53. From Overwhelmed to Confident: The Coaching Journey of Our Client Molly
Have you ever felt overwhelmed and stuck in your business, unsure of how to take the next steps to achieve your goals? Do you struggle with putting yourself out there on social media and dealing with the fear of criticism and failure? In this episode, our former coaching client Molly joins us to share her transformative coaching journey and the tools she's gained to build her confidence and grow her business.
Molly is an entrepreneur who specializes in adventure dog training. She helps people develop fulfilling relationships with their dogs through activities like hiking, biking, and skiing. Her goal is to empower owners to safely enjoy the outdoors with their well-behaved dogs. However, when Molly first came to coaching, she was feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed by the challenges of launching her online program and expanding her business.
Through our coaching container, Molly learned to identify and overcome her negative self-talk, build self-trust, and take action towards her goals with confidence. She shares how she's grown her business over the past year, from hiring employees to expanding her online program, and how she's learned to stay grounded in her purpose of helping people and dogs. If you're ready to break through your own barriers and build a thriving business, this episode is for you.
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What You’ll Learn from this Episode:
The power of identifying negative self-talk and "negative pretending" to overcome fear and take action in your business.
Strategies for building confidence and self-trust as an entrepreneur, even in the face of criticism and self-doubt.
The importance of having a clear plan and support system to help you navigate the challenges of growing a business.
How staying grounded in your purpose and focusing on helping others can drive your success and fulfillment as an entrepreneur.
The benefits of hiring a team and delegating tasks to support your business growth and well-being.
Tips for creating engaging, authentic content on social media while managing the emotional challenges of putting yourself out there.
Listen to the Full Episode:
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Learn more about Pete’s Adventure Pack, The Adventure Dog Channel, and connect with Molly on Instagram
Full Episode Transcript:
Nina Lynch: If you've ever wondered, does coaching actually work?
Kelle Cobble: Or what happens after a six month container? Like a year later, does anything stick? Will the investment of time and money be worth it?
Nina: Yeah, do the results last? Am I going bigger than I ever thought I would?
Kelle: Well, that's where we're going today with our former client, Molly.
We're about a year out from our six month coaching container with her, and we have a lot to catch up on.
Nina: Yes, this rockstar business owner is here to catch us up on all the things, including what tools and concepts she leans on today, how her business is growing. What she still wants to work on and how coaching really helped her work through some of her serious stuck places.
Kelle: Like putting herself and her business out there on Instagram and all of the IG haters.
Nina: Molly, we love you for joining us today. This is a fun one.
Kelle: Yeah, let's jump in. This is Ambitious-Ish.
Burnout? Check. Daily overwhelm? Check. Resentment rash, stress, and a complete lack of well-being? Check, check, check! You’re not alone. We’re your hosts, Kelle & Nina, and we are here to help you feel calm, balanced, and empowered so you can redefine success, make choices that feel authentic, and ACTUALLY enjoy the life you work so hard to create. You ready? Let’s go.
Kelle Cobble: Hey, I'm Kelle.
Nina Lynch: And I'm Nina. We are joined today by one of our favorite alumni clients. This is Molly. Hi, Molly. She joins us today from chilly Park City. Luckily, she's local. She can make this happen for us today. So welcome, Molly. Thank you for joining us today.
Molly: Thank you so much for having me. Y'all are also my favorite coaches. And I'm so honored to be here and talking with you both. So thank you.
Nina: Yeah, this is cool. This is a special conversation because It's probably been a year-ish, a year plus since we finished our coaching container with you. So we thought this might be like a really cool opportunity to check in on like kind of, you know, year out. What's going well? Maybe what challenges are?
What next steps are? You know, all the things from coaching and in your life. And so why don't we start by just tell us like what's on your plate as a human being on the planet right now? Like who, not just who are you, but like what's on your plate? What's on your plate? What do you do?
Molly: Yeah. So I am a dog trainer in Park City, as you both know. And I believe when I first met you both, I was launching group classes, like local group classes, and that was terrifying. Now I am at the point where I've launched an online program called The Adventure Dog Channel, which I'm filming new content for kind of as I go every month. But we just yesterday filmed an entire puppy course.
So everything from like how you bring a puppy home to all the steps you take to set them up for success, which was obviously adorable. And luckily, it was so cold yesterday that it took us a really long time to film. So we have to have a second filming with all the puppies. And I was like, not mad about it.
Kelle: Not mad about that.
Molly: Not mad.
Nina: But wait, can we just back up? Because what I think is so special about what you do is this adventure dog training, right? It's very different than... Will you go ahead and explain? Like, go ahead.
Molly: Yeah. So, I mean, I, of course, do all of the regular behavioral stuff, working with reactivity and separation anxiety and all the like common problems that people will have. But I also specialize in teaching people how to really have a fulfilling relationship with their dog where they're going out and hiking, they're skiing, they're biking, or even like pulling sports like ski touring and really like making the most of their relationship and their time with their dog.
And then in benefit, they have a dog who is nice and fulfilled mentally and physically and is way more relaxed in the household. So you start to like work on a lot of the behavioral problems through just kind of changing your dynamic and relationship with your dog.
So in Park City, luckily, I have an amazing client base because most people here are super active and they just want to learn how to do it with their dog safely. They might already go biking, but they're like, it's chaos. How do I fix it? And how do I like make this actually enjoyable rather than like being so worried? So that's kind of my my niche.
Kelle: Totally, totally. I see people biking with their dog and they're just trying to get their dog a workout, but they're on this leash and the dog is like, I'm thinking of this particular guy in my neighborhood. The dog, like, drags him around the neighborhood. And I'm just like, that looks like an accident waiting to just blow up at any moment.
Nina: H-E- double hockey stick.
Molly: Yeah, and stressful. Yeah. Super stressful. Like, no, that doesn't look fun for anybody.
Nina: Oh, yeah. No, yeah. No, I think I learned so much from Molly, too, during the coaching. We both, Kelle and I both have dogs, and I just learned so much from you and working with you. So tell us kind of just to back up, you know, what brought you to coaching?
