A game that entrepreneur's all know is that game of "Catch Up". You know, where we have too many things to do for the time and energy that we have available? I know it so well, we all do. Today, I am sharing how I have learnt to be super efficient and productive and triage my list to focus on what's most important and GSD, even when it's overwhelming and you know you can't get to everything.

You've been there right?

Resources:

Monday for project management, click here.

Awesome TED talk by Darria Long here

Tina Tower [00:00:00]:
Hi friends and welcome to episode 259 of her Empire Builders show. It is great to have you here with me today for another of our fabulous member stories. So her empire builder is opening doors in just a few weeks. If you want to get on the waitlist for that, check out herempirebuilder.com. all of the info is there for you on the homepage. So you are going to love this episode today if you are somebody who values lifestyle and family as well as business success and achievements. My guest today is the fabulous Sally Galloway and she is sharing her story today about how she's had traditional business with two sites and after becoming a slave to the work she was doing, she then started a role for someone else that was more to make an impact, but again, she ended up in a national role but found it difficult to sustain with her young, growing family. So this is really what gave Sally the catalyst to move into her own business and amplifying the impact online.

Tina Tower [00:01:10]:
She started with us in her empire Builder last year, so 2023 and in the last 18 months she has three x'ed her business. So incredible amount of growth that she has experienced and she's also in a position which is probably the most important thing where her family can come first always. And we're talking a lot about that in today's episode about like at what cost does success have to come at and how fast is too fast and how do we say no to things in order to say yes to the things that are important? So a little bit about Sally Sally Galloway is a dedicated occupational therapist with over 14 years of experience specializing in early childhood education. Her passion for child development and inclusive practices has made her a sought after and leader in her field. Sally has contributed significantly across various sectors including private practice, education and government. And I've got a link in the show notes to check out Sally's program, regulation rituals, which is awesome. So please welcome to the show the fantastic Sally Galloway. Hello and welcome to her Empire builder show.

Tina Tower [00:02:25]:
I'm your business strategist and host, Tina Tower and I am so happy you are here. My goal with this show is to bring you the inspirational and informative conversations with interesting humans as well as the tools, tips and resources to help you build your online business. Since starting my first business at 20, I have built and sold four times. And in 2018, while travelling around the world with my family for a year, I tripped and fell into this wonderful world of online courses and I instantly, instantly fell in love. I'm a million dollar course creator, a world traveler, best selling author, a mummer of two man children and a lucky wife. There's no playing small here. It's your time to grow to run a highly profitable business that makes you wildly wealthy while you positively impact your clients and the world around you and have the life you've always dreamed of. Let's get it.

Tina Tower [00:03:24]:
Sally. Welcome to her Empire Builder show.

Main Episode

Sally Galloway [00:03:27]:
Thanks for having me, Tina.

Tina Tower [00:03:29]:
Oh, I love these stories. Remember, stories are my favourite interviews to do because I learned things as well in terms of like, just looking at your sheet and everything that you've achieved. I'm going, gosh, you're so quiet about all of it. Some people would do, you know, run a webinar and they're like, oh my.

Sally Galloway [00:03:48]:
God, I did it.

Tina Tower [00:03:49]:
Like we did this and this is how I went. You, you very, just quietly under the radar, kicking ass.

Sally Galloway [00:03:56]:
Thank you. I guess you're just so busy in the thick of it that you don't, you have to stay, take the time to stop and reflect and realize how far you've actually come.

Tina Tower [00:04:07]:
So we're going to take that time now. You launched last year for the first time. What was the first online program that you launched?

Sally Galloway [00:04:18]:
So I've. So the first program I launched was regulation Rituals, which is an online short course for early education professionals to support their knowledge of implementing social emotional practices for children in early education and care environments. So it was really specific market and clients that I'm working with. And I guess the whole point of launching that particular course was to take the work I was doing in centre. So I was working in early childhood services and I was away from home quite considerably and I was also noticing so many themes across the nation of services I was working with that I thought from a cost effective perspective for the early childhood services and from a time perspective for me, I could bundle this up into an online course. So then when I was able to be face to face, I could be in there coaching and mentoring and actually, you know, doing the work because the educators had had the opportunity to do the learning prior to me getting there.

