Welcome to the Why Not Today podcast where we celebrate courage, determination, and the
power of saying, Why Not Today.
I'm your host, Leslie Cain.
In each episode, we dive into the inspiring stories of individuals who have taken bold
steps, faced their fears, and embraced the possibility of today.
From entrepreneurs to artists to dreamers or doers, we explore the moments when they
said, Enough waiting, Why Not Today.
Guide me as we uncover the heartwarming, the audacious, and transformative, whether it's
pursuing a lifelong passion, overcoming obstacles, or simply choosing joy, or get fair their
journey and inspire us all.
I started this podcast in honor of my father, Patrick Cain, who often said, Why Not Today.
And I always say, remember, you're just one decision away from changing your life.
And my guest today is Stacey Lauren, and she has a fun in Facebook group movement called
Do the Thing.
And that's so aligned with Why Not Today.
And I first discovered Stacey because Laura Carney, who has been on the podcast when I
talked about Alvin, who's actually our guest at a luncheon, she was on a bucket list challenge
with Stacey.
And I started watching following Stacey, and then Stacey actually introduced me to Leslie
Cooster, who will be on the podcast as well.
And we've connected, and it's just so fun.
And I think through you, I met Wendy Taylor.
So it's fun just to see the connections and just how deep they're going.
And so I'm excited to have you on the podcast to hear about Do the Thing.
So Stacey, why don't you introduce yourself a little bit about you and a fun fact, and
we'll get into the courage discussion.
Yeah, hi, I'm so glad to be here.
My name is Stacey Lauren.
And yeah, I have the podcast called Do the Thing, where I help people take action on
the things they want.
I've dissected a formula and then embedded it to my community, which is the Do the Thing
community.
And my fun fact is that I was a clown a very long time ago.
Oh, really?
Yeah.
That's fun.
Yeah.
I guess my dad was a clown.
Oh, really?
Yeah, I think so.
And now Steve's doing this whole thing about being like fairy and going to kids' birthday
parties.
It was kind of fun how that's evolved.
That's fun.
That's actually what I, yeah, that's what I did back in the day.
I was in high school and then I was, I'd go to kids' birthday parties and did the whole
tinkerbell and then the clown and all that stuff.
And if you're watching live, you can see Stacey has beautiful red hair, which I guess
because of Ronald McDonald, you think of clown, you think of red hair.
Is that your natural hair?
It's beautiful.
No, it was actually my gateway to like coming out of my old life was, you know, adding the
red, you know, where I was like very traditional and really ordinary and then I just wanted
to kind of mix it up a little.
Okay.
I bet there's a story behind that story.
It's a story behind that story, yeah.
Yeah, it's a fine everybody has those.
So, yeah, you do the thing.
So, so in line with why not today.
So let's start with how would you define courage?
What is your courage definition?
Yeah, it's the, it comes back to when I was in college and I went door to door sales.
Oh, no.
Yeah.
And I think it was just this, this one like line that I learned back then, which was action
cure sphere.
And I just, that's courage, right?
Just being able to take action, even though you're scared and I think at every phase you
go in life, you're scared again, you know, like every level, it's like, I'm scared again
and you don't want to do it.
And then you just take a little bit of action and see how you feel.
And then if it feels good, you could take another step.
So that's probably how I define courage is with action cure sphere.
Right.
And love that.
And it's, it's not always, people think of courage and we talk about this a lot, obviously
in podcasts, it's big, big thing, but everybody I talk to it's just a little step of courage
that we do and take the next one.
Mel Robbins talks about five second rules that you just go five, four, three, two, one and
then do it or somebody else shared on the podcast.
So you just need 10 or seven seconds of courage just to do the same as you say.
So I was just going to say, I think a lot of people think they have to do this like big
move, you know?
And so it's even scarier, but that like small micro step is just as powerful because that
helps you at least get started and gets a momentum, which is how you can actually get
it done.