Molly: Yeah. So I was so overwhelmed and stuck. So I started my business really kind of in 2020 and then went full-time in 2021. And I was like slowly kind of piecing things together and like as a single person, well, I'm not single, I'm married, but I mean, single running my business. Like it's just me.
Nina; Yeah, solopreneur.
Molly: Yeah. Yeah. It was a lot. And so I was like, okay, there's these things that I want to do. I want to do group classes. I want to do this online membership so I can reach more people. And it was all exciting, but I was like, holy crap, how do I actually do this?
And So I think the first time I came in for the free session with you all, I might've cried, to be honest, I think. And I was just like, I don't know how, what even, I'm stuck, like I'm physically feel paralyzed and overwhelmed by everything. And you all made it so simple.
Like, I think in that moment, you're like, okay, what's your next step? Like, what are the things that you need to get done to have the group classes go live? So I laid them out and you're like, okay, what is the first next step? And I said it and you're like, okay, when can you do that? I was like, well, technically today.
And you're like, okay, go do it now. Go do it today. And I did it. And then it just felt like such like, oh can do this. And so that's when I knew that it was going to be such a game changer for me.
Like getting the online program off the ground was a really big deal and it was a big lift. And it was terrifying putting myself out there like that. But you all helped me do it and I truly wouldn't have been able to do it without you. So thank you.
Kelle: You have showed up on social media for a long time. And I think Instagram is your main focus, right? And I just remember seeing you on Instagram being like, oh, she's really good at this. And then it was interesting to talk to you about all the feelings behind, like, putting yourself out there in that way. Can you talk about that?
Molly: Yeah, social media is still like, when you asked a little bit about the challenges earlier, I mean, I still now I have tools to work through it, but it is still terrifying some days because it can be such a cruel, cruel place. Like people that are putting out epic, inspiring content get hate. And it's like, why? I just cannot understand that mentality of why people are mean and cruel on the internet. Like it blows my mind.
And so I'm still, you know, like I still struggle with that. And I, It's so funny because when you're like, no, your page is amazing. And I'm like, oh, I'm like crawling inside of myself. Like every time I hit post, I'm like, okay, go do it. You know, like I have to really work myself up to like, okay, I'm going to post today.
But now with tools, it's super helpful and I can do it easier. And there's still times when I get hate on posts and I have to kind of go through the whole thing again, but it's much easier now than it's ever been.
Nina: When you say go through the whole thing again, can you articulate a little bit about like what that process looks like for you?
Molly: Yeah, so I think one of the things that helps me the most is recognizing that I go through I believe what you all call to negative pretending, where if I have a post in my head, I start like telling myself these like negative narratives from like, okay, if I post this, somebody is going to comment XYZ negative thing, right? And then I have this like, How would I respond to that? And then I'm like, oh, this is how probably they would respond. And you just like cycle. And so I think recognizing that I negative pretend and being like, okay, well, what's the best outcome?
Actually, if I post this, what's the most positive thing that somebody is gonna write? So I start like positive pretending in my head and that actually I'm like, Oh, this is a really good post. Okay. This might have some positive outcome. And then I think the other thing that was so helpful was there was a post one time we had a session where I was really crushed because I posted something that did get negative comments and you were like, well, why don't you take it down?
And I was like, well, because I believe in what I said and I still believe it's helpful for some people. And so you're like, okay, there you go. And so now before every single time I post something, I'm like, is this going to help somebody? And is this for my audience? And if it did get negative comments, would I delete it?
The answer is no. And I do believe that I want to say this to the public and help people. So then I post it. And so I think sometimes that that's what I mean. I have to work myself through the process again, if I've gotten negative comments on a post that I posted prior.
But for the most part now, I'm like, I believe in what I'm doing, and I'm confident that it's going to help people, and that's why I'm doing what I'm doing. So that's kind of the cycle, I guess.
Kelle: Yeah, that's cool. I love that. Sorry, go ahead, Nina. Can we
Nina: Can we just mention your IG handle really quick? Because you have to follow this content. I mean, so it's Pete's Adventure Pack, right?
Molly: Yes. Pete's Adventure Pack.
Kelle: Yeah, check out everything that Molly does. It's so cool. It's so fun. Even if you like just want to go watch something fun on the internet like puppy videos.
[Crosstalk]
Kelle: And we're going to put all the links in the show notes, so don't worry about that. If you want to just check the show notes, you'll find it there.
Nina: What other challenges? I remember we, Kelle and I held a, what did we call it? It was like a business coaching pop-up in town here locally. And that's where I think we met Molly, right? We met you in person at this business coaching pop-up.
And you came and you were overwhelmed, you know, obviously in your business. What did you want to create when you came to coaching? The online program, sure.
Molly: Yeah, I wanted to walk away feeling really confident in myself and confident in my business. And you know, I believe my kind of like ideal was like, I want to really believe in myself and be confident in what I'm doing and not be scared of failure and not be scared of criticism. And I just feel really good about what I'm doing. And have a plan, like not just be overwhelmed, but feel like, okay, I got this. I'm confident about it. I know what I'm doing.
I know what it's going to take in the steps to actually get things launched and moving forward and even past the online program, like whatever's next for me after that, what is my plan and feeling really good and confident about that plan?
Kelle: Yeah, having a plan is so key. And you were so impressive to us because you would like make a plan and then actually follow through and a big part of following through is like feeling the feelings that go along with like having to follow through on something that you said you were going to do and is maybe scary or different or, you know, whatever. So how was that like emotional learning for you?
Molly: I mean, I'm even like getting teary eyed right now. Like it was a lot. But I think recognizing like kind of the noticing and naming of like, okay, how is this making me feel? And just like putting a name to things was really helpful. And then knowing like, okay, when I hit go on this, I'm probably going to cry. Because I'm so excited about it. And I'm also terrified. And that's okay. I can be a little bit scared about this and still be confident in myself that it's the right thing to be doing.