Tina Tower [00:05:38]:
And so how long have you been running traditional business for before you did the switch over?

Sally Galloway [00:05:44]:
Well, I started traditional business I think 2011, but then in 2016, so I had a private practice. So I'm an occupational therapist, was working in a really traditional manner in private practice and so had a private practice in that time, had team, had two sites when I had that private practice, one in Brisbane, one in Sunshine coast, and then in 2016, I started working for a national organisation that provided early education and care and it was my.

Tina Tower [00:06:22]:
Same time as running two sites.

Sally Galloway [00:06:24]:
Yeah. So I had that, but then I was offered this position, so I was doing some contracting work with the organization and had some really big ideas with their team and, you know, was looking at ways to contract or, like, how we could work together. And then the opportunity came up to become, like, a national lead in the national manager of occupational therapy for the organization. And that was, like, my dream role. Right. That was sort of my whole purpose to my private practice and what I was doing anyway, so, yeah, so I took that role. So I had a break from private practice and having a business for seven years, and in that time, I had my daughter as well and had my son and. Yeah.

Sally Galloway [00:07:16]:
And then I moved back into business just a couple of years ago. Yeah.

Tina Tower [00:07:22]:
And so the main motivation for you going into online, I know, you know, had a lot to do with family. How has it worked and how do you work time wise now? Because we have so many people that have traditional businesses and then go into online, but then also so many people that have young families and go, you know, I'm so limited with time, and there's so much to do. How do you manage that load?

Sally Galloway [00:07:47]:
Yeah, absolutely. And it's something you've got to reassess daily, weekly with the changes. But that was, like, for me, I always knew I wanted to make a big impact in this space, and I'm really, really passionate about bringing, like, these practices, implementing, like, occupational therapy practices in early childhood environments to make the greatest difference. And I found that even when I had a full time role, managing a national role and children and, you know, relationships and a home, like, it was, it was just so much. And I was always thinking, like, there has to be a better way. And I was reflecting on, you know, my previous experience in business and having staff and having multiple sites and things, and I was like, well, that's definitely not the better way because I was more of a slave to myself.

Tina Tower [00:08:42]:
Amen to that. Yes.

Sally Galloway [00:08:44]:
Than I ever was before. Right. And my happiness levels skyrocketed, actually, when I started working for someone else again in that role. But it kind of came to a point in my life where I was like, that's not something I can maintain and provide the level of support I know I want to provide to my family. And so that's then when I was like, well, how can we make it work? And to be honest, I actually started really following you in this space at that time and really opening my eyes to, hey, actually, how can I package up what I'm already doing in a way that's going to still have this impact and make a difference. And so I guess I just got really clear on the times I have available. So I tend to have about 20 hours a week that I can spend on this work. At the moment I am still like in the phase of I provide face to face services like I was just speaking about and I provide courses online and it's just a constant sort of balance of making sure I'm just moving the biggest rocks as you would say, like the biggest.

Sally Galloway [00:10:04]:
The things that are going to make the biggest difference to my business and yeah, moving them first I do think it makes.

Tina Tower [00:10:13]:
I was having this conversation with my sons actually who are, who are kind of man children now, but I was saying like I wish I still kept the productivity that I kept when they were little people because there was so much like I would never work. Like I pretty much worked when they slept, when they did daytime sleeps and then when they went to school. Like I work from 930 till three. So I was always there and it limited so much that there was no faffing about on anything. There was no doing any low level tasks that was like there's no procrastination. You've got to get in, you've got to do your thing because you've got other stuff that you've got to get to afterwards. And sometimes now I can find myself just taking it so easy. There's no hurry, there's no deadline that there is advantages in there as well.

