able to do about it, for themselves, but for the people around them too. Because you're right, if you you have to take care of yourself in order to be able to take care of others. And I think for the most part, our industry people, they just they don't want to take that time, not off, but they don't want to take that time back from the business to even think about stuff like that, because it's like, well, if I do that, then I'm getting behind again on more things that are critical, like in my face right now, but you have to do that. And you know, maybe it's not that you have to go take two weeks and sit on a beach and ponder things, but it's about being methodical, and whether that's meditation or if it's working with, you know, a therapist or a life coach like you, it can at least just kind of get your brain started and thinking about these things. But how do you foresee being able to take the message that you have to the industry and like, how can you start just kind of infusing this into conversations? Well, it starts

Brittany Blackman  
with publicly communicating the things that everybody's thinking, but no one is actually saying out loud. And so I've lived this for 13 years, and so now I can say these things, because I feel like, when you're in, like, in that property management position, like, I can't say these, or they're going to think I'm weak, right? Yeah, you know, they're going to judge me. They're going to think I'm the worst boss. Like, guess what? I don't have any team members now, and if they want to judge me, then please do. But the people who want to hear the message and understand it, they're going to, they know what the exhaustion is like the overwhelm they again. Y'all know what it's like to go home and not even want to talk to your spouse because you're just so exhausted, or don't talk to me. I need to drink this bottle of wine first every single night. Like so it starts like with anything like, talk about the pain points, talk about this stuff, and in a sense, like normalize it and make sure people understand like this isn't healthy. Because, you know, one thing that I didn't mention earlier that was very scary, but very surreal for me, when I was being coached for that past year, my father had passed away many years ago from a heart attack unexpectedly. And y'all know me like I work hard, I hustle. I have no problem doing it, but what scared me most was that I was going to be working so hard, and that I was under so much stress, that I was going to die in my authorities from a heart attack, that it was my reality. My father had this heart attack, my grandfather had a heart attack, both at young ages, so it's in my family and I was going down the same exact path. And like, that's not okay. Like, nobody wants to work that hard, like, not be able to enjoy it, you know, and the rest of your life and so like having a conversation just like that and saying, but things can change. Like if you learn how to set healthy boundaries, if you learn how to handle your stress, you can't get rid of the chaos, but if you can understand how to breathe and how to, just like, sit on it and be resilient with it. That's what you need. You can't stop the storm from coming, but you can absolutely bring an umbrella with you. You can wear your rain boots, you know, like you can bring these tools, you know. And so I mean that that's the fundamental of it. It's like just breaking this open, having this conversation, and then having people that are like, Yeah, this is very true, because I'm gonna tell y'all I've talked to quite a few people in the industry just in the past two months. Every single person I talk to understands exactly what I'm saying. So this isn't like this. Is some crazy idea. It's just nobody's talking about it publicly. Yeah,

Annie Holcombe  
I was talking to a mutual friend of ours, Brittany, actually, and kind of talking about that need to step back and how the you want to you want to tell the people around you that you need to step out. You're so concerned about what they're going to think. And then you finally have to, like, reconcile with, like, if it's going to be good for me, it's going to be good for everybody in the end. And I think the solution that they came to was like, I do need to step back, like I'm hitting that burnout point. And when you recognize that burnout, is it? Is it the burnout that's so bad that you're never going to recover from it, or is it a burnout that you are at the edge and you can pull yourself back and kind of recite like your values, like you said? And so I think it's, I think it is something that we do need to talk about. And I know Alex and I had talked to Rachel all day and rob all day at a boat. And they have, you know, they mental health is something that's really keen on their on their radar, and sort of instilled in how they operate as a business. And it's like their staff, it's, like, very important. And I think that more companies need to recognize that, you know what, you deal with this in this 24/7 business, and the different personalities that come through guests and owners and the stress of all of it. I mean, like, if we don't start taking care of people, we're going to have, like, a whole generation of people that are just walking around like zombies, and their marriages are falling apart and their families are falling apart. And we need to, like, help that so kind of off that I wanted to ask you, you know, you mentioned kind of the heart issues, but you you had to have a conversation with your husband about this. Because, I mean, obviously owning a business is that's the vitality of your of your household on some level. And so how did, how did that evolve into recognizing, okay, like I have to just completely do a 180 on my life.