So I feel like I was able to just kind of like let go of some of my stuff more and not bottle it up inside, which then feels like paralysis when I'm like holding things in and not allowing myself to be like, oh, I am anxious about this. Then I felt stuck. Whereas if I'm like, okay, I'm anxious about this, but I still believe in it and I still want to do it. And I'm going to do it even if I do have like happy slash terrified tears when I hit go, like that’s OK.
Nina: Yeah. I'm just looking at our notes from when we first met and sort of like that point B that we designed with you, you know, sort of future Molly. And what keeps coming up that I'm noticing is like calm, neutral, grounded, safe and secure. It was a lot of feeling.
And of course we were just talking before we hit record about, you know, the fact that you're building this amazing property out in Camas and that's actually happening. That was sort of in our dreams. First met you and now actually that's happening. So tell us what you've created. It's been sort of a year out. What have you created? What surprised you Or what are you creating that's different than when we met you?
Molly: I mean, new things from my business that weren't even in the plan necessarily is now I have two employees.
Nina: Whoa!
Molly: Yeah, who run camp with me, which feels amazing and really calming to be honest, because I trust both of them and I'm super confident in their skills and it helps me a ton. We just work better together as a team than me doing everything by myself. So that was something that got added to the future plan, I guess, that I didn't even see happening as quickly as it did, which was awesome.
Nina: Hold on, that's really cool because I think for a little bit, when we first met you in the beginning of the container. We just didn't want to leave a lot to chance. And I think that may have gotten in your way, like you were kind of getting in your own way, right? Just our perfectionism, the P word. And so when we can hire people and delegate and resource ourselves, that is such a cool reflection of like your inner work, your confidence and self-trust. I mean, that's amazing.
Molly: Totally. Yeah. Well, it was so funny because like I was in the rescue world for dog training for a while and fostering and like not doing it as a business, but really just training foster dogs and foster parents of other dogs within rescues and things like that. But I had a corporate job where I managed a lot of people and that was so easy for me. Like I love, I loved that part of it.
And then when I started my own thing, it was like so much more precious to me somehow. Like I was so scared to screw it up because it was a reflection of me personally. Whereas, you know, when I was at a corporate company, I'm like, yeah, let's try everything like full trust. Like, let's just go do things. And I'm like, oh no, we need to keep this stuff tight.
But now I feel like I'm getting back to like myself a little bit more and able to, yeah, relax and be confident in what we're doing enough. And calmer, which feels super nice. So yeah, it's so funny, like looking back on like, oh no, I'm like, my goals were all about being confident and all of these things where I'm like, oh, my goals were actually about being calmer and neutral. And It's just funny how you kind of forget, yeah, your memory is.
Nina: The online program, I mean, you've expanded that big time, right? That hadn't even, we were just sort of birthing that, weren't we? We're just kind of getting that started. Yeah. So how's that going?
Molly: Yeah. It's been live for one year now. I launched it December 8th of last year.
Nina: Do you remember when we launched that? I feel like we launched it.
Molly: Yeah, we did. We did launch it. Yeah, we did. Congrats, guys.
Nina: Yeah. No, do you remember? I think it broke the internet. Do you remember? It was great.
Molly: It was great. Yeah, it was great. Yeah. It made me really proud and happy that I did it.
And it was a really big deal for me. So yeah, it's come a long way and I've added a lot of content into it. I started out with really just specific content about how to teach your dog to bike and how to teach your dog to walk on a leash and like all the basic stuff, but I didn't have a ton of behavioral things in there. I still feel like that felt scary to me in the beginning. I'm like, okay, well, let me go live with the stuff that's like truly me and the stuff that I'm so sure of.
But now I've added in a bunch of stuff about reactivity and other things and, you know, like spicier dog training stuff. And I feel confident in that. And I feel like I'm able to help more people because I'm broadening it. And now with the puppy stuff, I'm kind of opening it up to a newer audience too, which is nice. So it's been a journey.
Nina: The puppy stuff is so key. Can't wait to see the puppy stuff. Yeah. Do you remember, and again, I know it's been a little while, but do you remember any specific challenge that we really needed to double down on and work through that was really sort of like, not like a breakthrough moment necessarily, but do you remember something that was just like, like light bulb that you've taken away and that's serving you now?
Molly: I mean, truly the negative pretending cycle that I would be in when you all were able to name that for me, because I just felt crazy. I just felt like, oh, why am I telling myself these literal made-up stories of what's going to go wrong? Or even like, oh, what are other trainers going to think of my content on the channel? Like they probably would think XYZ and I would go into this negative cycle and you both were like, well, that's, that's this, this is super common. Like this is not just a you thing.
This is what your, how your brain works. Like your brain goes into like, you know, flight or fight and in threat mode. And so I think just being able to like recognize that and feel like, oh, okay, this is like not a big deal. And I also then know how to talk myself out of it. I use that more than anything else, probably.
And that was just such an aha moment for me.
Nina: Yeah. So the listeners understand. I think what we were talking about was worry. And Kelle and I explain worry as when we pretend negative outcomes. So that's all worry is.
And in this vision I'm looking back is you're not worried. In this vision of future Molly, that was like a highlight. It was like I'm not worried. And so yeah, we can pretend negative outcomes or we can pretend more neutral or positive outcomes, right? In posting and promoting ourselves.
And self-promotion's a big deal for entrepreneurs. Like, no one else is gonna do it. So we do have to do it ourselves and get out of our own way and really like our reason why and develop that self-trust and confidence in not just our skills as a professional but also who we are as a human because it's our personal brand for sure. So when I say personal brand, Paint us a picture of like the after here. Like what are you noticing and what are you appreciating about how coaching has served you a year out? I mean, you can draw it, you don’t have to paint it.
Molly: Yeah, yeah, it's like gonna be scribbles. Yeah, in so many ways. I mean, I feel like, I personally feel like my brand has changed from like, okay, let me try this and like, cringe my way through it a little bit, you know, and be really scared. And now me being like, even hearing myself on camera yesterday, this is the crazy part. Like I can go back and watch videos of myself from years ago talking to the camera where I'm like oh yeah I don't sound confident and then yesterday even though it was freezing and I was like shivering doing training videos, I was like, I sound so damn good.