Sally Galloway [00:10:58]:
Yeah, no, there absolutely is. And when you know that, how critical like the one really important thing to me is living in integrity. So like I teach these practices about, you know, showing up for children and being socially, emotionally available for children and like I couldn't teach those practices and it's what I used to find really, really hard trying to teach those practices when I actually wasn't doing that myself because I just didn't have the bandwidth or the availability. So like for me 100% that's what getting into this space has been about. It's been about how can I actually show up for the moments that really matter for my children and not have to sacrifice that by teaching others how to show up for theirs, you know, how to live in integrity. I have a four year old and a seven year old.

Tina Tower [00:11:53]:
Yeah. Okay, so I will ask you this question because it's a question that a lot of mums ask me and a little bit I feel, feel like I'm a little bit too far removed now that I sometimes forget what it was actually like to be in there. And I do remember this was quite a thing when I had small children in going, and it's your kind of specialty in there as well, in how do you stay present so that when you're working you can be all in on work and not feeling guilty that you're not with your kids and not doing different things and then vice versa when you're with your kids. But, you know, you're running through your list of I want to work on this. Like, I've got this idea and I want to do that, but you want to stay fully present with them. How, what advice do you have for, for other mums with little people?

Sally Galloway [00:12:35]:
One piece of advice is that that is really hard to acknowledge that that is not an easy thing to do. And the moment you think, you know, you've got that down, you know, all of the to do list like creeps back in. But I think my mantra at this year has had to be like relentlessly saying no, like, to everything, you know, everything. And to be able, able to actually shut down all the noise. We need to get really, really clear on our values and why we're doing what we're doing. So like, for me at this moment and this season in life, it's absolutely, yes to make an impact through my courses and to implement, like, have educators be implementing these practices. But on a personal level, it's so I can fully show up for my children and that means being relentless in my pursuit of no and being clear on that. So if I am with my children, there are things that I need to do.

Sally Galloway [00:13:50]:
As an example, I need to make sure my device is nowhere near me. Like when I am with my children, I am with my children to the best of my ability. And then when I'm not with them, it's being very clear as well to them and explaining to them from a very young age, like why I do what I do and where I'm going and why that's important in the world, you know, and why it's important for our family as well to try and help them also understand that I'm not choosing to be away from them, like, because this is more important than them. This is actually, you know, for us as a family, this is for our family and this, and I hope for one day they will feel that same way about something as well. You know, I love that.

Tina Tower [00:14:36]:
And the assurance I can give to moms that are listening to this at the moment is so my kids are 15 and 16 now and they've come for the last two years to all of our conferences. And so they've been raised. I had a business before I had children, so they've been raised with me operating a business. And I have always ebbed and flowed the different seasons of the business to match where they were at in life. But they've always been part of those conversations. They've always been part of decisions, and I've always explain to them what I was doing. And now, like, it was so beautiful at the last conference that we were at to see them at the back of the room looking at me with so much pride. And, like, so often, you know, they're walking around and they're talking to members and they're shaking their hands, and they will, I say to them after, like, that was really beautiful that you were so there and so involved.

Tina Tower [00:15:29]:
And they're like, well, this is our business. Like, this is what gives us our life. And I was like, yeah, yeah, that's right. And I was like, I did it.

Sally Galloway [00:15:37]:
Who made it?

Tina Tower [00:15:39]:
They did it. I think that it's really important, like, I talk to some people that really separate their business massively from their family. And one thing that was probably the best thing we did when our kids were little is we had Sunday family meeting where we went over the week and all the big decisions I would talk about as a family, and they'd feel like they would weigh in on it and when I was traveling and when I'm not and everything that we're doing, so it makes a huge difference. Yeah.

Sally Galloway [00:16:03]:
And I love that. I love that because you're teaching them all of those skills from such a young age. Like, they're ahead. Like, I don't think. Yeah, I'm one of those people, too. I can't separate the two. I've never actually been able to. Like, it's not like work and then life.