Yeah.
And where you start and where you finish are just so far away sometimes.
And you think you're taking that step towards a and you end up at X, you know, in the past,
it's just, it's so fun to watch everybody's past and journeys with courage.
So let's talk about do the thing.
Where did that come from and how did that evolve?
And I know you've grown it pretty darn fast and you had a different path and let's talk
about your courage and all the things.
Yeah.
So I had, I had gotten divorced and then I had owned my business with my ex-husband.
So we tried to keep the business together.
And then after a few years, I just exited the business and pretty much was told by a
coach that I was working with at the time.
Do not open another business at least for a year, which is hard, right?
For being an entrepreneur because you're used to all this noise and all this stuff.
And so I decided I was, I would write a book.
So that was kind of like my first step.
It was originally going to be about sales because I love sales and I love what it, what
it can do for people.
And then at the same time I started dating and I realized that a lot of my skills, sales
skills applied to dating and I don't mean like, you know, how you look or any of that
stuff.
I was just following rejection and positive thinking goal setting.
And so I was in my mastermind and all of a sudden I just kept saying, like, I just want
to help people do the thing.
And so that's how do the thing was born.
And I had a book strategist I was working with at the time and she said, in order for
it to be a good book, I had to have my hero's journey.
Like what was my struggle, the story of when I didn't do the thing.
And, you know, when I ended up being able to do it, at the time I had no struggle story,
like in my mind, because I've always done the thing.
So she said, well, I had to interview 10 people get their struggle story of how they couldn't
do the thing and then they were able to do it.
And so that's how my podcast pretty much started.
What to give the end story to that the funny part is, so do the thing isn't really about
just doing the thing.
What my struggle story really is, is that I did the thing for everyone else and like
whatever one else what I thought people needed or wanted and didn't really tap into like
what I wanted.
And so that's really what do the thing is it's finding your own voice and then being
able to like kind of capitalize on that being able to get it out into the world in that
way.
That's awesome.
And that's so true.
And that's one of the kind of the sweet spots I've been finding is, you know, especially
women, we do so much for so many other people.
And we don't ask for the money for us.
We don't do the things for us.
We're so ready to jump on and help somebody else but not take care of ourselves.
100%.
Yeah, it's still, I mean, I think it's a work in progress, right?
We're still working on it.
But I think the difference now is I recognize it before I didn't.
It was totally unconscious.
And so now I notice, okay, you know, I've got to do something for me or I'm going to
get burnt out.
Yeah.
Okay.
I was just going to say, and the cool thing is I didn't even know it until I like was
in the middle of the podcast.
I was like my 11th or 12th interview and I was like, wait a minute, this isn't just
about doing the thing.
Like doing the thing, you know, it's about really tapping into who you are, what you
want and doing the thing for you.
Yeah, that's so true.
Somebody I was reading a book recently and they talked about the golden goose philosophy.
Have you heard of that?
No.
All right.
So if you have a golden goose and that is your family's income, this golden goose produces
these golden eggs, like how would you take care of that golden goose?
Like if it was sick, you take it to the doctor immediately, you'd make sure it got sleep.
It's eating the right thing and all those, you know, you'd treat this golden goose like
gold, you know, but we're the golden goose, especially as an entrepreneur.
And yet we don't always go to the doctor.
We put ourselves last.
We don't take care of our health.
And so, and one of those things, just a whole mind shift to, all right, how are we going
to take care of me?
So good.
Yeah.
And I'm going to start with a question for what I want.
So, all right, so you start a podcast and it's called do the thing.
And is it you just talking or do you interview people?
Yeah, it's just, it started with me wanting to dissect a formula for how people do the
thing.
So I was interviewing successful people or people that I met that looked like they had
done, you know, extraordinary things.
There was a lot of people from my life, kind of like you said in the beginning, it's like
once you kind of like start the spider web of talking to people, it sort of just takes
on life of its own.