Brittany Blackman  
He's the most amazing husband in the world. So it was very easy. You know, that was another realization that I had. There was a lot that went into my pot of what to sell. He was wildly supportive of me for 10 years. Ever since we've been together, I've been in the vacation rental industry, so that's all that he knew. And what hurt me the most is that he's a professional fisherman, and he has his tournament season is in the summer, and for the past 10 years, I have not been able to make it. I've been late. I've missed things. I've asked him, Can you please be the last vote in There's pictures of him with some great catches that I'm not part of. Everybody else is there and he, you know, he was bothered by it some I was way more bothered by it because I was like, I'm not supporting you. Like, this isn't a 5050, relationship to me right now that's awful. I have full control of this, and so, you know, he was supportive, like we talked about everything, and what if I do this? What if I do that? And I think the best, one of the best reasons why our relationship so good is because He doesn't force me to be someone I'm not. You know, he gives me a different thing to think about, and is very honest that we can have great communication with each other. And so he said, You know, I agree. I see that too, but you know, I still love you. I said, Well, this is something I want to change. And so, you know, whether it looked like going to work for someone else or starting my own next business, you know, like he didn't care about that. It's just as long as I was happy, and he just now gets the added perk of that, I can actually eat a hot meal with him, and I'll be able to go to his tournaments. But you know who you choose to spend your life with, whether it's your spouse or your friends, like that also plays a big part. If you have someone who's toxic and isn't supportive. Not everybody has that support. I I just am in a very good position and have that

Alex Husner  
Yeah, and I think it's hard too, because it's, it's twofold. It's not only were you, you know, upset that you were missing these tournaments and those experiences with him, but then you also feel just bad because you're feel like you're letting him down too, right? So it's like, it's, it's twofold, you wish you were there and you hate that it's making him upset when it probably was making you more upset, you know, cumulatively, than him in the first place. But you know, having that, that pressure is just really, really tough. And you know, another thing I was thinking as you were speaking to that, the the levels of, you know, whether you are, if you're front lines, if you are, you know, talking with homeowners, you're dealing with guests. You know, that's one level of the stress in the industry. But then the people that are behind the scenes, the they feel that stress from those people, because they're getting it from the owners and the guests, right? So it's, like, it really, you know, it is kind of more of a overall leadership type thing, of like, if you're going to make a change to yourself and your business, like, it's not just to make you more at peace with things, but it's going to improve the lives of the people around you too.

Brittany Blackman  
Absolutely, it's a whole team. It's not an eye. I have a question too,

Alex Husner  
so I wonder. I mean, for somebody listening to this. And maybe you thought about this too, but if you could go back and change maybe how some of you did some of the things in the property management business now that you know what you know, like, what are those boundaries that you would have set up? Like, would you have said to owners, for example, like, I'm not responding to text messages at, you know, 10 and 11 o'clock at night or, like, what were some things that you feel like if you had done early on would have maybe prevented some of that stress? So

Brittany Blackman  
my new favorite phrase this year is no can be a complete sentence. So what that means is, you say no and then you don't have the guilt behind it, right? Yeah, because saying yes to everyone and everything does you no good. And so, you know, I think not only would it have been boundaries with homeowners, it would have been boundaries with guests, it would have been boundaries with staff. And at the end of the day, I'm going to be honest and vulnerable. I needed leadership development. I didn't know I needed it until I entered this world of coaching. And I was like, God, why aren't they teaching this stuff to everybody? Like, this is amazing. I didn't have it. I didn't know about this. Like, I didn't know about any of these things, um, you know. And so, you know, when it comes to the boundaries, like it's not, not only just saying yes and no, but it's also being able to explain why, like, being able to say to your owners, Listen, guys, I'm going to be here for your everything, you know. But I need you to understand that I've got to refill my batteries, otherwise I'm running on fumes every day. And that's, I think, what happens to so many property management companies is you say yes to so many expectations and so many needs because you want to people please that you just can't maintain it, whether it's the time or the resources. Like, it is just not possible. So things slip through the cracks, and then you spend more time dealing with the crap you started because you didn't set a clear expectation. And you know, to add on to that, like, I think another important piece of this boundaries is, like, it's okay to set them, but it's even better to readjust them. And I think we get so stuck, of like, oh no. Like, we told you we're gonna do this, so this is what we're gonna do till the next 600 years, like, till I die. Yeah, no, you said that earlier. Of, like, seasons in your life change, and that's okay for you to grow and realize, like, hey, what's what was working five years ago or 10 years ago isn't working now and again, explaining why? Like, help the person understand, because they may not see that and ask them what questions they have, you know, but at the end of the day, you've got to be conscientious of not only what you're saying yes and no to but how you treat yourself as well. Like boundaries with yourself are huge. I didn't have that. It's amazing that we can get emails and PMS systems and all the tech stack is an app and is on our phone like it's the greatest thing. It's also completely and utterly exhausting. Yeah,