Tina Tower [00:16:23]:
It's a work life, especially when we're lucky enough to get to do something we love as well.

Sally Galloway [00:16:28]:
Yeah, that's right. Yeah.

Tina Tower [00:16:30]:
So in the last 18 months, you have three times your business, which is. Is incredible. Is there different things or different advice that you can give to people that has made the biggest difference? Is a combination of a lot of different areas, or are there things that stand out for you that have made a really pivotal change?

Sally Galloway [00:16:53]:
One is literally, I have to reevaluate my life on a daily basis of, you know, am I actually working on the right things right now, given the such limited time available to do that? And I am not willing to sacrifice any more of that time, like, you know, when you, when you pre kids, I remember, like, thinking, oh, if I don't get that done, I'll just do it later. But I don't have that later anymore. So, you know, it's like, what gets done gets done. So I need to be working on the right thing. And the other thing really, that happened for me is late last year, my dad unexpectedly had a really massive stroke, and we ended up in Brisbane at the hospital in the acute stroke ward for a good three week period. And in that period, that was when I was making a big transition in my business around servicing a lot of private clients at the same time as working with early education and care services. And it was in that moment that I like that I actually just decided and made that real decision that actually my zone of genius, my purpose is and what I'm really good at and can make the greatest impact. To be available for the times like this, to sit by his side for three weeks, to be then available for my children was through the online course platforms.

Sally Galloway [00:18:30]:
So it was for me, that's when it all changed. Like, I hadn't seen that growth until that moment, right when, which is funny because I actually didn't work at all for those three weeks, but when I got back, I had to refer all my clients onto other people. I had to close down that stream, really, of my business and then just go all in on this online platform. And that is where suddenly I just had the momentum and I had services contacting me and wanting to get on board and engage in services, and then that sort of just flowed on from there. So, yeah, so I think sometimes it requires that moment to really realize, like, you do have to go all in on yourself, like, not sort of playing around in all the different buckets. So that.

Tina Tower [00:19:30]:
And what, in terms of marketing, do you think has made the biggest difference from you going from that local focus to a more broad?

Sally Galloway [00:19:40]:
So marketing? Yeah. So, like, I have been really active on, like, Instagram and which feeds then into my Facebook. So I do try and show a lot on that platform. I have been working with others, like, on being guests on their podcasts or being in there, you know, presenting webinars and things like that in their own platforms. And then, you know, like, I have put a lot of effort into building my networks through my, like, mailing a.

Tina Tower [00:20:16]:
Lot of connection marketing.

Sally Galloway [00:20:18]:
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Tina Tower [00:20:20]:
That's awesome. What do you think has been the biggest challenge moving into the online? What's been the hardest part?

Sally Galloway [00:20:27]:
Well, what has been the hardest part, and continues to be the hardest part is you don't know who you are talking to. So, like, I'm so used to presenting face to face and really being able to connect with those people and adapt to the audience who is in front of me. Whereas I find that, yeah, on the online space, I actually don't know who coming on. And it's really terrifying to me.

Tina Tower [00:20:53]:
It's why I like presenting live the most. I like seeing people and adapting and doing that. There's often, like, especially if I'm doing solo podcast episodes, that I will forget that there's thousands of people listening to it. And then I finish and I go, yeah, I got. I got a little bit personal there. Like, it's a weird setup. Yeah, it is challenging when you used to servicing people one on one and face to face and moving into that is very strange at first.

Sally Galloway [00:21:21]:
And I also think social media and I have to not get myself into that trap, but, like, the content people are putting out on social media is absolutely amazing. But, and it's. It's often, especially in my industry, it's. It's absolute best practice. So people are putting out strategies and practices that, you know, if you're on your. If you're working at 100% on your a game, you're going to be able to implement that with a child. But on your normal day, that's really, really, really difficult. Right.