Like I sound like I know what I'm talking about because I feel like I do. And like, you know, it works. Like you could see the puppies change in five minutes of doing something. And so it just was a total like overall confidence difference that you can see visibly and hear the visible difference, which feels really cool for me. And I feel much calmer about that.
Kelle: Mm-hmm. Confident and calm puppy magician.
Nina: Adventure puppy. Yeah. Hey, so Molly, what was it like working with both of us with two coaches? What was that experience like for you?
Molly: Oh, it was great. I mean, y'all's dynamic is so good. I feel like the way you both are coaching the same thing, but like sometimes you might like Kelle might say a little different than Nina will. And I think both are good. And like being like somewhat of a human coach myself.
Like there are some clients that I'm coaching, whereas like, so Paige or Jackie who work with me, they might be like, oh, and this isn't this. And the client's like, oh yeah, that. And I'm like, we said the same thing, but we said it a little bit different, right? And so like people just like, it's so helpful having two people, but also you guys are both just lovely to work with. And the dynamic is so nice. So it was great having both of your support.
Kelle: Well, thank you. The feeling is so mutual. We had so much fun working with you. When we're done, we're just like, ah, you know, like, definitely one of our faves.
Nina: What do you believe about yourself now? And what is a new thought you believe about yourself right now?
Molly: I feel like something that I think about that I never thought about before was that if we're talking about posts on social or even local clients or the channel, that I do have things to say that I think are going to help a lot of people. And that's why I'm doing this is to help more people and more dogs. And I think having that as kind of my like North Star in a way. Like, yes, I want my business to be successful, but like at my core, the reason why I'm doing this is to help more people and more dogs. And the new part is I do feel like I have important things to say that will help a lot of people. And that drives the confidence behind what I'm doing, if that makes sense.
Kelle: You just nailed purpose right there. Like it's not a goal. It's like bigger than a goal. And it's so cool that like, yeah, you want to help people and you want to help animals and like bring the two together. And I mean, I just think that's so fun and awesome. So cool.
Molly: Thank you.
Nina: I can't wait to see the campus.
Kelle: Right?
Molly: Oh yeah, y'all have to come out. It's very cool. I have already added 12 chickens to our pack, if you will. So we have six dogs, one cat, three horses, 12 chickens. And AJ's like, what have I signed up for?
He's all on board. I’m only kidding. He's just as excited about the chickens and fresh eggs as I am.
Nina: I was wondering when we first met, like if Pete was your husband, but it's AJ. And so what is Pete? I was like, Because it would make sense if it was AJ's adventure pack.
Molly: Yeah. Yeah, no, and AJ is not a dog trainer, although he has kind of now become an unpaid assistant trainer at this point. Yeah, yeah. But no, so Pete was my original dog who I adopted in college when I started fostering. And so he was the reason why I got into fostering in the first place.
He was actually a stray that showed up at the barn and lived there for like a month. And we ended up finding out who the owner was and they were like, we don't want them, whatever. And so anyways, I ended up adopting him. And then I was realizing how many dogs were in shelters and that needed just basic training that were, you know, basically surrendered for, they jumped the fence or they chew up stuff in my house and I'm gone or whatever the reason is. And so I was like, Oh, I could help these dogs.
Like I know, you know, I've trained a couple of couple of dogs at this point. I could foster and help. And so then I just started getting really nerdy about dog training and started working with a lot of people through rescues and learning.
And anyways, long story short, once I decided to become an actual trainer, then I went through mentorship programs and courses and things to actually do it. But that's kind of how I started and it was all because of Pete.
So when I was like trying to name my business, nothing felt right other than Pete's Adventure Pack. And I was like, everyone's going to always think my name is Pete and get it confused. But I was like, whatever. What matters the most is that I know what it is and it means a lot to me. And like, I still think about him every day. So Pete passed away at like age 14 in 2021. So, but he was, he was a good boy.
Kelle: They just stay with you, right?
Nina: Yeah. I never knew that. I always meant to ask you that. It's been a long time.
Molly: Yeah, of course. You know, I mean, I think another thing that was really helpful was just the like, let them be wrong about you. And you know, because there are so many opinions on social media and they're taking a grain of salt that they see, you know, and half the times when someone comments something negative, they haven't even taken the time to even look at your page or read through the caption or whatever. They've maybe watched 10 seconds of your video and made big assumptions about you. And so I think just like keeping that in perspective and just like, okay, let them be wrong. Like 10 seconds of judgment, let them be wrong about me. And that's okay.
Kelle: Yes. Yeah. So it's something that we teach because you have to bring like again, the emotion that you're willing to feel with people being wrong about you. Right? So you have to feel judgment and security and whatever else comes along with that. And it's you being able to be like, okay, I'm so self-confident that I can go and do whatever I want to do and know like the worst thing that's gonna happen is an emotion. Like I'm gonna have to feel something and I'm willing to feel that to go big. Which is exactly what you're doing. It's so cool.
Molly: Yeah, that makes perfect sense. It's a beautiful way to say it. And I think one thing that was interesting, I feel like I was almost scared to feel confident before because I didn't want to seem cocky. Does that make sense? But it's not. It's just like believing in myself.
Nina: You're not alone there. Yeah, you're not alone. I feel like a lot of the women we work with, they are sort of scared, right? To come across as too much.
Kelle: Arrogant. Yeah.
Molly: Yeah. Yeah. Like I didn't want to seem overconfident or arrogant or conceited or any of those things, which I'm not, but I didn't want to come off that way. But then I realized I'm like, oh no, being confident and believing in myself is not that. It's more of a feeling and feeling good about what I'm doing.
Kelle: Yes, yes. And you just nailed that too, because arrogance is feeling like you're better than other people, right? And it's totally different from confidence, self-confidence.
Molly: Yeah, that actually brings up a good point of something that was like a big change. I think I was so when I first met you both, I was so worried about what other people were doing, like what other dog trainers were doing, what other people in the dog industry were doing. And now I'm like, I'm just super happy doing what I'm doing. Like I'm not as worried about what others around me are doing or competition. Which I always felt like the dog industry should be more of a community in general, but I still was like stuck in comparison of myself to others. Whereas now I am much more grounded and not doing that.