Annie Holcombe  
the technology definitely has not helped as much as it's probably hurt more than than it's helped, if you really think about it, because 15 years ago, we were doing just fine, and we were getting along. We were still having stresses, but we were getting along, and we probably compounded it. And it kind of makes me think of like you just going back to your word, like a lot of people I saw this year, that was our Word of the Year was no and I listened to a podcast with Mel Robbins recently, and she talked about her theory of just let them and that was the most like eye opening, just statement in the way she viewed it. And it was like, it was like, a no brainer, like, Duh, but to have somebody say it to you in such a way. And so I think that that's that's kind of the problem is that when you're a people pleaser, you're in hospitality. Your nature is you want to, you want to solve and fix and be there and make sure that everything's just so and buttoned up with a bow. And sometimes you just have to let them. You have to let other people do their thing, and they're not always going to do it the way you want to, but if you keep stepping in, and you reinforce that habit, that you're going to step in. I talk with my CEO about that all the time, about, like, with team members, you know, like, how do we ensure that they are empowered? And how do they understand that? It's like, you know, you're not always going to know the right answer. But you, at this point in your career, you kind of have an idea of where you should go, and I need to let you do that. So it's like the same things, like let them, because you can't be there for all things, for everybody all the time, because to your point, your battery just completely drains out. And worst case scenario is you do have a heart attack, you know? So it is, it is a compounding. Issue.

Alex Husner  
And I think that's a really good point too, Annie, because what I see a lot for whether it's the GM or the owner of the business, I mean, they really, they feel that they are the only one that is capable of handling a lot of situations, right? So it's like, no, I can't take a vacation. I've got to be there every Saturday. I mean, they're going to be guests checking in. They're going to want refunds, and there's going to be issues. And I can't let my front line staff be making these decisions on my behalf that I'm I wouldn't necessarily agree with. And I think it goes back to the bigger picture of values. And I think, you know, there's, you know, the Matt landaus of the world, and the different conversations that have come in to the industry that are similar to this, that are so beneficial of, you know, knowing your personal values, but also your company values, and then how you instill those in your staff and your leadership so that in your absence, they're gonna make the right decision. And you know what, if they make the wrong decision, it's okay. I mean, like, and nobody's perfect all the time, but you have to let people be able to learn from things too. And like, it's not gonna burn the business down. I mean, hopefully it's not that bad, but you have to, you have to give people that that leash to be able to expand and learn on their own sometimes.

Brittany Blackman  
And I'll add into that real quick, like part of delegation is part boundaries, yes, but it's also a coaching mindset. So what I mean by that is like, I never knew this stuff until I got into the coaching school that I was in, but, and maybe it's way more common knowledge than I thought, but I just thought as the boss, you make the decisions, and then you tell everybody, well, this is why we're making the decisions, because we're tying it back to this value, the values and the vision, which is great theoretically, But what you're stifling is all creativity. And so that is not healthy, because then you're just zeros and ones, zeros and ones, and then you get frustrated, because this is a dynamic industry, and no two problems can be solved the exact same, even in this, in a business, the same business, right? And so with a coaching mindset, you ask more questions. You are inquisitive. You want to know how they got there. What are the options that they think of? Did they think about these other things? And I just don't feel like that conversation was cultivated enough. It was something never really for me to process again. It was just Brittany, you need to tell them why they're doing it and what they're doing, and that's just what they need to do. Well, guess what? That's That's what means your team has no buy in because they don't really understand it. They've just been told this is what to do. How many of y'all have kids like if you tell your kid to brush their teeth so their teeth don't fall out. They're not, they're

Annie Holcombe  
not gonna do it.