Sally Galloway [00:21:54]:
And so there's this. Yeah, I constantly get trapped in this, I guess, disconnect between, yes, this is best practice over here, but, like, in reality, what we mean.

Tina Tower [00:22:06]:
That's a great thing for you to talk about, though.

Sally Galloway [00:22:08]:
Yeah, yeah.

Tina Tower [00:22:11]:
You know, let's be honest, we're not all perfect all of the time. Yeah, same in business. You know, there's all the things we should be doing every week, but. But rarely does life flow like that. You've got to do the important things, and that's exactly what you're doing as well.

Sally Galloway [00:22:26]:
Yeah, but it becomes so daunting. Right? Like, that's what I mean. Like, you see that and it actually puts you into a place of freeze because that feels so far from where you are. And I know that to be true for so many people that I work with. Like, they see these best practices and are like, oh, my gosh, how do I do that when I'm unattainable? It's unattainable. And so, yeah, I think finding that sweet spot in social media in particular, ensuring that you continue to be relatable and your true authentic self, but actually provide value. Right. Has been, you know, like a dance.

Tina Tower [00:23:04]:
And what does your ascension model look like now? You've got your regulation rituals program just promoting that. Is there anything else that you've got on there?

Sally Galloway [00:23:13]:
Yeah, so that's, that's what I have at the moment. I have a, like a couple of mini offers that are now available on there as well. So like visual routines, schedules, like. And there's also an inclusion masterclass. Like they're just really small offers. They're like $7. And then I am in the process, which will be complete by end of this week of just having a few.

Tina Tower [00:23:40]:
This episode comes out by the time.

Sally Galloway [00:23:42]:
This episode, a few like highly requested topics that I typically present on in evening workshops by turning them into like mini course masterclasses. So. And they will be more just like at 297 really affordable for early childhood services to be able to just dip in to or individuals to dip into. But my may, like my signature course is the regulation ritual school.

Tina Tower [00:24:09]:
Yeah. Amazing. And do you have at the moment in your mind or does it change all the time? What does success look like for you in your online business?

Sally Galloway [00:24:20]:
Yeah, so I think success would be like currently I am still away from home presenting workshops and things like that frequently. Like especially terms two and terms three. There's a huge, you know, need for that. But I have been experiencing so much success with the services that I've worked with when they are like picking up the online content and then I'm coming and using the funding and resources like in the day, coaching and mentoring on the floor. So for me, like from a personal level and also from a professional outcome level, I would like to be able to see that those evening workshops turned into accessed online where there's more uptake of that because more people know about me and know about the content and get a lot of value out of that. So it would look like more like I'm just away on outreach like once a, one week a term versus as much as what I am now. So kind of what success looks like to me.

Tina Tower [00:25:33]:
Edit there. Coming in hot.

Sally Galloway [00:25:35]:
Yes. Okay.

Tina Tower [00:25:36]:
My final question for you is, what has being part of her empire builder done for you? What do you like about it?

Sally Galloway [00:25:45]:
I love that. So I do travel quite a lot. And so I love that there is like every single thing you can imagine that you would ever need to create an online course market, an online course, brand yourself, write a book, all the things on an app that plugs into my bluetooth and away I go.

Tina Tower [00:26:07]:
I know it in the car.

Sally Galloway [00:26:09]:
I listen to it in the car. Yeah. And even the technical one, like, technical episodes, I listen in the car because that's the way my brain works better anyway. Like, if I read a book, I read the book, but I also listen to the audiobook and so I'll listen to it and then I, once I've stopped, I'll go back and I'll like, screenshot.

Tina Tower [00:26:30]:
Yeah, yeah.