Nina: Nice job, Rockstar. We miss you.
Molly: Thank you. Miss you both.
Nina: I feel like we see you all the time, but…
Kelle: Awesome. Thanks, Molly. So fun to catch up.
Molly: Yeah, Thank you both. So awesome.
Nina: Yeah, thank you for your time today. This was such a good one.
Kelle: All right. Thank you so much for listening and we'll see you next time.
Nina: See you next time. Thanks so much for being here.
Hey everyone, if you want more live access to me and Kelle, you have to join our email list.
Kelle: Yes, we'll come to your email box every Tuesday and Thursday.
Nina: You can ask us questions, get clarity, and get coached.
Kelle: We offer monthly free email coaching when you're on our list and you're the first to know about trainings, events and other free coaching opportunities.
Nina: Just go to KelleAndNina.com to sign up.
Kelle: Thank you so much for listening to today’s episode of Ambitious-Ish.
Nina: If you’re ready to align your ambitions with your heart and feel more calm, balanced, and connected, visit KelleAndNina.com for more information about how to work with us and make sure you get on our list.
Kelle: See you in the next episode!
Kelle Cobble: Or what happens after a six month container? Like a year later, does anything stick? Will the investment of time and money be worth it?
Nina: Yeah, do the results last? Am I going bigger than I ever thought I would?
Kelle: Well, that's where we're going today with our former client, Molly.
We're about a year out from our six month coaching container with her, and we have a lot to catch up on.
Nina: Yes, this rockstar business owner is here to catch us up on all the things, including what tools and concepts she leans on today, how her business is growing. What she still wants to work on and how coaching really helped her work through some of her serious stuck places.
Kelle: Like putting herself and her business out there on Instagram and all of the IG haters.
Nina: Molly, we love you for joining us today. This is a fun one.
Kelle: Yeah, let's jump in. This is Ambitious-Ish.
Burnout? Check. Daily overwhelm? Check. Resentment rash, stress, and a complete lack of well-being? Check, check, check! You’re not alone. We’re your hosts, Kelle & Nina, and we are here to help you feel calm, balanced, and empowered so you can redefine success, make choices that feel authentic, and ACTUALLY enjoy the life you work so hard to create. You ready? Let’s go.
Kelle Cobble: Hey, I'm Kelle.
Nina Lynch: And I'm Nina. We are joined today by one of our favorite alumni clients. This is Molly. Hi, Molly. She joins us today from chilly Park City. Luckily, she's local. She can make this happen for us today. So welcome, Molly. Thank you for joining us today.
Molly: Thank you so much for having me. Y'all are also my favorite coaches. And I'm so honored to be here and talking with you both. So thank you.
Nina: Yeah, this is cool. This is a special conversation because It's probably been a year-ish, a year plus since we finished our coaching container with you. So we thought this might be like a really cool opportunity to check in on like kind of, you know, year out. What's going well? Maybe what challenges are?
What next steps are? You know, all the things from coaching and in your life. And so why don't we start by just tell us like what's on your plate as a human being on the planet right now? Like who, not just who are you, but like what's on your plate? What's on your plate? What do you do?
Molly: Yeah. So I am a dog trainer in Park City, as you both know. And I believe when I first met you both, I was launching group classes, like local group classes, and that was terrifying. Now I am at the point where I've launched an online program called The Adventure Dog Channel, which I'm filming new content for kind of as I go every month. But we just yesterday filmed an entire puppy course.
So everything from like how you bring a puppy home to all the steps you take to set them up for success, which was obviously adorable. And luckily, it was so cold yesterday that it took us a really long time to film. So we have to have a second filming with all the puppies. And I was like, not mad about it.
Kelle: Not mad about that.
Molly: Not mad.
Nina: But wait, can we just back up? Because what I think is so special about what you do is this adventure dog training, right? It's very different than... Will you go ahead and explain? Like, go ahead.
Molly: Yeah. So, I mean, I, of course, do all of the regular behavioral stuff, working with reactivity and separation anxiety and all the like common problems that people will have. But I also specialize in teaching people how to really have a fulfilling relationship with their dog where they're going out and hiking, they're skiing, they're biking, or even like pulling sports like ski touring and really like making the most of their relationship and their time with their dog.
And then in benefit, they have a dog who is nice and fulfilled mentally and physically and is way more relaxed in the household. So you start to like work on a lot of the behavioral problems through just kind of changing your dynamic and relationship with your dog.
So in Park City, luckily, I have an amazing client base because most people here are super active and they just want to learn how to do it with their dog safely. They might already go biking, but they're like, it's chaos. How do I fix it? And how do I like make this actually enjoyable rather than like being so worried? So that's kind of my my niche.
Kelle: Totally, totally. I see people biking with their dog and they're just trying to get their dog a workout, but they're on this leash and the dog is like, I'm thinking of this particular guy in my neighborhood. The dog, like, drags him around the neighborhood. And I'm just like, that looks like an accident waiting to just blow up at any moment.
Nina: H-E- double hockey stick.
Molly: Yeah, and stressful. Yeah. Super stressful. Like, no, that doesn't look fun for anybody.
Nina: Oh, yeah. No, yeah. No, I think I learned so much from Molly, too, during the coaching. We both, Kelle and I both have dogs, and I just learned so much from you and working with you. So tell us kind of just to back up, you know, what brought you to coaching?
Molly: Yeah. So I was so overwhelmed and stuck. So I started my business really kind of in 2020 and then went full-time in 2021. And I was like slowly kind of piecing things together and like as a single person, well, I'm not single, I'm married, but I mean, single running my business. Like it's just me.
Nina; Yeah, solopreneur.
Molly: Yeah. Yeah. It was a lot. And so I was like, okay, there's these things that I want to do. I want to do group classes. I want to do this online membership so I can reach more people. And it was all exciting, but I was like, holy crap, how do I actually do this?
And So I think the first time I came in for the free session with you all, I might've cried, to be honest, I think. And I was just like, I don't know how, what even, I'm stuck, like I'm physically feel paralyzed and overwhelmed by everything. And you all made it so simple.