They're 100% not gonna do it. Yeah, it has to be their idea. Yeah,

that's And I wonder, I wonder there too. I feel like, you know, kind of to your earlier point, like we were raised a certain way. That was, like the rules are set, and you follow the rules, and if you stray outside the rules. There's punishment, you know, there's, there's a cause and effect of all these things. And so we didn't really, necessarily, I think our generator like, didn't come up in this in the sense of like, let me encourage you to be to critic, have critical thinking. Like to be able to make a decision, because I'm not always going to be here. I need you to be able to to do that. And so Alex mentioned Matt Landau, and I know that you recently went to one of his retreats in Costa Rica, so I'm sure the scenery was amazing, and it gave you the ability to really check out. But would love to hear about that we know about some of the ones he's done here in the US, and what he's done with property managers, but I think this was a totally different approach to mindfulness and all and all the things that Matt touches on. So can you tell us a little bit

Brittany Blackman  
about it? It was absolutely awesome. And so I think the biggest experience for me there was a very big slow down to daily life and a very deep, deep dive into who you are. Like, not to freak anybody out, but I met my future self. Like, wow, it she actually, I had a conversation with her. And I know this sounds insane, because if somebody was telling me this, I would, but like it was this short little meditation, but she healed something in me that I needed, which was absolutely crazy for me. And so at the end of the day, what I love most about the experience is in you're in a completely new creative space, and when you can get into a different space. Nothing's normal, which is scary and challenging, but it's really awesome then, because you get to make it whatever you want it to be. And he brought in these very, very experienced coaches, Erwin and Jordan and. And, you know, there were quite a few things that they discussed that were very in line with a lot of the things that I had been learning in coaching school. They just took it to, like, a whole extreme level. And so at the end of the day, what it what it helps people, at least from my perspective, realize, is, you know, what does your dream life look like? And then how do you basically back into that? How do you backcast and begin to set up the different steps that you need to take to be your definition of successful? And so it was. It was almost like I imagine someone like unlocking a door, and now the rest of the work is once you get home, and now you have to walk through that door and you need to implement those practices. You know, Alex, you mentioned earlier, whether it's manifestation or reading or mentor, coach, whatever like. Now the that self work is still there, but it was at least that opening of the door for people just to channel like a completely different side of their brain, per se, than they're used to thinking from Yeah,

Alex Husner  
I love that, and definitely want to attend one of Matt's retreats in the in the near future. I know the one that the Keystone that I went to a couple years ago was, was groundbreaking in a lot of ways, and I think I love what he's doing now that it's, you know, even in the Keystone days, it wasn't just about property management specifically. It really was more about, you know, you as a internal person and a leader, and you know what you want for not just your business but your life. And I think now what he's done, he's kind of taken it to another level, that there's people from all types of industries in it, and, you know, just being around people to learn from them, especially outside of the industry that you're in all the time, is really powerful. And I talk about this all the time. When I made the decision to start my own business last year coincided perfectly with an opportunity to go out to be part of this mastermind in Vegas with David Meltzer, and just met all these incredible people. And it's like there's something about like taking yourself out of your regular routine and being around completely like people you don't have never met any of them before, and and doing it by yourself. And like it's like the just the things that you discover, and just like the fresh start that it gives you is so impactful. So I can't recommend that enough for anybody, whether you it's one of these retreats or something else that you do, to just take that time to really think internally about what you want and just be, you know, vigilant to be around different people and mindsets to get you there. So

Annie Holcombe  
Brittany, I have a question now that you went through this. So do you feel like it? You could sit down now and write your ideal life and what the perfect life looks like. Oh yeah,

Brittany Blackman  
I have a whole diagram drawn, yeah. You know, for the common day conversation, it takes your vision boards to a whole new level, like the whole point of a vision board is not this social media craze of let's meet together, cut out cute pictures, drink wine, eat charcuterie, and just post it on a board like that's not what I think a true vision board is like. A true vision board is you intentionally seeking these photos that give you a feeling, these words that invoke a feeling in you, and that's what you want. And so if you want to call it manifestation, you can, or, you know, whatever word you want to give it, but when you put these words and pictures together, it's moving you towards what you want to be. And so, you know, I made a vision board last year, and y'all, it was insane. I would have my toughest days in selling this business. I would be having some really tough conversations decisions, and I would just look to it, and I'll turn around right now, because it's still there. It says your direction is more important than your speed. And I never knew at the beginning of last year how important and impactful that was going to be to me, but that last year I needed that. And so, you know, being able to connect like this is really what I want to feel like in the next year, five years, 10 years, whatever. And when you can find those words and images that meet that need for you. When you get lost in haver up days, you can look at that and it just helps align you, just to make sure you're going in that right direction. Yeah,