And so, so I was dissecting these patterns from people on what led them to success.
And by the 80th episode, I identified the patterns.
And so now that I've dissected the patterns, now it's more of just, I just honestly bring
on anyone that I want that I feel like has a really great story of either them doing
the thing or even sometimes like I'll bring on people who have put their jobs right after
20 years because I that's really tapping into being able to overcome that fear.
So it's sort of evolved over, over time.
Yeah, I think my this podcast as well, it's kind of growing and changing.
And again, the kind of sweet spot I'm finding just what she said, people that have worked
for a job for years owned a business for years, been a mom, people are I think unsettled and
looking for some what's next, like create ourselves and figure out what that natural
genius and be able to make money doing 100%.
Yeah.
And especially like, yeah, like that thing, especially like I turned 50 this year, last
year, last year, I turned 50.
And it was like, great, because that that was this moment of just realizing, you know,
I'm finally doing what I want to do.
You know, I mean, I'm not like, I don't care what people think, I don't care what they
say.
I'm just like so tapped into who I am.
And it's really the first time in my life that I've like felt this way.
And so I don't know, there's something about that.
I think maybe once you hit 45, 47, and so I'm finding people, I mean, many are much older,
but I'm finding people in like that over age range where it's like, we're done, you know,
we're like ready, it's our time, you know,
I totally agree.
I'm finding the same thing.
It's kind of like my age range 45 to 65.
And you know, it's that magical zero birthday.
So I hit the zero birthday one, 10 more than yours.
I hit 60 last month.
And they even did a podcast episode of lessons of celebrating 60.
And you know, we've accomplished a lot.
I know when I turned 30, I got my master's in third American business.
So it's like that zero birthday.
Think people often look at life and like, what's next?
Am I doing what I really want to do?
And I think as we get older, we don't care what people think we want to do what we want
to do and take care of us.
Yeah.
And I think like, so I had my business, it was 20 years I owned that business and I gave
up, I sacrificed everything for that, you know, but it wasn't for the money.
It was because I had 60 employees, 600 extra employees.
And I just felt like I was responsible, you know, for everyone and their needs and wants.
And I lost myself in the process.
And then when I exited, you know, I set up systems and all that.
So it was like some people had left after I exited.
It was just this realization that like, it wasn't my job, you know, to keep people working.
They could have easily gotten other jobs, you know, like many of them did after I left.
And they're fine.
Some of them have opened up their own business and they're doing great.
But I just like took this responsibility that didn't have to be mine.
And so it just, yeah, it's been a, it's been a really interesting kind of re-identification
of who I am since I was able to let that go.
Yeah, that mess is like, keep hearing over and over again.
I've been reading the book, Profit First, have you read that before?
Oh, no.
Oh, highly recommend it.
It's funny, somebody recommended years ago and I kind of ignored it.
And now everybody I talk to, it's in books, people are talking about it.
And it's about paying yourself first.
And we're talking about an analogy of this company, they had two employees and the employees
were making more and more money than the owners because the owners felt responsibility.
And yet they weren't making any money.
And the owners, it's like, you know, we need to make money as owners of businesses and
not feel like we have to take care of everybody.
Yes, great that you've grown, that you have employees and you can afford a place, but
not sacrificing you in the process.
So let's talk about your patterns.
What did you find out?
Do the same pattern?
Oh, yeah.
So it's an acronym.
And it's I'm game.
And each letter stands for a pattern.
So the I is identify the Y, which, you know, a lot of people think like, you just have
to do this once, right?
Like identify why you want to have your, you know, do something, but it's really for everything.
It's identifying the Y for anything you want to do.
And so the M is mindset.
And there's two pieces of mindset that I really like.
One is what are your excuses and how will you overcome them?
I do that before every do the thing challenge.
I have people basically it's a dare and I have them do that exercise where they speak
it out loud into the community.
And then my second mindset piece is fun.