Like, I think in that moment, you're like, okay, what's your next step? Like, what are the things that you need to get done to have the group classes go live? So I laid them out and you're like, okay, what is the first next step? And I said it and you're like, okay, when can you do that? I was like, well, technically today.
And you're like, okay, go do it now. Go do it today. And I did it. And then it just felt like such like, oh can do this. And so that's when I knew that it was going to be such a game changer for me.
Like getting the online program off the ground was a really big deal and it was a big lift. And it was terrifying putting myself out there like that. But you all helped me do it and I truly wouldn't have been able to do it without you. So thank you.
Kelle: You have showed up on social media for a long time. And I think Instagram is your main focus, right? And I just remember seeing you on Instagram being like, oh, she's really good at this. And then it was interesting to talk to you about all the feelings behind, like, putting yourself out there in that way. Can you talk about that?
Molly: Yeah, social media is still like, when you asked a little bit about the challenges earlier, I mean, I still now I have tools to work through it, but it is still terrifying some days because it can be such a cruel, cruel place. Like people that are putting out epic, inspiring content get hate. And it's like, why? I just cannot understand that mentality of why people are mean and cruel on the internet. Like it blows my mind.
And so I'm still, you know, like I still struggle with that. And I, It's so funny because when you're like, no, your page is amazing. And I'm like, oh, I'm like crawling inside of myself. Like every time I hit post, I'm like, okay, go do it. You know, like I have to really work myself up to like, okay, I'm going to post today.
But now with tools, it's super helpful and I can do it easier. And there's still times when I get hate on posts and I have to kind of go through the whole thing again, but it's much easier now than it's ever been.
Nina: When you say go through the whole thing again, can you articulate a little bit about like what that process looks like for you?
Molly: Yeah, so I think one of the things that helps me the most is recognizing that I go through I believe what you all call to negative pretending, where if I have a post in my head, I start like telling myself these like negative narratives from like, okay, if I post this, somebody is going to comment XYZ negative thing, right? And then I have this like, How would I respond to that? And then I'm like, oh, this is how probably they would respond. And you just like cycle. And so I think recognizing that I negative pretend and being like, okay, well, what's the best outcome?
Actually, if I post this, what's the most positive thing that somebody is gonna write? So I start like positive pretending in my head and that actually I'm like, Oh, this is a really good post. Okay. This might have some positive outcome. And then I think the other thing that was so helpful was there was a post one time we had a session where I was really crushed because I posted something that did get negative comments and you were like, well, why don't you take it down?
And I was like, well, because I believe in what I said and I still believe it's helpful for some people. And so you're like, okay, there you go. And so now before every single time I post something, I'm like, is this going to help somebody? And is this for my audience? And if it did get negative comments, would I delete it?
The answer is no. And I do believe that I want to say this to the public and help people. So then I post it. And so I think sometimes that that's what I mean. I have to work myself through the process again, if I've gotten negative comments on a post that I posted prior.
But for the most part now, I'm like, I believe in what I'm doing, and I'm confident that it's going to help people, and that's why I'm doing what I'm doing. So that's kind of the cycle, I guess.
Kelle: Yeah, that's cool. I love that. Sorry, go ahead, Nina. Can we
Nina: Can we just mention your IG handle really quick? Because you have to follow this content. I mean, so it's Pete's Adventure Pack, right?
Molly: Yes. Pete's Adventure Pack.
Kelle: Yeah, check out everything that Molly does. It's so cool. It's so fun. Even if you like just want to go watch something fun on the internet like puppy videos.
[Crosstalk]
Kelle: And we're going to put all the links in the show notes, so don't worry about that. If you want to just check the show notes, you'll find it there.
Nina: What other challenges? I remember we, Kelle and I held a, what did we call it? It was like a business coaching pop-up in town here locally. And that's where I think we met Molly, right? We met you in person at this business coaching pop-up.
And you came and you were overwhelmed, you know, obviously in your business. What did you want to create when you came to coaching? The online program, sure.
Molly: Yeah, I wanted to walk away feeling really confident in myself and confident in my business. And you know, I believe my kind of like ideal was like, I want to really believe in myself and be confident in what I'm doing and not be scared of failure and not be scared of criticism. And I just feel really good about what I'm doing. And have a plan, like not just be overwhelmed, but feel like, okay, I got this. I'm confident about it. I know what I'm doing.
I know what it's going to take in the steps to actually get things launched and moving forward and even past the online program, like whatever's next for me after that, what is my plan and feeling really good and confident about that plan?
Kelle: Yeah, having a plan is so key. And you were so impressive to us because you would like make a plan and then actually follow through and a big part of following through is like feeling the feelings that go along with like having to follow through on something that you said you were going to do and is maybe scary or different or, you know, whatever. So how was that like emotional learning for you?
Molly: I mean, I'm even like getting teary eyed right now. Like it was a lot. But I think recognizing like kind of the noticing and naming of like, okay, how is this making me feel? And just like putting a name to things was really helpful. And then knowing like, okay, when I hit go on this, I'm probably going to cry. Because I'm so excited about it. And I'm also terrified. And that's okay. I can be a little bit scared about this and still be confident in myself that it's the right thing to be doing.
So I feel like I was able to just kind of like let go of some of my stuff more and not bottle it up inside, which then feels like paralysis when I'm like holding things in and not allowing myself to be like, oh, I am anxious about this. Then I felt stuck. Whereas if I'm like, okay, I'm anxious about this, but I still believe in it and I still want to do it. And I'm going to do it even if I do have like happy slash terrified tears when I hit go, like that’s OK.
Nina: Yeah. I'm just looking at our notes from when we first met and sort of like that point B that we designed with you, you know, sort of future Molly. And what keeps coming up that I'm noticing is like calm, neutral, grounded, safe and secure. It was a lot of feeling.
And of course we were just talking before we hit record about, you know, the fact that you're building this amazing property out in Camas and that's actually happening. That was sort of in our dreams. First met you and now actually that's happening. So tell us what you've created. It's been sort of a year out. What have you created? What surprised you Or what are you creating that's different than when we met you?