Annie Holcombe  
makes me think of a big fan of Deepak Chopra's for a long time ago. Read a lot of his books, and he always talks about, you know, you have this destination and you're always going to end up in the same place, but it's about recognizing the signs and when you should take a detour or take a different path to get to that. And some people don't know what that end is, but your life ultimately has a place where it's going to end and where it's going to end up. And so when. You start to be open to and Alex, I talk about this is open to those signs and recognizing them and understanding that maybe you're on this path over on the right and you need to be on the left, but no knowing when it's okay to step off that path. Like there's just so much of that that resonates. And I think that some people don't take those signs for what they mean. They just kind of push them aside and and then all of a sudden, it becomes where you were. You were just fraught with anxiety and stress, and you didn't know and all the signs were there to help you, but you just weren't recognizing them. So now you can step back and see what they are.

Alex Husner  
Yeah, I think there's a quote that that just reminded me of that you mentioned Bernie a little bit different, but that it's something along the lines of direction is more important than your intention. So whether it speed or intention, that you know, you might have all the best intentions in the world. But I mean you, if you're not mindful of the direction that you're going, those good intentions are out the window, essentially. So, you know, being mindful of those of those things in this path, and it's very easy to feel like, well, you know, I'm so busy, I'm so stressed. Like, that's a good thing. It means I'm working really hard, but being busy and stressed is not like anything that people should just aspire to. I mean, there are times when that is is unavoidable, but, you know, being busy is not impressive. You know, like, you don't have to be busy to be impressive, like, it's hard, you know, as we talked about earlier, too. I mean, just like technology and every different app and platform that we're receiving messages in that we've got, you know, 80 text messages and 50 WhatsApps and Facebook messages and Instagrams and emails, and it's like, god forbid you get actual phone call, you know, it's like, oh my god, can't handle this, but, yeah, it's, it's interesting. So the I'm curious too, on the the the training school that you went to, what? What was that like? What did that entail? It's

Brittany Blackman  
super fun. I'm still in classes. So it's called the Advanced coaching practicum. There's like a million coaching schools out there. It is also an unregulated industry, much like vacation rentals. So I'm still in the wild wild west. I was like, Oh, this is friendly territory. It's uh, no, it's been fun at the end of the day, like it has taught me what it means to be an effective communicator, how to listen better, and just how to have way better conversations with people. And so, you know, I have class once a week. I get coached once a week as well. And, you know, have the ability to, you know, practice with some other people. And so it's a it's good at giving you the fundamentals of what you need, and then always kind of being good refreshers in there. But it is definitely all fundamentals of what you need for for coaching and how to really be present, you know, for your people, and listen to them well,

Annie Holcombe  
Brittany, this has been incredible. And you post a lot on LinkedIn, and you ask a lot of mindful questions that I've looked at sometimes I think, Gosh, I don't know how to answer that question, but it makes me think about it. So I appreciate you doing that, but if anybody's interested in learning more about your coaching and keeping up with you, what's the best way for them to reach out to you? So

Brittany Blackman  
LinkedIn is absolutely awesome. I'm on there. It's Brittany Blackmon, and of course, discover freedom. I'm on everything y'all. I've got Facebook and Instagram as well. You can find me both personally and professionally. My email is all in at discover freedom dot life. My website is very similar, www dot. Discover freedom, dot live and yeah, I think that's about it. You're everywhere.

Unknown Speaker  
Yeah, you're everywhere. Awesome.

Alex Husner  
So good to chat with you, Brittany, and just proud of you and excited to watch your journey and say the impact you continue to make, and the people around you and people in the industry that we all know as well. But in the meantime, if anybody wants to get in touch with Annie and I, you can go to Alex and Annie podcast.com and we'll see you next time. Everybody. Thank you.