Kind of how we started was telling us something fun about us.
And so, yeah, so infusing fun, because if you're not having fun, I mean, what's it worth?
You know, it's not, it's not worth doing anything.
And then the G is gold.
And so I do this through my challenges.
I do dares and that's really fun.
So I like to tell people, because a lot of people get stuck in like smart goals, right?
And that's great.
If you know exactly what you want to do, but you know, you could also have a rough draft
goal.
It doesn't have to be like a whole specific thing.
It could be an idea of what you want to do.
But I also, once you know, then you have to just break it down into these little small
steps.
And then the thing that I like to do the dares is that's what those are.
And then the A in game is accountability.
And you know, a lot of people, they don't realize, this is what I've realized, because
as I've identified the patterns, I do keep exploring the patterns through my community
and through the podcast and through the different programs I have.
But if you're, let's say you're struggling or you're stuck doing something that you
want to do, sometimes people will think something's wrong with them, right?
But if you have a game, if you have that do the thing for a minute.
And you start seeing something that you're familiar with, then you're able to look at
it and say, Okay, am I, how am I doing with accountability?
Like for me, I don't need any accountability with business.
I am like, completely, like a little too consumed with that.
But with like fitness, like I have to have accountability.
And so if I'm ever like not meeting my goals with that, then I can look and say, Oh, it's
because I don't have a group that I'm with, they're like, I'm not involved with an accountability
partner.
Right.
And then the M in game is my people, which is surrounding yourself with people who have the
same goal. So it's different than just being around supportive and encouraging people. This is
like specific to whatever that thing is you want to do. And then the E in game is educate. And that's
two parts. So educate is like learning from others and podcasts and videos. And it's great
that you guys are listening to this podcast because of how much you're able to learn from the
different people Leslie brings on. But the second part is doing what I'm doing today,
where you get to educate others, right? And coming on your podcast and being able to
contribute by education. And so that's where the fulfillment comes from. And that's when you
really feel good about what you're doing because you're then you're then feeling like you're making
a difference too. Right. Love it. And I can see how all those things apply to, you know, doing the
thing and having the courage and saying why not today. Yeah. And so many areas of life. And it's
just interesting how all these things, Chris Cross that I listened to and read and people I
talked to, the same messages and I, and you know, I call them Godwings coincidences, like there's no
accident and the people are put in your path for a reason. Definitely. You know, I say I look at
Laura Carney and she's been the connector for a lot of connections and it was a random car on TV
and just reached out and you know, you just never know. Isn't that great? I say that too with her
because she changed a lot for me. I didn't even listen. The guy that owns my podcast platform,
he told me he heard about her on NPR and then I was like, oh man, I have, I'd love to interview her.
She's doing the thing. And at the same time, as I reached out to her at the same time, I had an
expert panel it was putting together for people that had started books or had books. And so I
brought her on that. And that's when the idea for the bucket list challenge had been infused.
And she changed a lot in my community because I think, well, you know, right, having a,
having something be for someone else in the way that she did with her dad's bucket list, right?
Like, I think it brought this level of meaning that just hadn't, you know, that opened up all
these portals for the people in the group. And so it's been really cool to see the effects of that.
Yeah, I love the things she's done and how it just keeps evolving. I was talking to somebody yesterday,
I do a monthly luncheon now, and she came down from, she was on her way from Nashville back to
New York and stopped in Virginia. We only get speaker last month, which was so fun to have her.
And if you ever come to Virginia, let me know. We'd love to have you. But she was talking at,
we were obviously talking about bucket lists and had everybody introduce themselves with their
money is no object. What is the biggest bucket list thing? And there was one guest there that
at first she couldn't think of anything, which just kind of broke my heart. But once we all started
talking, she came up with something. But I saw somebody yesterday that was there. And she said,
after we started talking about things she wanted, and she has a family trip she always
want to do with she to accomplish. She's like, I'm good. You know, she had a couple of things.