Molly: I mean, new things from my business that weren't even in the plan necessarily is now I have two employees.
Nina: Whoa!
Molly: Yeah, who run camp with me, which feels amazing and really calming to be honest, because I trust both of them and I'm super confident in their skills and it helps me a ton. We just work better together as a team than me doing everything by myself. So that was something that got added to the future plan, I guess, that I didn't even see happening as quickly as it did, which was awesome.
Nina: Hold on, that's really cool because I think for a little bit, when we first met you in the beginning of the container. We just didn't want to leave a lot to chance. And I think that may have gotten in your way, like you were kind of getting in your own way, right? Just our perfectionism, the P word. And so when we can hire people and delegate and resource ourselves, that is such a cool reflection of like your inner work, your confidence and self-trust. I mean, that's amazing.
Molly: Totally. Yeah. Well, it was so funny because like I was in the rescue world for dog training for a while and fostering and like not doing it as a business, but really just training foster dogs and foster parents of other dogs within rescues and things like that. But I had a corporate job where I managed a lot of people and that was so easy for me. Like I love, I loved that part of it.
And then when I started my own thing, it was like so much more precious to me somehow. Like I was so scared to screw it up because it was a reflection of me personally. Whereas, you know, when I was at a corporate company, I'm like, yeah, let's try everything like full trust. Like, let's just go do things. And I'm like, oh no, we need to keep this stuff tight.
But now I feel like I'm getting back to like myself a little bit more and able to, yeah, relax and be confident in what we're doing enough. And calmer, which feels super nice. So yeah, it's so funny, like looking back on like, oh no, I'm like, my goals were all about being confident and all of these things where I'm like, oh, my goals were actually about being calmer and neutral. And It's just funny how you kind of forget, yeah, your memory is.
Nina: The online program, I mean, you've expanded that big time, right? That hadn't even, we were just sort of birthing that, weren't we? We're just kind of getting that started. Yeah. So how's that going?
Molly: Yeah. It's been live for one year now. I launched it December 8th of last year.
Nina: Do you remember when we launched that? I feel like we launched it.
Molly: Yeah, we did. We did launch it. Yeah, we did. Congrats, guys.
Nina: Yeah. No, do you remember? I think it broke the internet. Do you remember? It was great.
Molly: It was great. Yeah, it was great. Yeah. It made me really proud and happy that I did it.
And it was a really big deal for me. So yeah, it's come a long way and I've added a lot of content into it. I started out with really just specific content about how to teach your dog to bike and how to teach your dog to walk on a leash and like all the basic stuff, but I didn't have a ton of behavioral things in there. I still feel like that felt scary to me in the beginning. I'm like, okay, well, let me go live with the stuff that's like truly me and the stuff that I'm so sure of.
But now I've added in a bunch of stuff about reactivity and other things and, you know, like spicier dog training stuff. And I feel confident in that. And I feel like I'm able to help more people because I'm broadening it. And now with the puppy stuff, I'm kind of opening it up to a newer audience too, which is nice. So it's been a journey.
Nina: The puppy stuff is so key. Can't wait to see the puppy stuff. Yeah. Do you remember, and again, I know it's been a little while, but do you remember any specific challenge that we really needed to double down on and work through that was really sort of like, not like a breakthrough moment necessarily, but do you remember something that was just like, like light bulb that you've taken away and that's serving you now?
Molly: I mean, truly the negative pretending cycle that I would be in when you all were able to name that for me, because I just felt crazy. I just felt like, oh, why am I telling myself these literal made-up stories of what's going to go wrong? Or even like, oh, what are other trainers going to think of my content on the channel? Like they probably would think XYZ and I would go into this negative cycle and you both were like, well, that's, that's this, this is super common. Like this is not just a you thing.
This is what your, how your brain works. Like your brain goes into like, you know, flight or fight and in threat mode. And so I think just being able to like recognize that and feel like, oh, okay, this is like not a big deal. And I also then know how to talk myself out of it. I use that more than anything else, probably.
And that was just such an aha moment for me.
Nina: Yeah. So the listeners understand. I think what we were talking about was worry. And Kelle and I explain worry as when we pretend negative outcomes. So that's all worry is.
And in this vision I'm looking back is you're not worried. In this vision of future Molly, that was like a highlight. It was like I'm not worried. And so yeah, we can pretend negative outcomes or we can pretend more neutral or positive outcomes, right? In posting and promoting ourselves.
And self-promotion's a big deal for entrepreneurs. Like, no one else is gonna do it. So we do have to do it ourselves and get out of our own way and really like our reason why and develop that self-trust and confidence in not just our skills as a professional but also who we are as a human because it's our personal brand for sure. So when I say personal brand, Paint us a picture of like the after here. Like what are you noticing and what are you appreciating about how coaching has served you a year out? I mean, you can draw it, you don’t have to paint it.
Molly: Yeah, yeah, it's like gonna be scribbles. Yeah, in so many ways. I mean, I feel like, I personally feel like my brand has changed from like, okay, let me try this and like, cringe my way through it a little bit, you know, and be really scared. And now me being like, even hearing myself on camera yesterday, this is the crazy part. Like I can go back and watch videos of myself from years ago talking to the camera where I'm like oh yeah I don't sound confident and then yesterday even though it was freezing and I was like shivering doing training videos, I was like, I sound so damn good.
Like I sound like I know what I'm talking about because I feel like I do. And like, you know, it works. Like you could see the puppies change in five minutes of doing something. And so it just was a total like overall confidence difference that you can see visibly and hear the visible difference, which feels really cool for me. And I feel much calmer about that.
Kelle: Mm-hmm. Confident and calm puppy magician.
Nina: Adventure puppy. Yeah. Hey, so Molly, what was it like working with both of us with two coaches? What was that experience like for you?
Molly: Oh, it was great. I mean, y'all's dynamic is so good. I feel like the way you both are coaching the same thing, but like sometimes you might like Kelle might say a little different than Nina will. And I think both are good. And like being like somewhat of a human coach myself.