Sally Galloway [00:26:31]:
That I need to then sit at the computer and work through or whatever it might be, but, yeah, so I've been able to devour quite a lot of. So I feel like I know you very, very well, being able to devour so much of the content. And I see, like, such huge value in being able to do that because it covers everything. So before, I guess I was just pulling, like, buying little mini courses from different types of people or I was listening to a whole bunch of different podcasts, but it was just confusing me because everyone has a different way of doing things, but this, yeah, I'm able to pull everything from the same lens, you know, and. Yeah, and just chip my way. Like, I'm not, I'm. Yeah, you know, there is.

Tina Tower [00:27:18]:
How do you go with your, with your timing that you have? Do you have set amount of time that you do implementation of new ideas each week or how do you work that into your schedule that's, that's more.

Sally Galloway [00:27:29]:
Strategic than I am currently? I just. Implementation, like, I just use a Monday board.

Tina Tower [00:27:38]:
What you need, when you need it.

Sally Galloway [00:27:39]:
Yeah, I just grab what I. Yeah, and what's. Yeah, so I'll just search what I need when I, when I need it. So I wrote out, like, the initial model that I would like to work to from my business, and then I've just had to sort of pick one thing and then I'll just chip away when I can at it, then the next thing and chip away as I can at it. But, you know, like, I've learned how to build my whole website and do all my social media. Like, everything is. I have done, like, everything I have done, so. Yeah.

Tina Tower [00:28:08]:
You must be so proud. You build it all.

Sally Galloway [00:28:11]:
I do feel, yeah, I do feel, yeah. Pardon?

Tina Tower [00:28:17]:
Have this and that. Have it all.

Sally Galloway [00:28:18]:
Yeah. Yeah.

Tina Tower [00:28:20]:
I love that. It's such an inspiration. It's an inspiration to people that are wanting to go into online from the traditional business, but also moms that are wanting to go, we want to be able to do work. I mean, for me, it was always the same. It's. I want to be able to do work that I feel proud of, that I feel like I'm contributing the world in a positive way. But I'm also, like, there for my kids every day, and they're for my family, and they know that they're my number one. And it has, you know, it's paid off massively on.

Tina Tower [00:28:47]:
On both parts. And I think it's. I always get really sad when I hear people talk about that one thing needs to be sacrificed for the other. Yes, I do think that you need to make choices, and I love that you talk about that because there is sacrifices in terms of, I grew my business at a much slower pace than what I could have if I went all in, even the last couple of years, because my kids are getting close to moving out of home. I took my foot off the accelerator and planned to for another couple of years because I'm like, this is it. This is my last chance. Like, I want to soak it up. And there's plenty of time to go set the world on fire later, but we can still do stuff that we love in between.

Sally Galloway [00:29:25]:
But I love that the online course space, like, from your business as an example, I can be listening to content that you may have recorded, like, three years ago or two years ago maybe, is not so relevant in your life anymore, but it's totally relevant in mine. I, you know. Yeah. And like, that. That's just like a gift that keeps on giving. And that's what I think even with my work. It's like I. I can actually impact so many more people through this because they can have me on my best day.

Sally Galloway [00:29:58]:
Right. Every time they listen to it, they're my best day. Yeah. You know, and then that allows me to actually have quality of life throughout the rest of my life. I love that.

Tina Tower [00:30:11]:
Well, Sally, I am cheering you on. Congratulations for three xing the business in 18 months. See if we keep it going, because it is, it's the best of both worlds. And I'm so lucky that I get to work with awesome humans like you and that we have access to this type of business model. It's just the greatest revelation ever. So thank you so much.

Sally Galloway [00:30:31]:
Thank you, Tina.

Tina Tower [00:30:33]:
This episode was brought to you by my signature group coaching program, her empire builder, the best online education for female course creators in the world. Check it out @tinatower.com along with so many free resources to help you get building your empire and seeing those results that you deserve. If you loved this episode, please don't keep it a secret. Share it with a friend on social media and tag me @tina_tower and give it a review. It really does help us to be able to bring you bigger and better content as we grow. Have the most beautiful day. I'm Tina Tower, and I'm cheering you on all the way.