But after between the last three weeks, a friend reached out and invited her and is paying for her
to go on a cruise to Italy. Oh my God. I'm like, so, you know, and I know that I know that I know
you just got to throw it out there and have those intentions, whether you write it down,
tell somebody or just in your heart have those intentions of the bucket list, the things.
And the universe just moves and puts those people in your path and connects you to people and the
right person at the right time or the right message. But I think, and I talked about this on my
episode on my lessons I learned on my 30th birthday is we have to be open to it, you know,
be looking for somebody said one time things don't fall in your lap unless your lap is out there.
Oh yeah, I love that. And so yeah, looking for those things. Yeah, I love that money question
to you because I do that in one of my challenges find your voice but because I think a lot of
people can be blocked by that and they can't dream big enough because that that like I can't do it
because of this comes up, you know, and so yeah, I love I love that question. I love that you're
doing that. I think that's a really good way to expand people's minds. Well, we were talking I
was interviewing Laura or Leslie, I'll be Laura and Leslie and Leslie Lauren and all. So I was
interviewing Leslie, which is so funny Leslie another Leslie case felt the same way Leslie
Cooster. And we were talking about you know her pivotal moment when she's like, All right, I'm
done making what I'm making I want to make more and I deserve to make more. And we're talking about
how you know where she started and where she is are so far apart. And when we start the thing
we can't possibly see where we're going. And I think I mentioned this on her podcast too,
but I read something or heard something the other day about when you do a vision board
to leave space, don't fill it up. Because don't know what could be what God has planned to put
in those spots. And so leave it open because we don't know what we're capable of. But we're just
we're capable of saying why not today or do the thing or just start and then see where it goes.
So let's talk about some of your challenges or Derek what are you doing with those those are fun.
Yeah, so I do all kinds of stuff with that. It's funny a lot of times nothing's really planned it
just comes intuitively from the community it's sort of birthed by what people are needing and then
I get to see what's activating in me so it's kind of fun in that way but I've done like a dating
dare challenge I have a singles group that I do those with. I've done I do find your voice that's
a kind of a what is that called like a constant you know every couple times a year I'll run that
challenge which which is great it turned out to be it started with me wanting to help people like
find their own voice kind of what I was saying earlier where like we've raised our kids we've
done everything for everyone else now it's time to like figure out who we are. But the accidental
part of that challenge is that it also gets you really good on video and and like so a lot of
coaches and entrepreneurs like to do that challenge because it helps you show who you are
with where you're not nervous anymore. Right and yeah so there's that one and then I have
done a start a book challenge the bucket list challenge a go live challenge and then right
now I'm in the middle of launching or doing I'm running it right now I have 23 people in the
audience accelerator program and that is like yay my most I would talk about uh why not today and
courage that's it's been a lot you know because once you're it's now I'm helping people really
kind of like create their own online platform build their own audience and uh and kind of yeah
just like being leading that group and the people that are in there because now I'm working I mean
I think everyone is kind of like your peer right in a way but like they're like literally my peers
now you know and so we're getting value from each other so it's been interesting to see what
that's been doing to me as I'm like growing as you're growing people. I love that. Leading a
group and I noticed this the other day I keep saying oh does that make sense like I feel like
I'm getting an imposter syndrome as of because like why are they all listening to me like you
know what I mean because they're all so freaking good and I'm like oh my gosh they're like really
all listening like they want to know what I have to say it just feels weird I don't know it's just a
new new thing. Oh I think sometimes as coaching people we're guiding people we're coming alongside
of them. Yeah it's exactly what it is. And to just give them confirmation and they always say
too when the student's ready the teacher comes and you know you're a learned just like you said
in your formula like you're teaching and learning. Yeah and I think what it is like I'm actually
learning I go through something on my podcast if you guys want to listen it's life assets it's a
specific kind of exercise that you could do I interviewed one of my old coaches and I give
that dare in the program and what I realized that I'm running this program is it like pulled out
like why I'm good at helping people build a warm audience and why I'm good at creating community
and it pulled out all my past you know experiences and so it's coming out so I do know like I've got
you know skills or whatever but it still just feels weird to be in that space you know so it's
just new that's all it's just different. Right well and when you're natural genius is building
community or collecting people which is one of mine it just comes so naturally that's when people
I was talking to some of the other day and they're like I started lunching and got up one morning and
had it planned in 48 hours and by the people they start signing up she's like how do you do that?