Like there are some clients that I'm coaching, whereas like, so Paige or Jackie who work with me, they might be like, oh, and this isn't this. And the client's like, oh yeah, that. And I'm like, we said the same thing, but we said it a little bit different, right? And so like people just like, it's so helpful having two people, but also you guys are both just lovely to work with. And the dynamic is so nice. So it was great having both of your support.
Kelle: Well, thank you. The feeling is so mutual. We had so much fun working with you. When we're done, we're just like, ah, you know, like, definitely one of our faves.
Nina: What do you believe about yourself now? And what is a new thought you believe about yourself right now?
Molly: I feel like something that I think about that I never thought about before was that if we're talking about posts on social or even local clients or the channel, that I do have things to say that I think are going to help a lot of people. And that's why I'm doing this is to help more people and more dogs. And I think having that as kind of my like North Star in a way. Like, yes, I want my business to be successful, but like at my core, the reason why I'm doing this is to help more people and more dogs. And the new part is I do feel like I have important things to say that will help a lot of people. And that drives the confidence behind what I'm doing, if that makes sense.
Kelle: You just nailed purpose right there. Like it's not a goal. It's like bigger than a goal. And it's so cool that like, yeah, you want to help people and you want to help animals and like bring the two together. And I mean, I just think that's so fun and awesome. So cool.
Molly: Thank you.
Nina: I can't wait to see the campus.
Kelle: Right?
Molly: Oh yeah, y'all have to come out. It's very cool. I have already added 12 chickens to our pack, if you will. So we have six dogs, one cat, three horses, 12 chickens. And AJ's like, what have I signed up for?
He's all on board. I’m only kidding. He's just as excited about the chickens and fresh eggs as I am.
Nina: I was wondering when we first met, like if Pete was your husband, but it's AJ. And so what is Pete? I was like, Because it would make sense if it was AJ's adventure pack.
Molly: Yeah. Yeah, no, and AJ is not a dog trainer, although he has kind of now become an unpaid assistant trainer at this point. Yeah, yeah. But no, so Pete was my original dog who I adopted in college when I started fostering. And so he was the reason why I got into fostering in the first place.
He was actually a stray that showed up at the barn and lived there for like a month. And we ended up finding out who the owner was and they were like, we don't want them, whatever. And so anyways, I ended up adopting him. And then I was realizing how many dogs were in shelters and that needed just basic training that were, you know, basically surrendered for, they jumped the fence or they chew up stuff in my house and I'm gone or whatever the reason is. And so I was like, Oh, I could help these dogs.
Like I know, you know, I've trained a couple of couple of dogs at this point. I could foster and help. And so then I just started getting really nerdy about dog training and started working with a lot of people through rescues and learning.
And anyways, long story short, once I decided to become an actual trainer, then I went through mentorship programs and courses and things to actually do it. But that's kind of how I started and it was all because of Pete.
So when I was like trying to name my business, nothing felt right other than Pete's Adventure Pack. And I was like, everyone's going to always think my name is Pete and get it confused. But I was like, whatever. What matters the most is that I know what it is and it means a lot to me. And like, I still think about him every day. So Pete passed away at like age 14 in 2021. So, but he was, he was a good boy.
Kelle: They just stay with you, right?
Nina: Yeah. I never knew that. I always meant to ask you that. It's been a long time.
Molly: Yeah, of course. You know, I mean, I think another thing that was really helpful was just the like, let them be wrong about you. And you know, because there are so many opinions on social media and they're taking a grain of salt that they see, you know, and half the times when someone comments something negative, they haven't even taken the time to even look at your page or read through the caption or whatever. They've maybe watched 10 seconds of your video and made big assumptions about you. And so I think just like keeping that in perspective and just like, okay, let them be wrong. Like 10 seconds of judgment, let them be wrong about me. And that's okay.
Kelle: Yes. Yeah. So it's something that we teach because you have to bring like again, the emotion that you're willing to feel with people being wrong about you. Right? So you have to feel judgment and security and whatever else comes along with that. And it's you being able to be like, okay, I'm so self-confident that I can go and do whatever I want to do and know like the worst thing that's gonna happen is an emotion. Like I'm gonna have to feel something and I'm willing to feel that to go big. Which is exactly what you're doing. It's so cool.
Molly: Yeah, that makes perfect sense. It's a beautiful way to say it. And I think one thing that was interesting, I feel like I was almost scared to feel confident before because I didn't want to seem cocky. Does that make sense? But it's not. It's just like believing in myself.
Nina: You're not alone there. Yeah, you're not alone. I feel like a lot of the women we work with, they are sort of scared, right? To come across as too much.
Kelle: Arrogant. Yeah.
Molly: Yeah. Yeah. Like I didn't want to seem overconfident or arrogant or conceited or any of those things, which I'm not, but I didn't want to come off that way. But then I realized I'm like, oh no, being confident and believing in myself is not that. It's more of a feeling and feeling good about what I'm doing.
Kelle: Yes, yes. And you just nailed that too, because arrogance is feeling like you're better than other people, right? And it's totally different from confidence, self-confidence.
Molly: Yeah, that actually brings up a good point of something that was like a big change. I think I was so when I first met you both, I was so worried about what other people were doing, like what other dog trainers were doing, what other people in the dog industry were doing. And now I'm like, I'm just super happy doing what I'm doing. Like I'm not as worried about what others around me are doing or competition. Which I always felt like the dog industry should be more of a community in general, but I still was like stuck in comparison of myself to others. Whereas now I am much more grounded and not doing that.
Nina: Nice job, Rockstar. We miss you.
Molly: Thank you. Miss you both.
Nina: I feel like we see you all the time, but…
Kelle: Awesome. Thanks, Molly. So fun to catch up.
Molly: Yeah, Thank you both. So awesome.
Nina: Yeah, thank you for your time today. This was such a good one.
Kelle: All right. Thank you so much for listening and we'll see you next time.
Nina: See you next time. Thanks so much for being here.
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Kelle: Thank you so much for listening to today’s episode of Ambitious-Ish.
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Kelle: See you in the next episode!
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