I'm like you just ask and you surround yourself and have a community of like-minded people and
and I think community is the key like we need to help people grow community connect be around
like-minded people so important. And doing what like you did I did you know with Laura even like
reaching out a lot of people are not able to do that without you know help or guidance and I think
that's especially in the algorithm age where people think their algorithm's gonna take them on you
know but you do have to it's nice to be able to reach out to people and connect with people.
Just that my dad always said you know what's the worst thing somebody could say yeah you know or
they don't answer but let's do it's like oh wow that's pretty cool. You're gonna be life changing
so what are your challenges? Did you say bugaboo? Oh no I think that was the bucket list probably.
Yeah I have like a million more but I'm like sort of on hold just because I'm so invested in this
audience accelerator program and I'm building it with the people and so it's a lot so I sort of am
not pausing I'm eventually I guess pausing I'm eventually gonna start up again but I have to
take a break while I'm building this program out. Yeah there's so many things that we can do and
all the ideas and it sounds like you're a creative person, an idea person, which I
know and I think that's why we connect it's like oh let's do this and let's do this and let's do
this and I'm like all right sometimes I just gotta sit still and land the plane. Yeah exactly
but it's kind of cool though when you have that when you're able to do that let's do this let's
do that because then all the dots eventually connect and you see that it comes into one thing
which is actually really cool too. Yeah absolutely and and you have that curiosity and it just
things just keep popping which is fun. So Stacy how would you encourage somebody else to be courageous
to do the thing? I so number one thing is you've got to surround yourself with people that are
wanting to do it too whatever it is that you're wanting to do that will actually just give you
courage by default because you're getting to see yourself in the other people that are doing it
and so like oh I didn't mention my start a podcast challenge that was another big one I got to see
this a lot in that because so many people were stuck with like oh my gosh am I going to be able
to figure out the tech and am I am an imposter and what am I even going to say but because the
podcast challenge they all saw each other doing it and you know some were further some were behind
but they were all doing it it like it created all these amazing podcasts because they got to
be a part of a group so I would just say that would be my number one piece of advice to get courage
is to put yourself in the environment with the other people that are being courageous like doing
whatever it is your goal is that you want to do. Yeah love that so while we're talking about it how
do you tie back and connect to my dad and I would say the one big thing is that you're just doing
the thing and you're an entrepreneur which he always was and just asking because you just never
know what people are doing so how can people find you Stacey? Yeah thank you so much go to my community
on Facebook and you could get to it by dothethingcommunity.com and that'll give you access
to everything YouTube and all that stuff's kind of listed in the group. All right perfect and
I'll of course share all your contact and everything in the show notes of how people can find you and
all your social things so well thanks for being our guests and sharing and so many cool ideas and
I'm ready to go do the things even though I do too many things probably I need to have the
outfit how can I cut down the things? I know right do the thing for you. So well thanks again
everybody for joining us on this inspiring journey remember every day is an opportunity to take
action chase your dreams and make a difference so why not today? Subscribe, stare, keep pushing forward
and stay motivated to keep saying why not today you can find everything about the why not today
podcast on whynottodaypodcast.com or on all the social places we've got why not today swag
a why not today community Facebook group so we're Stacey says we're doing all the things
and so if you have if this inspired you gives you hope and permission share with a friend
encourage somebody else listening to say why not today so thanks again Stacey and remember
everybody say why not today